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.
Stocks Cottage, Tring. - Thanks Bob for his postcard; will 'much want' to hear his criticisms [of his own book about George Meredith?]. Is to write a 'causerie' for the "Speaker" on [Alfred William] Benn, though not until June as he recently did one about [Thomas] Hardy's "Dynasts". Is working on a book about Garibaldi in 1949: 'far and away the best fun' he has ever had in writing; had a 'splendid time walking over the ground at Easter'. Asks if Bob has read [Gabriele] D'Annunzio's "Canzone di Garibaldi" ,'fine historical poems'. Hears 'rumours that the Shiffolds are likely to become more populous' [Elizabeth is pregnant], which would give him more pleasure than anything 'in these recent very fortunate times' and 'seems a proper sequel to the General Election'.
The Shiffolds, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking. - Thanks Benn for sending his book ["History of English Rationalism in the Nineteenth Century"; read enough to be sure it was 'even better' than his high expectations, and sent it on to George to tempt it to review it. George 'took the bait very readily' and sent for his own copy from the "Speaker" so he could review it there. Robert is a 'slow reader' and very busy so will not finish it for some time, but is sure he will enjoy it and will write when he has finished; it must be very satisfying to complete 'so great an undertaking' successfully. A shame McTaggart's book on dogma ["Some Dogmas of Religion"] did not come out a little sooner so Benn could have 'included a notice'. [Bertrand] Russell has 'shut himself up for a month or two in a farm-house at Clovelly' to 'solve logical problems in complete isolation from the actual world'; his wife is coming tomorrow to stay with the Trevelyans for a few days.