6 Racknitz Strasse, Dresden. - Bob's letter reached here before he and Helen did, as Berlin kept them much longer than they expected; all the galleries closed at 3 pm so the officials could have their 'mittags essen' [sic]; not dining properly in the evening is the 'only really uncivilized thing they do'. Liked [Georg?] Gronau, whom B.B. [Bernard Berenson] introduced to him, and who took him to see a fine private collection of drawings and sculptures. Dresden is much nicer than Berlin, 'full of fantastic Barocheries and Rocochoneries'; the Gallery is huge but there are 'very few primitives & lots of Rubens & Corregio & 17th century people' whom Fry likes to 'look at lazily'. Helen 'won't come round' to Correggio and doesn't like [Raphael's] "Sistine Madonna"; to Fry's great surprise he finds it 'simply glorious', and 'Raphael painting almost like Titian'; wonders what he would have done had he lived. He and Helen 'never shall agree on Raphael Correggio & Rubens'; is 'almost annoyed' that he always likes the great artists. [Nathaniel] Wedd's "Quarterly" is very interesting; agrees with Bob that it is a shame 'to make it directly polemical', but he does not 'quite know these logrolled Oxford men'; in art he thinks 'most reputations are logrolled so one gets to think it the normal way'. Helen is asleep; they have both been unwell recently due to German food, but are getting well since they 'are in a young ladies Pension & are fed on pap'. Amusing about Miss V. d. H [Elizabeth Van der Hoeven] guessing; thinks she is good at that; is also 'frightened of her a little because she always seems to be observing more than she shows'.
22 Sussex Villas, W. - Has written to Mrs Grammont [sic: Bramine Hubrecht] 'about her young Russian'. Tells Bessie to make sure Bob writes the article on [Thomas Sturge] Moore as soon as he gets home. Will be away from the middle of March to the middle of May, so Bob must communicate directly with [Edward] Jenks about the article, unless [Nathaniel] Wedd or [Goldie Lowes] Dickinson return from their Easter holiday in time to take it. Glad they have got 'such a jolly place'.
The Mill House, Westcot, Dorking. - Hopes to decide today whether the second post reaches its destination at the same time as the first. Had a busy time in London, spending much time with Sanger before he left for Greece, as well as dining out, going to Fry's lecture, and to see "Richard II" with [Thomas Sturge?] Moore and Binyon. Returned on Wednesday and has done some work; saw Fry and they discussed Sanger's illness; he is 'desparately in love with someone who is behaving very cruelly to him [Dora Pease]' and he does not know what she feels for him. Will tell Bessie more when he sees her. Certainly good for him to go to Greece with Dickinson, Daniel, Wedd and Mayor. Saw them off at the station and 'felt desperately incline to go off with them'; they were so cheerful, even Sanger, and he has always dreamed of going to Greece, which they know so well; regrets that after his marriage he will not be able to go with them 'with who one can talk as freely as one chooses, as blasphemously, as obscenely, as wittily, as learnedly, as jovially as any of the old Greeks themselves did'. Feels he should have 'made hay more assiduously' during his bachelor days, instead of living 'mewed up' alone in the countryside. Knows Bessie will compensate him for all he is to lose; she must come to Greece before long or she will find him 'running off' without her. Praises "Richard II"; it was well acted, though he thought the Richard [Frank Benson?] "vulgar". Has written to his Aunt Meg [Price]; she seems happy to get them a 'cottage piano' which will later be exchanged; asks if Bessie wants the final choice of the instrument or whether she trusts his aunt's 'professional friend' to do this. Sophie is 'Miss Wickstead [sic: see 9/117]], not some young lady friend' he has not told her about.
Letter declining invitation to the 1905 Apostles' dinner.
90 High Street, Oxford. - Thanks Bob and Bessie for their letters. In twenty-four hours, he and Janet will be married; there is 'too much to say to begin saying it'. Will return to Cheyne Gardens by the middle of May; expects they will see each other soon after that. Tells Bob in a postscript to send his article on [Thomas Sturge] Moore to E. Jenks when he has finished if none of Goldie [Dickinson], [Robin] Mayor or [Nathaniel] Wedd are in England.
Pratt's Hotel, Bath. - Thanks Bob for sending a copy of his poem on Goldie [Lowes Dickinson]; it is 'beautiful and sincere, as befits its subject'. Bob's view is 'temperate and sober and honest', as was Goldie's, but Wedd thinks the passage 'in which he describes a mystical experience, though 'Reason' would not pass it, is probably nearer to reality and truth'. Hopes [he and his wife] will see Bob in Cambridge this term; they send good wishes to both Trevelyans.
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'.
W[est] H[ackhurst]. - Thanks 'dearest Bessie' for her letter; was waiting for Bob's to write, as she said he was going to send one, but perhaps had better write now; though as he has been shopping all morning in Dorking, he doesn't 'feel much on the spot'.
Agrees that he should have 'made the reference to Versailles [in a broadcast or pamphlet?]' and wishes even more that he had 'referred to our mistreatment of refugees: this would have diminished the feeling of smugness, and the feeling that England, unlike Germany, is always right'. But does not think that 'this apology - which I make to you both very gladly' brings them into agreement, as his 'main theme would still be that Hitler, being what he is, would destroy our culture, such as it is, and I don't want this to happen: both for personal reasons and because I think it has value to the world'. Does not at the moment see 'any way of saving it except by shooting down his aeroplanes and sinking his barges and smashing his communications'.
Bessie, when they talked, seemed in one way 'more bellicose' than him, appearing to suggest that after that was done England 'must proceed to liberate the continent'; Forster does not think himself that 'we still have either the power or the moral integrity for such a task'. His 'best hope' is that this struggle will end in 'a mutual exhaustion, out of which some good, at present unimaginable, will spring. All action at present is a choice of evils. Withdrawing into oneself is good, dispassionate recording is as you say also good, but neither of these has any practical influence on the course of affairs'. Has had a 'very nice letter rather on the same lines', which he will enclose if he can find it; thinks the writer is a pacifist.
Florence Barger is here, and 'making us her home, to our great joy'; forgets whether Bessie knows Florence's home has been 'made uninhabitable by a land mine'. Neither she or her maid were hurt; her furniture was 'only very slightly damaged' has been put into storage. Florence is 'in very good form', and looking forward to seeing Bessie. Mrs Mawe is also back with them; his mother is 'a bit fatigued by the fidgety unselfishness of the two sweet ladies', but does a little of that herself, and seems all right.
Was 'grieved at [Nathaniel] Wedd's death'; wrote to Rachel but has not heard from her. Wonders if Bob has had any news. Will write to him about his poem, which he enjoyed.
Emmanuel College, Cambridge [Headed notepaper; address underlined and exclamation marks added]. - Glad Bob's '"Experience as a lawyer"' will allow him to visit next Sunday. Everyone is cheerful, 'flourishing on [their] old lines', but they 'expect "a sop"' such as Bob to be thrown them once a week: 'this week's sops were [Bertrand] Russell and his brother [Frank]'. Saw [Nathaniel] Wedd this morning for breakfast and a walk, who was 'quite all [George] had hoped or expected'. Has decided not to speak again at the Union, which is 'an inexpressible relief'. 'Great revolutions' here this term: there was 'a lady at MacT[aggart]'s "Wednesday evening" last week', and an exhibition [scholarship] has been started for history at Trinity; this is important as previously there have only been third year scholarships, which do not attract the best students; in the exams last May everyone in both years got thirds; the college have received a gift of two thousand pounds from Lord Derby. Inberg{??] has come up and is "flourishing"; [Frank?] Elliott is 'developing into the most delightful of fellows". Notes in postscript that he has 'found the kettle holder'; gives an account of the battle [of toy soldiers]; lists 'our table' as consisting of [Edward?] Marsh, [Maurice] Amos. [Ralph] Wedgwood, [Ralph] V[aughan]-Williams, [George] Moore, [Henry Graham] Dakyns, [Harry] Watkins, George himself, and his Harrow friend [Charles] Buxton.
King's College, Cambridge - Thanks her for 'Sir Roger de Coverley'; Frazer would have been one of the most delightful man of letters had he not preferred academic work.
King's College, Cambridge - Thanks her for the warning about 'V.' [Albert Vogt?] and will note the Harley St. man she recommends; the Addenbrooke expert says that operation might not be necessary; the young doctor he sent the questionnaire is delighted with it. Signed N. Wedd (pp REW) [Rachel Evelyn Wedd].
Union Society, Cambridge. - Spent all day yesterday [the beginning of term?] 'seeing people and getting [his] pictures and books in'. Has put Bob's books, 'mostly school classics', in the gyp room. Likes his rooms very much: the two places he is 'fondest of in the world are the old court and the cloisters'. [Maurice] Amos is in [Bertrand] Russell's rooms, [George] Gooch the rooms opposite Collins's, and [Henry Graham] Dakyns in the 'tower by the carriage entrance'; these are 'historical stairs', since Horace Walpole visited a friend in Dakyns' new rooms. MacT[aggart]'s lectures will be attended by 'Amos, Gooch, a lady, and Dickinson and Wedd probably'. Has acquired two statuettes of Assyrian kings, copied from originals in the British Museum, which he thinks are 'very fine' and 'almost as original' as Bob's 'Hindoo god was'. Came by the late train, so had no evening in London to go to the theatre. Amos has heart trouble, 'having overworked himself', and may even be unfit to study this year: MacT[aggart] says he is well ahead with his reading and could do his tripos with not much more work if the worst came; his mother is here and George took tea with her and Maurice yesterday. Asks if Bob has any 'gossip or scandal' from [Harrow] Founder's Day. Notes in a postscript that the 'two fellows who live opposite you [ie Theodore and Crompton Llewelyn Davies]' were here recently 'both in great force', Theodore bathed 'on a raw morning with Moore as usual'.
National Liberal Club, Whitehall Place, S.W.1. - Very glad that Julian likes the English tripos; sure from what he says that he made the right choice. He and Elizabeth hope to come to Cambridge on the 5 and 6 November. Wants to go to the Festival Theatre that evening so asks Julian to get them season; needs to see Terence [Gray] either before or after the play. Hears [Nathaniel] Wedd has been knocked down by a bicycle; wonders whether Julian could enquire how he is at King's; he could also call on Mrs Wedd and perhaps see Nathaniel. Could lend Julian his own copy of Grierson's edition of [John] Donne and Skeat's of "T[roilus] and C[ressida]"; also the 'exact reprint' edition of the "Areopagitica" from Welcombe, though that might not be of much use. They may get a 'new site for building near Conyhurst' but everything is still unsettled; they go to see it on Thursday.
Hôtel Floresta, Taormina [headed notepaper]:- Will start back towards England next Wednesday or Thursday, stopping perhaps for a few days at Rome; wants to be back by the end of the month. The weather has been ‘delicious for a while now’, but he is ‘a little tired of the place’, probably as he is now accustomed to the ‘strange sights that one sees in such a Southern climate’ and ‘no more moved by a cactus’ than he would be ‘by an oak tree in England’ - for which he is beginning ‘to feel a bit of a longing’.
The ‘priest element is still predominant’ at his hotel: a ‘high-church Anglican has arrived’, and he can ‘hear [Edward Sheridan] Purcell’s Manning being discussed on the terrace’ as he writes. Miss [Lena] Milman, ‘from the tower of London [her father was Major there]’ is also staying here; she was ‘deafened by the explosion in the Tower, and is spoken to and speaks in a loud voice’. One of the two Roman Catholic priests [see 46/45] is her cousin, and they ‘converse during meals with the voice of John Burns addressing an open-air meeting’: since they ‘discuss most topics, and pretty freely, the sober visitors are much diverted or else shocked’. Her cousin is ‘in an indirect manner’ rather like ‘the hero of a late story of George Moore, *John Norton’ - or ‘something like him, for the hero is an odious person, and the story too for that matter’. Miss Milman is a ‘friend and disciple of George Moore’s’ and once told him about her ‘priestly cousin, whom G. M. promptly transmogrified into the most detestable portrait… in his not over-choice gallery of characters’.
When he returns to England, Robert will ‘have had enough scrambling over the globe for some time’; will not go to Greece in July with Fry, Dickinson, and Wedd as he had hoped. Hopes Georgie will be ‘fit for his tripos when he returns’.
at Edgecombe, Swanshill, Nr. Hereford - Thanks her for the Downie biography.
1 All Souls Place, Portland Place, W. - Will leave for Italy in a day or two; gives his address in Florence. Will meet Mayor there and go on a cycling tour to Assisi and Siena; Wedd will also probably be there. It would be good to see Trevelyan. Glad that Trevelyan is reviewing Sturge Moore [for the "Independent Review"]; he should send the review to Jenks. His own articles on religion will appear in the May and June numbers. Helen [Fry] is 'quite herself', only 'too keen to do things...and difficult to manage.'
King's College, Cambridge. - Is sorry he could not go to the Dolmetsch concert. Next Wednesday Roger and Helen [Fry], Wedd and Dickinson are going to row down the Thames, meeting at Oxford; invites Trevelyan to dine with them..
Naples. - They go to Rome in two days, and can be reached there by Post[e] Rest[ante]. Bob must be generous to this letter as it was written 'after a day of rain & scirocco and sight seeing'. The news about 'Mrs Bertie' [Alys Russell?] has made them 'pretty indignant, and supports Helen's opinion of the character of 'P. Smith' [housekeeper at Beaufort Street?]. Bob, with his 'horror of moving & doing household things' will suffer; perhaps he should stay at Welcombe. Jokingly suggests then 'retract[s]' the idea that Bob should 'spend three years choosing or educating a wife'. Thanks Bob for all he 'did about the picture'; he and Mrs W[iddrington?] have been marvellous about it. A confusion over Taormina involving [Alfred?] Thornton and [Francis?] Bate. Never got chance to continue with the Galatea picture, but hopes he might yet finish it; has done 'lots of studies of seaweed etc', and Goldie [Dickinson] has seen the painting and likes it.
He and Helen had 'rather a serious time' when his parents came; they arrived a day early with 'all the other people whom we'd offended, including Ezekiel'. The talk was 'geological' rather than 'the wild orgies of the [Terence?] Bourke regime & the fierce gladiatorial shows... of [Bob's] reign'; assures Bob that their arguments do not matter; means to find out 'what it is that annoys some people so much in my way of arguing). His father was 'very nice' and got on well with Helen; his parents took her off on a driving tour of Etna while he himself stayed to work. Tells of visiting 'Mrs C' [Florence Cacciola Trevelyan] with his parents, and being menaced by her dogs. They went several times to see the Gramonts [Grandmonts] and had some 'splendid music', with ' more kindly scandal from Mrs G.'; they are nice people. Not enough time to tell of their 'quaint adventures at Pestum and Agropoli', and Pompeii, 'the apotheosis of shoddy' and so quite loveable, as 'immoral as the Brighton pavillion [sic] and as charming as a Japanese toy'. They stopped there a week at a 'filthy inn' where Goldie, [Nathaniel] Wedd and [Augustus Moore] Daniel came to stay: Daniel great fun, Wedd 'cussing & swearing because its not England'; got on 'splendidly with them'.
He and Helen are now staying in Santa Lucia; he goes out in the morning to buy bread and ricotta at street stalls, and milk straight from the 'street cows'; they have been up Vesuvius. Reassures Bob about his poetry: he and many others have 'betted heavily' on him so he must 'make a success of it'; is sure he himself will, having been just where Bob is; 'one comes though by mere pigheadedness'.
West Hackhurst, Abinger Hammer, Dorking. - Very sorry to hear of Logan [Pearsall Smith's] death, and sends sympathy. Went to Cambridge on Thursday: King's are being very kind and giving Forster one of [Nathaniel] Wedd's former rooms, which will enable him to house his furniture instead of storing or selling it, and two small rooms in Trumpington Street. Arthur Waley is taking a 'lofty line' over his fellowship and not making a good impression. Originally enclosing a letter which has been his first intimation of who will succeed him at West Hackhurst [Frances Farrer, sister of the owner, Lady Bridges]: would like to know what Trevelyan and Bessie think, and how they would have replied.
K[ing's] C[ollege] C[ambridge]. - Thanks Trevelyan for his Christmas greeting: Shepherd admires it greatly too. The [Apostles] Society is going strong: it meets in Forster's room and the papers are excellent, though sometimes overly 'concerned with the Communist interpretation of history'; the brethren are keen on tradition. Has most in common with [P.N.] Furbank of Emmanuel. Is going to give a talk on criticism at a musical conference at Harvard in May. Has been much affected by the loss of West Hackhurst, and finds it painful to visit Abinger Hammer: a few lines are scribbled over, as 'unnecessarily peevish'. Is very touched by the kindness of Patrick Wilkinson and his wife, with whom he lodges. Is on friendly terms with the undergraduates; has done some supervision but no regular teaching. If Trevelyan is visiting Cambridge and wishes to come to an Apostles meeting, Forster can let him know dates; [Eric] Hobsbawm has a job at Birkbeck so will no longer be secretary.
13A Hanover Terrace Ladbroke Grove. - Is sceptical about the translation of his books into German. Sorry to hear that Trevelyan has had mumps; hopes he has now recovered. At heart is miserable about the state of Europe; distractions include dinner with Clive [Bell?] and [Ralph?] Hawtrey, and the new letters of Byron, which he discusses at length with comments on morality. Has also been reading the 'absurd' book [Home Life with Herbert Spencer]. Morgan [Forster] has returned, unhappy because he cannot write (with which Trevelyan will sympathise). Met Bertie [Russell] and his wife at the Sangers'; does not think he will like 'Mrs Bertie'. Mrs [Beatrice] Mayor's two plays [The Girl and the City and Thirty Minutes in a Street] were acted on Sunday [2 Apr 1922, at the Kingsway Theatre]; supposes they were not much of a success but he was interested by them, particularly that acted by her sister [Betty Potter]. Has had long walk with [Nathaniel] Wedd who is 'gallant' but not well; Dickinson sceptical about the psychoanalysis he is receiving. Sends best regards to Trevelyan and his hosts [the Berensons].