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Aulla. - Thanks his mother for her letter [10/44]; she must now be 'pretty well satisfied with the elections'; thinks 'even George can't be so very pessimistic'. They only know the result up to Monday. London 'seems to be playing up well': if the counties follow, 'there won't be much of an opposition left'. It will be a 'great responsibility for the Government', as they are not likely to have such a chance again. Hopes they will 'prepare for a House of Lords campaign': thinks the Liberals should 'ask leave to settle the business of the House of Lords' in the next election campaign, as no doubt the Lords will have 'by then made themselves unpopular by rejecting [Liberal] bills'; also 'to settle Ireland once and for all' and to 'pass a general reform bill on the lines of one man one vote, one vote one value'. All these things 'hang together', and he does not think any one can pass by itself, but together they might 'carry the next election'. Hopes the Liberal candidate at Stratford [Malcolm Kincaid-Smith] will win.

'C[harles] and M[olly]'s paper' has just arrives and 'looks amusing', but he has 'hardly read it yet'. Sends thanks to his father for his letter [12/91], to which he will reply soon. Today it is the festa of Sant Antonio: passing through Aulla this morning he saw the piazza 'crowded with the whole population, both of human beings and of beasts, horses, mules, donkeys and cows' waiting for the priests to bless the beasts. Is getting on quite well with his opera libretto [The Bride of Dionysus]; Bessie is very well.

Welcombe, Stratford on Avon. - Holland must be beautiful; sure it is just the change Robert and Elizabeth need [after the death of their son Paul]. Appreciates the action taken by the Six family [agreeing not to sell any of their art collection out of the country, and to make it available to the public, in return for exemption from inheritance taxes]. Wonders what Vermeer's "Cook" ["The Milkmaid"] is like; worth going to the Netherlands to see that and his picture in the Mauritshuis. He and Caroline are reading the fifth volume of Ferrero ["The Republic of Augustus"] with delight; thinks it even better than the earlier volumes; it has got him to read Suetonius's life of Octavius [Augustus] and is inclined to read the others. They expect a Liberal candidate [for Stratford] to be announced tomorrow, to 'give a real lesson to Kincaid Smith' who otherwise might get some Liberal votes. Sends best wishes to Professor [Ambrosius] Hubrecht if Robert and Elizabeth send them again.

Welcombe, Stratford on Avon. - Pleasant to get Elizabeth's letter 'with an atmosphere of Italy about it'; was very sorry to leave Rome; the journey home was not pleasant but they 'arrived without misadventure'. Spent a day in London; Janet and George came to lunch; she seems well but George is tired, having been working hard to finish his Meredith book ["The Poetry and Philosophy of George Meredith"]. He is going now to 'electioneer' for Charlie and F[rancis Dyke] Acland; was in a 'very pessimistic modd', but she thinks things are 'very promising'. Is not sure about the local constituency; the candidate [Malcolm Kincaid-Smith] is 'not very good, & it can hardly be won', but 'even Birmingham is fluttered' and Lionel [Holland] is said to have hopes. Aunt Margaret has gone to stay at the 'Plough & Harrow Hotel' in Edgbaston to be near him; they are much amused and only hope she does not over-tire herself. Sir George is 'fairly well'; expects he will be all right when he gets to work. Cooper [Elizabeth Cooper, cook?] has come to Welcombe with them; she can get about but is not to work this month. They will be very quiet this month; she is not going to Charlie's election; is sure Mary will be a 'capital help'. Mrs Whitby has 'taken them all in - Pauline and nurse [Lister?] included!'. Glad Elizabeth had 'an amusing dance & fête'; asks how long they will stay, and if Robert's work is going well. Asks her to remind Robert to write to Sir George. Asks what Mr [Aubrey] Waterfield is painting. The Burlington House collection is 'not large, but well worthy seeing'; there is a 'most delightful Franz Hals' and much else. They have brought many new books to Welcombe: 'Holman Hunt, [Herbert Paul's life of] Froude, Churchill [Winston's Churchill's life of his father Randolph, etc etc' but spend much time reading newspapers. Has 'an election map to mark' and the accounts to do. G[eorge], J[anet] and Mary are coming to stay after the election. Booa is glad to have the Trevelyans back. The 'heating answers very well'.

Welcombe, Stratford on Avon. - They 'can think of nothing but the elections here': it is 'more wonderful than one could have imagined'. Apart from [Joseph] Chamberlain holding Birmingham [West], it is 'an absolute débacle' for the Tories; expects Elizabeth and Robert have read the news in the "Man[chester] Guardian". They have been very anxious about the Stratford seat, but it was won by Kincaid-Smith; she did not believe it possible but Sir George always said he was a good candidate for the place. Glad to have come here as they were 'able to do a great deal in a quiet way' and no help is needed in Northumberland. Charlie's majority [at Elland] is 'magnificent'; he is now helping Geoffrey Howard [at Eskdale], and George is helping F[rancis] Acland [at Richmond], both of whom may win. Delighted that [Henry] Chaplin is defeated [at Sleaford]. Elizabeth will 'rejoice at Broderick's defeat' [St John Brodrick, Conservative MP for Guildford, lost his seat]. Remarkable how the last government is being rejected everywhere; hopes the new government can 'rise to the occasion'. Sir George has been 'almost too much excited' but she thinks all the results with personal significance are now in. [Charles] Fenwick is of course safe; thinks Northumberland will be 'entirely Liberal & Labour'. The festivities prepared by the Stratford Tories, who did not think they could lose, have inspired much ridicule. Glad that Elizabeth continues to like Aulla [home of Aubrey and Lina Waterfield] and that Robert is happy. They have several new books: Holman Hunt; [Herbert] Paul's life of Froude; [Winston Churchill's life of] Randolph Churchill; 'Charles Lamb' [either his letters, or E.V. Lucas's biography]; they are also reading Keats's letters aloud. Asks if Elizabeth will visit Holland on the way home.

Welcombe, Stratford on Avon. - He and Caroline agree that it is 'poor work' seeing North Italian cities at the beginning of January; the contrast between the North and South of the Apennines is very great: even so early the Val d'Arno was lovely. Expects the 'quiet life' at Welcombe will soon 'set him up'. Much interested by Robert and Bessie's accounts of the New Year festivities at Aulla [Fortezza della Brunella, home of the Waterfields]; could not find an account of the siege in Gregorovius as he ends in 1527, so must look it up in Sismondi. Parliament has been dissolved [for the general election]; they have a 'very energetic candidate' [Thomas Kincaid-Smith]' at Stratford who 'has canvassed the whole division in a motor' and is 'learning some politics as he goes along'. There are plenty of 'humorous incidents all about', including at Elland [Charles's constituency]. Balfour 'kicked off at the beginning of a football match [at Manchester United] and Sir James Fergusson in the middle' and both were 'hooted'; comments on 'such a function' being given to 'a London swell, born in 1832, who was wounded at Inkerman! [Fergusson]'. Is finishing Bergk [his edition of the Greek lyric poets] with the help of Weir Smith [Herbert Weir Smyth]; an excellent book recommended to him by 'dear Jebb'. Sends love to Bessie; the [new] piano has come and 'looks beautiful'.

Welcombe, Stratford on Avon. - Thanks for Robert's 'jolly' letter; agrees that these are 'great times'. George has just returned from Richmond, the 'beautiful hill-town which Turner so often painted'; the victory [for the Liberals] there and at Stratford are 'almost the most satisfactory of the lot'; gives a detailed description of the Stratford candidate [Thomas Kincaid-Smith], who was a 'perfect godsend'. Caroline was 'of great service' and their 'hold on the neighbourhood came very strongly out'; a 'great blessing' they were there and not in Rome or Northumberland. Much interested to hear about [William] Everett's letters; has been reading Catullus and realising his aristocratic status for the first time, and that the people he satirises are not 'the middle class rag tag and bobtail' of Martial and Juvenal but men who would have 'histories, many of them tragical ones'. Caroline is in London today at a Women's Liberal Committee. Notes in a postscript that they were very interested to hear about Bessy's cousins [the Hubrechts?].