I Tatti, Settignano, Florence. - Starting South this afternoon after ten days with the Berensons; B.B. is anxious and not sleeping well, but seems more cheerful since their arrival; his wife also seems to be in poor health and when she returns B.B. hopes to go to Sicily for a holiday. Asks whether Fry will be in Italy in March, the probable time of their own return, and whether Daniel will accompany him. Glad Fry's watercolours were successful and that he likes the [Band of Hope] banner. He must not forget his picture of H[elen] and J[ulian], and Helen her 'Bronzino infant'. Has seen Moore's young brother [Bertie] who paints in Italy; hopes Fry might be able to give him advice. Has heard about 'Lina's artist' [Aubrey Waterfield] from her, the K[err] Lawsons, and Moore who knew him at the Slade: tends to think that Lina is right about Waterfield, 'the Oxford manner' makes him a little difficult at first but he is fundamentally decent, and that [Lina's aunt] Mrs Ross has treated her very badly; Berenson is also 'perfectly silly' about it. However, Lina is being sensible and they will marry in a year or so. According to Moore, Tonks thought highly of Waterfield's drawings. B.B. 'nicer than ever' himself but much more intolerant of others (not Fry). Is sorry about the book [problems with the reproduction of Fry's illustrations for Trevelyan's "Polyphemus and Other Poems"] but it was not Fry's fault and his illustrations are much appreciated by all there. Bessie sends regards to all.
14 Royal Crescent, Scarborough. - Has just received a book ["Sisyphus"] by Trevy from the publishers [Longmans]; it is 'most elegant', and he sees it contains 'rich full sounding Grecian names'. They [he and his wife] will read it together before Christmas; if Daniel 'dare[s]' form a conclusion on it he will write; thanks for the gift. Would also much like a letter saying how the Trevelyans all are. The Moore household are all well, except for the 'all important cook' who is suffering from a very high temperature; they hope she will soon recover. His wife sends best love to Trevy's, and will write to her soon.
2 Hampstead Hill Gardens, N.W.3. - Gus [her husband] 'finds 'writing rather an effort', so sends thanks from both of them for Bob's 'delightful' Christmas present [this year's "From the Shiffolds"] which has led her to find out her 'long-neglected Homer' to read the Hymn again. Gus reads poetry out loud most evenings, so it is good to have this new book. Sorry that Bob's friend Robert Lynd has died, and there will be 'less occasion' for him to come to Hampstead, but hopes he will still visit them: they 'have a cook!'. Nick [their son] and his wife have separated; thinks the long parting [during the war] 'chiefly to blame' and wishes they had been 'more patient in trying to adjust themselves again; they are both 'such nice people', and 'poor little Sarah' [their daughter] is 'very fond of Nick' though she has not seen much of him; has been a 'great worry. Sends love to Bessie.
Hampstead. - Apologises for their 'silence': Gus [her husband] is in a nursing home; has had two operations and seems to be doing He read the poem ["The Dream"?] which Bob 'so kindly' sent to her, and she is sure he will soon dictate a letter to them. They were both very glad that Bob remembered them with the poem. Gus hopes to be 'set free' in about three weeks.
2 Hampstead Hill Gardens, Rosslyn Hill, N.W.3. - He and his wife thank the Trevelyans for the Christmas greetings, and "From the Shiffolds". They hope to see Trevelyan here again next time he visits his 'friend nearby' [Robert Lynd and wife Sylvia]; Margery sends best wishes to Bessie.
2 Hampstead Hill Gardens, Rosslyn Hill, N.W.3. - Very glad to have Trevelyan's Christmas greetings "From the Shiffolds"; his 'research among the Grecian Sages is wonderful'. Wishes he could 'rival' Trevelyan, but his 'zeal is now many expended on French literature'. Has just visited Julian's exhibition at Lefevre's gallery, and intends to go again. Hopes to see Trevelyan again if he comes to London; sends best wishes to him and his wife for 1947.
Naples. - They go to Rome in two days, and can be reached there by Post[e] Rest[ante]. Bob must be generous to this letter as it was written 'after a day of rain & scirocco and sight seeing'. The news about 'Mrs Bertie' [Alys Russell?] has made them 'pretty indignant, and supports Helen's opinion of the character of 'P. Smith' [housekeeper at Beaufort Street?]. Bob, with his 'horror of moving & doing household things' will suffer; perhaps he should stay at Welcombe. Jokingly suggests then 'retract[s]' the idea that Bob should 'spend three years choosing or educating a wife'. Thanks Bob for all he 'did about the picture'; he and Mrs W[iddrington?] have been marvellous about it. A confusion over Taormina involving [Alfred?] Thornton and [Francis?] Bate. Never got chance to continue with the Galatea picture, but hopes he might yet finish it; has done 'lots of studies of seaweed etc', and Goldie [Dickinson] has seen the painting and likes it.
He and Helen had 'rather a serious time' when his parents came; they arrived a day early with 'all the other people whom we'd offended, including Ezekiel'. The talk was 'geological' rather than 'the wild orgies of the [Terence?] Bourke regime & the fierce gladiatorial shows... of [Bob's] reign'; assures Bob that their arguments do not matter; means to find out 'what it is that annoys some people so much in my way of arguing). His father was 'very nice' and got on well with Helen; his parents took her off on a driving tour of Etna while he himself stayed to work. Tells of visiting 'Mrs C' [Florence Cacciola Trevelyan] with his parents, and being menaced by her dogs. They went several times to see the Gramonts [Grandmonts] and had some 'splendid music', with ' more kindly scandal from Mrs G.'; they are nice people. Not enough time to tell of their 'quaint adventures at Pestum and Agropoli', and Pompeii, 'the apotheosis of shoddy' and so quite loveable, as 'immoral as the Brighton pavillion [sic] and as charming as a Japanese toy'. They stopped there a week at a 'filthy inn' where Goldie, [Nathaniel] Wedd and [Augustus Moore] Daniel came to stay: Daniel great fun, Wedd 'cussing & swearing because its not England'; got on 'splendidly with them'.
He and Helen are now staying in Santa Lucia; he goes out in the morning to buy bread and ricotta at street stalls, and milk straight from the 'street cows'; they have been up Vesuvius. Reassures Bob about his poetry: he and many others have 'betted heavily' on him so he must 'make a success of it'; is sure he himself will, having been just where Bob is; 'one comes though by mere pigheadedness'.
W[est] H[ackhurst]. - His cough is much better, and he has been to London a couple of times. Did 'not hint to the Master and Masteress [of Trinity, George and Janet Trevelyan, see TRER/ADD/38]' that they should invite Bessie, but 'merely mentioned your name in passing as that of an esteemed acquaintance'; did not mention Miss Simpkins 'at all. So there!'. Hopes she will enjoy the visit and have good weather; May Dickinson and others will be 'delighted' to see her.
Florence [Barger] has 'now left Manchester for Durham'; they 'long for her to come back'. The Rede Lecture [at Cambridge] is a single one; Forster has been asked to give it on Virginia Woolf, on 29 May. Augustus Daniel gave it last year on 'Some Approaches to a Judgment in Painting'.
Saxifield, Filey Road, Scarborough. - Saw Johnson on Tuesday: he wants to press on with the book [Trevelyan's "Polyphemus and Other Poems", with illustrations by Roger Fry] and needs a title to go in his catalogue. Johnson says the expense will be around £50 with a fee of £5 to Fry for the twelve drawings: Fry thinks this is not quite possible but he and Trevelyan can discuss when they meet. Wet and cold in Scarborough, but Daniel has taken him for a ride which he enjoyed after some nerves due to his last experience [a fall when riding with Goldie Dickinson, see 4/36]
Ivy Holt, Dorking. - Was good to get the Trevelyans' letter and hear good news of everyone at Ravello. Has done the composition but not yet the drawing [for another frieze at the Trevelyans' house or the illustrations for Trevelyan's "Polyphemus and Other Poems?"]. Has lots of writing to do: another "Monthly Review" article is just coming out. Is becoming 'quite Berensonian': his lectures have been plagiarised by Julia Cartwright Ady in her book ["The Painters of Florence from the thirteenth to the sixteenth century"] but it is useless to make a fuss. Is glad Lina D. G. [Duff Gordon, later Waterfield] has been praised so highly [for "The Story of Assisi"?]; his review will soon be published. He and Daniel have written about [Herbert] Cook's book on Giorgone; Maccoll has blessed the book. Has had a disagreement with Tom Moore over Fry's qualified praise of [Charles] Shannon. The baby [Julian Fry] is in no hurry to appear; Helen is well but bored with a quiet life.
Bessie shall have ‘the first two penny half penny letter’ he which writes; wonders why two and a half pence was ‘once a term of abuse’, they ‘must now speak of the sum with awe’. Gets home tomorrow or Friday, and hopes they can meet soon. Has just been for a weekend near Birmingham, and lunched with George [Derwent?] Thomson.
Agrees that, like Bessie, he is ‘courageous by fits and starts’. Reminds himself periodically of ‘two helpful truths’: ‘that everything is very interesting, and that one can usually be of a little use to someone’, but does not think that either is ‘a truth of the highest water. You can’t promote civilisation either by staring about you at the mess or by lending an occasional neighbourly hand to others who are involved in it’. Also, ‘endurance is not an adequate substitute for hope’.
Reads a good deal, which his illness had previously put him off doing. The Ministry of Information want him to write a pamphlet, and the B.B.C. want him to ‘talk about books to India’. Is ‘gladder to have written that Daily Telegraph letter [on ‘Nazism and Morals: Dangers of “Gestapo” Methods’, published on 16 Apr 1940]’, and very glad that Bessie liked it. Augustus Daniel ‘chaffed me gaily about it on the steps of the National Gallery yesterday’, thinks he was ‘actually a bit shocked’. Forster was on his way to hear three Mozart violin sonatas, ‘one very boring, another (in E flat) with a marvellous slow movement’.
Thinks that Eddie is on the committee of the [Contemporary Art Society]; [Augustus] Daniel tells him there is a meeting on 14 December. The question of giving some money towards the purchase of Betty Muntz's group of a woman and child is likely to be raise: [Jim] Ede has seen it, and possibly also Ivor [Spencer-] Churchill; if Eddie wants to see it too before the meeting, Miss Muntz will be away between 7-11 December so there is not much time; gives her address and phone number. Expects her friends will be able to raise a sum to help get it cast and bought, but a 'contribution from the Society would make all the difference'. Though does not think his own opinion is of much value, he thinks it 'far the best thing she has done''; [Frank?] Dobson also seems to think highly of it.
List of names ('T[homas] S[turge] M[oore], C[harles] T[revelyan?], Joan [Allen]') marked with circles and crosses, on inside cover [perhaps a distribution list?]. Draft verse, 'Tender is the night and clear...'. Notes for a talk on Leopardi, including translations. Second list of names ("Rose Macaulat, Mortimer, Moormans…) [distribution list?]. Biographical sketch on Donald Tovey, covering topics such as his habits, methods of composing for "The Bride of Dionysus", other operatic projects of Tovey, his thoughts on literature and sense of humour. Last section. of Trevelyan's essay on "Courage". List of names ('Voltaire? Goethe? Gladstone? Dizzy?'); perhaps a list of possibilities to be included in a piece, especially as it is followed by a conversation between Horace and Thersites. Dialogue between 'Hic' and 'Ille' [unfinished]. List of topics under the heading 'What I believe'. "On Kindness". "On Translating Montaigne". "Disinterestedness". Piece on Chinese poetry. Extract from "Simple Pleasures".
Book also used from other end in: rough notes and calculations on inside cover and first page, including a reference to Virginia Woolf's posthumous collection "Death of a Moth"; translation of Horace's "Ars Poetica" from line 445; nature notes; notes on Roger Fry, including comments on Augustus Daniel, Charles Ricketts etc; essay on a conversation with [Bernard] Berenson ["A Lost Talk"]; notes on Clifford Allen; "Lost Things"; "On Books" and other pieces.
Will be happy to meet Trevelyan's friend Sir Augustus Daniel, and will make sure he is at home whenever he chooses to come. If Trevelyan knows which hotel Daniel is staying at in Siena, will write to him there in case it suits him to stay on his way from Siena to Perugia. The Clarks are spending Easter with Morra, though Kenneth has caught flu in Naples. Will not see Desmond [MacCarthy], which he regrets. Hopes Trevelyan will come down with the [Clifford] Allens in summer or in autumn: better to visit the Isola Maggiore in that season as the landlords are there. Describes the island's vegetation. His [article on George] Moore 'falls flat' because the journal Pègaso is 'breaking down'. Trevelyan should not bother about the Salvatorelli. Is very distressed about the news from Germany. Alberti and Moravia are here and send love; Alberti is 'free of his job'.
Six letters between Leggatt Brothers of London and John Burnaby from 1922, two letters from C. Gerald Agnew to A. S. F. Gow dated 1926, a report to Council from Gow dated May 25, 1929 enclosing letters from Morland Agnew, C. Gerald Agnew, A. Dyer of William Dyer & Sons, and R. Langton Douglas, with two further letters from Morland Agnew and A. Daniel dated July 1929. Accompanied by a sheet of information about the portrait.
Trinity College Memorials CommitteePostmarked Cortona, Arezzo. - He and the Clarks are together, wishing that Trevelyan were with them. Met [Augustus Moore] Daniel in Perugia on Good Friday; he will come on Tuesday next, then the Clarks will take him to Siena. Sends love to Trevelyan, his wife, and Julian. Jane [Clark] adds 'So do we', followed by a 'K' [for Kenneth Clark].
Penmenner House, The Lizard, Cornwall. - Likes the sketch of Bessie's wedding costume; quite Watteau-esque as she says. He is 'no judge of silks' but the piece she sends looks good; encloses samples of cloth for his trousers and for a tweed suit and asks her opinion. Will probably stay in Cornwall till next Wednesday; [George] Moore and MacCarthy are the only others there at the moment; [G.H.?] Hardy left yesterday, and he hopes both 'Llewelyn Davieses' [Crompton and Theodore?] are coming tomorrow. Describes the place; Moore 'played a lot and sang yesterday after tea', then they played cards and talked. Is reading James's "Daisy Miller", which is 'charming'. Discussion of the music box; has written to his mother to suggest having the partitions taken out; it is from both George and Charles. Expects it would be best to invite the consul [Henry Turing, at Rotterdam, to the wedding celebration]; he may not come. Did not mean that Sir Henry [Howard] would arrange all the legal marriage business, but he offered to arrange the ceremony and invitation of the consul; expects he could do this most easily but it would not matter if they or her uncle should arrange it. Will write to Sir Henry or Turing when he hears from her uncle, though is not sure what to say. Would prefer to invite Sir Henry to the wedding, especially as Bob's father and mother are coming, feels he should ask his parents what they think. Sir Henry is a relation, and has 'shown great good-will and readiness'.
Does not see why Bessie should cut herself off completely from her Dutch musical friends; she will 'often be in Holland', and will 'surely stay at Mein's [sic: Mien Rontgen's] in Amsterdam'; in England, she will of course have 'complete freedom to make her own friends' and must keep up and develop her own talents as much as she can; he will enjoy hearing her play, but also going to hear others and getting to know her friends, but that does not mean she should not have independence of interests and friendships. Thinks that women 'have not enough respect for their own intellectual lives' and give it up too easily on marriage, through their husband's fault or their own; she should 'quite seriously consider going to settle in Berlin for 5 or 6 months' for her music. Mrs [Helen] Fry's marriage has made her more of a painter. Her pleurisy is better now; thinks Bessie exaggerates the importance of her cigarette smoking, and that any ill effects it does have are balanced by the help it gives her to create art. Has never 'been in danger of being in love' with Helen Fry, but always found her 'more interesting and amusing than any woman [he] ever met... with a completely original personality', and would not think of criticising such a person's habits but would assume they are 'best suited to their temperament'; in the same way, Moore probably 'drinks more whisky than is good for his health, and smokes too much too', but he would not criticise him. Bessie is also 'an original person' with a 'personal genius of [her] own', but in addition he loves her; has never felt the same about any other woman.
Continues the letter next day. Has finished "Daisy Miller"; and is doing some German, getting on better than he thought he would. Part of the reason for saying he would 'never learn German' was an 'exaggerated idea of the difficulty', but more because he thought, and still thinks, it will be less of a 'literary education' than other languages; is chiefly learning it for Goethe, though being able to read German scholarship will be useful. Has read Coleridge's translation of "Wallenstein", which Schiller himself claimed was as good as the original; thinks English and [Ancient] Greek lyric poetry is better than the German he has read. Very sorry about Lula [Julius Röntgen]; asks if it [his illness] will do more than postpone him going to Berlin. Has heard from Daniel that Sanger is 'getting on quite well'; hopes he will return from Greece 'quite himself again'. Will be nice for Bessie to see the Joneses [Herbert and Alice] again; he has 'become a little parsonic perhaps' but very nice; has seen little of him for the last few years. Bessie should certainly get [Stevenson's] "Suicide Club" for Jan [Hubrecht]; will pay half towards it. Will certainly come before Tuttie [Maria Hubrecht] returns. Has grown 'such a beard, finer than Moore's and McCarthy's, though they have grown their's for weeks'. Describes their daily routine. Is encouraged that Moore likes several recent poems he himself was doubtful about; is copying out the play and will show him today or tomorrow. The Davieses are coming this afternoon. Signs off with a doggerel verse.
The Mill House, Westcot, Dorking. - Discusses post times. The weather has been 'absolutely beastly' and he has a cold, which gave him a nose-bleed this morning. Took a day off yesterday and lunched with the Frys; [Roger] Fry is very busy, having had to give an extra lecture last week, so Bob conveys his advice on house decoration. Need good painters, as [George?] Moore had trouble when he was having his Cambridge rooms done, due to the 'stupidity of the workmen'. Gives his aunt Meg Price's address. Thinks he is becoming 'more romantic' about her; wishes he had been with her to 'caress... and explain away [his] last cruel letter' in which he thoughtlessly exaggerated his 'regret at [his] fading days of singleness' [9/119]. She will certainly not come between him and his friends, as she has 'quite enough of their own intellectual qualities to be their friend in the same way' he is. Has usually gone abroad alone and not allowed his 'sensations to be interfered with by those of others'; will probably enjoy going to Greece more with her than with 'people like Daniel and Mayor'. Attempts to explain his feelings in detail. Will be able to talk freely to his friends after his marriage, though 'it is true that men do talk more obscenely, and more blasphemously, than they ever quite dare to talk before women' and he thinks that this difference is right. Should not have written 'so carelessly' and caused her pain. Has written to her uncle saying he and she should fix the date. Crompton [Llewelyn] Davies came for tea last Sunday; he is probably going to the Lizard at Easter; he said his brother [Arthur?] and his wife went to Land's End for his honeymoon which was 'very satisfactory', but that Savernake near Salisbury plain was the 'best place conceivable', with 'every kind of scenery' only an hour from London. He says it has a good inn; Bob may look on his way to Cornwall. Seatoller [in Borrowdale] is very nice too, but much further away. Has not yet heard from Daniel how Sanger is; will tell Bessie [about Sanger's unhappy love affair] when he sees her; she guessed correctly that the woman was Dora. He and Fry still think it would have been best for them to marry, but that now seems unlikely; her treatment of him is 'not through heartlessness exactly... but owing to circumstances, and also to her rather unusual temperament'. Has done some work, and has been re-reading Flaubert's letters; feels more in sympathy with him than any other modern writer. His mother says Charles and George are thinking of giving Bessie a 'very pretty sort of box to keep music in'; wishes they would give them the flying trunk or carpet Bessie mentioned. They will have to content themselves with meeting in dreams, though it seems [Empedocle] Gaglio has a dream-carpet which will take him into Bessie's brain; still, he does not have a lock of her hair so Bob has a start.
The Mill House, Westcot, Dorking. - Hopes to decide today whether the second post reaches its destination at the same time as the first. Had a busy time in London, spending much time with Sanger before he left for Greece, as well as dining out, going to Fry's lecture, and to see "Richard II" with [Thomas Sturge?] Moore and Binyon. Returned on Wednesday and has done some work; saw Fry and they discussed Sanger's illness; he is 'desparately in love with someone who is behaving very cruelly to him [Dora Pease]' and he does not know what she feels for him. Will tell Bessie more when he sees her. Certainly good for him to go to Greece with Dickinson, Daniel, Wedd and Mayor. Saw them off at the station and 'felt desperately incline to go off with them'; they were so cheerful, even Sanger, and he has always dreamed of going to Greece, which they know so well; regrets that after his marriage he will not be able to go with them 'with who one can talk as freely as one chooses, as blasphemously, as obscenely, as wittily, as learnedly, as jovially as any of the old Greeks themselves did'. Feels he should have 'made hay more assiduously' during his bachelor days, instead of living 'mewed up' alone in the countryside. Knows Bessie will compensate him for all he is to lose; she must come to Greece before long or she will find him 'running off' without her. Praises "Richard II"; it was well acted, though he thought the Richard [Frank Benson?] "vulgar". Has written to his Aunt Meg [Price]; she seems happy to get them a 'cottage piano' which will later be exchanged; asks if Bessie wants the final choice of the instrument or whether she trusts his aunt's 'professional friend' to do this. Sophie is 'Miss Wickstead [sic: see 9/117]], not some young lady friend' he has not told her about.
2 Hampstead Hill Gardens, Rosslyn Hill, N.W.3. - Very good of Trevy to send "From the Shiffolds" as Christmas greetings: he and his wife send best wishes in return. Asks how the Trevelyans are; has not seen any works by Julian recently, though he 'much frequent[s] Picture Galleries'. Nick [their son], his wife, and small daughter are staying here while the house they have bought in Chelsea is repaired; Nick is staying in the Army, and is now an acting Major. He himself is 'always reading poetry in scraps, in the bus, in bed...'; he has recently regained some of his 'old passion for Fitzgerald', and always has Rilke and Horace by him, whom Trevy will call an 'odd couple'; has recently 'turned to Pope - stranger still' but now will 'turn to' Trevy.
The Shiffolds, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking. - The Interludes [in Prose and Verse, by G O Trevelyan] arrived this morning, and they look forward to reading it; Bessie will write soon to his father to thank him for it. Robert has 'just read most of Horace [at the University of Athens], which seems just as good as it ever was', and he expects the whole work will be improved by 'the slight alterations and 'the unimaginable touch of Time" [a quote from Wordworth's Mutability]'.
They have had a 'pleasant visit at the [Augustus Moore?] Daniels, and found all well at home'. George Moore has been for a short visit; now [Donald] Tovey is here for a week and there is 'an immense deal of music'. Bessie likes Tovey's playing as much if not more as anyone's, and he is 'very interesting when he talks about music, in a way few musicians are'; he plays 'a great deal of Bach' on the Trevelyan's clavichord, and their piano 'has a beautiful tone'.
Aunt Meg [Price] will visit in October and they hope also [her son] Phil. The Grandmonts are coming for a few nights next Monday. Does not know whether they will like returning to Taormina 'while the earthquakes still continue'; supposes 'Taormina is untouched, as it usually escapes', but Messina suffered greatly. Hopes there will not be a bad earthquake near Vesuvius, which 'is in great activity just now'; everyone near Naples seems 'very much frightened'. Will not be sorry if 'Cook's railway gets demolished', as long as nothing worse happens.
Hopes his parents are well, as well as the 'Cambo household [Charles and Molly]'; G[eorge], J[anet] and M[ary] C[aroline] seemed well when they dined with them in London; Crompton [Llewelyn Davies] was there 'and seemed fairly cheerful, though looking rather tired and worn perhaps [after the death of his brother Theodore in July].