Item 76 - Letter from R. C. Trevelyan to Julian Trevelyan, with draft of "Comano", a poem

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Poggio allo Spino, Consuma (Prov. di Firenze). - Elizabeth sent Julian's letter giving Belgrade p[oste] r[estante] as an address, so hopes this will be forwarded. Glad Julian has had so good a time; expects he will be in Greece by now. Is at B.B. [Bernard Berenson]'s; [Raffaello] Piccoli is here at the moment talking to Berenson about Sir Thomas Browne, whom he has been translating. He is evidently still 'far from well', but seems better today; if Julian is passing through Naples on his rerun from Greece Piccoli hopes he will visit him there. The Waterfields [Aubrey, Lina and their children] are also hoping Julian will come to Poggio [Gherardo] on his way back; he himself spent 'a very pleasant week in camp with them', doing some work on [his translation of] Lucretius and his own writing; they were all very nice, though Aubrey 'as usual was often very cross, chiefly with Lina, who always takes it very nicely'. Everyone seemed to have enjoyed Julian's visit, and he 'had become more or less legendary': Bob was for instance taken to see the rock which Julian 'had split by painting it', and Aubrey had done a sketch of the incident. Cecil [Anrep], who is 'very nice, and knows English much better' is here for a few days. Bob is travelling to Paris on Tuesday, will spend two nights with [Hasan] Suhrawardy and [Maria] Germanova, then go to London on Friday and the Shiffolds on Saturday. [Aleksandr] Kalitinski and Germanova, and he supposes Rex [the dog], will probably go to Prague for the winter; S[uhrawardy] is going to India after spending a few days in England. Kalitinski seemed much better when Bob was in Paris a month ago; while there Bob went to the Colonial Exhibition and saw the Bali Ballet. B.B. and Nicky [Mariano] would be glad to se Julian if he comes to Poggio. Roger [Fry] seems to have been at Florence and to have 'got on quite well with B.B.'.

Everyone hopes Julian will be 'very careful about the dogs' if he goes walking in Greece; he [and his friend Ralph Parker] 'should both have big sticks, as long as possible'; B.B. is sure that 'the young man who was lost on Parnassus' was killed by dogs, though Bob thinks it more likely he fell down a precipice. B.B. thinks Mistra [Mystras] is 'much more interesting' as regards art than Athos, though he has not been to the latter; he is 'very much irritated against Biron [Robert Byron]', who is now writing for the "Statesman", and says he 'talks great nonsense about art'; still, 'one might get a good deal from his book ["The Station, Athos"]'.

Wonders whether Julian will come to England before settling at Paris again; he should find the Shiffolds 'more or less in order'. Does not understand the 'political upset in England', and is reserving judgment until he can see C[lifford] A[llen] and others; T.M. [? ie Thomas Sturge Moore?] writes that Allen is also reserving judgement until the facts, which are 'very complicated', are clearer; Bob however thinks it a 'bad business', and that the Labour movement is 'smashed up for some time'; this is not a 'National Government', but a 'Tory-Liberal Coalition, which may, or may not, have been necessary to save the pound from collapsing'. Hopes Allen will not 'take it too tragically'. Encloses a 'poem in Po Chu I's manner', "Comano" which refers to a wonderful view he, Aubrey and Lina discovered one day; dated Aug 1931.