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With information on the correspondence between Walter de la Mare and Rose Macaulay.

Accompanied by a typed copy of a letter from G. O. Trevelyan to R. H. J. Parry dated 24 Mar. 1926, and a typed copy of a letter to the Vice Master from G. O. Trevelyan dated 28 May 1926.

Letter of 15 July 1914 addressed jointly to Lady Elisabeth and Sir Henry Babington Smith.

An unsigned note concerning Of the Plurality of Worlds.

3 Sumner Place, S.W.7. - Congratulates Frazer, asks that he not think of answering, as he has 'other than purely personal reasons for hoping you may escape writer's cramp'. [The letter is marked with a red cross at top, indicating it was answered.]

37 Weetwood Lane, Leeds. - Is glad Trevelyan approves of the book ["The Idea of Great Poetry"?] in the main; is in the middle of "Thamyris" [Trevelyan's "Thamyris: or, Is There a Future for Poetry?"] and finding it excellent. The Abercrombies go to Anglesey tomorrow but will be back before the 16th and delighted to have Trevelyan with them.

Postmarked Harlech. - Is taking his mother to Italy and asks if Trevelyan knows about pensions at Pallanza and Siena, or any 'mid-Appenine resort'. Is staying at Harlech till Wednesday. Asks if he can borrow the 'Golden Crock (Italian Picture Number)' before he goes [perhaps a reference to James's "The Golden Bowl"?]

S.S. City of Birmingham at Suez Canal. - They are going through the Great Bitter Lake, and will be at Suez this afternoon; it is hot, but 'not unpleasant in the shade'. They reached Port Said yesterday afternoon and left about ten at night. They are now about to wait until the tide changes before continuing. The desert view is 'fine'; they have seen some dromedaries carrying sand from the canal banks; 'the natives look very fine' and sometimes work 'quite naked'. Though everyone 'abuses Port Said', he found it 'fascinating'. [Goldsworthy Lowes] Dickinson joined them there. Hears from Bessie that there was no report of their ship passing Gibraltar; the report had not reached Naples either. Notes at 2 pm that they are not tied up due to being 'stuck on the sand', as they were first told, but to allow other boats to pass; supposes they will start again soon. Will not write again till Bombay. Their plans are still vague, but they will probably go north to Lahore before returning later to Rajputana. The news from Turkey sounds bad [beginning of the First Balkan War]; if there is war, hopes it will 'end in the Turks leaving Europe for good and all'; will be interesting to get newspapers at Bombay. Glad to hear that everyone is well at Walllington; Bessie sounds cheerful, hopes she did not get anxious about not hearing the ship was past Gibraltar. Notes in a postscript at 2.15 pm that they are just about to start again.

Larkbeare, Cumnor Hill, Oxford. - Thanks Trevelyan for his letter; will be home again on 9 December, and it would be a 'great pleasure' to see Trevelyan and 'talk over the Poetry Annual' ["An Annual of New Poetry, published in 1917], though as he said to [Wilfrid] Gibson there is 'only a slight chance' he will be able to contribute. Asks Trevelyan to suggest a time and place in London to meet, or whether he would come to Anerley [the suburb where de la Mare lived].

Hotel & Pension Palumbo, Ravello, Golfo di Salerno. - Sets out his revised plans due to Bessie's aunt's continued illness again; 'very sad for her to be ill during the last few months [Bessie] will be with her', though the marriage could be put off if necessary. Even if the physical side of his feelings for her were not there, believes he would want to have her as a constant companion, which he cannot say even for 'his dearest friends such as Sanger and Fry and [Thomas Sturge] Moore'. Perhaps he should not separate these two aspects of his feelings; consideration of the way her personality seems to be 'always changing' slightly. Cuts off these 'lover's speculations', saying he should return to Mr Mudge [?]. Thinks that Mrs [Mary] Costelloe will not be back when he stays with [Bernard] Berenson, though he could not change his plans now, and does not want to have a breach with her. Has not done well with his play recently, but 'modified the plot somewhat' yesterday and thinks he will get on better now; will be able to read up on medieval manners and costumes on his return to England. Expects he will have to go to Welcombe even if Bessie does not come, and there is 'a fine French book on Medieval customs in the library'. Glad she was pleased by the beetle he sent her; likes 'little everything' as an endearment; knows the feeling that a dream is still real after waking. Hopes they have a nurse for her aunt now. Copies out his translation of the Swallow Song of Rhodes; it is not quite right yet and he needs a dictionary to check some of the words.

The Nonesuch Press Ltd., 16 Great James Street, London, W.C.1. - The Press is thinking of publishing a new edition of Herodotus; he is not happy with the existing translations and he wonders if Trevelyan would be willing to do a new one. Thinks he has found an archaeologist to write the accompanying notes: a young man at the British School at Athens [A.W. Lawrence] . Asks if Trevelyan could come to discuss the project (not on Thursday afternoon as he is sitting to Henry Lamb): it would be a very big job but his mother [Constance Garnett] translated "War and Peace" in a year.

Iles Farm, Far Oakridge. - Liked Trevelyan's satire very much; 'Only a magnanimous spirit could have conceived the end', and it is a 'splendid retort to the hang-the-Kaiser school'. Glad to hear they may be seeing Trevelyan and his wife, who should not hesitate to invite themselves if they are at Stratford. Trevelyan should not think Rothenstein 'underestimate[s] the difficulty' of 'improving artistic conditions'; can only 'plead as convincingly as [he] can for some intelligent use of the younger people. The more decent artists & poets, the more decent men there are likely to be in the world'. Wishes to counter the misplaced emphasis on '"appreciation"'; does not think it matters 'whether a man cares for Byzantine reliquaries or Greek pots', but that he 'should be moved to try to make something himself. Then he is unlikely to be bloodthirsty' and likely to be 'neighbourly'. [John] Drinkwater, who has a cottage nearby, likes Trevelyan's play as much as he does.

Typed copy. 1st Line Trenches, Gallipoli. Returned to the front, has been unable to locate the kit that he left behind, has a new servant, morale is better at the front than he expected, only 150 yards from the Turks.

Copy letter agreeing to stand as a Unionist candidate at the next election if he if fit to do so

Press cuttings about RAB as Chancellor of the Exchequer: 1953 and 1954 Budgets, U.S.A. and Canadian talks March 1953, International Monetary Fund and International Bank talks in U.S.A. Oct 1954, U.S.A. interview on 'trade not aid' policy, Mansion House speech 1953, Commonwealth Finance Ministers Conference in Sydney, Australia. Also Glasgow Unionists Association meeting, Conservative Party Annual Conference including 1954 'invest in success' speech, reports of conferment of Honorary Doctorates of Laws from Nottingham and Bristol Universities with letter from Winston Churchill to Sydney Butler about Bristol ceremony, Honorary Freedom of Saffron Walden, Silver Jubilee as an M.P., Companionship of Honour, Essex shows etc.; speech notes for Leeds Chamber of Commerce; menus and table plans; original letter to Lady Butler from ?Lefty, Connecticut; original cartoon of RAB by Aziz of Karachi and many press cartoons; press cuttings on death of Lady Butler with appreciation from magazine of St George's School, Edinburgh, death of Sydney Butler and memorial service, marriage of Susan Portal and James Batten; photographs of Bristol Honorary Degree ceremony

(London Hospital, Whitechapel.)—(17th.) She enjoyed their meeting this afternoon and is sorry she gets so little time away from work.—(18th.) She may not be able to lunch with him on Saturday, so encourages him to go to Walmer if he wants to.

(Dated Wednesday and Thursday.)

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Transcript

Wednesday evening

Dearest {1} I was very glad to see you again this afternoon, but, (& I dont want to draw a pathetic picture of my lot, because it doesnt in the least take you in, tho’ I do also think if you really knew what its like you’d think one had every cause to be wretched, but I’m not) I dont think you can realise what a very little way 3 hours 3 times a week goes, particularly when nearly an hour of that time must be spent in dressing & in getting to & from this place. So much as I should like to see you every day it cant be done. But of course I think it divine of you to want it.

I got back just in time, and did two hours “work” & then went to a foolish lecture & now after some talk with other “nurses” over a box of biscuits must put out the light & pretend at any rate that I’m fast asleep. I’ll finish in the morning.

6.40 Thursday (does that wring your heart at all?)

I’ve looked at this piece of paper & the above line for about 5 minutes, but as might be expected my head is an entire void. Today doesnt present a very attractive appearance to me, not even the hope of seeing Reggie, & the only very faint one of seeing him tomorrow. I’ll send you a telegram Saturday if I can lunch, but if you dont hear you’ll know that I cant get away. I’m more than doubtful so dont not go to Walmer or anywhere else on the chance.

Perhaps I’ll write a line tomorrow.

Venetia

Why dont you ever write to me, damn you? Even if only to curse me it gives me something to collect when I go for my letters. Just going out 9·15.

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Written in pencil. Written at the London Hospital, Whitechapel.

{1} This is the earliest extant letter in which Venetia addressed Montagu in this way.

{2} She had probably been to Montagu’s house for tea. See A1/104.

Arrangements for John's visit, Elizabeth had her portrait painted, John Cooper has been given the curacy of Madeley: Barnsbury

Elmcrofts, Ripon. Dated 22nd February 1896 - Has been reading 'The Golden Bough' and sends a cutting on human sacrifice in Benin [cutting transcribed]; quotes passages on agricultural rites from 'Yorkshire Folk Talk' by his cousin Marmaduke Morris; asks his opinion of an Italian festival in which they carry 'Ceri', wooden structures with arabesque paintings on them. In a postscript, he mentions a book by [Henning Frederik] Feilberg entitled 'Dansk Bondelir' [recte 'Dansk Bondeliv']; and a funeral procession witnessed in Capri in 1895.