Showing 11 results

120 Maida Vale, W. - Asks whether Trevelyan thought he had 'forgotten all about the Centaurs and the Amazons', or had no mannners because he did not write with thanks for "[The Bride of] Dionysus". Was much 'preoccupied', but has now 'broken the back of [Samuel] Butler's notebooks' and is reading through the typescript of the book ["The Note-Books of Samuel Butler"]. Feels 'rather exhausted' as the editing has been so 'long and troublesome', and he does not know how much he will have to redo. Has however read Sturge Moore's two poems and returns them; they 'contain many fine things' but are not really in 'his line' and he finds them 'a little dull'. The piece Desmond [MacCarthy] showed him and sent to the "New Quarterly", about 'a man in the Bible who got into difficulties with his dramatic gods' was 'duller'. "Dionysus" is his next job, but he may be distracted by organisation for the fifth Erewhon Dinner: Edmund Gosse has fixed the date for 12 July, and cards are being printed. Hopes that Trevelyan will come. Turned sixty-one the other day and cannot do as much as he used to, so the quantity of correspondence associated with the dinner will be tiring. Looking forward to going to Sicily the day afterwards. Went to Paris at Easter; then to Scotland at Whitsun, where he went fishing for the first time and thinks he hooked a fish though 'he wriggled off before I could get him into the boat'. Thanks Trevelyan for sending the book; hopes [Donald Tovey's] music will please him, and that the opera will 'be a great success & cause a furore'. His sister has gone to Norway for a month's holiday. Asks whether Trevelyan has sent the names of people who want to 'become Erewhonians'.

12 Pembroke Gardens, Kensington. - Sorry not to have told Trevelyan before that [Desmond] MacCarthy liked his translation [of a short story by [Eduard] von Keyserling, see 6/54] and is going to put it in in the November issue [of the "New Quarterly"]; Sickert has 'rather reluctantly' agreed to write a paper to accompany it. Has been in Neuville, near Dieppe, for the last six weeks. Is very sorry to hear of the Trevelyans' bereavement [the death of their new-born daughter Susan].

12 Pembroke Gardens, Kensington, W. - It is just like Trevelyan to generously put in a word for his translation [of a short story by Eduard von Keyserling, see 6/54]. Is having the story typed and has written to the editor [of the "New Quarterly", Desmond MacCarthy] asking whether he should send it. There is a fair amount of 'good, thoughtful work by these clever modern Germans' which ought to be translated and published in the better sort of reviews. Mentions the heat. Hopes little Paul [Trevelyan] is bearing up.

12 Pembroke Gardens, Kensington, W. - Asks for the address of the "New Quarterly". Does not know whether the editor [Desmond MacCarthy] takes fiction, but would like to try him with a translation of a short story by [Eduard] von Keyserling. They hear from Oswald [his brother] 'at longish intervals': he finds New York 'cosy and provincial', so he is breaking away from Henry James there, and by now is on his way to Sydney. Asks if Trevelyan has been 'perpetrating any Pageants'; he himself is 'too stingy', though the Chelsea one seems attractive; they 'ought to put in the immortal "Jimmie"'. Supposes Trevelyan is still occupied with his opera [the "Bride of Dionysus"]. Their sister [Helena Swanwick] has been 'most earnest and active in her Suffragist cause', but Londoners are generally 'frivolous and indifferent about it'. Asks to be remembered to Mrs Trevelyan, and how Trevelyan's son [Paul] does.

Chilswell, Oxford. - Has not yet read "Sisyphus", as he has been 'dreadfully busy', but his wife has found it 'very entertaining'. Has just sent his "Memoir" of R. W. Dixon to the publishers; this has taken him a long time and involved much correspondence. Thanks Trevelyan for the book and the letter; is answering the latter at once to say he is 'not Edmund Gosse' so Trevelyan should not imagine he sits 'in a seat [of judgment?]'. Thinks 'any experiment in quantitative verse shd do good in calling attention to the fact that accent & quantity are different'; recently had a conversation with a university professor of Latin who was unaware of rules about accents in that language. Lent his essay on Virgilian rhythm to Desmond MacCarthy a couple of months ago, who wanted to see whether it could be printed in the "New Quarterly"; has not heard from him further and will ask for it to be returned. Hopes "Sisyphus" will be successful.

Message left in case MacCarthy is out when Trevelyan calls: if Trevelyan does not fetch this [an unknown item], he will have it sent to the Mill House. His mission was not very successful. His mother returns tomorrow. Is going to Eton tonight. Thinks he must stay a few days with his mother, as he has not seen her for weeks; Trevelyan should expect him on Tuesday. Has got D'Annunzio and will bring it; checks whether Trevelyan took 'Sophy K'. Asks if the news about seeing [Roger] Fry means that his wife is ill again.

8 Cheyne Gardens, S.W. - Encloses more prospectuses. Is glad Trevelyan liked the first issue of the "N.Q." ["New Quarterly"] Agrees that the Arthur Symons piece was weak. Is in bed with rheumatism and dictating this letter; hopes to go to the seaside with his 'lady emanuensis' in a few days: Molly sends regards to the Trevelyans. G.L.S. 'Stracheys' a few points in Beddoes' favour in his piece, but it is still very interesting. The second page also used for a list of names, some crossed through or asterisked, beginning with Mrs Crompton and Mrs Widdrington and including Santayana, R.E.F. [Fry], Masefield, H. Joachim etc.

The Shiffolds, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking. - Encloses a notice for the "New Quarterly"; doubts whether it will get enough subscribers to 'pay its way', but thinks at long as it lasts it should 'keep up to quite a high level of interest': the first number does not look bad, and he has 'high hopes of [Desmond] MacCarthy as an editor'. G. L[ytton] Strachey is acting as literary sub-editor, and Lord Raleigh and [Robert John] Strutt, friends of the proprietor [George Arthur Paley] are 'more or less responsible for the scientific side'. Never wrote to say how much pleasure he got from Benn's book ["History of English Rationalism in the Nineteenth Century"], which he thought 'excellent both as history and literature'; sympathised with what he said about Tennyson, Browning and others. Hopes the Benns are well; may visit Italy in the Spring, and hopes to see them if so.

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.

Crom-a-boo, Heavitree, Exeter. - Congratulations on the 'safe arrival of Paul the first'; they only heard this morning as they left home on Thursday morning. Glad Bob's wife seemed to have 'suffered so comparatively little'. Paul weighed a little more than Dan did on his birth; they did not measure Dan. Has finished his comedy ["Two Ugly Men"?] and is very pleased with it. Dan is 'picking up nicely' since they got here. George is here and ;seems well & happy'. Has an article to write for the "[New] Quarterly" on all the new books on [William] Blake which he thinks he will do well; asks if Bob has seen [Frederick] Tatham's "Life" of Blake, edited with the Letters by A. G. B. Russell, which he likes more than anything else written about Blake. Would have put the story about Blake 'singing in bed just before his death' into his own ode "On Death" if he had known it before. Is also reading [John] Donne, but is 'rather disappointed with him'. Sends best Christmas and New Year's wishes.