Showing 12 results

West Melville, Northam, Devon. - Very pleased to get Bob's book of poems and to find some he did not know; good to have the ones he does know together, especially 'in this new form so easily adapted to the pocket'. Wishes he could come and see Bob and Bessie, but visits are not easy at the moment: 'Even though one carries a nosebag' [i.e. takes food rations] the demand on one's host's hospitality is 'not easy to meet;. Would love to 'stroll' with Bob on his terrace and talk. May manage to get to London in autumn, and hopes then to visit Raisley [Moorsom?] and his family. Wonders whether Bob has seen his autobiography, "But To What Purpose"; thinks it would interest him, though he may think he has been 'too severe on Bedales'. Learned a 'great deal' from writing it; may perhaps have 'more to learn'.

He and Katharine very much like their new home, which is 'the half of a beautiful old house', with 'the most lovely garden'; regrets that that is a 'very expensive item', and he finds it difficult not to work too hard there. Has 'slipped somehow, rather unwillingly, into [radio] broadcasts', and is about to record two 'Empire broadcasts' in the "Men and Book" series, one on Melville and the other on Conrad. Will take a 'very different approach from the fellow who talked on these two the other night on the Third Programme [William Plomer?]' They have just come back from a conference at Birmingham, having heard some interesting papers and discussions, particularly the papers by Wilson Knight on "Imagination" and [William?] Chaning Pearce on "Existentialism and Christianity". Wilson Knight's lecture was a 'masterpiece of extemporary speaking'; expects Bob knows "The Wheel of Fire" and "The Imperial Theme", Knight's writings on Shakespeare, and recommends them if he does not. Love to the Trevelyans from both Grant Watsons.

Wallington, Cambo, Morpeth. - Asks Robert if he knows the whereabouts of a copy of [Dickens's] "Barnaby Rudge", and the "Harrow Atlas of Ancient Geography" which he very much misses; has found an entry in the list of lent books indicating that Robert had these, but the initials have been crossed out. Has just finished Conrad's "Rescue"; seems a 'strange delusion' that people consider him out of the ordinary, and rank him with writers such as 'Arnold Bennett, Wells, Mrs Sidgwick, Shaw, Kipling, and Stevenson'; he is of course clever, 'but he does not know how to tell a plain, or an impassioned story'; read "Chance" aloud to Caroline, which amused him despite 'the upside down of the narrative', but can read nothing else of his with pleasure. Sends birthday wishes.

The Shiffolds, Holmbury St. Mary, Dorking. - Thanks his father for his 'kind letter [12/344]'; though it is his fiftieth birthday, he does 'not yet feel as if [he] were getting old, less indeed perhaps than two or three years ago'. Cannot help his father about the missing books: neither he nor Bessie has ever read Barnaby Rudge, and he is sure he 'never took it away, with or without leave'; has also not taken the 'ancient Atlas', as he still has [Heinrich?] Kiepert's 'ancient Atlas', which they used at Harrow in his own school-days. Wonders whether they 'might have found their way into the museum to be used to make hills for the soldiers'.

Julian 'writes cheerfully [from school]', and begins his letter 'Many happy returns of your birthday' with a series of dots above the 'many': Robert explains that the dots mean 'recurring for ever... From which I infer that he is now doing decimals'. Has not read Conrad's Rescue; does 'not much care for his later novels' and agrees that Conrad 'has been rather over-rated', though 'in spite of his peculiar way of telling them', he much enjoys Lord Jim, Chance, and several of the short stories such as Youth. The Shadow Line is 'the only one of his later books' which Robert has 'cared for, and that perhaps not very greatly'. Think he is 'a case of a man with a great talent who has made for himself an over-elaborate method, developing it during the time that his inspiration was beginning to fail him - rather like Henry James perhaps, though Henry James's later books are more successful in their queer way than Conrad's in his'.

Sends thanks to his mother for her letter: will write to her tomorrow. The weather is 'unpleasant': wishes it would 'rain properly instead of only pretending to'.

Welcombe, Stratford on Avon. - Has sent Robert the "Times Literary Supplement"; he should read aloud the letter from the 'scientific man' [Sir Edward Brabrook] about Gerald Balfour and the Ear of Dionysus. Gerald and his sister, Mrs Henry Sidgwick, are keeping living together during the war; supposes they talk about 'this sort of stuff together [séances and spiritualism] from morning to night'; this accounts for the 'preposterous message' to Sir George from [Frederic] Myers conveyed to him by Mrs Verrall and Mrs Piper. Bruce Richmond is a 'wonderful good editor'; praises the "Supplement". Is reading "The Shadow Line", which he likes better than anything he has read by Conrad before, and beginning 'to catch his peculiar turn of method... that of a fine nature which turned to creation very late in a life of action'. Had a 'very good letter' from Julian recently.

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.

Welcombe, Stratford on Avon. - Has finished reading all of Samuel Butler's notebooks; completely agrees with what Robert says about him, and agrees with him about selecting "Borrowing in Music" and his thoughts on Handel. Quotes from an approving note he once made on Butler's essay on "Borrowing...". Thinks Butler's notes on writing are 'the best treatise' he knows, and yet Butler's own books were so often 'such mare's nests'; he and his 'worshippers' made too much of "Erewhon". Caroline agrees with Robert about [Joseph Conrad's?] "Chance", so he will try it. Have not yet seen what happened in the House of Commons last night; was never more 'indignant and disgusted about any public event than the encouragement of mutiny by the Conservative party' [re the Curragh incident].

19 Kensington Park Road, W.11. - It is very good of Trevelyan to take an interest in the publication of the Polish book;is glad he mentioned it to Mr Unwin. She has consulted Miss [Maria] Czaplicka, a Polish anthropologist who has 'a good deal of influence with her compatriots', has published several books, and is very energetic, who will ask the Polish Committee if there is any chance of support. This would mean some financial guarantee for the publisher; Allen & Unwin have been mentioned, or Blackwell may be approached again. Czapickla was also going to see if [Joseph] Conrad could be interested in writing an introduction. Marie Busch may eventually be glad of an introduction to Stanley Unwin; meanwhile will let Czaplicka know what Trevelyan says. If it cannot be published in book form, the "Polish Review" may put it out as a serial, but this would not bring it to the attention of the British public in the same way. Asks Trevelyan to let he know if he is ever in her neighbourhood, as she would love him to take a meal with her. Was very nice to see Bessie last week.

Welcombe, Stratford on Avon. - Glad to hear that Robert has landed safely; 'awful to read' of the passengers on the cross-Channel boats kept at sea all night by bad weather; asks 'is even Assisi worth such a price?'. Would love to see Arezzo again and wants to know what the hotel was like; it used to be spoken of as the 'best hotel between Florence and Rome', before Brufani [at Perugia], and he thinks his parents and sister were 'the first names in the hotel book'. Notes what Robert says about [Samuel Butler's] "Fair Haven" and will see to it. Cannot 'manage Conrad as a novelist', nor Chesterton as an essayist. has been reading about the Phalaris controversy with great 'interest and amusement'; George gave him a copy of Attenbury's 1698 book a while ago, and he got Bentley's "Phalaris" as a prize at Harrow; they bear out everything that [Thomas] Macaulay says. Good to be 'in company with so strong and able a man as Bentley', whatever the topic; he is an even greater controversialist than Newman, Porson, Gibbon or Pascal.

Clarendon Press, Oxford.—Comments on a passage about fakes.

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The Clarendon Press, Oxford
3 January 1927.

Fakes

The faking of half-titles and the like is being practised on a pretty large scale. Pickering showed me a year or two ago a Gray’s Odes 1757 in which he said “he thought the half-title was wrong”. The “1913 Chance” (the earliest state of Conrad’s novel) has been faked in two different ways—first (if I remember right) the faker reprinted 4 pages; then when it was pointed out that the real 1913 issue had a 2-page cancel, he faked a single leaf—but failed to use the right type for the imprint.

Wise says that if he were to go to America he could pick up dozens of fakes in famous collections!

One of the happiest hunting-grounds is the rare Shelleys.

RWC

R. B. McKerrow, Esq.

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Typed, except signature and some corrections. At the head is the reference ‘Pkt. 428/RF’.

The Shiffolds, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking. - Bessie is doing well, and 'sits up in bed a great deal'; Paul is also well. The thaw 'set in last night', and Robert hopes it will continue. Sees in the papers that Wallington is 'cut off': that is 'unpleasant' but may not matter so much, but it could be 'serious for some of the scattered farms' and he hopes it will not last long. Bessie says that 'but for Paul' his parents might both be snowed in at Wallington, so 'in spite of all the inconvenience he has caused' he may at least have saved them from that.

They have not suffered much here as the snow was never too deep. Some of the neighbours have influenza: both at High Ashes [home of Sir Roland and Lady Vaughan Williams] and Mrs Vaughan Williams at Leith Hill Place, so they 'must take care not to let it come here'. Has 'Sent Jim [? Conrad's Lord Jim, see 12/105] by this morning's post': it is Tom [Sturge] Moore's, but he 'won't want it back yet'. Wonders whether his father will 'make anything of it': Robert 'found it tough at first, but afterwards was quite held by it'.

The doctor has just come and says Bessie is 'doing very well indeed'. Has been writing many letters recently, some at Bessie's dictation. People have been 'most kind in writing', some have sent presents for Paul. Hopes his parents and Booa are well; sends love and 'best wishes for 1907' from him and his family'.

Welcombe, Stratford on Avon. - Will send back some of Robert's books: the Chaucer; Conrad's "Lord Jim", which Sir George has read before; and Belloc's book, which Caroline 'can manage better' than Sir George. Arthur Sidgwick, who is 'very well and cheerful', and his wife are here; there has been much toboganning down the hills behind the house by 'all the very large pleasure society of Stratford', though now snow and Stratfordians are gone. Delighted to have news of Elizabeth and the baby [Paul]; Aunt Annie [Philips] is very pleased at the news; she is at Palermo and has been to Segesta, which was a hard journey of eleven hours.