Item 123 - Letter from J. H. Whitfield to James Smith

110 Banbury Road, Oxford.—If he thought The Guardian would print his (anonymous) article [see 1/121] he would fear detection, but he is glad that it has at least had an underground circulation, though in view of the European situation it is merely an academic comment. The Times neglected to report Litvinof’s criticisms of Chamberlain but has nevertheless attacked ‘the indecency of German haste’, and ‘official Britain’ seems at last to have realised that Chamberlain is not to be trusted. His reading of Petrarch for this term’s set of lectures has led him to think of writing ‘a vindication of the Renascence’ in the form of articles for Scrutiny. Draws attention to Petrarch’s great merit as a humanist and the general lack of understanding of his position. Will send Smith the first lecture as soon as he has delivered it. Suggests that Smith should reprint his contributions to Scrutiny as a book. Cites evidence that Petrarch never read Homer and gives some advice about [Tasso’s] Aminta.