Showing 12 results

50 Gordon Square, W. C. - Was 'heroic' of Bob to 'battle through' his book about Po Chu-aloud; very glad that Bessie has got to know it, as he thought of them both when writing it. Thanks him for the 'very impressive hymn to Demeter' [in the latest "From the Shiffolds"]. Beryl [de Zoete] is 'rather souffrante', no doubt because of 'privations in India'. They both look forward to visiting later.

Department of Prints and Drawings, British Museum, London, W.C. - Thanks Bob for the 'misprints', which are all important and he is 'very grateful'. Afraid it is too late to correct the new edition, but has sent them at once to Stanley Unwin. Neither he nor Beryl 'know anything of Terence Gray'.

Dartington Hall, Totnes, Devon. - They [he and Beryl de Zoete?] are having a 'marvellous' time here, with then days of 'perfect weather'. Would very much like to visit Bob for two nights on 29 August, if that is convenient; returns to London on 23 August.

50 Gordon Square, W.C. - Notes that this is now his address. Is sending a second copy of his new book ["Three Ways of Thought in Ancient China"?] to Bob for safe keeping; a third is in proof already, but he expects they will not go on with it now [it was in fact published in November that year]. Has had his 'fair share of being published'. Is waiting for a 'promised job in the Ministry of Information]. Beryl is here with him; he 'cannot persuade her to go to the country'; asks Bob if he knows of some 'very nice people' who could take her in; her 'undaunted high spirits would be an asset anywhere'.

50 Gordon Square, W.C. - Apologises for not thanking Bob for his 'delightful' "From the Shiffolds"; there is a great deal he likes "very much", such as that 'things like "Krishna to Radha" have a strict form'. Offers the suggestion that 'nothing' rather than 'naught' on page 10 would 'make better music'. They [he and Beryl de Zoete] have just been staying a week at Ramsbury in Wiltshire, to be near Gerald Brenan; describes the countryside and calls it 'delightful'. Hopes the Trevelyans are well; has seen Julian, who had recently been with them and said they had 'chuckled over [Arthur's] letter to the Times".

50 Gordon Square, W.C.- They [he and Beryl de Zoete] had been reading Ruskin's 'passage about the painting of sea-scapes' in "Modern Painting" when Bob's Christmas anthology ["From the Shiffolds"] arrived and 'opened itself at "To watch the waves breaking on a sandy beach"; likes this and "Green Leaves" very much. Wonders whether Bob has seen the December edition of the December "Cornhill [Magazine"], in which he has published 'an imaginary extra chapter of "Monkey". Must get the books which Bob has 'so patiently housed' for him [see 17/20].

50 Gordon Square, W.C. - Suggests 21 Aug for a weekend visit: Bob may want to 'talk over the anthology' ["From the Chinese"]. Beryl [de Zoete] could also come then, but if that would be 'too much' he could come along. They are having a 'delightful time' at Dartington; does not return until 17 Aug.

British Museum, W.C. - Lucky that he did not come [to visit Bob, see 17/4], as he developed flu; is alright now, and asks if the weekend of 17 May would work instead. Hopes the Shoves came; has not seen them; sure Francis [Birrell?] arrived. Has been 'deluged' with proofs for "Jap[anese] Poetry", "The Story of Ts'ui Ying-ying ", and "More Translations from Chinese", though the last is not due to be published until September so he need not rush. Asks if Bob would be kind enough to look it over after Miss [Beryl] de Zoete, who is 'fairly good at spotting howlers'. The sum he mentioned as a possible fee from the Art Theatre '[for Bob translating Aeschylus' "Prometheus", see 17/2?] was too large; believes it would be about twenty-five pounds, but this is unofficial. Enjoyed James [Strachey]'s piece about Claudel's "L'Otage" in the "Athenaeum", as well as Lytton [Strachey]'s essay on Lady Hester Stanhope [in the issues of 4 and 11 April]; it 'ought to be rather an entertaining periodical under its new management'.

Received a cheque for a hundred and forty five pounds from Constable; this seemed very little, but it turned out to be for his cousin Adolf Waley for "The Re-making of China". He himself had sold about 1300 copies [of "A Hundred and Seventy Chinese Poems"] by 31 December. Asks Bob whether he agreed terms with Constable for his [translation of Sophocles'] "Ajax"; heard that he could not do so with Unwin. Yoshio Markino visited him yesterday and 'got very excited trying to write down his favourite Chinese poems'; however, he could not remember the characters and 'sat holding his head in his hands & groaning'; he learned them in Japan as a child, nearly fifty years ago. Heard from [Goldsworthy Lowes] Dickinson 'discovering a "Chinese passage" in Shakespeare'; has 'not quite succeeded in deciphering his letter'. Dickinson also told him that Thomas Hardy prefers Cranmer-Byng to him which is 'hardly surprising'; he was 'astonished' to hear Hardy liked his own versions at all. Ezra Pound is going to settle at Toulouse, where he will 'wake up the sleepy Meridionals'. Wonders if [John] Rodker's [Ovid] Press has begun to print yet; feels he should order some books from it, but knows he would 'hate them so when they came'. Has got a gramophone and 'catalogues of all the exotic music of the Globe' but does not know how to choose. Has lots of 'India, Chinese, Lithuanian, Russian, Arabian, Serbian, Hungarian and Spanish records [to choose from?]'; has only got Mozart and rag-time at present.

Kings Coll Camb. - Thanks Trevelyan for sending the "Antigone": thinks the choral rhythms are good and could be an interesting influence for English poets. Thompson has been trying his own translation of the play, and Dickinson will send him Trevelyan's to compare. Wishes that Sheppard had more interest in reproducing the original rhythms in the Cambridge Greek Plays. Beryl de Zoete wants to train the next chorus, but also does not seem to be planning Greek rhythms. Death of [Edmund Dene] Morel is very sad. Is 'very gloomy' about Egypt, and about Lord Cecil; comments scathingly on English morals. Has got to 'the last month' in his work ["The International Anarchy, 1904-1918"] which is complicated but he thinks unimportant 'since the war was already there waiting for years before'.

50 Gordon Square, W.C.1. - Thanks Bob for his 'beautiful C[hrist]mas card' [this year's "From the Shiffolds"]; particularly likes "A simple pleasure" and the poems around it, as well as the 'very happy translations'. They [she and Arthur Waley] are looking forward to seeing both Trevelyans soon, if 'you will allow us to come', and they 'must fetch [their] things away'. Has been visited by a publisher who, with a 'lecturer in Paris', wants to publish a book of her photographs, so she must find the negatives. Paris was 'delightful'; she was invited on a mission to China, and wishes 'they would stop fighting!'. 'Best love' to Bob and Bessie from her and Waley, and 'all good wishes for 1946'.

They [she and Arthur Waley] send best wishes to both Trevelyans, and many thanks for Bob's 'delightful Christmas card' [this year's "From the Shiffolds"]. Hopes they will 'soon meet again'.

Thanks Bessie for her letter. They had a 'full account' of Dr [Frédéric] Bauer's death from Alice Boner: he was with Alice and her sister Georgette at Bangalore, went up to his room after dinner to fetch a book and did not come down; they found him unconscious and he died in hospital a few days later. Mitra, an Indian friend, also wrote to Beryl [de Zoete], calling it a heart attack. Beryl left for China yesterday and will stay there a month; he is going to Norway tomorrow until 20 May. They look forward to seeing Bessie later.