[St Paul Seminary, St Paul, Minnesota.]—Has learnt that Smith was given a civic reception on his arrival in Venezuela. Birch [Moody] has been transferred to Africa, Wilfrid and Dennis have become firefighters, and Illingworth is training as a mental nurse for soldiers. Remi Preston reviewed 'The Pool of Vishnu' [by L. H. Myers] unfavourably in the 'Dublin Review'. Wilfrid is happy about his marriage and is thinking of buying a pony and trap to transport fertiliser to his farm near the Malvern Hills. Harding is to publish an answer to Bewley’s note on Coleridge. Three of Queenie’s relatives have died [in an air-raid]. Daniel Rowe is a physical training teacher in the army. Dennis is ‘cultivating (perhaps even romantically) the acquaintance of a young Irish painter named Maureen’. Wilfrid’s new protegé is a sculptor named Walter Ritchie, a former student of Eric Gill who is going to prison shortly for conscientious objection. Leavis and Eliot have been reconciled after the former’s defence of 'East Coker' in the 'Times Literary Supplement'. The foundations of his spirituality have been shaken rather than built up at the seminary, but he cannot conceive any alternative except the horror of being ‘turned out’ in America again. Is eager to hear of any possibility of ‘anything in the East’. Is having the 'Catholic Worker' sent to Smith, though his interest in it has declined. Finds it difficult to speak to the other seminarians, except Henri Dulac, who is exceptionally intelligent. Is encouraged by recalling how he survived a previous emotional crisis at Cambridge and by the positive change in Illingworth’s fortunes.
[St Paul Seminary, St Paul, Minnesota.]—Responds to Smith’s comments on D. H. Lawrence. Has heard from Wilfrid, Dennis, Morley, and Preston about the latest number of 'Scrutiny', which seems to be characterised by bickering. Preston wishes Smith were at Cambridge ‘to keep Leavis’s – and "Scrutiny"’s – aberrations under control’. Leavis’s undergraduates, including [Eric] Baker and [Godfrey] Lienhardt, are turning away from him. The cause seems to be Leavis’s sudden turn against Eliot, whose critical writing he declared, during an address by Willey to the Doughty Society, to be ‘largely specious’. Traversi is back from Italy and Harding’s prestige is growing. Queenie is much better, but Leavis is depressed by the change at Cambridge caused by the call-up of the nineteen-year-olds. Dennis, who has almost given up English in favour of gardening, says that Stephen Spender is now ‘our top poet’ and that ‘no one loves Auden anymore’, while everyone is disclaiming their communism and Churchill is popular with nearly every plane of opinion. Reflects on his reading of Jonson, Plautus, and Terence. Is becoming reconciled to the seminary. Compares favourably the readings appointed for Holy Saturday with modernist poems.
Boarbank Hall, Grange-over-Sands.—Apologises for not replying earlier. Urges him not to worry about the way in which he (Smith) wrote, or about his spiritual state. ‘Fribourg has greatly disappointed me. I think we can thank the British Council for jamming up the works.’ Discusses Harding’s idea of Eliot’s ‘new concepts’, and responds to Smith’s remarks on the Chester miracle plays. Will try again to ‘produce something’. They have had a flood of visitors since Easter, and he has been helping two French girls (nieces of the Mother General, who has been staying there) with their English. Reflects on the qualities of Newman’s Apologia. Urges Smith to produce ‘something really first-rate on the paths on English though[t] from its philosophers thro’ its more purely “literary” writers’.
Wadham College, Oxford.—Apologises for not writing sooner. Has been busy preparing for the prelims in March, which include a paper on Latin, two on Anglo-Saxon, and three on tragedy—Greek, Shakespearean, and neo-classical. Is unsure whether he likes Anglo-Saxon, and suspects they only learn it to ‘keep the dons at work’. His present tutors are [George] Forrest, [Alan] Ward, and [John] Bamborough; later this term they will have Humphry House for the Poetics. Five people are taking prelims in English at Wadham this year. Refers to the college’s connections with twentieth-century literature through C. Day Lewis, Rex Warner, and Humbert Wolfe, and discusses lectures he has been attending by Miss [Pamela] Gradon, Dorothy Whitelock, House, Helen Gardner, and Lord David Cecil. Describes his rooms and gives his impressions of the college. Has joined three clubs: the English Club, the Poetry Society, and University Critical Club. The English Club engages people like James Laver (on Huysmans), Angus Wilson, Richard Church, and Louis Macneice to talk or read poems. The last talk, by J. I. M. Stewart on ‘Literature and the New Psychology’, was very bad. The Poetry Society is an ‘Art-y affair, favouring the modern romantic verse’. Their first meeting, featuring readings by Clifford Dyment and his wife, was ‘frightful’. ‘We also have Patrick [sic] Dickinson, Day Lewis and a production of Macneice’s Eclogues (with music) besides other things to come.’ The Critical Society is ‘a somewhat elusive organization’ sponsored by F. W. Bateson. Has only attended one of their meetings so far, a talk by Leavis on Yeats’s Byzantium poems, which was excellent. ‘The other two talks this term are D. W. Harding on Shelley, and Wilson Knight re-interpreting the Scholar Gipsy, which should be interesting. There are also two discussion groups on William Faulkner’s “Sanctuary” and Langland.’ Refers to some recent book bargains. Is reading Coningsby, which is disappointing. Asks how Smith’s lectures on the Nineties are proceeding and whether his promised assistance has come. There is a revival of interest in Ezra Pound. Will try to describe some of the ‘fancy-waistcoated gentlemen themselves’ in his next letter. Asks whether Smith did any travelling this summer, as planned.