Two letters from Sydney in early April. Describes Melbourne, which he likes; tells the story of a group of men on the train who drink with him who achieve a 'moment of freeze' in the club car (which he compares to the staging of 'Amadeus') when one of them pulls down his pants to show off a tattoo of questionable taste; spends a day in Sydney with Patrick Hockey at the National Agricultural Show; asks if Britain is really going to go to war. On Good Friday he reports on the opening of 'Amadeus' the night before: he didn't like Constanze and thought it more staged than directed; went with Helen Montegue [Montagu] and Patrick; finds her cold, apparently because he does not make enough fuss over her; enjoyed the film 'Starstruck'; is heading to Brisbane and then up to Cairns to Diane [Cilento]'s house. The second letter describes his pleasure at getting three letters from Peter, is sorry he's having a rotten time with the film script, and is sorry that Peter will not be able to join him in the East; reacts to news about Peter Firth, Paul Giovanni, Howard [?], and RL's bird; Tony [Shaffer] will be at Cairns; admires a vegetarian restaurant in Sydney.
2 typescript copies
On China
Letters dated 19 Dec. 1864 and 19 July 1865.
Correspondence from Rose's twin sister, Violet Paget.
Due to the dearth of information on these notes and calculations, no attempt has been made to describe them in detail. Groups of notes have been kept together; E.102 contains miscellaneous single sheets. E.98 consists of 8 folders, and contains material cleared from Davenport's office desk after his death (this information from Professor B. J. Birch, February 1986).
RJ is well as can be expected after his illness [see RJ to WW, 2 Oct. 1844]. He thinks a 'good selection of Scandinavian details and a good view of the early interior history of the neighbouring Slavonic nations are much wanted to throw light on the institutions of Europe up to 900 but it would torture the labor of a life to get at the languages and the matter so as to put it in any useful form and who will give it us? The exclusive attachment to physical science which is a characteristic of England just now will I think deter any Englishman fit for such tasks from attempting them and we shall have perhaps for another century societies and associations collecting specimens of birds[,] beasts and stones and magnifying and strengthening the chances of pursuits harmless always - often useful but which I regret to see forming the exclusive characteristics of the national intellect. The monster association is only a large vent for the peoples passion when said vent dies away some other will break out - and so much for a groan for the public - I need not say I can escape together as much Scandinavian love as I want myself but if Mr Grundtvig [Nicolai F. S. Grundtvig] has sent over anything not too formidable I will get it and read it . Go on writing metaphysics and morals the very attempt is patriotic just now'.
2 Cloisters, Temple, E.C. - Congratulates Frazer.
Barton Cottage, Cambridge - Sends good wishes on his birthday, is happy to hear that Frazer has new books coming out soon.
1 All Soul's Place; addressed to Trevelyan at The Shiffolds. - Would like to borrow the French book Trevelyan keeps telling him to read to read on the way to Egypt; he leaves next Thursday.
as from Trinity College, Cambridge - Thanks him for his review of vol. 1 of 'Anthologia Anthropologica', and thanks him for his recognition of Mr Downie as well; hears of an abridged English edition of his work on the Toradjas, is glad to have helped by using the work in vol. 2 of his 'Anthologia Anthropologica'.
8, Grosvenor Crescent. - Has been unwell and 'laid up', but is now better. [George and Janet's] wedding seems very near; wishes Elizabeth and Robert could be there. George is busy going over his book ["England Under The Stuarts"] with [Charles] Oman, and she thinks all but the last chapter will be finished before the wedding; he is taking a few days in the country from tomorrow. Charlie was 'triumphantly returned' for the North[umberland] C[ounty] C[ouncil] but looks tired; worries about him taking on more work. Mary looks very happy. Glad Elizabeth saw her 'pretty friend [sic] Mrs Salamon' [Jeanne Salamonson Asser] and had some music; Robert also writes that the Hardys [G. H. Hardy and his sister?] have come. Hopes Elizabeth gets to visit the Netherlands before returning to England. Looking forward to getting the things from Madame Grandmont [Bramine Hubrecht]; hopes there is a good reason for their sale at Taormina. Elizabeth must come to stay at Welcombe while Robert goes to his friends [G E Moore's reading party] if they are back in England by then. Sir George is reading newspapers each morning at the British Museum, which 'he hates doing'; he will finish this week. Booa [Mary Prestwich] is 'very beaming over George', and all [wedding] arrangements are going well.
8, Grosvenor Crescent, S.W. - Thanks Robert for the books and for his letter which answered some questions of interpretation; went to the Hertford House collection [the Wallace Collection] to look for arms and armour of Chaucer's period, but there were 'none to speak of'. Sends love to Elizabeth; "The Lost Stradivarius" [by J. Meade Falkner] is an 'amazing production'.
Hampstead. - The rain on Sunday made it too uninviting to bicycle on Sunday: they stayed in the shelter of Shulbrede Priory and rode back some of the way this morning. He had written to Helen about Paul [Trevelyan]; the letter from her, originally enclosed, is a response. Would be good if Bessie could write a little note about Paul and other 'domesticities', but the doctor does not want her to have much strain from correspondence; the doctor seems to think she is getting on slowly. They enjoyed their stay with Bessie and saw some good sights on the way to Petersfield, including Bedales where he hopes Paul will go one day with Julian and Pamela. Is going to Failand to see his children soon.
Ramsfold Farm, Haslemere. - Bessie is 'taking a nap upstairs after lunch' so he is taking the chance to write to Bramine and thank her for her 'delightful letter' to them both. Was glad to hear Aunt Maria was no worse, and hopes that now the 'excitement' [of Robert and Elizabeth's wedding] is over she will get stronger quickly and be 'persuaded into the country'. Bessie was 'very tired by the journey', and is only just starting to recover, but has been able to enjoy the countryside and is stronger now; the weather is 'very sultry' so it is no surprise she is 'lazy'; the hills here are also 'difficult for her legs, after her flat-land', but the stiffness she has suffered is now passing as well. They are going to London tomorrow for a night as he has to be in town, then will go to the Lakes for a while; thinks that will be 'even nicer than here'.
The letter continues on 'Wednesday morning' [13 June], as Bessie writes that 'Bobbie is in doubt' whether he should continue it or start a new one; she thinks he should definitely continue this 'near & tidly written epistle' with its 'many interesting details about his wife's laziness & stiff leggies'. Robert continues, asking Bramine to see that his wife 'begins to give me trouble already, by irony this time but in worse ways no doubt in future'. She slept soundly and is 'quite strong again'; she 'endured' a thunderstorm last night 'with great courage' with Robert's assistance.; now she is looking over his shoulder again. Hopes 'A' [Alphonse Grandmont] is not 'too bored by the Hague'; he would like it here, with its cuckoos, nightingales, nightjars, and many other kinds of small song birds. Will not usually call 'cousin Grandmont' A, as he is 'so much older' than him; put it 'without thinking' since Bramine had thus referred to him in her letter; not sure he would like to call him Alphonse even if it were proper. Adds that Bessie says she prefers to 'call him cousin Phonska', which he writes down but does 'not approve'. Bessie now 'snatches the pen' and says she hopes Bramine is 'greatly edified by this wonderful poetic letter' and is 'impressed by the literary powers of [her] "man"!'. Robert writes again, saying that he sees 'letter writing for married people is an impossibility'.
Seatoller, Borrowdale, Keswick. - Thanks his mother for her letter. The weather has not been so good recently, but any rain has been brief. Bessie seems 'very well at Rottingdean [where she is visiting her friend Jeanne Salomonson]' and is coming here on the 5th; wonders if it would suit for them to come to Wallington around the 13th or 14th, but expects Bessie will be writing about this. Does not think he will finish his play here, but will read it to her if she likes; will at least have done more than half of the final act.
The new Slade Professor is 'a certain Walstein [Charles Waldstein, later Walston]; he has held the position before and 'proved his incompetence'. He is 'the most notorious snob in Cambridge, far out-doing the O. B. [Oscar Browning], and a quite odious man as well''. Thinks his father met him recently there, and 'did not get a good impression'. Seems that it was settled that Fry should have the professorship, but 'at the last moment Poynter and Walstein, who is a great intimate with royalty, got it settled their way instead. Everyone is very angry': Sidney Colvin 'is said to be quite furious'.
That is a 'personal matter', and Robert only knows one side, but 'the bigger issue is really important'. Almost 'all the merit and intelligence among both artists and students has for a long time 'been outside and opposed to the [Royal] Academy', and yet the Academy has 'enormous power in many directions'. The 'Chantrey Bequest affair' is of 'secondary importance' in itself, but may 'serve as an occasion to break their power'. Certainly not the case of only a narrow clique '(the New Eng[lish Art Club, for instance) that is hostile to the Academy, but all who care strongly about art'; nor is the hostility 'a personal attack on Poynter, who is more intelligent than most of them', and Robert believes him to be 'a perfectly straight man according to his lights'.
Has a gun at Wallington, though may have 'Bowen's gun [which came to Robert after E E Bowen's death] sent there' from Westcott. Should have said that it is 'now really settled' about their house: the clearing of the site was to start last week, it is due to be finished by February 20 [1905], with the roof being on by 20th November [this year]. They are 'very glad all the bother is over'.
120 Maida Vale, W. - Asks whether Trevelyan thought he had 'forgotten all about the Centaurs and the Amazons', or had no mannners because he did not write with thanks for "[The Bride of] Dionysus". Was much 'preoccupied', but has now 'broken the back of [Samuel] Butler's notebooks' and is reading through the typescript of the book ["The Note-Books of Samuel Butler"]. Feels 'rather exhausted' as the editing has been so 'long and troublesome', and he does not know how much he will have to redo. Has however read Sturge Moore's two poems and returns them; they 'contain many fine things' but are not really in 'his line' and he finds them 'a little dull'. The piece Desmond [MacCarthy] showed him and sent to the "New Quarterly", about 'a man in the Bible who got into difficulties with his dramatic gods' was 'duller'. "Dionysus" is his next job, but he may be distracted by organisation for the fifth Erewhon Dinner: Edmund Gosse has fixed the date for 12 July, and cards are being printed. Hopes that Trevelyan will come. Turned sixty-one the other day and cannot do as much as he used to, so the quantity of correspondence associated with the dinner will be tiring. Looking forward to going to Sicily the day afterwards. Went to Paris at Easter; then to Scotland at Whitsun, where he went fishing for the first time and thinks he hooked a fish though 'he wriggled off before I could get him into the boat'. Thanks Trevelyan for sending the book; hopes [Donald Tovey's] music will please him, and that the opera will 'be a great success & cause a furore'. His sister has gone to Norway for a month's holiday. Asks whether Trevelyan has sent the names of people who want to 'become Erewhonians'.
56 Manchester Street, Manchester Square, W.1. - Encloses the returns for the two performances [of Trevelyan's "Meleager"]; will send on a full balance sheet in about a week. Also enclosing a few left-over programmes [no longer present]. Eight copies of the book were sold; will return the rest to the Hogarth Press. Is sorry the [Rudolf Steiner] Hall did not look better last night:several people to whom she had given tickets did not turn up.
Final returns for performances on 31 March and 1 April 1930.
Miscellaneous ms. notes and calculations. Created while working at Cambridge University, 1958-1969.
Dated from 1 Jan. 1860 on.