 Morris also continued writing poetry and began designing illuminated manuscripts and embroidered hangings . In March 1857 , Bell and Dandy published a book of Morris 's poems , The Defence of Guenevere , which was largely self @-@ funded by the author himself . It did not sell well and garnered few reviews , most of which were unsympathetic . Disconcerted , Morris would not publish again for a further eight years . In October 1857 Morris met Jane Burden , a woman from a poor working @-@ class background , at a theatre performance and asked her to model for him . Smitten with her , they entered into a relationship and were engaged in spring 1858 ; Burden would later admit however that she never loved Morris . They were married in a low @-@ key ceremony held at St Michael at the North Gate church in Oxford on 26 April 1859 , before honeymooning in Bruges , Belgium , and settling temporarily at 41 Great Ormond Street , London . 
