Item 26 - Letter from R. C. Trevelyan to Alfred Benn

1 item

The Shiffolds, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking. - Should have thanked Benn before for his kind letter about "Sisyphus [: an Operatic Fable]"; glad he finds it 'entertaining'. Had hardly realised until Benn's letter ''how flagrantly" he had 'violated the matriarchal tradition in drama': supposes he should not have let the queen, Merope, 'drop out altogether' before the last act. Looks forward to reading Benn's "Revaluations [: historical and ideal]"; expects one essay will be that on Nietzsche, which he read 'somewhere' and much liked. 'Professor [Gaetano] de Sanctis on Appius Claudius sounds interesting'; the 'beauty of ancient and biblical history' is that, since evidence is 'so scanty, totally opposite theories may be maintained' and fresh interpretations made by 'each new generation' to a degree not possible with modern 'or even mediaeval history'. Is reading some plays by Alfieri for the first time, and finding them much finer than he expected. May come to Italy before Easter, in which case he hopes to see Benn. Hopes Benn had no friends in the earthquake [in Sicily in Dec 1908]; their own friends at Taormina seem to be all right.

Dated '2 Jan 1908' but this is probably a mistake for '1909'; c.f. reference to the Sicilian earthquake of December 1908.