Item 91 - Letter from R. C. Trevelyan to Elizabeth des Amorie van der Hoeven

1 item

Pension Palumbo, Ravello, preso Amalfi. - Thanks Bessie for her letters and its enclosures; Grandmont's letter is 'a marvel of elegance'; is glad that [Empedocle?] Gaglio is 'showing such character and capability'; reminisces about a former excursion from which a companion [Bessie] 'returned early to Taormina' on a 'frivolous' excuse. Returns his mother's letter; would be nice for her to call Bessie 'Elizabeth' but they must decide; will be a comfort to her when Bessie is looking after him, but thinks 'she exaggerates the discomfort and untidiness of [his] life at Roundhurst'; he may have been untidy in dress when not likely to meet any one, but Mrs Enticknap would not have allowed anything worse. There is a strong south wind and the 'sea is booming loudly down below on the rocks'. Has had a busy day with correspondence, copying [Thomas Sturge Moore's] "Danaë", calling on Mrs Reid and talking to an interesting fellow guest [C. P. Scott, see 9/92]. Hopes to do a little work tomorrow.

Returns to the letter the following morning; was a thunderstorm, not the sea, which he heard last night; it is still raining heavily, so he will finish writing letters and 'read all sorts of nice things'. Gives a long extract from Chaucer's "Merchant's Tale" on 'the terrors of married life'; pretends to contemplate heeding the warning, but [John] McTaggart's letter 'tells a quite different tale'.

13/84: part letter from R. C. Trevelyan to Elizabeth van der Hoeven, no date but written in early December 1899, perhaps a continuation of this letter.