Thanks Flora for sending back the Santayanas, and is glad she enjoyed them; remarks on the 'curious lapse of memory about Lady Stanley's knee-breeched footmen!'. Thinks she might like Santayana's "Last Puritan", which is 'not perhaps a good novel', but 'much better written than most novels, and full of good things'; the 'very recognisable portrait of Frank Russell is amusing'. The hero is 'more or less [Santayana] himself, but less interesting'. Offers to lend Flora his copy. Used to own some 'quite good sonnets' which Santayana gave him, but seems to have lost them; Santayana is 'not really a poet, though he sometimes writes good poetry'. Now finds "Lucifer [: a theological tragedy]", which Santayana also gave him, 'rather dull'. Thinks Flora may enjoy some of the 'less philosophical' works like "Soliloquies in England', and could lend them.
8 Grosvenor Crescent, 21 Apr 1909. - Must have pleased Elizabeth to bring [Julius Engelbert?] Röntgen and [Donald] Tovey together. Has had an 'old-fashioned, most friendly letter' from [Edmund Herbert] Ellis Danvers, and has answered it 'in the spirit in which it was written'; encloses it with some others. Has answered 'poor George Macaulay' and expects he will visit some day. Is going to the Athenaeum to vote for Bertrand Russell's election; thinks he proposed or seconded him. Recently, Earl Russell 'got more blackballs than ever was known before' which makes this election 'a little awkward'; asks Robert not to mention this, but to encourage people to vote for Bertrand.
The Shiffolds, Holmbury, St. Mary, Dorking. - Hopes his parents have a good journey to Welcombe. The 'summer seems scarcely over here, and the oaks have most of their leaves still'. Bessie went to London yesterday, and Robert will join her this afternoon for a few days while their 'cesspool is cleaned out, which is a considerable operation'. Is going to tea with Lady Russell [Elizabeth von Arnim], who 'has just written a very clever but disagreeable book, Vera, based upon her recent marriage experience'; this union was 'bound to be a failure, for Earl Russell, though a clever man, is an impossible egotist'. Hopes her next book will have a 'more pleasant subject, for she has a great talent for novel-writing'.
Has been reading Beaumont and Fletcher's The Maid's Tragedy, as there will be a performance this month with Sybil Thorndike, whom he believes to be 'our finest English actress', as Evadne; had forgotten what a 'wonderful play' it was. A 'pity that Fletcher did not die young, rather than Fletcher' as Beaumont seems to have been 'far the greatest of the two'. Sends love to his mother, and thanks for her letter.
Grimsby Farm, Long Lane, Coldash, Newbury. - Since, 'like Alice [in Wonderland]' he always takes 'a great interest in questions of eating and drinking', he is worried that Trevy is under-eating, unless risotto is 'very comprehensive and satisfying', like the dish described [in Aristophanes' "Ecclesiazusae/Assemblywomen" in a long compound word of which he quotes the beginning. Other than that Trevy seems to be having a 'perfect time', much better than he is himself. Wants very much to see Trevy's work; tells him to 'leave Paul as he is' [see 15/274] or just change the name so he will not recognise him; expects the book will be 'uncommon good'. Oswald [Sickert] nearly finished his book at Christmas, but did nothing more between then and Easter, as he was too busy with "Beautiful B[retain": published by the Werner Company]; he says a great deal work needs still to be done on it. [Stanley] Makower's book ["The Mirror of Music"] should be out soon after Easter. The 'great literary event' has been [Arthur] Verrall's "Euripides the Rationalist"; does not think he has ever read 'anything so clever'; will not say anything about it as it would spoil it, and it seems 'perfectly convincing'. Has been 'getting on very well with [Robert] Bridges': went with him to Oxford for a day last week; he seems 'the biggest man I've ever known anything of, perhaps equal with [William Gunion?] Rutherford'; cannot think of anyone else so 'thoroughly serious, thoroughly humorous, and thoroughly consistent', except perhaps Sickert who does not seem to be 'exactly "great" at present', though may be at forty. Bridges is bringing out an edition of Keats soon which will, for example see 'plain "Endymion" as an allegory". They went to the Bodleian, which is 'a delightful place'; Lady Shelley has recently given them 'a fine collection of Shelley MSS etc'. Roger [Fry] is coming to Yattendon soon after Easter, but unfortunately Marsh will have left by then. The 'great thing about Maeterlinck is the sound'; "L'Intruse" was a 'complete failure on the stage'; "Pelléas et Mélisande" 'delightful to listen to'; afraid the 'beautiful M. Lugné Poë' 'is gone for good, and won't come back, the theatre was so dreadfully empty' though the 'decent critics' were all in favour has not seen [William] Archer's articles, but Shaw 'praised the company highly' who has been in Fiesole, will soon go 'for a sail down the Adriatic', and return to England at the end of April. Asks if Trevy has seen the reports of Russell's brother [Frank]'s case; believes it will be settled on Tuesday week; thinks [Russell's wife] 'the Countess and her mother exposed themselves pretty fully'.
Heard from 'dear [Arthur] Shipley this morning, he's in solitary splendour at Cambridge'. Asks if Shipley is Trevy's 'idea of Horace', as he is Marsh's own, both physically and in character. Has also had a 'very gay letter from T. T. [Phelps?], furious' with Trevy for writing twice to Marsh and not to him. Has heard from 'the Seatollerites': George [Trevelyan] and [George] Moore both wrote last Sunday and the party seems to have been a success up to then. Has been 'working very hard' himself, but does not think he is getting on and worries about his Tripos [examinations]; the only reading he is doing apart from revision is de Quincey, of whom he is becoming 'very fond'. Thought the murder Trevy told him about at Wallington, '[William] Winter's murder [i.e., that committed by Winter]' was in "Murder as a Fine Art [de Quincey's "Murder Considered as one of the Fine Arts"]', but read that this morning and there is nothing about it there; asks where Trevy 'got all the details'.
Emmanuel College, Cambridge [Headed notepaper; address underlined and exclamation marks added]. - Glad Bob's '"Experience as a lawyer"' will allow him to visit next Sunday. Everyone is cheerful, 'flourishing on [their] old lines', but they 'expect "a sop"' such as Bob to be thrown them once a week: 'this week's sops were [Bertrand] Russell and his brother [Frank]'. Saw [Nathaniel] Wedd this morning for breakfast and a walk, who was 'quite all [George] had hoped or expected'. Has decided not to speak again at the Union, which is 'an inexpressible relief'. 'Great revolutions' here this term: there was 'a lady at MacT[aggart]'s "Wednesday evening" last week', and an exhibition [scholarship] has been started for history at Trinity; this is important as previously there have only been third year scholarships, which do not attract the best students; in the exams last May everyone in both years got thirds; the college have received a gift of two thousand pounds from Lord Derby. Inberg{??] has come up and is "flourishing"; [Frank?] Elliott is 'developing into the most delightful of fellows". Notes in postscript that he has 'found the kettle holder'; gives an account of the battle [of toy soldiers]; lists 'our table' as consisting of [Edward?] Marsh, [Maurice] Amos. [Ralph] Wedgwood, [Ralph] V[aughan]-Williams, [George] Moore, [Henry Graham] Dakyns, [Harry] Watkins, George himself, and his Harrow friend [Charles] Buxton.
Grand Hotel Valescure, St Raphael [headed notepaper]:- Is settled here ‘in the luxury of a ten francs pension’, waiting for the rain to stop. The hotel is ‘full of friends of Mr Bowen, sent here by him’: [J.W.?] Sandilands, the ‘Grahams of Harrow, and Mrs Graham’s parents Colonel and Mrs Stewart’, and the [Charles Alfred?] Elliotts. At a villa nearby is Bowen’s friend [William Henry] Bullock Hall, on whom Robert and Sandilands called yesterday, and who has leant Robert ‘an essay of his on the meeting of Lepidus and Antony at the bridge of Les Arcs’ which he wants him to send on to his father; Hall ‘cannot talk of anything now for half an hour without dropping into the subject of the Romans in the Riviera’, but is an ‘amusing neighbour’, and what Robert saw of the household ‘promise[s] some entertainment’. Will write to the Rendells [Stuart Rendel’s family?] at Cannes to see if they would like him to visit.
Although there has been no fine weather, Robert‘can see this is just the country’ for him, with its ‘indefinite miles of not too mountainous forests, and a network of good paths and no tourists… an infinite variety of trees and shrubs, and.. the sea not too far off’, with almost all the guests at the hotel his friends. Expects he will ‘stay well into February, and not go anywhere else’. Expects she will go up to London before long. Has little news; will have more when the sun comes out, as the current weather ‘is really very like Sirocco weather in Italy, and makes the mind as well as the soil damp and clammy, though not in so unpleasant a way’. Has however done some work, and will get on well this week. Was ‘delighted to see that Earl Russell has at last triumphed over his wicked old mother in law’. Hawkins 'has behaved very well'. Supposes C[harles] and G[eorge] are still at Wallington.