Pièce 76 - Letter from George Macaulay Trevelyan to R. C. Trevelyan

G[ran]d Hotel Trinacria, Palermo. - Was fortunate that he received a telegram saying the baby [Julian] had recovered before any letter on the subject; is very sorry that Bessie and Bob had such anxiety, and hopes that all is well now. Arrived here last night, and likes it as much as he hates Naples. is reading [George Meredith's] "Rhoda Fleming" again, and now agrees with Bob about its 'inferiority', and that it is 'melodramatic' and beneath the writer; feels that the 'alleged "illegitimate-son-of-Ld-Lytton element"' which gives 'a necessary spice' to most of Meredith's works here completely takes over. It is 'no use writing or even talking' about politics; hopes 'God will inspire our leaders to retrieve the situation that some insane Devil has induced them to throw away'. Necessary to be loyal, so 'the less said the better'. Can 'imagine Bertie [Russell] talking on the subject of Sir E[dward] Grey!!'. Met a 'very nice Oxford, Balliol Don' at Naples, not A.L. [Arthur Lionel] but J.A. [John Alexander] Smith; George thought him a good philosopher and a 'very good man'. He admired Bertie [Russell], and discussed [Henry] Sidgwick and McTaggart 'excellently and critically. George expects 'there are good things about Oxford': there are 'a few great philosophers' at Cambridge, while at Oxford 'the young men are taught a little philosophy', this is 'perhaps not a bad division of labour'.