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A large archive of letters written weekly over a span of 42 years, with enclosures of Kreisel's own writings and that of others, including articles, interviews, and printed material as well as copies of letters from or to others (including Francis Crick), covering topics in mathematics and philosophy, and including reflections on Ludwig Wittgenstein, Kurt Gödel, and Bertrand Russell.

Catfield, Piccotts End, Hemel Hempstead, Herts. - Thanks to Trevelyan from both Hammonds for the 'Christmas gift' [this year's "From the Shiffolds"?], which gave them 'great pleasure'; the poems' 'grace and charm are specially agreeabl[e] at a time when politics are so depressing and alarming'; they 'bring real peace and comfort'. They will soon send him a 'shillingworth of Hammond in a Pelican ["The Bleak Age"], but are waiting for copies. Asks Trevelyan to forgive the 'behaviour' of the letter el on his typewriter [in fact the letter I] , which has 'nothing to do with Xmaa' but is 'unfortunately organic'. Sends best wishes to both Trevelyans; hopes Robert 'live[s] long' to send out his Christmas greetings. Adds a postscript noting that Bertrand Russell was born in May 1872 while Trevelyan was born in June and he himself in July; when they were 'all young men together in the days of the "Speaker"', they little 'dreamt of the sort of world' they would live to see.

Annouces that he and Whitehead have looked through Russell's Dissertation, and both think it 'decidedly able, and deserving a careful estimate'. Undertakes to make a preliminary report of it and send it to Ward. Refers to a note on L[ ], with which Sidgwick proposes to deal. Reports that the first half is primarily mathematical, and states that Ward need only read most of this cursorily, as it falls mainly within the competence of Whitehead, and that it is the third and fourth chapters that Ward should concentrate on. Asks if he would like to have it sent to him, or if he is to come back to Cambridge before the reports are wanted. Hopes that he is getting on well with the lectures.

8, Grosvenor Crescent. - Sorry to hear of the mishap; hopes Elizabeth's violin turns up soon; thinks she would have waited at Naples for it but Rome must be charming. Robert's book ["Cecilia Gonzaga"] has come out, 'charmingly printed & bound', and they are all reading it. Thinks it is beautiful, though 'too restrained & measured at the end for the tragic action'. Hopes it will sell; it is well advertised. Wonders whether Elizabeth and Robert will move this year; knows a young couple who she thinks would take the Mill House if they give it up. Many people going to Rome at the moment; hears all the hotels are full. Asks if they will see Gilbert Murray in Florence. Mrs Bertie Russell [Alys] is moving to the country; he is on a walking holiday with George in Devon.

Bankes' Arms Hotel, Studland, Wareham. - Has taken rooms for a week at Agglestone House, Studland [Dorset], which is 'rather a beastly sort of "lodging-house"' but it is very hard to get accommodation in this area. Since the station, at Swanage, is around four miles away and transport has to be sent specially it would be 'more convenient and cheaper' if as many people as possible could arrive together. [C.P] Sanger and [Ralph?] Hawtrey come on Thursday; has not yet had any answer from Bertie [Russell] or Crompton [Llewelyn Davies]; [Saxon] Sydney-Turner cannot come. Asks Trevelyan which train he will arrive by, and how much luggage he will bring; would be possible to leave luggage at the station to be collected and walk to Studland.

Pensione Palumbo, Ravello, presso Amalfi:- Sends best Christmas wishes from him and Elizabeth to his parents, as well as his brothers, whom they hear will be at Wallington. Fine but cold weather since their arrival in Italy until today, 'which is as bad as it could be'. Drove from Cava to Pompeii the day before coming to Ravello; Bessie had not seen it before, and 'was enchanted, especially with the new house, and with the Thermae [baths]'. Everything is 'exactly the same' at Ravello, except that 'Mr Kershaw, the old gentleman, seems a good deal older'; he and a friend are the only others here [at the hotel]. Mrs Reid is not well, and they have not yet seen her.

At Florence they 'met Zangwill, the Jew, who is a friend of the Berensons': they 'liked him very much and found him very witty and interesting', though 'his manners, especially at table, are not perfect'. He spilled his salad onto Bessie's best silk dress, which had to be sent to Florence to have the stain removed - but his 'other merits' make up for such things. The Russells are now staying at the Berensons'; the Trevelyans just missed seeing them. Is glad that [Alys] seems to be 'almost quite well again' now; has seen 'a good deal' of [Bertrand] over the last few months in London and at Dorking.

His parents should look at Murray's translation of Euripides' Hippolytus and Bacchae, which 'in many ways is very well done'; does not think the 'effect is very like Euripides' but that as an 'original poem... it has great merits'. Murray's notes also 'throw great light on the plays from a theatrical and dramatic point of view', and his introduction is 'very interesting'. There is also a translation of Aristophanes' Frogs: 'much of it reads very well', but opinions may differ on 'the possibility of putting Aristophanes into English verse'. Thinks Murray's Hippolytus is better than his Bacchae.

They hope Sir George has had 'no more rheumatism' and will keep well all through the winter, and that his book [the next volume of The American Revolution] is 'getting on well'. Their love to Robert's parents, Charles, and George.

Wants to hear about Trevelyan's tribunal, and how things stand. Thanks him for sending the Vaughan, 'a precious little book'. Saw Bertie [Russell] yesterday, who seemed well, though there was not much chance to talk since Lady Russell was there. Goes today to stay c/o Mrs Eckhard, Lockeridge, near Marlborough.

Trinity College, Cambridge. - Came to Cambridge about four days ago to visit a sick friend, intending to visit Trevelyan on Saturday, but the cold weather and snow gave him a bad cold; hopes Trevelyan received the message that he would be unable to come which he sent via a friend in London; apologises for the inconvenience and says how disappointed he is. Has been to see Bertrand Russell speak to the Indians in Cambridge; it was a fine speech and 'the Indians here simply adore him'.

13A Hanover Terrace Ladbroke Grove. - Is sceptical about the translation of his books into German. Sorry to hear that Trevelyan has had mumps; hopes he has now recovered. At heart is miserable about the state of Europe; distractions include dinner with Clive [Bell?] and [Ralph?] Hawtrey, and the new letters of Byron, which he discusses at length with comments on morality. Has also been reading the 'absurd' book [Home Life with Herbert Spencer]. Morgan [Forster] has returned, unhappy because he cannot write (with which Trevelyan will sympathise). Met Bertie [Russell] and his wife at the Sangers'; does not think he will like 'Mrs Bertie'. Mrs [Beatrice] Mayor's two plays [The Girl and the City and Thirty Minutes in a Street] were acted on Sunday [2 Apr 1922, at the Kingsway Theatre]; supposes they were not much of a success but he was interested by them, particularly that acted by her sister [Betty Potter]. Has had long walk with [Nathaniel] Wedd who is 'gallant' but not well; Dickinson sceptical about the psychoanalysis he is receiving. Sends best regards to Trevelyan and his hosts [the Berensons].

Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - Thanks Robert for his letter of 21 November [46/102], which only arrived this evening due to one train being snowed in near Reedsmouth on Monday night and the other 'opposite Donkin-rig'. There was four foot of snow on the road to the station, the telegraphs were broken, and they were cut off from the outside world for three days. It is 'like the Siege of Londonderry or (to please Elizabeth) the Relief of Leyden [Leiden]'. Good to hear about the [new] house and garden; Robert and Elizabeth are lucky to have had fine weather for building, as Sir George and Caroline were for their kennels and farm buildings. Very much liked the 'Chinese pieces', though cannot tell from Robert's letter whether they were by him or Professor [Herbert] Giles; Bessy can tell Caroline when she next writes. Is eager to see Robert's book.

Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - Robert's letter [46/101] came with 'the best piece of public news' he can remember: the settlement of the 'Russian business' [the Dogger Bank incident] is a great tribute to British power, good sense, and 'the estimation in which, after all her faults, [Britain] is regarded by the European community'. Glad Robert had such a good time with Caroline in London; very interested to hear about his play ["The Birth of Parsival"]. Agrees that [Turgenev's] "Dimitri Roudine" is 'an excellent whole'. Is expecting Caroline later today; the shooting party will be on Monday, 'buffers all, except for Charles'. Glad [Bertrand] Russell is getting on well with his work, though he will depend on Robert to explain it to him.

3, Hare Court, Inner Temple, London E.C. - Apologises for not replying sooner; went to Cambridge on Saturday and found 'so much to do and talk about' that there was no time to write. Is going to Dorking tomorrow as his furniture is coming; the house should have been ready a week ago. Will dine with his mother that evening, then on Thursday he is going to Harrow to play [rugby] football against the school on Founders' Day; afterwards will dine at the Headmasters' and go to a 'smoking concert'; the day after that he will dine at his father's club. Will only then really begin the solitude of his 'rural retreat' and is looking forward to 'a quiet and industrious time at last'. Glad Bessie liked the Frys and they got on well with her uncle; not surprised she found 'a certain difficulty in becoming intimate with them', since he thinks Fry's mind is very different to hers and that he is not always quick to adapt himself, while Helen Fry is not like that but is often 'rather diplomatic in conversation until she knows all about a person'; this is not insincerity, as some people think. Heard from them today [see 4/27]; they enjoyed their visit, and Fry seems to have taken 'tremendously' to her uncle and aunt. Went to Highgate last week to see Tom [Sturge] Moore the poet, who read two new poems; criticises the first line of the one about Leda and the swan; Moore is 'always charmingly good-natured when one criticises, and sometimes even will be convinced.' Spent most of yesterday talking to Tom's brother [George] the philosopher. Great excitement at Trinity as the philosopher MacTaggart [sic: John McTaggart], who used to 'disapprove of marriage on metaphysical grounds, is bringing home a New Zealand hospital nurse called Daisy Bird as his wife'; he may need consolation as on his return from his year in New Zealand he will find that Moore and another [Bertrand Russell?], 'his most promising pupils and followers, have set up an entirely new and antagonistic system of the universe'. Sat at dinner at Trinity next to a science fellow [John Newport?] Langley whom he likes very much, who knows and thinks highly of [Ambrosius?] Hubrecht; Langley asked whether "[Till] Eulenspiegel" was originally written in Flanders; perhaps Grandmont knows. Has begun to learn German; finding it easier than expected in some ways, but has not yet got far. What Bessie says about women's tendency to either conceal or be overly frank about their ages seems more or less true to him; her allusion to his having had 'the benefit of women's society and friendship' amuses him, as if she wanted to make him 'a sort of Platonic and sentimental Don Juan' which he is certainly not; before her he has known very few women well, and only in one or two cases has he known them ' rather sentimentally' at some point; does not consider himself 'at all learned in women's psychology and character'. Finishing this letter in the room of a friend who has 'studied the female character far more profoundly', but since he has never fallen in love to his knowledge, Bob looks on him as his inferior.