He was one of the first to join as an active member the Chaucer, Early English, and Philological societies, founded by his lifelong friend, Dr F. J. Furnivall.
None of his colleagues surpassed him in the devotion which he expended upon editing the oldest remains of our national literature from the original manuscript sources, on the same scientific principles as adopted by classical scholars.
Between 1862 and 1880, he brought out no fewer than twelve volumes for the Early English Text Society, including three series of Homilies (1868 onwards) and two of Alliterative Poems (1864).
[3] Scarcely had he struck out on this remunerative line of authorship than he turned aside to devote the remainder of his life to the study of Pāli, the sacred language of Buddhism.
But he did not confine himself to editing: his familiarity with the development of early English caused him to take a special interest in the corresponding position of Pāli, as standing midway between the ancient Sanskrit and the modern vernaculars, and as branching out into various dialects known as Prakrits.
These relations of Pāli he expounded in a series of letters to the Academy, which were valuable not only for their lexicographical facts, but also as illustrating the historical growth of the languages of India.
[3] For the last two years of his life Morris was prostrated by an incurable and distressing illness, which he bore with fortitude, preserving his cheerfulness and his love of a good story to the last.