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Letter, 5 May 1898, from George Lillie Craik, Macmillan & Co Ltd, St. Martin's Street, London, W.; sent to R. C. Trevelyan at the National Liberal Club, Whitehall Place, S.W.. - They have asked a 'friend' to help them decide about Trevelyan's poems ["Mallow and Asphodel"]; his opinion is 'favourable' and therefore they are willing to publish the work on commission; advises Trevelyan to add some 'poems on modern themes' if he can as this will increase the book's appeal. They will keep the manuscript until Trevelyan says where he would like it to be sent; expects he will want to look through it before it goes to the printers.

Gathering of printed page proofs for the 1898 publication of "Mallow and Asphodel" by Macmillan, with numerous duplicate pages. Date stamp, '28 May '98'; extensive corrections in manuscript.

9 pages (versos blank) from a lined notebook, with the "Archilochus" poems from "Mallow and Asphodel" written out, with corrections, in Trevelyan's hand.

Four copies of galley proofs of poems from "Mallow and Asphodel", with Cambridge University Press date stamps from 11 November 1937 to 4 January 1938. All have extensive corrections in Trevelyan's hand; two copies have attached printed "First Proof" labels from Cambridge University Press. Seemingly from a "Collected Works" or other anthology, but Trevelyan's "Collected Works" was in fact published in two volumes by Longmans in 1939. One copy contains two sides of a typed revision of the final lines of Trevelyan's "Orpheus"; the verso of the second sheet has draft [?] lines in pencil, "Seven years have I now loved you..." in Trevelyan's hand.

Press cuttings, sent to Trevelyan by Macmillan and Co. or cuttings agencies, from the: "Scotsman"; "Academy" (two copies); "Glasgow Herald"; "Literature"; "Speaker"; "Bookman"; "Oxford Magazine"; "Leeds Mercury"; and "Times". Dates between 1 September 1898 and 4 October 1899.

Published as Critical and Historical Essays: Contributed to the Edinburgh Review.

Longman's have produced a supplement to McCulloch's Commercial Dictionary and a new edition of the Geographical Dictionary, would Milnes like to order them? Encloses second part of [Bossuet's memoirs of] The Great Condé.

Pen Rose, Berkhamsted. - Thanks Bob for his letter. Has already sent on the corrections [for his "History of England"] to Longman's, though they will be too late for a reprint this week. Glad Bob thought 'the Victorian part was tolerable'. The Epilogue was 'imposed' on George by the 'Publisher's view of necessity'; believes this view to be 'correct', but thinks the epilogue 'could not be anything but a blot'. Does not 'understand the age we live' and what he does understand he does not like. Mary is enjoying herself in the Netherlands; George believes 'her attachment will be permanent'. The introductions Bessie gave her 'have made a great difference to her happiness there'.

Sales of various editions of Speeches, Essays and History of England.

Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - Glad to have news of Paul; the photograph of him touching Theodore's foot is 'delicious'. The new MP for Hexham, [Richard Durning] Holt and his wife, are staying at Wallington, as are: Aunt Annie [Philips]; Josephine Lawson; the younger Hugh Bell, in whom Sir George has 'discovered a great likeness to [Edward] Bowen' and thinks it 'extends to character'; and Sir Francis Blake. He and Caroline are 'much interested about [Laurence] Binyon'; wonders if [Sidney?] Colvin thinks he is 'breaching on Stephen Phillips's domain'. Glad Robert liked what he saw of [Macaulay's] "Marginal Notes", which Sir George has now typed up; Longmans are going to publish it.

Longmans Green & Co Limited - In reply to hers, they are sending [J. D.?] Krige's book for Sir James; only two partners remain from the last generation of the family and they no longer work with them, only two members of staff remember those great days.

58 Oakley Street, Chelsea, S.W. - Booksellers are 'disposed to deny all knowledge' of Bob's book ["Sisyphus"] and say it is 'not on Longman's list: Bob should 'stir up' his publishers. Has managed to get hold of it and thinks it 'much the best thing' Bob has done, though the 'queer metres & methods of scansion', which he supposes are influenced by [Robert] Bridges, are sometimes puzzling. Doubts however whether 'bigamy had been made a felony in the time of Sisyphus'. Hopes that Bessie and Paul are well.

8, Grosvenor Crescent, S.W. - Glad that Elizabeth enjoyed the Petersfield Festival, and that Robert could be there some of the time; nice for her to meet 'Miss Davies & other musical people'. Will be 'very interesting at Dorking' [the Leith Hill Music Festival?]; asks to hear how things go. Amused to think of Elizabeth and Robert driving a horse; expects the one chosen was very safe. Busy with the meetings for the next three days, and expects to be very hot: hopes 'the debates will not be very excited!'. Charles and Mary have been away, but she has seen G[eorge], J[anet], and 'Little M[ary]'; they are soon going to the country, though have not been able to let their house. They say the review [of "The Birth of Parsival"?] and feared Robert would be 'vexed'; it does though 'speak very respectfully of him as a writer' and only criticises the subject. Longman [the publisher] is advertising it well, also for America. A postscript confirms they will put Elizabeth up on the 16th.

Paternoster Row. - Have paid £6276.18.7 to his account at William, Deacon & Co; he is requested to sign and return the enclosed receipts.

Typescripts of parts of "The Bride of Dionysus", bound in brown paper, with stamps of 'Miss Dickens's Type-writing Office, 3 Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, WC'.' Typed on recto only, with extensive corrections and annotations around typescript and on facing verso; these are mostly in Trevelyan's hand, but include some musical notation which may be by Donald Tovey. Two bound gatherings labelled 'Act I', two labelled 'Act II', two labelled 'Acts II & III', one labelled 'Acts IV & V' with a second copy which has lost its binding; another gathering which has lost its cover seems to contain text from Act II [Date uncertain, but before the revision of the drama into three acts around 1912].

Working notebooks for "The Bride of Dionysus", in R. C. Trevelyan's hand, largely in ink with some pencil; corrections and additions in blue pencil; some have insertions and paste-ins: three labelled 'Act 1', four 'Act II', and four 'Act III' [the arrangement of the drama in three acts suggest that the notebooks are from a later date than the typescripts which use the earlier five act structure]

Specimen printed pages for "The Bride of Dionysus, A Music Drama, and Other Poems" (three copies, each a bifolium).

Printed galley proofs for the "Other Poems" from the "Bride of Dionysus" (eleven pages, including some duplicates), with extensive corrections in Trevelyan's hand; printed page proofs for "The Bride of Dionysus" [music drama], with many corrections in Trevelyan's hand and several insertions with further corrections (thirty three pages and nine insertions). Corrections to the page proofs are not reproduced in the 1912 published version, and may well relate to alterations for the opera as performed with music by Donald Tovey.

"The Bride of Dionysus: An Opera in Three Acts". Analysis of the opera and its music, by Donald Tovey, published by Townsend & Thomson to coincide with the production in Edinburgh in 1929; one page insertion with notes in Trevelyan's hand on why Greek classical drama's dialogue and speeches, the 'main business of the play', are not lyric and therefore could not be a great influence upon the opera. Printed 'Argument' for the performance in 1929. Printed programme for the performances in April 1932 by the Edinburgh Opera Company of "The Bride of Dionysus" and "Il Trovatore", including cast list and Tovey's 'Argument' for "The Bride of Dionysus".

23 West Road, Cambridge. - Sorry to hear that Bessie has been ill again; Janet 'keeps much the same from day to day'. Interested and pleased by the letter Bessie quoted from her German friend; has instructed Longmans to send a copy of his "Autobiography and other essays" to Bessie for her. Glad Humphry and Molly are going to see her.

Levington, near Ipswich, Suffolk. - Trevelyan is 'the best and kindest and most generous of readers'; would wish he were a reviewer except that if he were he wouldn't write such letters, which Ransome prefers to 'a dozen reviews'. Does get tired of being labelled 'for 10 to 14' ; is heartened when Trevelyan sees what he is trying to do and says he has to some extent succeeded. Very pleased to hear about the "Collected Works", though sorry it is Longmans and not Macmillans publishing it; more interested than Trevelyan would guess about his translation of Lucretius ["De Rerum Natura"] . Had heard nothing about the new house at Oxford. Hopes that Trevelyan will visit soon: there are quick trains from London. The other advantage is the sea: has been much better this summer and able to sail; went to Holland and back with no trouble and hopes to go further next year if the new book doesn't take as much time.

The Master's Lodge, Trinity College, Cambridge. - Thanks Bob for "Aftermath": glad he has been able to 'salvage' so many poems of which George is so fond [from the fire at the publisher's warehouse which destroyed the stock of Bob's recent "Collected Works"]; they have both suffered from the 'family connection with Longmans, though he does not mind much for himself, as he is 'past caring whether anyone reads one's books... in this night of time' and has 'no more desire for continued existence as a writer than for life after death'. The Geoffrey Youngs are staying in the Lodge for a few days, preparing to move into 'half a house near by'; good to have them back in Cambridge. Tells Bob to visit some time in summer. He and Janet hope to go to Hallington at Easter, staying in the gardener's cottage; the Hall has begun again as a hospital, and they will see 'more of it and its inmates than when it was an RAF affair'. Hopes that they have good news of Julian from Egypt. Notes in a postscript that Aubrey and Lina Waterfield's son John has been killed in Malta.

Hallington Hall, Newcastle-on-Tyne. - Sends Bob an enclosure to 'deal with'. He and Janet are here in the gardener's cottage for August. The hospital in the Hall is 'full of convalescent wounded from Normandy - nice fellows who like the quiet of the place'. Charles and Molly 'seem well and happy'. The news of Tom [Sturge] Moore's death made him think very much 'about old days'; there was a 'nice article' about him by Desmond [MacCarthy] in the "Sunday Times". Hopes that Bob will soon get a copy of his new book, in fact written 'some years ago' ["English Social History: A Survey of Six Centuries: Chaucer to Queen Victoria "], which he has asked Longmans to send.

The Master's Lodge, Trinity College, Cambridge. - Apologises for asking in his letter yesterday whether Bob had received his book ["English Social History: A Survey of Six Centuries: Chaucer to Queen Victoria"], when Bob's letter of 7 August mentions its arrival. Janet is reading [Bob's] "Windfalls" 'with great delight"; George has said how much he himself enjoyed it. They will look out for Robert Lloyd when term begins.

Newspaper cuttings with reviews, most sent attached to compliments slips from Longmans, or by the press cuttings agency Romeike & Curtice; some duplicates. From: the "Times"; "Scotsman"; "Daily Chronicle"; "Academy and Literature"; "Nottingham Daily Guardian"; "Rapid Review"; "Glasgow Herald"; "Queen"; "Sheffield Daily Independent"; "Weeks Survey"; "Bookman"; "Queen"; "Packer Alumna" [?], Brooklyn; "Liverpool Courier"; "Oxford Magazine"; "Athenaeum"; "Guardian"; "Review of Reviews"; "Aberdeen Free Press"; "Literary World"; "Yorkshire Post"; "New York Times Holiday Book"; "Annual Register".

Names appearing for Longmans are Thomas Brown, Bevis Ellerby Green, Thomas Longman and William Longman.

Newspaper cuttings, many sent to Trevelyan by Durrant's Press Cuttings agency, some by Longmans & Co (some duplicates). Reviews of "Volume I. Poems" from: the "Sunday Times" [by Desmond MacCarthy]; "Oxford Magazine" [also reviewing work by Lord Gorell, Louis MacNeice, and Thomas Thornely; later notice on this volume alone]; "Scotsman"; "Times Literary Supplement"; "Manchester Guardian" [by Basil de Sélincourt]; "New Statesman and Nation" [by Stephen Spender, also reviewing an edition of Dante's "Inferno" by John D. Sinclair; and "Guardian". Reviews of "Volume II. Plays" from: "The Library"; "Birmingham Post"; "Manchester Guardian"; "Glasgow Herald"; and "Scotsman" [also reviewing collected works of Housman and Frost]. Review of both volumes from the "Day".

6 & 7 Clifford Street, London, W.1. - Relating to the publication of the second volume of Trevelyan's "Collected Works".

6 & 7 Clifford Street, London, W.1. - Cheque to be endorsed and returned; no further acknowledgement necessary.

39 Paternoster Row, London, E.C. - Happy to print "Sisyphus" on their usual terms of commission, annexed; quotations for both two hundred and fifty copies and five hundred copies provided.

8, Grosvenor Crescent, S.W.. - Longman [the publisher] will have his book ["England in the Age of Wycliffe"] for a fortnight, so Bob can have George instead of his book; asks if he can come to Roundhurst any time next week, since he has some engagements in Cambridge first. Sir George has got Longman to 'do all he possibly can' for George, which will save time.

Trinity College, Cambridge.. - Thanks Bob for the card written before receiving George's second letter, which explained that his book ["England in the Age of Wycliffe"] was being kept by the publishers this week and suggested that George should come for a visit to Haslemere; asks if it would be convenient to come on Tuesday or Wednesday. Will bring a 'byke' [sic] if Bob rides one; asks if he should bring dress clothes, perhaps to dine with the Tennysons; will come later if Bob is not free.

Press cuttings relating to "The Bride of Dionysus", most sent on by Longmans, Green, & Co., 39 Paternoster Row, London E.C.
1) from the "Times", 2 May 1912.
2) from the "Athenaeum", 4 May 1912
3) from the "Scotsman", 4 May 1912; mentions that the title piece has been set to music by Donald Tovey.
4) from the "Spectator", 18 May 1912; compares the treatment of the Ariadne story with that in Maurice Hewlett's "Agonistes"; another copy not sent by Longman's and annotated in Trevelyan's hand with the publication and date.
5) from the "English Review", June 1912.
6) from the "T. P.'s Weekly", 7 June 1912; mentions the music by Donald Tovey.
7) from the "Daily News", 13 June 1912; mistakenly calls the book "The Birds of Dionysus" [the error is marked in blue pencil]; another copy not sent by Longman's.
8) from the "Pall Mall Gazette", 29 June 1912.
9) from the "Daily Chronicle", 9 July 1912
10) from the "Glasgow Herald", 15 Aug 1912.
11) from the "Times [Literary Supplement]", 15 Aug 1912; mentions that this is the text for Tovey's opera; another copy not sent by Longman's.
12) from the "Liverpool Daily Post and Mercury", 19 June 1912; sent 'With the Editor's Compliments" rather than by Longman's

Review, "Georgian Poetry of the Twentieth Century" ["Westminster Gazette", 4 Jan 1913, unsigned, 2 pp]

Newspaper cuttings with reviews, many sent to Trevelyan by the press cuttings agency Romeike & Curtice; some duplicates. From: the "Morning Post"; "Scotsman"; "Daily Chronicle"; "Glasgow Herald"; "Birmingham Post" ; "Nottingham Guardian"; "Times Literary Supplement"; "Evening Post" (New York); "Post Express" (Rochester, New York); "Vogue" (New York); "Guardian"; "New Age"; "Yorkshire Post"; "Bibliophile"; "Spectator" and "Annual Register".

Well Knowe House, Cartmel, by Carnforth. - Was 'delighted' to received Trevelyan's "Sisyphus" from Longmans the other day; apologises for not writing sooner; was away from home but read the poem 'immediately and eagerly and with huge enjoyment'. Thanks Trevelyan for remembering that he wanted to see it. Praises it highly and says Trevelyan has 'certainly found the most fundamentally comedic idea in the world; the terrible and futile situation of Sisyphus is so much all men's affair'. The fact that 'Grecian things' seem as natural to Trevelyan's thoughts as 'Tube and Hague Tribunals' are to most people today should gain universal respect. Trevelyan knows he can count on Bottomley's interest in his 'quest of a lyrical basis for drama'; thinks Sisyphus is successful in this respect. The work gives 'the musician rare chances': the 'conjuration of time going backward' needs music like the beginning of Beethoven's ninth symphony; thinks Berlioz could have 'heard vaguely the chords to accompany the engulfing of Sisyphus', but could probably not have written them down. Wonders 'what deep force is turning us all so insistently to the drama nowadays', when there is no hope of attention and respect, or even loyal co-operation' from theatre-goers. Glad that Trevelyan is also turning his thoughts towards music-drama; thinks 'fullest expression' is only possible that way; even incidental music like Grieg's "Peer Gynt" gives a 'glimpse of an all powerful mingling of all the arts to make perfect drama possible'. In addition, 'that rebellious artisan, the actor' might be prevented from 'maiming and self-assertion' by the tones which each word of poetry has 'being authoritatively set down for him as definite musical notes. Doubts whether music really could enhance the excellence of the poetry in "Sisyphus", but does still 'feel the beauty of [Trevelyan's] projected union of poetry and music', and would like to hear something of his longer work to which music is now being composed [by Donald Tovey: i.e. the "Bride of Dionysus"].