King's College, Cambridge. - Thanks Trevelyan for granting permission to use his translation of Sophocles' "Antigone": it is just right for the purpose, and Sheppard has 'always ranked it very high'; when he saw it acted by the girls of Hawnes School near Bedford fifteen months ago he was 'delighted'. Glad that Trevelyan agrees with him on the interpretation of [line 523, "οὔτοι συνέχθειν, ἀλλὰ συμφιλεῖν ἔφυν"], which he thinks expresses the 'most important part of the play'. Will go through the text carefully before printing and let Trevelyan know if he thinks of anything else, as well as showing him the introduction. Has just heard from May Lowes Dickinson that she and her sister are very pleased with Trevelyan's poem about [their brother] Goldie; Sheppard did not know it had been printed [in the "New Statesman"] but is pleased that it has; Maynard [Keynes] showed it him a while ago, and they 'agreed that it was very beautiful and true'.
Kenilworth Villa, Victoria Road, Dorchester. - Regrets that an Easter visit will not be possible: he will be either with the Eckhards, or his sisters at Lyme. Is 'oppressed' by the 'horror of the world'. Hopes Forster will join him at Lyme. Expects Bob will return soon.
13A Hanover Terrace, Ladbroke Grove W.11. - Has spent a couple of days with Morgan [Forster], winning games of chess. Visited his old school at Chertsey and 'renewed old horrors'. His sister May is having eye and teeth trouble and 'very forlorn'. Has returned the Rivers' book. Has received a letter from the vice-chancellor of Mysore [Sir Brajendra Nath Seal] asking for comments on the constitution, which he left behind; asks if Bessie can send it on with Hickey.
13A Hanover Terrace, Ladbroke Grove W.11. - Has seen another specialist, who did not advise an operation. Had a good time at Samoens [?] in the Savoy for a month, walking and even climbing a little. May is better, though not completely. The notice Bessie translated was probably by his old acquaintance van Beek en Donk, who also wrote for the M.G. [Manchester Guardian]. The League [of Nations] was a 'terrible fiasco' this year: it cannot stand up to England or France.
13A Hanover Terrace, Ladbroke Grove W.11. - His sister Janet's courage in the face of illness, and the role of religion. May finds it very difficult but he thinks she will pull through. Is keeping himself occupied with 'that political stuff' [his book "The International Anarchy"?] Hopes the Labour rank and file will not prevent the government achieving what it might in foreign policy: fears strikes and other trouble. MacDonald has a difficult task.
13A Hanover Terrace, Ladbroke Grove W.11. - Janet was very glad to get Bessie's letter; she was moved back home yesterday; arrangements for her care. May has been over-tired but should now manage. Janet may live months. Will ask Glaisher to send a copy of his father's letters.
13A Hanover Terrace, Ladbroke Grove W.11. - [His sister] Janet's death, and the 'courage and love' she kept up till the end. The funeral is tomorrow. He and his two sisters are going away as soon as possible, probably to Lyme Regis. Asks if Bob has already gone to Greece.
13A Hanover Terrace, Ladbroke Grove W.11. - If it is worthwhile to forward letters to Bob [in Greece], asks if Bessie can send on an enclosure. Is worried about his sister May after their return to London, especially since Hettie [Hester] has had to go to Northumberland.
Kings Coll. Camb. - Thinks he would like to visit for Whitsuntide, unless his sisters' plans prevent it; he thinks though that they will be in Northumberland. May is much upset [following the death of their sister Janet]. Lunched with [Albrecht?] Mendelssohn Bartholdy and liked him, though Keynes is probably right that he has no 'insight'.
Allans Green [Allen's Green] Bardon Mill, Northumberland. - Now has a new address for [Aurobindo Mohan?] Bose in Berlin; it would be kind if Bessie could send him the M.G.s ["Manchester Guardians"]. Bose will not go back to India, and his family will not send him money: Dickinson is not sure what to do. May is still very depressed [after the death of their sister Janet]; Hettie [Hester] is 'a dear' and her daughter Margery 'cheerful and helpful'. Has written to Panell [?] about the summer school.
13A Hanover Terrace, Ladbroke Grove W.11. - Would like to visit, probably on the 20th. His sisters have probably got a maisonette in his neighbourhood, and will move shortly. May is 'very miserable'. He has been advised to put off an operation once more.
K[ing's] C[ollege] C[ambridge]. - Thought Jelly [d'Arányi] played beautifully, though her tone is very small in a large hall and she looks 'oddly childish and even awkward'. May is unhappy and unwell, and misses Janet very much; his sisters are looking for lodgings. Enjoyed his time with the Trevelyans: glad Julian is 'happy and busy and friendly'. His lecture at St Mary's Hospital only had an audience of five.
K[ing's] c[ollege] c[ambridge]. - Would like to visit, but is unsure of his sisters' plans (May has mild influenza). Hears that Bob has returned from Italy; has received his "Poems and Fables" and is glad to see them in print. Békássy's poems have been published by Woolf [Hogarth Press, "Adriatica and other poems"]. Has not yet read "Sanditon" yet and will wait, as Bessie suggests. Has a paper by Békássy on Austen; he did not appreciate her.
Kings Coll Camb. - Is taking some people to see a Pirandello play in Cambridge, so will come to the Trevelyans after the Whit weekend. Is sorry to miss the Sangers. His sisters have gone to Northumberland; May is still troubled by her gums and does not put on weight.
K[ing's] C[ollege] C[ambridge]. - Sorry to have left something behind again. Asks if she can give enclosed to Clifford [Allen]. May will arrive tomorrow. Greatly enjoyed the madrigals sung from punts moored under King's Bridge the other evening. Also liked seeing Julian. She or Bob may like to keep an enclosure.
Lowestoft. - Gives information about visiting Goldie [Dickinson] in hospital. Forster has not been since May 'came on the scene' so as not to overtire Goldie with too many visitors. He and Gerald Heard are arranging places for Goldie to convalesce: asks Bessie if she could write without mentioning this letter and offer their house for September. Is in Lowestoft with Ackerley. Goldie's operation was on the 18th; thinks the surgeon's name was Fagg [Charles Herbert Fagge?].
Piper's Plot, Lockeridge, Marlborough. - Complains about the weather and his companions; wishes he could have stayed with the Trevelyans, instead of heeding the calls of 'duty and friendship'. Does feel friendship for Mrs Eckhard, though she tries her family: compares a comment by Mrs Pearsall Smith. Enjoyed his time with the Trevelyans. Goes to Northumberland on Tuesday; thinks his sister May is recovering a little.
1 Beaufort Mansions. - Writes with the news of her brother Goldsworthy Lowes Dickinson's death. The last person he saw was Roger [Fry], which she is glad of. She has seen Roger and Ferdinand [Schiller], who were 'closest to his inmost being'. All she now has left in life are the friends who loved him.
British Museum, London, W.C.1. - Has just heard that Oswald Sickert has lost his job with the Encyclopaedia Britannica and will be in England in about a fortnight looking for work. Corrects an impression given by his last letter: only met Adrian [Stephen: see 17/25] once and liked him, does not know him well. Asks if Bob could translate Aeschylus's "Prometheus" for the Art Theatre" as requested by [Vera ] Donnet; thinks his way of doing the chorus would 'work very well' for recitation. Was greatly bored by the first performance by the Art Theatre [George Farquhar's "The Beaux' Stratagem"]: everybody 'connected with it is completely Philistine', and he does not think that any good will come of it, though it will be no worse than 'the Stage Society, Pioneers, Plough, Bel Espoir, Paddington Players, Malleson's Mimes or anything of the rest'.
Has arranged to publish his next book ["More Translations from the Chinese"] with Allen and Unwin; Constable's [who published his first book] is 'a nuisance to get to'. [Eugene] Morice has died of illness at Salonika and his bookshop [in Museum Street] is for sale; would be 'great fun' to run it, but he is afraid there is not 'enough sustenance in it for Oswald'. Has translated about thirty more poems of Po Chu-I for the new book, but may 'weed them out a bit', as well as a new version of Ou-yang Hsiu's "Autumn Dirge'. [Gordon] Luce's poems have been 'an appalling blow'; liked some of them at first, but now 'hate[s] them all'. Asks if anyone has seen [Charles] Vildrac and whether he is translating any more of Po Chu-I into French. Does not think he has seen Roger Fry since Bob went away. The Dickinsons [Goldsworthy Lowes Dickinson and his two sisters] are soon to move into the upper storey at 13 Hanover Terrace.
W[est] H[ackhurst]. - Was in London for two days and rang her up several times, but the line was always engaged. Perhaps she has already had her operation. He and his mother are ‘both so distressed to hear about it’. Will be glad to have a line when Bessie can send one. Will be in London again next week, and will ring again then.
Hopes that ‘the ‘Service’ [for Clifford Allen?] will be fixed up without strain’; does not go to such things himself, but knows they bring comfort to many. Is sure that ‘no one will mind the Goldie poem [Robert Trevelyan’s poem about Goldsworthy Lowes Dickinson] being used if it is J. A.’s [Joan Allen's] wish [’, except as Bessie says Dickinson’s sister May, and it is ‘most unlikely she will hear of it’.
Is ‘trying to get up the Laws of Libel’, being as she knows ‘on this Committee which is to look into it’. Dined with [Denis?] Pritt last night in the House of Commons, who ‘tried to instruct me, not with signal success’. Sends love, and is ‘so very sorry’.
West Hackhurst, Abinger Hammer, Dorking. - Thanks Bessie for her 'kind letter'; meant to ring, but has been in bed for the last three days with a cough and cold. Is now better and out of bed. Expects to stay with the Bells at Charleston at the beginning of May. Clive says there is 'little "private news" [about Virginia Woolf's suicide], except that she was threatened by a return (it would have been the fifth) of her terrible illness. Understandably, she could not bear the prospect'. Leonard is 'as always reasonable and stoical', and so far Vanessa has not 'broken down' as she did at [her son] Julian's death. He himself has of course been 'much upset', and her sympathy is welcome; he 'found it so repulsive to get letters and telegrams from no less than six newspapers wanting me to do articles at once'.
Had meant to write on a happier subject: his 'delightful call upon G. M. T[revelyan, recently appointed Master] at Trinity', who was very pleased with [the Master's Lodge] 'and all sorts of improvements were in full swing'. Had 'the kindest of greetings'. Asks why Bessie doesn't pay them a visit.
Everyone in his house has colds; Florence [Barger] is 'nursing hers with special care, as she goes to Manchester on Tuesday'. Sends love to Bessie and Bob. Adds postscript: saw May Dickinson and her sister Hettie Lowes at Cambridge, and Sheppard 'as usual'.
W[est] H[ackhurst]. - His cough is much better, and he has been to London a couple of times. Did 'not hint to the Master and Masteress [of Trinity, George and Janet Trevelyan, see TRER/ADD/38]' that they should invite Bessie, but 'merely mentioned your name in passing as that of an esteemed acquaintance'; did not mention Miss Simpkins 'at all. So there!'. Hopes she will enjoy the visit and have good weather; May Dickinson and others will be 'delighted' to see her.
Florence [Barger] has 'now left Manchester for Durham'; they 'long for her to come back'. The Rede Lecture [at Cambridge] is a single one; Forster has been asked to give it on Virginia Woolf, on 29 May. Augustus Daniel gave it last year on 'Some Approaches to a Judgment in Painting'.
Has just received Elizabeth's letter. Has not seen Morgan [Forster]; asked Ackerley, who does, if he could, and to let him know when he could visit. Has not heard anything, so expects Ackerley felt 'any visitors save a very few would be exhausting'. Gives Ackerley's address at the BBC so she can write and ask him to ask Morgan what Miss [Margaret?] Dickinson should be told. Thanks her for giving him the 'latest news': he was 'out of date', not having seen Ackerley for three days.
W[est] H[ackhurst]. - Wrote to Hetty [Lowes] when he saw 'the sad news [the death of Hetty's sister May Dickinson], and my letter crossed a very sweet one from her'. They moved back to their London flat in the autumn; May much enjoyed being back, and 'was only ill for a week'. Regrets that May 'seemed always wanting things and never giving them', and is afraid 'it was impossible, even with infinite sympathy, that she should be happy'.
Was about to write to ask when it would suit them for him to visit; of the dates Bessie mentioned, the 13th or 14th would do 'beautifully'. Would be very nice to see the Luces again. All well here, and they have 'plenty of wood to burn. The trouble is that it gives no heat'.
Needs to decide 'what to say to the soldiers on the subject of their choice, which is "Propaganda"'; then must give the talk, then go to London to see Traviata for the first time. Hopes he will not be 'entangled in snow drifts'.
W[est] H[ackhurst]. - Very much liked the poem Trevelyan has written about Goldie [Dickinson]: Bessie has given him a copy to keep. He shares the sentiments about Goldie: he was not afraid of death, only distressed by the state of the world as he left it. Forster is glad he has gone, particularly that he did not live to see Japan attack China. Expects Trevelyan will send a copy to May and Hettie [Dickinson's sisters], to whom it will give great pleasure. Is lending his own copy to Florence Barger. Sends greetings to Trevelyan's brother [Sir Charles]; would like to visit him again, and wonders how his plantations coped with the summer. Has just returned from Dorset, and is to 'broadcast about T. E. Lawrence's cottage there.'
W[est] H[ackhurst]. - Thanks Trevelyan for his Christmas present of poems, and for yesterday afternoon [a poetry reading?]. The epistle to Desmond [MacCarthy] was a lovely start; good to get in Moses ["Moses and the Shepherd"] and Goldie [Dickinson] too. Dickinson's Faust translation was looked for last year by May Dickinson, at Robert Nicholl's [Robert Nichols'?] wish; no trace of it was found, and it is either with Miss Stawell's executor or has been destroyed. Gives address of George Thomson's hospital, with suggestions of how best to get there.
19 M[anchester] St, W.1. - Is 'sure to be here Wednesday'; asks if a visiting time of 4 pm would suit her. Thanks her for her letter; wants to re-read it, 'but it has fallen on to the floor!'. If 'G[eorge] M[acaulay] T[revelyan]'s morality has gone sour' his own 'sensitivity is certainly doing likewise; as the date of his 'release' from the clinic 'recedes and recedes', he is 'seeing all its faults'. His wound 'went wrong again this morning' and he is back in bed. If her car is free when he is ready to come out, he 'might be very glad of it'; he has offers of transport from both Hilton Young and Leonard Woolf, but seems likely to lose them through delays. indeed he has 'certainly lost Hilton's, as he goes away in it on Thursday'.
Had a good long letter from Bob at Grasse; he seems to be 'enjoying himself' and to be 'entertained by H. G. Wells'. He himself is reading Paradise Lost 'with pleasure': it suits his mood, which is 'gloomy yet unable to contemplate realities. God's frightful muddles: his inability to make either Hell or Eden work:... his readiness to throw Christ into the soup - what a puerile yet what a terrific universe!'. Is also reading [his own] Abinger Harvest, 'though not alas on Worthing Pie'; it is a 'real comfort' to him that it has come out just now, is liked by his friends, and by many of the critics.
May D. [?Dickinson] has been to tea, at a time when Morgan was sitting up. Robin Mayor is visiting again soon: 'what a warm hearted nice chap he is'. Has 'quite lost the feeling of dryness' Mayor used to give him. Is very lucky to have 'friends in various generations', a good fortune which Bessie also shares. Note up the side of the letter saying that her letter has been picked up from the floor; his reply 'is not nearly nice enough for it, but shall go' all the same.
Postscript dated 'Sunday evening' [29 Mar] saying that he has had 'good and surprising news': MacDonald says whatever the state of the wound, he will be able to travel on Thursday; Leonard Woolf could therefore take him in his car. Will see her on Wednesday.
Mas St Gabriel, Peyloubet, Grasse, A[lpes] M[aritime], France. - Sends condolences on the death of Trevelyan's father. Glad to think Charles can now begin 'his project & its duties'. He and May [his sister] are happy, though the future is uncertain.