22 St Ann's Terrace, London, N.W.8. - Thanks Trevelyan very much for sending her the Hymn to Demeter [his translation in this year's "From the Shiffolds"]. Is reading a lot of ancient Greek at the moment, in translation as she 'never got beyond the definite article', so it 'could not have come more appositely'. Thinks the poem 'most beautiful', and has read it several times, including aloud. Also enjoyed Trevelyan's "Oedipus at Colonus" and "Prometheus Bound": asks if he has translated any other plays. His are the only translations of the many she has tried which have given her 'any feeling of what the original must be like'. Is now starting his Lucretius, which she can 'follow, but not read properly' in Latin. Is very sorry she has had Trevelyan's translation of Montaigne for so long: had hoped Cape would agree to publish it, and 'did not want to hurry him as this is bad strategy'. He considered it carefully and would like to, but it is 'too long for him', but has given her some advice. Asks if she can keep it longer to pursue 'one or two other ideas'.
Pension Palumbo, Ravello, presso Amalfi. - Has received the "Descent of the Primates" from Professor [Ambrosius] Hubrecht and found it very interesting; a long time since he read Darwin and 'tried to imagine [his] hairy, long-eard, tail-bearing, tree-haunting ancestors' and the paper has 'quite revived' the old fascination; never thought the hedgehog was 'so comparatively near a relation'. He and [Roger] Fry used to have one in London to kill black-beetles, which they called Hochi-Weechi, the Romany for hedgehog. Obviously Hubrecht's work is 'of great importance and value'. Had forgotten to send him the address of his own spectacle shop, and will do so when he writes to thank him. Had also forgotten to tell Mrs Cacciola [Florence Trevelyan; about their engagement]; will write at once. Hopes Gredel [Guije] gets through [her exam].
Continues the letter next day. Has got on 'fairly well' with his play recently; the sirocco is blowing today so he cannot do much except copy out what he has done so far, translate some Sophocles, and deal with correspondence. Old Palumbo is about the same; his wife does not want Bob to go unless absolutely necessary. Has not yet had a letter, or rings from which to choose one for her, from the Frys, but has written to them. Has had a 'charming' letter from Tommy Phelps [17/156], whom he calls 'almost my eldest friend' and had jokingly warned him against Dutch ladies when he would not tell him why he was going to Holland again so soon; it was also Phelps who originated the Vondel / fondle pun. Also returns C [Charles Trevelyan?]'s letter. Copies out some lines from "Troilus and Cressida", which he discusses briefly.
Pension Palumbo, Ravello, preso Amalfi. - Corrects Bessie's Italian for his address. Details of post times. The weather continues to be bad so he has been reading, writing letters, and finishing copying out [Thomas Sturge Moore's] "Danaë". Thanks her for sending on the "Chronicle". Has written for the "Manchester Guardian", as he agrees with it about the [Second Boer] War; its editor [C.P.] Scott was here when he arrived, and he had a long talk with him about the war. The "Guardian" is 'almost the best paper in England, being cosmopolitan'; is encouraged that Scott says he has 'kept most of his public, in spite of his attitude to the war', and that opposition to their policy led to the resignation of the "Chronicle's" editors, rather than public opinion. Hopes Bessie's visit to the dentist went well. Discussion of the lack of interest in romantic love in Sophocles and its treatment by the other ancient tragedians; contrasts this with the way 'almost all the great modern dramatis, Shakespear [sic], Racine, Molière, de Vega etc. fetch their subjects from Venus' archives'. Continues the letter later, after 'scribbling off a severe commentary on some of the obscurities in Moore's "Danaë"' and reading the first chapters of [Joseph Henry Shorthouse's] "John Inglesant", which Mrs Reid lent him this afternoon. Has told her about Bessie and she took a great interest; she is 'a dear old lady, and very kind' to him. Improvises a poem about being a black beetle crawling under Bessie's door to give her kisses.
Returns to the letter next evening; has been outside most of the day, spending the morning in Mrs Reid's garden, though not really able to work, and walking in the afternoon. Hopes to start work in a day or two on another play, not the one he showed Bessie. Has begun his commentary on Moore's "Danaë," but it will take him hours. Tells her to show the photographs his mother sent her to her uncle and aunt. Is touched by what she says about trusting him. Hopes that [Ambrose Hubrecht's] whale 'has been successfully dissected'; disappointed to hear 'he is not going to Utrecht whole, to be stuffed, or bottled.'
Continues the letter next day. Has been reading Chaucer and 'commenting on Danaë's little faults'. Perhaps exaggerated when he said 'modern art scarcely seemed to exist at all', but does feel that modern art is 'on the wrong lines', though 'men like Degas and Puvis de Chavannes and Whistler, and even often Watts and Burne Jones, have done great things'. Would be wrong to persuade himself that bad art was good, and there are times when 'circumstances have made great art difficult or impossible', such as literature in the middle ages. Does not think the Frys' attitude to art is exclusive; they may well be in music, but they know less about that.
14 Calverley Park, Tunbridge Wells. -Thanks Trevelyan for sending him his book ["The Bride of Dionysus"]; he makes 'the old legends live again'. Wonders if the opera has been performed yet, as Trevelyan says the music [by Donald Tovey] is completed; will look out for notices. Trevelyan's vers libre does not appeal to him, but 'poets have every right to try experiments', and he is right to use it if it seems most suitable to him. Is perhaps most interested by Trevelyan's 'handling of hex. metre [hexameter]' in his version of Lucretius, which seems to use six accents rather than regular feet; has doubts, which also apply to [Robert] Bridges, [Henry] Newbolt, [Lascelles] Abercrombie and others, whether speech-accent gives 'sufficient certainty'; discusses with examples. Otherwise he admires the lines as a 'scholarly exercise'. Has never understood the metre of "Attys" [Catullus 63], in the original or in other translations; amuses him to 'what different views' people seem to have. Has written a great deal about metre: this is not the sole criterion for judging poetry, but he does take it seriously, for 'is it not that alone which differentiates it from prose?'; perhaps that is why he thinks the lines from [Sophocles's] "Ajax" most successful. Remembers Trevelyan quoting the chorus [from the "Bride of Dionysus" itself] on page 13 to him. Hopes that the Trevelyans are well; he and his wife much enjoyed last summer and hope for more of the same this year. Have been at home all winter 'as usual', but now thinking of travelling, though after the Browning centenary celebration in Westminster which they hope to go to; wonders if they will see Trevelyan there. Has written little this winter apart from correspondence and a few reviews and 'letters to weeklies etc'; encloses something about hexameters from the "Modern Literary Review", which gives copies of articles instead of cash payments ["Homer's Odyssey: A Line-for-Line Translation in the Metre of the Original by H. B. Cotterill", The Modern Language Review", Vol. 7, No. 2 (Apr., 1912), pp. 257-262; no longer present]. Was glad to get [Henry Bernard] Cotterill's book for review as it is published only in an expensive edition, but was disappointed by his verse; had hoped for better from things he had written about prosody. Trevelyan's brother [George] has had a 'grand success' with his books about Garibaldi, which he himself has read with 'delight' and 'reviving of old enthusiasms', while Trevelyan's father is still writing new books and having old books republished.
Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - Glad that Robert and Elizabeth have the house organised, and fine weather to enjoy it. Caroline is sending the "Times [Literary] Supplement" with an article [of his own "Interludes in Verse and Prose"] which is very pleasing, particularly the writer's appreciation of the Trevelyan 'family way of viewing the classics'. Has recently read [Plautus's] "Rudens" with much delight, and [Sophocles's] "Ajax" with less; Greek tragedy is not his 'special province', but he has much admired Jebb's translation of phrases in Charles's old school edition. Awaiting 'the event at Cambo' [the birth of Charles and Mary's daughter, Pauline]; thinks 'expectation keeps Charley idle, which is good for him'. The casts he has made from his photographs of Alexander's sarcophagus at Constantinople are most beautiful; not right to call his art 'idleness', but it is better for him as a change from writing and speaking.
Hotel & Pension Palumbo, Ravello, preso Amalfi. - She will see he did not need to 'test out the prudence and orderliness of his mind', as she instructed: he has almost finished Elizabeth's paper, but knew there would be plenty at 'so well-appointed a hotel as the Pension Palumbo'; expects Mrs [Helen] Fry has written to her again; has brought a strop, and also a new razor as he left his at the Hague. Hopes her photographs come out well; she must send one; he will get himself photographed on his return, meanwhile she has the drawing of him and the photograph from Taormina. Glad she had good music to 'compensate for her sufferings on Friday'; expects she will soon go to Amsterdam to see her new [violin] teacher [Bram Eldering]. Glad her 'translation ordeal' is over; reassures her that she must not worry about telling him little details: he likes learning how she lives, and she has 'the gift of making trifling events interesting'. Quotes [Hilaire Belloc's] "Book of Beasts" on "The Whale"; wonders how long '[Ambrosius] Hubrecht's whale' is, and how it will be taken to Utrecht; supposes it will have to be towed along the canal. Has not received the American speech. Honoured that she is dreaming about him; will try to 'live worthily of one who has been inside [her] head at night-time'.
Has been answering her letter [9/14] 'point by point'; little to say about herself as he has been 'pent up' by the rain since his arrival; fears it will be at least a week before the woods are dry enough for him to work there, but will have Mrs Reid's garden as soon as it is fair and some other places. Did not see Mrs Reid yesterday when he called as she was ill, only her companion Miss Allan, of whom Elizabeth need not be jealous: the Frys used to call her 'the grenadier', she is 'much too old' for Robert, though nice and good to talk to occasionally; Mrs Reid is 'a dear'. Has been reading Mommsen, which he likes 'better than almost any novel' and which makes him feel 'history is the only thing worth writing'; however, few people write it like Mommsen. Has also been re-reading [John Bunyan's] "Pilgrim's Progress" and liking it more than ever; those, with Chaucer and Sophocles, are his 'daily bread' until the storms are over, but Elizabeth is his 'wine'. Cannot 'quite put into words what it is... to have someone to whom [he] can and wish[es] to say everything that comes into [his] head'; has had many friends but always felt 'reserved in certain directions' in a way he does not with Elizabeth; makes him feel 'so much less lonely' than he has often done; will listen to and understand her as she will him. Is 'not afraid of marriage, in spite of Chaucer, and other pessimists'. Knows he 'linger[s] out his goodbye' as he used to do at her door in the evening; used to 'wish to run off' with her as she peeped round the door.
5 Sloane Court, London, S.W.3. - Thanks Trevelyan for his translations, which both enjoyed; she particularly liked the Sophocles ["Oedipus at Colonus"]. Wonders if Trevelyan knew her grandfather, A. J. Butler, writer of "Sport in Classic Times" and his Greek translations, "Amaranth and Asphodel". They rang Irene [Cooper Willis?] up recently, who said she would bring Trevelyan for supper after Christmas; will ring again to arrange a day. Hopes Trevelyan's son's exhibition at the Lefevre has gone well.
Blank printed order forms for "The Death of Man". Press cuttings, most sent to Trevelyan by Durrant's Press Cuttings agency, from: the "Westminster Gazette" [also reviewing "Three Days" by Rose Macaulay]; "Athenaeum"; "Nation" [also reviewing John Still's "Poems in Captivity" and Macaulay's "Three Days"]; "Challenge", reviewing both Trevelyan's "Ajax of Sophocles" translation and "The Death of Man", as well as several works by other writers]; "Expository Times", printing Trevelyan's poem "Clouds" in full; and the "Spectator" [also reviewing the works of several other poets]. Also a review by Rose Macaulay from an unknown newspaper of "Some Recent Verse", including "The Death of Man", and another unidentified review of this plus the "Ajax" by 'B. S.'
Furzen Wood. - Originally enclosing 'a review that may interest' which he thinks, on stylistic grounds, is written by Roger [Fry]. Hopes Julian is enjoying the South of France. Bessie seems quite well, and to be enjoying herself in Holland; he himself is not totally well yet, which he has made an excuse for not going to see [Terence Gray's production of his translation of] "Antigone" at Cambridge, though he goes to London to see Donald [Tovey]'s concerts and some of the Russian operas, and is probably doing too much. Negotiations for performance of Tovey's opera ["The Bride of Dionysus", for which Bob wrote the libretto] again next February or March. Doubts if he will go abroad in July, but will probably go to the Lakes with the C.A.s [Clifford Allens] for a while, and must go to see Tovey at Hedenham to get him to 'correct his programme proofs at last'; Bessie could come later if Julian is coming over just then.
Furzen Wood, Abinger Common, near Dorking. - Has been sent some money for Julian's furniture, which he has paid into the account at Drummond's. Elizabeth has had to put off her visit to the Netherlands because of her 'nose-bleeding', which is 'not serious but a nuisance'; expects she will be able to go in a week or two. Is 'fairly right again' now himself, though gets tired if he does too much. They went to London on Wednesday for Donald [Tovey]'s first concert with Adila [Fachiri], who played a Bach sonata with Donald's new Dolmetsch harpsichord - though this could not be heard at all, 'as Adila would not play softly, though she said she did', and the Wigmore Hall 'swallowed up the poor harpsichord's jangling in its unacoustic maw'. The rest of the concert went well. Sorry to hear that Shahid [Suhrawardy] is ill and hopes it is not serious; supposes this may prevent him going to India. Hopes [Aleksandr] Kalitinski is better. Is going to see his [translation of Sophocles'] "Antigone" 'performed, or misperformed, by Terence [Gray]' at Cambridge; has kept away from rehearsals so is 'not responsible'. Has begun work again on an epistle to [Arthur] Waley and 'plugging away at [translating] Lucretius'. Must write to [Hugh?] Sykes soon to see when he can come to talk about it. He and Bessie are 'both quite cheerful, in spite of noses and operations'; the Allens [Clifford and Joan] also seem all right, though they have to take [their daughter] Polly up to London every other day for eye exercises. Hopes Julian's 'frescoe [sic] project will flourish'; warns him not to fall off the scaffold 'like Barna [da Siena] at San Geminiano [San Gimignano]'. Asks to be remembered to [George] Reavey, and hopes he has recovered.
George Allen & Unwin Ltd, 40 Museum Street, London W. C. 1. - For Trevelyan's translation of the "Ajax" of Sophocles. Gives price of book; number of copies sold, given out to press or free, and in stock. Note the first five hundred sold are free of royalty.
For a copy of "Ajax" [Trevelyan's translation of Sophocles's play], sent to Trevelyan on 14 December 1934.
Upper case list of contents in Trevelyan's hand, made of several strips of paper joined together (one sheet, other sections with relevant portions of the translation)
Two lists of contents in Trevelyan's hand.
Typescripts of Trevelyan's translations, with many corrections and annotations in Trevelyan's hand, of: the "Homeric Hymn to Demeter"; "Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite"; "Homeric Hymn to Dionysus" (two copies); "Homeric Hymn to Pan" (two copies); fragments from lost tragedies by Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides (one complete copy, plus four gatherings of parts of this section, one including a MS page with a translation of Sophocles 583; choruses from Aeschylus and Sophocles, with a note by Trevelyan explaining his use of metre (one complete copy, with some duplicates of parts); fragments from lost comedies by Eupolis, Phrynichus, Moschio, Menander, Alexis, Philemon, Apollodorus of Caristus, Philetairos, and two anonymous pieces (several copies and part copies); lyrics by Theognis, Alcman, Ibycus, Simonides, Pindar and Bacchylides, as well as the Swallow Song of Rhodes (several copies and part copies); epigrams from the "Greek Anthology" by Asklepiades, Nikias, Strato of Sardis, Plato, Addaeus, Lucianus, and two anonymous pieces, with upper case handwritten list of contents (several copies and part copies).
Galley proofs of: "Translations from Greek Poetry" (three copies, various numberings and contents).
Also includes typescripts of Trevelyan's translations of Homer, which were not included in the "Translations from Greek Poetry" [see letter from Stanley Unwin, 24/45]: loose sheets with a translation of "Iliad XIV" [two copies], along with an typed introduction by Trevelyan, both with handwritten corrections; gatherings fastened together with butterfly clips with translations of "Iliad XVIII" [four copies], "Iliad XXI. (526-611.)" [two copies], "Iliad XXII" [two copies], "Iliad XXIII". Also typescript of a translation of book 9 of the "Odyssey".
George Allen & Unwin Ltd, 40 Museum Street, London W. C. 1. - For Trevelyan's translation of the "Ajax" of Sophocles. Gives price of book; number of copies sold, given out to press or free, and in stock. Note the first five hundred sold are free of royalty.
For a copy of "Ajax" [Trevelyan's translation of Sophocles's play], sent to Trevelyan on 14 December 1934.
George Allen & Unwin Ltd, Ruskin House, 40 Museum Street, London W. C. 1. - For Trevelyan's translation of the "Ajax" of Sophocles. Gives price of book; number of copies sold, given out to press or free, and in stock. Note the first five hundred sold are free of royalty.
Scholefields lectures, surprised that he considers JHM's notes on the Electra worthwhile, cares little for either of two alternative readings in Sophocles
George Allen & Unwin Ltd, Ruskin House, 40 Museum Street, London W. C. 1. - For Trevelyan's translation of the "Ajax" of Sophocles. Gives price of book; number of copies sold, given out to press or free, and in stock. Note the first five hundred sold are free of royalty, and that there are no sales of Trevelyan's "Death of Man" and "Foolishness of Solomon".
Paste on typed label on front, "Oedipus Coloneus", corrected in Trevelyan's hand to "Oedipus at Colonus"; Trevelyan's name added in pencil. Line numbers added to text and other corrections and annotations in Trevelyan's hand. Three loose pages of typescript with Trevelyan's introduction to the text, quoting extensively from J. T. Sheppard and explaining that Trevelyan has used Jebb's text and that the line numbers come from that version.
British Museum, W.C. - Lucky that he did not come [to visit Bob, see 17/4], as he developed flu; is alright now, and asks if the weekend of 17 May would work instead. Hopes the Shoves came; has not seen them; sure Francis [Birrell?] arrived. Has been 'deluged' with proofs for "Jap[anese] Poetry", "The Story of Ts'ui Ying-ying ", and "More Translations from Chinese", though the last is not due to be published until September so he need not rush. Asks if Bob would be kind enough to look it over after Miss [Beryl] de Zoete, who is 'fairly good at spotting howlers'. The sum he mentioned as a possible fee from the Art Theatre '[for Bob translating Aeschylus' "Prometheus", see 17/2?] was too large; believes it would be about twenty-five pounds, but this is unofficial. Enjoyed James [Strachey]'s piece about Claudel's "L'Otage" in the "Athenaeum", as well as Lytton [Strachey]'s essay on Lady Hester Stanhope [in the issues of 4 and 11 April]; it 'ought to be rather an entertaining periodical under its new management'.
Received a cheque for a hundred and forty five pounds from Constable; this seemed very little, but it turned out to be for his cousin Adolf Waley for "The Re-making of China". He himself had sold about 1300 copies [of "A Hundred and Seventy Chinese Poems"] by 31 December. Asks Bob whether he agreed terms with Constable for his [translation of Sophocles'] "Ajax"; heard that he could not do so with Unwin. Yoshio Markino visited him yesterday and 'got very excited trying to write down his favourite Chinese poems'; however, he could not remember the characters and 'sat holding his head in his hands & groaning'; he learned them in Japan as a child, nearly fifty years ago. Heard from [Goldsworthy Lowes] Dickinson 'discovering a "Chinese passage" in Shakespeare'; has 'not quite succeeded in deciphering his letter'. Dickinson also told him that Thomas Hardy prefers Cranmer-Byng to him which is 'hardly surprising'; he was 'astonished' to hear Hardy liked his own versions at all. Ezra Pound is going to settle at Toulouse, where he will 'wake up the sleepy Meridionals'. Wonders if [John] Rodker's [Ovid] Press has begun to print yet; feels he should order some books from it, but knows he would 'hate them so when they came'. Has got a gramophone and 'catalogues of all the exotic music of the Globe' but does not know how to choose. Has lots of 'India, Chinese, Lithuanian, Russian, Arabian, Serbian, Hungarian and Spanish records [to choose from?]'; has only got Mozart and rag-time at present.
Is 'very culpable and negligent' towards Trevelyan, but he is 'always so indulgent' that Marchand hopes he will be pardoned again; he is obviously an 'almost disgustingly lazy being'. Begins by thanking Trevelyan as well as 'the young artist' [Julian]: asks if Julian still likes Corot, and if so to continue his appreciation of that artist, whom Marchand himself loves more and more. As Trevelyan thought, they are at Vence; he had a hard job 'detaching Sonia [Lewitska] from the hill' where she 'incrusts herself every winter like a crab on a rock'. Hasn't seen Trevelyan for a long time; has a fond memory of the first time he met Madame Trevelyan, for whom he feels much affinity; his regret for not visiting her at 'Gluffolds' [an error for Shiffolds?] is greater, and he regrets that he no longer knows when he will be in London again, since the exchange rate is 'ruinous' and the future 'quite sombre'. Wonders what has become of everyone who was gathered then: has not seen [Francis] Birrell or [Arthur?] Waley since then, though he thinks often of them. Waley sent him a book which he read slowly and has re-read continuously about the works of Lao-tse and other Chinese writers, translated by Vignier: it is both full of old experience and new goodness, and some phrases apply perfectly to the current situation. Is only returning to Paris in the last week of April; Trevelyan will give him great pleasure if they can meet then. Adds a postscript as Sonia sends best regards to both Trevelyans. Marchand asks if Trevelyan is still working on his translation of Aeschylus and Sophocles. Has seen that in the last election 'notre ami' Winston Churchill was beaten again: he can then leave it all for his 'mad passion - that of painting'. Asks Trevelyan to send him Waley's address if he has a chance.
Press cuttings from: the "Cambridge Review"; "Observer"; "Granta"; and "Journal of Education" (also including a review of L. J. Morison's verse translation of the "Antigone").
Newspaper cuttings with reviews, most sent to Trevelyan by Durrant's Press Cuttings Agency from: the Daily Herald; Birmingham Post; Scotsman; Observer [by J. C. Squire, also reviewing a book on poetry by Lascelles Abercrombie]; Glasgow Herald; Daily Express; North Eastern Daily Gazette; Daily Telegraph; Cambria Daily Leader; Nation and Athenaeum [by Vita Sackville-West]; Daily News; Saturday Review; Nottingham Guardian; Spectator [also reviewing Trevelyan's translations of Theocritus and Sophocles' Antigone and mentioning a republication of works on poetry by Samuel Daniel and Thomas Campion; see 26/12/1-2 for correspondence about this review]; Manchester Guardian; Times Literary Supplement [also discussion of works by Daniel, Campion and Sonnenschein]; Poetry Review [by Arthur Hood]; Outlook; Calendar; Adelphi; Clarion [by Thomas Moult]; Western Daily Press; Christian Science Monitor; Nation; Time and Tide [by Thomas Moult]; Nature; New Statesman [also discussing essays on poetry by Edith Sitwell and Robert Graves, by 'Affable Hawk' - Desmond MacCarthy, as is noted in an annotation]; Saturday Review of Literature; New Leader [by C. Henry Warren, also discussing works by Sitwell, Graves, and Abercrombie]; Fortnightly Review [by Robert Graves, on The Future of English Poetry]; Women's Leader & Common Cause; Glasgow Herald [re Graves' 'interesting reply to Mr Robert Trevelyan...']; Nottingham Guardian [also on the debate between Graves and Trevelyan]; New Age; and Richmond and Twickenham Times.
Contains: verse epigraph, "You who can hear the victims crying...", by 'J. R. B' [J. R. M. Butler?]; the story of the play, by J. T. S[heppard]; photograph of 'The Provost of King's' [Sheppard]; photograph of P. A. S. Hadley; brief essay, "The Antigone of Sophocles"; dramatis personae; note on "The Performance at Athens in 1937", by G. M. Young; list of orchestra members; photograph of Geoffrey Wright; photograph of Camille Prior; production team; Greek Play Committee; list of Greek Plays performed at Cambridge still in print; material relating to Cambridge Arts Theatre,
Press cuttings with reviews of Trevelyan's translation of the "Antigone" of Sophocles, most sent to Trevelyan by Durrant's Press Cuttings agency, from: the "Aberdeen Press and Journal"; the "Manchester Guardian"; the "Nation and Athenaeum" (article by Leonard Woolf, "The World of Books: Greek in English", which also reviews the Loeb translations of Aristophanes by Benjamin Bickley Rogers, George Moore's translation of "Daphnis and Chloe", and Francis Birrell and Shane Leslie's translation of Plato's "Symposium"); the "Times Literary Supplement"; "T.P's & Cassell's Weekly"; the "Scotsman"; the "Liverpool Daily Courier"; "Time and Tide" (also reviewing nine other new poetry books, including works by Swinburne, Sacheverell Sitwell and A. C. Benson); the "Bookman" (also reviewing Francis and Tatum's translation of Martial's epigrams); the "Classical Review" (also discussing other translations, including J T. Sheppard's version of Euripides' "Helen", the second volume of A. S. Way's "Aeneid", and Francis and Tatum's Martial); and the London Mercury (also reviewing Gilbert Murray's translation of the "Choephoroe", Verrall's translation of Aristophanes' "Birds" for the Cambridge production directed by J. T. Sheppard, and other verse translations of the classics".
Translation of Montaigne II.10 and "Oedipus at Colonus" 184ff. Notebook also used from other end: translation of Montaigne II.8 and III.7. Also list of names on three pages - 'E[lizabeth] T[revelyan], Miss [Rosalind] Simpkins, K[enneth?] Clark...' - crossed through in red with blue crosses and line [probably a distribution list, perhaps for "From the Shiffolds", since the third page has a note ''38 copies left. 39 envelopes']. Draft verse - 'It is true that lovers care little...' - and prose piece about 'ecstasies'. Draft letter from Trevelyan to [Kenneth] Sisam asking whether he is interested in publishing Trevelyan's translations of Montaigne's "Essays"; letter to be sent with a draft introduction explaining the principles by which Trevelyan has chosen the essays translated, a list of translated essays, and some examples [22/15 may be Sisam's reply to this letter, dated 24 Jan 1947]. Translation of Montaigne II.1, II.6, "Essay on Education" [from Book I], II.11 "on Cruelty", II.1, II.6, I.40
George Allen & Unwin Ltd, Ruskin House, Publishers & Exporters, 40 Museum Street, London W. C. - Thanks Unwin for his letter of 15 December [see 24/38]; thinks it 'quite fair' to share the publisher's loss on his translation of the "Ajax" in return for them cancelling the agreement, and will enclose a cheque for fifteen pounds. Will be happy to acknowledge Allen & Unwin as the publishers of his "Foolishness of Solomon" when including it in his collected edition, and will send them a copy; the poems will come out in two volumes at Easter or in the autumn, and translations and prose in another two volumes six months later.
George Allen & Unwin Ltd, Ruskin House, Publishers & Exporters, 40 Museum Street, London W. C. - Has had the 'flu, so is only now relying to Trevelyan's letter of 10th December; this 'came as rather a disappointment', as Unwin had hoped one day that his firm might 'have the privilege of publishing' a complete poetic works for Trevelyan. The position regarding Trevelyan's translation of "Ajax" resembles that of his translation of Lucretius, except that Allen and Unwin's 'out of pocket loss' and unsold stock are greater for "Ajax": though Trevelyan contributed towards the cost of production, the publishers are still at a loss of thirty pounds. Explains how much stock is left. For the translation of Lucretius, Trevelyan shared the loss, with the agreement was cancelled and a large portion of stock was cancelled; asks if that seems appropriate also for the "Ajax". Does not want to cancel the agreement for the "Foolishness of Solomon" as he 'value[s] the connection' with Trevelyan's work; however would agree to it being included in a collected edition provided that the above arrangement for the "Ajax" were agreed, Allen & Unwin were named as original publishers, and a copy of the collected edition were sent to the firm.
Welcombe, Stratford on Avon. - Sends Robert and Elizabeth an extract from the Stratford paper; 'it was a difficult and critical matter, well and pleasantly settled'. Caroline is 'less well and strong'; he himself has 'more business and correspondence' than suits him, but thinks he has a 'certain toughness' which keeps him in better health than she enjoys. Thanks Robert for his [translation of Sophocles's] "Antigone"; has read the preface with interest. It is a 'tribute' to Jane Austen that he 'can neither accede to, or question' Robert and Elizabeth's view of "Persuasion" as her best. Much liked hearing about Julian, and looks forward to seeing them in January.