His friendship with Roger Fry [presumably written to aid Virginia with her 'Life' of Fry; see also 17/85 and 17/97] in the days when they lived together at 29 Beaufort St between April or May 1895 and the autumn of 1896, when Roger married and Bob moved to Haslemere. Saw little of him before then, and 'knew next to nothing of art and artists', but 'no one could have been kinder in the way he introduced [Bob] to his world', or 'more patient of [Bob's] ignorance'. He was often busy with Extension Lectures on Italian art, and as illustration had 'already collected a great number of photographs' which was much harder then; thinks he had already succeeded D. S. MacColl as the "Athenaeum" magazine's art critic ; he did not therefore have as much time as he wished for painting, but 'worked very rapidly' when he could. He was painting 'several of his best early landscapes' and a few 'perhaps not very successful portraits'. One was of Mrs Widdrington, the 'sister [sic: actually mother] of Sir Edward Grey's wife [Frances]', who was a 'great friend' of Roger's and the mother of Ida Widdrington; Roger had been 'very much in love' with Ida not long before, but 'perhaps wisely, she would not marry him. She was a very vital and amusing girl, who loved hunting, farming and acting' and she and her mother remained friends with Roger for years. After that Roger 'had fallen very much in love, and none too happily, with Kate Kinsella (now Kate Presbitero)'; Bob thinks she 'treated him rather cruelly, not wanting to give him up altogether, and luring him back to her from time to time'. 'Fortunately (or perhaps in the end unfortunately) [because of her mental health problems]' he got to know Helen Coombe while he was living with Bob, and they fell in love with each other. Roger's parents 'strongly disapproved of his becoming an artist' - he told Bob that they had offered him a hundred pounds extra a year 'if he would promise never to paint from the nude', which he 'naturally refused' - and this made him fear they would not be pleased by his choice of wife, so he told them nothing about Helen 'for a long time...' [the rest of the draft is missing].
Chantry Dene, Guildford. - Wishes he could get to the concert: he is an admirer of 'orange jelly' [Jelly Arányi], whom he heard at Haslemere a while ago, but he has promised to take over MacColl's lectures at the Slade this term and travelling to see Helen at Crowborough takes up much time. Asks Trevelyan to apologise to Miss Weisse. Goes Paris after his lecture on Friday to meet Burroughs and see things for the [Metropolitan] Museum. Helen seems to be doing well, but is anxious to return home. His show [at the Carfax Gallery] a qualified success, with rather poor notices of his new style but a good review from Claude Phillips. Hopes Bessie is better for their time in Holland [after the death of the Trevelyans' son Paul].
Pension Lucarini, 5 Via Gregoriana, Rome. - Glad Bob enjoyed Arezzo and that Piero [della Francesca] 'played up well'; he and Helen have seen very few pictures since Bob left, having been busy with their own work. This has mainly involved copying; feels he would do nothing else if he lived in Italy, as it 'makes one lose ones nerve in the matter of creation to see what has been done'. They go to the [Palazzo] Colonna, where he is copying a Poussin landscape and Helen a boy's head by Giovanni Santi which [Bernard] Berenson will probably know. D.S.M. [Dugald Sutherland Macoll] must never know Fry has copied a Poussin. His pocket book, containing ten pounds in Italian money, has been stolen.
Bob's letter suggests that he thinks Fry 'expressed strong disapproval of Berenson'; in fact he has 'always rather believed in him and what [Bob says] of him; even the 'Superior Maple' is 'right enough if you make the superiority big enough'; would 'willingly be a whole family of Sir Blundells on those terms' [a reference to Sir John Blundell Maple?]. Hopes he will meet Berenson one day. Cites Michelet and [Arthur Henry] Johnson in support of his own view of Savonarola's statesmanship. Has been reading Pater's "Miscellanies"; a pity he makes so many mistakes, and is also 'so very just', particularly disappointing in a 'Morelli-ite'; describes what is needed in criticism now and wonders if Berenson might write it.
He and Helen have been playing piquet, 'a poor substitute for chess', and 'head, body & legs' when they are 'extra happy & frivolous'. He and Helen were in the Borghese gardens this morning looking for white violets; Helen had just got under the barbed wire onto the road 'with some agile anglo saxon attitudinizing' when she was startled by the appearance of the King in a phaeton; her behaviour was 'absurdly like... [that of] the gardeners when the Red Queen came along' [in Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland"]; would have been different if she had had Bob's 'Republican soul at hand to back her up'; his own sense that 'a King is different to anyone else', though 'of course' he laughed at Helen 'for her superstition'.
Very glad Logan [Pearsall Smith]'s work is so good; supposes discontent is 'the cause of all creativity''; asks Bob to tell Logan that he wants to see him as soon as possible. Asks to be remembered kindly to [Mary] Costelloe, whom they hope to catch when they come to Florence. 'Hellen', as Bob writes it, is asleep, or would send her own good wishes to Bob.
Wolverhampton Art and Industrial Exhibition, 1902, Gresham Chambers, Lichfield Street, Wolverhampton. - Tomorrow morning he will send back "Moll Flanders" and "Celestina", and with them Gorky's "Twenty Six Men and a Girl" which he thinks might interest Trevelyan. There are around three thousand visitors a week to the Gallery, but he will be very glad to get back to London even if it is 'to starvation in garret or suicide on back door-step'; has found 'solitary indolence' very hard, and has been unable to work or think. D. S. MacColl wrote a good notice in the last issue [of the "Saturday Review"?]. Fry has kindly sent him [his book on?] Cellini; thanks Trevelyan for getting him to do so.
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.
29 Beaufort Str[eet], Chelsea. - Hears that Marsh has done well [in his civil service exams] but not 'what particular function' - colonial, military, or financial, he will choose; hopes he is 'satisfied and happy'. Sorry that Marsh could not come to Wallington, and hopes he has good hunting and fishing in Scotland. Asks what he thinks of the Czar; would like to meet 'a live deer-stalking tyrant'. Has taken Copse Cottage, near Friday's Hill [home of the Pearsall Smiths]; Bertie and Alys [Russell] left for America today, and Logan is soon leaving for Italy, so Bob will be glad of occasional company. Intends to hire a piano for Marsh and [G.E.] Moore; has four bedrooms, three sitting rooms and four sculleries. Tells Marsh to return from Scotland 'not too religious, and... without loosing [sic] your artistic instinct' as he is 'required as a patron and lover of young art to guarantee a guinea of the... fund for Roger [Fry's] exhibition at Cambridge, which will include works by Conder, Ricket[t]s, Shannon, Steer, W[alter] Sickert, Rothenstein, Maccoll, Savage, Houseman and Tonks [emphasised]. Also wants Marsh to get [Desmond] MacCarthy and [? Francis] Balfour, for whom he himself does not have addeses, to contribute; promises to do so should be sent to A[rthur] E[verett] Shipley at Christs [College Cambridge]. Has been writing letters all morning, imagining what he will look like in the new frock-coat which he is having made for the wedding of Roger [Fry] and Helen [Coombe], at which he is to be best man.
22 Willow Road, Hampstead. - Is writing to Bob's mother to say he will do the pastel, but not until the autumn; he and Helen hope to get to Oxford on Thursday to stay with Mrs [Christiana] Herringham and Mrs Flower if Helen is well; she has been 'very seedy' following a miscarriage but is 'wonderfully well in mind'. Has had 'another beastly summer' and cannot leave if she is not allowed to, as Edith [Helen's sister] will leave for her holiday soon. Is starting his article for the "Independent [Review?]" but wishes he had not promised it. Bob's story about Millais is lovely. Etching originally enclosed; 'a first attempt without any lesson so it was all guesswork', but means to return to it later, and to do the picture for Bob this year. Yes, the [book on] Titian is by 'the same [Georg] Gronau'; it is very good but dull to read, and not as good as his later book on Leonardo; is reviewing it [for the "Athenaeum", Sept 10 1904].
Has been to stay with [Neville] Lytton. States ironically that the [Royal] Academy has discovered that the Inquiry [by a Select Committee of the House of Lords into the Academy's administration of the Chantrey Trust] is really intended 'to advertise Lytton's drawings'. His own evidence was not printed in the papers, and lasted only half an hour; Lord Carlisle tried to catch him out 'by quoting the Athenaeum' but did not succeed. The Royal Academicians 'are physically mentally & morally on the level of small tradesmen'. [Dugald] MacColl was 'wonderful': gave evidence 'for 4 hrs without a slip' and would have 'made his fortune at the bar'.
Hotel de la Plage, S. Pierre en Port, Sassetot le Mauconduit, Seine Inférieure. - Is still here 'imbibing good food, bad tobacco & French idioms', owes the last to the enthusiasm of Miss [Jane] Harrison, whom he should call 'Dr' since she has been made 'L..L.D.' [by Aberdeen University]. Has left La Roche Guyon, and joined [Dugald] MacColl, his sister [Elizabeth?] and Dr Harrison. Wishes Bob had been with him at La Roche; was alone for three weeks and reached 'a low kind' of Nirvana based on sun, wine, black coffee & two bathes in the Seine per day, as well as getting a lot of work done. Made friends with a peasant living in a chalk cave, 'a freemason atheist radical & general mauvais sujet'. Has now 'descended to civilization & villadom', though Miss Harrison mitigates these; she has 'a very masculine mind and is quite apostolic'. Finds that MacColl, however, is 'touched with Oxford & journalism'. Expects to return about the same time as Bob. Adds a postscript to say he is sorry Bob has been 'bad again', and hopes to be 'able to take care of [him] in time'.
29 Beaufort Street, Chelsea SW. - Jokes that his treatment of Bob has been 'shameful', especially after the 'splendid sonnet' which he compares to 'a piece of very neat cabinet work, not the highest praise perhaps but just what [he] wanted for an occasional thing like this'. Has been ill since he left Bob at Bristol but is now recovering. Has begun his Brighton lectures [for the Cambridge Extension Movement], with a 'large & enthusiastic audience of elderly ladies who palpitate with emotion'; sometimes stays with his sister [Isabel?] and feels it shows 'great nerve to stay at a girls school [Miss Lawrence's School, later Roedean] & have meals in the common room'. Wishes he were with Bob in the sun though agrees Taormina is not the 'best possible' place in Sicily to stay; warns him not to copy his relative [Florence Trevelyan, who married a Taorminan doctor] and marry the innkeeper's daughter. Remembers coming round a hill onto a terrace by the sea and seeing 'the monster' Etna for the first time. Syracuse is nice but he supposes not convenient to stay at. [Dugald] MacColl has just come for dinner.
Returns to the letter after two days. Went to the Fletchers' last night and heard some good music; [Hercules] Brabazon was there, and 'rather pathetic': has been too much for him to 'become at the age of 70 a great artist & consequently an authority on art has been too much for him'. Some good pictures at the Old Masters [exhibition at the Royal Academy], especially a Tintoretto. Has begun the "Odyssey" with the help of Bob's translation. Has 'some manuscript poems of Gerald Hopkins' [sic: Gerard Manley Hopkins] which would make Bob 'tear his hair'; quotes three lines [the opening of "The Windhover"], but won't disturb Bob's 'Sicilian vespers with the clash of footed metres'.