Northlands, Englefield Green, Surrey. - Writes with the news that 'the Edinburgh people have elected Donald [Tovey: to the Chair of Music at Edinburgh University]. He says he is 'going North at once', but is keeping an engagement with Tom Spring Rice on Friday and going to the Plymouths on Saturday; there are then just a few days for her to 'talk things over with him, settle up our money affairs etc' and for him to see his doctor; she is sure though that he will want to go to the Trevelyans on Monday and Tuesday. Hopes the Doctor will tell him 'it is dangerous to undertake too much'; begs Bessie to 'head him off the Opera ["The Bride of Dionysus] this year and get him to practise. He acknowledged to her and Fritz Busch yesterday that the German concert are the most important things for him since his career began, and that he 'urgently needs' to practise, yet he insists on teaching in Edinburgh this autumn, 'almost entirely for the benefit of the daughters of the bourgeoisie', rather than working on his opera ["The Bride of Dionysus"] and has not practised or rewritten his symphony while Methuen clamour for his Beethoven book. Will 'leave no stone unturned' next year, if Donald is not too much under pressure, to get him to finish the opera and have it produced. Will cancel the concerts in Holland if he does not practise and send Kate [Friskin?] there, but it is the German concerts which matter and both she and Fritz Busch think Donald's 'tone has grown hard and thin from want of intensive practice'; asks for Bessie's help. They were very glad to see her on Friday. A separate sheet, which seems to be a postscript, notes that Dr Cottle was 'not at all satisfied with Donald', who must diet and has a 'rotten pulse'; hopes that Donald will be more careful; if she cannot cope with the anxiety she will sell up 'and take a place in Edinburgh' though she 'thoroughly hate[s] it'.
Hopes Julian 'escaped flooding by the high tide today'; is writing to ask if Julian and Ursula would like any tickets for the Glyndebourne operas next year as they are selling quickly. Thinks they do [Mozart's] "Entführung" and "Cosi Fan Tutte" very well, but the "Magic Flute" less well, since [Fritz] Busch leaves it to others to 'conduct and even rehearse'. Lists possible dates. A 'terrible thing' has happened: Constance Vaughan Williams has been run over by a motorist.
His friendship with Roger Fry [presumably written to aid Virginia with her 'Life' of Fry; see also 17/85 and 17/97] in the days when they lived together at 29 Beaufort St between April or May 1895 and the autumn of 1896, when Roger married and Bob moved to Haslemere. Saw little of him before then, and 'knew next to nothing of art and artists', but 'no one could have been kinder in the way he introduced [Bob] to his world', or 'more patient of [Bob's] ignorance'. He was often busy with Extension Lectures on Italian art, and as illustration had 'already collected a great number of photographs' which was much harder then; thinks he had already succeeded D. S. MacColl as the "Athenaeum" magazine's art critic ; he did not therefore have as much time as he wished for painting, but 'worked very rapidly' when he could. He was painting 'several of his best early landscapes' and a few 'perhaps not very successful portraits'. One was of Mrs Widdrington, the 'sister [sic: actually mother] of Sir Edward Grey's wife [Frances]', who was a 'great friend' of Roger's and the mother of Ida Widdrington; Roger had been 'very much in love' with Ida not long before, but 'perhaps wisely, she would not marry him. She was a very vital and amusing girl, who loved hunting, farming and acting' and she and her mother remained friends with Roger for years. After that Roger 'had fallen very much in love, and none too happily, with Kate Kinsella (now Kate Presbitero)'; Bob thinks she 'treated him rather cruelly, not wanting to give him up altogether, and luring him back to her from time to time'. 'Fortunately (or perhaps in the end unfortunately) [because of her mental health problems]' he got to know Helen Coombe while he was living with Bob, and they fell in love with each other. Roger's parents 'strongly disapproved of his becoming an artist' - he told Bob that they had offered him a hundred pounds extra a year 'if he would promise never to paint from the nude', which he 'naturally refused' - and this made him fear they would not be pleased by his choice of wife, so he told them nothing about Helen 'for a long time...' [the rest of the draft is missing].
Addressed to Trevelyan at The Shiffolds. - Will give Cook's [Travel] as his address when he is away. Discusses purchase of tickets for India. A 'genial' night out. Does not expect to be in town on the 9th.
jacques chambrun, inc. 745 Fifth Avenue, New York City - Asks for essays or articles for the American market, and cites the other writers for whom he acts as agent.
I Tatti, Settignano, Florence. - Encloses a sheet with his responses to Trevelyan's queries about his translation [of Leopardi], with a few points of his own; finds the translation 'quite excellent'. Thanks Trevelyan and his brother once more [re Morra's translation of G.M. Trevelyan's "British History in the Nineteenth Century, 1782-1901"]. Has almost finished copying out the translation; his publisher [Einaudi] is willing to give him another job of the same kind, and asks Trevelyan for some suggestions of books from last five years which he might suggest if necessary. These might be history, biography (Duff Cooper's "Talleyrand" has done well in Italy), travel or memoirs, not fiction. All fairly well at I Tatti; Mary [Berenson] is recovering from bronchitis and Nicky [Mariano] from flu; they all think of Trevelyan often.
Durbins, Guildford. - Letter of condolence on Bessie's 'great loss' [the death of her cousin Bramine Hubrecht at the Shiffolds on the 5 November] of which he heard from Hubrecht. Is going to see [Paul] Nash's drawings if he can and has written to [Gordon] Bottomley. Has had a lot of work over the Omega [Workshops] and finances: such an institution is necessary 'if there is to be any real art in England' but he is 'not sure that the English will tolerate that'. There will be a show at the end of the month. Feels for Bob: Settignano sounds awful, 'it would be easier to write on an island in the Strand'.
West Hackhurst, Abinger Hammer, Dorking. - Asks if he and a poet friend - 'auch ein Dichter' - can visit, and whether he has returned "The Arabian Nights". Sends punning greetings to Paul in Latin.
RJ does not think they will be able to spend Christmas with WW - 'My wife is to join her family and I fear I must go to Brighton too'. RJ thinks Haileybury College will always be plagued by internal squabbles - 'I am so wearied of it that I am tempted of ceasing to reside there'. Haileybury has a 'foolish constitution' which 'an angel could hardly steer smoothly and safely'. RJ thanks WW for offering him help concerning Scandinavia: 'It is their laws and government I am curious about and only those but I will make myself acquainted with the ethnographical question'.
3pp. ms. list, possibly to accompany a course of lectures. Created while working at Cambridge University, 1958-1969.
WW is sorry but not surprised that there is to be an election for the Chancellorship between Prince Albert and Lord Powis [see WW to JCH, 17 Feb. 1847]. 'Goulburn [Henry Goulburn] is one of the Peelites; and the manner in which they deceived and disappointed those whom they had led to depend upon them cannot fail to excite a strong feeling of indignation. And laying aside all strong feelings, I do not see how Peel and his followers can ever again be of service preserving the institutions of the country'. WW does not see 'how Goulburn can be supported by those who have hitherto supported him; since his course, as a Peelite, must be hereafter different from what it has hitherto been. I should have great difficulty in voting for him on this ground'. Further, if 'Goulburn is thrown out, it will not be an anti-Romish cry; for he has, in his letter to the electors, declared himself against the 'endowment of the Roman Catholic Clergy in England or Ireland''. However, 'I am not much conciliated by Goulburn's anti-Romish declaration, because I think it would go for nothing in the conduct of his associates; and I think, too, that it is only made for the sake of getting a few votes, and means nothing as to his own convictions'.
Magdalen College - glad they are due to meet at Rugby, constitution of the examination paper
Chapter for textbook on the Epstein-Barr virus, ed. E.S. Robertson. Includes two CDs, 'Fig 2' and picture of Sir Anthony. Fig 1 and Rejected Fig 2. Also 13 black-and-white photographs of Sir Anthony, Dr Bert Achong, and Dr Yvonne Barr.
Bishop's Lodge, Townsville, Queensland - Apologises that he has not written up his notes on his observation of the 'Australian Aborigines'; sees his mission to help them to bridge the huge gap in cultures; 'Whatever failures I have had, I must confess they have come from the whites rather than from the blacks.' Discusses their plight, and disagrees with the idea that they are less intelligent or physically backward; they find it difficult to understand the modern concept of individuality as the tribe is the norm of their social life; there is also a belief that copulation is not the cause of conception; has heard from Rev. [G. W.] Morrison that monogamy is the custom except in the case of sisters, and tells of a case in which a man married four sisters. Is 'often angry' with those who arrive with preconceived ideas of intellectual capacity; a German professor named Klatch arrived and verified his preconceptions, making him a laughing stock of more experienced men. Accompanied by a partial draft of 'Beliefs and Customs of the Australian Aborigines' in Frazer's hand, corrected in Frodsham's hand and signed at the bottom, and a photograph of a mummy found near Cairns.
Birnam. J R M Butler heading through France, hopes he learned much from Nevile Butler, H M Butler has forgotten much of Horace, wishes to find out more about Gordon Butler's death.
Has received his letter and enclosure. Discusses the time of the next meeting (of the Political Honours Scrutiny Committee). Is looking forward to seeing who will be the first woman to sit in the House of Lords.
Hopes he can win Gloucester for the Liberal Unionists, thinks they will amass 45 seats, thinks he is quite safe at Bury
One copy endorsed by Lyon Barnes & Ellis.
,Dr Ramsden can ensure John of rooms in College if he enters as a sizar: Kirkby Lonsdale
The University Club - A brief description of the use of land by labourers, rent and poor rates around Cambridge.
Account of a visit to Liverpool, "wild boy" of Cholmondely
(Place of writing not indicated.)—Thanks him for his interesting letters. The telegram will be sent off to Denise. Hopes his speech will be a success.
Ms. and typescript versions
Phesdo by Laurencekirk, N.B. - WW has 'been looking into our Transactions I may mention that the author of not the most inconsiderable or least original paper in the collection Mr James Clerk Maxwell (the paper is on the Mathematical Theory of Elastic Solids) is about to enter himself as a freshman at St Peters. He is about 18, is a nephew of Sir George Clerk, not a little uncouth in manners, but...one of the most original young men I ever met with, and with an extraordinary aptitude for physical enquiries'.
(Place of writing not indicated.)—‘I love you so.’