[Grace Toll Hall, Scripps College, Claremont]

T. S.Eliot
EmilyHale
TS
Faber & Faber Ltd
7 May 1934
My dearest Lady,

It would seem to be a result of your commenting, in your letter of April 21st which arrived last week, on the regularity of my letters, that I should have failed to write last week, and for a perfectly ignominious reason. I had saved Friday evening for the purpose – and when I got ready to write I found that I had not a piece of letter paper nor (what is more serious) anything approaching an envelope. And after that I had no time: SaturdayFaber and Faber (F&F);c1 morning I spent at the office arguing with a French Pirate from the Red Sea (not exactly a pirate but a smuggler of drugs and slaves) about his book; thenSt. John's College, CambridgeTSE attends feast at;a1 cameDavies, Hugh Sykesinvites TSE to St. John's feast;a2 back and packed and went to Cambridge to stay at St. John’s with Sykes Davies and attend their annual feast to their name-saint. The feast was a very serious one and lasted till about one – DrCoulton, George Gordonpresents him with engraving;a2. Coulton presented me with an engraving of a chrism-child – andMarx, Karllate-night discussion of;a3 we ended by brewing a pot of tea and sitting over it until three-thirty discussing Marx with an Italian communist. SundayRothschild, VictorTSE's first impressions of;a2, BarbaraHutchinson, Barbaraappears with husband;a4 Rothschild and her husband1 came in before lunch – I did not take to him at first sight – he seemed to me rather coarse and not with the best manners – but I was glad to see Barbara – andWilley, Basil;a1 BasilPeterhouse College, Cambridge;a1 Willey2 ofCorpus Christi College, Cambridge;a7 Peterhouse andLeigh, H. D.;a1 Leigh of Corpus3 came to lunch – a fine day – we strolled in the gardens until teatime, andBelgion, Montgomeryexpensive club dinner with;a3 I took the 5.20 to get back inOxford and Cambridge ClubTSE's costly wine-menu mistake;b2 time to give Belgion dinner at the club – and rather expensive because I mistook the price of the Montrachet 1936, but it was very good. This morning my usual committee, andLadies' Auxiliary, Londonderry Houseaddressed by TSE on slum clearance;a1 thisDawkins, Lady Bertha;a1 afternoon the meeting of elderly ladies at Londonderry House under the supervision of Lady Bertha Dawkins4 – theWinnington-Ingram, Arthur Foley, Bishop of London;a3 Bishop of London spoke – I spoke – MartinBrowne, Elliott Martinspeaks at Londonderry House with TSE;a4 Browne spoke – Lady Bertha spoke – theSmith, Guy Vernon, Bishop of Willesden;a3 Bishop of Willesden spoke and exhibited a model of a church hall that can be built for £4000 which seems to me expensive – I went back to the office and wrote letters – had my hair cut – dined, napped, and am now writing. AndMorleys, theTSE's June 1934 fortnight with;c5 until the beginning of June shall be equally busy, and then propose to take a fortnight at Lingfield. IMorley, Susannaher first birthday;a5 am going down there this weekend to Susanna’s birthday and to discuss matters with Mrs. Eames. IPerkinses, the;d9 shall write to Dr. and Mrs. Perkins by the end of the week when I suppose they will be arriving; and perhaps they will be able to give me rather fuller news of you than you give me yourself.

TheRock, Thein rehearsal;c7 play is quite finished and in the press after the last stage of revision. Tomorrow afternoon I go at 6 to a rehearsal of the choir who sing the ‘builders’ song; and in the evening to a rehearsal of some part or other at a northern suburb called Bounds’ Green; and on Saturday morning to St. Anne’s Soho to a rehearsal of my bricklayers. (OnHowson, Revd Vincenttakes TSE on East End pub-crawl;a2 Friday I dine with ‘Bert’ – the Revd. Vincent Howson in private life, to have a look round the public houses of an east end parish. Bert was in Sir Frank Benson’s company before he took orders, and is comically the old style actor of the barnstorming type, but I think will make a success of this part). Next week rehearsals at Cockfosters and Edgware, but I can’t remember what suburb is doing what part of the show until I have seen them.

IScripps College, Claremont;d8 am looking forward eagerly to seeing the Perkins’s. Perhaps they will be able to cast some light on where you will be between June 19th (I mean Scripps Commencement) and your sailing ‘sometime in July’. I gather that your experience of Scripps, this year, has been rather more unpleasant than you have let me know of in any letter – but your hints are very dark indeed. At any rate, I am thankful that it is over.

ton dévoué
Tom

1.Barbara Hutchinson was married, on 28 Dec. 1933, to Victor Rothschild (1910–90), who would become a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, 1935–9. In 1937 he succeeded his uncle as 3rd Baron Rothschild.

2.BasilWilley, Basil Willey (1897–1978), Lecturer in English, Cambridge University; King Edward VII Professor of English Literature, 1946–64; works include The Seventeenth Century Background (1934) and The English Moralists (1964).

3.H. D. LeighLeigh, H. D., Fellow and Tutor of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.

4.LadyDawkins, Lady Bertha Bertha Dawkins (1866–1943), widow – who was married to Major Arthur Dawkins, 1903–5 – had been Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Mary, and a confidante.

Belgion, Montgomery, and Alida Monro dine chez Eliot, expensive club dinner with, accompanies TSE to Othello, and Charles Williams dine with TSE, accompanies TSE to Henry IV, Part II, to Garrigou-Lagrange lecture, takes TSE and Saurat to the Ivy, weekend's walking in Sussex with, in Criterion inner-circle, drink with Tom Burns and, accompanies TSE to Cranmer, and Mairet to lunch, accompanies TSE to Witch of Edmonton, arranges dinner for Murder, accompanies TSE to Uncle Vanya, to Measure for Measure, to Richard III, to Volpone, lonely, hosts dinner at Chinese restaurant, reviews Christian Society, on leave in London,

4.MontgomeryBelgion, Montgomery (‘Monty’) Belgion (1892–1973), author and journalist: see Biographical Register.

Browne, Elliott Martin, meets TSE at Chichester, production of The Rock, meets TSE over possible collaboration, talks over outline of play, meets TSE with Martin Shaw, delighted with Rock choruses, discusses unwritten pageant scenes with TSE, predicament as The Rock's director, well connected in amateur circles, revising into the night with TSE, argues with Shaw at dress-rehearsal, presented to Prince Arthur, honoured by Rock cast-supper, producing Gordon Bottomley's play, speaks at Londonderry House with TSE, 1935 Canterbury Murder in the Cathedral, approached by TSE to 'produce', consulted throughout composition, goes silent, lunches with TSE and Speaight, directs and acts despite illness, pursues London Murder revival, 1935–6 Mercury Theatre Murder revival, engaged as producer by Dukes, keen that EH attend rehearsals, simultaneously part of BBC production, agrees about Speaight's decline, preferred as producer for TSE's next play, and Charles Williams's Cranmer, in which he plays 'the Skeleton', and TSE attend Tenebrae, taken to Cambridge after-feast, producing York Nativity Play, which TSE thinks Giottoesque, at Savile Club Murder dinner, producing Shakespeare's Dream, and Ascent of F6, and Tewkesbury Festival Murder confusion, 1939 production of The Family Reunion, due to be sent script, weighing TSE's proposal that he produce, enthused by script, suggests TSE see Mourning Becomes Electra, against Family Reunion as title, pleased with draft, quizzed on fire-safety, typescript prepared for, new draft submitted to, rewrite waits on, receives new draft, criticisms thereof, reports John Gielgud interest, mediates between Gielgud and TSE, TSE throws over Gielgud for, secures Westminster Theatre production, steps into company breach, then into still-greater breach, and the play's weaknesses, direction of Family Reunion, receives TSE's Shakespeare lectures, 1938 American Murder tour, re-rehearsing actors for, suffers fit of pre-tour gloom, yet to report from Boston, and Tewkesbury pageant, accompanies TSE to La Mandragola, on Family Reunion's future prospects, and possible Orson Welles interest, war leaves at loose end, advises TSE over next play, war work with Pilgrim Players, unavailable for modern-dress Murder, compared to tempter/knight successor, requests Pilgrim Players' play from TSE, New Plays by Poets series, as director, and This Way to the Tomb, and Family Reunion revival, urges TSE to concentrate on theatre, 1946 Mercury Family Reunion revival, in rehearsal, possible revue for Mercury Theatre, and The Lady's Not for Burning, Chairman of the Drama League, 1949 Edinburgh Cocktail Party, to produce, TSE's intended first reader for, receives beginning, approves first act, receives TSE's revisions, communciates Alec Guinness's enthusiasm, arranges reading, surpasses himself with production, in Florence, EH suggests moving on from, and the Poets' Theatre Guild, 1950 Cocktail Party New York transfer, compares Rex Harrison and Alec Guinness, TSE debates whether to continue collaboration with, suggests three-play TSE repertory, 1953 Edinburgh Confidential Clerk, receives first two acts, designing sets, 1953 Lyric Theatre Confidential Clerk, attends with TSE, 1954 American Confidential Clerk, 1954 touring Confidential Clerk, TSE and Martin Browne catch in Golders Green, seeks Family Reunion MS from EH,
see also Brownes, the Martin

4.E. MartinBrowne, Elliott Martin Browne (1900–80), English director and producer, was to direct the first production of Murder in the Cathedral: see Biographical Register.

Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, TSE's friends at, honorary fellowship coveted at, TSE's favourite Oxbridge college, TSE twice guest at, and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, awards TSE degree, and the Boutwood Lectures, and Tom Faber,
Coulton, George Gordon, charms TSE, presents him with engraving,

3.GeorgeCoulton, George Gordon Gordon Coulton, FBA (1858–1947), historian of medieval history and religion; controversialist; vehement anti-Catholic. His many publications include Chaucer and His England (1908); Life in the Middle Ages (1910; revised in 4 vols, 1928); Papal Infallibility (1922); In Defence of the Reformation (1931); Five Centuries of Religion (4 vols, 1927–50).

Davies, Hugh Sykes, invites TSE to St. John's feast, takes TSE to rugby match, at Dobrée's farewell lunch,

1.HughDavies, Hugh Sykes Sykes Davies (1909–84), author and critic; Fellow of St John’s College, Cambridge: see Biographical Register

Dawkins, Lady Bertha,

4.LadyDawkins, Lady Bertha Bertha Dawkins (1866–1943), widow – who was married to Major Arthur Dawkins, 1903–5 – had been Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Mary, and a confidante.

Faber and Faber (F&F), TSE's office in, the garrulousness of publishing, refuge from home, in financial straits, future feared for, tranquil Saturday mornings at, TSE disenchanted with, hosts summer garden-party, as part of Bloomsbury, TSE considers 'home', VHE intrusion dreaded at, robbed, increases TSE's workload, TSE's editorial beat at, negotiate over Murder in the Cathedral, pay advance for Murder, VHE's appearances at, and Duff Cooper's Haig, 'blurbs' for, commission new letterhead from Eric Gill, give Ivy lunch for Dukes, TSE as talent-spotter and talent-counsellor, and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, mark TSE's 50th birthday, and the prospect of war, and closing The Criterion, lose Morley to America, on war footing, war ties TSE to, fire-watching duties at, wartime bookbinding issues, advertisements to write for, Picture Post photographs boardroom, offices damaged by V-1, consider moving to Grosvenor Place, lunch at Wednesday board-meetings, Christmas staff party,
Howson, Revd Vincent, revises TSE's cockney dialogue, takes TSE on East End pub-crawl, as Bert, TSE's Stepney sojourn with, hosts TSE in Limehouse, submits novel, lures TSE into speaking engagement,

1.RevdHowson, Revd Vincent Vincent Howson (d. 1957), St James’ Vicarage, Ratcliff, London, was ‘Bert’ in The Rock. Founder and producer of the East End Amateurs, he had been a member of Sir Frank Benson’s Shakespearian Company. His final post was as rector of St Paul’s, Covent Garden.

Hutchinson, Barbara, to lunch with TSE's nieces and Lucia Joyce, her engagement to Victor Rothschild, engagement-party dodged, appears with husband, and Victor Rothschild in Cambridge,
see also Hutchinsons, the, Rothschilds, the
Ladies' Auxiliary, Londonderry House, addressed by TSE on slum clearance,
Leigh, H. D.,

3.H. D. LeighLeigh, H. D., Fellow and Tutor of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.

Marx, Karl, TSE orders early writings of, rubbished by Keynes, late-night discussion of,
Morley, Susanna, TSE delighted to godfather, her baptism, silver mug as christening present, as baby, her first birthday, gives TSE boiled-egg cover, given doll's chest for Christmas, gives TSE blotter for Christmas,
see also Morleys, the
Morleys, the, join the Eliots in Eastbourne, TSE fears overburdening, go on holiday to Norway, more TSE's friend than VHE's, return from Norway, life at Pike's Farm among, reading Dickens aloud to, their Thanksgiving parties, suitable companions to Varsity Cricket Match, and TSE to Laughton's Macbeth, TSE's June 1934 fortnight with, and certain 'bathers' photographs', and TSE play 'GO', attend Richard II with EH, TSE's New Years celebrated with, take TSE to Evelyn Prentice and Laurel & Hardy, TSE's return from Wales with, TSE's September 1935 week with, leave for New York, one of two regular ports-of-call, see EH in Boston, safely returned from New York, TSE reads Dr Johnson to, compared to the Tandys, add to their menagerie, reiterate gratitude for EH's peppermints, in Paris with TSE, give TSE copy of Don Quixote, and Fabers take TSE to pantomime, and TSE's Salzburg expedition, join Dorothy Pound dinner, visit Hamburg, have Labrador puppies, dinner at Much Hadham for, TSE to see them off at Kings Cross, seem unhappy in America, Thanksgiving without, in New Canaan, return to Lingfield, remember TSE's birthday, difficulties of renewing friendship with,
Oxford and Cambridge Club, Richmond puts TSE up for, thus becomes TSE's new club, TSE to oppose motion allowing smoking in library, considered 'home', winningly anti-social, intended 1933 homecoming refuge, fortuitously closing, its indispensability, TSE's London perch, TSE's costly wine-menu mistake, Perkinses and EH entertained at, graced by Old Cheshire Cheese, unfortunately closed, TSE's acting barbers, keeps TSE warm and fed, resort of TSE's free weekends, currently stocking Old Cheshire Cheese, TSE's temporary bathroom, during 1937 Coronation, changing of guard at, under rationing, during the Blitz, TSE again perched at, keeps TSE warm,
Perkinses, the, likely to be interested in An Adventure, compared to Mary Ware, enjoyable dinner at the Ludlow with, take to TSE, TSE desires parental intimacy with, their dinner-guests dismissed by TSE, who repents of seeming ingratitude, TSE confides separation plans to, too polite, questioned as companions for EH, offered English introductions, entertained on arrival in London, seek residence in Chichester, given introduction to G. C. Coulton, take house at Chipping Camden, as Chipping Campden hosts, given introduction to Bishop Bell, TSE entertains at Oxford and Cambridge Club, TSE's private opinion on, TSE encourages EH's independence from, their repressive influence on EH, buy TSE gloves for Christmas, sent Lapsang Souchong on arrival in England, invite TSE to Campden, move apartment, anticipate 1938 English summer, descend on EH in Northampton, and EH's wartime return to America, temporarily homeless, enfeebled, EH forwards TSE teenage letter to, their health, which is a burden, approve EH's permanent Abbot position,
Peterhouse College, Cambridge,
Rock, The, TSE invited to write, outlined to the Martin Brownes, as TSE's theatrical apprenticeship, outlined for EH, TSE's motivation in undertaking, four choruses drafted, from which TSE quotes approvingly, TSE busy on the prose, its political, anti-Blackshirt scene, and its censors, its 'bastard' cockney, 'Rahere' scene sent to EH, its production, difficulties of composition, and Patricia Shaw-Page's 'prologue', awaiting final chorus, on the point of completion, cockney dialogue revised, Lord Chamberlain's Office pronounces on, its anti-fascism, in rehearsal, the dress-rehearsal, opening night and reception, cuts pondered, Tandy on cuts to, approaching finale, reception, two connected supper-parties, its choruses, Cornish schoolgirl recites chorus from, quoted by EH, EH on,
Rothschild, Victor, disapproved of by parents-in-law, TSE's first impressions of, takes in JDH,
see also Rothschilds, the

1.TheRothschild, Victor Hutchinsons’ daughter Barbara was engaged to be married, on 28 Dec. 1933, to Victor Rothschild (1910–90), who would become a Fellow of Trinity College Cambridge, 1935–9. In 1937 he was to succeed his uncle as 3rd Baron Rothschild.

St. John's College, Cambridge, TSE attends feast at,
Scripps College, Claremont, EH headhunted to teach at, but EH declines post, still a possibility, TSE on whether or not to accept post, which EH does, TSE hopes to visit EH at, sounds picturesque, EH expects suite at, EH reassured about feeling 'inadequate', EH arrives at, TSE asks for full report of, grows on EH, EH's all-arts theatrical workshop at, TSE's lecture at, TSE's desire to deliver EH from, TSE's visit to, its suspicious characters, its effect on EH despaired of, year's leave requested from, EH considers returning to, encouraged by TSE to return, despite TSE forswearing, refuses EH's return, EH on not returning, under Jaqua, EH's existence at, EH's extra-curricular work at, preferred to Smith, bequeathed EH's TSE book collection, compared to Concord Academy,
Smith, Guy Vernon, Bishop of Willesden, and TSE's three-bishop lunch,

1.GuySmith, Guy Vernon, Bishop of Willesden Vernon Smith (1880–1957), Bishop of Willesden, 1929–40: Vice-Chairman of the Forty-Five Churches Fund, Diocese of London.

Willey, Basil,

2.BasilWilley, Basil Willey (1897–1978), Lecturer in English, Cambridge University; King Edward VII Professor of English Literature, 1946–64; works include The Seventeenth Century Background (1934) and The English Moralists (1964).

Winnington-Ingram, Arthur Foley, Bishop of London, a dreaded censor, but passes The Rock,