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Centro Italiano Propaganda, Viale Calascione, 7 - Napoli. - Pleasure at reading Trevelyan's news: had heard something of him through [Cecil?] Sprigge but not in detail; knew about Trevelyan's fall and his recovery, but not about the birth of his grandchild [Philip Erasmus]. His own news is good: 'it is a great deal to have passed all this period without injury'; all was well with B.B. [Berenson] up until the 8th of September, as the fascists kept him safe at I Tatti, but he has had no news from Florence, though he has spoken to their friend Reeber [sic: Samuel Reber III], US representative in the Allied Control Commission, who said he would try and intervene through the Swiss legation. Feels helpless. His people at home knew nothing of his intention to escape, and may not be able to 'understand or measure the reasons' and feel abandoned, then there are his hidden friends and 'worse, those who couldn't hide'. Reminds himself that all of Europe is passing through the same ordeal. To renew his link of friendship with Trevelyan openly is 'a good omen, it is like breathing again a pure breath of fresh air'.

98 Grenfell Road, Maidenhead, Berks. - Thanks Trevelyan for the 'kind letter' and poems ["From the Shiffolds"]; mentions the 'fortunate little dear boy' [Trevelyan's grandson Philip, addressee of a poem']. Wonders whether he knows Lord de Tabley's poetry; thinks de Tabley would have liked some of the poems. Her father's first wife was Meriel Leicester Warren, de Tabley's sister. De Tabley's poetry has not sufficiently appreciated, either in his lifetime or afterwards; quotes descriptions of him by Tennyson and Sir Edmund Gosse. Describes the 'very drab & dusty grey little interior' of the house with no heating, electric, gas or hot water where she lives; a 'real little cottage of despair' where she and her companion Mrs Hill needed to 'take refuge, from far worse'. The small back yard holds a 'dread ful little party of evil looking, grinning deformed, gnomes' who resemble the 'little jailors' of [George du Maurier's] "Peter Ibbotson"

Cud Hill House, Upton Saint Leonards, Glos. - Bob has given him great pleasure [by sending him his book "Windfalls"]: finds himself drawn first to the essays with personal names: Browning, Virginia Woolf, Meredith; these are all '[d]elightful', with '[s]uch sensitive discrimination in the literary criticism', combined with 'personal pictures - so vivid', such as 'Meredith's thumps with his stick in honour of the lovely Lucy Duff Gordon'; asks which of Meinhold's works Duff Gordon translated. Praises Bob's literary criticism: calls his defence of rhetoric 'timely needed & excelled'; might not have had Marlowe and the University poets 'without the Schools of Rhetoric of Oxford & Cambridge', and without Marlowe, there might have been no Shakespeare. Comments on 'how neatly' Bob 'refute[s] Edgar Poe's heresy!'. Likes what Bob says about Shelley's "Music when soft voices die": has sometimes read the last stanza as 'addressed by Shelley to himself'; cites 'Less oft is peace in Shelley's mind...' [from "To Jane: The Recollection"] as another instance of self-address. Diana [his wife] and the children are going to Sennen at Land's End on Monday; he himself is not, since he always finds South Cornwall 'too damp'; will go instead to the 'Brit[ish] Ass[ociation for the Advancement of Science]' in Broghton from 7-14 September. His eldest son [Oliver] is engaged to be married to Rosemary Phipps, a 'charming girl' living at Fairford on the upper Thames; she and Oliver have been to visit. Tom [his other son] is staying with Lodge's sister [Barbara Godlee?] near Manchester, but will join the rest of the family in Cornwall. He is 'very musical-studying'. Bob's grandson Philip is here, playing in the garden with Colin; he is a 'dear little boy'. Sends love to both Trevelyans; hope Bob's has a 'good holiday & enjoy[s] Italy'. Asks if 'the cause of Virginia Woolf's death [was] ever known'. Adds a postscript to say her heard a 'marvellous Beethoven piece' on the radio last night, the String Quartet in B flat, Op. 18 no. 6.

Gorringes, Downe, Kent. - His and his wife' thank both Trevelyan's for Bob's [translation of the Homeric] Hymn to Demeter ["From the Shiffolds"]; is glad the story 'seems to end happily'. The lines about flowers are 'delightful'. Philip was 'much pleased and excited yesterday' to get Bessie's 'beautiful printed letter', and had a good try at reading most of it; thinks he is on the 'very point of reading'. He will be the 'angel of the Lord (with a paper halo)' in a nativity play at school on Monday and know his part 'perfectly'; hopes he does not have stage fright.

Gorringes, Downe, Kent. - His and his wife's thanks for Bob's 'nice poetical Christmas card ["From the Shiffolds"]; he likes "The Pleasure" and "The Dream", perhaps he likes "The Pleasure" best as he 'likes some rhymes', and 'can't help it' if that is a 'weakness'. Hopes Bob's Leith Hill is not as 'badly scarred' as it was when he described it. The Darwins are looking forward to Ursula and Philip coming on Monday, and Julian on Christmas Eve. 'Poor little Philip sounds wonderfully well' after his illness; expects he is still 'rather weak in the hind legs'. Robin and Nicola are also coming; there is a turkey, 'the first to have occurred for several years', and he thinks 'enough to drink'. Hopes Bob has a good, 'though probably a more tranquil Xmas'.

Gorringes, Downe, Kent. - His and his wife's thanks for Bob's 'magnificent Christmas card ["From the Shiffolds"], which gives him a 'nice Greek feeling' and makes him wish he had worked harder at 'that noble language' when he was young. The Darwins are looking forward to Julian and Ursula [their daughter] coming with Philip on Christmas Eve; thinks they intend to leave early on Boxing Day for a children's party in London. The weather is 'infernally seasonable' here, though the forecast is 'cheering'; hopes the Trevelyans are not 'frozen'.