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Castle Hale, Painswick, Glos. [on mourning stationery] - Is pleased to hear that Sir James' operation was successful; also pleased to hear that she recalls their time in Rome, which they last visited two years before in November, with fewer tourists but more easily recognisable spies; Ponza, Lampedusa and Lipari are full of political victims of Mussolini; Boni faded out before things became so bad, two underground railways are being made in Rome; has told Signorina Tea her words in her letter to Mrs Plimmer, hope to see them soon; they have never wavered in friendship, but felt something of an 'occult misunderstanding' arose long ago.

Società Italiana per la Organizzazione Internazionale, Roma, Palazzetto di Venezia, Via S. Marco, 5. - It is all right for the Deuchars to come in spring; Trevelyan just has to let him know what they will need. Is almost certain to come to England around 15 May for the Executive Committee of PEN, to attend to business relating to the PEN Congress in Venice this September; would be pleased also to see Trevelyan in Italy, as this would indicate his health was getting better. Is permanently attached now to WFUNA, 'the old League of Nations Union'; their headquarters were once the beautiful private home of Mussolini's chauffeur.

Rome. - Is passing through London again twice this month, before and after the PEN Congress in Edinburgh, and will be staying c/o Enid McLeod on the way up. Would very much like to come to the Shiffolds, or see Trevelyan in London. Will stay a night at Casa al Dono before he comes.

Part draft of Trevelyan's play "Sulla". Prose piece describing a dream conversation with Thersites and Cressida [an early version of "Thersites"?]. Short extract from a verse play [?] about Iphigeneia in the underworld, searching for her father Agamemnon. Draft of "Fand".

Notebook also used from other end in: on inside cover, list of names ('Parents, E[lizabeth] T[revelyan], Bertie [Russell], B[ernard] B[erenson]' etc), perhaps a distribution list; second list ('Belisarius, Manzoni, Jiaffer and Haroum' etc), perhaps a list of possible topics; diagram of chess board [?]. Review of book by 'Prof. S.' about Italian Fascism [Gaetano Salvemini's "The Fascist Dictatorship in Italy", published in 1927?]; Trevelyan criticises "English admirers of Mussolini such as Mr Bernard Shaw and Mr Churchill" for misleading public opinion with 'ignorant and irresponsible laudation of Fascism'. Translation of extracts from Lucretius's "De Rerum Natura"; beginning of these marked with slip, 'II 478 [corrected from 473]-990, IV 1-270'.

Has energetically appealed to his son along the lines desired by Mussolini; thanks Mussolini for his kindness in directing the warning through him; can go to Rome if need be.

Has worked hard to induce his son Piero to accept Mussolini's invitation, but Piero is insistent that his article in the Manchester Guardian special supplement is a 'pure and simple exposition of figures and facts, publically known and not proven wrong, that he has nothing to correct and nothing to add' and therefore will not write another article.

The allegations concerned Angelo Sraffa's dealing with students of Bocconi University who were former soldiers.
Signatories: Benito Mussolini; Alfred [?] Rossi; Giulio Bergmann

Il Capo del Governo, Roma, 8 Nov. 1929 Anno VIII E. F. - Ambassador Bordonaro sent him the text of the dedication of the 'Fasti' to Giacomo Boni; thanks her for asking it be sent and thanks her for the copy of the book for the Accademia d'Italia. Letter signed. Accompanied by the envelope.

Pen Rose, Berkhamsted. - Mary has indeed been 'indulging in mumps for the last 10 days'; Humphry is in quarantine; she herself expects to get them '2 days after the last date the doctors say I could possible do so' in mid-November. Hopes Julian's leg injury is 'quite healed up now'. She is looking after '[her] Play Centres and Italians as usual' despite 'a certain lamentable aversion for Mussoliny [sic] that occasionally invades one's breast', though this is overcome when she sees the Italians as they are 'always so charming'. Ran five 'organised play-grounds' in London schools during the summer holidays, and the L[ondon] C[ounty] C[ouncil] wants them to do more next year; 'astonishing & pathetic' how little amusement is required to attract the children and 'how easily they can be kept good'. Hopes they will recognise each other when they meet again, she is 'getting very old and stout!'.

at Grosvenor Hotel, London, S.W.1. (Dictated) - Thanks him for the copy of his 'The Woman Clothed with the Sun'; hopes it will open the eyes of Italians to 'the enormity of the crimes which are now being perpetrated in the name of Italy at the behest of a ruthless dictator'.

Heard from Aunt Annie [Philips] that she had seen Julian and liked his rooms [at Trinity College]. Bessie will be happy to help Julian to get a low table for tea or coffee; a shame they cannot get 'another Burma table'. Not sure whether she will come to see the production of [Bob's translation of Aeschylus'] "Prometheus"; not keen to come all the way to see 'another disappointing performance in that theatre [Terence Gray's Cambridge Festival Theatre] & in that atmosphere'. However, she may feel differently after Bob has seen it [see 15/230]. Bob came home on Sunday after all, while 'Cousin Marie [Hubrecht]' was staying, and the Allens [Clifford and Joan] came to supper. Noel Vaughan Williams, an 'old friend' of Marie, came to lunch. Hears that Daan [possibly Daniel Hubrecht, a relative in Cambridge?] fell on the ice a couple of days ago and 'cut his hand very badly'; he may still be in hospital; Julian could perhaps visit him.

Hears Julian is to meet Sir R[endell] Rodd, once English ambassador in Rome, 'with whom Aunt Janet worked on her unholy Anglo-Italian League'; he is 'a regular hedger abt Mussolini'. Advises Julian to pay his hundred pound legacy into his deposit account at Drummonds, and tells him how to do this. Says in a postscript that Aunt Annie's 'enthusiasm made her bubble one into trios when there were only singing duets'; stresses that she herself did not sing 'Charlie is my darling', though if Julian had heard 'dear old Timson' sing with his cracking voice Julian might have thought that even she 'might be heard at that concert!'.

Lansdowne House 7, Holland Park, W.11. - Is unable to accept her invitation, and suggests other dates, encloses his review of 'Totemism', which hasn't appeared yet in the "Observer" and thinks he may be persona non grata for his opposition to Mussolini's 'Abyssinian adventure'.

British Embassy, Rome - Benito Mussolini would be very happy to associate his name with the celebrations in honour of Frazer's 80th birthday.

Grosvenor Hotel, London - Forwarding December issue of the 'National Review' [not present], which includes an article with his views on Fascism and Mussolini. Supports the imprisonment of Salvemini, says there is much he could say about Mussolini and Fascism, 'so little understood in many quarters in Italy'.

Is going to Italy on 6 January; if Julian is in Paris that week he might stay there for a couple of nights before travelling on. Betty Muntz is arriving from [Le] Havre on the morning of the 6th; she will spend the day in Paris then travel on to Florence, Cortona and Assisi with Bob; she will have two or three weeks in Italy, he will stay on until the end of February. Bessie has just had two teeth out, but otherwise is well; she is reading [Robin] Fedden's book, which Bob has not done yet. The [Oliver] Lodges and their baby [Rosalie Belinda] are well, as is C.A. [Clifford Allen] who is starting a debate in the House of Lords today 'more or less attacking the Government about aeroplanes'. Bob thinks he rather agrees with Mussolini that the League of Nations should be detached from the Versailles Treaty. Hopes Julian will be able to sell his film; supposes his engravings will soon be at the Leicester G[alleries]. Hopes to see [Maria] Germanova in Paris; saw Nijinsky's daughter [Kyra?] at Lady Ottoline [Morrell]'s, who pronounced Germanova's name with an accent on the second syllable instead of the third. Must write to [Hasan Shahid] Suhrawardy. Asks if Julian would like him to bring any books, such as Virginia [Woolf]'s "Flush", which is 'quite good'.