Iles Farm, Far Oakridge, Nr. Chalford, Glos. - Much 'confusion' at home due to building; they were meant to have moved in for Christmas but he is 'still playing the part of an amateur clerk of the works' and does not think he will be able to get away. Has not 'touched brush or pencil' for a fortnight but not felt guilty at all, since he has been so absorbed with 'the work & the interest in the new relationship with the local workpeople'. Has always thought that 'the big firms like Maple & Harrods were doing untold harm to the country' and now knows that to be true; the workmen here are 'quite remarkably efficient'. Glad to hear news of Robert Trevelyan; sure he will have been 'as amused... at Chhatarupur' as Rothenstein was. Hopes the 'physical beauty of India has opened his heart to the people' as it did for Rothenstein. Would very much like to visit and meet the Gordon Bottomleys, but does not see how he can accept Mrs Trevelyan's invitation; hopes the Bottomleys will stay with her a little longer and that he can come later.
The Four Winds, Ewhurst, Surrey [home of Stopford Brooke]. - The weather was so bad this morning that it 'seemed useless to come over for a sitting', since the Trevelyans' rooms 'under the best circumstances only allow a limited amount of light'; asks if he can come another time. Would like best for Mrs Trevelyan to stay a weekend at his house so that he may draw her in his own studio, and asks the Trevelyans to consider it. Meant to stay at Ewhurst over the weekend, but is due at Oxford on Saturday so will leave early that morning. Was 'pleasant to get a glimpse' of Mrs Trevelyan.
Iles Farm, Far Oakridge, Nr. Chalford, Glos. - Is very glad to hear that Mrs Trevelyan's husband is home [from the Far East] 'safe and well'. Very sorry to have missed the Bottomleys. Will visit when he can, and when Mrs Trevelyan 'care[s] to sit' to him; looks forward to hearing about Robert Trevelyan's travels. Adds a postscript that [Rabindranath] Tagore is reading his play "Chitra" at 21 Cromwell Road at 5 tomorrow afternoon; he himself cannot leave work, but there might be a chance of the Trevelyans being in London.
Iles Farm, Far Oakridge. - Liked Trevelyan's satire very much; 'Only a magnanimous spirit could have conceived the end', and it is a 'splendid retort to the hang-the-Kaiser school'. Glad to hear they may be seeing Trevelyan and his wife, who should not hesitate to invite themselves if they are at Stratford. Trevelyan should not think Rothenstein 'underestimate[s] the difficulty' of 'improving artistic conditions'; can only 'plead as convincingly as [he] can for some intelligent use of the younger people. The more decent artists & poets, the more decent men there are likely to be in the world'. Wishes to counter the misplaced emphasis on '"appreciation"'; does not think it matters 'whether a man cares for Byzantine reliquaries or Greek pots', but that he 'should be moved to try to make something himself. Then he is unlikely to be bloodthirsty' and likely to be 'neighbourly'. [John] Drinkwater, who has a cottage nearby, likes Trevelyan's play as much as he does.
Far Oakridge, Stroud, Gloucestershire. - Praises Trevelyan's 'noble translation of a noble piece of writing' ["Lucretius on Death..."]; 'Nothing has ever impressed [him] more'. When staying with the Lodges recently, he told [Olver?] Lodge that he stopped ;at the threshold of spiritulastic [sic] beliefs' due to 'the fact of our nescience of all past experience'; Lucretius puts this point in 'austere & admirable form'. Thinks Trevelyan's translation gives an 'impression of a Roman weight & gravity'. Asks if he can tell him about a translation of the whole of "De Rerum Natura" as he has been inspired to read more; thanks Trevelyan for sending it.
Royal College of Art, South Kensington, London, S.W.7 - Congratulates the Frazers.
2, Cheyne Gardens, S.W. - Has arranged with [William] Rothenstein to go to be sketched by him early next year; is too busy before Christmas. Has told the publishers to send a copy of the [George] Meredith poems to Bessie at the Shiffolds when they come out next week; Sir George and Caroline will get a copy at Wallington, so she can leave her copy at home or send for it as she likes; the letters, out this week, are 'well worth reading'. Adds a postscript sending 'love to the Stadtholder'.
21, Theatre Road, Calcutta. - Is having two books sent by the University to [Bernard] Berenson and [Laurence] Binyon. Is starting from Bombay on the 26 July by an Italian boat to Venice; will be in Paris by about 10 August. Would like to see his young people [Andrew and Bev Kalitinsky] in Zürich in their new home. His father is coming too and wishes to visit England to go to Harrogate and to see his cousin (whom Trevelyan once met with him in a Spanish restaurant) so Suhrawardy hopes to be in England soon after 20 August and to visit the Trevelyans before their holidays. Only important mistakes are to be mentioned in the errata list of his book ["Essays in Verse"], so as 'not to exhibit to the world the inefficiency of the [Cambridge] University Press'. Agrees it was very stupid of him to have put 'Sophoclean' instead of 'Euripidean' and hopes few people will notice. Has received a 'delightful letter' from Will Rothenstein praising the book; is glad he did not take Suhrawardy's 'ironical references to Jewish writers on the Continent' amiss.
9 letters from various people making suggestions of portrait artists to be used in making portraits of Trinity Fellows under of the scheme funded by the Memorials Committee. The letters are from P. & D. Colnaghi & Co., W. R. M. Lamb, Henry M. Hake, A. M. Hind, C. J. Holmes, Henry Tonks, Edward Maufe, David, the Earl of Crawford and Balcarres, and W. J. W. B. Artists discussed include G. L. Brockhurst, Francis Dodd, Paul Drury, Eric Gill, R. Gleadowe, Eric Kennington, Winifrede Knight, Henry Lamb, W. Rothenstein, F. E. Jackson, A. K. Lawrence, T. W. Monnington, Randolph Schwabe, and Leon Underwood. Accompanied by two sheets of notes.
Trinity College Memorials CommitteeShip Hotel, Mundesley, Norfolk - play to be sent to Will Rothenstein, Francis Darwin and Florence M.
7 Audley Square, W.1. - The National Portrait Gallery cannot accept a portrait of any living person; the portrait of Thomas Hardy is on private display in the Director's room and the acquisition has not been announced; a replica of Bourdelle's bust of Frazer could be accepted the same way; as to painted portraits he doesn't believe László would be able to paint a strong portrait, nor would the new President of the Royal Academy [Frank Dicksee], is not clear on De Glehn's work; could get a pencil drawing by Rothenstein, less tiring for the sitter to have a drawing done, and cheaper as well.
Furzen Wood, Abinger, Dorking. - Sends a bill for Julian to pay, and asks him to return the small one she sent him so that she can deal with it as she proposed. Glad to get Julian's letter, as she wondered how he was getting on since her departure. Hopes the furniture he is bought from the 'marché de Puce [flea market]' really is 'puceless'. Uncle Charles has resigned office [as Labour minister for education]; though his reasons 'must have seemed imperative to him'; she and Bob think it 'very unwise', and his political career is now at an end. His criticism of the Government was also 'rather unfortunate' when they were 'doing so well over Indian settlement & Naval agreements'. Charles may well lose his seat; it would be 'disastrous if he did not have Wallington estate as his absorbing interest'; she thinks he and Molly are 'doing splendid work there'. Has been reading Will Rothenstein's memoirs ["Men and Memories"]; Julian should look at it if he can, as it is about artistic life in Paris in the 1880s and 1890s, which would amuse him. Still struggling with her 'cold and lumbago' and will not go to London until she has got rid of it. She and Bob had to meet [Kenneth?] Cross at the Shiffolds, and Bob 'made great strides in settling abt his shelves and cupboards'. The attic, with 'its big dormer to the front' is now a 'splendid' room with a fine view; it will be 'the nicest room in the house'. She then had tea with Mrs [Margaret] Vaughan Williams, who 'kept saying jokingly' that she was not allowed to do or have certain things, 'as if Constance [her daughter in law] was hectoring her'. Constance and Hervey came in later; they are 'kind, but C is bossy of course, but then Mrs V W is very independent'. She wanted to know all about Paris and Julian's flat. Bessie is very glad Julian is eating more, so 'will avoid the transparency of the Eiffel tower'. Asks who cooks 'that beautiful breakfast'; longs for 'those epinards [spinach] aux croutons', as 'England is entirely devoid of decent vegetables' at the moment. Asks to be remembered to [George] Reavey.
29 Beaufort Str[eet], Chelsea. - Hears that Marsh has done well [in his civil service exams] but not 'what particular function' - colonial, military, or financial, he will choose; hopes he is 'satisfied and happy'. Sorry that Marsh could not come to Wallington, and hopes he has good hunting and fishing in Scotland. Asks what he thinks of the Czar; would like to meet 'a live deer-stalking tyrant'. Has taken Copse Cottage, near Friday's Hill [home of the Pearsall Smiths]; Bertie and Alys [Russell] left for America today, and Logan is soon leaving for Italy, so Bob will be glad of occasional company. Intends to hire a piano for Marsh and [G.E.] Moore; has four bedrooms, three sitting rooms and four sculleries. Tells Marsh to return from Scotland 'not too religious, and... without loosing [sic] your artistic instinct' as he is 'required as a patron and lover of young art to guarantee a guinea of the... fund for Roger [Fry's] exhibition at Cambridge, which will include works by Conder, Ricket[t]s, Shannon, Steer, W[alter] Sickert, Rothenstein, Maccoll, Savage, Houseman and Tonks [emphasised]. Also wants Marsh to get [Desmond] MacCarthy and [? Francis] Balfour, for whom he himself does not have addeses, to contribute; promises to do so should be sent to A[rthur] E[verett] Shipley at Christs [College Cambridge]. Has been writing letters all morning, imagining what he will look like in the new frock-coat which he is having made for the wedding of Roger [Fry] and Helen [Coombe], at which he is to be best man.
Conduit Head - illness of Will R[othenstein?], death of Arthur Heffer, capital punishment.
Letters from Rothenstein dated 14 July 1903 - 24 Feb. 1906, and two undated.
High Point, Highgate Village, N6. - A. E. Housman 'never showed an unwillingness towards sitting [for his portrait]'.
Letters from Rothenstein dated 18 Oct and 14 May, no year given.
3 Belford Park, Edinburgh - Congratulates Frazer on the award of the Commandeur de la Légion d'honneur; is disgusted with the Americans and their attitude to war debts; saw the new drawing by Rothenstein, thinks it a 'spanking likeness'.
Xerox photocopies of over 240 letters, many of them of originals housed in other institutions. The letters are written by Frazer to multiple recipients with a few exceptions: eight are written by Lilly Frazer (to Miss Buckley, Sir Edmund Gosse, Bronisław Malinowski, and W. H. D. Rouse); one is from Henry Jackson to Frazer and five more are from others to others (two from Macmillan & Co. to Hermann Diels, one from Sir Francis Galton to Sir Clements Markham forwarding a letter from Frazer, one unrelated letter from John Sampson to Francis Jenkinson, and one memo from Otto Stapf to Sir David Prain). Five letters include covering letters from the institutions providing the copies. In addition, there are copies of a typescript draft of Frazer's article 'Our Debt to France', the draft of an address on the founding of the Frazer lectureships, and a translation of an article.
Recipients, with the number of letters present if more than five: Aksel Andersson, Terence Armstrong, Spencer Baird, Andrew Bennett, Arthur Bigge (Lord Stamfordham), Miss Buckley (of the Loeb Classical Library), Sir Ernest Budge, John Bullbrook, Francis Burkitt, Edward Clodd, Francis Cornford (16 letters), Otto Crusius, Sir Edwin Deller (6 letters), Hermann Diels (10 letters), Samson Eitrem, S. J. Evis, Jesse Fewkes, Douglas Freshfield, Sir Francis Galton (14 letters), Ernest Gardner, Charles-Marie Garnier (6 letters), Sir Edmund Gosse (42 letters), A. C. Haddon, Sir William Hardy (6 letters), Carl Lehmann-Haupt, C. W. Hobley, A. W. Howitt (7 letters), Mary Howitt, Henry Jackson, Francis Jenkinson (8 letters), Oskar Kallas, Sir Arthur Keith, William F. J. Knight, John Mackay, Bronisław Malinowski (9 letters), William Maxwell, A. G. W. Murray, G. G. A. Murray, Sir John Myres, Theodor Nöldeke, Karl Pearson, Sir David Prain (8 letters), Edward Rapson, A. G. Ross, Sir William Rothenstein, W. H. D. Rouse, Gustave Rudler, Charles Edward Sayle, Solomon Schechter (7 letters), Douglas Sladen, William Thalbitzer, Sir J. J. Thomson (21 letters), Sir D'Arcy Thompson, Hermann Usener, Sir Emery Walker, and Alfred Rayney Waller (6 letters).
Ackerman, Robert (b 1935), biographerThe Shiffolds. - Julian's nurse seems to be 'better and more cheerful'. Will have to start packing soon [for his trip to India and China], as some of his luggage needs to be sent on early. An Indian poet, Rabindranath Tagore, is coming to stay tomorrow, he is 'a very interesting man.. and also the most remarkable writer of his time in India'; Bob has read 'translations of three of his plays, and a good many of his poems' and thinks them 'as good as anything anyone is doing in Europe just now'. Tagore's father [Debendranath] was 'a famous religious reformer, a sort of Stopford Brooke'. Has nearly got all his 'travelling kit' but needs to go to London once more next week. Hopes his mother and father are well; will write to his father before he sets off. [William] Rothenstein has done 'several beautiful drawings of Bessie', though only one is really like her and he will try again; he 'is not very good at getting likenesses'. Thinks Lord Pentland is going out on the same boat, to be governor of Madras.
3 cuttings, two of them announcing the forthcoming 'Anthologia Anthropologica. The Native Races of Africa and Madagascar', and one of them reproducing a portrait of Frazer by Rothenstein as the Portrait of the Week in the 'Illustrated Weekly of India'.
In an envelope addressed to Gow at Trinity College. Four sketches of Housman as an old man, three as a younger man, inscribed 'To A.E.H., W.R. 1906'.
Church Ho[use]. - Has shown his black and white work to various publishers including Grant Richards, who publishes Rothenstein's lithographs; at Richards' invitation said he would like to illustrate a translation by Trevelyan of Ovid's "Metamorphoses". Asks Trevelyan to translate a sample page or two to which he will add a head picture. Richards is also interested in seeing Trevelyan's original work: he's 'rather a nice chap for a publisher'. Fry is going on to [Robert] Bridges: gives address.
11 Edwardes Square W. - Rothenstein [?] is wiring to his servant to meet them at the boat: they may want to engage him. Will send bedding to the boat in Trevelyan's name. Says goodbye to Bessie.
2 Blackhall Road, Oxford. - Only received Trevelyan's invitation to visit on 3 June yesterday evening, as the letter has followed him around the many places he has been since they last met. Has been ill for the last month, under a doctor in Oxford, and is not yet completely cured. Has been awarded a scholarship by 'the new Mussulman university' to study modern languages at Petrograd [St Petersburg]; will probably have to start his journey around the beginning of September, and hopes to see Trevelyan again before he leaves. Met [William?] Rothenstein today in Oxford; he says that Tagore, who is now in Japan, may soon be coming to England.
Contains: "Einstein's Advent", by Oliver Lodge, remembering his father and the impact of the new developments in physics; portrait sketch of Max Beerbohm by William Rothenstein; portrait sketch of William Rothenstein by Max Beerbohm; poem, "To Gordon Bottomley", by R. C. Trevelyan; poem, "War Sky 1940", by Sylvia Sprigge"; "4. Sunday", by Sarah Shorey Gill, with introductory note to her granddaughter Polly; poem, "To Seville: Siesta", by Carla Lanyon Lanyon.
2, Cheyne Gardens. - Has sent Bob's letter to [Kenneth?] Swan. Glad that Bob is returning to the Lake Hunt. Has been hearing a lot about India from 'various persons, white and brown' and has become 'quite a Tagorite, under the teaching of Yeats, W[illiam] Rothenstein' and a pupil of Tagore. Tagore has 'stopped Yeats being mad on magic and small green elephants' and without 'his magic nonsense, Yeats is one of the really splendid people'. The [First] Balkan war 'bids fair to end very well'. Wonders 'whether Goldie [Dickinson] will like his Chinaman as little as the Webbs [Sidney and Beatrice] when he meets (and smells) them'. Sees from the address that Bessie has given that Bob will be there for this 'great meeting'; hopes that Goldie will not be like Matthew Arnold, whom H[enry] Sidgwick said judged 'everything by its smell' like a dog. Glad that Bob has had some good bathes, but tells him not to be 'eaten of [sic] crocodiles', since Mary would never be able to read "Peter Pan" again if Bob 'suffered the fate of Capt. Hook'. Has just finished writing "[The Life of John] Bright" and hopes to publish it in May or June.
11 Oak Hill Park, Frognal, Hampstead. - If Mrs Trevelyan has time to write, would like to hear any news she has from her husband: 'whether he is impressed with India & cares for the people he is meeting'. Hopes he has been keeping well: heard 'something about German measles', but that was a while ago. Any time Mrs Trevelyan would like to come and sit [for a portrait] she would be very welcome.