Showing 15 results

Pension Palumbo, Ravello, Golfo di Salerno. - Perfect recent weather; has done 'a fair lot of work' and thinks he is 'well started' on his new play about 'a man who comes back from the Crusades and finds his enemy in occupation of his castle'. [C.P] Scott, editor of the "Manchester Guardian", has asked him to send an account of the landslip disaster [at the Cappuccini hotel]; if Scott prints his letter he will show it her, as his 'first and perhaps... last attempt at journalism'. The accounts of the landslip in the papers are 'greatly exaggerated'; Bessie need not worry about him. Once read a review of [Kenneth Grahame's] "The Golden Age" by Swinburne, 'with more than his usual extravagance of praise'; was rather disappointed when he read some of it soon after. Fry's sister Isabel has written 'a somewhat similar book, but with no pretentions', which he thinks is worth 'twenty golden ages'; it is called "Unitiated" and he will get it for Bessie to read; Isabel Fry is very nice, and a little like Bessie in temperament. Will lend her [Stephen Philips'] "Paolo and Francesca"; does not think much of it. Is too lazy to copy out verses, as he promised. Agrees that it is wonderful to think of going out for dinner together; not that either of them do that much, but in moderation it is very good, and he has never dined out enough for the 'novelty of it to be spoilt' as it is for her uncle. Teases her about her dreams. Is sure with her uncle and Lord Reay's advice they will be able to arrange their marriage properly; they should have as few formalities as possible, and avoid being married again in England if they can; would like the date to be as soon as possible, in June, but she should decide. Notes that this is the last letter he will send dated 1899, and '1900 will look awfully odd'.

Very interested by her description of her childhood; Tuttie [Maria Hubrecht] is certainly ' not the sort of person to have understood [Bessie] at all'; he had something of the same difficulty with Charles, who however tried to be sympathetic and a good brother to him; Charles 'had a sterner and more orderly temperament' and Bob 'the more haphazard one'. George is 'a sort of cross' between the two, but with much more intellect than Charles. Encloses a letter from Mrs Cacciola [Florence Trevelyan]; knew she had taken a fancy to Bessie; 'her staccato style is admirably expressive. She does it in conversation often'. Had said in his letter that his parents might visit Sicily next winter and she might possibly see him with them and Bessie next year. Has nearly finished reading [Shorthouse's] "John Inglesant"; thinks it 'a most remarkable novel' though it does drag in places. Calls the muses her 'real rivals, my dear nine mistresses'.

6, Great Stanhope Street, Mayfair, W. - Has received Robert and Elizabeth's cards; asks if he is to congratulate Sir George on 'an Anglo-Dutch alliance'. Knows that Elizabeth is 'very gifted', belongs to 'a very talented stock', and very much shows 'the reserve of a boer!'. Presumes the engagement is the result of the 'Sicilian tour'. Speculates about Charles marrying 'a Huguenot lady' and George 'a Bohemian Hussite girl', which would delight him by preserving 'the sturdy Puritan element in the family'. Is himself 'in a fog', appropriate for November; the [Second Boer] war is 'terrible in every respect' and he believes people are starting to 'realise at what cost victories are won and paramountcy is established', but criticism of the Government is 'hopeless since the London press boycotts all adverse comment'. Goes to Cannes [?] on 18 Dec.

10 Prinsegracht, The Hague, Holland [third sheet of letter headed notepaper for 'Nieuwe of Littéraire Sociëteit, 's-Gravenhage']:- Is afraid his last letter [46/72] was 'written in such a hurry for the post' that he did not have enough time to put the correct stamp on, let alone to say all he wanted 'or in the way it ought to have been said, seeing its importance'. Expects it has reached her now, 'after the payment of a few pence' and that she knows some of the 'main facts'. Is most anxious that his parents not 'misunderstand' his silence until now: wanted to tell them everything, but did not think he ought to while he was still unsure what Elizabeth thought. Could only 'guess and hope' that she would consent to marry him, and 'if it had turned out otherwise' it seems that it would have been 'a great pity' for his parents to have known. Elizabeth was 'very anxious' that neither of them should talk of it until she had decided, and had asked Robert to 'tell no one'. The present situation regarding the engagement is that they both are 'quite decided that it is right', her family also think it would be a 'good thing', so he must now 'convince' his parents, as is 'most necessary'.

Has 'more than once' heard from them that they thought 'there would be no objection' to his marriage, and indeed that it 'would be a good thing, provided of course' he chose wisely; he has chosen, but 'the circumstances make it very difficult to prove' that his choice is a wise one, since they can 'scarcely come to Holland to judge, or she to Wallington to be judged'. Much therefore must depend on their 'faith' in Robert's own judgement. They might talk to George, especially since he has met her cousins the Grandmonts, through whom Robert got to know her at Taormina. As Robert has said, her uncle and aunt the Hubrechts are 'very nice people, not rich, but of some standing in Holland' as M. Hubrecht is a member of the Privy Council; 'Lord Reay (?), who knows him quite well could tell you more about him'. Elizabeth's father died when she was young, and her mother, Hubrecht's sister, when she was seven; Hubrecht then took Elizabeth and her elder sister (now Mrs Röntgen) into his house and has 'brought them up very well, taking a lot of trouble about their education'. The Frys stayed with the Hubrechts a month ago and 'took to them both very much'. Robert's family need not 'be afraid of unpleasant relations', as in his experience they are 'all quite nice people': Professor Hubrecht, 'old H's son [is] a remarkable man of science, and now... quite celebrated', Robert believes; the Röntgens are also 'delightful', and the Grandmonts have been 'great friends... for four or five years'.

Acknowledges that 'the essential matter is Miss v. d. Hoeven herself', and does not think he has made a mistake; his judgement has not been led astray 'for she is not beautiful or fascinating in any obvious way'; doubts her excellent violin playing has influenced him, though he is glad of it. They 'belong to different countries', but Robert does not consider this a 'fatal objection', since it is not the case that she has 'never lived in England, or spoke English badly, or had no English friends already. Far more serious' he thinks, is his 'being still dependent, and not having made any money'. Considers that his marriage would be a 'great help' in his work, and would like his parents to look at it that way.

There is no need for them to give a 'definite answer' immediately, since he is going to Italy to work this winter, but he would much like to know as soon as possible if they have 'any grave objections', for Elizabeth's sake and that of her relatives, who having decided that the marriage is a good thing, would 'naturally' like it to be settled as soon as possible. Even if his parents were pleased and had no objections, the marriage itself would not be before next summer, mainly since it is 'so serious an event' for Elizabeth to 'leave her country altogether, and her old uncle and aunt who are very fond of her'. Knows he has said little about her, but it it is 'almost impossible to give a true impression of anyone by letter'; is sure his parents would like her very much if they got to know her. Feels he is 'sending these letters into the dark', meaning he has little idea of what effect they will have on his parents' minds. Sees nothing wrong in them writing to her uncle if they want to know more than he has told them. Will stay on in the Hague at the Hôtel d'Angleterre till he hears from them and then go on to Italy.

Is 'quite serious', and not allowing his judgement to be 'carried away' by his feelings, and neither is Elizabeth. 'Still, we do feel, and deeply, only we have thought too'. Neither of them are 'expensive' and Elizabeth has 'a little money of her own', enough to live on for herself it that was what she wanted; Robert has 'succeeded in living within [his] £400' so 'whatever increased allowance were necessary would not amount very much'.

Elizabeth says she used to know well 'the old people at St Andrews who are such friends' of his parents and whom they wanted him to visit when he was there; can't remember their names, perhaps Nicholson [see 13/56, in fact the Donaldsons, perhaps the family of James Donaldson]. Elizabeth also knows 'the Croppers of El[l]ergreen' and has stayed with them once, though 'she is not at all like any of the Croppers, in fact she is very different'. Sends love to every one, and hopes 'this will turn out well for us all'.

c/o Madame Grandmont, Villa Ma Retraite, Ede, by Arnheim, Holland:- Has been here 'several days', having 'a very pleasant time'; the weather has been 'dreadfully hot' but after several thunderstorms is now better. Will stay for a few more days, then go to Amsterdam and the Hague with Madame Grandmont before returning to England around the 14th.

The household here 'consists of M. Hubrecht and his wife', the parents of Madame Grandmont; the Grandmonts, 'a sister of Madame G [Maria Hubrecht], and a cousin of theirs who has always lived with them, the one who plays the violin [Elizabeth des Amorie van der Hoeven]'. 'Old Hubrecht' is on the Queen's Privy Council, and 'rather a swell. He is very nice and sensible, but rather tiresome sometimes... rather funny about small matters. But he is a very typical Dutch character'. He is 'a friend of Lord Reay' and in some ways reminds Robert of 'Grandpapa Philips, though he is not so forcible'. His wife is 'a charming person, and at 76 still insists on managing her housekeeping all by herself'. Has already told his mother about the Grandmonts and their cousin.

More cousins, the Röntgens, who are musicians, are coming soon, but Robert has not yet heard much music. His hosts are 'very moderate about the Transvaal, and though they disapprove strongly of Chamberlain [Joseph Chamberlain, British minister for the Colonies] and think a war would be wrong, they are not at all pleased with the Boers'. Went to Utrecht yesterday, where he lunched with Mrs Grandmont's brother Professor Hubrecht, 'a celebrated Zoologist, who has discovered the missing link in a Javan or Sumatran monkey'. Utrecht is a 'nice old town, but there are no works of art there except the Cathedral tower'.

Hopes everyone is well, and that his father is 'getting on well with his work [on the next volume of The American Revolution]. The roads here 'are paved with brick, which makes an excellent pavement, besides being beautiful'.

8, Grosvenor Crescent. - Amused to hear about 'the tea making at Rocca Bella [the Grandmont's house in Taormina]; hopes the concert was a success. She went to hear the Manchester [Hallé] orchestra, which was good but not as good as the Meiningen, conducted by Richter last night. Has not seen Robert's play ["Cecilia Gonzaga"] yet, but Mr Longman dines with them on Thursday so she will hear about it then. Can imagine that Mrs C[acciola Trevelyan] could be 'exacting & tiresome' but they will not be long near her. Hopes Elizabeth will get her visit to Holland; Lord Reay told them a while ago that the strike was serious, but she has heard nothing about it recently. Expects they will have a good view of Vesuvius erupting on the way back. Sir George saw a cyclist hit by a car, which drove off without stopping, this morning; it is 'quite unsafe to walk about now!'.

Welcombe, Stratford on Avon. - Hopes Elizabeth is 'getting on with the Quest' [for a new governess]; wonders whether the two candidates Annie says she has suggested will be suitable. Hughie has been 'very ill'; Lady Bell is also ill with shingles, so they are 'a sick household'; does not know whether the elder children have gone to Cambo this week as planned. The lambs here are 'charming' and Julian would love them. Sir George is well, though '"up & down"', probably due to 'anxiety & excitement' [over the war]. Have just had an interesting letter from Lord Reay, who is good at keeping up correspondence with his friends here and in America. Is reading a 'long but interesting' life of Wordworth by [George Maclean] Harper; asks if Bob has seen it.

Prinsegracht 10, 's Gravenhage. - Encloses a 'project' of Robert's marriage contract; is also sending one to Robert's 'dear father'. It comes from the advice and work of their family notary, M. Eikendal, and Hubrecht's friend Vlielander Hein the 'first lawyer at our Supreme Court', as well as his own after consultation with M. [Thomas] Barclay in Paris, whom Lord Reay recommended as 'the best authority on international law'. According to Dutch law, the contract must be made before the marriage and is 'considered to be irrevocable'. They could not make out how a particular English law should be referred to, so Robert should ask his lawyer for the correct wording. Hopes to hear from Robert next week so that everything may be addressed when he comes to the Hague at the beginning of May. He should not stay in England longer than necessary: time is 'running so hastily', and it will be good to see him and Elizabeth together for as long as possible. She went this morning to Almelo, and will return next Wednesday. His wife's health is now improving daily, and the sunshine is 'brilliant', a 'delicious omen' for Robert and Elizabeth's marriage.

19 Prinsegracht, the Hague; addressed to Bob at Pension Palumbo, Ravello, presso Amalfi, Italia. - They have heard from Tuttie [Maria Hubrecht] that she had caught a bad cold, could not work, and decided to go now to Taormina as Bramine [Hubrecht] had proposed she should come and spend a month with them; thinks this is a good thing since she thinks it was parting from Maud [Howard] which upset Tuttie more than the cold; it 'really is a most morbid friendship'; discusses Tuttie's character, and the tension when she and her sister Mien came to live with their uncle and aunt after their mother's death and Tuttie had much of the responsibility of looking after them since 'she was far too young and domineering'. Reflections on the time that children grow up and do not take their relatives for granted, along with the varied nature of her own experience so far. Has to go and prepare as she is going with her uncle and aunt to a dinner party with the vice president of the State Council, a friend of her uncle's. Dreamt last night that she and her sister arranged to share husbands, though she herself was rather reluctant; later she had a still worse dream in which there was no Bob and a man 'like a young Dane I met last summer, a cousin of the Hartmann's' was kissing her 'and I even enjoyed it!!'.

Writes next day that she has received Bob's letter, and the enclosure from his friend [Thomas Tettrell?] Phelps which is charming; remembers what he said about Phelps' 'prophetic jokes' and hopes the one about the Hollanders does not come true; promises she will not get fat as she is 'too bony' and anyway has no figure to lose. Describes the dinner party last night: one of her neighbours at table was from Zeeland and told her stories about the customs of the peasantry there; the host was also from Zeeland and they usually have a very strong feeling for their province. There was some talk of Bob; a 'fat gentleman, the secretary of the Council' seemed to have read nearly all of the Trevelyan family's literature and asked many questions; their host proposed a tost to their engagement. Looks forward to reading 'the Paolo and Francesca play which is so much the rage' [by Ste[hen Phillips]; wonders if she will feel as critical about it as Bob does; will also read "The Merchant of Venice" and re-read "Romeo and Juliet", though she has a lot to read and the Hague is not as quiet as Ravello. Laetita Ede has sent her "The Golden Age" by Kenneth Grahame; asks if Bob knows it. Is glad the weather is better and he has got some work done; the Germans call a bad poet a 'Wasserpoet' or waterpoet; she could call him a 'weather-poet' as he 'can only do good work W[eather] P[ermitting'; apologises for teasing him. Asks what play he is working on; knows it is not the one he showed her a scene of. Now Bob has read Ambro [Hubrecht's] article he is 'clever & scientific again' and can let her go to lectures in peace. Gives a satirical sketch of his character, then says she is cross today, firstly for spilling tea down her new dress and secondly as she had bad dreams again last night.

Continues the letter on Sunday afternoon. Ambro and his wife are coming tonight or tomorrow to spend the week, with their children who are 'sure to make things very lively'; unfortunately the thaw has set in so they will not get much skating, which they love. Has read of the destruction of the Capuccini hotel at Amalfi by a landslip; asks if this is true and whether there has been anything felt at Ravello. Her uncle has written to Lord Reay to ask about necessary formalities for the marriage and has had a reply giving some but not all the answers he requires; Lord Reay has made inquiries about Mr [William Edward Hartpole] Lecky's marriage, as his wife is a Dutchwoman [Elisabeth van Deden] also with some landed property; they held the civil marriage in the Hague in the Town House and at the English Embassy. Hopes this will be enough for them; an 'English church marriage' would be 'very unpleasant in this case'; hopes he feels the same; would like to leave out as much 'conventionality for the world's sake' as possible. If they want the Grandmonts to be there, it will have to be after May, while it will need to be before August for the Röntgens to be present. Her uncle will write to Bob's father as soon as he knows exactly how things stand. Asks how [Pasquale] Palumbo is doing, and whether Bob had a good Christmas.

Gives details of the wedding, such as the bride's costume, the guests (including Sir Henry Howard and his wife and Lord Reay), and the wedding gifts. The workmen on the Snitterfield estate had 'half a day's holiday and a present of half-a-sovereign each' in honour of the occasion, and the 'church bells rang out a merry peal'. Quotes Robert Trevelyan's letter thanking the men for their present.

Wallington, Cambo, Morpeth. - Originally enclosing something 'from dear old [Lord?] Reay'; was glad to see his hand-writing again. Caroline is keeping quite well; yesterday they drove to church in the pony-chaise and walked back, but she will not go again now that it is colder. They are thinking very much of Elizabeth; the first week of September and the German advances in northern France was an 'awful time' and it was a great relief to get them out of north-west France; it will be a very great relief, especially for Holland, to get them out of Belgium.

19 Portman Square, W. - Many congratulations on Robert's 'international match'; only got Robert's address from Mrs Dugdale yesterday so could not write sooner. Has asked 'every Dutch authority' he knows about Robert's fiancée - Lord Reay and Mrs Lecky - and thinks the 'world will say [Bob] is a wise poet'. Sends his and his wife's best wishes; asks Robert if he could send them a photograph, and whether the wedding will take place in the summer as his mother suggests. Envies him his visits to the Hague; there are 'some splendid illuminated MSS there!'. Postscript saying he is 'deadly pro-Boer', and wonders how Robert manages on that topic; hears Mrs Lecky 'leads her husband a life on that subject'.

At the wedding of Robert Trevelyan and Elizabeth des Amorie van der Hoeven.

Letter from Reay dated 10 Apr. 1917