Metelliano. - Has been unable to write to Trevelyan, who has been to Wallington, sooner due to travel and congresses. Was a pleasure to spend time at the Shiffolds with him and Bessie, and to find him better than expected; also enjoyed his time in Edinburgh and Holland, though nothing about his three days in Belgium pleased him. Was summoned home due to a sudden deterioration in Ebe's sight; is afraid she is going blind. Going to stay with B.B. [Berenson] at Vallombrosa, where he will see Kenneth Clark, then will go to Rome. Has read Gathorne Hardy's book on Logan [Pearsall Smith]; thought it interesting and probably truthful, but that Gathorne Hardy did not come across very well, and that there was 'something peevish and not quite crystalline' in his attitude.
Goodmans Furze, Headley, Epsom. - Asks if he might have a typed copy made of the letters his father wrote to her husband, as he is trying to collect his father's letters. Recently heard from R. Gathorne-Hardy that she had shown him letters from Robert Bridges. Offers to have a typed copy made of her husband's letters to his father, or to return the originals and keep a copy himself.
Goodman's Furze, Headley, Epsom. - Acknowledges with thanks the safe receipt of his father's letters to her husband. Will return them as soon as he has had them copied, also her husband's letters to his father (keeping copies for himself). Hopes one day a selection of his father's letters will be published; thinks that Gathorne-Hardy would like to publish a couple of the letters to her husband, but will write again before anything is decided.
Goodman's Furze, Headley, Epsom. - Writes about publication of the correspondence between his father and her husband: he plans eventually to bring out a selected volume of letters, but this is for the future; Gathorne-Hardy would like to bring out a small private edition of a few letters between R. C. Trevelyan and R. Bridges on metrical problems. He does not think this would interfere with his own later edition of the letters, and hopes she will allow Gathorne-Hardy's project to go ahead.
The Mill House, Stanford Dingley, nr Reading, Berks. - Has written to tell Sir Edward Bridges that he can see the copy of his father's "Testament of Beauty" [a proof copy, with notes by R. C. Trevelyan] when he himself returns from Italy. Can 'almost compete with Julian over his story about the lion': relates a conversation he overhead in a Chelsea pub about an alligator in someone's room. Has not had an invitation to the opening of the library [the R. C. Trevelyan Memorial Library at Birkbeck College, London] but would love to attend.
The Mill House, Stanford Dingley, nr Reading, Berks. - Has received an invitation to the opening of the library [the Trevelyan Memorial Library at Birkbeck College, London] for which he thanks Elizabeth, but unfortunately he has a district council meeting then which he cannot miss. Would love to have seen her and heard Morgan Forster's address. Has proposed to Sir Edward Bridges the publication of a small private edition of the correspondence between Robert Bridges and Robert Calverley Trevelyan on prosody. He seems to agree and has sent him some typed copies. Asks if he may be allowed to print some of them.
The Mill House, Stanford Dingley, nr Reading, Berks. - Is sorry not to have written sooner: he is chair of his district council, which takes up 'all of [his] intellectual energy'. The district council also caused him to miss the opening of the library [the Trevelyan Memorial Library at Birkbeck College, London]; he was very sorry not to hear Morgan Forster's speech and would love to get hold of a copy. He is loth to bring out more than a small edition of the letters [between her husband and Robert Bridges] firstly as it would take time and he only has the weekends for the work, and secondly because Sir Edward Bridges is thinking of his own edition of his father's letters.
The Mill House, Stanford Dingley, nr Reading, Berks. - Would like to publish the letters by [Robert] Bridges to her husband about his "New Verse" and "Testament of Beauty" which he copied out when staying with her, as well as about three letters from her husband to Bridges. Sir Edmund Bridges is planning to publish a selection from his father's letters and he would not like to affect the sales for this, so a small edition of about 60 copies is planned 'as a sort of personal homage to two poets that I admire'. Robert Bridges himself was in the habit of printing very small edition of his works before wider publication. As her royalty he would send her six copies, of which one would be on 'special paper'. Will start at once if she agrees. Feels a larger edition would be a mistake. Ralph Abercrombie had the proof issue of "Testament of Beauty" containing her husband's suggested alterations; he has lent it to Sir Edward.
The Mill House, Stanford Dingley, nr Reading, Berks. - There are more letters of her husband's letters to Robert Bridges [on metrical questions, particularly in 'Testament of Youth'] than he thought; he lists them by date and mentions also fourteen letters from Bridges. Hopes he may have her permission to print them all, then he's sure the executor will also agree. Intends to add a note to each letter explaining to which poem they allude; would make the book unwieldy and difficult in terms of copyright to include quotations here. Is not planning to advertise the book publicly, but would send round notices to friends he knows are admirers of Bridges. Cannot take on a larger edition.
Shiffolds. - Apologises for dictating her letter as she is unwell. The final decision about whether Gathorne-Hardy can use the correspondence between her husband and Robert Bridges rests with his literary executor, Humphry Trevelyan. Would like to know the details of the planned publication so that she can correspond with Humphrey: which letters; whether Gathorne-Hardy intends to insert any of the text of the poem [Testament of Beauty], as she found it difficult not having it to hand when Mrs Jones was reading the letter; whether he plans to advertise the publication widely or just amongst his friends.
University College London, Gower Street WC1. - Glad to hear the Master has now issued his report of the speeches at the opening of the Trevelyan Memorial Library; looks forward to reading them when next in Birkbeck. Still feels it is a pity to publish only a few copies of the correspondence between her husband and Robert Bridges, but can do nothing about it; does not know Sir Edward Bridges at all. Suggests a compromise which might interest Gathorne-Hardy: if he offered the text of the letters to a literary magazine such as "Essays in Criticism" or "The London Magazine" the letters would reach a wide readership, and Gathorne-Hardy would have 50 copies as offprints. His family are well. Hopes that she and Mrs Jones are well.
Gazeley. - Has heard nothing yet from Gathorne-Hardy about the Robert Bridges letters, so returns everything; as far as he agrees, Gathorne-Hardy can do as he likes. Hopes she is keeping warm through the prolonged winter.
The Mill House, Stanford Dingley, nr Reading, Berks. - Thanks Trevelyan very much for his letter [after the death of Logan Pearsall Smith]: 'refreshing & comforting to hear from someone who truly understands the circumstances'. Expects Trevelyan remembers that after the trip to Iceland, Gathorne-Hardy 'printed a little pamphlet with an essay by Logan called "Death in Iceland"', an 'ironically suitable' title. Is trying for his own 'ease of mind' to 'cultivate the thought' that this was true, as 'the old Logan that one could love really did die in Iceland'. After a few years of quiet, 'one could almost believe in the old superstitious fancies about possession', as Logan seemed to be 'inhabited by a devilish caricature of himself, increasingly cruel, sly, treacherous & malicious'. The occasional 'flashes' of his old self became 'rarer & shorter', and the last months were 'ghastly'. Describes his last visits. Keeps telling himself that Logan was 'mad, stark mad', and hopes in time to be able to put this period to the back of his head and 'remember more calmly the happy times before the war'. Alys had 'worse insults & accusations to endure' than he did, but thinks he 'caught it the worst' after her. On comparing dates, they found that Logan's decline seemed to start in 1940, and accelerate in the autumn of 1941; he started by saying things he knew would be hurtful, this turned into accusations, 'lately he had been throwing up the most astonishing grievances - trivial, garbled or downright delusory, & most of them 10 or 12 years old'. Asks Trevelyan to forgive him for this 'outpouring', provoked by the 'kindness & understanding' in his letter. This is all the more appreciated after Gathorne-Hardy has been so 'rude & neglectful' in not thanking him for the poems he has sent ["From the Shiffolds"]; was working hard, thought they deserved a proper letter of appreciation, but never managed to write it.
The most 'remarkable' thing about the poems is the 'spring-like burgeoning of beauty in one who is no longer even middle-aged... one of the most enchanting revivals of art' he has witnessed; Trevelyan has 'caught a lovely & lively tone of voice'. Would make the criticism that Catullus's "Odi et amo" should only even be a couplet; gives his own version; praises the most recent pamphlet. Thanks Trevelyan once more for the kind letter and invitation; would love to accept some time but is busy with a number of things at home as well as helping Alys. Met Trevelyan's son recently when he was staying with a friend nearby.
The Mill House, Stanford Dingley, Berkshire. - Has been through the Logan [Pearsall Smith] letters very carefully, and taken out all those which mention, even briefly, her husband's writings. The last [6/78?] is the 'fullest & best and most interesting'; he remembers it being written, as Logan was 'rather pleased' with it and read it out to him. Hopes she is enjoying the spring weather; there are hundreds of daffodils in their field.