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Will be all right about the [Italian] lire: has heard from [Umberto] Morra, who says that he will have necessary money for the Deuchars; this letter crossed with one from Bob explaining that the Deuchars are not coming to Italy but that Julian is. Has asked Morra where he will be around 22-24 February; expects he will be at Rome. Bessie is not very well; it is not serious but will keep her from Roland [Vaughan Williams]'s funeral at Wooton tomorrow, but Bob must go.

Received Julian's letter this morning and has written at once to [Umberto] Morra to see whether he can provide forty pounds in lire [see 15/123]; Bob will not ask Julian to repay him this money. Is writing to Morra at the office of the Società Italiana per la Organizzione Internazionale at Rome, where Julian should be able to find him; has asked where Morra is likely to be around 22-24 February. Might be worthwhile Julian seeing if he could take abroad a larger sum of money with a doctor's note, as the Bank suggested. Roland Vaughan Williams died on Saturday, so they will have to go to the funeral on Thursday at Wotton. Will think about going himself to Florence in March, when Julian might also be there.

The Shiffolds, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking. - Apologises for not writing for a few days: they 'missed a post by mistake', and this afternoon Roland [Vaughan Williams?] called wanting him to go for a walk just as he was about to write and Bessie thought he should go. There is not much news: Bessie and Paul are doing well. Bessie has 'already seen several people', and Lady V[aughan] Williams will probably visit tomorrow.

Thanks his mother for her letter, which came this afternoon; Bessie thanks her for her last letter and was 'much amused to hear of the muisjes-rite'; she is 'shocked' that Robert is 'refusing the sacriment, because it contains carroway seed [sic]' - he does however think they 'look very pretty'. Bessie says the 'nursing' [breast-feeeding] is going well, and 'the supply and demand question, which often seems the chief difficulty, has been settled to the satisfaction of both parties'.

There has been heavy snow, but the 'Doctor still comes out in his motor'. Will give Gussie [Enticknap] his Christmas card. Robert has had a 'letter of congratulation' from A. G. Watson. Supposes there is snow at Welcombe too.

Thanks Julian for his letter; fears he will not be able to come to Cambridge next week, as he has scalded his leg; may be able to visit after Julian's tripos [exams], but does not know has long his term lasts. Expects the Waterfields [Aubrey and Lina] would be at Aulla in September, but that is a long time away. He and Elizabeth seem a little nearer a settlement with Roland [Vaughan Williams] about the house: they are holding out for a thirty five year lease, at least one longer than the twenty one year lease he is offering. Hopes Tom [Sturge Moore?] will not be 'too cantankerous at the Heretics [Society]'. Bessie is still in the Netherlands, and seems to be enjoying herself; C.A. [Clifford Allen] is recovering, but 'very slowly'. Thinks Roger [Fry] is painting a portrait in Cambridge and Julian could see him; tells him to ask Goldie [Dickinson] or at King's.

c/o B[ernard] Berenson, Poggio allo Spino, Consuma (Prov di. Firenze). - Glad Julian is having such a good time; expects he will be at or near Aulla by now. Unsure whether he himself will be able to get to Aulla; expects he will stay here until the end of the month then go home; hopes Aubrey and Lina [Waterfield] will not be annoyed with him. Might be able to come for a few days early in September, but fears Julian would have left by then. B.B. [Berenson] likely to go to Paris then so Julian would probably miss him, or the house would be full since Mary is coming from England with some guests. Nicky [Mariano] and the Anreps [Alda and Egbert] are here at the moment, and [Alberto] Moravia is staying in the village nearby. Julian could maybe arrange to do this, but will probably want to go on to Ravenna.

Spent some time in Paris with the Allens [Clifford and Joan], and saw [Hasan] Suhrawardy and [Maria] Germanova; then went with the Allens to Bolzano for almost a week. Clifford Allen seems much better in health; they will return home soon via Heidelburg. Bessie writes that the 'last difficulties to the building contract have been removed'; she has probably signed it by now. Roland [Vaughan Williams] will not allow the house to be 'plastered smooth', so the 'old part shall remove rough-cast, and the new part be brick': he is sorry, but Julian may prefer it. Is reading a lot, but has done little work, except on translating the "Medea" for Germanova, who 'seems to want very much to do it in America next year'. Received Julian's letter at Bolzano about 'adventures in the Pyrennees [sic] and in wolf-caverns'; glad Julian is seeing [Frederick] Porter, will pay for any lessons when he returns so he should keep an account. Sends love to Lina and Aubrey; will write soon to let them know whether he can visit.

The Mill House, Westcott, Dorking :- Apologises for not writing sooner [ee 12/71]: this is not 'due to indifference or to want of interest, still less to want of affection, but to carelessness and procrastination', to which he has always been 'very liable', and should therefore try especially 'to guard against'.

Will keep the Whitefriars Journal, since his father did not mention it, until Bessie returns at least. Liked his speech, and thought it 'admirably successful in saying some quite serious things lightly, and with grace'. Bessie is coming back soon, maybe on Thursday, but has not yet settled exactly when; Robert will probably come to London then and hopes they might see his parents. She has had a cold but is well now, and seems to have enjoyed her visit.

The 'difficulties about the house' seem to be finally settled, as the Vaughan Williamses have agreed to everything they asked; wishes they had done so several months ago, and saved Robert and Bessie 'this time and worry'. Building should begin this month if everything goes well. Will tell his father 'more about the terms' when they meet in London; their solicitor Withers is satisfied with the terms now.

Spent a week with some Cambridge friends at Woody Bay near Ilfracombe and left last Thursday, stopping to see Salisbury and Winchester on the way back; returned home yesterday. Much admired 'the outside of Salisbury Cathedral, and the close'; did not see Stonehenge, but left it 'for another time'.

Does 'not know how far Verrall has really proved his point about Tyrtaeus [see 12/73]', but remembers he fairly convinced Robert that the poems 'were at least very much rewritten in the Attic dialect, and probably added to, in the 6th century'; does not think Verrall suggested there was 'not an older form behind them', he supposes 'in the Spartan dialect'. Rather likes the 'old elegiac poets' such as Solon, Tyrtaeus and Theognis, who 'may not be very poetical or sublime' but 'can say what they want to quite clearly and with great force in a very difficult literary medium', and 'prepared the way for Simonides and the later epigrammatists'.

Sends love to his mother, and hopes to see her this week.

The Mill House, Westcott, Dorking :- The weather has deteriorated recently and it is 'alternatively rainy and sultry'. Saw George briefly in London yesterday; he seemed 'very well and cheerful', except that he and Janet are 'distressed' about the health of her uncle [William Thomas Arnold], which Robert's father has 'doubtless' heard of. George was 'beginning the last chapter of his history [England Under the Stuarts].

Bessie is well; her friend Miss [Laetitia] Ede is visiting for a few days, 'having just passed her final medical examination'. They have 'signed the agreement with the V[aughan] Williamses [for the lease of land on which to build a house]' but there are still delays, since both their and the Vaughan Williamses' architects think they should 'try to get a cheaper tender from other builders'; this is 'very tiresome', but at least it does not seem to be the Vaughan Williamses' fault this time, and Robert and Elizabeth will be sure they are getting their 'full money's worth'. Does not expect the delays will be longer than a few weeks, so the roof should still be on before Christmas and they should be able to move in next spring.

Saw Murray's translation of Hippolytus acted in London yesterday [at the Lyric Theatre, produced by Harley Granville-Barker], but thought it so poor a performance that he 'could not stay till the end. No one could act well, or even make themselves heard properly, though there was plenty of ranting, and the beautiful choruses were drowned out in an intolerably affected and ineffective manner'. The play is 'very fine... and well suited for the modern style, and the translation has many unusual merits': it is a 'great pity that these abortive efforts should be made, as it only makes the intelligent public more and more sceptical as to the possibility of acting poetical drama finely, and yet it is perfectly possible, if only they would go about it in the right way'. At least they should not use 'quite incompetent actors'. Yet some papers have said it was 'very successful'.

They both send love to Robert's father and mother; Bessie will write soon.