Diary entries for December 1935Diary of Robert Graves 1935-39 and ancillary materialGraves, Robert (1895-1985)compiled byBeryl Graves, C.G. Petter, L.R. RobertsUniversity of Victoria LibrariesP.O.. Box 1800, STN CSCVictoria B.C., VH3 2W5CanadaJuly, 2006UVic Text Analysis Portal for Research URL: http://web.uvic.ca/hrd/tapor/tapor.htmUVic Humanities Computing and Media Centre URL: http://web.uvic.ca/hrd/tapor/tapor.htmUniversity of Victoria, Victoria B.C., Canada
Copyright of diary available by permission of the Robert Graves Trust
Copyright of introduction to diary available by permission of Elizabeth Grove-White
Copyright of diary markup, editorial notes and abstract by permission of the University of Victoria Libraries
Copyright of notes marked WG by permission of William Graves
Copyright of notes marked KG, Robert Graves Trust
University of Victoria Humanities Computing and Media Centre and University of Victoria Libraries
held in the University of Victoria Libraries, Special Collections, Robert Graves Collection
P.O.. Box 1800, STN CSCVictoria B.C., VH3 2W5Canadaacquired by the Libraries from Robert Graves in 1971 through the offices of Bertram RotaSC050GR01Diary of Robert Graves 1935-39 and ancillary materialGraves, Robert (1895-1985)University of Victoria LibrariesP.O.. Box 1800, STN CSCVictoria B.C., VH3 2W5CanadaJuly, 2006UVic Text Analysis Portal for Research URL: http://web.uvic.ca/hrd/tapor/tapor.htmUVic Humanities Computing and Media Centre URL: http://web.uvic.ca/hrd/tapor/tapor.htmUniversity of Victoria, Victoria B.C., Canada
Copyright of diary available by permission of the Robert Graves Trust
Copyright of introduction to diary available by permission of Elizabeth Grove-White
Copyright of diary markup, editorial notes and abstract by permission of the University of Victoria Libraries
Copyright of notes marked WG by permission of William Graves
Copyright of notes marked KG, Robert Graves Trust
University of Victoria Humanities Computing and Media Centre and University of Victoria Libraries
held in the University of Victoria Libraries, Special Collections, Robert Graves Collection
P.O.. Box 1800, STN CSCVictoria B.C., VH3 2W5Canadaacquired by the Libraries from Robert Graves in 1971 through the offices of Bertram RotaSC050GR01Victoria, BC, CanadaUniversity of Victoria LibrariesSpecial CollectionsOHC0005681PR6013.R35
Graves' diary manuscript includes 1546 pages including 117 enclosures: letters, clippings, photographs post cards, notes, games, etc.
Private URIs to the ref prefix are pointers
to entities in references.xml, which contains all
people, places, organizations, and other entities referred to
throughout the project.
Pointers to the repository of facsimile images of the Graves diary.
Primary hand.
Secondary hand.
Secondary hand.
Dec 1st Sunday
Had drunk too much: felt rotten all day.
Worked on T.E. finished L & A part.
Gelat has planted 70 fruit trees at Can Mado.
Pepe Rowed Pepe for
neglecting work. Will start in tomorrow. Ran again. Too much: had to sleep
it off.
Focus in preparation. Laura wrote
characters of focalsFocals, according to KG; might refer to contributions (or contributors) to Focus? eds., but tore it
up. She has been up to 3 or 4 o'clock every night. Then wrote another. Up to
3.45 a.m.
After supper we discussed Karl's humorous
novel.
Dec 2nd Monday.
Was going for a walk up the mountain with James, put it off because of Focus. Liddell Hart's book came. Wrote to
him.
Got up to 1928 in T.E. book.
Walk with James to Posada, where floor done, by Can Pabo round the Church hill. Oranges from Jaime (
G
Gelat's brother in law). Up by Son Canals.
Focus being got into shape, hard. S
To Sala late.
Dec 3rd Tuesday.
Checking Focus, selecting Likes.
Epilogue came.
Added to
L.H.
Liddell Hart letter: about titles, etc. Checked Michael
Roberts proofs with Laura.
Warm wind. No fires needed.
Pepe finished terrace of the
casitashed. KG, & did cementing inside, & worked on
edges of the torrent bridge.
Gelat doomed olive trees for removal.
Finished Focus, late
T.E. all day.
Talking late: cound not sleep
Read Murder at Wrides Park until 3.30.
Notice of a Fronton BalearBalearicpelota, or ball game in Palma, Dec. 04, 1935 at 9:45 p.m.
[No markup available for this document.]
Dec 4 Wednesday
Palma after morning on T.E. Took Focus in: at 3 o'clock. Then To Fronton
BalearBalearic [Islands?] Pelota Court. See poster
enclosed. eds to see PelotaBasque Ball Game, called Jay Alai in U.S.
KG. Betted on Red & lost (CantarrabiaCantabria & Loyola).
Then to Triananight-club. KG where by going out early I did not
see desnudismostrip-tease. KG which
L.
LauraJames and
K
Karl said was rather horrible. (Had done shopping at Margarita Mateu's, various small gifts — needle
case for Gordon, silver rattle-whistle
& gipo
for Julian, painted tray for
John, table centre & binding
for Maisie, frame for James. Also mirror frame for James at Casas 80 p.pesetas (pts.) eds. & some 1840ishengravings 5
pes
pesetas for 15. Handkerchiefs for James, silk stockings for Laura, tie
pin for Karl(30 pts.)
gold pendant for Maisie with red and green
flowers (50 pts.) & diamond buttons to be
converted into earrings for Laura (flat-cut
1790ish) for 300 pts.)
My gold watch repaired. Also bought towels.
Laura reading RichardsOld Soldier Sahib. eds.
Back at 2:30 a.m.
Hot bottle leaked, had to sleep in my workroom. Slept till 12.
Dec 5 Thursday.
Slept till 12
Second course of treatment.
All early afternoon spent helping Laura tidy
her clothes etc.
Pepe doing paths.
EveningAfternoon and up to 12.30 a.m.
copying T.E. letters, cutting out personal
parts.
Went over new gramophone records bought by James & Karl yesterday:
& then a serious talk about dancing.
Lauradoing going over James' novel with him all day and all evening & until 2.15
a.m.
Polished up James's silver & enamel
buttons & needle-case.
Dec 6 Friday
To
L.H.
Liddell Hart suggesting: T.E.Lawrence to His Biographers or Aircraftman Shaw to His
Biographers.the former became the title for the collection of
T.E. Lawrence's letters published by RG in conjunction with Liddell Hart
in 1938. edsArnie L. wrote about ground covered by
letters: asked him to be gentle with blue pencil. He could use all in Letters whose sale unaffected by Biographer book.
Watt thought terms inadequate: I wrote to
L.H.
Liddell Hart not to try another
pub.
publisher but rather for
royalty to be raised at such a figure
Michael Roberts proofs (left out 1/2 a
poem). Walk to sea with James brought back
dog-leg stick etc.
Paths being laid, olive trees removed & replanted.
Laura going over James' novel & wrote letters to McCormacks, Honor
& returned
A.A.S.
A.A. Simpson's poems.
Dec 7 Saturday.
Laura finished going over James's novel. : we
T.E. work.
Almonds planted in Luna land.
Zinnias nipped.
Laura reading Richards
O.S.S.
Old Soldier Sahib
Diamond earrings came.
Hair cut.
Paid Gelat 2500 pts.
on account.
Michael Roberts proofs
At night we planned a 5-years hence world itinerary for Epilogue people — Holland Denmark Siberia CaliforniaCochin China, Rimitara Celebes
New N California New York Cyprus & Turkey
Dance music until late
Dec 8th Sunday
T.E. again. In afternoon went over RichardsOld Soldier Sahib. eds with Laura.
Tea at Costa D'Or after walk there.
Richards again at night. Finished.
Solomon ran off alone to village.
James & Laura doing Education — India & Japan.
Dec 9th Monday.
Copied & sent
O.S.S.
Old Soldier Sahib off, wrote to Morley too.
T.E. stuff: have reached the last letter. 2nd/3?second of three?
edsFocusIV. eds came. James went
through proofs. I read James's novel and
checked it. Laura looking through Blake for poems. All this in Little
Troyi.e. the sewing room at Canellun. KG until 2 o'clock in the morning.
Paths being made, work begun on porch over front door, olive trees being
removed.
The new pomegranate has been planted.
Laura: appendix trouble due to eggs
& cream
Dec 10th Tuesday.
Very cold. Thunder. The first snow on hills. Some sleet.
Went over Focus proofs: found more errors. It went off with Juanin this instance, refers to Gelat.
KG.
The gas lasted over two months. New bottle broached.
Went into Blake poems —
L.
Laura
J.
James & I — discussing which failed as poems.
To Moorish castle with James, got a bit wet.
Letter from
L.H.
Liddell Hart about Watt being able to get 25
– 30% & £2000 advance from Hutchinson.
Threatened visit of Hodge & Sayers, of Programme.
Dec 11th Wednesday.
Sleet, snow, thunder & lightning.
T.E. all day except for letter to
H.S.
Harrison Smith sending introduction,
A.G.
Amy Graves for birthday, Mrs Ashby,
L.H.
Liddell Hart about Watt etc again; and going over
second part of Focus proofs.
Lock broke in kitchen, had to kick the jamgamb out.
In evening punch at Ca'n Torrent with Schwarz,
L
Laura,
K
Karl,
J
James & myself. Guitar and gramophone. Subdued.
L
Laura & I discussed part-time activity of
J
James. Red skirt over light, & Xmas decorations with garlic
stringsplaits. KG.
Dec 12 Thursday
Third week of course: better.
Sent off
O.S.S.
Old Soldier Sahib introduction and blurb & letter to
H.S.
Harrison Smith
Raining: girls having difficulties with the wash all week.
Working on T.E. all day. Packed up central part for James to take to
L.H.
Liddell Hart & wrote instructions to typist.
Walk with James. Posada well all but full.
Champagne in Sala with everyone, to
farewell James. He took photo of Gelat, the Madora & Francisquito.
Gramophone until late.
Dec 13 Friday
(James goes.)
Getting ready for afternoon: also wrote out poem on words listedsee
enclosure. eds (originally notes for title of poem book).
Raining.
To Palma at 1.15 (Margarita catching train to Areñal). Bought enamel pendant for Laura 28 pts.: gold cufflink
buttons for James. Beadbuttons with pearls (earrings for
Mary P.
Mary Philips) 3 Spanish gramophone records. Fine day.
Laura bought a leather coat wearable in the
house: & 12 handkerchiefs.
Took passport for renewal (after 10 years) Paid 25.75
pts. (owe 2pts.)
Supper at Lena's bar. Drank Marfila
white wine. KG — sentimental goodbyes to James aboard the ship.
Home to bed.
Laura looks
worn out.
Enclosure – List of Words
samplearbiterquorumescortconsortinstancesnumbersarrayseveralpluralcertain poemsmutualagenda
Dec 14 Saturday
Liddell Hart's typescript came: wrote to
tell him how pleased I was. Read it part of day, & also went over
typescript of the T.E. letters.for T.E. Lawrence to His Biographer. edsKegan Paul asked me to omit wounded
soldier from Lars Porsena: did so. Sent off embroidered figleaves to Julie.
In the evening we visited
Str.
Strenge &
Schw.
Schwarz (Laura had not seen Str for a fortnight) & home to bed. Slept 12
hours.
Winston Churchill & W.B. Yeats both on island: different ends.
Men put framework of porch over front door: & worked on paths with
stones from Posada & gravel from
Can Mado.
Almost all day on a letter to
L.H.
Liddell Hart about the Cape situation:
advised to let Cape have his way, if
necess.
necessary on condition that he persuaded
Arnie to give let
us use as much stuff as possible.
Laura not well, or Karl.
Going over T.E. stuff, & wrote to Morley,
also sent engravings to Tom.
To bed early. Read Charlotte Clarke (Lesbian?)
Decision to go to England in April.
Very cold.
Dec 16 Monday.
Wrote "Lies forabout Lawrence"
contribution, and rearranged the first
pp
pages of the Biographer book, to make this click.
Laura not well, but up.
Karl went to bed, worn out.
Paid Estanco (160
pts.)
Laura writing her set poem on the
word-listsee list appended to December 13th entry. eds. To
bed early.
Bought old twist-handled iron-sharp from Jaime the Butcher 5 pts.
Dec 17th Tuesday.
Catalina Martina helping clear the house:
Gelat brought oven & glasses.
Juan Ferrer doing plaster jobs.
Karl recovered: fine sunny day.
Laura had a look at the garden for the
first time for weeks.
Working over T.E. stuff still.
Laura at her poem – should be
thinking of Spring Listi.e. advertisements for Epilogue II? eds.: but doesn't feel up to
it. The poem is Friendship on Visit. My room cleaned.
Refused Hogarth Press resuscitation of Contemporary Techniques & Future of Poetry.
We went to Sala: MedoraMadora has mad killed the pig & turned it into
things.sobrasadasred sausage. WG & things.
Dec 18th Wednesday
FiveSix olive trees have now been
removed. Pomegranate tries again. A blue plum planted, and two pears. (Five
olive trees transplanted) Gelat
supervising. Did Spring announcements: A Trojan Ending, Antigua, 1d Puce, Almost Forgotten Germany, Poets & Schools in Subjects of Knowledge Series, A Neighbourhood of Poems, and Epilogue II.
Ward Hutchinson photos came: ordered prints
of six each (10/- each).
Dusted main book cupboard.
Porch half tiled now. Cartload of firewood came. Maria Edgeworth's novels
came (9 vols £1.18) and Coleridge's Friend.
Schw
Schwarz & Strenge:
pfefferkuchenGerman: gingerbread. KG.
Laura read & passed my set poem,
now called Prosperity of Poets. Never wrote a poem so easily.
Dec 19th Thursday
Last day of cure: things improved but not yet clear.
— T.E. — Catalina still here
(cleaning out
L
Laura's workroom now)
Wrote to Honor & to the children,
for Christmas. Also Margaret Reed.
Karl typed last of Lettersrefers to
correspondence to be included in T.E. Lawrence to His Biographer, which R.G. was preparing for publication. eds: now has
only explanatory insertions to type.
Paid Gelat 2000
pes
pesetas to settle a/c.
Dec 20th Friday.
To Palma at
10.30.
Bought presents for Catalina (ours) Margarita, Margaritamodistadress-maker. KG, Rosa, Anita & Magdalena, Juan, Madora, Gelat, Francisco, Antonia of the Café, Maria de Sa Font Fresc, Maria
Fidavera, Francisquita (Messiana)
etc.
For ourselves silver mass-bell (300 years old) for table. Laura red morocoo slippers, amber cigarette holder, 4
gold buttons for brocade dress.
Str.
Strenge, 4711 soap &
Sch.
Schwarz a punch-bowl.
Sch
Schwarz gave Laura a Ferdinand VI gold
durocoin. KG on chain & me a French religious art calendar. Focus promised for Monday.
Home at 10 o'clock. O.S.S off.
Worked till 3 on
O.S.S.
Old Soldier Sahib which I sent off to America,to publishers Harrison Smith?
eds with corrections for Richards
who raised practically no objection to changes. Long letter to Liddell Hart with 17 references in
margin. His questionnaire & postscript to his other book
arrived.
Honor can't come for 6 months at least.
Nice letter from Lucie with Victorian
ribbon for Laura.
Laura writing to Hodge.
Dec 21 Saturday
Reading
L.H.
Liddell Harthis questionnaire? See Dec. 20th entry. eds and writing about
Postscript: suggested not making it so philosophical, but letting T.E. witness against himself as much as
poss.
possible
Tidying house (Laura busy in
dispensalarder. KG). Porch over cellar door done, other also finished.
Olive tree removed from Can Torrent and cut
up.
Painted curtain bar in hall.
Pear trees transplanted.
Warm wind, no brazier necessary.
Fixed stars over electric light entries.
Dec 22. Sunday.
Cleared up T.E. document situation, sorting
out letters for
L.H.
Liddell Hart to be sent on to Arnie. Went over Lies about Lawrence typescript, etc.
Laura not at all well (appendicitis pains)
& tired by work in kitchen. She is going over the Poets stuff.
Walked with Karl to Lluchalcari: he is depressed by Honor not coming.
Warm winds, cloud on mountain.
Filed in Worter: Wrote a rhyme about Dogs. Focus? Laura rearranged Troy with Karl.
Fixed American cloth over fugonscharcoal fires. KG in kitchen.
Dec 23 Monday.
Handerchiefs from Margarite
also from Margaret (+ braces).
Letter from Pujol
incorrectly worded: had to tick him off.
From
L.H.
Liddell Hart saying that Cape was adamant,
but would make ex gratia payment to cover Watt & pay subscribed royalties
& also after 3 months. Inclined to accept.
Miguel senior fixed spindles on fireplace,
sawed kneespace for Laura under table,
removed main-door netting-doors. Rosa made
a brown dress which Laura has to give away
because of ill-fit. Jobs round house all day.
Sent L.H.T.E.-association letters and telegram
saying accept, grateful your concurrence.
Hand kerchiefs from M. Westgate
Masons putting up porchadaroof. KG over the picastroughs for washing clothes. KG.
Dec 24 Tuesday.
Getting house tidy.
McCormacsMcCormacks came: at Costa Brava: asked to rent
Can Torrent – but wouldn't.
Presents from Honor – box for Karl, knife for me, purse for Laura. Also brought plum pudding, &
journey-cold-pheasant.
Later Hodge came, 20, young,
blonde, good head.
We played the new records (Spanish) that I bought & the
Louis Armstong one from Karl and James. Miguel brought John's picture framed with wood cut from knee-space.
Warm & very windy.
Karl finished typing T.E. I inserted insertions. Now ready for Laura.
Letter from James about Honor dreading letters because of fear of us pressing her
to come to Posada.
Hodge very decent & sensible: said
about Claudius had read it while ill – liked it, lot of work: I said:
written it to make money – said yes he thought it read like
that I liked that — first time I have heard it.
Dec 25 Wednesday. Christmas Day
Juan mended pipe, told us of Anita's forthcoming baby (Sept?)
Did upstairs, to help the girls. Catalina
has been given
L
Laura's unsuccessful brown dress: which is succcessful for her.
Hodge stayed overnight at Can Torrent – went for a walk with Karl to the Cala.
James sent Burns, Beatrix Potter Jeremy
Fisher & Collier's Musical Tourneyravels and satisfactory personal account of
L.H.
Liddell HartQuarles' Enchiridion came.
McCormacks came: so we were 6 with Karl & Hodge. We had turkey roasted in the oven, aubergine-shape,
potatoes roast, mushrooms, plum pudding, Marfilwhite wine. KG,
crackers, turrona kind of nougat, made with almonds and sugar. KGavellanahazelnut. KG custard, champagne, coffee. All very good.
McCormacks gave
K
Karl & me cigarettes & Laura a breadknife, & all of us apples & gramophone
records. They brought, ordered by us, camphor,
L
Laura's foot-muff, 12 prs of woollen socks for me, Rolls razor blades, 12
knifes knives with walnut handles (6 & 6),
also from Maisie jet & silver
brooch for me, woollen bed-jacket for Laura, silk hankerchiefs for Karl.
Afterwards to Fabrica to give presents. At
Can Pep MosoAntonia's sister dying of injections by
local doctor.
Laura wearing brocade jacket, with green
and red brocaded skirt.
Dec 26 Thursday
Presents to Maria Fidavera & Francisquita: turrona kind of nougat. KG & cocacake. KG in exchange. News of Basil's suicide. Wrote to Margaret,
Marguerite, LuciTom & Julie, Honor, Maisie.
Girls taken to Soller in car –
Catalina to her first cinema. We ate at
the Fonda.
Wrote postscript to
OSS
Old Soldier Sahib preface about machine-gun-ization of
R.W.F.
Royal Welch Fusiliers sent to
H.S.
Harrison Smith & to Morley, with other
business instructions.
Mancebo grafted some almonds.
Dec 27 Friday
PorchadaPorch roof. KG being put over Can
Torrentportal mayorfront door. KG.
Engineers surveying carreteramain road. KG.
Took Margarita the ModistaDress maker. KG her gift bottle of anisliqueur.
KG.
(Gelat's presents came from the big Palma mansion opposite the Grand Hotel).
Laura reading the T.E. stuff. Cleared off all my remaining letters.
Warm wind: no fires for the last four days.
Moved the hibiscus to gardenia to shelter from winds.
Torrent by Fábrica full of oranges blown down into it.
Went over T.E. with Laura up to a point.
Dec 28th Saturday.
Copied changes to other T.E. copy and sent off 35
pp
pages to
L.H.
Liddell Hart who wrote satisfactorily on all points. Letter from Honor, just going into her new house.
To Palma: Margarita week-ending with her
people, Catalina bought us glass fruit
stands. FocusIV. eds all but done: Laura
said the printing ofNatural Need was a porqueriamess. KG. Got my leather jacket back. Laura bought 2 dress lengths at 90
pts. each. Sent Hodge his poem & criticism.
Supper at Lena's with
G.
Gelat
Str.
Strenge
Schw.
Schwarz
K.
Karl
L.
Laura and then Cecil B. de Mille's Crusades: Schw.
said he might have brought in Joan of Arc.
Then Macarena and home.
Gelat had a long talk with Vidal of the Estado MayorGeneral Staff. KG & TurismoTourist Office. KG who offers his protection in the road
& medico business.
Dec 29th Sunday.
Very warm still.
Fixed crown on San JuanSt. John. KG (from Catholic Repository).
Laura slept until lunch-time.
Afternoon going over T.E.changes; and evening too, with Laura. Finished all but one passage. Resumed
66card-game. KG habit.
Stocks out again and some almond blossom in the on the
way to Valldemossa.
Mrs Barbould came.
Housework because Margarita away.
Dec 30 Monday
PorchadaPorch roof. KG at Can Torrent
finished.
Finished T.E.(about 130 pp), copied, sent off by
afternoon post: with letter to
L.H.
Liddell Hart (started Nov 19th)RG highlights this paragraph with two vertical
lines at the left margin. eds
Cold again: fires, & brazier.
McCormacks house-hunting again: Gelat disgusted with them for not knowing
what they want & wasting time.
Focus came: checked it
Discussed swing-door for Mesquida to
kitchen.
Walk with
L
Laura &
K
Karl along road.
½ crescent moon: greenish.
Dec 31 Tuesday.
Karl ragged by Catalina for being muffish.
Letter from & answer to Clarissa.
Went over T.E. duplicate & sent a few corrections to
L.H.
Liddell Hart
Checked Blake typescript.? an article
for Focus or Epilogue? eds
Went to Margarita Modista with
L.
Laura who gave her stuff for two English dresses.
To village at 11.30 to Sala to drink
champagne with the Fábrica
family and hear Big Ben on the wireless. L,
K, Gelat, Madora, Juan, Anita, Magdalena, Francisquito.
1 Bougainvillea, 3 gardenia, 2 hibiscus, 1 plumbago: from Barcelona.
Replanting things in garden (vermouth, plumbago etc).