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3, Hare Court, Inner Temple. - Begins the letter in the National Liberal Club near Trafalgar Square, where he will soon go to an 'anti-jingo' meeting. Expects this will not be a big affair, as 'pacific people are only too few'; the 'self-satisfied Anglo-Saxon conceit gets worse and worse every year', and 'Kipling, Fashoda, Mr [Joseph] Chamberlain, and even the Dreyfus case' have contributed to it; wishes there was a 'good chance of a fiasco in the Transvaal, not so much for the sake of the Boers' but for the British; has never felt less of a patriot. Is working at the British Museum while his house is being decorated, for which [Roger] Fry has a free hand; expects the result will be 'most charming'. Glad the Frys are going to Ede; he is 'very interesting and full of ideas', though he always wants 'an orthodoxy to comfort him', not necessarily that 'of the multitude', and 'wonderfully sympathetic and imaginative'; she is 'delightful... in quite a different way to him'. Was not there when they cut into the cheese and did not send instructions, so it is now 'as dry as pumice' though they say they like it. Going to see a Japanese melodrama with them tomorrow; expects it will be 'pretty bad' but has heard the 'scenery and costumes are first rate'. Envies the Frys their trip to Holland, wishes that he could go there again so soon, and that Bessie were in the room with him now looking as he writes things he 'scarcely could put into articulate words, things which [he] dare not write now'. She would be safe, as [Charles] Sanger is away; otherwise he would be shocked, 'so mistrustful of ladies as he is wont to be'. His feelings have not changed, as he feared they may when he was away from her, and he now believes that they will not; will say no more, as he is 'not supposed to be writing [her] a love-letter', though he would if she gave him leave. Wishes they could see each other again soon; will come whenever or wherever she might say she wishes. Apologises for sending her that quote from [George] Moore [see 9/75]; meant to show her it was foolish of 'so muddle-brained a creature' as he is to try and understand such things; finds it easier to understand Moore when he talks than when he writes, as in writing he 'compresses his thought so small that it almost becomes invisible'; most philosophers 'sin' the other way. Says he sees nothing wrong in 'trying to think properly, which is all philosophy tries to do'; does not think it does imagination any harm. Could never agree with Neitsche [sic] that 'speculation is a kind of mental disease'. Quotes from Balzac ["Les Secrets de la princesse de Cadignan"] in French. Will send Bessie more books when she wants them.

Finishes the letter the day after the anti-war demonstration, which 'turned out to be antiboer', as the 'great majority of the crowd was for war'; they 'looked picturesque enough' but the meeting was dull since there was too much noise for the speakers to be heard and 'not even a decent fight'. Glad she is going to make some music with [Willem?] Witsen; asks when she starts her lessons with her new teacher in Amsterdam [Bram Eldering]. Is sorry he forgot to say goodbye [to her uncle]; they will think him vague and absent-minded, which is perhaps right. Hopes she is not worried by their suspicions; is glad Bramine [Hubrecht] is kind to her and that Bessie has taken her into her confidence. Fears there is 'only one way' [marriage] of things coming right for him. She guessed his age correctly: he turned 27 on 28 June. Guesses she is 24 or 25, but he is a bad guesser, and if she were '30 or even 40' he would not mind much, 'except that then [she] would not have as many years in this curious world'. Invites her to call him 'Bob', like his family and most intimate friends; is known in general as 'Trevy'. Now going to the British Museum to read Diodorus Siculus; he could make out he was 'very learnèd' in revenge for his confusion on saying 'something stupid about music'. Asks to be remembered to Bramine; is going to give one of her sketches to his mother. His mind is made up as to what he wants, but he can be patient 'for some time at least'.

Ryton, Dymock, Glos. - Thanks Bob for the "Operatic Fable" ["The New Parsifal "]; has read and enjoyed it again, finding it a 'very admirably constructed joke.. with a commendable moral', though he thinks Bob has been a 'trifle unfair to Goethe and Nietzsche'; particularly Goethe, who was a real classicist, unlike Nietzsche who 'only tried hard to be, & could never succeed'. Does not matter much, and the work is a 'good joke in good poetry - which is a rare thing' and much needed. Admires how Bob has kept in the "Mona Lisa"; says in the next edition he should bring in [his own anthology] "New Numbers", and hopes Bob will have this soon. Sorry to read about Bob's father's illness in Saturday's paper ["Condition Of Invalids." Times, 21 Feb. 1914, p. 11]; hopes it is not serious and he recovers soon. Wonders in a postscript what the critics will make of Bob's 'hexameters etc'; finds a 'good few of the rhythms, even when most unexpected... completely successful', but 'did rather boggle at' others.

Initially entitled 'Nietszche the Philologist'; this typescript heading is crossed through and replaced with 'Fair and Dark: Is there a dominant type?'. Finally, 'Pre' is added in red pen to make 'Predominant'.

Laity Water, Torrington. - Thanks Bob for sending a second copy [of "From the Shiffolds", see 17/203]; has two friends he wants to lend it to 'in succession'. Bob is right to say it is a 'difficult time to feel creative in'; human live is a 'frightful and appauling [sic] prospect'. Asks if Bob has seen a book he recently read which 'throws a little light': "The Fear of Freedom" by Elrich [sic: Erich] Fromm, which he discusses in detail. It shows that 'the sado-masochistic symbiosis... is not only peculiar to Germans, but is lurking in all of us' and that 'further repression is not the cure for people who have lost their power to spontaneous action'; finds it most interesting that 'the Germans themselves have anticipated and lamented over the course of their national development', such as Holderlin, Heine and Nietzche; feels that 'super-human daimons are stirring, and like Saturn are devouring their own children'; asks Bob if he knows Rubens' picture on that theme. However, 'poets still write', and he often finds that old poems 'retain all the wonder' they had in his youth; thinks Meredith and Whitman 'just as charged with wisdom as ever they did', and that there are 'ways of real emancipation' for individuals. Would much like to see Bob's essays ["Windfalls"], and thanks him for offering to send them. Is sending the book to which his "The Leaves Return" is a sequel.

Grand Hotel, La Croix de Cavalaire, Var, France. - Has so far been 'very lucky' with the weather; this is a 'beautiful place', he thinks more so than 'most better known places on the Riviera'. The hotel is 'fairly comfortable', and though large, does not hold too many guests. About the only English people here are Noel Farrer and his wife: he is Lord Farrer's brother, and Robert and Bessie know him them slightly. They are 'both very keen liberals, and very pleasant people to see something of'.

The only other people he knows are 'two old French Protestants, Mr & Mrs Ott', whose villa is about a mile away; he and Bessie made 'great friends with them here three years ago. Mrs Ott was 'once quite a fine singer and a beauty, and was a great friend of Nietszche', as well as knowing 'Wagner and all that set'. The Otts are 'very cultivated and intellectual people'; he occasionally sees them at their villa, or here.

Bessie writes that all is well with her and Paul. Robert expects her cousin Louisa Hubrecht will by now be with her. She is also looking forward very much to his mother's visit. Hopes his father has now recovered completely from his 'fall on the ice'. Asks him to thank his mother for her letter, which came yesterday. Happily, has had better news of Helen Fry since coming here: it is very likely she will recover soon from this attack; it is 'the future that causes great anxiety'.

Saw Charles briefly in London, who seemed 'very cheerful and ready for the fun'; Robert 'hope[s] it will be fun; it certainly ought to be. [He] can't say much for the Lord's case, if Earl Percy's is the best defence that can be made for them'. Will please Charles that 'Land Valuation is included in the program': Robert only wishes his brother 'were at the Local Gov[ernment] Board to help in working it out'.

Has just finished [H. G. Wells'] Kipps, and much enjoyed it: there might not be 'quite enough story' for it to be at its best throughout, and some things may have been 'more in place in Wells' [Modern] Utopia or Mankind in the Making, but it 'ain't a bad book - reelly, as Kipps would say'. Sends love to his mother, will write to her soon.