From the Rector, Exeter College, Oxford - Might be able to host her during the Romanes Lecture so that she can speak with G. B. [Harley Granville-Barker, the Romanes lecturer].
Garden Corner, West Road, Cambridge. - Thanks Bob for his "Letter to Joan" [Allen, in Bob's privately printed "From the Shiffolds"]: it is a great thing to be able to express what one feels 'in this utter dissolution of all things that are good', and one needs to be, as Bob is, 'both poet and philosopher'. He himself is 'neither, creatively', but finds comfort in great poetry. Has been reading "[King] Lear", as well as [A.C] Bradley and Granville-Barker on the play. Feels "Lear" has a 'happy ending' even without [Nahum] Tate's alterations, since '[a]ll the bad people are killed and most of the good left to rule the land. In the real world this does not happen'. Notes in a postscript that the people at Wallington 'seem friendly & happy: Molly [is] much happier'.
3 press clippings, Jan-Apr 1921: piece on Aeschylus' "Oresteia", put on as the Cambridge Greek Play, by its director J. T. Sheppard from the "Cambridge Review"; brief note from the "Holborn Review" of the text of the trilogy, as presented at Cambridge, with facing English translation by Trevelyan; 'Editorial Notes' from the "Holborn Review" comparing lines from Trevelyan's translation with that of Gilbert Murray.
24 press clippings (plus a few duplicates) , mostly reviews of Trevelyan's full translation of the "Oresteia", Jan 1923-Nov/Dec 1923, from: the "Scotsman"; the "Daily Herald" (two copies); the "Aberdeen Journal"; the "Guardian" (two copies); the "Times" (also reviewing a Loeb Library translation of the "Suppliant Maidens" etc by H. Weir Smyth and a verse translation of Aeschylus by G. M. Cookson), with a following letter by J. T. Sheppard correcting some points about the performances by Cambridge University students; the ""Sheffield Daily Telegraph"; the "Saturday Review"; the "Daily News"; the "Manchester Guardian"; the "New Statesman" (two copies; by 'J.T.S' - J. T. Sheppard - which also reviews G. M. Cookson's "Four Plays of Aeschylus"); the "Saturday Review" (selection of Trevelyan's translation as a prize in a chess competition); the "Highway" (two copies); the "Hallam Review" (also reviewing "Translation and Translations" by J. P. Postgate); the "Yorkshire Post"; the "Liverpool Daily Post and Mercury"; the "Educational Times"; the "Glasgow Herald"; the "Isis" (a review of Gilbert Murray's translation of the "Choephoroe", comparing it favourably with Trevelyan's); piece by Gilbert Murray from the "Nation & Athenaeum", "Thoughts on Verse Translation from the Greek", which mentions Trevelyan's work; the "Observer (also reviewing Murray's "Chorephoroe"); the "Classical Review" (two copies: with other classical translations); the "London Mercury". Also from this span of dates is a piece from the "Daily News", 30 Jan 1923, regarding an argument between Lascelles Abercrombie and Sir Charles Walston on whether Darwin's "Origin of Species" can be considered a work of art.
6 press clippings, June-July, relating to the performance on tour of the "Oresteia" in Trevelyan's translation by the Balliol Players. Most report a special performance given at Thomas Hardy's house, Max Gate in Dorchester, to Hardy and his wife, Granville Barker and his wife, and Sidney Cockerell. From: the "Times"; the "Daily News"; the "Daily Mail"; the "Daily Chronicle"; the "Westminster Gazette".
Press clipping, 21 Jan 1926, from the "Oxford Magazine", reviewing E. S. Hoernle's "Choric Songs from Aeschylus"; Hoernle criticises Trevelyan's translation in the introduction.
21 printed order forms by the University Press of Liverpool for Trevelyan's translation of the "Oresteia".
Most press cuttings sent to Trevelyan by Durrant's Press Cuttings.
55 Rue de Varenne, VIIe - She proposed a conference on Sir James and his works to [René] Grousset of the Musée Cernuschi, with a reception at the Musée Guimet; her sister has asked for four copies of 'La Crainte' vol. III, and she would like to have the complete set; has not finished with the proofs, as the Belgian printers are very slow; she has spoken of her with Granville Barker; this week is an important meeting of the Société du Folklore to appoint a new president, they are thinking of [Georges] Rivière, who is the new director of the Musée d l'homme.
British Embassy, Rome - Writes about a ceremony in Vetralla that a friend J. J. [i.e., J. S.] Barnes has witnessed, a ceremony linked with tribute payable by Vetralla to the town of Viterbo, a ceremony he thinks has been grafted on to a primitive fertility festival; he has not witnessed it due to severe hay fever.
18 Place des Etats-Unis - Thanks her for her book and Sir James' and sends one of his own; is escaping Christmas by going to Italy.
18 Place des Etats-Unis - Thanks Frazer for the book; describes the situation in Paris: not that dangerous, a few brawls, public sympathy with strikers, though there is concern about the economy and danger from without. Paris is not herself and Frazer is better off writing in a quieter place.
18 Place des Etats-Unis, XVIe - Thanks her for the bibliography; asks that Frazer not come to the Students' Club as it will not be worth his time; is looking for a good time to talk about the Priest of Nemi ballet; a copy of the 'Fasti' is on its way to take its place beside 'The Golden Bough'.
West Hackhurst. - Returns Trevelyan's cheque because of an error. Is reading Granville Barker on "Hamlet": 'what a queer chap he is'.
May try to come to Cambridge before the end of the month. Bessie went abroad on Thursday. C.A. [Clifford Allen] is much better, it will be some time until he and Joan can travel abroad. Joan has chicken-pox and is in quarantine. Does not know about the Waterfields: they have had a lot of paying guests at Aulla, until one, 'a young man from Oxford, suddenly lost his memory and more or less went mad, and is being looked after at Poggio [Gherardo] with nurses'. Expects the Waterfields will go to Aulla soon if the young man can be sent home, but then [their children] Johnny and Kinta will probably come out to visit. Had thought of arranging for the Allens to stay when Clifford is strong enough, but it is unclear when that would be. The Waterfields want him to visit, but he cannot go abroad until the building plans for the Shiffolds are settled, probably by August; may then go to Aulla for a while and on to the Berensons at Vallombrosa. Thinks Julian should write to Lina and ask if he could stay as a paying guest, though he should remember there is not as much space at Aulla as at Poggio, and if the Allens could go they should have preference. Currently here alone, but will go to London on Monday for [Wagner's] "Rheingold with the "Walkyrie [sic]" on Thursday. Desmond [MacCarthy] printed his epistle to him in the May "Life & Letters", but forgot to use the corrected proof, so there are '5 monstrous misprints'. Hopes Julian is finding some time to do some reading. Unsure whether he will be able to come to Cambridge next week. Asks when Julian's exams are, and how he likes Granville Barker's "Shakespeare"
Baveno - Glad to hear that Elizabeth is well, and that she and Robert are enjoying her friend's visit [Laetitia Ede, see 46/91]. He and Caroline have had hot weather, 'bearable' in large hotels; they have also spent 'three afternoons with Aunt Margaret [Holland], driving, boating' and taking tea at their hotel or in 'her lovely garden'. She is 'amazingly good company', especially given how long she has been ill. He is getting over a short bout of rheumatism; Booa [Mary Prestwich] is 'enjoying herself hugely'; Caroline having a 'real rest and change'. Sure Robert and Elizabeth are 'taking the right course' about the [new] house. Hears that [Gilbert] Murray's "Hippolytus" was 'very badly put on the stage [by Granville Barker] and acted'; thinks Murray should not have given up his position [his professorship at Glasgow], unless his health really did necessitate this. Is reading [Macaulay's?] "Frederic the Great", which has 'all that Dryasdust, as well as Clio, can give'. Has also just finished the first book of [Cicero's] "Tusculan Deputations" and has learned from it 'not to fear death'; will learn 'not to mind pain' from the next and wishes he had read it before he got the rheumatism.
18 Place des Etats-Unis - Has taken on the job [Director of the British Institute in Paris] with some misgivings; thanks her for offering to send 'Aftermath'; has all of Frazer's other works on the shelves; asks if she has anything from their personal library to donate to the Insitute library; needs to improve the library.
18 Place des Etats-Unis - Recommends that she see Miss Baylis, in charge of the Old Vic and Sadlers Wells about 'The Priest of Nemi', notes it is not a ballet but a mime; thanks her for 'Aftermath' and the specimen [of his writing?].
18 Place des Etats-Unis - Thinks the Hotel Palais d'Orsay would suit them, is sorry to be away when they visit.
18 Place des Etats-Unis - Is sorry to hear she's been ill; Paris is 'not a very happy place these days' but believes the French nation is sound, and 'The disturbances and despairs are only incidental things.'
18 Place des Etats-Unis - They are there until the beginning of June, coming to England on business, will arrange to meet.
The Mill House, Westcott, Dorking :- The weather has deteriorated recently and it is 'alternatively rainy and sultry'. Saw George briefly in London yesterday; he seemed 'very well and cheerful', except that he and Janet are 'distressed' about the health of her uncle [William Thomas Arnold], which Robert's father has 'doubtless' heard of. George was 'beginning the last chapter of his history [England Under the Stuarts].
Bessie is well; her friend Miss [Laetitia] Ede is visiting for a few days, 'having just passed her final medical examination'. They have 'signed the agreement with the V[aughan] Williamses [for the lease of land on which to build a house]' but there are still delays, since both their and the Vaughan Williamses' architects think they should 'try to get a cheaper tender from other builders'; this is 'very tiresome', but at least it does not seem to be the Vaughan Williamses' fault this time, and Robert and Elizabeth will be sure they are getting their 'full money's worth'. Does not expect the delays will be longer than a few weeks, so the roof should still be on before Christmas and they should be able to move in next spring.
Saw Murray's translation of Hippolytus acted in London yesterday [at the Lyric Theatre, produced by Harley Granville-Barker], but thought it so poor a performance that he 'could not stay till the end. No one could act well, or even make themselves heard properly, though there was plenty of ranting, and the beautiful choruses were drowned out in an intolerably affected and ineffective manner'. The play is 'very fine... and well suited for the modern style, and the translation has many unusual merits': it is a 'great pity that these abortive efforts should be made, as it only makes the intelligent public more and more sceptical as to the possibility of acting poetical drama finely, and yet it is perfectly possible, if only they would go about it in the right way'. At least they should not use 'quite incompetent actors'. Yet some papers have said it was 'very successful'.
They both send love to Robert's father and mother; Bessie will write soon.