Item 129 - Letter from Bernard Berenson to R. C. Trevelyan

1 item

3 Via Camerata, Florence. - Has been in a 'rage of work' since receiving Trevy's 'upsetting bombshell letter' [with the news of his engagement], or would have written sooner. Sends him '[c]ongratulations and approval, both hearty & genuine'; sure he has chosen well as 'poet or day-dreamer tho' you are you are by now means the Rev. Mr Hooper [in Hawthorne's "The Minister's Black Veil?"]. It is 'brilliant' that she is a musician. Was 'naughty' of Trevy to rush to the south of Italy without stopping to see him: would have given Berenson 'much pleasure', asks whether it would have been 'painful' to him. Knows the excuse: the 'demon pushing us WORK' and the 'illusion' that they will be able to 'create' if only they can 'reach a certain place'; hopes this turns out to be true for Trevy. One day 'even you, my faun, will understand that a certain kind of friend is not worthy more but as much as a few days of work'. Is alone but not unhappy; sometimes goes out into the 'great glittering world'; sometimes 'the wise men', [Alfred] Benn, [Carlo] Placci and [Egisto] Fabbri come to him. Trevy does not know Fabbri, who is an 'old friend, very handsome, enormously rich, rather brooding...'; he spends most of his time in Paris, 'held there in Paris by his mistress', who is 'the Vierge aux Rocher always' and can when she wants 'become La bella Gioconda'. Often eats alone and then reads 'recent French plays, in prose naturally'; these are 'not art' but 'very good popular sociology couched in fairly pleasant dialogue'. Will not be in England next summer, but his sister [Senda] is visiting him from America in March; he will meet her in Naples and if Trevy is still in Ravello he could see them. The Berensons will be in April in Rome, so he could also arrange to see them there. Has read through Theocritus this month, and is now reading Euripides; thinks the 'first great chorus in the "Heracles" is fine' but is not sure if he has the 'courage' to read all of Euripides' works.