Trinity College, Cambridge. - Has just heard from [Charles] Sanger about Bob's 'great news [his engagement]'. he and his wife, 'after three and a half weeks experience, have agreed that marriage is even nicer than we had expected'; trusts that Bob will find the same as the '[Apostles] Society doesn't make mistakes in its marriages'. Did not catch Bob's fiancée's name, but asks him to tell her that 'many people will be eager to welcome her to Cambridge'; his wife also 'takes on herself' to send congratulations, since 'if your brother's wife is not your sister, she is at least not an alien'.
Letter of acceptance for the 1905 Apostles' dinner.
From Alfred Marshall, R. H. Tawney, C. P. Stanley and others.
Testimonial from C. P. Sanger for the Gresham Studentship at Caius, 1908. Testimonial from A. C. Pigou, Alfred Marshall, and Francis Hirst for the Professorship of Political Economy at Newcastle, 1912.
Paper, 'The Fair Number of Apprentices in a Trade', Economic Journal, Dec. 1895.
Letter, 31 Dec. 1898. Tomlinson was Secretary of the Lancashire and Cheshire Building Trades' Employers Federation.
Includes list of Wranglers; some names such as [Charles] Sanger and [Bertrand] Russell underlined. Cutting also comments on the 'High Places Obtained By Women', such as A. M. Johnson of Newnham, bracketed between the male students placed 5th and 6th.
10 Prinsegracht, Hague'; addressed to Bob at The Mill House, Westcott, Dorking, Surrey. - Thinks Bob's arrangements about the piano 'quite perfect & quite the nicest we could have' and trusts the 'professional friend' to choose the upright one. Would like to write and thank Bob's aunt [Margaret Price] for her present, so asks for her address. Thanks Bob for sending the table measurements, as well as the lock of his hair, which she will keep in his "Pilgrim's Progress". Describes a dream she had about him, and another about Dr [Empedocle?] Gaglio - probably as Bramine [Hubrecht] had mentioned him in a letter. Sorry that Sanger is still unwell and the likely cause [love]; he is 'the last person who ought to be treated like that'; asks if 'the lady in question is Miss D. P. [Dorothea Pease]'.
Confesses Bob's jokes about regretting not being able to go to Greece with his friends any more made her cry; she has often been anxious that he will lose a great deal of freedom when he marries; surely he will be able to talk as freely with his friends after they marry; she would like to go to Greece with him. Glad Bargman gave good advice [about the house]; hopes 'dear little Gussie [Enticknap]' will not make too much noise. Her uncle's lawyer has not yet heard from the 'Paris oracle Mr Barclay' about the marriage. The Grandmonts likely to be there; so now thinks they should fix the wedding for Whit week and will write to Bob's mother if her agrees; asks if he has a preference about the day; suggests not Wednesday as then 'all the servants are married together & there usually is a great rush'. Interrupted by a visit from her friend Anna de Ravity [?], with whom she had a good talk; Anna 'talked most sensibly about the [Second Boer] war' and is 'disgusted' by the general wild anti-British sentiment here. Is going to see her sister Marie in Rotterdam tomorrow. Tells Bob not to leave his books and manuscripts around, or 'the wood nymphs' might steal them; would write a poem on the subject if she could; wishes they lived in the time of the "Arabian Nights" so she could use a magic carpet or flying trunk to come to see him.
West Hackhurst, Abinger Hammer, Dorking. - He and his mother were ‘so sorry’ not to see Bessie today; hopes the message, ‘this time via Bone [the Forsters' gardener] and Lucy [?] Harrison - arrived in an intelligible form’. Alice, Charlie Sanger’s sister is here. Is ‘getting on’, and hopes soon to get to the village and telephone her. A ‘cousin will be rather haunting the place during the next few days’.
The Shiffolds. - Returned yesterday after a 'very wet hunt [the Lake Hunt], though they had a 'good day on Monday, and plenty of fun', which partly made up for the wet weekend. They went out on Saturday despite the rain, but it was 'rather poor sport'; they stayed at home on Sunday, and walked to Lodore after tea. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, but it was 'disappointing only to have one good day'.
Bessie seems very well; the Sangers and 'Mrs Clifford Allen with the baby', are here till Sunday, and the weather is fine but cold. Julian writes 'quite cheerfully'. Remembers liking James's The American Scene, 'especially the chapter about Richmond. They have heard of 'two promising couples, that may do as successors to Alice and Bert [Elms], but nothing is yet settled. Thought Charles and Molly 'both very well, and in good spirits'. Has been translating much of Theocritus' poetry, and hopes to bring it out in a book this autumn or next spring; perhaps also a book of new poems, but he 'must try to write a few more this summer'.
The Shiffolds. - Very kind of his mother to send him the [birthday] present of three pounds; will 'spend it chiefly on books' and tell her what he gets. May 'spend part on trouser-stretchers, which Bessie is very anxious [he] should have'. His hand is getting better [after a fall on the Lake Hunt, see 46/316], but 'still bandaged, so writing is a little difficult'. They have several guests: Mrs and Mrs Sanger; their daughter, who 'has just left Bedales; and Dickinson, 'who is here still'.
Also here is Rodker, who will publish Robert's Theocritus translation this autumn. This autumn, or next spring, the Hogarth Press will publish 'a small book of new poems' by Robert [Poems and Fables]. Knows little as yet about the performance of his Aeschylus translation by Oxford undergraduates [the Balliol Players]; they performed it 'much in the same way last year', but he never himself saw it. Will try to see a performance this time, maybe the Winchester one; doubts they do it well, from what he hears, 'still it may be an interesting experiment'. Has had nothing to do with it beyond letting them use the translation. Met 'the young man who plays Agamemnon at Athens this year. He seemed a nice fellow', but Robert does not know whether he can act. They use his '1922 edition... not the condensed version... for the Cambridge performance'. Will write to his father when he returns from London; goes there on Thursday for the [Apostles] Dinner. Sends thanks to him for his letter [12/365].
Agglestone House, Studland, Wareham, Dorset.- Is here for a few days with [Bertrand] Russell, [Charles] Sanger, [Ralph] Hawtrey 'and another [Gerald Shove: see 23/85]'; will return home on Wednesday or Thursday. Bessie was very well when he left, and writes that 'she and baby [Julian]' remain so. She has much enjoyed the Röntgens' visit to the Shiffolds; Robert spent the day with them in London on Wednesday.
This is 'quite a nice place, with an interesting coast'; has never been to Dorset, so is '"enlarging my geognosis", as Bertie says'. Hopes his father is well and that his parents are having good weather 'at last'.
13A Hanover Terrace Ladbroke Grove. - Is sceptical about the translation of his books into German. Sorry to hear that Trevelyan has had mumps; hopes he has now recovered. At heart is miserable about the state of Europe; distractions include dinner with Clive [Bell?] and [Ralph?] Hawtrey, and the new letters of Byron, which he discusses at length with comments on morality. Has also been reading the 'absurd' book [Home Life with Herbert Spencer]. Morgan [Forster] has returned, unhappy because he cannot write (with which Trevelyan will sympathise). Met Bertie [Russell] and his wife at the Sangers'; does not think he will like 'Mrs Bertie'. Mrs [Beatrice] Mayor's two plays [The Girl and the City and Thirty Minutes in a Street] were acted on Sunday [2 Apr 1922, at the Kingsway Theatre]; supposes they were not much of a success but he was interested by them, particularly that acted by her sister [Betty Potter]. Has had long walk with [Nathaniel] Wedd who is 'gallant' but not well; Dickinson sceptical about the psychoanalysis he is receiving. Sends best regards to Trevelyan and his hosts [the Berensons].
Penmenner House, The Lizard, Cornwall. - Likes the sketch of Bessie's wedding costume; quite Watteau-esque as she says. He is 'no judge of silks' but the piece she sends looks good; encloses samples of cloth for his trousers and for a tweed suit and asks her opinion. Will probably stay in Cornwall till next Wednesday; [George] Moore and MacCarthy are the only others there at the moment; [G.H.?] Hardy left yesterday, and he hopes both 'Llewelyn Davieses' [Crompton and Theodore?] are coming tomorrow. Describes the place; Moore 'played a lot and sang yesterday after tea', then they played cards and talked. Is reading James's "Daisy Miller", which is 'charming'. Discussion of the music box; has written to his mother to suggest having the partitions taken out; it is from both George and Charles. Expects it would be best to invite the consul [Henry Turing, at Rotterdam, to the wedding celebration]; he may not come. Did not mean that Sir Henry [Howard] would arrange all the legal marriage business, but he offered to arrange the ceremony and invitation of the consul; expects he could do this most easily but it would not matter if they or her uncle should arrange it. Will write to Sir Henry or Turing when he hears from her uncle, though is not sure what to say. Would prefer to invite Sir Henry to the wedding, especially as Bob's father and mother are coming, feels he should ask his parents what they think. Sir Henry is a relation, and has 'shown great good-will and readiness'.
Does not see why Bessie should cut herself off completely from her Dutch musical friends; she will 'often be in Holland', and will 'surely stay at Mein's [sic: Mien Rontgen's] in Amsterdam'; in England, she will of course have 'complete freedom to make her own friends' and must keep up and develop her own talents as much as she can; he will enjoy hearing her play, but also going to hear others and getting to know her friends, but that does not mean she should not have independence of interests and friendships. Thinks that women 'have not enough respect for their own intellectual lives' and give it up too easily on marriage, through their husband's fault or their own; she should 'quite seriously consider going to settle in Berlin for 5 or 6 months' for her music. Mrs [Helen] Fry's marriage has made her more of a painter. Her pleurisy is better now; thinks Bessie exaggerates the importance of her cigarette smoking, and that any ill effects it does have are balanced by the help it gives her to create art. Has never 'been in danger of being in love' with Helen Fry, but always found her 'more interesting and amusing than any woman [he] ever met... with a completely original personality', and would not think of criticising such a person's habits but would assume they are 'best suited to their temperament'; in the same way, Moore probably 'drinks more whisky than is good for his health, and smokes too much too', but he would not criticise him. Bessie is also 'an original person' with a 'personal genius of [her] own', but in addition he loves her; has never felt the same about any other woman.
Continues the letter next day. Has finished "Daisy Miller"; and is doing some German, getting on better than he thought he would. Part of the reason for saying he would 'never learn German' was an 'exaggerated idea of the difficulty', but more because he thought, and still thinks, it will be less of a 'literary education' than other languages; is chiefly learning it for Goethe, though being able to read German scholarship will be useful. Has read Coleridge's translation of "Wallenstein", which Schiller himself claimed was as good as the original; thinks English and [Ancient] Greek lyric poetry is better than the German he has read. Very sorry about Lula [Julius Röntgen]; asks if it [his illness] will do more than postpone him going to Berlin. Has heard from Daniel that Sanger is 'getting on quite well'; hopes he will return from Greece 'quite himself again'. Will be nice for Bessie to see the Joneses [Herbert and Alice] again; he has 'become a little parsonic perhaps' but very nice; has seen little of him for the last few years. Bessie should certainly get [Stevenson's] "Suicide Club" for Jan [Hubrecht]; will pay half towards it. Will certainly come before Tuttie [Maria Hubrecht] returns. Has grown 'such a beard, finer than Moore's and McCarthy's, though they have grown their's for weeks'. Describes their daily routine. Is encouraged that Moore likes several recent poems he himself was doubtful about; is copying out the play and will show him today or tomorrow. The Davieses are coming this afternoon. Signs off with a doggerel verse.
Has just returned from the Lake Hunt, 'stiff, but not crippled': describes some events of the three days of hunting, including being a hare on Sunday, when he 'enticed 3 hounds up Kirkfell (nearly 3000 feet)'; draws a map [on the last page] to illustrate his capture by hounds including Charles and young George. Was driven to catch his train by [Laurence John?] Cadbury 'who makes cocoa' in 'a care that looks as if it were made of silver'; the roads were 'full of Whitsuntide motors' but Cadbury 'drives very skilfully' and, passing the cars and charabancs where he could, sometimes went up to 80 miles an hour by the speedometer when the road was clear. Has almost recovered from the 'stiffness' caused by the Hunt. The Sangers and Dorothy Reece [later Dorothy Archibald] have been visiting; Mrs Sanger is still here, until Monday, when [Goldsworthy Lowes] Dickinson is visiting. Elizabeth went up to London with Mr Sanger and Daphne to see Wagner's "Meistersinger", and returns tonight. The 'Exhibition has been demolished' after 'enormous' crowds in its last days, including 'the chairman of the I[ndependent] L[abour] P[arty: Clifford Allen], the ex-President of the Board of Works, the King, the Prince of Wales in Ivel cheese, and several distinguished literary personages.' Hopes Julian is enjoying bathing.
Does not wish to intrude upon Nora, but wishes her to know what a real personal sorrow she feels at the death of Henry Sidgwick. It was he more than any other person who made Cambridge what it was and is to her: 'a source of the best sort of inspiration', which she got from his lectures. Says that he made her love him personally, 'as well as almost reverence him.' Adds that her husband wishes Nora to know that he too 'had all this feeling for Dr. Sidgwick'.
Sans titreFew pages draft of Trevelyan's "Sulla", here entitled "Sulla & Satyr". Notebook used from other end in for translation of Aeschylus' "Prometheus Bound" a draft speech to the Cambridge Apostles [presumably the annual dinner]; in praise of air and fire in response to a speech by E. M. Forster praising the other two elements, and spinning a tale of a philosophical society among the Greek gods in defiance of Sanger's hope that Trevelyan would avoid 'poetical quotations and classical myths'. Also translation of Lucretius, "De Rerum Natura", book 2 line 398ff [marked with scrap of paper].
Bankes' Arms Hotel, Studland, Wareham. - Has taken rooms for a week at Agglestone House, Studland [Dorset], which is 'rather a beastly sort of "lodging-house"' but it is very hard to get accommodation in this area. Since the station, at Swanage, is around four miles away and transport has to be sent specially it would be 'more convenient and cheaper' if as many people as possible could arrive together. [C.P] Sanger and [Ralph?] Hawtrey come on Thursday; has not yet had any answer from Bertie [Russell] or Crompton [Llewelyn Davies]; [Saxon] Sydney-Turner cannot come. Asks Trevelyan which train he will arrive by, and how much luggage he will bring; would be possible to leave luggage at the station to be collected and walk to Studland.
58 Oakley Street, Chelsea, S.W. - Booksellers are 'disposed to deny all knowledge' of Bob's book ["Sisyphus"] and say it is 'not on Longman's list: Bob should 'stir up' his publishers. Has managed to get hold of it and thinks it 'much the best thing' Bob has done, though the 'queer metres & methods of scansion', which he supposes are influenced by [Robert] Bridges, are sometimes puzzling. Doubts however whether 'bigamy had been made a felony in the time of Sisyphus'. Hopes that Bessie and Paul are well.
58 Oakley Street, Chelsea. - Should have written before to thank Bob for "The Bride of Dionysus". Thinks it 'excellently conceived as a play, and very beautiful'. Cannot say how suitable it is for singing [music by Donald Tovey], but thinks it one of the best things Bob has written.
3, Hare Court, Inner Temple. - Thinks Bob cannot be 'in love a bit' - he is 'so disgustingly reasonable'; why is he thinking about 'acting wisely' when he should be feeling that he does not 'care a damn whether [he is] or not'. George has only seen [Elizabeth] once, and still gave him a 'much more favourable description' than Bob had managed with his '"tolerably accomplished for a young lady" and all that sort of thing'. Cannot ever remember being really pleased before that one of his friends was going to be married; hopes it will make Bob 'work properly which will be a splendid thing'. Asks him to send 'accurate details as to intellect & views of life of Miss van [der] Hoeven'. Expects it's 'still a secret'; announced it at the [Apostles] Society, and also told Goldie [Lowes Dickinson] on Sunday, who 'said "Good God!"' but Sanger supposes he will have 'sufficiently recovered from his astonishment' by now to write. All 'fog & rain & general damnation' here, with the 'climax of [Sanger's] miseries' being the party his mother is going to give, to which she will invite his friends and they will accept; asks if Bob agrees with his own loathing of parties, and hopes that 'there won't be many in hell'. Has not yet seen McT[aggart]'s wife, but reports of her are so 'rediculously [sic] favourable' that he is bound to be disappointed when he does. Has reclaimed something [illegible] for Bob, having 'meekly paid the money' as he 'felt too lazy to make a fuss'. Sends love to Roger and regards to Mrs Fry.
30, Bruton Street, W. - The news of Bob's engagement was 'most exciting and delightful'; found the letter as he was leaving home and was 'so thrilled by the first words that [he] read it under a lamppost, as Mr Gladstone read "Treasure Island"'. Bob's description is 'perfect', and Marsh has 'already chosen the costume to imagine [him] in, which will make [him] a Jarburg [?] young gentleman to the life'. Looks forward to meeting 'Mrs Bob', and as Bob says is sure they will have no trouble in making friends. Hopes Bob will draw as 'attractive a picture' of Marsh to her. Afraid this will give Bob an 'added reason for being miserable abt this awful war [the Second Boer War'; thinks he is lucky to be remote from news. The 'third bad defeat this week was announced this morning': London is 'deeply gloomy', all the conversation in the street is about the war, and his own 'official circle is even more despondent than the rest of the world'. This though makes it 'all the pleasanter' to think of Bob's happy feelings. Wishes he had said more of his future plans; hopes he will soon return to [his fiancée's] 'marshy fatherland'; wonders whether he will settle in England or near Amsterdam 'as Sanger hopes' and 'received the Brethren [Cambridge Apostles] from Saturday to Monday].
Trinity College, Cambridge. - Is very glad for Bob's happiness. Had felt that he was 'restless & unsatisfied' about his work or something else, and sometimes thought it 'would be the best thing possible' for him to marry, but did not think this would happen as he thought Bob was 'not that kind of person'. Very glad that he is, and that he will now feel 'life is quite magnificent' and be able to write his poetry and 'not feel lonely'. Regarding the lady Bob has spoken of to him [Lina Duff Gordon: see e.g. 9/96], thinks Bob should 'write to her at one as an intimate friend saying that she will no doubt be interested' to hear about his engagement, 'making no reference to the possibility that she might have cared about [him]', as if she is in love with him she should hear as soon as possible that it is 'hopeless', and he thinks it would be 'nicer for her' to hear directly from Bob, not as gossip; tells him to 'write nicely'. If she does not care for him, it will still be 'polite', and help them to stay friends; understands he 'values her friendship'. He will tell people in the [Apostles] Society this evening. Asks him to pass on congratulations to Miss Van der Hoeven and tell her he thinks she is 'very fortunate' and that he is 'really rather cross with her' as now he will not see so much of Bob, and feels he will miss him 'dreadfully'. Does not think Bob's descriptions are 'enthusiastic' enough; perhaps he thought Sanger might 'scoff' if he 'rave[d] too much'; in fact he rather 'shocked' him by 'being able to write so reasonably'. Has been 'fighting the damned clerical [?]' all afternoon, and there was a 'good moral victory' as they 'only just missed the necessary 2/3 majority''. Realises now how 'very terrible' the [Second Boer] war must be for Bob, and hopes he has not said anything to 'really hurt' him.
London. - Heard the 'good news' [of Bob's engagement] today. Needs not 'wish him joy', as Bob knows he does so, and as he has 'got it without [Crompton's] wishing'. Calls him 'Dear friend and brother [as a fellow Apostle]'; is 'so glad'.
1, Garden Court, Temple, E. C. - Originally enclosing [Warre?] Cornish's article; asks Bob to acknowledge receipt if he does not send it back at once; if Bob could give his opinion this might help them [the editors of the "Independent Review?"] to form their judgment. Sends love to Bessie. Postscript on back of the letter informs Bob that Crompton [Llewelyn Davies] has gone to France with [Bertrand] Russell; he seemed 'much better [emphasized] before he left' [referring to Crompton having recently lost his brother Theodore]. The Sangers are expecting the birth of a baby in around October.
20 St James's Square, Holland Park, [London] W. - He and his wife heard the news [of Paul Trevelyan's death] from the Sangers the day evening before Bob's letter arrived, so were 'already full of sorrow and sympathy' for the Trevelyans. Too 'overwhelmed' by the thought of what losing their own children would mean to himself and Marie to offer more than 'a timid assurance of fellow-feeling', as far as is possible without 'the brutal experience'. They had hoped very much that Paul was getting strong again, so it is a real shock. Hopes that they will be able to 'bear up'.
5 New Square, Lincoln's Inn, W. C. - This 'calamity' [the death of Paul Trevelyan] must be very hard for Bob and Bessie to bear; feels so much for them that he must write, though sympathy 'seems a barren thing'. Hopes that the feelings of friends may however help a little.
Grimsby Farm, Long Lane, Coldash, Newbury. - Hopes Trevy has received the letter he wrote to Naples, otherwise he will think Marsh 'rather a beast'. Glad Corpo di Cava was not snowed under, since it has turned out to be 'so delightful'; he himself would have 'preferred Capri for the sake of Tiberius' [see 15/318]. Has just got away from London and finished his first day of work here; his 'flesh crept to such a degree' when he woke on Monday night and started to think about his tripos [examinations] that it 'must have moved on about an inch all round'. Stayed in London a little longer than he should have done because of a 'superior French company' who performed [Ibsen's] "Rosmersholm" and "Master Builder" and a play by Maeterlinck under the direction of M. [Aurélien-François-Marie] Lugné -Poé who 'seems to be a descendant of Edgar Poe'. He is 'a very beautiful man with a pale face & black hair', and reminds Marsh of a 'portrait of some poet', perhaps Poe himself; he 'acts very respectably' and played the Master Builder as 'an American with a straggling beard & a drunken complexion' and 'quite revolutionized' Marsh's idea of the part, since 'the rather vulgar arrogant manner he put on in certain parts' made the character seem more consistent than 'the suavity of Lewis Waller'. Asks if Trevy has ever read Maeterlinck, as it is 'useless to try and explain what he's like' if not; in the 'mixture of great simplicity with an entire rejection of realism' he thinks it goes back to 'the Burne Jones & Morris kind of thing'. Sat next to William Archer, who was 'very nice' to him. Saw many friends at the Ibsen plays: [Erskine] Childers, Crompton [Llewelyn Davies], Gerald Duckworth, J[ohn] Waldegrave, 'the Babe' [William Haynes Smith?] etc. Thinks the Independent Theatre must be 'the worst managed concern in the world': the performances usually begin late 'after the curtain has gone up two or three times, to encourage the audience. You're never safe from the irruption of a cat in the most moving scenes', the actors miss their cues, or the curtain does not go down at the end of the act. The man who is called the Acting Manager [Charles Hoppe] is 'the greatest crook [he] ever met with in a responsible position', who seems unable to sell tickets without asking for assistance and did not even know how many acts there were in "Rosmersholm". Marsh took the Verralls to that play; comments on Arthur Verrall's reaction to theatre: 'he never is, or lays himself out to be, in the least moved by a play' but responds to 'the cleverness or stupidity with which it is written'.
Very glad that George [Trevelyan] got his scholarship, though there was no doubt he and Buxton would; 'very hard luck on [Ralph] Wedgwood. Went to see [Charles] Sanger yesterday in his new rooms at Hare Court. No-one has heard 'anything of [Bertrand] Russell for some time'. Only saw Oswald [Sickert], who had influenza, not serious, once; he has just got 'free from the Werner Company, which has used up the Beauties of Britain, & gone on to Paris [ie, finished publishing "Beautiful Britain]'; hopes he will have time for his novel now. [Maurice] Baring took Marsh to supper with Edmund Gosse on Sunday: a 'most amusing man', whose conversation is 'described in Stevenson's essay on conversation ["Talk and Talkers"] under the name of Purcell. He was in the teakettle mood'. Met [Henry] Harland, the editor of the "Yellow Book" there; thought him 'an awful little man', but 'on getting accustomed to his manner' next day he thought him 'like-able on the whole'. Hopes to go to supper next Sunday with 'the even more distinguished [Robert] Bridges', though he has not read his recent works so 'feels rather ill-equipped'. Met John Davidson briefly recently; he 'seemed a genial and light hearted little man, with a nice Scotch accent'.
Roundhurst, Haslemere. - If Edward has "Aphrodite" [possibly the book by Pierre Louÿs?] he could bring it when he comes, or perhaps try and get it for Bob. Also asks if he could get him a little hand-bell, not too ugly; he only has an ugly one which does not make enough noise to reach his ''αιδοιη ταμιη [revered housekeeper, Homeric]"; so if Edward brings one which 'will speak out loud enough when shaken, [he] will get his lunch and dinner more speedily'. Has now got two subscriptions for Dolmetsch's concerts on 5 and 9 November, and 3 December; asks Edward to decide whether he will come to the one 'next Friday week, 5 Nov' so Bob can ask [Charles] Sanger or someone else if necessary; he need not yet worry about the later ones.
Trinity College, Cambridge. - Has been 'distracted all day' by Trevy's letter [15/269]; is afraid his mind is 'made up against his wishes', since there are many reasons against him going to Italy with Trevy and for it only that he 'should like it so enormously'. His tripos exams are in May and he must work for them; knows he would not be able to work at Paestum; he has already refused to go to with [Nathaniel] Wedd to Greece, with [Charles] Sanger and [Arthur] Shipley to the Netherlands, and with [Maurice?] Baring to Florence. Has also asked James to come to London in Easter week, and wants to see lots of other people there. Will pass over what Trevy says in his letter about [his theories on] the English language, but hopes that both of them have 'improved since that fearful day at Mottarone'. Barran has come in 'in all his customary magnificence' they had great fun at the Verralls' last night. Has got to take tea with 'the little Miss Conybeare's [sisters of his college contemporary William Conybeare?] now'.