6 pp. typescript, n.d., but with a MS note 'Werner Ehrenberg, 1934 (my draft?) ORF 1972'.
Photographs by Chris J. Arthur and by Dominic of the set and the actors Derek Jacobi, Maggie Smith, Albert Finney, Graham Crowden, and Louise Purnell.
Original cuttings and photomechanical copies of reviews.
The Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Director Peter Hall - Discusses the revised playscript of 'Royal Hunt of the Sun', feels the gains are enormous, still has little quibbles concerning the Interpreter and the Indian language in the first scene; has large reservations about the shape of the play, thinks there is a confusion of epic and domestic style, some scenes could be cut, takes too long to prepare for some scenes; the play has grown, but he must push on for the epic structure.
John Gielgud, 16 Cowley Street, S.W.1. - Thanks him for his good wishes [for 'The Ages of Man']; the notices are disappointing but hopes people will come and judge for themselves; has just read the two plays ['The Private Ear' and 'The Public Eye'?] and hopes they will be as successful as 'Five Finger Exercise'.
John Gielgud, 16 Cowley Street, London S.W.1. - Discusses casting for 'Five Finger Exercise': [Harry?] Lockart, James Hayter and John Perry's reaction; Brenda de Banzie has the play and is considering it; asks him to come see him after he is launched at the Globe with 'The Potting Shed'.
A typed transcript of 27 audiotapes of an oral history interview, with gaps indicating where the recording was inaudible, and a few emendations in an unidentified hand. The interviews are wide-ranging and cover his personal and professional life in a non-linear way, touching on the same topics several different times. Missing p. 497.
Is a teenage budding actor, writes to express his appreciation of Shaffer's work, has read 'Amadeus' and 'Equus'.
A list of ugly buildings.
French translation by Marie-Anne Chazel and Albert Algoud.
Typescript with emendations in Shaffer's hand in a folder labelled "End of Perseus."
A photocopy, accompanied by a photocopy of pages 2-5 of the letter.
A play about an unsuccessful man who buys a wish-granting gourd in Portobello Road.
Incomplete typescript draft, with emendations in Shaffer's hand. Accompanied by a cutting, "Wealthy spinster, 73, wins £255,000" in the Evening Standard 17 Oct. 1973, which is related to the plot of the play. The papers were found together in a folder but lack page numbers and act and scene numbers and may represent multiple drafts.
Draft with emendations in Shaffer's hand of chapters 1-5 of a story about Oswald Llyn-Deevers, drafted to work in the coal mines in Nov. 1944.
The entire issue of Show magazine, Vol. IV, No. 2, February 1964, and a carbon typescript draft of the article.
Typescript draft of a transcript of an interview with Irving Wardle, identified as IW.
Mathematical puzzles on integers.
Arts Council, 14 Great Peter Street, London SW1P 3NQ - Invites him to lunch in order to prepare a National Art Strategy with a focus on theatre and the ways in which related art forms can be more closely integrated.
Monk Soham.—Thanks him for a copy of his book (the Bible Word Book), and reflects on the death of William Whewell. Invites him to stay, to give him an opportunity of consulting manuscripts at Helmingham. Discusses connections between English dialects and East Frisian.
—————
Transcript
Monk Soham
March 9. 1866.
Dear Mr Wright,
Many thanks for your book {1} which I have looked over with very great interest, and shall hope to have an early notice of in the Christian Advocate.
You have lost a Great Man at Cambridge {2}. I thought him looking so handsome, when I saw him a month ago. Age had given dignity to the hard features, and his white hair gave him a venerable look.
All his foibles and failings will be buried in his grave and forgotten: but he will live, specially among you at Trinity.
As regards any Chaucer M.SS. at Helmingham, I only know of one a fragment on paper, and I cannot trust my recollection as to what it is.
The books and M.S.S are not accessible save when Mr Tollemache is there.
Perhaps he may come down during the Whitsun Holydays.
Can you come and stay a few days with me, in case the Library is then accessible.
I will ask Bradshaw to come down with you, and you shall rummage one or two closets &c, which I don’t think have been sufficiently gone over.
I quite hold to your project about the General Dialecticon—to coin a word—and will gladly help in it.
I think I can furnish some good specimens of old Harvest-songs, and such old songs as go to tuneless tunes.
Did you ever hear a true Suffolk tune—“never ending, still beginning.”
Do you know a book—of which I carried off Vol. 1. the other day from the P.L.—which mightily amuses me.
“Firmenich, J. W. “Germaniens Völkerstimmen.”
I cannot make out much system in it, except that the series of dialects are topographically arranged. Perhaps the third Volume contains results.
I have gathered some very curious illustrations and Bremen dialects.
Perhaps things all known before, only having the special flavour to me of game taken by my own hunting.
E.G.
Do you know the Dorset Dialect? How constantly the words “I low” recur: “I low, twill rain tomorrow.”—I used to think this meant “I allow” by the figure of Tmesis—so convenient for amateur philologists.
But, lo ye {3}, in East Frisian. | (p. 18. Fermenich)
“De Dokter Liefpien het mi dar’n Dings an mien Schürdöer schreven, ich lör, ’t is Kremerlatien”
“Docter Liefpien had written me something about it on the — {4} door, I low, it is Kremer-(?) Latin.
(Elsewhere it is called “Dews-latien” = Dog-latin!!!
Then p. 42. Mundart Kiels.
“Ich glöw, et sull en Amtsverwalter sien.”
I low, it was an Official.”
So here we have “Ich glaube”. and Dorsetshire “I low” = I believe.
Tög = heng {5} = Dress = Toggery.
Noch ein Wortchen!
Moor = Mother | = Mor, Suffolk.
Yours sincerely,
Robert. W. Groome
I know so little of your Cambridge politics; but who will be your new master.
Mathison, Vaughan, Thompson? {6}
Has W.H.T. any chance?
Have you read E.F.G. “Mighty Magician” yet? {7}
[Second postscript:]
I open my letter to obtrude some advice.
In your list of books appended to your W.B. {8} I miss one book, which may be after all well known to you, but if not a book of great value for your Shakspere Glossary, if you are meditating such a Magnum opus.
“The Courtier of Count Baldesar Castilio – – – – done into English by Thomas Hobby. | London Printed by John Wolfe | 1588.
I meant to have excerpt† it for the Big Dic {9}, during poor H. Coleridge’s Life, but since then “fresh fields”—I cannot “pastures gay”—for they are sad at times—have occupied me.
—————
The first postscript was added at the head of the first sheet, the second on a separate slip. There are a few irregularities of punctuation, which have not been corrected. The letter was sent with two lists of notable words in Hoby’s translation of Castiglione’s Courtier (Add. MS b. 74/5/2).
{1} Wright’s Bible Word Book, first published this year.
{2} William Whewell, who died on 6 March.
{3} ‘lo ye’: reading uncertain.
{4} A question mark has been added above the dash.
{5} Reading uncertain.
{6} W. C. Mathison, C. J. Vaughan, W. H. Thompson, all Fellows of Trinity.
{7} Edward FitzGerald’s translation of Calderón’s play El mágico prodigioso, privately printed in 1865. There are six copies in Trinity College Library.
{8} i.e. the Bible Word Book.
{9} This is the apparent reading—perhaps short for ‘Big Dictionary’; but the reference is unclear.
Boodles. - Discusses Mrs Blackburne's anxiety about her son's eyesight; he himself has 'little faith in doctors in those cases'; if a change of air would help, she is welcome to send him to spend a month at Bawtry - or Serlby, where Milnes is often. Thinks that if there is anyone who has 'an unalloy'd Felicity', it is Annabel. From the mopy creature, as I saw her first at Madeley, she has sprung into a youth & freshness, beyond belief - younger by at least some dozen years- & in the highest spirits & enjoyments'. She and Richard are 'now making a round of visits in counties new to her - Norfolk & Suffolk', where two of Robert Milnes' sisters 'married early in life'; then they will go on to 'some of Richard's fashionable acquaintances'. Robert will then urge her to join him at Bawtry before the London season begins; asks Mrs Blackburne if she and Fanny would come and spend time with them.
Is currently in town; not at Brook Street as he does not like it, but at his 'old dingy lodgings next St James' St' [his club]; goes back to Bawtry at the end of the week. Discussion of current political situation: does not think their opinions would differ much; reversals in political fortunes, with recollections of the beginning of his own public life. 'But we will have it out, if you come to Bawtry'.
Note by Margaret Cropper, née Denman, to her son [Edward] Denman Cropper on free endpaper: 'I have done my best my very dear dear Boy to preserve this very interesting collection of letters, wh[ich] your dearest Father had carefully kept for many years - they will both by right, & by your Father's wish belong to you, & you will I am sure remember his wish that you should not separate or destroy them. God bless you my dear Denman - you be as good & truly excellent a man as your dear Father, & may you be spared the heavy trials he has had! - May you while young profit from your great advantages, & in time make yourself worthy of the celebrated men with whom your father was connected ie his Brother in Law L[or]d Macaulay - & his Father in law, yr Grandfather Denman. Your loving Mother M. C.'
The inside front cover is headed [again in Margaret Cropper's hand?] 'Letters from Lord Macaulay. - For E. D. Cropper from his Father', followed by a page index numbered 1-30 but left blank. The inside back cover is headed 'For E. D. Cropper' and 'Contents beginning this end'; a page index numbered 1-31 follows, and this one has several entries, including early autograph hymns by T. B. Macaulay, odes, 'squibs' and so on. Several of the following pages are also labelled to indicate contents; however, none of these documents are now present, and many pages have obviously been removed.
Labelled 'Rt. Honble Thos B. Macaulay'; calculations on inside covers and first and last pages.