Empire Nursing Home, Vincent Square, London, S.W.1. - Is getting on very well now [after his operation] with little discomfort. Bessie reads Trollope to him most afternoons, and he usually has visitors each day: T[homas] S[turge] Moore is coming to tea today. Hopes Bessie will go to Paris next week, then on to Holland: no reason for her not to now Bob is 'so well' and go to the C.A.s [Clifford Allens] for the first couple of weeks after he leaves the nursing home. He works through chess games in the papers, and has just been looking at the tournament between Cambridge and Oxford, in which the marks were equal; Bronowski, whom he supposes is Julian's friend [Jacob] 'lost his game rather disastrously'. Terence Gray wants to do Bob's [translation of Euripides'] "Medea"in May, which he has agreed to but now regrets; Gray is trying to get [Maria] Germanova for Medea, but 'wants her to do it for nothing'; Bob has telegraphed to her saying she should 'on no account... accept the engagement. It is too monstrous'; Gray probably wants him to step in and pay Germanova himself, which he will not, as he will not be able to get to rehearsals and go through the part with her; Gray is also intending to put Medea in a mask, which is 'the height of folly' regarding Germanova. Unlikely Germanova would have been able to take the part with her husband [Aleksandr Kalitinsky] so ill. Wonders if [Hasan Shahid] Suhrawardy has gone to India yet and whether he has finished his book. Hopes Julian is getting on well with his work; frescos must be 'fun to try', though expects Julian is 'likely to make rather a mess at first'. [Étienne Adolphe?] Piot was 'technically quite competent' but artistically bad. Asks to be remembered to [George] Reavey, and to [Jean] Marchand if Julian sees him. Hopes Bessie will come to Paris next week, and see the Luce family. He and Bessie had hoped to see the Sykes family this month, but had to put it off; supposes [Hugh]'s exams are coming up anyway.
Furzen Wood, addressed to Julian at 7 Villa Brune, Paris XIVᵉ, France. - Lascelles and Catherine Abercrombie will be in Paris on their way to Greece from 19-27 March, staying at the Trianon Palace Hotel. They have 'lots of engagements', but would like to see Julian, so perhaps he could look them up at their hotel. Has written to [Hugh and Kathleen] Sykes [Davies] inviting them to visit. Has just heard from Terence [Gray] that he may want to do [Bob's [ranslation of Sophocles'] "Antigone" next term; supposes he will give him 'leave to misproduce it'.
Garden Corner, West Road, Cambridge. - The Sykes-Davieses are coming to lunch on Sunday; has also asked Hugh to let Bob know where the [Apostles] Society will meet on Saturday night; might be a good idea for Bob to attend after dinner here with Janet, since George has to be in London that night at the [British] Academy dinner, though he is free all of Sunday. Sorry that Bessie cannot come.
Press cuttings, frequently in duplicate with one copy sent to Trevelyan by Durrant's Press Cuttings agency:
relating to "Translations from Horace, Juvenal and Montaigne", from: "Public Opinion" (an extract from Trevelyans "Imaginary Conversation" between Horace and Tibullus); the "Sunday Times" (Desmond MacCarthy with some 'suggestions for book-buyers; subsequent review, also by McCarthy, concentrating on Trevelyan's book); the "Guardian" ("Reading for Christmas"; second article with review); "Times Literary Supplement" (three copies, one with 'By G. G. Loane" in Trevelyan's hand at the top); the "Library"; "Poetry Review"; "John O' London's Weekly"; the "Spectator" (by C. Day Lewis); the "Scotsman"; "Greece and Rome"; "News Chronicle" (by Robert Lynd); "Liverpool Daily Post" (by J. F. Mountford); "Adelphi"; "New Statesman and Nation" (also reviewing Edward Marsh's translation of Horace's "Odes"); "Oxford Magazine"; "Journal of Education"; "Modern Language Review! (by J. F. Lockwood).
relating to "Translations from Leopardi", from: "Public Opinion" (quoting Trevelyan's translation of Leopardi's "Idyll" in full); the "Times"; the "Observer" (by Basil de Sélincourt); the "Manchester Guardian" ('New Poetry, by Wilfrid Gibson' written by hand); the "New Statesman and Nation) (also reviewing other poets' work); "Sunday Times" (by Desmond McCarthy); the "Guardian", and the "Oxford Magazine".
Also a letter, 4 Mar 1942, from C. Colleer Abbot to R. C. Trevelyan. 7 Church Street, Durham. - apologises for not sending his thanks for Trevelyan's Leopardi translation before ; it arrived just as term was beginning and he wanted to read it through as a whole. Has never read Leopardi before, however, so cannot judge'. Likes Trevelyan's recreation of Leopardi's 'plangent melancholy'; mentions particular favourites. Criticises Cambridge University Press for the binding, which he calls 'horrid', but expects they are 'repentant'. Gordon Bottomley wrote to him 'happily' recently; the x-rays had not been 'helpful, but he sounded better'. Hopes that Trevelyan is well, and not as 'oppressed by snow' as they have been.