Hotel Bristol, Rome. - Has received Robert's letter with 'the ominous date of the Deux Decembre' [a reference to Napoleon's victory at Austerlitz, and the coup by Louis Napoleon in 1851?. Letter is TRER/46/37]. Describes his view of the Piazza Barberini and its 'bad but cheerful' Triton [fountain] by Bernini; it is the scene of one of the conversations in [Browning's] "The Ring and the Book", he thinks that of the 'Tertium Quid'. Did not go by moonlight to think about the man in "The Madonna of the Future" [by Henry James; Robert asked this question in his letter of 2 Dec], but thought of him there by daylight; curses those who had [Michelangelo's] "David" moved to the Academy [Galleria dell'Accademia]. Is going to buy a panorama of 'old Rome, under the emperors' by a German, which he is told is very good. Agrees with Robert about the Armenians [the massacres by the Ottomans], about which Lord Salisbury cannot get anything done, and about 'Valima' [Robert Louis Stevenson's letters to Sidney Colvin], which he cannot read. Is reading [Ferdinand?] Gregorovius with great interest: Caroline has sent for the two last volumes and a friend has lent the second. They have both read Robert's Sismondi carefully. Was much amused by the hustings speeches at the University of Dublin. Since beginning the letter he has received the panorama, and key in German; it was actually made into a panorama and set up at Munich, he supposes 'as a sort of centre of the Suevi and Teutones'.
Welcombe, Stratford on Avon. - Thanks Robert for his 'jolly letter'; will re-read [Trollope's] "Framleigh Parsonage" [sic: "Framley..."] again soon, perhaps aloud to Caroline. They are currently alternating between "The Wreckers" [R. L. Stevenson and Lloyd Osbourne's "The Wrecker"?] and the "[Roman] Journal" of Gregorovius. Is himself reading Anatole France's "L'Orme du Mail", some of which he thinks as good as Balzac, just as aspects of "La Reine Pédauque" are 'like the best Voltaire'. In a postscript, says that he too voted for Jim Butler [for the Cambridge University constituency] but 'in such a General Election as this an "Independent" has no chance'.
29 Beaufort St, Chelsea:- Has just returned from Harrow, where he goes to 'get a game [of football] once a week' to keep himself 'very fit in body and mind'. Bowen had got up a 'team of masters and old boys' against the boys of his house, 'which is very good this year'. Robert's team were 'Somehow' beaten 6-0, but Bowen 'covered himself with glory, playing better than he has done for years'; he also told Robert he 'played like a hero'.
Met Charlie in the morning at the B[ritish] M[useum] Library, 'getting up the question of State Railways'; he is 'much interested in a scheme for a progressive periodical [the Progressive Review] which [William] Clarke, late of the Chronicle, and a young Socialist, [Ramsay?] MacDonald, are going to start next year. It is to be to these dregs of times what the Edinburgh Review was to be to those other dark days'. It 'promises to do well', and Robert wishes it 'God-speed', though they say it 'has as yet no Brougham, much less its Sidney Smith'. Bernard Shaw, whom Robert saw recently in a restaurant, told him 'with his usual superb egotism', that if they had wanted the paper to succeed, they ought to have asked him to 'write a series of articles, as he knew the secret of making a splash and drawing the gaze of the public'. However, 'Clarke cant stand G.B.S., calling him an anarchist and a Jacobin', and Shaw is a 'little piqued at being out of it'.
[Roger] Fry has a cold today and has taken to his bed 'as he always does at the slightest alarm'; this is sensible as 'his colds are both more sudden and more formidable than other people's'. He is doing well otherwise, and has 'just finished some theatrical scenery for a friend [a pencil note suggests this is 'Badley - [at] Bedales']' - the wood in Midsummer Night's Dream] - which is as good as anything Robert has seen by him, 'though you can't get very rich colour effects in tempera'. Their next door neighbours, Ricket[t]s and Shannon, have 'just brought out a magazine... a single Christmas number [The Pageant]' for which they have obtained contributions from 'all the great names in the literary and artistic word' such as Swinburne, Bridges, Maeterlinck, Verlaine, Burne Jones and Watts. There is 'some fine work in it, and some very queer'; Robert's friend [Thomas Sturge] Moore has two short poems included, though Robert does not think them his best. Will show his parents the magazine when they return. Shannon and Ricketts are 'taking to publishing poetry'; he believes they 'make a great success', and hopes that knowing them 'might be useful in the future'.
Is putting this letter into an envelope he finds 'on C[harles]'s table' with his parents' name on it but not yet their address. Expects they will soon be in Rome. Is going to see Aunt Annie [Philips] next week' does not plan to go abroad as he is 'very well, and do not feel the cold'. He will go to Welcombe for a few days, but otherwise stay in London unless 'the frost gives [him] colds'. Is glad their travelling is going so well, and that they like Gregorovius: it is 'always pleasant work welcoming a new historical star', though he doubts this one is 'of the first magnitude'.
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'.