Showing 103 results

12A Tite St., Chelsea, SW(3). - Is in London, staying with his old Oxford friend [Philip] Heseltine [the composer Peter Warlock]; had hoped he might be able to earn some money through the Round Table Conference, but everyone involved already has secretaries and so on. Asks if Trevelyan might be in town as he would love to see them; much as he would like to come to the country his only chance of work is to stay in London 'and be a bore to people'. They [he and the Germanova/Kalitinsky family?] have moved to the new flat.

Hears Julian is going to Paris, so may see [Maria] Germanova; if he does, wonders if he could, through 'tactful leading questions', find out how her finances and ability to pay for the flat stand; he has been paying the whole rent for about the last year, but she has said that after the marriage of Andreyusha [Kalitinsky, her son], he would not need to do so, as the new bride's father would give the young people enough money to be independent. [Hasan Shahid] Suhrawardy need therefore no longer send a large part of his salary to support Andreyusha, but instead could pay for the flat. She may not need any help from Bob, but he feels uneasy; Suhrawardy's last letter said that he had 'never been so poor as now' so perhaps he is sending more than he can really afford to Germanova. Does not want them to be in any monetary distress, but it is difficult to write about all this directly to her. Went to see Udai Shankar yesterday, and 'delight[s] in him, and the Indian music as much as ever'. Hopes to see Julian and Ursula before too long.

Empire Nursing Home, Vincent Square, London, S.W.1. - Is getting on very well now [after his operation] with little discomfort. Bessie reads Trollope to him most afternoons, and he usually has visitors each day: T[homas] S[turge] Moore is coming to tea today. Hopes Bessie will go to Paris next week, then on to Holland: no reason for her not to now Bob is 'so well' and go to the C.A.s [Clifford Allens] for the first couple of weeks after he leaves the nursing home. He works through chess games in the papers, and has just been looking at the tournament between Cambridge and Oxford, in which the marks were equal; Bronowski, whom he supposes is Julian's friend [Jacob] 'lost his game rather disastrously'. Terence Gray wants to do Bob's [translation of Euripides'] "Medea"in May, which he has agreed to but now regrets; Gray is trying to get [Maria] Germanova for Medea, but 'wants her to do it for nothing'; Bob has telegraphed to her saying she should 'on no account... accept the engagement. It is too monstrous'; Gray probably wants him to step in and pay Germanova himself, which he will not, as he will not be able to get to rehearsals and go through the part with her; Gray is also intending to put Medea in a mask, which is 'the height of folly' regarding Germanova. Unlikely Germanova would have been able to take the part with her husband [Aleksandr Kalitinsky] so ill. Wonders if [Hasan Shahid] Suhrawardy has gone to India yet and whether he has finished his book. Hopes Julian is getting on well with his work; frescos must be 'fun to try', though expects Julian is 'likely to make rather a mess at first'. [Étienne Adolphe?] Piot was 'technically quite competent' but artistically bad. Asks to be remembered to [George] Reavey, and to [Jean] Marchand if Julian sees him. Hopes Bessie will come to Paris next week, and see the Luce family. He and Bessie had hoped to see the Sykes family this month, but had to put it off; supposes [Hugh]'s exams are coming up anyway.

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.

28, Rue de la Tourelle, Boulogne sur Seine. - Looking forward to seeing Trevelyan next week; Madame G[ermanova] has a longstanding commitment to go with her son to see a friend; will try her best to come back. Is busy working as his book is due in October. Will be very glad to see Clifford Allen and his wife again. May not be in Paris in September, as he feels he must go to Spain to see the events he reads of himself.

Just returned from a visit to Madame G[ermanova]'s son Andrew in Switzerland; a wire has come from [Georges] Pitoëff saying that [Tolstoy's] "Cadavre Vivant" is not to be performed so Germanova is not going to England. She greatly regrets that she will not be able to visit the Shiffolds and make Mrs Trevelyan's acquaintance. They drove 1660 kilometres in Suhrawardy's new car; Dr Kidwall came with them to Bâle, from where he went to Lausanne, and joined them on the way back. Would love to come over to England for a few days, but it does not seem possible at the moment. Asks when Trevelyan will be going to Italy.

28, Rue de la Tourelle, Boulogne-sur-Seine. - Thanks Trevelyan for offering to help: Madame Germanova will thank him in person. She will have little time in England; asks if she can come to lunch on Sunday 22. Trevelyan can talk this over when he goes to se her play on the 20, or write to her at the Globe. They have seen Kindall several times. Has got a car on 'the instalment system'; this is the latest craze. Asks if Trevelyan could come over soon for a few days, and to be remembered to the Allens and Mrs Trevelyan. Is sorry he cannot come to England soon.

28, Rue de la Tourelle, Boulogne s/S[eine]. - Madame Germanova's theatre has failed because of the crash on Wall Street, so she is coming home to France. He and her son Andrew are going to meet her at Cherbourg tomorrow. Is very glad that they will spend Easter together, but this is bad for her career, though he thinks she might not be 'quite the person for the States'. Rexie [his dog] has come home, so he does not see Ellen Vinaver so much; will pass on Trevelyan's compliments when he does. Has only just heard from the agent at Hyderabad that he will receive his January allowance, at the end of this week.

I Tatti, Ponte a Mensola (sotto Settignagno). - Has just arrived from Paris. Mary [Berenson] is still 'very much an invalid', but B.B. and Nicky [Mariano] seem all right. Saw [Maria] Germanova in Paris, who hopes to see Julian if he comes over; [her son] Andryusha is arriving today he would see him. Also saw Betty Chetwynd, who still seems 'rather an invalid', and has to take things very easily; she is going to her mother at Nice for three weeks on Sunday and says if Julian and Ursula would like to use her flat when in Paris they need only go and tell the concierge; they need not write to her beforehand. Discovered that the friend of [Jean] Marchand who is so ill lives in the same house, so went to see them and Marchand afterwards.

28, Rue de la Tourelle, Boulogne sur Seine. - Thanks Trevelyan for his kind letters; does not know what he would do at this uncertain time if he did not have Trevelyan's 'affection and kindness enveloping... and guarding' him. Very grateful for the days he spent at the Shiffolds; asks Trevelyan to thank Mrs Trevelyan for him, as he cannot express himself adequately in a letter. Had a good crossing and found Rex [his dog] well. Has been looking after the old Indian he met in London, who has had 'three successive strokes of paralysis' and is in a bad state; he has a wife, just emerged from purdah, two illiterate servants, and two small children; he is now a little better and will be leaving for India at the beginning of next month. Suhrawardy is also helping another family of Indians, 'very fine, khaddar-clad, orthodox, gentle & fat', and Ellen [Vinaver?] jokes that he is the 'unpaid consul in Paris of Nationalist India'. Has had no time to look for flats, and cannot make any decisions, since Madame Germanova wishes to spend the three months she will be in France outside Paris, then he will go to India in October for at least three months. Is waiting for her husband [Kalitinsky] to return from Prague before he make a decision; meanwhile Rex is with Ellen and the flat is cold and empty without him. Does not know what will come of Gandhi's action [the Salt March to Dandi] but is moved to tears by it. Asks Trevelyan to write to say he has recovered from his accident, and tells him to take care when crossing roads and getting on buses. He failed, but Ellen passed, the test.

Boulogne s/ Seine. - Does not know whether he can come to Italy yet as his quarterly allowance from Hyderabad is late - '[p]eople in the Nation States are so slack and unmindful' - and he has debts to pay off; in addition, Professor Kalitinsky is trying to defer a recall to Prague so that he can look after the dog. If Trevelyan has to leave at the beginning of February, as he wrote from Berlin, Suhrawardy had better wait for him in Paris. Julian has been for lunch and met Kalitinsky, his son Andrei, and Reksusha [the dog]; Suhrawardy then saw him again with two Cambridge friends in a café in town. Has had great news from Madame Germanova whose performance at her theatre as Masha, in [Chekhov's] "Three Sisters" in English, went very well. Was looking forward to hearing the new version of [Trevelyan's] Sulla. Trevelyan is the kindest of his friends; very much hopes to get to Italy to see him. A postscript on a separate sheet describes a meeting with a friend of Cheng Sheng, Lung Wo; he looks very young but is apparently an admiral of the Chinese fleet and is travelling with his wife and children on behalf of the Nankin government. He is anxious to meet people sympathetic to the Chinese nationalists, and Suhrawardy wonders if Trevelyan could see him and introduce him to meet Waley and Lowes Dickinson, or perhaps a Labour Party member who likes China. He talks English better than Cheng Sheng, though he has a very soft voice; seems a nice, kind man, though who knows what he might have done during the revolution.

28, Rue de la Tourelle, Boulogne sur Seine. - Has been at Nice with an attack of bronchitis after his father's departure for India. Thanks Trevelyan very much for inviting him to be his guest in Italy: would like this very much, but he has too much work to do, and he could not leave Reksusha [the dog] again so soon as the old Russian princess who took him last time, and her one servant who is 85, are terrified of him. He could come in the third week of January for about ten days if Trevelyan were still there then, as Professor Kalitinsky will be there. Very happy to hear of the success of "Meleager": performances are usually better than dress rehearsals. [Robert] Bridges has not sent his book, as he promised; asks Trevelyan to write with his impressions of it. Likes the title ["The Testament of Beauty"]: there 'is something sad & wise in it'.

Is going to Italy on 6 January; if Julian is in Paris that week he might stay there for a couple of nights before travelling on. Betty Muntz is arriving from [Le] Havre on the morning of the 6th; she will spend the day in Paris then travel on to Florence, Cortona and Assisi with Bob; she will have two or three weeks in Italy, he will stay on until the end of February. Bessie has just had two teeth out, but otherwise is well; she is reading [Robin] Fedden's book, which Bob has not done yet. The [Oliver] Lodges and their baby [Rosalie Belinda] are well, as is C.A. [Clifford Allen] who is starting a debate in the House of Lords today 'more or less attacking the Government about aeroplanes'. Bob thinks he rather agrees with Mussolini that the League of Nations should be detached from the Versailles Treaty. Hopes Julian will be able to sell his film; supposes his engravings will soon be at the Leicester G[alleries]. Hopes to see [Maria] Germanova in Paris; saw Nijinsky's daughter [Kyra?] at Lady Ottoline [Morrell]'s, who pronounced Germanova's name with an accent on the second syllable instead of the third. Must write to [Hasan Shahid] Suhrawardy. Asks if Julian would like him to bring any books, such as Virginia [Woolf]'s "Flush", which is 'quite good'.

28, Rue de la Tourelle, Boulogne sur Seine. - Thanks Trevelyan for all the trouble he has taken over his own translation; agrees with nearly all the corrections, as they give 'a more living note' to the text. He has lived so long away from the 'atmosphere' of English that it has become 'dead and slow' for him. Curtis Brown Ltd are his agents in England, and will circulate the MS; has heard that it has already gone to Allen Unwin. Has missed out on the American rights for a translation of Cheng's work, and it would be very helpful, 'at this difficult period of [his] life' if it were accepted by an English publisher. Has heard from Geneva that the post he was trying for has gone to another Indian candidate; hopes that things will improve for him soon. Is not sure when he will be able to come to England. Madame Germanova has just returned from Italy, where she has been playing with the Pitoëffs, and send regards.

28, Rue de la Tourelle, Boulogne-sur-Seine. - Apologises for not writing sooner. Madame G[ermanova] has gone with the Pitoëffs to Holland and Italy so he is alone in the flat with the dog. She, her husband, and their son return for Easter; she has had great success with [Chekhov's] "Three Sisters", Figaro and so on. Asks how Trevelyan's play [his translation of Aeschylus' "Prometheus Bound"] was received at Cambridge; Trevelyan had described his impressions of the dress-rehearsal, but this is often very different to the real performance. Has asked the girl who is typing up his own translation of Sheng Cheng to send Trevelyan the first carbon copy for corrections; does not think it needs to be very literal, but wants to know how it reads in English; it has not yet been accepted by a publisher. He suggested that [Julien?] Luchaire should write to Trevelyan, because of his work as a translator and favourable attitude towards international collaboration; thinks he should reply with names of books which should be translated and others that have not been well translated. It would also be useful to mention why translations were not well done in England, and criticism of the system by which publishers give books to people; he could quote from his 'excellent preface to "Aeschylus". The man in charge of the project is Giuseppe Prezzolini, whom he admires and likes very much. Hopes Trevelyan's play for Masefield is now ready.

28, Rue de la Tourelle, Boulogne-sur-Seine. - Apologises that his reply is late: has had a 'very busy and anxious time'. Another candidate has got the Geneva post, and he is leaving the Institute [International Institute of Intellectual Co-operation] tomorrow as he cannot stay on indefinitely 'on starvation wages without any prospects'. Will try to do some literary work, and is pleased at the idea of not 'serving anyone'. Looking forward to seeing Trevelyan and Julian; hopes they have good news of Mrs Trevelyan. Madame Germanova thanks Trevelyan for her book and wishes to be remembered to him.

28, Rue de la Tourelle, Boulogne-sur-Seine. - Was going to write the Trevelyans to thank them for their hospitality: delightful to meet Trevelyan again after so many years. Finds it hard to make new friends now so values old ties all the more. Will keep the Sunday when Trevelyan comes to Paris free, and hopes he will come to dine with them when he arrives on Saturday. Has heard nothing yet about the Geneva job; is very anxious about it as it is his 'only chance to get a background of comparative security' and his struggles since leaving Russia have affected his health and spirit. Not easy for someone like him, who has preferred adventure, to be 'taken back into the folds of respectability'. Lord Lytton, who led the Indian Delegation this year, promised to secure the post, but Suhrawardy fears his Indian advisors favour other candidates. Has spoken much about Trevelyan to Marie Germanova, who will be pleased to meet him and regrets that her husband [Aleksandr Kalitinsky ] 'a Byzantinist & a very fine man' will be out of Paris. Asks to be remembered to Mrs Trevelyan and Julian, whom he hopes is ready for Cambridge.

Thanks Julian for his letter; asks him to let them know next time whether [Maria] Germanova, [Aleksandr] K[alitinski] and Rex [their dog] are living in [Hasan] Suhrawardy's rooms or elsewhere, whether they are very uncomfortable, and whether they have heard when Suhrawardy is returning, as he was 'very vague' in his last letter, though he seemed to like Bob's "Epistle" to him. Terence [Gray] and [Frank] Birch seem to want to produce his translation of Euripides' "Medea" at the end of May; thinks this means Birch rather than Terence, and perhaps he will like his production more than he usually does Terence's. Does not know whom they have chosen to play Medea, and fears it will be 'no one adequate'; Germanova is 'out of the question... after the fiasco of Terence trying to get her for nothing last year'; in addition she would need weeks of study and coaching to do it in English, even if she could leave Kalitinski, which she clearly cannot; asks Julian to say how Kalitinski is now. Bessie is distributing the notices for [George] Reavey's book ["Faust’s Metamorphoses: Poems"]; Bob thinks it would be better if they had a sample of the poetry as well as the drawings. Sends his love to [Jean] Marchand, if Julian sees him again. Will not go to Paris at Easter, nor to Wallington for Kitty's wedding, but stay at the Shiffolds. C.A. [Clifford Allen] is 'fairly well', but has 'ups and downs'; Bob is going with the Allens to see René Clair's ["À nous la] Liberté" on Thursday, but otherwise he 'plug[s] away at [his translation of] Lucretius"; will soon have to get in touch with [Hugh] Sykes Davies again. Julian's Mount Athos picture 'looks very well on the floor still'; must put it up over the fireplace. Quotes a poem by Po Chu-I [Bai Juyi] about his study. Things are going more smoothly at Edinburgh now; thinks [his and Tovey's opera "The Bride of Dionysus"] will be better sung and produced than last time.

Originally enclosing a 'rag of a News-sheet, which has been practically edited by C.A. [Clifford Allen] for the P.M. [Ramsay MacDonald] under very difficult circumstances'; for example, he 'could not get the P.M. to improve his obscure and somewhat crude article'. It may be a 'beginning of something valuable'; it is mainly 'addressed to Labour people'. Bessie is writing to [Maria] Germanova and hopes she can come over with Andreyusha [Kalitinski, Germanova's son]; unfortunately he will have to be in Edinburgh from about 18 March until the end of the month; everything is going well there at present [re the production of his and Donald Tovey's opera the "Bride of Dionysus"] as far as he knows. Francis Birrell has asked for Julian's address, as a young cousin of his is studying at the Sorbonne and thinks it would be good if they could meet. Julian's picture is now hung up in the library, and looks good there. Asks if Julian has borrowed a 'small "Tristan Shandy" and "[The Brothers] Karamazov". Will send his own new book ["Rimeless Numbers"] soon.

National Liberal Club, Whitehall Place, S.W.1. - Glad to hear Julian is coming to London soon; [Maria] Germanova will be here on 24 February to act [Hjalmar Bergman's] "Joe et Cie". He and Elizabeth have written to her suggesting she should come a few days earlier and visit the Shiffolds; Shahid [Suhrawardy] could meet her in London; if this is impossible, they hope she will visit on Sunday morning between performances, since she must return straight after the Sunday evening one. Has got Julian a ticket for the play on Friday; also one for the Busch Quartet which they hope he will come to. C.A. [Clifford Allen] is ill again, after a 'very good winter'; but he seems a little better now.

c/o Conte Umberto Morra di Lavriano, Villa Metelliano, Cortona, prov. di Arezzo, Italy. - He and [Umberto] Morra send best wishes for the New Year. Has been here a week after a fortnight at I Tatt; Mary [Berenson] was 'very ill', but seems to be recovering; it will however be a 'long illness'. Only saw her twice, for a couple of minutes; she was 'very charming' and asked after Julian. B.B. [Bernard Berenson] was 'subdued, but very sympathetic'. There were no dinner guests, so most nights Nicky [Mariano] read aloud "Anna Karenina", which he found very fine and much 'more subtle' than he, or B.B., remembered. Aubrey and Lina [Waterfield] were 'a bit tired out by their two pupils'; they and [their daughter] Kinta all asked after Julian and seemed to have enjoyed his visit. Hears from Bessie that Julian's show opens on 15 January; if he stays in England until the end of the month Bob will be sure to be back at home. If C.A. [Clifford Allen] goes to Paris, will try to meet him there. Expects he will stop for two or three days at I Tatti when B.B. returns around the 20th, then come back home. Though it is very cold, has been out in the hills every afternoon trying to start a long poem. The "Nation" have at last published his 'blasphemous poem'. He and Morra read Shakespeare, Ariosto and Tasso in the evening; Makalé [the dog] barks on these moonlit nights, which makes him 'open the window and shout at him in English and Italian'. Sends love to [Maria] Germanova, [Alexandr] Kalitinski and Andr[usha Kalitinski] if Julian sees them. Is going to Florence to celebrate the new year with Alda [Anrep], Nicky etc. Glad Julian is seeing Millet; John Walker will probably be in Paris for a few days so Bob has given him Julian's address, but explained he is likely to be very busy; got to like Walker, who will probably stay at the [Hotel] Londres, 'very much this time'.

Poggio allo Spino, Consuma (Prov. di Firenze). - Elizabeth sent Julian's letter giving Belgrade p[oste] r[estante] as an address, so hopes this will be forwarded. Glad Julian has had so good a time; expects he will be in Greece by now. Is at B.B. [Bernard Berenson]'s; [Raffaello] Piccoli is here at the moment talking to Berenson about Sir Thomas Browne, whom he has been translating. He is evidently still 'far from well', but seems better today; if Julian is passing through Naples on his rerun from Greece Piccoli hopes he will visit him there. The Waterfields [Aubrey, Lina and their children] are also hoping Julian will come to Poggio [Gherardo] on his way back; he himself spent 'a very pleasant week in camp with them', doing some work on [his translation of] Lucretius and his own writing; they were all very nice, though Aubrey 'as usual was often very cross, chiefly with Lina, who always takes it very nicely'. Everyone seemed to have enjoyed Julian's visit, and he 'had become more or less legendary': Bob was for instance taken to see the rock which Julian 'had split by painting it', and Aubrey had done a sketch of the incident. Cecil [Anrep], who is 'very nice, and knows English much better' is here for a few days. Bob is travelling to Paris on Tuesday, will spend two nights with [Hasan] Suhrawardy and [Maria] Germanova, then go to London on Friday and the Shiffolds on Saturday. [Aleksandr] Kalitinski and Germanova, and he supposes Rex [the dog], will probably go to Prague for the winter; S[uhrawardy] is going to India after spending a few days in England. Kalitinski seemed much better when Bob was in Paris a month ago; while there Bob went to the Colonial Exhibition and saw the Bali Ballet. B.B. and Nicky [Mariano] would be glad to se Julian if he comes to Poggio. Roger [Fry] seems to have been at Florence and to have 'got on quite well with B.B.'.

Everyone hopes Julian will be 'very careful about the dogs' if he goes walking in Greece; he [and his friend Ralph Parker] 'should both have big sticks, as long as possible'; B.B. is sure that 'the young man who was lost on Parnassus' was killed by dogs, though Bob thinks it more likely he fell down a precipice. B.B. thinks Mistra [Mystras] is 'much more interesting' as regards art than Athos, though he has not been to the latter; he is 'very much irritated against Biron [Robert Byron]', who is now writing for the "Statesman", and says he 'talks great nonsense about art'; still, 'one might get a good deal from his book ["The Station, Athos"]'.

Wonders whether Julian will come to England before settling at Paris again; he should find the Shiffolds 'more or less in order'. Does not understand the 'political upset in England', and is reserving judgment until he can see C[lifford] A[llen] and others; T.M. [? ie Thomas Sturge Moore?] writes that Allen is also reserving judgement until the facts, which are 'very complicated', are clearer; Bob however thinks it a 'bad business', and that the Labour movement is 'smashed up for some time'; this is not a 'National Government', but a 'Tory-Liberal Coalition, which may, or may not, have been necessary to save the pound from collapsing'. Hopes Allen will not 'take it too tragically'. Encloses a 'poem in Po Chu I's manner', "Comano" which refers to a wonderful view he, Aubrey and Lina discovered one day; dated Aug 1931.

Does not think he will be able to come to Italy before 3 August: has to go to the Toveys again next week to for proof-reading, then must spend a few nights in Paris with [Hasan] Suhrawardy and [Maria] Germanova. Might go to Aulla 'and to the camp for a few days', but wants to get to the Berensons as soon as he can, so will not be able to stay long. Hopes Julian is having a good time and will get to Athos soon. Will let Aubrey [Waterfield] know his plans as soon as he can. Sorry he will miss Julian at Aulla, and sends love to everyone. He and Bessie are in the Shiffolds now, 'more or less camping' but it is all right and Bessie is well.

Furzen Wood. - Glad to hear this morning that Julian is all right; hopes he will manage to see the Abercrombies [Lascelles and Catherine?] and that the Luces [Gordon and Tee Tee] will see them too. Is going into a nursing home in London on Wednesday for an operation, which 'is not at all dangerous' but will mean a stay of around a month; hopes this will not affect Bessie's visit to Paris, as she ought to go while the Luces are still there. Will have to put off seeing [Hugh?] Sykes; asks if St John's College, Cambridge will be enough as an address. Asks Julian to tell the Luces, [Hasan] Suhr[awardy] and [Maria] Germanova not to worry, and not to do so himself. Saw Julian Bell last week at the Woolfs, and 'had some interesting talk with him'.