Showing 3 results

Archival description
Add. MS a/556 · Item · 18 Oct. 1929
Part of Additional Manuscripts a

Trinity College. - Your ignorance must be shared by the world, except privileged audiences at University College and Eton. I have always refused to let my parody [of Erasmus Darwin, beginning 'See on the cliff fair Adjectiva stand...'] be printed, because it is no rival to the Anti-Jacobin's, which is not merely amusing but subtle and profound. Still, here it is, and may divert you for a minute or two'.

Housman, Alfred Edward (1859-1936), poet and classical scholar

Draft of poem on first page, which may be incomplete as it begins with only part of a question: "When the last notes were dying? Since alone...'. Nature notes on the lesser dodder (Cuscuta epithymum), which is 'now in flower on our Surrey heaths'; perhaps for "Abinger Chronicle, pp. 2-4; mentions 'a characteristically pompous reference' to the plant 'in the (egregious) Erasmus Darwin's "Loves of the Plants". Bottom of page 4 has a list in pencil of the different categories to appear in "Simple Pleasures", with initials besides most categories, for example, 'A. Animals - birds - insects' or 'D. P. - Dangerous & Painful pl[easures]'; the essay itself begins on p. 4 in ink with a general introduction, followed by a list of pleasures. Trevelyan has then added the category initials besides each one in pencil. Additions and corrections in pencil; some red pencil. Pleasures belonging to the different categories - sight, sound, touch, etc are then brought together. Two loose sheets with further notes on pleasures, one mainly continuous prose one with prose on one side (this sheet also has Tet Htoot's name written on it), list on the other,

Book also written in from back pages in, for a dialogue between 'Muse' and Poet' (on recto with additions and corrections on facing pages); notes on a new fall of snow.