Showing 7 results

Roundhurst, Haslemere. - Expects he will be at Wallington on 12 [April]; Edward could come then, or earlier in the week; there will be a 'mob of people' he hardly knows such as the Spence Watsons early on but 'the coast will be cleared' after Tuesday; he will get there on Wednesday or Thursday next week. Asks Edward to send Kitty's address [Kitson added in pencil]; they could 'do something to rag him' such as sending a letter 'enclosing a beautiful epithalamium'. 'Here is a fan for Roger [Fry] to paint, which 'may be used to support whichever side of the temperance question you may choose'; includes the text of Bob's poem "For a Fan", with a reference to the Homeric Hymn to Pan.

Wyddrington, Edgbaston. - He and his wife Katie have been waiting to hear news of the Trevelyans; does not know if he can 'yet offer... congratulations' [on the birth of their child]. Sends Christmas greetings; [originally] enclosing some small photographs of the 'Seaton Delaval statues' he took with Bobby a few years ago, as promised. Is here to spend Christmas with Katie's family; there is 'always a jolly oldfashioned gathering' with nephews and nieces 'galore' around.

Roundhurst, Haslemere. - Will try to stop his letter 'lapsing into a scrawl at the end'. Glad that Edward and his sister are having such a good time at Rome; would like to be there himself very much, and may get there by the end of the year but fears Edward will be gone by then. Asks if Edward could disappear for a few months and 'be in hiding at Rome'; since he 'has no large sums from the Bank', his 'action could not be given a criminal interpretation'; tells him to hide in the painted tombs on the via Latina - or at least go and see them, and 'the robins hopping about among the cut roses'. Gives other sightseeing advice; tells Edward he should arrange with a dairy to have 'Devonshire cream, i.e. crema dura, every morning for breakfast'. He should also go to see the Pinturicchio in 'the Church on the Capitol' of the Magdaline [sic] 'walking about in the desert scantily clad reading a prayer book'; he himself 'must write a fan on her'. Is currently writing 'a play about Mantua and Greek Emperors and Gonzagaz, and Vittorino dei Feltre, and Vittor [?] Pisano, and charming and learned young ladies who won't marry the people their fathers tell them to' ["Cecilia Gonzaga"]; is also translating Ovid's "Metamorphoses", and writes out an extract from his version of the Daphne and Apollo episode. Plans to translate 'a few things from him and Propertius and Ronsard etc', and hopes Roger [Fry] will illustrate them if he has time. Verse beginning 'Knowst thou why Ovidius Naso / Mourned and sorrowed all his days so': because he knew who would illustrate and translate his work. Has never been to the Villa d'Este himself, but has heard much about it from the Frys; Roger has painted a 'very nice picture' of it, and said there were 'rose-wreathed cypresses' there which Bob has put into his poem "Juno's Peacock". Saw G.V. [Gilbert Venables?] recently, also saw Ronnie Norman at a concert, who 'seemed all right'. Asks Edward to let him know when he is returning, so they can meet in London; will answer his sister's letter soon.

The Shiffolds, Holmbury, St. Mary, Dorking. - They are 'all assembled here again', though Julian returns to school on Friday; he 'seems all the better for his time in the North', as does Bessie. Mrs Holroyd-Reece is staying here, 'finishing her holiday", as her husband has gone to the Netherlands 'on Media Society business, in spite of his collar bone', which is better but 'not right yet'.

Robert is going to London today 'to attend the dinner in honour of Basil Williams, of which George takes the chair'; Charles will also be there, as well as 'many of the [Lake] Hunt'. Robert's old friend Edward Hodgkin, 'Thomas Hodgkin's son', has died, the first of Robert's 'contemporary friends (excepting Theodore [Llewelyn Davies]) who has died' with whom he was 'really intimate'. Robert 'cared for him almost more than any one else' when at Cambridge, 'and for some years afterwards, but had rather lost sight of him of late years'.

Is reading Aristophanes' Ploutos again, which he 'read with Bowen in sixth form pupil room', and has liked since then 'almost as much as his more famous plays. The Chorus isn't much; but the incidents and the dialogue and the ideas' always seem to him 'as good as they can be'. Sends love to his mother.

Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - Will expect Edward on Monday; does not know whether he will make it to the station. Can supply a gun. Yesterday 'the Runcible one' [Walter Runciman?] shot eight ducks on one pond and he himself four at another; the other three had an average of two or three. They are going to 'play [rugby] footer this afternoon, to our hurt and undoing'; their opponents, from Capheaton, are 'said to be all very terrible devils'. He has therefore eaten 'the larger moiety of a great yellow treacle pudding to add to my weight, and put courage into my heart'; hopes his pudding will not 'gush out' under a blow as in a quote from Rabelais ["Gargantua and Pantagruel"].

Hotel and Pension Palumbo. - 'This [the news of Edward's engagement] is very fine and splendid, this is magnificent, this is superb'; however, Edward has not told him who his fiancée is. With no name, he 'must fall back on my faith in your known prudence, judgment, and shall I add connoisseurship'; Edward has also not said when the wedding is to be, and Bob would like to know whether he is likely to be in England at the time. Cannot 'try to make an Epithalamium' without a name. If Edward can get the marriage over 'in a week or two', tells him to come over to Italy. Spends all his days 'in the woods or on Cembrone [Cimbrone]'. Repeats in a postscript how 'awfully pleased' he is.

Old Ridley, Stocksfield, Northumberland. - Lily G.J. [Gresford Jones] spent some time here last week, and they spent several hours sorting through old letters kept by [Catharine's husband] Edward; Lily thought 'Mr "Trevy"' might like to see them [16/1-4?]. It is 'a saddening thing to read old letters', but they 'bring back happy times'; the 'rare Cambridge days (& after) held so much for your band of friends'. Hopes that Bob is now finally recovering. Sends love to Bessie; it has been a long time since they met.