Wengen. - Delighted to imagine Julian walking; hopes Elizabeth will be less troubled when the new nurse is settled and 'poor Mrs Catt gone'. They have good weather again, and there are beautiful views. The railway 'goes up over the Heidegg [sic: Scheidegg pass?]; they went up there yesterday and looked into the Lauterbrunnen valley. She is feeling much better. Sir George is 'so intensely & simply delighted with his order [the Order of Merit]'; he has had an 'avalanche of letters' which he loves replying to. They plan to get to London on 5 July; Sir George will receive the Order from the King on the 6th, then go up to Wallington; Caroline will go to Annie at the Park till the 10th; asks if she and Elizabeth can meet in London. Must wait till Wallington to see Julian. Asks if there is a photograph of him walking. C[harles] and M[ary] seem to have much enjoyed themselves [at the Coronation?], and the 'children's visit was a success'. Preparations for summer visitors in Switzerland are 'on a gigantic scale', though it is still quite quiet. They begun their journey home tomorrow.
Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - Has sent Withers's letter to Robert on to George; sorry about the trouble Robert and Elizabeth are having [over Florence Trevelyan's will]; luckily Sir George and Caroline have plenty [of money] of their own, which will 'all be for [their] sons and daughters'. Discusses a letter he has had from Philipson; does not know the value of the land at Taormina and imagines Robert may incline towards not acting as executor, not paying the sixty thousand francs, and renouncing the property; Withers and Davies are 'wise advisers'. Glad that he himself refused to be a Trustee, which none of the family ought to be 'on any account'.
Intermediate Base, M E F. Bath at [ ], Father Day.
Transcript
[…] evidence how Butter came by the text, but (as with other piracies) the play was topical & popular, & therefore worth stealing. But put case that Butter managed to ‘borrow’ a […]
Also, after re-reading your essay in the new collection of Modern Sh. Criticism {1}, I would like to query Theobald’s famous ‘babbled’. My impression of misprints from copy is that on the whole a printer is more likely to make errors in the body of a word than in the first letter or two: that is, he is more likely to have misread table for talke than for babbled (even if the form is bable). Moreo-ver not only does Q1 of Henry V give ‘talk of floures’, but talk is aesthetically a better word in the context than babbled, because Mistress Quickly’s sentence reaches its rhythmical climax in ‘green fields’—it is not
‘and a babled——of green fields’
but (with growing incredulous sympathy)
and a talke of GREEN FIELDS!
[…]
COPY—
‘Well’, sighed Essex, ‘it may be so’
PRINTER
‘Gos’, sighed Essex, ‘it may be so’.
—there being no possible resemblance between even my ‘Well’ & ‘Gos’.
PROOF READER (brightly) ‘Query—Gosh!’
The most illuminating experience I ever had was when a printer made 22 mistakes—mostly wrong words—in a 2000 word introduction. Of these not more than 10 could be allowed as mis-reading of the copy. The man was simply thinking of something else. In the reading of any M.S.—from a private letter to a learned paper—[…]
—————
{1} The reference is probably to Greg’s ‘Principles of Emendation’, as reprinted in Aspects of Shakespeare in 1933.
Flamsteed House, Greenwich - GA has been laboring on the account of Sheepshanks's [Richard Sheepshanks] work on Standards, which has now passed through its first stage. GA's plan devised for the Correction of the Compass is adopted by most iron ships in the world. However, the Admiralty 'nominally adopt Archibald Smith's mode of resolving observed errors into series &c of multiples and then computing errors generally, but practically, I do not think it is ever used at all'. GA gives a description of 'a very neat way of presenting errors graphically, which was invented by Napier [Robert Napier], iron ship builder, of Glasgow'. GA had a Royal Navy ship sent out with a corrected compass last autumn: 'Scoresby [William Scoresby] had not published any thing specific. Changes were found in the magnetism of the ship. Some of his compass observations came to me through the Liverpool Committee [of the BAAS], and I discussed them. A very valuable report on the subject generally, including these, has been made by the Liverpool Committee to the B. of Trade, which I have urged the Board to publish'. GA does not know anything of the diurnal variations and the magnetic storms, as compared with solar spots.
Reports that the portfolio has come and is beautiful. Hopes to come to visit her 'on Saturday week', or before that. Announces that the Pauls are to come on Easter Monday, and will stay for the week, and that he himself has to go back to Cambridge on the Monday afterwards. States that his friend Sedley Taylor is going to Rugby around Good Friday to stay with [Rev.?] C. J. Smith, and asks her to be hospitable to him if he turns up at the house. Thanks her for the portfolio. Hopes that she is well and has enjoyed her visits.
Reports that he is 'tolerably busy', and that he goes to see Roden Noel on the following Saturday - 'the day of the [boat] race'. Remarks that it is thought that Cambridge is to lose again. Reports that Tawney is coming to England that summer to be married. Reports that he has been in correspondence with his uncle Robert 'about a curious historical question connected with the founding of Shipton School', whose Master 'is bound to pray to the Virgin Mary every afternoon.' Mentions that he met a lady the previous day at [Rampride] who said that she knew his mother and Mrs Plunkett.
Announces that he has 'P___y's signature, and states that they [he and Nora] 'now own a fine property over there'. Hopes that Myers has not 'd_g_d'.
Claims to be grateful for Sidgwick's criticisms, and goes on to discuss his reaction to them. Refers to the 'sentence or two on Atkinson', to which Sidgwick had referred. Contends that 'modern science, correlation of forces and Darwinian theory included, has not in the smallest degree altered the logical weights in the Theistic problem.' Comments that Laplace's remark itself 'shows that it was as easy to him as it is to Darwin to dispense with the idea of a Personal God.' Discusses the relationship between the 'field of Law' and Theism. Claims that 'the scientific idolatory of unknown "Forces" is just as seductive and as atheistic in the age of Epicurus' as it is in the present day, and asserts that 'the problem is Metaphysical, not Physical, and is unaffected by the advance of Physical Science.' Concludes this point by claiming that a change in the text on this issue to suit Sidgwick's feelings on the subject would be untrue to him [Martineau]. On Sidgwick's advice he has 'struck out the reference to [Miss] Proct[er], but 'cannot let F. Newman go.' Refers to the 'great circulation of Newman's books (The Soul and he Phases)', which seems to give sufficient support to his impression, but admits that his reputation as an '"unbeliever" closes against him an immense circle of readers acceptable to his brother's books.' Claims to agree with Sidgwick's criticism '(up to the last line)' of his sentiments 'in pp 20, 21', but cannot see how that criticism applies. Clarifies that he did not intend to imply that 'without Piety, Charity is impossible', and discusses the relation between these two 'affections'. Stresses that 'it is only to the corporate use of dogma' that he objects, and admits that, for the individual who can think out his beliefs into clear statement, 'the process may be very important.' Claims he has tried to add a little emphasis to the reasons on which Sidgwick dwells for using the word "Christian", but believes that all of them are present in the text.
Martineau, James (1805-1900), Unitarian ministerIf WW sends RJ the necessary papers he 'will see about the Great Western board - I have some hopes of getting the interest - I will also see that the money is at once reinvested'. Dealing with 'these trust matters there is great need of technical regularity. I shall reinvest the monies in the joint names of the Trustees. They should then give you a power of atty [attorney] to receive the Dividends'. However this 'should have been done with the £15000 which as far as I can see Mr J. Marshall has dealt with in his own name alone - not in that of the Trustees and if he were to die tomorrow it might be difficult to pick your £15000 out of his assets - Good merchants are not always good men of business in such matters'. Where is WW's marriage settlement?
Headed notepaper for Kimbolton Castle, St. Neots. - Condolences on the death of Lady Houghton.
Eaton Square. - Is sending most of the books he has; could John & ? be sent to Crewe Hall?. Postscript: requests Lady Morgan's autobiography, Bergenroth's 'Historical Documents from Simancas', Lady Audley's Secret [Mary Braddon] and No Name [Wilkie Collins].
Arms, S. 1942. Telegram only.
Blaschko, H. 1942
Chadwick, J. 1940-43
Council of Austrians in Great Britain 1941
Correspondence re proposed visits to the Food Research Institute, Norwich, 1972, 1974-1975.
Space Life Sciences (1966): Invitation to join editorial board (declined).
Talanta: Refereeing.
Trends in Biochemical Sciences: Request to write article (declined).
Aldeburgh - Shares his thoughts on reading 'The Worship of Nature': muses on the universe in his breakfast egg, refers to Barcroft’s lecture on the mystery of how eggs came into being; quotes the 'Punch' Einstein limerick; refers to Dr Gann’s discovery in the Yucatan, and Sir Aurel Stein’s excavations in Central Asia; doesn’t think they will strengthen Elliot Smith and Perry’s diffusion theory; refers to the festival of Ucharal as described in [Edgar] Thurston’s 'Omens and Superstitions of Southern India' and ‘droit du Seigneur’ in Coulton’s 'Medieval Village'. Mentions a fierce storm in November and subsequent flooding in Aldeburgh.
Montepulciano (Prov. di Siena). - Is sorry that he will not be able to see Trevelyan again on this trip to Italy (due to his stay at Montepulciano and a visit from the Maclagans [Eric and Helen?] are coming to Metelliano), especially as the news from England [the formation of the National Government] is worrying; would like to hear Trevelyan's thoughts on the matter. Feels guilty about the subscription to 'L. & Letters' ["Life and Letters"], though his debt might be balanced by Trevelyan's subscription for "Pègaso". Hopes he is enjoying his time at I Tatti; at Montepulciano all is as usual though there is a sense of something lacking.
216 L.A.A. Bty. R.A., 151 Castle Boulevard, Nottingham. - Looks forward to receiving Trevelyan's new book of poems ["Aftermath"?]. Returns "Adonais", which he enjoyed very much. Has just finished Santayana's "The Last Puritan", which is beautifully written but sometimes insipid, and "The Quest for Corvo" [by A. J. A. Symons], as recommended by Joan [Allen] which he loved. Asks if Trevelyan could lend him an easy novel in Italian.