Affichage de 4421 résultats

Plas Penrhyn, Penrhyn Deudraeth, Merioneth. - Has been waiting for the BBC to send a list of dates when Bertie will be wanted for broadcasting to reply to Elizabeth, as they plan to call on her at the Shiffolds on the way back from London; they have heard nothing from the BBC but no plan to come towards the end of the month or the beginning of October, after the children have gone to their new school. Difficulties with selling their Richmond house. The children have being 'angels' this summer, unlike 'last summer's devilments'. Bertie is working on a new book, which she is glad of: philosophy serves as a 'counter-irritant to the perfect horrors in the political world': finds the 'war whoops' of the British government, supported by Gaitskell [over Suez] astounding; supposes the matter will go to the U.N.; she 'can hardly bear regarding Dulles as a dove of peace'. The Russells were very interested to hear about the Waleys. Likes to think of Mary and Julian enjoying the sunshine in Italy: there is so much rain in Wales they 'are rapidly developing fins and scales'.

41 Queen's Road, Richmond, Surrey. - Wishes they could come to the Shiffolds, but 'as usual' they are too busy for the next few weeks; they are selling the house and preparing to move to North Wales, and also to put the children into a new school nearer there. They do hope to come and visit before they leave, hiring a car and also calling on Flora Russell at Albury. Have received a card for Mary [Fedden's] show at the Redfern Gallery and hope to get to it: have not seen her or Julian since the boatrace, and have never seen many of their paintings. Have not seen the Woods [Alan and Mary] since returning from Wales; is afraid they have had a difficult time but hope things are going better for them now. Encloses a blurb of a book of Bertie's ["Portraits from Memory and Other Essays"?] which she thinks may interest Elizabeth.

41 Queen's Road, Richmond, Surrey. - Lovely to have news straight from Bessie, rather than through [Alan and Mary] Wood, 'dears though they are'; it is kind of her to invite them for the Christmas holiday, but they are going to Wales with the three grandchildren as soon as they return from school; they have just heard that their 'daily' there has to go into hospital, so their domestic troubles will continue. Looks forward 'to cooking a turkey for 10 or 12 people in an oven into which it will not fit. Is glad Miss Jones is still living with Bessie and hopes she will be able to find someone to read to her 'who loves the country. The people who interrupted at the Central Hall meeting were an organised band called the "Royal Imperialists" whose stated concern is "to uphold the Empire"; very silly, but no more so than the article in this week's "Time and Tide" on India; 'amazing how many people...feel they can achieve great things by not looking at facts and merely calling everybody they don't like nasty names'; this includes the Russians, who are 'lying in India now'. Is very glad Julian and Mary are so happy, and about Julian's successful show.

41 Queen's Road, Richmond, Surrey. - Is ashamed not to have written sooner: the summer "surpassed the most lurid imaginings of upsets and busy-ness' she could have had. Bertie has been incredibly busy with 'meetings and speeches, plans, discussions, articles and conferences both here and in Paris', while the difficulties with John led to 'a series of climaxes and horrors'. They took a house in North Wales in June, for the grandchildren and future holidays, having seen it once and fallen in love with it for its views; has had to work hard to furnish it and arrange for utilities. The children went in mid-July, and they joined them in mid-August 'for a glorious six weeks'. The 'nice Woods' [Alan and Mary], who are 'dears', brought news of Bessie. Is afraid they will not be able to get to the Shiffolds to see Bessie, but there are too many things Bertie must do; he is currently meeting the Austrian Socialist leader who is visiting the Austrian Embassy.

41 Queen's Road, Richmond, Surrey. - Very disappointed: Bertie has an engagement already for Friday 6th so they will not be there; they would have loved to see Bessie here, and Miss Jones; Edith would have been happy to help Bessie up their stairs if Miss Jones could not come. Got back on Monday from a fortnight in Rome and Paris where Bertie had to go for a conference and speeches, and immediately his time was filled with engagements 'trying to bring Gov'ts and peoples to their senses about war and thermo-nuclear weapons'. Einstein's death a tragedy; they heard about it on the plane from Rome to Paris, and arrived in Paris to find a letter from him saying he would support Bertie entirely, which must have been almost the last letter he wrote. Bertie is now working on the proposal he and Einstein intended to issue; he needs a holiday and they are planning to take a month's holiday 'out of communication' in Scotland.

41 Queen's Road, Richmond, Surrey. - Originally some more leaflets [about Bertrand Russell's anti-nuclear proposal]. Bertie thinks he must concentrate on the Indians; perhaps Bessie could write to Queen Juliana. Does not know whether the proposal has been published in the Netherlands; thinks it has in Sweden and Denmark. Must have written 'very misleadingly about John' to give the impression that his mother has helped him: she 'has behaved quite frightfully'. The doctors thought that John might get better if given proper care, which was arranged for him; she persuaded him against their 'very pressing advice' to leave the hospital and live with her; John seems to be afraid of her. He comes 'wandering out here twice or thrice a week' but there is nothing they can do but wait till he gets worse. Their London char has now fallen ill, and the children's governess is now their 'mainstay'.

41 Queen's Road, Richmond, Surrey. - Thanks Bessie for her letters and postcard, and answers her questions: her book is "Wilfrid Scawen Blunt", and was published in 1939 when she was still Edith Finch; is sorry she does not have a copy to lend her. Agrees that the weather is very cold, though the Russells have not had to retire to bed to keep warm like Bessie; hopes she is not ill. They have not yet seen V[eronica] Wedgwood's book ["The King's Peace, 1637–1641", vol. 1 of "The Great Rebellion"]; liked her "William the Silent" very much, but they have been so busy to read much besides what must be read. They both have been very busy since Bertie's Christmas broadcast ["Man’s Peril from the Hydrogen Bomb.”]; she hopes his energy will hold out and that 'passionate sincerity' will bring about the proposal's success. Domestically, they are in chaos: the cook-general's husband is ill so she has been away since before Christmas, they have a little help from a char and from the grandchildren's governess. Their grandchildren [Felicity, Anne, and Lucy] are now in their sole care, 'since their parents first left them and then left each other'. John has been ill; he spends some of his time with his mother, and some with them; it has been 'really fierce and harrowing' for Bertie. They 'love the little girls dearly' however. Sorry the roads are so treacherous; would be lovely to see her when she can get to London again.

41 Queen's Road, Richmond, Surrey. - Good news that Bessie may be able to stay with them on one of her trips to London; suggests the best days. She is 'acting as Bertie's secretary' now and so is also very busy and unable to come to Dorking either; they are both very sorry. They have not yet had the report of the speeches at Birkbeck College [for the donation of R. C. Trevelyan's books to the library].

41 Queen's Road, Richmond, Surrey. - Happy to hear about the party at Birkbeck College [for the donation of R. C. Trevelyan's books to the library] and wished they could have been there. Would like to read Bessie's and E. M. Forster's speeches if they have been printed; thinks with 'admiring wonder' of Bessie having enjoyed making the speech. Would love to visit the Shiffolds, but does not think they can get away; they had an 'absolutely heavenly' holiday in France, but now Bertie is very busy. She worries about him; wishes sometimes that he would refuse to take on what should, it seems to her, be other people's responsibilities. John's book is a short story he wrote a few years ago ["Abandon Spa Hot Springs"], published by the Gaberbocchus Press. She thinks it is good, but 'a slight production for a young man with three children to be supported'; still, Bertie would not be happy if John were not working. They take long walks now and again, this afternoon along the river to Ham House; Bessie's garden and the countryside around must be 'enchanting'. Would very much like it if Bessie could come for lunch one day.

41 Queen's Road, Richmond, Surrey. - She and Bertie would like to come to the Shiffolds for the day, and ask if 9 June would suit, or perhaps some time the following week.

K. Maxwell is in Bath, Jean [Maxwell?] and his friend Olding are living in Church St.

41 Queen's Road, Richmond, Surrey. - Glad to hear that Bessie is settled with such a nice couple. Would like to visit, but they are away on the Continent in September; asks if they might visit for a day when they return. The children [Russell's grandchildren?] are here now; they are going to Cornwall to stay with Dora until school starts in September. Mary [Fedden] and Julian must have had a 'glorious holiday' in the sun; the Russells were in luck to have the sun shine on them in 'that lovely azalea wood' where they walked with Bessie in May or June.

41 Queen's Road, Richmond, Surrey. - would love to visit on 16 June; Bessie should let them know if that date becomes inconvenient..

I Tatti, Settignano, Florence. - Has spent most of his time at I Tatti with flu and unable to enjoy the company. Was pleased to see Aubrey and Lina [Waterfield] last night. Mary [Berenson] is suffering from rheumatism and feeble, but getting on fairly well; B.B. is well on the whole. Has written to Trevelyan's brother George again with his publisher Einaudi's decision about the title of the translation [by Morra of G.M. Trevelyan's "British History in the Nineteenth Century, 1782-1901"]. Einaudi is grateful for Trevelyan's suggestion of Buchan's "[Oliver] Cromwell" as another translation project. [H.A.L.] Fisher's "History [of Europe]", however, has been translated, and the edition confiscated some months after publication; efforts to get it released even in bowdlerised form have been unsuccessful.

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.

Metelliano. - Thanks Trevelyan for sending his "Plays": likes receiving this present 'from you and from England in such a moment of anguish'. Has finished translating G. M. Trevelyan's "British History in the Nineteenth Century" for Einaudi [see 5/88] and now must go over it; it will be with the publisher around the end of February. Has found work on it 'a relief'; likes the first part of the book better than the second and thinks the picture of 'old England' and the transistion due to the Industrial Revolution is 'masterful'. Discusses the notes he must add, particularly the quotations; asks if he could submit queries to Trevelyan, or directly to his brother, and outlines his thoughts on whether quotations should be translated [this section is marked with blue]. Saw Mary [Berenson] at I Tatti just after her return, cheerful though frail; B.B. [Berenson] and Nicky [Mariano] are now in Rome. Hopes Trevelyan is not anxious about Julian.

Metelliano. - Thanks Trevelyan for his "Collected Poems". Has been invited to translate his brother George's "British History in the Nineteenth Century" into Italian, though it is currently a secret as negotiations are still in progress; is reading the book now and feels the job will be enjoyable, if long and maybe hard. Has also been offered the chance of translating "Pericles", but does not feel prepared to cope with Shakespeare. Hears Mary [Berenson] is preparing herself for a journey to England and taking motor-rides; thinks this is only a psychological improvement, but that is a great deal. Does not yet know whether B.B. [Berenson] is going to Yugoslavia.

King's Coll. Cambridge [headed notepaper]. - 'Delighted' that Friday 3rd December suits her for him to visit, 'What luck for me!'. Suggests coming on an early afternoon train from London; sees there is one which reaches Ockley at 2.13. Thought of suggesting himself for lunch at the Meades [Lionel Meade, rector of Abinger Hammer, and his wife?] on Saturday, then 'going on to the Hammer to see Bone and arrange about the felling of some trees in the wood' if he can. Will be at 9 Arlington Park Mansions from Wednesday to Friday; until Wednesday his 'Movements... err on the side of uncertainty (Other people's fault of course!)'.

Agnes was 'only paying a visit to Florence "as a lady"', and has now returned to her own flat; she seems to have enjoyed herself and 'laments' leaving '"just as she was finding out where all the things were kept"'. Currently, Florence is thinking of keeping on as she is until Harriet [her old maid] returns, as she may do one day. Thinks Florence would now be 'very pleased' to hear from Bessie about her news; she has 'taken up all her old employments [after the death of her sister]'.

Sends love to Bob and Bessie, is looking forward to next Friday.

W[est] H[ackhurst]. - Does not know Binjori's [Abdul Rahman Bijnori?] works as he ought to, and does not feel able to take the chair; wishes Trevelyan would do it himself. Suggests asking someone from the East such as Narayana Menon, though perhaps he is too little known. Discusses [Elizabeth] Daryush's poems. George Thomson should have organised the [Apostles'] Dinner, but is going into hospital. Took tea with Chi'en [Xiao Qian]. Agrees that Silvia S. [Sylvia Sprigge?] is now far away.

W[est] H[ackhurst] (Postmarked Abinger Hammer, addressed to ‘Mrs Trevelyan, The Shiffolds, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking’) . - Thanks Bessie and Bob for their 'kind letters' and for [Hasan Shahid] Suhrawardy's address; thinks he only met Suhrawardy once, at the Shiffolds. Expects to stay in Calcutta, probably in November.

Now looks as if he leave London on Thursday for an 'airport near Poole. All very odd'. Is 'looking forward to it - with occasional tremors'. Has 'been inoculated against 3 sorts of typhoid, cholera, smallpox', and Chi'en has lent him 'a lovely light suitcase'; asks if he has mentioned that before. Sends love, and says that air-letter is best if she writes [to India].

A postscript in another hand gives Forster's address to the beginning of December as c/o Thomas Cook, Queensway, New Delhi.

W[est] H[ackhurst]. - Bessie ‘cannot imagine how consoling’ her letter was, ‘nor Bob how well placed his flounce. The whole thing was done without my knowledge [the adaptation and broadcast of his story The Eternal Moment], and the first news he had of it was ‘the ghastly sketch in the Radio Times’. As she may imagine, ‘rows are in progress’: with his publishers, who gave permission without consulting him, as they are bound to do by the terms of the contract; and with the producer [Howard Rose] ‘for his discourtesy in ignoring me, and for supposing that an author doesn’t know anything [crossed through] can’t help over his own book’.

The contrast between ‘this insensitive hack’ and Leonard Cottrell, producer of The Celestial Omnibus, is ‘extraordinary’; Cottrell consulted him throughout, and invited him to Manchester for the rehearsal. Will let her see the letters if she likes. Is ‘taking it all to the Society of Authors’, and then will ‘ask for an interview with someone in the B.B.C., as this sort of thing must be stopped’. Notes that they acted legally [in obtaining permission from his publishers].

Looks forward to visiting soon. The cold has been ‘terrible’, and they are ‘still not feeling the better for it’. Chi’en was ‘nice’, but Forster criticises his English: ‘I once ventured to Chi’en that his lectures were becoming difficult to follow. He beamed and continues to deteriorate. Something is wrong with the Chinese after all, I fancy’. Went to Cambridge last week ‘to speak to Indians’; did not see Bertie [Bertrand Russell], but his lectures ‘continue a huge success, and the other dons are most critical: - jealousy partly, partly the uneasy knowledge that he upholds humanism in a community which has betrayed it’. His mother sends her love.

W[est] H[ackhurst]. - Is signing the card 'After some indecision... with a slight modification of its text'; though there are 'some weighty arguments against it', he feels it is 'a good thing to testify to the possession of compassion and a heart, when one has or things one has them. Everyone is or is pretending to be so hard'.

After he visited Bessie, 'a cloud, then no bigger than a man's hand, turned into the shape of an aeroplane', and now it really seems he will fly to India in ten days for a [P.E.N. ] conference of writers at Jaipur. Can 'hardly believe it, and of course there may be last minute hitches'. Hsiao Ch'ien has lent him a 'wonderful cane suitcase', which he can 'carry with one finger' when empty. Is only meant to be away for two months, and the household 'hopes to limp through' in his absence, with the help of Florence [Barger], Aunt Rosalie and others. Agnes [Dowland] 'has been very sweet about it, her only objection being that I am sure to crash'.

His only companion will be Ould, the secretary of P.E.N., who is 'pleasant and easy to get on with'; they hope to fly via Karachi to Delhi, where Forster will stay with friends [including Ahmed Ali], then to Jaipur for the conference, then he thinks to Calcutta and Bombay. He may of course 'be turned off the plane at the last moment if a V.I.P. (official phrase for Very Important Person) wants my seat'. Looks forward to going, 'despite the unhappiness and the politics which I am certain to find there'; will be 'such a change', though he fears he will be 'in a daze for at least a fortnight, and lose Chi'en's suitcase during it, with all my clothes therein'.

[No signature - incomplete?]

W[est] H[ackhurst]. - Meant to answer Bessie's 'kind letter' before, but 'these are paralysing days, and it is impossible to write with one's old gaiety, nor has one time to create a new sort'. Went to the London Library the morning after the bombing, and 'saw Carlyle's head stricken from his shoulders, and the theological section ruining [?] through the ceiling of the Reading Room'; wonders whether 'poor Bob has looked in'. Meant to 'do half a days salvaging there, but had to go numbering up all my aunts in Putney. All were intact'. Now he is back home, 'combatting a sore throat and cough with prudence and success'; would like to come over next month, and perhaps as the evenings get lighter she will get to visit them.

Should have 'taken chair for Hsiao Chien on Tuesday', and is disappointed that he cannot; has not seen him recently, but has 'been blessed with an American charmer [William Roerick], a friend of Christopher Isherwood, who has now gone off to Africa'. He was acting in This is the Army [by Irving Berlin], perhaps not known to Bessie 'even by name!', and took Forster a few times to the Churchill Club [at Ashburnham House]. There was a '"musical brains trust" there , Ralph V[aughan] W[illiams], acquitting himself very well, Malcolm Sargent - glib, Wm Walton smartibootified, and Alan Rawsthorne a little drunk'.

Thanks Bessie for the 'cutting for [the National Council for? Civil Liberties'; thinks they are 'a little nervous of adding education to their activities'. His mother seems fairly well, and sends love. 'Bob (policeman) [Buckingham] has been over here mending pokers, window sashes etc. He has had a grim time during the raids'; Forster hears '(from another source) that many more planes come over than we are allowed to know'. Hopes the news of [her daughter in law?] Ursula and family is good.

West Hackhurst, Abinger Hammer, Dorking. - Tells Bessie to 'keep the Boswell for Beethovenian cycles'; is glad that Bob is reading aloud from it. Pleased they had 'such a nice visit from [their grandson] Philip. I expect and hope that he cried on the chord of C because a chord is too much of a good thing at once, whereas a scale is just a lot of nothings-at-all in a row, and he could deal with them severally'.

Asks if she has heard how Hsiao Chen is; he wrote to Forster after Dr Bluth took him for an x-ray, and 'was hoping to avoid an operation'. Afraid Margaret's operation 'though not making her worse, did not do her any good'; does not know what arrangements Florence [Barger, her sister] is making for her. Understands that 'Evert and his Molly [Mollie Sinton, who married Evert Barger in Jan 1944]' are being very helpful.

His mother is 'fairly well and sends love'. Forster fears they have 'now left it too late and date in the year' for Bessie to visit; looks forward to coming to see her and Bob at the Shiffolds. Now has a copy of Trilling's monograph', and could lend it to her if she likes. It is 'an intelligent but almost overwhelmingly serious piece of work. It praises me for my seriousness; then censures me for my lack of seriousness... but when summing up it suggest that my very absence of seriousness may imply a seriousness far more serious than superficial seriousness'. Was 'rather difficult to know how to thank the author', but he is 'pleased with the book, and tried to say so'. His mother 'cannot read it for nuts [?]'. Has had 'several letters from America, and some tins of food'.

Newspaper cuttings, sent to Trevelyan by Durrant's Press Cuttings agency, from the "Sunday Times" [by Desmond MacCarthy] and "Listener" [also reviews "A Harp with a Thousand Strings", compiled by Hsiao Chi'en].

Monk's House, Rodmell, Lewes, Sussex. - Would not object to [Hsiao?] Chien using the 'extracts from the letters', and would like to look at the letters themselves 'sometime'. Is usually in London for a day or two a week, and would like to see Bob; as however he 'much prefer[s]' being in the country he 'pack[s] everything' he has to do in so tight that he rarely has time for anything else. Will let Bob know when he might be able to see him, but cannot do next week. Would like to come and see Bob and Bessie at the Shiffolds, but finds it 'very difficult to get away'; will let them know when it may be possible.

The Shiffolds, Holmbury St. Mary, Dorking. - Encloses his "Recollections" of Donald [Tovey?]. When Molly has read them - perhaps Desmond would like to do so too - asks her to send them back with the other "Reminiscences" he left with her, but there is 'no hurry'. Had difficulty hearing Hisa[o] Ch'ien yesterday, but liked what he could hear; Desmond was 'very good'. Now has sufficient material for the next "Abinger Chronicle"; hopes that Molly will consider writing something for it about "Donald's childhood, or about something quite different'. He and Bessie think that she has a 'very real gift for writing'; it is a pity she lets it '"fust in [her] unused"' [a quotation from "Hamlet"]. Enjoyed seeing her and Desmond very much.

9 Lilly Terrace, New Road, Hammersmith. - Mr Wheeler demanded everything in the name of Mrs Rebekah Atkinson, before her letters of administration had been taken up; writer's husband of fourteen years cannot be guilty of deceit; hopes to present her son as proof of a good upbringing. Postscript: has recently moved from Hawk Cottage.

Naples. - Amused by Milnes' examples of Kestner's English, and adds his own; indebtedness to Torlonias; Milnes' prospects. Drove to Pozzuoli with Sir Walter Scott today; Scott confessed that he had reviewed a work on bridges without any knowledge of the subject; Gell's work on Troy was once badly reviewed by Sir William Drummond owing to a misunderstanding about an invitation. Scott was lively and in tolerable health; his speech little changed; 'I remember when the Lay [of the Last Minstrel] first came out he read it at the Priory, L[ord] Abercorn's, & the deuce a word did those of the company who were born south of Trent understand of it'. Milnes should enjoy more worldly pursuits while he has the chance. [Halley's] comet not expected to threaten disaster as it was largely transparent on its last appearance; recounts Scott's anecdote about Mrs __ and the 'supernatural' apparition of Dr Gordon. Odd behaviour of the Heydebrecks makes them hard to assist; Lord Hertford's recommendations for avoiding political fights when entertaining; reform and revolution in England; Rome; would like to force some good from Mezzofante.

Endorsed by Luigi Chiaveri.