Showing 13 results

Catfield, Piccotts End, Hemel Hempstead, Herts. - Addresses Trevelyan as Bob since 'tough life has not brought [them] often together' they are 'very old friends in spirit'; remembers well calling on him 'early in the century' while doing a walking tour in Surrey, and Bob 'escorting' him for some miles on his way to [Arthur] Clutton Brock at Farncombe; hopes the first name is therefore not 'too familiar', and invites Bob to call him Lawrence. The Hammonds are 'delighted' with their Christmas present [this year's "From the Shiffolds"]; it is a 'great pleasure to read beautiful poetry these days'; the poem to [Goldsworthy] Lowes Dickinson is 'very moving' and fills him with nostalgia. They send best New Year wishes to both Trevelyans.

Robin Ghyll, Langdale, Ambleside. - Originally enclosing a 'quite informal introduction' which he thinks best, since he knows [Arthur?] Sidgwick so well, 'I should certainly apply to him'. Will send for Clutton Brock's "[William] Morris". 'Public affairs at home and abroad are dreadful but most interesting. 'Norman Angellism' has a 'long battle to fight yet'; George hopes that civilisation will not have been destroyed before it wins.

Farncombe Lodge, Farncombe, Godalming. - Thanks Trevelyan for his note; glad he does not think Clutton-Brock's review [of "The New Parsifal": "An Operatic Fable," The "Times Literary Supplement", 12 Mar. 1914, p. 127] was 'very inadequate': has been 'entreated to write rather lightly' as well as 'copiously' to 'keep the Lit. Sup alive', and fears he did not think he made it plain how much he enjoyed the book, though thinks Trevelyan could have done even better with a 'more crude & simple subject', and that the Aristophanic play got 'too obscure in places'.

Farncombe Lodge, Farncombe, Godalming. - Thanks Trevelyan for "[The New] Parsifal": is reading it with 'much pleasure' and will review it in the "Supplement" ["An Operatic Fable," The "Times Literary Supplement", 12 Mar. 1914, p. 127].

The Shiffolds. - The weather is bad again. Bessie and Julian are well. Miss Busch is on a visit here for about a fortnight. Last week Mrs Mann and Mr [John?] Foulds were here 'planning the production of... The Pearl Tree'; thinks it 'may come to something someday, though hardly this year'. [Goldsworthy Lowes] Dickinson also came for three or four days. Robert's play [The Pterodamozels] was 'well-reviewed by Clutton Brock' in the Times, also in the Nation, and 'seems to be selling a bit'.

Miss Colley [the new governess] 'continues quite satisfactory'; still, thinks it will be a 'good thing' when Julian goes to school. They go north around the 13th Sept. They are currently reading Conrad's Victory aloud; 'a good story, but hardly one of his best'. Will write to his father at the end of the week.

Trevelyan is very kind to give them such a fine [engagement?] present. Molly is well, but weak and has to take great care of herself. Has reminded Brock about Mrs Waterfield, who will be sent books to review. The poet [Aleister?] Crowley has returned from Baalbek, his hair changed from black to orange due to 'an unfortunate accident in some dyeing process'; he now resembles Blake's picture of 'Lord Mansfield guiding Behemoth' [actually "The Spiritual Form of Pitt Guiding Behemoth"]. Molly is coming to London for a few days on Saturday; hopes Trevelyan will be able to meet her. Asks if he could make her 'Wilfrid Blunt Society' dinner at Cheyne Walk next week; he would have to become a member and make a speech before dinner. Sends thanks to Bessy as well for the table, and asks if the Trevelyans will be in London for the [Apostles'] Society dinner.

9 Cheyne Gardens, S.W. - Thanks Trevelyan: the MacCarthys would rather have £5 [as a wedding present] as they are only half furnished. George [Trevelyan?] has been to dinner. He should not renounce "The Speaker": the new editors have let it down but there will be two dramatic criticisms, one causerie and one review per month by MacCarthy, no more [Arthur Clutton-] Brock. Sketch resembling William Blake's "I want! I want!" after the signature.

Welcombe, Stratford on Avon. - Envies Robert going to dine at 19 Portman Square [home of the Yates Thompsons]; they have 'delightful letters' from her. Agrees that the estimates [of expenditure for the forthcoming Budget] are 'shocking'. Was also pleased with the review of "Parsival" [Robert's "The New Parsifal"] in the "Times". Asks if [Arthur?] Clutton-Brock 'is the same as' Charles Brock, and calls this 'an Irish form of construction' which he 'picked up as Irish Secretary'. Has been reading all of Samuel Butler's notebooks since his illness. Glad Julian only has a slight cold, and that Elizabeth and Robert are enjoying London. Is correcting the early part of his book, and has cut out 'at least ten pages of type'.

8 Grosvenor Crescent, S.W. - They are again having bad weather, but are all well, though Julian has a 'slight cold'. They are dining with the H[enry] Y[ates] Thompsons tonight, and may perhaps go on to Charles's At Home, where they will 'see plenty of politicians, and hear how things are going. The Estimates look very bad', with the 'only comfort' being that 'the stand made by the Treasury seems to have reduced them considerably'.

Was pleased by the review of his book [The New Parsifal] in the Times, by Clutton-Brock; likes to think his praise was 'justified'. As for Clutton-Brock's 'regrets' that Robert writes 'only for a small and hyper-cultured audience, no one shares them more completely' than Robert himself. However, if the opera [The Bride of Dionysus] he has written with Tovey is performed, 'as it probably soon will be in Germany', it is possible that they might collaborate again 'on a comic opera, which would have to be more on the scale of a Gilbert and Sullivan, or an Offenbach'. Robert's latest play, and Sisyphus, are 'too long and too elaborate for opera'. For the present, though, he and Tovey are both busy with other things.

It was a 'great pleasure' to him that his father liked Parsifal so much. He and Bessie are very glad to hear that his father's book [George III and Charles Fox] is finished; Robert looks forward to 'reading it as a whole'. Bessie sends love.

8 Grosvenor Crescent, S.W. - Glad to hear his father is 'getting on well' and that his mother is also well. Julian is now 'quite right again', and went to school for the first time this morning. This was 'quite a success', though 'unfortunately Miss Croft the mistress was unwell', and so although the headmistress came for a while 'there was no one to look after things most of the time, except Bessie and another parent'. Julian seems to have enjoyed it all the same, though he 'cried a little when Bessie was round at No. 14 for half an hour'. The weather is very bad, so they travelled in a taxi. Bessie is well. They 'dine at No. 14 tomorrow'.

Is glad his mother likes Parsifal [his new book, The New Parsifal; since she is 'not familiar with Wagner's opera', she might 'find some of the mythology rather obscure', but he does not think that matters. Cannot be dissatisfied with the book's reception so far; true, he has only had two reviews so far, in the Scotsman and Manchester Guardian, 'both stupid though not unfriendly', but Clutton-Brock is going to review it in the Times, and he will probably get 'a few other interesting reviews'. Has already sold 'a fair number, and a good many people seem to like it'. Is very glad his father was 'so pleased with it', will write to him soon.

George made a 'very good speech at the Tramp Dinner, after Haldane, who also spoke very well, and pleased everyone'. He has 'promised to come on a tramp some Sunday this Summer', and they will try to make him keep his promise.

La Croix. - Thanks his mother for her letter; is 'very glad to hear' that Paul is 'rather better since he came to London'; is sure it was wise to consult Dr Eustace Smith too, and is 'glad he was on the whole reassuring'. Expects Bessie and Paul are at Broadstairs by now. Will start back to England on either Monday or Tuesday, arriving in London around 5 pm the next day; expects he will go straight to the Shiffolds that night, before going to Broadstairs via London the next day. Will try to see his mother in London then, which will either be Wednesday or Thursday. Bessie 'writes quite cheerfully now': Robert thinks she 'must be less anxious'.

Is 'sorry the Cacciola will is such a trouble to everyone': would 'gladly give the whole thing up and let whoever came next settle it as best they could', if it only depended on him, but thinks this would make it necessary for George to give up Hallington, which Robert 'would be very sorry for'. Is sure his father will 'decide for the best'.

Sees that Barran is candidate 'for the Border Boroughs [Hawick Burghs]' and hopes he gets in: thinks he would 'make a fairly good conscientious sort of MP', though does not believe he is a 'really able man'. Has not yet heard 'whether Bowles is in'. There was a snow-storm here a week ago and there is still some snow on the ground; last night there was a thunderstorm, but today the weather is fine and not as cold. Was 'very pleased with the Times review [of his new book Sisyphus: An Operative Fable?]'; hears it was not by [John Cann] Bailey, as he had thought, so is not sure of the author - perhaps Bruce Richmond, as it 'did not read like Clutton-Brock'.
Is glad his father is well; fears they have been having 'even worse weather' than he has here.

Newspaper cuttings with reviews, many sent to Trevelyan by the press cuttings agencies Durrant's and Romeike & Curtice; some duplicates. From: the "Times Literary Supplement"; "Aberdeen Press and Journal" [also reviewing works by Charlotte Eliot and Douglas Ainslie]; "Scotsman" [also reviewing works by C. S. Sherrington, Charlotte Eliot; Douglas Ainslie, Edna Clarke Hall and the Earl of Sandwich]; "Glasgow Herald" [also reviewing Ainslee]; "Morning Post"; "Birmingham Post"; "Yorkshire Post" [also reviewing work by Richard Hughes]; "Observer" [three copies, one with manuscript annotation at the bottom: '...I suppose B. has seen this already? Squire, I think']; "Manchester Guardian"; "Christian Science Monitor" [by Thomas Moult]; "Nation and Athenaeum" [also reviewing works by Squire, Carl Sandburg, and Humbert Wolfe]; "Spectator" [also reviewing works by Arthur Clutton-Brock and Alan E. Mulgan]; "Time and Tide" [by Thomas Moult; repeats the review of Trevelyan's work from the "Christian Science Monitor", adding reviews of work by Amy Lowell, Evarts S. Scudder, Ian Dall, Lady Ashmore and folk songs from Italy translated by Grace Warrack]; "Poetry"; and another review by 'B. S.' with no indication as to source. Also present, a clipping from "Vogue" with a photograph of Trevelyan, and a discussion of the Censor forbidding the production of Marc Connelly's "Green Pastures" from the "New Statesman", 7 Dec 1930, by Desmond MacCarthy, which quotes appreciatively from Trevelyan's "The Deluge".