Item 127 - Letter from R. C. Trevelyan to Elizabeth des Amorie van der Hoeven

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The Mill House, Westcott, Dorking. - Last day at Dorking before he goes to Cornwall; is working well, and encloses a poem he wrote yesterday; it perhaps does not express what he feels about love, but is pretty; Sappho used the comparison of a rose to Venus's elbow first. Glad her cold has gone. Is going to Cornwall on Wednesday, and will probably stay a week; will write and probably do some German. Copies out the Heine poem [comparing the poet to Laocoon and his love to a snake], "Lyrical Intermezzo "13; likes the one she sends; quotes from Heine to promise that she will live happily. Has just finished [Victor Hugo's] "Hernani"; remembers she once indicated she did not like it; sets out his own response; prefers Euripides' "Medea" which he has also been reading and will help him with his own play. Agrees that the consul, Henry Turing, should not be invited to the wedding breakfast; better to invite [Abraham?] Bredius or someone else they all know. Is ready to write to Turing, but thinks it would be simplest if Sir Henry Howard did, as he offered; not important though if her uncle thinks otherwise. Must write to Sir Henry; as he told her uncle, thought it 'a little discourteous' to Sir Henry not to let him arrange everything as he offered. Tells he not to worry about these details. Agrees to the 7th [June] as the date; will tell his parents and is sure they will agree too. Asks if he saw her lace in London; not sure what 'Watteau pleats' are but likes the idea of them.