Pièce 2 - Letter from R. C. Trevelyan to Edward Hodgkin

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Roundhurst, Haslemere. - Will try to stop his letter 'lapsing into a scrawl at the end'. Glad that Edward and his sister are having such a good time at Rome; would like to be there himself very much, and may get there by the end of the year but fears Edward will be gone by then. Asks if Edward could disappear for a few months and 'be in hiding at Rome'; since he 'has no large sums from the Bank', his 'action could not be given a criminal interpretation'; tells him to hide in the painted tombs on the via Latina - or at least go and see them, and 'the robins hopping about among the cut roses'. Gives other sightseeing advice; tells Edward he should arrange with a dairy to have 'Devonshire cream, i.e. crema dura, every morning for breakfast'. He should also go to see the Pinturicchio in 'the Church on the Capitol' of the Magdaline [sic] 'walking about in the desert scantily clad reading a prayer book'; he himself 'must write a fan on her'. Is currently writing 'a play about Mantua and Greek Emperors and Gonzagaz, and Vittorino dei Feltre, and Vittor [?] Pisano, and charming and learned young ladies who won't marry the people their fathers tell them to' ["Cecilia Gonzaga"]; is also translating Ovid's "Metamorphoses", and writes out an extract from his version of the Daphne and Apollo episode. Plans to translate 'a few things from him and Propertius and Ronsard etc', and hopes Roger [Fry] will illustrate them if he has time. Verse beginning 'Knowst thou why Ovidius Naso / Mourned and sorrowed all his days so': because he knew who would illustrate and translate his work. Has never been to the Villa d'Este himself, but has heard much about it from the Frys; Roger has painted a 'very nice picture' of it, and said there were 'rose-wreathed cypresses' there which Bob has put into his poem "Juno's Peacock". Saw G.V. [Gilbert Venables?] recently, also saw Ronnie Norman at a concert, who 'seemed all right'. Asks Edward to let him know when he is returning, so they can meet in London; will answer his sister's letter soon.