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The Shiffolds, Holmbury St. Mary, Dorking. - Thanks her for her letter; the 'sausages were very much appreciated, especially by Julian': thinks he had 'one for breakfast on three mornings'. Also thanks her for the Times [Literary] Supplement; will send it on to [Edward?] Keith. Is very sorry to hear how ill Booa [Mary Prestwich] is; has just written to her, and will try to get Julian to write as well. Bessie and Julian are well, and Bessie's cough now seems to have gone. The weather is still 'frosty', but generally less cold, with sunshine; however, they are 'very tired of the frost and snow'.

Is going to London tomorrow for a night, and will return on Tuesday afternoon with Mrs Gibson and the baby. Hopes to see Charles, as he has not done so for 'some weeks'. Bessie will write soon about Julian's birthday present. Hervey Vaughan Williams, the 'eldest son at Leith Hill Place' is engaged, and they are 'all very pleased'. Does not think his mother knows him: he is Margaret's brother, 'a very nice fellow, of huge size, and rather slow (not stupid) at talking and thinking, and slow at getting married too'.

The Shiffolds, Holmbury St. Mary, Dorking. - They are 'at last having delightful weather', and have heard the cuckoo most days this week. Julian is 'especially delighted by the cuckoo', and 'goes out early in the morning by himself to listen for it'. They discuss which poem is better - Logan's 'Hail, beauteous stranger...', 'if it is his and not [Michael] Bruce's, which seems uncertain', or Wordsworth's 'O blithe newcomer...'- and decide that 'on the whole' they prefer Wordsworth's, though like the other too; thinks it was a favourite of [John] Bright.

Took Julian out for a walk today, and 'he did a lot of climbing fir-trees, at which he is fairly good now. When he had got up as high as he could, he said he wished to write a poem, and dictated one to [Robert], not a very good one, but probably as good as most poems written twenty feet from the ground up a tree'.

Mrs Gibson leaves them next Wednesday; she has been with them three months, with her baby, and 'has been a very pleasant inmate'. Her husband will have to stay in America for now, but 'they seem to be treating him very hospitably'. Bessie and Julian are going to Aunt Annie's on the 14th, 'unless someone else at the Park comes out with the measles before then', which is unlikely. They are reading Guy Mannering aloud; Bessie 'has a prejudice against Scott, but has to admit that this is a good book'. She is however puzzled that 'Dirk Hatteraick is a Dutchman, and yet always talks German'; at first she believed 'Scott must have thought the Dutch talked German', but Robert told her 'Scott knew more about modern Europe than that'; still, it is odd. Sends love to his mother. They are 'so glad to hear that Booa is really better'.

Hopes that Edward will soon be sent a copy of the New Annual ["An Annual of New Poetry"], which seems to be coming out 'after many delays'; does not know how it will do, but hopes it will do well enough to justify another volume next year. Unfortunately [Lascelles] Abercrombie] has written nothing new for inclusion; [Walter] de la Mare also seems to have nothing. If Edward publishes, as Bob hopes he will, another G[eorgian] P[oetry], Bob does not think there will be any trouble with including anything he might want from the "Annual", as the publishers Constables have been very reasonable. For instance, both [John] Drinkwater and Wilfrid [Gibson] have been allowed to publish separately poems included in the "Annual", even allowing Wilfrid to meet his obligations by publishing before the "Annual" appeared; this is 'very unfortunate' for the "Annual", which is meant to include only unpublished work - they had wanted to bring it out before the Christmas, but 'the printers either could not, or would not, hurry up'. Mrs [Geraldine] Gibson is here with Audrey until Wilfrid comes back [from a tour of the US]; Audrey is teething but otherwise very well. Mrs Gibson has 'very good accounts' from Wilfrid, and so far no letters seem lost; both he and de la Mare 'seem to have had great success'. Must try and see Edward in London soon.

Has sent on Eddie's letter to [Isaac] Levine in Chicago, who wrote to Bob two years ago asking for something to print privately; Bob sent ["The Death of Man"] which Levine printed in an edition of about thirty copies; he then asked leave to print another, and it must have been one of them which he sent to Eddie. Bob had not sent it himself, as he only had a few copies and wanted to publish it later in the "Annual [of New Poetry]" or elsewhere. Glad Eddie liked it, as he himself was unsure; Lascelles [Abercrombie] and Gordon [Bottomley] liked it, but others had been doubtful. Levine writes to him occasionally and 'seems a quite nice, rather-simple-minded enthusiast, who really cares about poetry'; he is keen on Lascelles and Gordon, and also Wilfrid [Gibson]. Bob has not heard lately how Gerald [Gibson] is doing; saw her in London during the winter, and must write.

[First page missing]. Wilfrid [Gibson] has been 'ordered to bed for 6 weeks' and has to follow a 'starvation diet': the Abercrombies have been worried about him for a while, and it is not certain what the problem is. Believes Gerald [Wilfrid Gibson's wife Geraldine] is fairly well, but fears Wilfrid will 'worry himself into a far worse state' about Gerald waiting on him. Sorry to hear that [Thomas Sturge] Moore's "Judith" was 'mauled' [in performance at the Queen's Theatre, 23-24 Jan 1916]: was very impressed when he read it, and thought it would act well, but if actors can 'savage Shakespeare, obviously they can garrotte Moore'; the first thing they should do after the war is 'kill all the actors & lawyers' [a paraphrase of a line in "Henry VI", Part 2]. If it is true that Abercrombie is keeping the annual back ["Annual of New Poetry"], then he ought to be in the 'jaws of Lucifer along with Judas Iscariot, Brutus & Cassius"; discusses this passage of Dante; cannot see any reason why the "Annual" should wait for him, as he would be 'uncomfortable' if left out but would try to get ready for the next issue. Is writing a little at the moment, but only plays which he feels may work as drama but will below the poetic standard the Annual should keep to. He and Gordon [Bottomley] think that Bob is 'quite wrongly diffident about "The Last Man" [ie. "The Death of Man"?]: neither of them would 'stand up to B[ertrand] Russell on philosophical grounds', but they would both defend the work on poetic grounds; he may be a 'very good connoisseur', but they are 'Professionals when it comes to poetry'. May have a 'Burst [of poetic composition]' when they return to Ryton, and in that case the "Annual" would have first claim on anything he writes, but currently feels as 'likely to write poetry as a bag-pudding'. They should not wait for him before publishing: the "Annual" need not start with a 'full team', as this is not football. H. O. Meredith would like to join, and Abercrombie has said he would 'put it to the other members' but that Meredith must not mind if he is rejected. Abercrombie, Gordon, [John] Drinkwater and Wilfrid are all willing to have him if nobody else objects, but it must be unanimous; Meredith is 'prepared for the jealousy of professional poets'. Bessie must be troubled about the 'disasters [floods] in Holland'; there is enough to worry about [with the war]; hope she has not been 'familiarly affected' and that it is not as 'shocking' as the newspapers make out. The Abercrombies are all well, and Catherine has definitely benefited from the change of scene; the 'dread' they feel [about the recurrence of her cancer?] has 'so far kept aloof'; the children are 'flourishing', and Bob should tell Julian that David is now a schoolboy

5, Raymond Buiildings, Gray's Inn. - Thanks Bob for his letter [15/285] and for saying he will send a copy of the "Annual [of New Poetry]", which he 'immensely' looks forward to. Good of Bob to think about "Georgian Poetry", but does not intend to bring out another volume this year; if he does do another expects it will be at the end of 1918. Saw [Walter] de la Mare on Tuesday, who had 'enjoyed his tour [of the US]' and seemed well; he 'only just escaped crossing in the Laconia [torpedoed in Feb 1917]'. Glad Gerald [Gibson] and Edward's god-daughter [Audrey Gibson] are at the Shiffolds; is writing to Gerald about something else 'so needn't send love in this'. Tells Bob to come and see him in London.

14 Great Russell Street, W.C. - Thanks Trevelyan for the cheque of profits from the "Annual of New Poetry"; agrees that the 'war has been against a venture of that kind. Is very sorry to hear about Mrs [Geraldine?] Gibson's accident.

260 Mary Street, Balsall Heath, Birmingham. - Asks what the arrangement [with the publishers Constable] about reprinting work from the "Annual [of New Poetry]": is planning a selection from his earlier books, to be published in early autumn, and would like to include "June Dance". Would also include the two short poems he published in the "Annual" in a new book at Christmas if allowed. Thinks Trevelyan may have said something about the 'twelve month arrangement' not applying this time because of the day, and remembers that Wilfrid [Gibson] published his contribution in 'separate book for almost simultaneously'. Asks in a postscript whether Trevelyan knows when Wilfrid is due back [from the US?], and whether Geraldine is still staying with the Trevelyans; sends 'salutations' to her if so.

26 Nassington Road, Hampstead, N.W.3. - Is 'pleased and proud to have these two noble volumes' [Bob's "Collected Works"] with an inscription. Has just written a short review of the first for "English" [Wilfrid Gibson, "The Collected Works of R. C. Trevelyan . Volume i: Poems", "English: Journal of the English Association", Volume 2, Issue 12, Autumn 1939, Pages 387–388] but fears it is 'not very satisfactory' as he did not have room to treat the poems in detail; trusts he has at least 'said nothing to hurt' Bob, and hopes he has 'managed at least to express some of the pleasure' he had in re-reading. Hopes to repeat that when he has the leisure to re-read the plays. At the moment, everything is upset, and he is writing in a 'half-denuded house'. He and Gerald [his wife] have taken a 'tiny cottage in Berkshire "for the duration"', and hope to keep [their daughter] Audrey's baby there in safety; Gerald has already gone and he will join her soon after getting some 'necessary business' done. Jocelyn's firm has evacuated to Glasgow, and Michael is working at an aeroplane factory in Gloucester, so 'Certainly Hitler has managed to dislocate our lives for us!'. Hopes things are not going too badly for Bob in this 'infernal world'; wishes success for the "Collected Works".

East Hendred, Wantage, Berkshire. - Thanks Bob for his 'delightful Christmas gift' [his poem "A Dream"]. Was 'busy on hack-work' when it arrived, so only read it yesterday with 'much interest and admiration'. Asks if the 'two lines about Verulam' mean that Bob is an 'advocate of the Baconian heresy' [about the authorship of Shakespeare's works]: if so, he is the first poet Wilfrid has met 'who could believe for a moment that the author of the essays could have written the plays'; has also 'never met an actor who could conceive that they were the work of an author without intimate stage-experience'. This is however a 'minor issue', which 'detracts little from the beauty and wisdom of the poem'. He and his wife send best wishes to the Trevelyans for Christmas and the new year.

Greenway, Yaverland, Sandown, Isle of Wight. - It is 'delightful' to get the 'Shiffolds' Christmas Annual' ["From the Shiffolds"] again; most enjoyed the 'Trojan Captives grinding corn...'. Trusts that 'things are not going too badly... in these difficult times'. He and his wife send 'warmest Christmas greetings' to the Trevelyans.

Yewbarrow, Grange over Sands. Monday. - Wilfrid [Gibson] is very ill; Abercrombie feels that an attempt should be made to get some money from the Government. Geraldine says she is not anxious, but they have just had a new baby and a friend writes that she "looks badly".

Wallington. - Very sorry to hear about Geraldine Gibson; '[Wilfrid] was so dependent on her. Who will look after him now?'. Has had a letter from Down, Scott and Down which he encloses and asks Bessie to keep for him; is writing to ask them to pay the money to him rather than her, since it is due to him and he has an overdraft at Drummonds. Elsa Richmond is staying; she is 'very deaf now' and he finds her 'difficult to talk to'. Hopes to see Edith B[ulmer] today or tomorrow, as well as Geoffrey and Len [Winthrop Young].

Wallington. - Is staying in the 'Blackett' room next to Molly and Charles; Catherine [Abercrombie] is in his old bedroom over the library. Went to the Gibbet yesterday. On Friday they are going to tea with Geoffrey [Young]; unfortunately Len will not be there. Had tea with Edith Bulmer yesterday. Glad Ada is 'well and cheerful'. Has written to [Wilfrid] Gibson about 'Gibson [sic: a slip of the pen for 'Geraldine'] - rather a difficult letter to write'.

Greenway, Yaverland, Sandown, Isle of Wight. - Thanks Bob for the 'pamphlet of poems" [this year's "From the Shiffolds"] which has 'followed' him to their new home; they moved here last April so that he and his wife could 'indulge [their] passion for the sea' and 'enjoy the "simple pleasure"' Bob writes so eloquently about, and their grandson could 'have a handy beach to play on'. Has read Bob's poems with 'much pleasure', particularly "To Ursula Wood"; appreciates especially the 'intimate nature' of much of Bob's new work, which 'conveys so skilfully [his] personal reactions to existence in these troubled times'. Encloses a selection from his own poetry, chosen by his friend Charles Williams shortly before his death ["Solway Ford and Other Poems"].