Will pass through London between 5th and 9th.
Granting Fletcher's application for Wittgenstein to be admitted as an advanced student.
Trinity College, Cambridge. - Found letter and detective magazine on his return from a weekend in Hastings; Smythies has got unconditional exemption [from conscription?]; feeling run down.
Labelled on front cover in ink. Date, '20/2/39' written at top of first page in pencil.
Letter, 6 Mar. 1978, from Bose to King. Discusses his old age and bad health; was a joy hearing from King, whom he remembers well. Memories of others, such as Rose, and those who have now died, like Azhar Ali, D. Raja Ram and S. Das Gupta. Would be glad to pass on his reminiscences of Wittgenstein. 'He was a very good friend to me, but I cannot say he succeeded in teaching me much philosophy'. Adds postscript asking if King is in touch with Con Drury and A. R. M. Murray, who both knew Wittgenstein.
Incomplete photocopy of letter, 5 Apr. 1978, from Bose to King. Praises King's plan of collaborating with Desmond Lee to publish their notes of Wittgenstein's lectures of 1930-1932. Fears he will be disappointed in what Bose can contribute. Answers questions specifically put to him: the dates of his time at Cambridge, and attendance at Wittgenstein's lectures; can only remember [Con] Drury and Professor Moore specifically among regular attendants; cannot answer the third question; did not take notes of the lectures, and now does not have any memory of the contents. General recollections of Wittgenstein: learnt 'very little' from him as a philosopher, but he was a good friend. Discussion of a Sanskrit word for friend, 'suhrid'. Wittgenstein obtained a sleeping drug for Bose from Switzerland when he was suffering from insomnia, and used to meet him out of each of his morning Part II exams, go for lunch with him, then walk him back for the afternoon paper. His first encounter with Wittgenstein was at a meeting of the Moral Science Club in the Lent Term of 1929 at which Bose read a paper on the nature of moral judgement and Wittgenstein asked several questions. Sometimes they would go for walks together, sometimes visit each other (Wittgenstein was at the time living in rooms in Maurice Dobb's house). Anecdote about Braithwaite asking Wittgenstein what title he wished to give his lectures, to which Wittgenstein answered, 'The subject of the lectures would be philosophy. What else can be the title of the lectures but Philosophy'.
These notes provide considerable additional material to the lectures as published by Alice Ambrose and Margaret Macdonald
Trinity College Cambridge. - Received Malcolm's last letter from Brooklyn, if it had arrived earlier it would have made getting in contact easier; would have liked to have seen Malcolm off at the station; would liked to be called by his first name in the future.
Thanks Butler for his letter; is very grateful to Council for the grant of £100 (to enable him to carry on his research in Cambridge).
Worries about ill-feeling between himself and Pattisson.
Asks for the name of an insecticide. Feels that there is something fundamentally wrong with his thinking but does not know what it is.
Living in Skjolden does Wittgenstein good as it is not easy; work going very well; admits to being wrong about Spain.
In bed with flu.
Glad to have talked with Sraffa; had a talk with Keynes which did not go so well, through Keynes' fault.
Wittgenstein's work has not been going well.
Feels it conceivable that events in Austria are preliminaries for war. Wittgenstein had planned to visit Austria for a month in May or June and enquires of Sraffa whether, if he does so, he will be let out of Austria and whether he will be let back into England. Has £300-£400 in England and nothing in Austria. Thinks it would be useful to get employment in England for political reasons; aims to get a job as 'some sort of lecturer' in Cambridge. Thinks that he might apply for Irish citizenship,
Has had a good many letters from Austria, none of which include alarming information about friends. Wittgenstein's sister is returning to Vienna from New York. Wittgenstein does not have a good chance of naturalization.
Would be grateful if Sraffa looked up some friends when he is in Vienna.
Keynes has been advised to write to the Home Office about Wittgenstein's case. Wittgenstein's sister was pleased to have met Sraffa in Vienna.
Encloses a discouraging letter from his solicitor [no longer present]; wishes the matter [his naturalization] could be dealth with more speedily. Gilbert Pattisson is still holding £300 for Wittgenstein.
Trinity College Cambridge. - War 'a boredom', can learn a lot about human beings through it; fair in Cambridge.
Trinity College, Cambridge. - Has been going through his tutorial correspondence for the years 1928-1938; has destroyed most of it, but it has been suggested that 'anything concerning Wittgenstein's career might be worth preserving'. Adds footnote: has 'quite forgotten what the matter was which W. refers to in his letter of 25 October' [Add. MS a 745/6].
Has cold, asks about photographs.
Rearranges meeting with Sraffa.
Asks Sraffa if he intends to go to Czechoslovakia to help with the situation there. If so Wittgenstein would like to accompany him.
Has received a telegram summoning him to Zurich.
If Sraffa accepts a position at Trinity the change will be good for him
Encloses letter from John Ryle [no longer present]; describes Ryle as 'very well informed'.