Showing 53 results

[headed notepaper] Secretary for Scotland, Dover House, Whitehall. - Robert's letter interested him very much and pleased him and Caroline. No need to settle anything until he hears from Mr Verrall, but is anxious only 'to do what is best for [Robert's] happiness and usefulness' and is not 'wedded to any plan' which his heart is not in; thinks people who have proved their right should have a choice in their own careers, and Robert has stated his case very well. Charles has been elected unanimously to Brooks's, which is 'the most formidable ordeal of the sort in London'; the Unionists were 'very kind and friendly about it'. A postscript notes that Sir George has sent the forty pounds and eleven shillings to Mortlocks [bank].

Letter declining invitation to the 1905 Apostles' dinner.

Woodthorpe, The Thrupp, Nr. Stroud, Glos. - Good of Trevelyan to send his poems ["Aftermath"]; knew some already, but it is good to have them together with 'such a splendid increment'. Finds that the keynote is 'sincerity'. Is 'usually behind the times' and has only just got hold of Trevelyan's brother [George]'s essays ["Clio, A Muse"/ "The Recreations of a Historian"] on loan from a friend; knows of no other similar collection offering such 'sustained interest'. The sentence in tribute to [Arthur Woolgar] Verrall made him 'weep'.

Hotel du Kélenn, Carantec (Finistère). - Thanks Bob for his letter. Necessary to print [Bob's translation of Aeschylus' "Oresteia"] at once: the proofs must be ready for rehearsals next term, and he also wishes to send advance copies to schoolmasters before Christmas to try and get them to read this 'shortened "Oresteia"' with Bob's version to sixth-formers. Thinks the best plan is for Bob to send his "Choephoroe" to Bowes, keeping lines which had previously been cut if necessary. Recommends that Bob be as 'frank & simple as possible' in his translation of λιψουρία [desire to make water]; thinks they 'ought to make the nurse quite broad', and she will have a 'little folk tune in the orchestra' [music composed by Armstrong Gibbs]. Encourages Bob to get on with the "Eumenides"; will not object to use of Verrall if Bob does not; Verrall's version will 'not clash badly' with Bob's, and 'it's rather nice' to include his work. [D. W.?] Lucas is helping him with the Greek proofs; Sheppard thinks that Aeschylus would understand the point of the 'apostolic combination'. So they should certainly use Verrall if that would 'relieve the strain'. Is sorry to be so pressing. Is coming back at the end of September: they must meet 'immediately' if possible; suggests the weekend of 10 October. Wants Gibbs to be there as well. Tells Bob in a postscript to write to him at King's after 18 September, as he is 'going to wander in Brittany' for a while'.

Wallington, Cambo, Morpeth. - Agrees it is better from Julian to stay at Wallington; hopes Elizabeth will stay as long as she can then leave him with them; will be sorry if Bob has to return before Elizabeth; also the Frank Hollands are coming for three night on 27 August and would be sorry not to see him. Elizabeth will see [from an enclosed letter?] that Mrs Cookson and the child cannot come. Has had no more news of Janet; hopes she is recovering steadily. Hopes the weather is 'fine & cool' as it is in the mountains. Mary is 'well & active, but is still rather too stout', and her family all well. Sir George is happy to have no visitors until Elizabeth comes; she gave him an 'enormous puzzle' with eight hundred pieces which she hopes will last some time. The garden is beautiful; Keith won all the prizes he entered. Sir George was very interested in Robert's last letter. Asks if 'Verrall's memoir' can be got at a library, or if it is privately printed; she has not seen it. Thinks Sir George likes it. Postscript on a separate sheet saying that Sir George would like Elizabeth to help him re-arrange the china in the Hall, and that she has got an outdoor swing [?] that Julian will like.

Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - Asks whether she should call Elizabeth 'Bessie'. Robert seems very happy; 'delightful' to think of them together. Looks forward to seeing her early in the spring. Does not know Robert's address in Italy, so will have to send Bessie them to forward; asks if she can keep her informed of his whereabouts 'as he is always forgetful about such things'. Glad he now has someone to look after him; used to make her unhappy to think of 'the wretched sort of way in which he lived at his last lodgings'. Going to Cambridge tomorrow to see Robert's old tutor [Arthur] Verrall and George [Macauley Trevelyan]; will go to Welcombe about the 3 or 4 January, and would very much like Bessie to come and stay with them there. Will send some photographs of Sir George and herself.

Cambridge. Rumours that a bet had affected the personnel in the Jesus College boats, description of a Montenegran cap, comparative standard of Cambridge college cooking, Third Trinity bump supper, debate on Irish home rule at the Union, Mrs Verrall has just "got in touch" with the late Dr Verrall.

Welcombe, Stratford on Avon. - Glad that Paul is getting on all right; the children here are 'very good and merry' but he longs to see Paul again. Has just read Verrall's piece ["The Verse-Weighing Scene in the Frogs of Aristophanes", "The Classical Review", 22(6), 172-175 ?] and liked it more than he expected, but does not like his 'prose description of Dionysus'. Praises "The Frogs" highly. Enjoyed a weekend visit from [Francis] Hirst and Arthur Sidgwick; Arthur helped Sir George with a word in [Plato's] "Lysis".

5 Selwyn Gardens, Cambridge - Thanks him for 'Adonis, Attis, Osiris'; theorises that the the removal of the Osiris Feasts in the Roman calendar to the beginning of November is due to the Celtic feast of Souls at that time, and that the Roman Army was attempting to consolidate holidays; remarks on the origin of Anthesteris, and doesn't see reason to call it a flower festival.

Trinity, Cambridge [on college notepaper]:- Hopes his mother finds everything all right at Welcombe and is enjoying herself. Aaks how Bathgate and Fairweather are. Supposes 'they will be shooting the home woods about now'. Is very glad she is going to stay with the Verralls; he will dine there on the night she is staying with them.

Is afraid he 'made a sort of promise to go to Oxford on the 13th', since [Nugent] Hicks said he could arrange rooms in Balliol. Is going to Harrow to play football next Saturday, so could come home to see her after that; she might not be in town by then. Is 'playing Rugby football now', though not 'much more than one game a week'; is 'still able to work quite well' and thinks he is 'making progress'. Will see George on Saturday [at Harrow] and 'will report on him'. Had 'a very interesting letter from C[harles]'; he seems in 'good spirits'. Hopes his father is 'well and cheerful about politics': things seem to be 'going remarkable well' as far as Robert can tell.

Trinity, Cambridge:- As he said [46/16] he is going to Oxford next Saturday, and will return to Cambridge early on Monday; does not think he will be able to stop in London, but will see her when she comes on the 21st [to stay with the Verralls]. Saw George last Saturday [at Harrow] and thought him 'flourishing'. Supposes she will be going to Harrow soon. Hears there has been 'a great attack on Welldon in the National Observer', which he has not yet read; expects it is 'probably very unfair, though [Welldon] has no doubt partly laid himself open to such attacks'. Bowen seems well.

Hopes that things are going their [ie the Liberal Party's] way everywhere: expects the Tories will 'talk a great deal about the Evicted Tenants' Commission, but that it will not much matter'. Has not heard from Charlie since he started North; hopes he has had a 'pleasant and instructive journey'. The elections in America seem to be going well, though Robert does 'not understand much about things American'. Asks if his father is well. Is glad that all are well at Welcombe; it is 'quite right that Snitterfield should become an asylum for the oppressed'. Has just been to a chamber concert with Crompton Ll[ewelyn] Davies. Is going to a Wagner concert next week; there are 'some quite first rate concerts here this term'.

Includes testimonials and printed material. Some letters have explicatory notes by Florence Image. Almost 40 letters from Henry Jackson. Several letters from or relating to: H. M. Butler (some to Florence Image), A. V. Verrall, W. Aldis Wright, W. H. Thompson, Duncan Crookes Tovey and other members of his family, J. G. Frazer, J. N. Dalton, and J. W. L. Glaisher; for other correspondents see names below. Some letters by Image himself to various correspondents, and printed material

King's Coll[ege] Camb[ridge]. - Thanks Bob for [the "Choephoroe" proof?]; has accepted all of his suggestions except 'about Agt's [?Aegisthus's conquests?]. Thinks Verrall [see 21/14] 'fits in quite well'

5 North Parade, Southwold - thanks Murray for sending review [of "Thucydides Mythistoricus]" praising the book, writes of Jane Ellen Harrison and A. W. Verrall.

The Shiffolds, Holmbury St. Mary, Dorking. - Expects this will find his father in town. Hopes that his mother will 'find Aunt Meg better, and not be tired by the journey'. He and Bessie were in town last week; Bessie saw Janet and 'gave a very good account of her', as she seems to be recovering well. Charles and Molly came here last weekend; Charles seemed 'quite cheerful, though perhaps a little tired. He slept part of Sunday' and appeared 'quite fresh' when he returned on Wednesday.

Julian is well, and 'gets about over the floor now, not by crawling, but jerking himself forward in a sitting position'; generally he 'gives little trouble', and is 'learning to play by himself more than he used to'. '[N]othing but wind and rain' today: Bessie is mending Julian's toys 'with cement', also 'several pieces of her china, which have been broken for years'. Has recently read some of Bernard Shaw's plays again, some of which he had never read but only sen acted. Thinks he likes them much more than he used to: 'Their merits seem greater, and their faults, though real, seem to matter less'. Even his prefaces 'annoy [Robert] less': he is 'often silly and exaggerated and egotistical', but Robert 'can't help feeling that all that is more bad manners and journalistic emphasis'; it used to 'disgust [him] beyond words', but now he 'can't help liking him in spite of it all'.

Asks if he should send back Verrall's Bacchae to London, or wait till his father returns to Wallington. Was 'unconvinced' by it, but found it 'more plausible than he often is'.

8, Grosvenor Crescent, S.W. - Delightful to meet Bessy by chance in the London Library; good that she can mend Julian's toys 'αυτόχειρ' [by her own hand]'; has just been reading about 'Frau Bucholz's attempts at domestic art-workmanship' [in a book by Julius Stinde]. Agrees with Robert about 'the Bernard Shaw in old days. The artist is always good. The egotist always detestable'. Thinks he heard that Shaw 'disapproved of Well's recent goings on'; as George says, it is bringing 'old literary scandals... home.. and you see what they really are.' Very interesting about Verrall and the Professorship [the new English professorship at Cambridge].

5 Selwyn Gardens, Cambridge. - Her husband has asked her to thank Trevelyan for sending the "Bride of Dionysus", which he 'thinks will make an excellent libretto' [for music by Donald Tovey]. He cannot write, as Trevelyan probably knows, and is 'very unwell'. Sends 'remembrances' to Mrs Trevelyan.

Welcombe, Stratford on Avon. - Look forward very much to Elizabeth's arrival, and the appearance of Robert's book ["The Bride of Dionysus"]. Describes an emendation made to a typographical error in Austen ["Mansfield Park"] by Verrall ["On the Printing of Jane Austen's Novels", "Cambridge Observer", November 1892], which Miss [Lilias?] Noble also discovered.

5 Selwyn Gardens, Cambridge. - Thanks Trevelyan for "Sisyphus": thinks 'the revival of the 'Satyric' drama... seems to be a highly promising experiment; the passages where 'the verse (under stress of hyper-tragic emotion...) is forced beyond content [?]' gave him 'great joy' when he 'caught the trick of them'. Will read the play again as soon as he can; meanwhile he has passed it on to his wife and [daughter] Helen. He and his family hope that next term Trevelyan and his wife will visit them; asks him to let them know when might suit. Has sent Desmond MacCarthy a 'most important application of Aristophanic criticism of Tennyson's "Idylls"' for the "[New] Quarterly" [published in "New Quarterly" 2 (1909), pp 81-89]; aimed not against Tennyson by Aristophanes; thinks it migh interest Trevelyan when it comes out.

3, Hare Court, Inner Temple. - Came here this evening, but missed Bob; has to dine with 'Dons & people' tomorrow evening and so will not see him then at 8 Gros[venor Crescent], but will try to see him on Thursday or Friday. Will not be able to come to 'Fatty's dinner' as he has many things of 'exceptional importance to settle'. Will be at Welcombe with Sir George at the weekend to talk about his dissertation, which 'must now become a book' ["England in the Age of Wycliffe"]; Sir George is going to read it, and he would also like Bob to do so as soon as he can and give him 'general opinions & criticisms'; will not show it to 'any other young person', since he will have 'such a lot of elderly [emphasised] academic advisers as it is'. Moore 'was quite certain [to get a Fellowship]', but George is 'a surprise!'. Has been to see 'old Bowes (of McMillans, Cambridge)' who told him Jackson and Verrall had both bought 'M. & A.' [Bob's "Mallow and Asphodel"], and that he was ordering many more copies to put in the window for the beginning of term. Jos[iah] Wedgwood's wife [Ethel] is 'very much pleased' with the book; cannot tell Bob more about sales or 'private or general opinions at Cambridge', as it has not yet 'assembled'.

Welcombe, Stratford on Avon. - An 'enviable description of the Azalea Paradise of dear Theodore's' [Robin Ghyll?]. Forgets how long the flowers last; they have stayed in one place this year long enough to have 'an idea of the transitoriness of flowers'; likes the 'little veronicas' increasingly. Has been seeing much of [Cecil] Knight, the head of the grammar school [King Edward VI School, Stratford]; his 'type is a very high one indeed'; he was at Pembroke College and greatly admired some 'Harrow men' who would have been Robert's contemporaries, Law and Prior. Has been reading much Plato after his recent 'great bout of Latin', and has had some 'wonderfully interesting letters from [Henry] Jackson', about Plato and himself, which Sir George finds just as interesting; he has sent him the 'Proelections' read in the Senate for the candidates for the [Cambridge] Greek Professorship in 1906: Jackson himself; Verrall; Adam, Headlam; Ridgeway. Caroline is well and strong, for her.

Embossed stamp of Queen's College, Cork - Discusses a passage in Greek mentioning spiked shoes; is distressed to learn that [Henry?] Jackson will not stand for the Greek chair; [J. P.] Postgate had already told him of Frazer's jest at [Ridgeway's] expense about the Greek chair; wonders why [Arthur?] Verrall doesn't go up, as good a literary man as [Richard?] Jebb, 'ten times more original, though a little wild at times'.

Fen Ditton, Cambridge - Thanks him for [the second edition of 'The Golden Bough']; is glad to hear from Mrs Frazer how he fares in foreign lands; has been put on the Caius Governing Body, and then the University Council, thinks it would be helpful as the next four years will be important for the advancement of anthropology there, 'I know that you will consider me a jackass for going into University business', [Francis?] Jenkinson and [M. R.?] James both voted against him, 'to keep me from wasting my time'; is about to publish volume one of his book, going ahead even though new discoveries are made during every spring's diggings; A. J. Evans gave a lecture on Cnossus; [John?] Capstick is flourishing and the Fellowship dividend has gone up; [Henry?] Jackson is much better; [Arthur?] Verrall still poorly; [Solomon?] Schechter is better; encloses a document sent him by C. H. Read [not present]; [Herbert Hope?] Risley is a splendid fellow; Ridgeway is pushing for a new museum of anthropology, has an old Caius friend, wealthy, childless, interested in archaeology, who will help and will work the City Companies for him.

Trinity College, Cambridge. - Hopes Bob will come to Cambridge before the end of term: 9 December is Commem[oration], and 10 December the 'last Soccer [Apostles' Society] meeting this term'. Quite likely to elect [Sydney?] Waterlow before the end of term, so Bob would be 'extra welcome'. Verrall has done what Bob 'kindly offered', and has gone carefully through the first half of George's book ["England in the Age of Wycliffe"], 'prevented a lot of bad things', and will look at the second part soon. Will be very interested to hear how Bob's play is getting on.

Hotel Bristol, Naples, Corso Vittorio Emanuele [printed notepaper with line drawing of the hotel]. - Marsh must be 'made of very distractable material' if Bob's last letter [15/269] distracted him for a whole day. Never expected that Marsh would be able to come with him to Italy, and is enjoying solitude; calls solitude and 'a plunge in cold water' as 'fundamental instinct[s]' deriving from the evolution of mankind. Is staying at this hotel for two nights before deciding where to go next; it belongs to [George Parker] Bidder, 'grandson of the calculating infant [also George Parker Bidder]'; the younger Bidder is 'known to all his generation at Cambridge, and the Verralls talk of him'. Hopes to see Bidder and get his advice [note that if Bob was actually staying at the Hotel Bristol, this was not in fact owned by Bidder, whose hotel was further along the Corso]; had intended to go to Corpo di Cava, but it would still be cold, as the hills are still covered by snow. Capri is currently the 'most inticing [sic]' possibility, 'certainly the most secluded and remote'. Is going to the Museum when he finishes this letter, which 'T.T.' [Thomas Tettrell Phelps?' calls 'the most fascinating place he has ever seen'; went with 'T.T.' on his last night in Britain 'to see A. Roberts, and found that it was bad'.

Marsh 'would like Pisa'; Bob saw a band playing in the market place there for the king's birthday, as he and Marsh once saw at Como, and caught sight of a beautiful woman with a 'face such as you seldom see in England'; he later saw her in a box at the theatre, where he saw two acts of Verdi's "Falstaff" before catching the train for Rome. Only had an hour and a half there; 'smoked a cigarette over the ruins of the forum' and thought of Teufledrock [sic: Teufelsdröckh, in Carlyle's "Sartor Resartus"]. Cannot even 'glance' at the 'wonderful things on the journey to Naples', and should keep a journal. Must get an Italian hat to wear in town, as he only has a straw one, and being the only person wearing one of these in a crowded street means he cannot escape 'intense' interest. Hope that Marsh will lose his 'nausea for Lucretius, or rather for his science' during the vacation; encourages him to go to Holland with 'S. and S.'; asks him to write. Says in a postscript that he can hear an American 'defending New York in the smoker', saying 'the negro really is a silent factor now'.

Is sending back Edward's book with his fan ["For a Fan"] written in; it was 'a great pleasure to read the poems'; the "Oasis of Sidi Khaled" [by Wilfrid Scawen Blunt] is very fine, but there were many others he had 'never seen and was glad to know'. Verrall's death is sad, but 'seems to have been a release from continuous and intolerable pain'. Will see Edward at the [Apostles] dinner.

Will send his autograph to [William Henry] Davies . Has just read the memoir of [Arthur] Verrall; thought Edward's contribution 'very good'. Supposes he himself is the 'nameless priggish youth'; does not remember the phrase about 'indolence of mind', but knows he told Verrall that he had read [Shelley's "Laon and Cythna"] about eight times'; also seems he called the poem "Laon and Cynthia", which Verrall must have told Edward.

Begins with a quotation in Ancient Greek [from Theocritus Idyll 1] to praise Eddie's [recently published] translations of Horace into English, 'outstanding' for their 'unfailing musical charm'. Has not read them all yet, but is 'amazed' how often Eddie has found 'a felicitous solutions to what seems an impossible difficulty'. Lists some of his favourites; mentions a criticism of "Quis desiderio..." [Odes 1.24]; discusses the text of "Aequam memento" [Odes 2.3] with reference to the edition which belonged to Macaulay annotated with Bentley's readings - Bob finds A.W.V. [Arthur Woollgar Verrall] 'unconvincing' here. Generally the book makes what Bob said about Horace being 'really untranslatable... look rather foolish'; he has himself found them so, whatever method he has tried, but Eddie has 'indeed made an artistic success' of his method. Does not know whether Eddie is still in Derbyshire, but is sure this will be forwarded if not.