London Library - on how to teach his son, recommends mental arithmetic to be followed by the study of geometric forms, linguistic education should begin with French, Donne's own proficiency at school. his work on Tacitus
Correspondence re research and visits.
Latin translations, Milton, intentions of having a new institute [in Kenilworth]: The Priory
King's Head Hotel, Cirencester. Dated 24 April 1915 - Returns the proofs of the illustrations [for his book 'The Northern Bantu'] and gives advice on captions, on the table of contents, on the title; regrets that Roscoe's camera broke before getting pictures of the Bakene and Bagesu.
Royal Observatory Greenwich - Further to WW's memorial on tides, the Secretary of the Admiralty requires more details before they approve the plan. Thus could WW make out a more precise explanation. It would be prudent to consult a naval man like Francis Beaufort - 'who knows ports, winds, and currents' [see GA to WW, 31 Dec. 1851].
Health of Elizabeth Bickersteth, feelings on Charlotte leaving England: Liverpool
Leddon Cottage, Welcombe, Bideford, Devon.—Discusses the implications for the Oxford Shakespeare of the work of Bowers and his students.
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Transcript
Leddon Cottage, Welcombe, Bideford, Devon.
17 June 1951
Dear Sir Walter,
Thank you very much indeed for the loan of University of Virginia Studies III {1}. I shall be returning it tomorrow. I was very glad to have the opportunity of reading at greater leisure the articles of Professor Bald and Professor Bowers and was, of course, especially glad to have a copy of your paper.
I am very much interested in the work of Professor Bowers and his students. It is, in many ways, a mercy Dr. McKerrow got no further with his project than he did. The trouble was, I think, that he knew quite well he oughtn’t to start publication until at least the preliminary work was done for all the plays, but had already spent so long on laying the foundations that he felt he must make a start. I am sure it was a mistake. I doubt if it is any use attempting an edition on the Clarendon Press scale until it is known how far copies of the Folio and quartos differ among themselves and until we have better date {2} for discriminating between the work of compositors and collators in Folio texts printed from corrected quartos. I am getting on as best as I can with the latter line of investigation, but it is hampering not to have facsimiles of all the quarto editions used for Folio texts.
Professor Nicoll crawled over the Othello muddle. I have since heard that the Shakespeare Survey Board celebrates April 23rd (when the meeting was held) rather well and doubtless some poor and unhappy head was responsible for the confusion.
I hope you have enjoyed your visit to the sea.
With many thanks,
Yours sincerely,
Alice Walker.
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Typed, except the signature.
{1} Studies in Bibliography, vol. 3 (1950-1). The volume contained three papers: ‘Editorial Problems—A Preliminary Survey’ by R. C. Bald, ‘The Rationale of Copy-Text’ by W. W. Greg, and ‘Some Relations of Bibliography to Editorial Problems’ by Fredson Bowers.
{2} A slip for 'data'.
Congratulations on engagement.
Written on the occasion of the death of [Mrs Sidgwick's brother, F.M. Balfour] in a climbing accident. States his intention of attempting to answer Sidgwick's question frankly and as clearly as possible. Announces that he is beginning to think 'all this mountaineering indefensible, but stresses that he should not blame either Balfour or himself for not having thought so 'before these terrible accidents.' Discusses the difficulty of laying down precise rules [in relation to mountaineering], and refers to papers he wrote for the Alpine Journal, in which he advised caution. Refers to Mather's and B[ ]'s letter. Discusses the relative merits of guides, and observes that they were more relied upon in the past. Explains that his wife does not wish to trouble Mrs Sidgwick with any expression of sympathy, but assures Sidgwick that she has been constantly thinking of her. States that his natural impulse would lead him to ask Mrs Sidgwick's forgiveness, but acknowledges 'the uselessness of saying anything of that kind.'
Stephen, Sir Leslie (1832-1904), knight, author and literary critic