Pièce 239 - Letter from Sir George Trevelyan to R. C. Trevelyan

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Welcombe, Stratford on Avon. - Quotes Macaulay ["Lays of Ancient Rome: The Battle of the Lake Regillus]" and Horace [Odes 3.18: in Latin] since a letter from George this morning, about 'a very different scene in Italy" reminded him that it was the Nones of December. George is very well, which is a relief since they had seen a notice in the paper about his ambulance carrying away '400 cholera patients'; two of his Italian ambulance orderlies died of it in forty eight hours, but none of the Englishmen have it and it seems to be 'yielding to the cold'. Quotes George's description of the eviction, under Austrian shell-fire, of the hill-station hospitals beyond Quisca [Kojsko], at length; he gives a 'most curious account of men's behaviour under fire' illustrating 'the sort of courage required in this... novel form of war'. They get each other's 'Sunday letter' quite regularly on the following Sunday, by official bag. Caroline did not need to leave the train carriage from Scot's Gap to Stratford, so is no worse, though the 'fog was as bad as bad'; is greatly relieved to have her here. They have begun to read [Sir Walter] Scott's "Life" aloud, after having read "Illumination" and "All's Well That Ends Well", which must have been 'a rattling play to act'. Agrees with Robert that the 'arrangement' of The Old Wives' [Tale]" [Arnold Bennett] is 'strange but very masterly'. Very much enjoyed their long time with Elizabeth and Julian; glad it did them both good. Has been reading the very good article on Chaucer in the 'Biographical Dictionary' by [John Wesley] Hales, of whom he has 'never consciously heard', though he was '4th Classic in Henry Sidgwick's year and Sidgwick was always so interested in other college men of his time'.