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Trinity:- Hopes his mother is 'satisfied with the political outlook': they do not know much of what is going on here. The last thing he heard was 'that [H. H.] Asquith was engaged to Dodo [Margot Tennant, given the name of E. F. Benson's character said to be based on her]' but does not know if that is true; hope 'she will not treat him as badly as she treated Lord Chesterford [also in Benson's Dodo]'.

Asks if his father is well; supposes he is 'not put out by the fate of his bill' but rather looks on it as 'a grievance', which is 'always acceptable, especially when it can be well-turned to account'. George is 'quite well and happy'; Robert went for a walk with him and 'his erratic friend Baring' this afternoon. Baring's 'last performance' was sending a 'telegram to his patron Edmund Goss[e], purporting to be from his tutor Boughey, saying - "Poor Baring passed away quietly this afternoon Boughey"'. Boughey does 'not seem to have resented the trick' when he discovered it from Gosse's 'anxious enquiries'. Is going to tea with the Sidgwicks tomorrow 'at their new house'.

Asks how Charlie is, and whether he 'has begun to make any close and more personal acquaintance with his constituents yet'.

Trinity College, Cambridge. - Has been 'distracted all day' by Trevy's letter [15/269]; is afraid his mind is 'made up against his wishes', since there are many reasons against him going to Italy with Trevy and for it only that he 'should like it so enormously'. His tripos exams are in May and he must work for them; knows he would not be able to work at Paestum; he has already refused to go to with [Nathaniel] Wedd to Greece, with [Charles] Sanger and [Arthur] Shipley to the Netherlands, and with [Maurice?] Baring to Florence. Has also asked James to come to London in Easter week, and wants to see lots of other people there. Will pass over what Trevy says in his letter about [his theories on] the English language, but hopes that both of them have 'improved since that fearful day at Mottarone'. Barran has come in 'in all his customary magnificence' they had great fun at the Verralls' last night. Has got to take tea with 'the little Miss Conybeare's [sisters of his college contemporary William Conybeare?] now'.

Holly Lodge, Richmond Park, S.W. - Writes to tell Bob the 'awful news' that his mother died 'quite suddenly last night at dinner'; they had known 'there was danger', but had no idea of 'the end coming so soon', since she had 'been extraordinarily well & happy lately'. She had 'expected & wished to die very suddenly', and since she was unconscious from the start of the seizure, all was over in five minutes, and they were 'all with her and happy together' he thinks 'it happened as nicely as it ever could have both for her and us'. Bob 'always seemed to understand her so well', and he was one of the friends she was fondest of, with Oswald [Sickert], Reggie [?] or Maurice [Baring?]. Marsh and his mother had been 'such particular friends lately': she knew 'all about' him, they had not quarrelled for a long time, and he had of course not as spent as much time with her for years. Wonders if Bob saw he had come second in the Home Civil [Service examinations]; is very glad his mother knew, and that it was settled he would choose the Colonial Office. Only came home the day before yesterday; his visit to the Balfours 'didn't come off' so he had been staying with the Lyttons for ten days; it is a 'blessing' he came in time. Asks Bob to visit him if he is in London.

Grimsby Farm, Long Lane, Coldash, Newbury. - Hopes Trevy has received the letter he wrote to Naples, otherwise he will think Marsh 'rather a beast'. Glad Corpo di Cava was not snowed under, since it has turned out to be 'so delightful'; he himself would have 'preferred Capri for the sake of Tiberius' [see 15/318]. Has just got away from London and finished his first day of work here; his 'flesh crept to such a degree' when he woke on Monday night and started to think about his tripos [examinations] that it 'must have moved on about an inch all round'. Stayed in London a little longer than he should have done because of a 'superior French company' who performed [Ibsen's] "Rosmersholm" and "Master Builder" and a play by Maeterlinck under the direction of M. [Aurélien-François-Marie] Lugné -Poé who 'seems to be a descendant of Edgar Poe'. He is 'a very beautiful man with a pale face & black hair', and reminds Marsh of a 'portrait of some poet', perhaps Poe himself; he 'acts very respectably' and played the Master Builder as 'an American with a straggling beard & a drunken complexion' and 'quite revolutionized' Marsh's idea of the part, since 'the rather vulgar arrogant manner he put on in certain parts' made the character seem more consistent than 'the suavity of Lewis Waller'. Asks if Trevy has ever read Maeterlinck, as it is 'useless to try and explain what he's like' if not; in the 'mixture of great simplicity with an entire rejection of realism' he thinks it goes back to 'the Burne Jones & Morris kind of thing'. Sat next to William Archer, who was 'very nice' to him. Saw many friends at the Ibsen plays: [Erskine] Childers, Crompton [Llewelyn Davies], Gerald Duckworth, J[ohn] Waldegrave, 'the Babe' [William Haynes Smith?] etc. Thinks the Independent Theatre must be 'the worst managed concern in the world': the performances usually begin late 'after the curtain has gone up two or three times, to encourage the audience. You're never safe from the irruption of a cat in the most moving scenes', the actors miss their cues, or the curtain does not go down at the end of the act. The man who is called the Acting Manager [Charles Hoppe] is 'the greatest crook [he] ever met with in a responsible position', who seems unable to sell tickets without asking for assistance and did not even know how many acts there were in "Rosmersholm". Marsh took the Verralls to that play; comments on Arthur Verrall's reaction to theatre: 'he never is, or lays himself out to be, in the least moved by a play' but responds to 'the cleverness or stupidity with which it is written'.

Very glad that George [Trevelyan] got his scholarship, though there was no doubt he and Buxton would; 'very hard luck on [Ralph] Wedgwood. Went to see [Charles] Sanger yesterday in his new rooms at Hare Court. No-one has heard 'anything of [Bertrand] Russell for some time'. Only saw Oswald [Sickert], who had influenza, not serious, once; he has just got 'free from the Werner Company, which has used up the Beauties of Britain, & gone on to Paris [ie, finished publishing "Beautiful Britain]'; hopes he will have time for his novel now. [Maurice] Baring took Marsh to supper with Edmund Gosse on Sunday: a 'most amusing man', whose conversation is 'described in Stevenson's essay on conversation ["Talk and Talkers"] under the name of Purcell. He was in the teakettle mood'. Met [Henry] Harland, the editor of the "Yellow Book" there; thought him 'an awful little man', but 'on getting accustomed to his manner' next day he thought him 'like-able on the whole'. Hopes to go to supper next Sunday with 'the even more distinguished [Robert] Bridges', though he has not read his recent works so 'feels rather ill-equipped'. Met John Davidson briefly recently; he 'seemed a genial and light hearted little man, with a nice Scotch accent'.

Vinters, Maidstone.—Invites him to see her after the first performance of Maurice’s play. Is having to spend the weekend with ‘a newly married couple and a blind paralytic’. Hopes Montagu’s meeting was a success.

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Transcript

Vinters, Maidstone
Sunday May 5th 1912

My dear Mr Montagu

Yes do come Tuesday at about 5.30. I am going to the 1st Performance of Maurice’s play {1} in the afternoon, and might not be back by 5 o’clock. Mr Asquith & Eliza motored me here in pouring rain yesterday and left me to one of the hardest imaginable fates. I dont suppose ever before anyone has had to had to spend a dripping Saturday to Monday in the company of a newly married couple and a blind paralytic. Not even Waxworks.

An ornithological clergyman came to dinner and afterwards we played a gambling game for counters! I am having a delicious morning tho’, and am wondering how much longer I can stay in my room without incivility. Chess with Lady Agnes is the alternative to “Cotton Wool” and lots of letters which I want and ought to write.

I hope your meeting was a success. I dont know what will happen this afternoon. The best I can hope for is to motor to Canterbury. The worst a long walk with Waxworks; who I believe is arriving this morning.

I make a fuss but I am not really miserably unhappy.

Yrs
Venetia Stanley

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Written in pencil.

{1} Maurice Baring’s play The Double Game, at the Kingsway Theatre.

25 Wellington Square; addressed to Bibesco at Hotel Meurice, Rue de Rivoli, Paris. - It is 'very kind' of Bibesco to have ordered a copy of her book ["A Pier and a Band"], but also 'lamentable' as she had ordered a copy for him sent to Grosvenor Road [his London home] 'Not to be forwarded', as she 'did not like to thrust it upon [him] in Paris'. Has had some good reviews, and feels a little more cheerful about it than she did on the day it was published. Everyone hopes Bibesco will return soon. Maurice Baring's [illegible] is in England; knows Bibesco asked Desmond for his address.

Alderley Park, Chelford, Cheshire.——(25th.) Reassures him that he is not considered responsible for recent events (the silver scandal). Suggests he return early in order to handle the Indian finance debate himself. Refers to her stay with Gertrude Bell. They have just come to the end of a strenuous Christmas Day, and she must be up early tomorrow for a last rehearsal (of the play).—(26th.) Has received another letter from him.

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Transcript

Alderley Park, Chelford, Cheshire
Christmas Day 1912

I’ve just had a letter from you {1}. I cant bear the idea that you should think, even for an instant, that anyone who knows you at all has ever imagined that you were remotely responsible for anything that has occured† lately. Everyone knows that you have nothing and could have nothing to say or do in the matter. Its horrible not having any letters (tho’ by the time you get this you will have had 2 from Violet I know and probably several from Margot) but the explanation is very simple: you havent yourself written to anyone. Bluey hasnt had a word from you about anything he has been doing, and I dont suppose you have written to Bongie or Mikky either. Have you?

I hear you are thinking of staying away till the beginning of April. Do you think that is a good plan? Why dont you hurry up your journeys a bit and get home by about March 10th. If they knew you were going to be back by then perhaps they would postpone the Indian Finance Debate (it will be a great crush wont it to get it in before the February {2} adjournment and your return would be an excellent reason for delaying it a little.) Wouldnt it be much more satisfactory for you to be there, for Bluey, good as he is, cant know much about it. More than I do, however, who am probably talking nonsense about the whole situation. Have you a great deal more to do and see? You dont say whether you killed your tiger. I hope so. I’ve just come home from staying with Gertrude Bell, I went to a ball at the house of your friend Mrs Dugdale. Maurice told me he had met you in Scotland, he amused me by telling me as a great secret that he thought you would not long remain in the Liberal Party. That you were disgusted by their excesses! Are you?

We’ve just come to the end of a most strenuous Xmas Day, not one item left out. Snapdragon, Church, Waits, and very long traditional card game which we only play on Xmas day, which begins immediately after dinner and is only just now over. (12.30). I’ve done very well in the way of loot. I had masses of things to tell you about, but my pencil has no point, and I dont write in bed with comfort, and I am very sleepy, and I must be up lark early tomorrow for a final Rehearsal.

I hope you’ll be back before the end of March, I am sure, tho’ I know nothing about it, that it would be worth while.

Mikky sends you his love, he is writing to you, he tells me

Yrs
V

Boxing Day

I’ve just had a second letter from you {3}. Thank you so much.

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Written in pencil.

{1} MONT II B1/57.

{2} Spelling uncertain.

{3} MONT II B1/58.

Newspaper cuttings with reviews, most sent to Trevelyan by Durrant's Press Cuttings Agency' from: the "New Statesman" [a brief laudatory mention in the "Spring List" by 'D. M.' - Desmond MacCarthy]; "Times Literary Supplement" [also reviewing a translation of Ferenc Békássy's poems]; "Nation and Athenaeum" [by Robert Graves; date not present but 2 May 1905; also reviewing works by Békássy, H. H. Abbott, Maurice Baring, Lord Gorell, Nancy Cunard, Emily Dickinson, and Edwin Muir]; "Observer" [also reviewing works by Cunard, Muir, and Norman Gale]; "Manchester Guardian"; "Daily News". Also a cutting from the "Daily Herald", 5 June 1923, in which a reader notes the common theme between Trevelyan's "Oaks and Caterpillars", printed in the paper three days earlier, and works by John Gay.