Showing 15 results

Postmarked Camucia, Arezzo. - Has returned after some days in Rome. Everything he needs has now arrived; Trevelyan bought [George Moore's] "Mummer's Wife" for him at Birrell's, so he thinks he is well provided for. Moravia is here, much better than expected. Elsa Dallolio has been seriously ill with pneumonia, but was recovering when he saw her in Rome. Has no news of Mary [Berenson]'s health.

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'.

Cortona, addressed to Julian c/o Mrs [Lina] Waterfield, Poggio Gherardo, Settignano, Firenze. - Is writing to [Roger] Sessions to say he will come if it 'really suits him'; may do so on the 3 or 4 January, a few days before [Umberto] Morra, in order to see Julian if he does not go to Rome. Julian need not suggest a pension to the W[aterfield]s for so short a time. The weather here stays 'damp and horrid'. [Alberto] Moravia left yesterday; Tonino [Morra's majordomo] has a bad cough.

Villa Morra, Cortona. - Assumes Julian is leaving on 5 or 6 January, so is coming to Florence on the 4th; will take a taxi from the station unless he finds the car from I Tatti there, as he has let Nicky [Mariano] know when his train arrives. Has not heard from [Roger] Sessions yet, but assumes he would like him to come to the Villino; if necessary he could go to the Anreps [Alda and Egbert], or to I Tatti at once. Wonders if Julian got a permesso di soggiorno, or whether the Waterfields [Aubrey and Lina] thought that was unnecessary. Expects there will be a concert in Florence on Sunday the 15th, and might go; Mary [Berenson] may have an extra ticket for him. Was rather relieved when [Alberto] Moravia left 'as he talked so much', but 'liked him in a way'. Expects Julian has written to [Hasan] Suhrawardy. [Umberto] Morra is not coming to Florence until the 6th or 7th. Hopes Julian had a 'good New Year's festa, probably at the Anreps'. Tonino [Morra's attendant] made them some punch; this morning they 'had to eat grapes for breakfast' to bring 'plenty of money all this year'. Will visit from the Villino one day after lunch if Julian is there.

Furzen Wood, Abinger Common, near Dorking. - If he and Bessie come up to Cambridge next Thursday, expects she will stay the night at George's, but he himself may return to London on an afternoon train; asks if Julian will be able to lunch with them. Would probably go back to London for the evening as he has people to see. Postscript saying that [Alberto] Moravia is coming on Thursday, and wants to visit Julian in Cambridge some time.

Metelliano. - Apologises for not replying sooner to thank Trevelyan for the gift of his poetry, which brings back to his house 'so many impressions that do belong here': is pleased that Trevelyan did some work on the hills here, and that he was able to remember it, the landscape, and Morra himself in his 'dens on Leith Hill'. Has decided not to come to England this summer and hopes he will seen Trevelyan in Italy soon; has masons working at home on a new bathroom and a living room for Tonino and his wife; Moravia is here and sends best regards, they live almost as if they were camping. The Berensons spent some time at Montepulciano, which was delightful; they will not go to La Consuma for a good while.

I Tatti, Settignano, Florence. - This is his last day here; will stay with [Hasan] Suhrawardy in Paris for five days, then go home. Hopes Julian has received the set of photographs from [Fratelli] Alinari which he sent last week; Mrs B[erenson] says she will give him one of the [?] Gasetta, which Alinari's does not have. Hears from B[essie] that Julian managed to see some of the pictures at B[urlington?] House. Reminds him to 'find out something about [Richard] Hughes of the "High Wind [in Jamaica]"' and send the invitation to [Umberto] Morra at Cortona. [Alberto] Moravia has been a couple of times, and 'seems to get on with B.B. [Bernard Berenson'. The Waterfields [Lina and Aubrey] have gone to Aulla to install the new stove.

Metelliano. - Apologises for not writing sooner: meant to after Lausanne [the Lausanne Conference] with congratulations on MacDonald's achievements, which seemed very important; Ottawa [the British Empire Economic Conference] not so successful but perhaps worse could have been done. Does not know whether to be hopeful; Iris Origo, whom he saw a few days ago, is not. His time at La Consuma was very pleasant; Clotilde [Marghieri?] was more efficient than last year as she did not need to 'lie down all the time' and sleep. Nicky [Mariano] read "Persuasion" and he liked it very much. Dreamt that Trevelyan threw a chair at them for being amused by [Panteleimon Romanov's] "Three pairs of silk stockings". Moravia is at St Moritz re-writing his novel. Has only heard news of the Berensons from Alda, not pessimistic about money but very much so about Mary's health. Regrets not being in England and wonders whether he might join the Berensons in Paris. Asks if he will see Julian on his way back.

Rome. - His arrangements for the winter, including going to I Tatti to see Berenson around 15 December; would be glad to welcome Trevelyan at Cortona around 3 or 4 January. Moravia 'astonished by the beauty' of the edition of "Don Quixote" Trevelyan sent him; Alberti 'deep in film-making'.

c/o [Bernard] Berenson, Poggio allo Spino, Consuma (Prov. di Firenze). - Glad Julian is having a good time at Aulla, and would have liked to join him but cannot manage it. Will start for home around the beginning of September, and may stop at Paris for a few nights. Julian unlikely to have time to stop here on the way to Venice or Ravenna, but there may be room, or he could stop at the hotel at Consuma; Nicky [Mariano] will have written about that to Lina [Waterfield]. The countryside here is in some ways the finest he has seen in Italy, hard to be beaten 'even by Aulla'; Julian should see it some day, perhaps next year. Went to Laverna [sic: La Verna], where St Francis received his stigmata, on Monday by car. [Umberto] Morra has left, but [Alberto] Moravia is still staying at the hotel and comes to the house every day; the Anreps [Alma and Egbert] are here most of the time. His hotel in Rome was the Albergo Elyseé; if Julian stays there he should ask whether he can get a room looking over the Borghese gardens; his own looked the wrong way, but he used to go to [Guglielmo degli] Alberti's. Sends love to A[ubrey], Lina, Kinta and J[ohn], and to Adelina and 'the Fortezza itself'. Morra almost certain to be at Cortona and glad to see Julian.

c/o B[ernard] Berenson, Poggio allo Spino, Consuma (Prov di. Firenze). - Glad Julian is having such a good time; expects he will be at or near Aulla by now. Unsure whether he himself will be able to get to Aulla; expects he will stay here until the end of the month then go home; hopes Aubrey and Lina [Waterfield] will not be annoyed with him. Might be able to come for a few days early in September, but fears Julian would have left by then. B.B. [Berenson] likely to go to Paris then so Julian would probably miss him, or the house would be full since Mary is coming from England with some guests. Nicky [Mariano] and the Anreps [Alda and Egbert] are here at the moment, and [Alberto] Moravia is staying in the village nearby. Julian could maybe arrange to do this, but will probably want to go on to Ravenna.

Spent some time in Paris with the Allens [Clifford and Joan], and saw [Hasan] Suhrawardy and [Maria] Germanova; then went with the Allens to Bolzano for almost a week. Clifford Allen seems much better in health; they will return home soon via Heidelburg. Bessie writes that the 'last difficulties to the building contract have been removed'; she has probably signed it by now. Roland [Vaughan Williams] will not allow the house to be 'plastered smooth', so the 'old part shall remove rough-cast, and the new part be brick': he is sorry, but Julian may prefer it. Is reading a lot, but has done little work, except on translating the "Medea" for Germanova, who 'seems to want very much to do it in America next year'. Received Julian's letter at Bolzano about 'adventures in the Pyrennees [sic] and in wolf-caverns'; glad Julian is seeing [Frederick] Porter, will pay for any lessons when he returns so he should keep an account. Sends love to Lina and Aubrey; will write soon to let them know whether he can visit.

Furzen Wood, Abinger Common, near Dorking. - Is sending the only copy of his translation of [Aeschylus's] "Prometheus" he has with him, which is 'all messed about with pencil marks made during rehearsals' but he thinks it should be legible. Thinks there are a couple of typed copies in Terence Gray's 'little room at the [Cambridge Festival] Theatre' unless he has removed them; would like one if they are still there. Is also sending an edition of the "Prometheus" as the introduction is 'reasonably good'. Will get to Cambridge at ten on Thursday and come to Julian's rooms; tells him to leave a note if he is out, in which case he may go to see Goldie [Dickinson]; hopes to lunch with Julian, and may leave by a later train and take tea in Cambridge too. Bessie will come by a later morning train. Julian should let him know if he wants 'Dantes etc' so he can send or bring them. [Alberto] Moravia is here and hopes to visit Cambridge around 22 November; asks if Julian could get a room for him.

I Tatti, Settignano, Florence. - Is very grateful for the pains taken by Trevelyan [regarding Morra's translation of G.M. Trevelyan's "British History in the Nineteenth Century, 1782-1901"]. Arrived at I Tatti yesterday to find all well; Mary in bed with a cold but cheerful; all as usual except for Trevelyan's absence, which Morra feels deeply. Asks one further question about George's book. Moravia is not related to 'De B.' so Mrs [Sylvia] Sprigge is right. Is very sorry to hear about D[onald] Tovey [his illness].

Asks if he may call Trevelyan 'Bob'; thanks him for all his kindnesses. Has received [Alberto] Moravia's book and the letters of introduction; asks him to thank [Bernard] Berenson for obtaining these; is particularly grateful for the one for the director of the Institute de Osma. Will probably leave for Spain around 3 Sept; Madame Germanova will be here when Trevelyan comes. So grateful for his offer to lend the money; seems unlikely that there will be more from India, and Suhrawardy has recently been disappointed in his hope of being appointed guardian of the Hyderabad state scholars. It was thought the India Office would not like the appointment of an Indian, and an Englishman has been sent out. Must find something in England. The sporadic money he has been receiving from his father will probably stop when he retires at the end of the year. Perhaps he might work at the High Commissioner's office or the India Offie. Will try in India, for which he leaves on 14 November; hopes to return on the Italian boat and will then see Berenson. Madame Germanova will go with Trevelyan to a French notaire to fix the mortgage; gives some details of the proposed arrangements for repayment.