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Thanks for "Sisyphus"; feels 'both pleased and honoured' that it is dedicated to him. Thinks it the 'most original and distinctive thing' Bob has yet published; praises the 'general conception', style and rhythms highly; there is 'the right degree of harking back to [W. S.] Gilbert' while maintaining a 'more frankly poetical and essentially different atmosphere'. Does still feel it is 'inclined to be over-long and over wordy' in places, but in general the 'movement and construction' are good; thinks he prefers the lyric passages to the recitative, and a few passages in the dialogue were difficult to scan. Sends love to Bessie and Paul and hopes they are well; his family are all well.

8, Grosvenor Crescent, S. W. - Will take tickets for "The Mikado" [by Gilbert and Sullivan] tomorrow; George is not coming; they will dine punctually at seven, and have a bottle of hock. Wants to talk to Robert about Ravenna.

Wallington, Cambo, Morpeth (corrected from printed Northumberland'). - Has finished "Sisyphus" more quickly than he meant to, as it 'drew [him] on', but still read it carefully; liked the second act very much, and a large part of the third. As with 'all pieces of fancy', the difficulties come with the 'finishing up'; this is 'very marked' in [Dryden's] "Absalom and Achitophel" and many of [W. S.] Gilbert's pieces, and Sir George himself 'found it absolutely impossible' to continue the 'story [emphasised]' of his "Ladies in Parliament" and 'turned it off into political declamation'. Expects the last part of Sisyphus 'would do in a musical comedy'. They [he and Caroline] were much delighted by the photographs of 'dear little Paul' which Elizabeth has sent. Is glad is 'going in against the Lords', who 'began kicking us' three years before Sir George was born and 'have gone on with it ever since'. Agrees with Robert that the Lords are 'very likely to amend the budget, or to throw it out'.

8 Grosvenor Crescent, S.W. - They are again having bad weather, but are all well, though Julian has a 'slight cold'. They are dining with the H[enry] Y[ates] Thompsons tonight, and may perhaps go on to Charles's At Home, where they will 'see plenty of politicians, and hear how things are going. The Estimates look very bad', with the 'only comfort' being that 'the stand made by the Treasury seems to have reduced them considerably'.

Was pleased by the review of his book [The New Parsifal] in the Times, by Clutton-Brock; likes to think his praise was 'justified'. As for Clutton-Brock's 'regrets' that Robert writes 'only for a small and hyper-cultured audience, no one shares them more completely' than Robert himself. However, if the opera [The Bride of Dionysus] he has written with Tovey is performed, 'as it probably soon will be in Germany', it is possible that they might collaborate again 'on a comic opera, which would have to be more on the scale of a Gilbert and Sullivan, or an Offenbach'. Robert's latest play, and Sisyphus, are 'too long and too elaborate for opera'. For the present, though, he and Tovey are both busy with other things.

It was a 'great pleasure' to him that his father liked Parsifal so much. He and Bessie are very glad to hear that his father's book [George III and Charles Fox] is finished; Robert looks forward to 'reading it as a whole'. Bessie sends love.

5 Barton St (on headed notepaper for National Liberal Club, Whitehall Place, S.W.). - T. T. [Thomas Tettrell Phelps?] says that he is getting tickets for Bob and Marsh to see "His Excellency" [comic opera with libretto by W. S. Gilbert] if he can, otherwise they must trust to the 'tender mercies of his dramatic judgment'. Bob went last night to the Empire with the Sandilands [John and James?], saw 'Ivette' [Yvette Guilbert], and 'was enrolled among her vassals and servitors'. T.T. was 'not quite sufficiently magnetised', claiming 'ignorance of the language', but the rest of them could also 'not understand much of it'. [Oswald?] Sickert talked about 'buying the Empire for his friends next Saturday' for the matinee; advises Marsh to go if he can; he would himself but will have to play [rugby] football that afternoon. Has exams next Monday until Thursday, 'unlike false Sextus' [he quotes Macauley] he is in 'an agony of apprehension' that they should 'fail to be the last'. Saw MacT [Jack McTaggart] last Sunday, who thought Marsh's 'critique splendid'; Bob hopes Marsh has 'not made an enemy of Iphigeneia after all', who was not mentioned in [William?] Archer's piece in the "Pall Mall" at all.

29 Beaufort St, Chelsea:- Thanks his mother for her letter and the MS; is glad she likes it. Hopes to finish it when he is 'next in the country [Italy?] where alone it can or ought to be finished'. Roger [Fry] has had a bad cold 'at a most unfortunate moment', having gone to Ipswich to lecture 'against [Robert's] advice, which of course made him worse' and has had to keep to his room for two days. Roger must send in his pictures to the New English Art Club tomorrow, and 'will not have time to do all he would like', though he is well enough to work today.

Is 'getting on well with [his] Jacobean reading'; has now got the play he told her about [Cecilia Gonzaga] 'into final shape' in his mind, and has written a 'good deal of Act I', but it will need 'recasting' as he has 'altered the whole idea and proportion of the plan to some extent'. His own cold has been entirely gone for several days: the walk he took 'so unwittingly' with her was the 'prelude to its departure'.

'Hungry Bumpus shall be fed': asks his mother to thank Bo[o]a [Mary Prestwich] for the butter she sent. Is 'wearing the thick vests now' and 'hopes to keep colds at a distance' now the weather is much warmer. Has just had a 'cheerful letter' from George, but has not seen Charles since his mother left; expected he 'would be at the Booths' [Charles and Mary?]' at their 'Sunday evening meeting yesterday', but was not; must 'look in at G[rosvenor] C[rescent] to see how he is faring'.

Adds in a postscript that he will be 'glad to go with Papa to the play when he comes, either Pinero [The Benefit of the Doubt?] or the Mikado'; hopes his father is well.

Welcombe, Stratford on Avon. - Quite a sign 'or rather a speciality of the times' to get up "Patience" in a style which pleases Elizabeth and can 'remind' Robert [of the original production?]. Glad that satisfactory domestic staff arrangements have now been made at the Shiffolds. Looking forward very much to Elizabeth's visit, and hoping to see Robert too. Has looked up [Lucian's] "Πλοἶον ἢ Εὐχαί" ["The Ship, or The Wishes"], and will talk to Robert again about it and about Plutarch's Alexander; will read Lucian's "Alexander Pseudomantis" again before he leaves Welcombe next summer.

Wallington, Cambo, Morpeth. - He and Caroline received and Robert and Elizabeth's letters this morning about Julian's success in the School Certificate; Julian impressed them favourably in 'character, intellect, and body'; found him very similar to his cousin George, which is a 'compliment to them both'. Envies Julian seeing the "Mikado" for the first time. Has had two months now of the 'horrid wound' [to his hand], though it is now a scar rather than a war; is much weaker but cannot expect to be otherwise.