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They enjoyed Bob's poems ["From the Shiffolds"] 'so much!' and tell him to 'make it an annual event'. Hear he may be in Florence in the spring; [their son] Daniel and his wife intend to spend six months working in Italy then, and Margaret hopes to visit; tells him to let them have his address there before he leaves.

10 Pelham Place, S.W.7. - Was 'very much moved' by Bob's poems [this year's "From the Shiffolds"]: both to have been remembered by him and by many of the poems themselves. Is 'passing through a bad patch' of having to hold his 'nose... to the grindstone to produce funds', and Bob's poems 'soothed' him greatly. Is writing a 'most awful book' for Kodaks on 'Photography in Education'. Margaret has been ill and has been operated on for varicose veins in her leg, but she is better now and hopes to 'get home to the country and resume a normal life' this Friday. Has been lecturing on 'Visual Aids to Education' at 'a thing called "The Bath Academy of Art"'. Henriette Sturge Moore, who teaches Dramatic Art there, has spoke 'affectionately' of him to Bob and Bessie. Margaret sends love to them both.

10 Pelham Place, S.W.7. - Kind of Bob to have remembered them with his collection of poems ["From the Shiffolds"]; particularly liked the one about a rock pool. Margaret sends love to both Trevelyans; she also much enjoyed the poems. Is at Malvern 'making films on how to destroy the universe in the shortest time by turning knobs'; this is 'an amiable and useful employment', but it is 'annoying' to be a hundred miles from Margaret in London, especially as Isabel is currently spending her holidays there. Ralph is in the army at Karachi, and is married; Daniel is also married, and back at King' [College, Cambridge]. He himself travels between Malvern and London every weekend. Has not seen John Luce since he returned, but saw Gordon and Tee Tee recently at Gloucester, who 'seem very vague as to when they will get back to Burma'. Likes to 'reciprocate in kind' for poetry, and has 'composed one for the occasion called "The Mad Physicist", which he copies out.

Postmarked Devizes; addressed to Trevelyan in the Annie Zung Ward, Westminster Hospital, Horseferry Road, London S.W. - Had been looking forward to visiting again, but decided eventually to go straight home to Wiltshire on Friday; hopes Trevelyan will be released from Hospital soon anyway. The 'shortages of current postcards has produced some curious results. [He] found this on sale in a stationers in Pimlico'.

Department of Prints and Drawings, British Museum, London, W.C. - Thanks Trevelyan for reading Hubert's essay [see 17/37]; wishes Trevelyan had come in to see him 'that Monday' and tells him to come and 'propose [himself] for a night soon'. Has just finished translating a 'new lot of Po Chu-i poems' and a ghost story by him. Asks if Trevelyan has read 'the Henry James number of the "Egoist"', where there is an article by [T.S.] Eliot and 'a very short, very bad one' by Waley. Has heard at last from [Oswald] Sickert at Shanghai.

British Museum. - His brother 'who paints and is at Romford' [Hubert] has written the enclosed essay [now no longer present: perhaps the "Revival of Aesthetics"?] in the 'leisure of the [army training?] camp' and asked him to send Trevelyan a copy, as 'one of the few intelligent people who would not scold him for not having read Benedetto Croce & Aristotle'.

British Museum, London, W.C. - He and his brother Hubert thinks that despite their mother's 'protestations', it is too much for her to have extra guests except for the occasional night; does not at all blame Bob for taking everyone at their word that it was the opposite, and knows he will not mind him speaking 'quite plainly'. Knows his mother would be 'very hurt' if Bob did not still come for the occasional night, so he should not 'cut her out of [his] list altogether'. Will send Bob his book; the booksellers are 'trying to pretend the 3 s[hilling] edition doesn't exist'.

British Museum, London, W.C.1. - Hopes the 'anti-flu apparatus' [see 17/27] has reached Trevelyan; it 'may puzzle the customs-authorities'; supposes Trevelyan will get leave at Christmas. London is 'intolerable this week' [due to the armistice]; it is 'impossible to get dinner at a restaurant' because of the crowds; supposes things will 'subside gradually. Paris must have been even more emotional'. Hopes Trevelyan can 'bear that sort of thing'; he himself 'very much dislike[s] women's voices which are so prominent at times like these'. The [British Museum] Print Room is as 'good a refuge from Peace as it was from War'. The conscientious objectors are all wondering whether their services will still be require, most favour 'eloping'. His younger brother [Hubert] hopes to get into the Treasury until 'Peace is properly fixed up'; his other brother [Sigismund] will of course go back when he is out of hospital'. Looks forward to 'tremendous conversations about Literature' when Trevelyan returns.

"in the train, on the way to Romford [to see his brother Hubert?]". - Has seen [Edward Denison?] Ross 'about B', who told him 'in confidence the reasons why they could not keep B'; these had 'nothing to do with his nationality' and seemed 'perfectly adequate' to Waley. They were unable to tell B why they sacked him, as 'this would have put him on his guard'. Tells Trevelyan not to talk about this to B, and advises him 'not to take up the cudgels for him' since the authorities seem clearly to be 'justified in their view'. Does not think there is much chance of B. being called up 'under the circumstances'; asks Bob not to mention the matter to anyone.

13, Hanover Terrace, Ladbroke Grove, W. - Very sorry that Bob has been 'having such a bad time with this disease', and is sending 'an inhaling apparatus which is an infallible preventative' [see 17/35]; hopes it will reach him in time. Has given the "Summons to the Soul" and the "Pitcher" exclusively to [J.C.] Squire for the "New Statesman"; has only his Po translations and cannot 'stain the pages of "Reconstruction" with such bilge'; would send anything he had gladly, and perhaps by next month will have some more Po Chu-I poems. His elder brother [Sigismund] is getting married on Tuesday 'with oriental pomp'; Hubert is at home with a cold, having a 'very good rest'. Saw Goldie [Lowes Dickinson] at the [1917?] Club on Tuesday, in 'great spirits'; also sees [Eric?] Maclagan sometimes, who is 'still rather washed out'. Asks Bob about a line of poetry, "And my young wife walks up the path alone", which he had thought came from the 'Chinese poems' in [Robert] Bridge's [anthology] "Spirit of Man". Has found a Li Po poem which he thinks is the original of the English line; it ends 'young wife alone mounts tower'.

Sees that [Laurence] Binyon has another volume of poetry out ["The New World: Poems"]; he is currently 'lecturing to soldiers in France on the Civilization of China', and Bob may see him in Paris. [Campbell] Dodgson, the Keeper of Prints [at the British Museum] has received an Order of the British Empire [CBE], but 'did not seem unduly elated'. Must be 'great fun being translated into French'; hopes 'Vildrac will soon get going' on him, and that 'poets are demobilized early in France'; 'Makers of "India rubber Medical appliances" came first on the list in England. Sir Auckland [Geddes] is evidently afraid of an undue increase in the birth-rate'. Sends his love to Francis [Birrell], and asks Bob to tell him Waley has lost his letter about where to get a 'copy of Foy [?]'. Wonders if [his translation of] the letter from Wang Wei to a friend could do for "Reconstruction" and encloses a copy [no longer present], but will not mind if it is no use. Thinks the "Summons" will be in the "New Statesman" and will send Bob a copy (possibly one for B.B. [Berenson] as well); will also send the second number of the Bulletin [of the School of Oriental and African Studies, in which further translations by Waley of Po Chu-'s works appear] when it comes out. Understands that [Thomas] Sturge Moore will continue to come to London [after a move to the countryside], and has organised 'a "poetry reading" for a proximate date'; would be 'harrowing if he were absolutely banished'. W.H. Davies has 'been in a tremendous flutter' due to sitting for a portrait by Augustus John; he has 'a passion for being painted by swells'; afraid that Davies' new poems are not selling well; does not think Fifield are good publishers.

G[reat] Malvern. - Is 'flattered' that Bob sent him some of his work ["From the Shiffolds"], and much enjoyed reading the poems; perhaps liked the first best. Bob was ill last time he saw him; hopes he has no recovered from the accident, and that Bessie is well. Daniel is in Italy, and Ralph in the Netherlands. He is returning from Wiltshire to a government department, where he 'write[s] film scripts for the R.A.F'.

Poem, "The Poet Laments his Trade", presumably by Waley, on the back on the letter, complete with footnotes.