May 29th Wednesday.

First really fine day for a month.
Went into Palma at 8 o'clock, L [Laura], C [Carl] & I, because Gelat had a secret: it turned out that he had swapped the old Chandler 9 years old & the Donet (worn out) for a nearly brand-new Hupmobile + 3000 pesetas. We came back in it.
Exchanged new ladle for old + 5 pesetas. Bought rope-girdle for myself & Waterman fountain pen (36 pesetas). For the Mesquida (at Nell1) a 20 year old flower-painted tray. A shell necklace for Honor (8 pesetas) & ring with emeralds (25 pesetas). Socks etc for Gordon. Black & gold stuff for shirt for me. (Carl, stuff for 5 shirts)2
Gelat appeared with key of Posada. The Cura had been shocked to find that he didn't get the 150 pesetas himself but begged the lawyer that nobody should know. Gelat told us of his challenge to the médico to a personal duel. The médico did not leave his house that day. His relations extorted a promise from him that he would leave Gelat alone, if Gelat did nothing further. Gelat said he had said "Guardias3 or no guardias, judge or no judge, either you or I or, perhaps both, will go (to) the cementario4." & "I'd have run him down with the camión5 – you know how easily these things happen."
Bought myself 5 pairs of alpargatas6 (1 red, 1 blue, 1 yellow, 2 white)
May 29th Continued.7
We came back. Went to see the Posada with Honor & Gordon & Mary. Everyone delighted. Honor said "The nicest house in Deyá." Gelat said: "Viña Vieja furniture will be at your disposal soon, because it is to be rented unfurnished." Gelat is also going probably to rent half Fábrica as a café8 etc.
To Margarita's9. I to see turbines – deposito10 now completed. Sch. [Schwarz] with knee with water on.
Letter from Harrison. 6 weeks sales about 10,00011: reckon that 3 months will be 16,000 and 2000 I,Claudius. Late visit to give Honor emerald ring: and then (L [Laura] & I) at 10 pm to see the turbines working.

Editorial Notes

1? KG
2I bought! -KG
3Civil guards: police. KG
4churchyard, cemetary. KG
5bus, or lorry. KG
6rope-soled sandals. KG
7Graves wrote this part of the entry on the previous page, having run out of space. eds
8it was the lower half. KG
9or possibly to Margarita Modista's? eds
10reservoir. KG
11copies. KG

Hands Referenced

Places Mentioned

  • Mesquida

    Deyá, Majorca, Sp
    The dining room in Canellun was called the Mesquida after a painting hanging in it. WG

  • Posada, La

    Deyá, Majorca, Sp
    House on the Puig next to Deyá church. Originally part of the Es Molí property. It had been rented by the church for Sunday school. RG and LR bought it in February, 1935, to use as a guest house for their visitors. WG, eds.

  • Palma

    Palma, Majorca, Sp
    Capital and largest centre of Majorca.

  • Viña Vieja

    Deyá, Majorca, Sp
    Name of group of houses behind the Fábrica, of which Can Gelat was one. When the Glovers were staying in the house they were called the "Viñas". WG

  • Fábrica

    Deyá, Majorca, Sp
    Home of Juan (Gelat) and his wife, the Madora. K.G. The ground floor was a nave extended over the equivalent of two more lots. This originally was a factory with an oil press, a flour mill and a soap making machine all run by a steam engine. Gelat replaced steam by fuel-oil and installed an electricity generator. When he put in the turbine at Ca'n Madó he removed the machinery and built a Café in its place (the Sala Concordia). WG

  • Deyá

    Deyá, Majorca, Sp
    Town located on the northwest coast of Majorca, on the hillside between the Teix Mountains and the sea: this was RG's home with Laura Riding from 1929 to 1936. He returned there with his family after WW II. Eds.

People Mentioned

  • Gordon

    Glover, Gordon
    Married to Honor Wyatt. WG

  • Karl/Carl

    Goldschmidt, Karl
    Karl Goldschmidt, later Kenneth Gay: Graphic artist, friend and secretary of Robert Graves and Laura Riding since 1934. R. G. spells both as Carl and Karl.

  • Laura

    Riding, Laura
    (1901-91) American poet. Laura Riding (née Reichenthal; then Laura Gottschalk).

  • Gelat

    Más, Juan Marroig
    Juan Marroig Mas, called Gelat: Landowner on Deyá and friend of Robert Graves and Laura Riding (L.R. & R.G.'s factotum. W.G.)

  • Swartz

    Schwarz, Georg
    German Jew. Deyá neighbour. Antique dealer. Lived with Frau Emmy Strenge, his house keeper, in Can Caballo some hundred yards from Canellun. RG and LR translated his "Almost Forgotten Germany." WG

  • Margarita

    Margarita (Café proprietor)
    Proprietor of Café. Also Butcher. WG

  • Margarita Modista

    Margarita Modista
    Modista: Dress maker (in Deyá). W.G., eds.

  • Honor

    Wyatt, Honor
    Journalist. Arrived in Deyá fortuitously. Married to Gordon Glover...Son Julian. W.G. First acquainted with R.G. and L.R. early in 1934; returned to visit in 1935; continued friendship in England. eds (RPG 211).

  • Médico

    Vives, Antonio Dr.
    The village doctor (Deyá). At odds with Gelat (water rights controversy). His brother, Juan Vives, was Gelat's son-in-law. WG

  • Mary

    Phillips, Mary
    Visitor. Typed most of I, Claudius. Later married James Reeves. WG

  • Cura

    Jordi, Don
    Don Jordi, the Priest. WG

Organizations Mentioned

  • Harrison Smith and Robert Haas

    R.G.'s American publisher for I, Claudius and Claudius the God. eds.

Bibliography

    • Title: I, Claudius [novel]
    • Author: Graves, Robert
    • PubPlace: London
    • Publisher: Arthur Barker
    • Idno: A42
    • Date: 1934