Enclosure – Clipping from Sunday Times Count Belisarius

Letter by J.H. Williams

May 1st Sunday

Wrote a long answer to Sunday Times on this cutting.re. Count Belisarius: see enclosure. eds. Laura long abed. The Simmons's came to lunch & were with us all day, talking.

In the evening we went together to the Cervantes in Old Compton StreetWestminster eds. and afterwards to Café Royal. I had a bad stomach cured by 4 brandies.

At C.R. succeeded in not knowing Hugh WalpoleBritish novelist (1884-1941) eds., and Aaronson.

Laura worked on Protocol: she was suddenly overwhelmed with tiredness at 2 o'clock. Stayed in bed till until lunch next day.

May 2 Monday.

Nancy wrote a queer letter refusing L's & my offer of a poodle.

Back to formal relationship.

More work on letter to S.T.

All afternoon worked with Laura on the Protocol.

* Laura writing a poem – one she laid down 8 months ago – for first time since then.

Leonard to lunch. Decided to take Margaret with us to France.

May 3 Tuesday

Smuggler

Sam on way to school: brought him to lunch & saw him off at King's +. He had made a wool rug of his own design.

Long talk with Mr Mills. Bought for 1/61 shilling, sixpence eds. an agate brooch with a milky pattern: for myself.

Norman to supper.

Mary Lucy to say goodbye – going back to Ireland because her husband has become a good Catholic. She gave

Laura a length of

lace & I

gave her some

pink beads.

She was quite good.

Laura & I working on a phrase Norman questioned in protocol.

May 4 Wednesday.

Laura has not been well for 3 days.

* Agreed to let Dent do dictionary.

John came to lunch and stayed till until 4.15, talking about literal way of painting pictures Alan there too.

Then Laura to dentist, I to Mr Mills where:

ivory earrings for Alix negro boys (Georgian) for Norman Russian dolls for Wanda.

(£1.2/- in all)

L. John & I met for coffee again in Yarners, Regent St. Then Laura & I went to Dickens & JonesDepartment store, Regent St. eds. where she bought a brown leather purse with a twirl on it 29/629 shillings, sixpence eds..

Laura worked on my poems Collected Poems eds., Schools, Harry's book The Left Heresy eds., etc.

May 5 Thursday.

Wrote a number of letters for Laura

Then lunch with Jenny at Café Royal at 12 oclock

David should have come but came by a later train from Oxford.

Jenny overworked by rehearsals for Cochran's revue.

Back to Alma Square. Len working with Laura. David & I then walked to Piccadilly via Mr Mills (five blue purple Bristol buttons 2/62 shillings, sixpence eds.)

took David to Allen's for a dress suit (to be paid for by Mallik)

Then back: walk across Park.

Then in evening a German film about music at DresdenGermany eds.: monstrously physical. Then David (stopping the night) work with Laura on Protocol till 2.30

May 6 Friday.

A very long letter to Tom & Julie.

David muddled lunch with Jenny so stopped over until seeing having dinner with her: went back at 10 oclock.

David & I went to Church St Market: I bought 4 Wedgewood Wedgwood coffee cups & saucers 1/-1 shilling eds., 1 teapot stand Blue flowers 6dsixpence eds.

Laura to Dentist: David, Alan & I went in a taxi to Baker St & walked back together. I was pretty tired. In evening Mary & Bill Fuller: protocol talk – he slow & industrious, she quick & lazy.

Mary F. was given the green & white necklace originally made for L.

May 7 Saturday.

A lazy day.

Did a lot of phoning: went twice to the street market and bought a large coffee pot 6dsixpence eds., a tea-pot stand 1d, a holly-patterned sugar bowl 1/-, a yellow & blue crochetted silk purse 6d, a Russian easter-egg 1/6d, a silver gilt brooch 6d, another cup & saucer 3d.

David Reeves in afternoon. Laura & I saw him off at Marylebone Station & walked back in the bitter wind.

After supper Julian Symons came to talk to Laura about an American number of his 20th Century Verse Twentieth Century Verse Ed. Julian Symons. London: J. Symons, etc, 1937-1939. eds.: Laura went over a poem of his with him. It was the first time he had been subjected to literal criticism of his poems & he behaved very decently.

May 8 Sunday.

Wrote two very long letters for Laura to California Isabel Mayers KG, a long one to Eric & so on.

In afternoon to Ward & Dorothy's to Wanda's birthday party (we gave her two jointed dolls) – present, Harry & Alix, Janet Ward Hutchinson's mother eds., Alan & Beryl – then to supper at Len & Jane's – taxi & bus

Laura talked film company possibilities with Len and I had a walk with Jane. A.P.H., & Michael & Axelle Ross in the Black Lion.

On return tired out by long bus journey and after a discussion with Laura about Immortality went to bed.

May 9 Monday

Letters.

In afternoon after a long Talk by Laura to Harry, at which I was present, as to about his relationship with Alix & with us, went to call on Jenny at the London clinic where she has tonsillitis.

At Mr Mills' bought a walrus tusk 3/-3 shillings eds. for Dorothy Simmons to carve.

The Mike & Marian Pearson to dinner & talk afterwards. Very warming.

Work on protocol with Laura afterwards.

May 10 Tuesday

2 versions of a poem: FlatPossibly "Progressive Housing": see Complete Poems, Vol. II, p. 89. (Check drafts in Buffalo for this title.) DW, eds.

Saw Jenny again.

At Mr Mills L & I bought 9 old costume books (property of IrvingSir Henry Irving, [real name John Henry Brodribb] (1838-1905), British actor eds.) for £6. and a Georgian paste brooch 4.6 4/6 4 shillings, sixpence eds.

Norman came; and we 3 and Alan went in N's car to give Catherine the Russian Easter egg (17th century salt glaze). On Norman's behalf, really.

A nice Russian engineer, Paul 'Sheriff', there; and great fun.

Norman made a squash engagement with Catherine.

Enclosure - Letter to RG from Yvonne Cloudpenname of Yvonne Hèléne Kapp [née Mayer] (1903-1999), writer and political activist on behalf of the Association of Writers for Intellectual Liberty

Association of Writers for Intellectual Liberty (British section of "Association Internationale des Ecrivains pour la Defense de la Culture"; Writers section of "For Intellectual Liberty.") 23 Haymarket, London, S.W. South Way 1 Whitehall 224-8

May 10 1938 Dear Mr. Graves,

With the spread of Fascism in Europe the lives and interests of men and women in the liberal professions are increasingly threatened.

This Association of writers is inviting members of its profession to take part in a large, non-political public meeting to express their abhorrence of this systematic attack on the intelligence.

So far, Sir Hugh WalpoleBritish novelist (1884-1941) eds., Mr. Desmond McCarthy, Miss Rebecca West and Miss Rose Macaulay have agreed to speak, and many other writers are willing to suport the meeting either by their presence on the platform or by sending a message for the Chairman to deliver.

The Association is anxious to make the meeting thoroughly representative of English letters and hopes that you will take part in what can be made a most impressive declaration of the writer's essential faith in free development of culture.

The meeting is to take place at the Queen's Hall at 8.30 p.m. on June the 8th.

Would you let us know whether you are willing to speak, or to send a message if you cannot be present?

Yours sincerely, Yvonne Cloud for the Organising Committee

Enclosure – RG Letter of Response to Yvonne Cloud(Association of Writers for Intellectual Liberty); see log entry 11 May 1938 eds. May 11 1938

c/o care of Messrs Misters Cassell La Belle Sauvage Ludgate Hill E.S.2

Dear Madam,

If your association were one for intellectual integrity, all writers being debarred from membership whose party or literary affiliations disproved their claim to this, it would be another matter. But of the few writers of proved integrity in this country not one, so far as I can see, appears on your list; and of those who do appear on your list many have either most of the names on your list I cannot associate with conspicuous integrity: many of them having politically committed themselves to views which contravene the elementary rules of literary truthfulness, or having persistently avoided committing themselves at all on any serious subject whatsoever. So, to be frank, I cannot feel the least sympathy,

Yours sincerely Robert Graves

May 11 Wednesday

Another draft of FlatSee May 10th entry. eds..

Evans of Heinemann interested in World & Ourselves

Work on Protocol with Laura.

Len came, and Alan.

I visited Jenny at the Clinic.

Sup Dinner with O.K. at Chez Josef – our invitation. He would not commit himself on any subject, and blushed deeply when asked his opinion of the sermon on the mount – as if he had been asked a smutty question.

Title page

May 12 1938 31 Alma Square N.W. North West 8

Thurs. May 12 1938

In Church St market bought for 2/62 shillings, sixpence eds. a Spanish or Moorish coffee-tray stand in lemon, mulberry, bone, horn, ebony, tortoiseshell & nacre inlay.

In afternoon cocktail party at Capes with Laura.

Met various ex-friends – Edward O'BrienJoseph Harrington, editor KG, Strong, etc and a horrid Fascist B Board of Trade man, Ronald Frazer.

Honor to supper.

Friday May 13 1938

David came.

A row with him about rudeness: only settled in afternoon when we met at Jenny's bedroom in London clinic. He stopped the night.

Long talk with Mr Mills from whom bought a Greek glass seal 5/-5 shillings eds.; an English butter stamp (swan) and pastry marker 1/61 shilling, sixpence eds. each, and a 2/- Robinson Crusoe The Life and Strange and Surprising Adventure of Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, pub'd 1719 eds. book for James Reeves.

Margaret had just had her separation order case at Croydon – apparently all right: she came with Leonard.

Maisie after supper, talking of indifferent subjects.

Laura worked with Len.

Saturday May 14

Spent nearly the whole day sorting the unnumbered pages of a thr four-volumed costumes-of-the-world book of the Henry Irving setSir Henry Irving, [real name John Henry Brodribb] (1838-1905), British actor eds..

A walk with Laura all the way round the Lake in Regent's Park ending up with olives & coffee at Guy's snack bar.

Laura worked at Lives.

Enclosure – Cutting from Sunday Times 15 May, 1938. Belisarius

Letter from RG [Letter about historicity] eds. in response to letter from J.H. Williamssee enclosure 1 May, 1938 eds.

Sunday. May 15

Worked all afternoon with Laura on Protocol.

She finished the Persian part of her Lives of Wives – Worked for Harry. For Len. For Bottrall. And on Smuggler.

Paid Jenny's hospital bill which; she leaves tomorrow.

Julian Symons found L. aggressive & wearing and told Alan so: he told Laura & so a thing started.

Monday May 16

2 versions of The Miller's Man a poem.

In afternoon went with Mr Mills via Liverpool Street along down the East End : Shadwell, Poplar, Limehouse, West India Docks etc.

Saw Sidney Street; Georgian houses, Dock River, Chinatown, Charley Brown's, and was with him buying antiques from Mr Philips in the Jewish quarter.

I bought a reading glass for 4/-4 shillings eds. and at a rag dealers he bought an iron Elizabethan coffer for 2/- (later sold for £7.10).

Bridget, the Simmonds to supper: looked at costume plates.

X Leonard accepted by the Exmouth captain.

From Mr Mills bought 2 old french glass seals : Prés de toi je fleuris Beside you, I flourish eds. and Tu la sais: n'en dis pas You understand: without a word eds..

Tuesday May 17

Another version of Miller's Man

Work on other poems, including In Your Name now called At First Sight.

Protocol with Laura for 3 hours from 11.30 pm to 2.30 am.

Visit from McCormacks + Betty who brought us a Javanese doll.

At Mr Mills bought (from Denis Thacker): 1 Arab burnous; 1 Indian silk & gold thread jacket; 1 Papal Zouave red trousers; 1 Italian white waistcoat for £1.

Evans of Heinemann failed to do anything about World & Ourselves.

Wed May 18

Smuggler again.

Laura went over poems with me, early ones: suppressed two, worked on four.

Beads in the Church St market: made two necklaces pink-crystal and paste roundels and gold red white & blue.

Laura working on Damage, Harry's thing The Left Heresy eds., Ward's.

Someone called Gardner sent books for me to sign, unasked: I put them in cloak room at Piccadilly & sent him ticket. He replied I was no gentleman & full of my own importance.

At Church Street: 2 maple frames for John's lithograph 1/-1 shilling eds. the pair.

Margaret & Leonard.

Enclosure – Letter from Desmond Flower regarding LR's Collected Poems

CASSELL & COMPANY, Ltd. Publishers LA BELLE SAUVAGE LONDON, E.C.4

Eighteenth of MAY 1938.

Robert Graves, Esq. Esquire , 31, Alma Square, St. John's Wood, N.W. North Way 8

Dear Graves,

We are sending you herewith a proof copy of THE COLLECTED POEMS OF LAURA RIDING, which we are having the privilege of publishing shortly, in conjunction with Random House of New York.

Though Laura Riding's poetic work is regarded with high respect on both sides of the Atlantic, poets and critics of poetry have had some difficulty in characterizing that unfamiliar quality which differentiates it from the work of every other poet of her time. Is it because she is the first woman poet to write neither in the 'feminine' tradition nor in the 'modern' male tradition – but with a powerful sense of the significance of woman in the world of poetic values? Or is it because her ability language carry more meaning than it conventionally does?"does" is a handwritten correction over typescript: the corrected word is not clear. eds Certainly there seems to be no one with whom she can be easily compared – though her work has provoked imitation and exerted strong influence.

We are writing on this subject to a limited number of poets and critics, asking them to signalize the appearance of this book with a considered statement about its contents; and should be most grateful if you would care to give yours as briefly or as fully as you find convenient.

Yours sincerely, Desmond Flower

Thurs. May 19

Reading Laura's Wives (CyrusChapter 2, The Rise of Cyrus, Husband of Amytis of Part I, A Persian Lady, and Her Contemporaries in Lives of Wives eds.)

Going over poems.

Honor came: discussed the Len scenario.

Mr. Fennimore & Miss Phepsie of the Register of Design came at night – with Len – and talked about the reasons for bad designs in pottery etc: the buyer was chiefly responsible.

Friday May 20th

Work on poems: mostly In Processionfor Collected Poems eds.

To Selfridge's bought socks vests, pants.

At Mr Mills a Victorian egg-boiler to replace broken one 1/61 shilling, sixpence eds..

Met Laura at dentists

Coffee with Alan at Yardrah or whatever

the place is

called in Regent St.

Protocol at night – the mercy clause – with L. until very late.

Sat May 21

Lucy sent the Dutch garnet necklace (from Petticoat Lane) restrung with white beads (from a barrow).

Proofs of Laura's poems Collected Poems eds.

At Church St. bought for 6dsixpence eds. a 1837 copy of Snarleyow Snarleyyow: or, the Dog Fiend by Frederick Marryat. London: H. Colburn, 1837. eds. and for 12/612 shillings, sixpence eds. a large blue Bristol bowl.

Finished going over In Processionfor Collected Poems eds..

L.Hart in afternoon going over Protocol.

In evening walk with L & Alan in Regent's Park, sitting in deckchairs by the Lake.

About 9 Laura got a faintness & palpitations. Dr. C.H. Barber called and gave her things.

Due to annoyance with a wireless while writing a poem; and general

tiredness.

Everyone in London expected war tonight: Czechoslavak business. We not.

Sunday May 22

Laura spent all day in bed resting. I looked after her & also spent a long time on a letter to Flower about L's poems Collected Poems eds..

Montague & Dorothy to supper.

Dorothy told us that on the 20th, the day to which a perfect stranger had pointed, giving her a charm, as a very lucky one, she had been pushed into the river at Blackfriars by a Lesbian but managed to catch at a chain & pull herself to safety. The charm in her handbag also escaped: the bag bounced off from a post. Then the woman tried to kill herself but Dorothy rescued her.KG notes that this story may indicate an early sign of mental instability? eds.

Monday May 23

Smuggler. Laura a bit better.

Bought from Bad Fairy in St John's Wood 2/62 shillings, sixpence eds. a small sky blue Bristol vase.

Harry bought a blue Georgian glass Bristol bell with plain handle as a present.

Honor & Gordon.

Honor stayed the night.

Tuesday May 24th

All day phoning & letters and going over Lawrence excisions (by trustees Lawrence Trustees eds.) with a view to pleading against them.

At Mr Mills, presents for Honor & Gordon, and for us a Nelson-time (4/-4 shillings eds.) sail-caulker and 4 real pewter ash-trays (once property of Ellen Terryactress (1848-1928) eds.) being travellers samples of plates: (so we can discard the old ones, which are modern) 10/-

Also small horn box 1/6 (to Jane)

Smuggler till until very late

Wed May 25

Laura still not too good.

Smuggler

Margaret came & was with us all afternoon.

I went to Liddell Hart's & went over deletions with him.

Supper at Harry & Alix (Margaret came) & Protocol with Laura till until very late.

Thursday May 26

Smuggler

Dorothy came to make a scrupulous statement to Laura about some minor point she had given L. a wrong impression on phone.

Laura went to Doctor Barber, who said 'heart merely tired: must have holiday'

Went over some Cyrus checks with LauraChapter 2, The Rise of Cyrus, Husband of Amytis of Part I, A Persian Lady, and Her Contemporaries in Lives of Wives eds..

John's Belisarius & Antoninapaintings eds. & John's lithograph both back, framed. (in 1d1 pence eds. & 1/-1 shilling eds. frames of maple from Church St. Market)

Walk with Dorothy across Park telling her about Deyá.

Dorothy brought Wanda round: sweet child but children tire me more than anything in the world.

Friday May 27

Woke up with a chill: which changed to a cramp over my liver which frightened Dr. Barber in thinking I might have to be operated on.

He gave me a hypodermic injection – morphia etc – which calmed down the pain.

I was in bed all day, recovering from the morphia.

My ring came: the Greek glass & dental alloy one with a rub over setting by Mr Chatterly

5/-5 shillings eds. + 30/-

Read an American thriller Hot Gold: without enjoyment.

Enclosure – Cutting from Times Literary Supplement English Humourists

[Letter from RG about neglect of Skelton]

Saturday May 28th

Len's crisis is passing: Gas, Light & Coke; Imperial Airways; Electricity all on the string for filmsmajor companies who sponsored Len Lye in return for advertising eds..

I was in bed till until 4 (light diet).

Read over the Smuggler,

Sunday May 29th

Taking things easy

Went over some of my poems with Laura rewrote Warning to Childrenfor Collected Poems eds

In evening to Catherine Van de Velde where we met Paul Sheriff again. He was nice but the general effect was weak and undecided. Caviare Caviar : Raspberry brandy.

In the morning Carlowe came and was given hints for re-education: I filled in for him the suppressed names in his Lawrence proof.

Monday May 30th

Wrote a lot of letters for Laura.

She had a dream about Hitler. They were playing a game in which one person suggested a subject, another did the drawing. It was Laura's turn to suggest a subject for Hitler. He said: 'Let me draw a great Flood!' Laura said: 'No, it is for me to choose the subject. Draw a moment of complete private happiness.' His face clouded and he exclaimed '...followed by universal disaster!' Then asked leave to lie on L's bed & think it out. Karl objected: 'I don't like him lying on your bed'

Went to doctor again: who hopes it is not stone or graveli.e. a gallstone eds..

Log Entries of Letters for May, 1938 Letters

May 1.

Haas (about wrapper of Belisarius)

2.

Nancy, Haas Sunday Times.

3.

A.G. with key of cottage, David about wallet, Gordon about anti-Semitism.

4

Helen CamHelen Maud Cam? (1885-1968), British feminist and historian eds., Haas, Flower: all about a misprint.

5

O.K; Anita; George Buch; John Ald.; James; Margaret, R. Bottrall, Hart DavisSir Rupert Charles Hart-Davis, (1907-1999), publisher and writer; see Log, 30 April 1938 eds., Week, David Reeves, Ethel, Evans Grenville.

6.

Tom & Julie. Bursar St. John's (permit for woods) N.N.. John Graves

7

Schwartz. John Aldridge.

8.

New Z. New Zealand High Comm Commission bill for No Trouble ; Flower for L.; Eric; James & Mary Isabel; Nathaniel

9

Carlow . Bank with cheque; Sunday Times

10.

David G. Margaret. Bank with cheque. Ethel

May 11th

Yvonne Cloudpenname for Yvonne Hèléne Kapp née Mayer, (1903-1999), writer and political activist eds. (Association for Writers on Intell. Intellectual Liberty) Tweedsmuir ( re. regarding Karl)

12

Bursar St Johns Pass request, Carlow Mint[?], Watt (returning Cecil's account) Miss Murphy.

14

Mrs ColumMary Colum née Gunning Maguire (1884-1957), literary critic eds. about criticism.

15

Catherine N. (racquet) Catherine Vandevelde A.S.Watt A.G. Times Book Club (paper). Flower (sales) Anita

16th

Margaret, Sam. Gardnersee Diary entry 18 May 1938 eds..

17

Jenny, Miss Duncan (print?),