Halford, Shipston on Stour - Going on a short holiday to Leamington, no time for a letter, sorry to hear Lady Frazer is unwell.
33 Great James St., Grays Inn W.C.1. - Sends a book of verses; says he met Frazer at an occasion at which Sir Ernest Benn was present; is composing a series of verses on the lives of the Cyprian princes, asks which edition of 'The Golden Bough' has the relevant footnotes. With pencilled note [in Lady Frazer's hand?], 'Adonis, Attis, Osiris 2 vols. 1914 since reprinted, Part IV of The Golden Bough' at the end of the letter.
Sir James Smith's Grammar School, Camelford, Cornwall - Has read 'Folklore in the Old Testament' and suggests an association between the scarf let down from heaven and shafts of light breaking through clouds; also asks for an explanation for the inn name The Garland Ox, in Bodmin.
Thanks Flora for sending back the Santayanas, and is glad she enjoyed them; remarks on the 'curious lapse of memory about Lady Stanley's knee-breeched footmen!'. Thinks she might like Santayana's "Last Puritan", which is 'not perhaps a good novel', but 'much better written than most novels, and full of good things'; the 'very recognisable portrait of Frank Russell is amusing'. The hero is 'more or less [Santayana] himself, but less interesting'. Offers to lend Flora his copy. Used to own some 'quite good sonnets' which Santayana gave him, but seems to have lost them; Santayana is 'not really a poet, though he sometimes writes good poetry'. Now finds "Lucifer [: a theological tragedy]", which Santayana also gave him, 'rather dull'. Thinks Flora may enjoy some of the 'less philosophical' works like "Soliloquies in England', and could lend them.
Hotel & Pension Palumbo, Ravello, Golfo di Salerno. - Gives [Bernard] Berenson's address at Florence. Has been 'a bit stuck' with his play; but may write a little more before he leaves; may have to read more books on 'mediaeval manners, especially at meals, on minstrels and hunting'. Hopes that her aunt is better. Draws a sketch of his 'little Bessie tree'. Is reading a book on the evil eye, seems 'we live in a damned superstition planet'.
Northlands, Englefield Green, Surrey. - Is still 'very vague and confused about Dutch money'; asks Bessie if she has calculated Augustin's bill correctly; it is 'a rather disappointingly large amount' but the success of the concerts 'helps to keep the artist in Donald [Tovey] alive. Wishes she could hear of Fritz Busch's safety: would be best if he could be '"safely wounded" as the mothers say'. Donald is at Dyffryn Rectory [to see his aunt, Anna Walter Thomas?] and returns to Edinburgh on Saturday. Asks Bessie to ask Donald to let her have any notices of his concerts which might have been contained in the letters she forwarded to him today; was very grateful for the one Bessie sent her which seems 'quite remarkably good and comprehending'. Donald is playing very well, but was 'extremely nervous' for the Chopin recital, partly as the piano was so bad. She was away for Christmas with her 'very depressed brother [Henry] and his wife' and is now trying to deal with work.
Woodhill Cottage, Shamley Green, Guildford. - They consider themselves 'among the lucky ones' to get a copy of Bob's Christmas poems ["From the Shiffolds"]; these are 'doubly welcome this time' since they were 'rather bowled over by that bitter weather after Christmas'. Marjory [Allen?] helped them by 'renting out one of her old-time housekeepers', Miss Johnson, whom Bob might 'remember from C[lifford] A[llen]'s time': Bob's poems have given them 'great spiritual refreshment', and with 'Johnny' [Miss Johnson] here they have been able to 'enjoy them unhurriedly'.
Trinity Lodge. Death of Andrew Burton, sends George Russell's autobiography.
P.O. Box 1896, Addis Ababa.—His mother’s death came without warning, while her mind was still full of plans. He will publish the issues of the Ethiopia Observer already in hand, and then close it. Invites Pethick-Lawrence to contribute to a memorial issue. His mother will be buried with the victims of the Graziani massacre.
29 July 1957 (1st meeting)
26 November 1957 (2nd meeting)
Correspondence re research etc, 1951, 1964, 1971, 1974.
Robert Mayor exceedingly weak
Signed by Sir Charles and Hannah Trevelyan, witnessed by G. O. Trevelyan.
HT is pleased WW likes his play: 'I am glad of all the praise I can get and especially of yours'. He has not seen WW's book of Hexameters: 'I remember well the pleasure I had in Hermann and Dorothea [WW's translation of 'Goethe's Herman and Dorothea', Fraser's Magazine, 1850]'. However 'it is not a measure which I should wish to see much of in any poetry'. He has just been reading John Herschel's translation of the first book of the Iliad - 'skillful and beautiful as the versification is I would rather have had it in decasyllabic blank verse of the same quality - not indeed in Cowper's blank verse, for if the hexameter movement is too marked, Cowper's verse on the other hand is almost motionless. But if Homer could be rendered into such blank verse as was written in the Elizabethan age or by Milton...that being a kind of melody in which almost all other melodies and movements are contained'.
Lists some 'problems to be solved' in relation to the memoir of Henry Sidgwick: dates of letters, articles etc. Some emendations in red ink.
Sidgwick, Arthur (1840–1920), educationist and classical scholarCannot understand Joseph wishing to go to Hastings and Brighton [The Priory, Kenilworth]
Collingwood - JH thanks WW for his remarks on his translation of book one of Homer's 'Iliad': 'I have adopted your suggestions all but one or two'. He has also begun the second book , but has not got far as he is constructing a 'general index catalogue of nebulae' with the aid of George Airy. JH's son Alexander Herschel is a candidate for the Professorship of Natural Philosophy at the Andersonian University of Glasgow: 'If in addition [to signing his certificate] you should think that he would be likely to make a good professor and in that case would express that opinion to the Secretary W. Ambrose...it would be a great help to him'.
Weston-Super-Mare - JDF is disappointed that he developed such a bad cold at the time WW was in Clifton: 'It is one of the trials incident to the invalid state that I could profit so little by your stay at Clifton'. He went to Torquay for three days for a change of air, but really wants to try 'the bracing air of the higher Alps'. He was glad to read in the newspapers and hear from WW, that Clerk Maxwell gained his scholarship: 'Pray do not suppose, though I take an interest in him, that I am not aware of his exceeding uncouthness, as well mathematical as in other respects; indeed, as he has passed through my examinations, I have been a sufferer from it, and cannot flatter myself that I exerted almost any possible influence on him. I thought the Society and Drill of Cambridge the only chance of taming him, and much advised his going; but I have no idea that he will be senior wrangler. But he is most tenacious of physical reasonings of a mathematical class, and perceives them far more clearly than he can express'. JDF has been re-reading WW's history and philosophy: 'The metaphysics of the latter I must leave quite on one side as too hard for me at present, or perhaps at any time'.
Breadalbane Hotel, Kenmore, Perthshire. Dated 18 July 1915 - Discusses Lilly's idea of accepting the Archdeaconry [in Africa] Roscoe has been offered on a temporary basis in order that he could do some anthropological work; suggests he approach Macmillan if not them, then Hutchinson with his popular book; Moulton's loss was the death of his wife, but he knows no details; [Kate] Marseille, a German friend in Cambridge has also died, the Marseilles' son [Rudolph] has joined the English army in the war; is interested to hear that [W. H. R.] Rivers has returned from the New Hebrides; is glad to hear that Roscoe will be lecturing to missionary students at Cambridge, wishes there could be a permanent provision for such instruction.
Congratulations on engagement.
Glad to have talked with Sraffa; had a talk with Keynes which did not go so well, through Keynes' fault.
Typed copy. S S Canada. Return to Lemnos.