Simhill, Thurgoland, near Sheffield.
For 'Have-At-All and New Edge' [Hucklow Edge, Great Hucklow, Derbyshire].
Keston Lodge, Beckenham. - Pleased to get FitzGerald's letter; regrets that FitzGerald has not visited him in Chelsea for 'these many years'. Has been here for the last five weeks 'in the daintiest of little hermitages... alone with my niece and the pure breezes and charming woodlands, green knolls and hollows of lovely Kent'; the house has been provided by Lady Derby. Description of how he spends his time; recently drove over to Eltham to see the palace there, having been once many years ago with Godefroi Cavaignac 'to see poor Edgeworth, whom you will remember, who had nestled himself snugly enough in some corner of that huge ruin & whom we found duly with his little Spanish wife by unluckily no "Pupils". Looked for 'some trace... of poor Edgeworth and his nest, but, alas, could find nothing: that side of the palace had all been cobbled up and plastered over....' for some City businessman.
Carlyle and his niece intend to stay in Beckenham a little longer and will return to Chelsea when the weather breaks, Is very glad to hear of FitzGerald's 'sympathy with "Tooley" [Olaf Haraldsson]'; he and his cousin Olaf Tryggvason are a pair of 'chosen heroes' to Carlyle.
[Probably in the hand of Carlyle's niece Mary, but signed by him].
The Hill, Dumfries, N. B. [North Britain, i.e. Scotland]. - Regrets that their 'poor little enterprize [putting up a monument at Naseby] is definitively forbidden' to them. Knows that the time FitzGerald has spent on this 'cannot be repaid you, dear old friend, except by my pious thankfulness...', but asks him to tell him how much money he has spent so that he can pay half.
The day after tomorrow he and his 'blithe little niece' will leave here for Chelsea. Letter not in Carlyle's hand [perhaps his niece Mary's?] but signed by him.
Brantwood, Coniston, Lancashire. - Hopes the address FitzGerald gives is enough for this to reach him; is very glad of FitzGerald's letter, though he has 'time to day to say no more than that'.
'My dear & very dear Sir.
I do not know in the least who you are, but I do with all my soul pray you to find and translate some more of Omar Khayyam for us: I never did till this day read anything so glorious to my mind as this poem - (10th, 11th, 12th pages, if one were to choose) - and that & this is all I can say about it. More - more - please more. - & that I am ever
Gratefully & respectfully Yours,
J. Ruskin'
Norton to Carlyle, 13 Apr. 1873, 33 Cleveland Square W. - Regrets not being able to see Carlyle, and hopes for better weather. Encloses a note written by Ruskin and addressed to 'the Translator of Omar Khayyam'. Ruskin 'took a fancy to the productions of the reprobate poet, and he left this note with an acquaintance of mine to be forwarded to the translator if ever his name should be discovered'. Norton asks Carlyle to send it on,
Note, dated 14 Apr. 1873, from Carlyle to FitzGerald added at bottom of Norton's letter. Describes Norton as 'a distinguished American... an extremely amiable, intelligent & worthy man' with whom he has recently spent time. Norton has 'brought to my knowledge, for the first time, your notable Omar Khayyam, & insisted on giving me a Copy from the third edition, which I now possess & duly prize'. Carlyle has, from talking to him 'identified, beyond dispute, the hidden 'Fitzgerald', the Translator, & indeed found that his complete silence & unique modesty in regard to said meritorious & successful performance was simply a feaure of my own Edward F! - The translation is excellent; the Book itself, a kind of jewell in its own way'.
74 Albion Street, Leeds.
74 Albion Street, Leeds.
Headed notepaper, Wheldale Coal Co. Ltd, Haigh Moor Collieries, Castleford.
Wakefield. - Gives address of Joseph Blakeley; settled the terms of the draft agreement with Blakeley and Arundel last Tuesday and Arundel was to send Houghton a copy; expects to come to town next week to oppose the Wakefield Waterworks Bill in the Commons Committee.
Bullhouse Colliery nr Penistone.
Penistone near Sheffield.
Penistone near Sheffield. - In accordance with Houghton's instructions, has obtained an interview with Mr Hinchliffe to ascertain his views on the coal at Bullhouse.
Published by Metcalfe & Co. Ltd. Credited to 'A Climber'.
G. Winthrop Young's name on the front, dated 'June 1921', with pencil annotation 'Signed by the Authors'. The signatures of 'Hubert H-S Hartley' and 'Oliver Gray' are on the title page. MS note by Young on the verso of the title page: 'This was produced in 'May Week', as mine [The Roof-Climber's Guide to Trinity] was; and met me when L [his wife Eleanor, or Len] went up there. Hartley - a famous Cambridge 'Stroke'. Gray - with me in Italy [as an ambulance driver]: an all round athlete. He, also, did the illustrations'.
2930 Avalon Avenue, Berkeley 5, California. - Is very grateful to Young for sending him the books, is 'now inspired to go ahead with the bibliography of your published writings - that is, those on mountain subjects'; will have to come to England to do this, and has accepted the appointment from the Sierra Club to be its representative at the Centenary of the Alpine Club in November. Will spend two or three weeks in Britain around the event, and hopes to have the opportunity of visiting Young. Would very much like the pamphlet 'The Influence of Mountains upon the Development of Human Intelligence'; will soon send him a paper on Drake's visit to California in 1579.
Sends best wishes for Young's 'enjoyment of the Alpine Club celebrations in Wales and in the Alps'
MS note by Young at the bottom of the letter, explaining that Farquhar has a 'unique library of Mountain Books', and that he has sent him his father's copy [of Wall and Roof Climbing?] and The Roof-Climber's Guide to Trinity.
H5 Great Court, Trinity College. - Scott and Jack Longland did 'the library chimney climb last night in the bright moonlight'; they took [Young's] guide and read it by moonlight at the bottom of the chimney. George Trevelyan was going to accompany them, but had a meeting and missed them. They took a look at the library face on the New Court side'; comments on problems of climbing it, with illustrations; 'part of the programme of the next meet on Saturday next', unsure whether it will be a 'new climb or not', as Young only records a downward climb with a rope. Young has added a pencil note at the end 'They did it, I think'.
By 'G. B. B. M. S.' Sent to G. W. Young by Durrant's Press Cuttings agency.
From 1759, re visit to Oxford, 'I have proposed to Vansittart climbing over the wall, but he refused me'.
With illustrations.
Credited to 'Bellerophon Begg'; 'Frank Sidgwick' added above this pseudonym. Satirical piece inspired by 'the success of somebody else's little book' [Young's Roof-Climber's Guide to Trinity]. Includes 'The Byron Statue in Trinity College Library.... Panoramas of the view from the top may be obtained from the author'.
MS annotation at top of first sheet: 'note found in copy of GWY's Roof Climber's Guide to Trinity Feb. 1986'. Text records that this copy was given by Young to Prof. Norman Collie, 'scientist, artist and sometime President of the Alpine Club' on its appearance, returning to him after Collie' s death.
Written as a 'May week joke, to appear during the festival days at Cambridge at the end of the summer Term', along the lines of G. O. Trevelyan's Horace at Athens etc. Written 'from memory' when Young was studying at Jena; the MS was sent to his friend A. M. Mackay, who 'drew the illustrations but did not alter the text'. Mackay checked the routes with Young's brother Hilton, who was 'so fascinated by the traverse over the ivy-clad arch into St. John's that he crossed it three times, outward'; arousing suspicion from the porters by returning after midnight via the locked Trinity Gate; subsequent enquiries led to Hilton Young and Mackay being sent down for the Long Vac.
Comments on the history of climbing in college: Edward Bowen 'broke out of the turret stairs' onto Chapel, and Byron 'got on to the Library roof, and decorated the statues', but again Young found he had not climbed up but broken onto a staircase.
Young's own explorations were between 1895 and 1899, with companions including F. M. Levi, Young's 'close friend' Christopher Wordsworth, Cyril Clague, W. W. Greg, [J.] F. Dobson, A. Wedgwood, and G. M. Trevelyan. Further climbs were carried out in 1901 and 1902.
In the autumn of 1901, the Vice-Master W. Aldis Wright determined 'that the College must take cognisance of Roof-climbing, and decide whether or not it should be made illegal'; two junior Fellows, G. M. Trevelyan and Gilbert Walker, were appointed to report on the matter, with power to co-opt Young as a non-resident member of committee; they 'did the climbs and circuits in full daylight, with two of our former enemies, the College Porters, carrying the fire-ropes behind us through the Courts, in procession! As a result of the official Report, the practice was made (officially) illegal'.
Comments on Roof-Climber's Guide to St John's, by 'two "Blues"', including Hartley, and the second edition of the Roof-Climber's Guide to Trinity which appeared in the 1930s
Trinity College, Cambridge - Is heading to France, and will probably perish in a railway accident; should this happen his executors will ask him to finish off his Lucan, only the index remains, "a nasty job, and when the engine is on the top of me I shall console myself with the thought that I have escaped it." Understands Duff is working on the neglected poet Silius.
Sem títuloHeaded notepaper, Oxford University Press, Amen House, London, E. C. 4, Temporary Address of Published and Editorial Depts., Southfield House, Hill Top Road, Oxford. Sent to Geoffrey Winthrop Young at Birches, Gomshall, Surrey. - Asking permission for use of an extract in an anthology [transcript of passage originally enclosed, but no longer present].
Note by Young at bottom of letter: 'Passage extracted for Anthology - On Foot'