Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - Has looked through three volumes of the "Yellow Book" and agrees with Robert that there is 'a certain collective energy and enthusiasm' which makes all the contributors 'do more vigourously [sic], or at any rate more oddly, what they regard as their ideal'; [Henry] James's two stories are very strong; [Walter] Sickert's illustrations 'most curious - in a way better than Beardsley's. The Charles Adamses, 'a pleasant couple', are staying; he is enthusiastic about going on to Flodden; he is seventy one, and his great grandfather [John Adams] was 'deeply interested in the world' up till the age of ninety. Charles Adams has seen bigger battles than Flodden, and was 'asleep in his saddle during Pickins's [sic: Pickett's Charge] at Gettysburg'. The 'Cambo folk' [Charles and Mary] are coming for lunch, with the [Malcolm?] Macnaghtens and 'all the babies'. In a postscript, notes that he has had another letter from [Theodore] Roosevelt, with 'three new spellings'.
Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - Hopes the 'invalid' [Thomas Sturge Moore?] is better and can return home soon, though sure he is comfortable at the Mill House; Mrs Moore seemed 'such a nice creature, with her pretty French manners & sweet face'; sure Elizabeth likes helping her. Keen to hear whether Elizabeth got to Tunbridge [for the Conference, see 11/107]; admire her for having canvassed. She herself has had 'urgent telegrams' about a women's meeting in Horsham today; would be wonderful if Erskine won. Sir George is very pleased at [Theodore] Roosevelt's victory. Sir Charles Dalrymple and his daughter have been staying for a couple of nights. Mary's cousin Blanche Stanley has been staying with her, who has a 'lovely soprano voice' and has been well taught. Mary has also got Charles to sing better; they are away now. Sends love to Robert, asks if he would like his "1001 Gems [of Poetry]" to be sent. Looking forward to the play. Asks if Elizabeth would like to have a box of chrysanthemums sent next week, and whether Mrs [Helen] Fry would like some, or Mrs Moore when they get back.
Welcombe, Stratford on Avon. - A 'very large, and really beautiful silver cup' has arrived as a New Year's present, with the inscription 'Sir George Trevelyan, Historian of the American Revolution, from his Friends Theodore Roosevelt, Elihu Root, Henry Cabot Lodge'; they are the 'three first men in America'. Lodge has also written a history of the Revolution, and has always shown 'great generosity' about it. Sends the opinion [on matters relating to Florence Trevelyan's will?] in a separate parcel.
The Shiffolds, Holmbury St. Mary, Dorking. - Thanks his parents for their last letters. Interested to hear about his 'New Year's gift from America [a silver cup from Theodore Roosevelt, Elihu Root, Henry Cabot Lodge, see 12/123] which shows that her best statesmen appreciate your history at its true value'. Perhaps today 'the lessons it has to teach would be more useful for English statesmen', but he does not expect that Chamberlain, Balfour and Milner are likely to present his father with a silver cup.
Thanks his father for returning the '"opinion" [on Florence Cacciola Trevelyan's will': no new developments, but Withers begins to think it would be better to 'make some sort of friendly bargain with Dr Cacciola', who 'certainly has the interest on the £20,000 during his lifetime' if it passes under the will, which seems clear. The weather has been 'very unpleasant' recently, but Bessie and Paul are well.
Has been reading several plays by Aristophanes in B[enjamin] Rogers' recent editions: these have good notes, and 'a first-rate verse translation opposite'. True that 'one does not often want a translation's help' for Aristophanes, but thinks that if he did not read Greek he would prefer this translation to any other he knows. In the introduction to the Wasps, Rogers 'pays a compliment' to Sir George's Cambridge Dionysia, saying there is 'considerable Aristophanic spirit in it'. Rogers has 'just called Racine's Les Plaideurs "a feeble and insipid play"': Robert does not know how justly, as he has never read it.
The Devonshire election [the Ashburton by-election of 17 January, in which the Liberals lost the seat to the Liberal Unionists] was 'unpleasant', but he expects it will 'do good indirectly by making Liberals feel less secure'.
Wallington, Cambo, Morpeth. - Glad to get Elizabeth's letter, though wishes she were better; hopes the 'tonic' suits her and that it is not too hot in Surrey. Would much like to have Elizabeth at Wallington for a while 'with no housekeeping & only the child & the violin' to get strong. Molly and the children are coming for ten days on 29 June; thinks she will then settle at Cambo. Sir George is very interested in the US election contest; the latest developments are 'most astonishing' but she thinks Roosevelt is 'the right man to be President'. Good to hear that Julian remembers them; wonders if he will remember Wallington. Wants to hear what Dr C[arter?] says when Elizabeth sees him again. Caroline will give Elizabeth the name of a treatment recommended to Annie [Philips] by her doctor.
Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - Hopes Robert has forgiven them for keeping Elizabeth and Paul for another half-week; will miss Paul's voice about the place very much. A shooting party today with John [Spencer?] Trevelyan, Ralph Spencer, Sir Arthur's 'very pleasant' nephew Lambert Middleton, and Buddell Atkinson [sic: Frank Buddle Atkinson] the master of the hunt. Agrees with Robert about 'spending great sums on sensational masterpieces'; includes the Velasquez among these, but did not like the Van Dycks much and the Hals even less. Looks forward to seeing Robert's "Sisyphus". Supposes Taft is elected [as President of the United States]. Is sorry that Roosevelt is 'descending into private life'. Glad Bessie liked his "Fox" [ from the final volume of Sir Georges' "American Revolution"]; the last part of the chapter should be 'lively' and Fox was indeed 'a unique being'.
Wallington, Cambo, Morpeth. - Glad to hear that Elizabeth got through the journey all right; she must be delighted to be in the Netherlands again after so long. Glad she likes 'England to live in'; supposes she feels there is a 'broader and more varied outlook', but expects it is good to bring up children in the 'quieter atmosphere of Holland'. Julian is quiet enough here and has been pulling his train around the corridors; he wanted to be alone and told Booa [Mary Prestwich] to go and talk to Nannie. His nurse sensibly did not let him go to the birthday party [for Geordie] as he would be too cold and not enjoy it so much; the party ended with 'fireworks and a bonfire'. The children and Miss Richardson [their nanny?] are coming to tea in the nursery today. A niece of Booa's has been killed in a motor car accident; her husband, a doctor, was driving. Brown has been in a bicycle accident and is 'very bad', but she thinks he will pull through. Thinks she will have a Christmas tree this year and give two parties, one for the children of the family and some friends, and one for the schools; suggests around the 10-13 December, before they go to Welcombe the following week. Sir George is very cheerful, though anxious about Roosevelt: hopes he will be second [in the US election]. She hopes that 'England will play a decent part, & help to settle the [First Balkan] war'. The Holts are sending one of their daughters to Miss Weisse [her school, Northlands].
Welcombe, Stratford on Avon. - Would be delighted if Robert could come for Roosevelt's visit from 4-6 June; sorry that they will not have room for Elizabeth. Has been asked by the Vice Chancellor of Cambridge to chair the selection committee for the new professorship of English; [Samuel] Butcher, MP for the University, is vice-chairman; has declined the chair, but joined the committee and sent a large subscription; Lord Tennyson is to be chairman 'as the next literary name to Macaulay'.
8, Grosvenor Crescent. - Glad Robert is having a 'satisfactory' time; they are enjoying occasional meetings with Bessy. Is going by car to Harrow for an outing, and will try to get acquainted with the Headmaster [Lionel Ford]. Thinks Robert's ["Bride of] Dionysus" 'stately and dignified', appreciating 'the conditions under which it is written [as a libretto for Donald Tovey's opera]. Has had a long letter from Charles Adams; it is 'sad about Henry [Charles Adams's brother, who had suffered a stroke] but not intensely. Roosevelt has written a 'delightful little prefatory notice' for [George Cabot] Lodge's two volumes of poetry, which Senator [Henry Cabot] Lodge has sent him; praises [Henry] Adams's biography [of George Cabot Lodge].
Apartado 847, Madrid, Spain. - Thanks his father for his letter [12/312] and the 'amusing enclosure', which he returns. Will much look forward to reading the correspondence [Theodore Roosevelt's, published in Scribner's Magazine] when he returns. Expects he will start back in about ten days, and 'after a few days in Paris to see friends', get home in early December. Has 'quite an interesting time here', and has done 'a good deal of work, chiefly [translating] Lucretius'. Politics are 'somewhat less stormy' here than when he arrived: the 'Barcelona lock-out seems to be settled', and the government, 'probably the best Spain has had for many years, seems likely to survive for the present'.
The weather is 'fairly cold, but otherwise perfect'. Has made some 'interesting friends', and learned some Spanish. Hopes to visit Toledo before he leaves, but 'hardly Valladolid' which he passes on the train, 'even for the sake of Browning's Corregidor [in How It Strikes a Contemporary]. Bessie 'writes cheerfully, and Julian seems to be well'. Robert sends love to his mother, and thanks for her letter.
A friend is coming soon, Don Juan Menendez y Arranz, with whom he reads Spanish poetry; in exchange he helps him read English poetry. He is 'not as big or grand as his name, but very charming, and also very well read'
The Shiffolds, Holmbury St. Mary, Dorking. - It is a 'great pleasure' to be home from Spain, and to find Bessie and Julian well; Julian has 'improved in many ways since the summer, and is much stronger, and also more vigorous mentally'. His current 'chief interests' are astronomy and 'making architectural plans'; therefore, he is much looking forward to the visit next week Bessie's cousin Jan Hubrecht, who 'will tell him all about sun-spots'; also to the visit of Robert's friend [Kenneth] Croos tomorrow, who 'was one of the architect of the Mission des Amis' in France. Bessie reads Wells' new Outline of History to Julian in the evenings, which 'seems quite well done'; so far however, they have 'only reached the beginning of the Pleistocene or thereabouts'.
It has been a 'great pleasure' for them to read [Theodore Roosevelt's] correspondence in Scribner's [Magazine]; thinks the 'strongest feeling' he got from Roosevelt's letters is what 'for what of a better word [Robert] would call his charm'; that indeed is his 'chief memory' of Roosevelt from when he met him at Welcombe. Roosevelt's 'wide reading and interest in everything would have made him interesting in any case', but it is 'something more personal than that, something which made any difference of opinion or point of view seem of little importance.
Had a good time in Madrid: got to know 'some quite interesting young men, and laid the foundation of at least a literary knowledge of Spanish'. Is preparing a 'book of translations from Lucretius', which will in total come to 'rather more than a third of the De Rerum Natura. Sends ;ove to his mother.
Signatures of visitors with dates of their visits. Entries for 1897-1901 written on pasted-in sheets [from another book?]. Dates of deaths of Paul and Theodore Trevelyan written in by the entries for their last visits.
Newspaper cutting [from the "Times", Monday, June 6, 1910, p.8] regarding a visit by Theodore Roosevelt to Shakespeare's birthplace, Stratford on Avon. Found in the book by the signatures of Roosevelt's party marking their stay from 4-6 June.
'R.C.T. - E.T.' written at the top of the page for 1928, the year of Caroline Trevelyan's death and her son Robert's inheritance of the house. Date of sale of house, 22 Nov 1929, entered. Visit of Julius Röntgen, 28-31 1930, marked by two bars of music beneath his signature.
Welcombe, Stratford on Avon. - Expects Robert has chosen the best way to see Spain in basing himself at Madrid; probably the best way to learn Spanish, and the country may settle down in time enabling easier travel. Browning is a 'wonderful genius': he has recently read Pattison's 'admirable' biography of [Isaac] Casaubon, and it was 'all summed up in the "Grammarian's Funeral"; cannot read Gibbon without thinking of "Protus"; and ever since Robert went to Spain he has had "How It Strikes a Contemporary" in his mind, which means more to him 'than Charles the Vth - or Cervantes'. "Scribner's [Magazine]" is publishing 'specimens' of Roosevelt's biography; supposes it is the 'biggest bibliopolic business' ever. The excerpt about Roosevelt and Sir George, illustrated with Mary's snapshots ["Scribner's Magazine", Vol. 66, No. 4, Oct 1919, pp 385-408] has had 'unanimous approbation' in America; encloses a 'racy specimen from a remote new Western State,' but the more serious papers take the same line. Has recovered from his fall, and they are settled in at Welcombe 'in the midst of the perturbed world'. They have regular satisfactory news from Elizabeth.
Welcombe, Stratford on Avon. - Can never write this date 'without thoughts' [a reference to Napoleon's victory at Austerlitz, and the coup by Louis Napoleon in 1851?]. Would like to have the [Times] "Literary Supplement" [of November 25, 1920; pg. 778; Issue 984] back; suggest that Robert should copy out both sets of verses. Those by 'Bobus' Smith were 'deeply felt by Macaulay' in the last months of his life but Sir George did not mention that in his letter to the "Literary Supplement" since so much by him on the subject has gone into print recently, in his chapter in the "Life" of Butler and in the second volume of Roosevelt's biography. Very glad to hear of Julian writing a 'good and sightly letter' ; 'Each letter is then an education in itself'. Looking forward to seeing Robert and his family; has not been well recently, but it is difficult to tell how much is illness and how much old age.
Nairobi, B.E.A. Dated 13/10/09 - Will be seeing Col. Roosvelt [Theodore Roosevelt] and will give him the booklet of queries [Frazer's anthropological questions]; suggests asking the Cambridge Press for the chapter on Masai marriage in his ['Ethnology of Akamba and other East African Tribes']; Hon. K. [Kenneth?] Dundas, studying the Bantu Kavirondo, has discovered the elders always kill the hereditary head chief when he is near his end.
Nairobi, B.E. Africa. Dated July 27/10 - Showed his letters to Col. [Theodore] Roosevelt and wonders if he visited Frazer; has come across two Kikuyu customs relating to 'thahu', a kind of curse, and the use of fig trees as a cure for barrenness; is displeased with the slowness of the University Press.
One Broadway, New York - Would like Frazer to inscribe the 'Golden Bough' he is giving his sister Mrs Nicholas Longworth, who has enjoyed his books since she was introduced to them by their father [Theodore Roosevelt]; Frazer's books have been useful in his travels.
Welcombe, Stratford on Avon. - Glad Elizabeth's nurse is better; fears it will be a while until Julian is quite well, and she must follow the doctor's advice; hopes he recommends a move before the hot weather. The seaside would be good if not for 'change of food'; wishes it were not such a long journey north to them, but babies do feel it less than older children. Have had cheerful letters from Charles and Mary on their way to the [Man] Hunt. She and Sir George are quiet next week, though she needs to go to London to see '"my friend Mr Carter"'. Annie [Philips] is coming on the 24th for a week. The Roosevelt party of four are coming from 4 - 6 June; also present will be Charles, Mary, Lord Morley, and George so it will be a full house. Wishes it were over, as it 'will be like a whirlwind' sweeping over them and entails her getting a new black dress. Is not very strong yet. Sends love to Robert and hopes he is getting on well.
Welcombe, Stratford on Avon. - Hopes Robert caught the train and returned home in good time; he will have told Elizabeth about the party, which 'went off very pleasantly'. Mr Roosevelt is 'most amusing'; she liked him better than she expected. Sir George very happy and 'thinks it a great success'; she is glad he and Roosevelt got on and are 'now excellent friends'. They were glad to have Robert to help, and she had a good time with him on Sunday. Hopes the nurse Elizabeth has now is 'good & helpful' and that Mrs Catt has gone to rest. They leave Welcombe on Friday and unless the weather is awful will stay at the Ulleswater [sic] Hotel, Patterdale until 15 June before going to Wallington. Elizabeth, Julian and Robert will be welcome whenever they wish to come.