13A Hanover Terrace Ladbroke Grove. - Is sceptical about the translation of his books into German. Sorry to hear that Trevelyan has had mumps; hopes he has now recovered. At heart is miserable about the state of Europe; distractions include dinner with Clive [Bell?] and [Ralph?] Hawtrey, and the new letters of Byron, which he discusses at length with comments on morality. Has also been reading the 'absurd' book [Home Life with Herbert Spencer]. Morgan [Forster] has returned, unhappy because he cannot write (with which Trevelyan will sympathise). Met Bertie [Russell] and his wife at the Sangers'; does not think he will like 'Mrs Bertie'. Mrs [Beatrice] Mayor's two plays [The Girl and the City and Thirty Minutes in a Street] were acted on Sunday [2 Apr 1922, at the Kingsway Theatre]; supposes they were not much of a success but he was interested by them, particularly that acted by her sister [Betty Potter]. Has had long walk with [Nathaniel] Wedd who is 'gallant' but not well; Dickinson sceptical about the psychoanalysis he is receiving. Sends best regards to Trevelyan and his hosts [the Berensons].
Originally enclosing some notices for [the forthcoming production of his own] "Meleager" and [Sturge Moore's] "Medea" for Julian to distribute; he is sending them to [F.L. or D.W. ?] Lucas and G.M.T. [his brother George], but it might be worthy giving one to people like [Clive?] Bell. Will see Bessie tomorrow. Perhaps should have gone to see the "Bacchae" [at Cambridge?], but did not have the energy. Hears Vanessa Bell 'thought well' of some of Julian's pictures. [Hasan] Suhrawardy has been here, and has got him to start translating the "Medea" for [Marie] Germanova, who may perform it in America. H.E. Field's book may be of interest; he was 'a charming and intelligent man, but not a very good painter'. Has sent via Bessie a duplicate from B.B. [Bernard Berenson]'s library of the [Frank] Sidgwick "Early English Lyrics".
Charleston, Firle, Sussex. - Bob's poems [this year's "From the Shiffolds?"] gave him, and Duncan Grant, 'great pleasure, as they always do'. This is not just a 'Christmas compliment'; thinks these translations are, in their way, as good as anything Bob has done. Regrets that he was beforehand 'quite unaware of [the Latin] poem' "Moretum"'; that is his favourite piece, though some of the extracts from the dramatists, as well as the [Homeric?] hymn are 'more beautiful and give wider scope' to Bob's poetic powers; he 'grow[s] old, and bucholic [sic]'. Is also getting 'cold', and his fingers can no longer hold the pen; they are 'enjoying one of those intervals which must not be called "cuts" - mere easements of the pay-load'. Curses Mr Shinwell [Minister of Fuel and Power].
Weybridge. - Thanks Trevelyan for the cheque. Encourages him to read [Wilfred Scawen] Blunt after Goldie [Dickinson]. Has just received the proofs of his 'worthy' piece for the "Nation". Is glad Trevelyan 'has unlocked the key of blue' [?] and that Charlotte [Mew? See 3/116] interests him. Dined with Roger [Fry] and Clive Bell last night, and '[b]iffed all their art bosh'.
West Hackhurst, Abinger Hammer, Dorking. - Thanks Bessie for her 'kind letter'; meant to ring, but has been in bed for the last three days with a cough and cold. Is now better and out of bed. Expects to stay with the Bells at Charleston at the beginning of May. Clive says there is 'little "private news" [about Virginia Woolf's suicide], except that she was threatened by a return (it would have been the fifth) of her terrible illness. Understandably, she could not bear the prospect'. Leonard is 'as always reasonable and stoical', and so far Vanessa has not 'broken down' as she did at [her son] Julian's death. He himself has of course been 'much upset', and her sympathy is welcome; he 'found it so repulsive to get letters and telegrams from no less than six newspapers wanting me to do articles at once'.
Had meant to write on a happier subject: his 'delightful call upon G. M. T[revelyan, recently appointed Master] at Trinity', who was very pleased with [the Master's Lodge] 'and all sorts of improvements were in full swing'. Had 'the kindest of greetings'. Asks why Bessie doesn't pay them a visit.
Everyone in his house has colds; Florence [Barger] is 'nursing hers with special care, as she goes to Manchester on Tuesday'. Sends love to Bessie and Bob. Adds postscript: saw May Dickinson and her sister Hettie Lowes at Cambridge, and Sheppard 'as usual'.
Conduit Head - Eily Darwin to visit Frances, Frances likes Clive Bell despite Eily Darwin's opinion.
Thought Bessie might like to see the enclosures [no longer present]; does not want them back. R. V. W. [Ralph Vaughan Williams] tells him 'he has now heard from her [reference unknown]'. Is going to spend the weekend with the Bells; hopes he [emphasised] gets back. Was very nice seeing her and Bob recently, and the Sturge Moores. Must get the Goethe novel which he [Thomas Sturge Moore?] recommended; Forster had never heard of it. Always 'fall[s] off Wilhelm Meister.
His mother seems fairly well, and 'more worried about the tea & rations than the bombs'. Must go to meet Mr Todd [perhaps J. J. Todd of Dorking, like Forster involved with refugee commitees and The National Council for
Civil Liberties], who is coming to tea.
West Hackhurst, Abinger Hammer, Dorking. - Is ‘all right again’; only did not go to the Wednesday concert in Dorking as he was ‘hearing music in London instead’. As soon as ‘the air stops being like ice and the ground like glass’, hopes to visit, but ‘even the blackbirds can’t stand up when they walk to a crumb, so what help is there for humans?’.
Has been much enjoying ‘the Berenson poem in the Abinger Chronicle [Vol. 1. No. 2. To Bernhard Berenson; it is ‘not as good as the Goldie [Dickinson] one, but Berenson is not as good as Goldie, and within the limits he imposes Bob has turned out a very lovely and moving tribute to civilisation’. Has been reading a book about M[atthew] Arnold by ‘an America, called Trilling’; does not think he ‘has much feeling for poetry, but he is very good otherwise’, and gives Forster ‘surer ground’ for his admiration of Arnold.
Has ‘also read Elizabeth [von Arnim]’s frothy new novel Mr Skeffington’; it ‘has a touching denouement and was not badly built, and might have been good if she hadn’t such a frilly undi-fied [? undignified] mind. Has also read [Pope’s] Dunciad. Remembers Evelina [the book by Fanny Burney?]as ‘rather too little of a good thing’. His ‘trousers caught on fire at the Woolfs, and the house caught on fire at the Bells, but neither fatally’ and he much enjoyed himself. ‘Clive Bell is a charming host’.
13, Hanover Terrance, Ladbroke Grove, W. - Apologises for not writing sooner; has heard 'a good deal' about Trevelyan from Francis [Birrell?], [Goldsworthy Lowes] Dickinson and [Harry] Norton. Is working on Li Po 'in deference to the wishes of the public', translating, amongst others 'about 15 that have been done before' by Giles, St-Denys, Pound and so on; when it is printed, it may 'amuse' Trevelyan to compare the versions. Has not changed his own opinion of Li Po at all, but is 'taking a lot of trouble with him', he thinks he may be 'making him seem better than he is'. Impossible to get across in translation that Li Po is 'so largely a patchwork': for instance, the reference in the "River Merchant's Wife" to Wei who appears in 'the "Robber Che [Chih]" (chapter 29 of "Chuang Tzu" [Zhuangzi])", or that in another poem to the sailor with whom seagulls played in "Lieh Tzu [Liezi]"; St-Denys had obviously never read Lieh Tzu. The Oxford [University] Press has accepted his "Japanese Poetry: the Uta", which will come out in the spring. Heard a story about Alix [Sargant Florence] in Cornwall: she wanted to try the cream, but was told it 'would only be sold in compliance with a doctor's certificate', so she wrote to James [Strachey] to get one from Noel [Olivier] who refused; supposes this was when she and Norton were in Cornwall. Now she is there with James, who has flu. Lytton is also ill, with shingles. Rather likes Fredegond [Shove]'s poems ["Dreams and Journeys"?] except for 'the sonnets & the mysticism; Norton 'complained they reminded him of country holidays'. Has talked to Adrian Stephen a few times at the [1917?] Club, and likes him 'better than Norton, or Clive [Bell], or James'. Asks if Trevelyan has seen W. H. Davies's new book; has not read it properly himself, but there are some 'good things in it'. Davies was recently annoyed that the newspapers had described his clothes at a poetry reading as 'homely', when his 'buttons alone cost more than anything Yeats had on'. Has had a 'very kind and generous letter from Cranmer-Byng, a quite unsollicited [sic] "peccavi"'.
Charleston, Firle, Sussex. - Read Bob's poems [the first "From the Shiffolds"] 'with immense pleasure'. Is not a 'close student' of Bob's works, but thinks that he improves 'painterlike... with age'. Has discovered that he enjoys reading poetry 'first thing in the morning, with that first pipe'.
Kings Coll. Cambridge. - Hopes to be able to come and stay. Comments bitterly about the political situation: '"national economy" is going to mean everyone to pay except the rich', and Ramsay [Macdonald] is in a 'wretched position'. Is spending time with Raisley Moorsom, then may go to the Bells. Encloses something which he thinks will please Bob: the result of him sending "Solomon" ["The Foolishness of Solomon" to [Charles-Marie?] Garnier [perhaps see also 2/156].