The year of writing is not provided, however it is possible it was 1971. Davies discusses the reviews of "Fifth Business" which was published in 1970 and says he is working on another novel. "The Manticore" was published in 1972. Davies was the Founding Master of Massey College and served from 1963-1981.
Written on the letterhead of "Massey College / in the University of Toronto / Master."
Discussing the reviews for "Fifth Business, their emotional impact, and a new novel he is working on; thanking him for "a copy of Mr. Reynolds' letter about Fifth Business; it arrived at one of those times, well-known to authors, when it seemed to me that I had written a very foolish book, written it badly, faced jeering criticism and -- even worse -- neglect, and indeed had decided that earth was but a desert drear. I get these spells...a sense of failure, rather like being buried under blankets soaked in ice-water, visits me very often, and has to be endured. But Mr. Reynolds' letter raised me virtually from the tomb. I was especially delighted by the list of authors to whom he compared me, Hesse at the head of the parade;" mentioning that he is "laying the foundation for another novel, not a sequel but associated with F.B...I had meant to keep this on ice for at least a year, but it insists on asserting itself, and notes pile up; hence the ghastly, depleting melancholy of which I spoke earlier; it is an inescapable concomittant [sic] of dredging up a story from the matrix inside me. But that is quite enough self-indulgent waffling. You asked me a question. No, there will be no dedication. All my books are dedicated to my wife, but we think it rather gut-flopping to say so in print;" providing a list of his previous books published in the United States.