[No surviving envelope]

T. S.Eliot
EmilyHale
TS
Faber & Faber Ltd
6 November 1934
Dear Lady

InMcPherrin, Jeanette;b2 the excitement of the moment I forgot to give you the enclosed letter, relating to Miss McPherrin’s finances. You may transmit it to her in whole or in part, just as you think fit. YouAylward, James de VineTSE on;a1 will gather that my correspondent is an eccentric – up to the War he made a living by painting portraits of people’s favourite horses, and then went into Lloyds Bank – he is the head of the Information Bureau of the Foreign Department – my successor in that office – but in my opinion nosier and more knowing than most of those higher up.1 His views, however, are not very conclusive. MyBritish General Election1936and the value of sterling;a1EnglandBritish General Election own opinion is that sterling is going to hold good until the General Election of 1936, when there may be a crash; but, as you will gather from this letter, a break anywhere may be followed by a break anywhere else. I wish I knew what Miss McPherrin’s money was in to begin with.

IncidentallyCaetani, Marguerite (née Chapin)saga of unsettled debts;a8, I hope that Marguerite has already made her acquaintance, because I have GOT to write a very unpleasant letter to that lady shortly.

My room is filled with an unusual fragrance. I look forward to Thursday. OnHayward, Johnmeets EH over tea;b7 Friday I shall call for you, as John lives only around the corner. And remember for Sunday, not evening dress.

Tom

1.JamesAylward, James de Vine de Vine Aylward (1870–1966) had been a colleague at Lloyds Bank; author of The Small-Sword in England: Its History, its Forms, Its Makers, and its Masters (1946); The House of Angelo: A dynasty of swordsmen, with special reference to Domenica Angelo and his son Henry (1953). TSEAylward, James de VineTSE on;a1 to Hayward, 29 Nov. 1939: ‘J. de V., up to August 1914, was a fairly successful portrait painter of horses, though of course not in the runnings with Munnings … [He] became my second in the Foreign Intelligence Bureau, because he was the only man in the Colonial and Foreign Department who could read French and German except myself.’

Aylward, James de Vine, TSE on, TSE on Order of Merit to, retires to Cheshire,

1.JamesAylward, James de Vine de Vine Aylward (1870–1966) had been a colleague at Lloyds Bank; author of The Small-Sword in England: Its History, its Forms, Its Makers, and its Masters (1946); The House of Angelo: A dynasty of swordsmen, with special reference to Domenica Angelo and his son Henry (1953). TSEAylward, James de VineTSE on;a1 to Hayward, 29 Nov. 1939: ‘J. de V., up to August 1914, was a fairly successful portrait painter of horses, though of course not in the runnings with Munnings … [He] became my second in the Foreign Intelligence Bureau, because he was the only man in the Colonial and Foreign Department who could read French and German except myself.’

British General Election, 1931, 1936, and the value of sterling, 1945, its political terrain, TSE fears Labour Party's agenda, but welcomes change of government, 1951,
Caetani, Marguerite (née Chapin), described for EH, potential guardian for VHE, and TSE's 1933 Paris trip, saga of unsettled debts, pedigree, and EH's trip to Rome, lacks definite nationality, and TSE's abortive Italian mission,

4.MargueriteCaetani, Marguerite (née Chapin) Caetani, née Chapin (1880–1963) – Princesse di Bassiano – literary patron and editor: see Biographical Register. LéliaCaetani, Lélia Caetani (1913–77), sole daughter, was to marry Hubert Howard (1908–87), a scion of the English Catholic House of Howard, who worked to preserve the Caetani heritage at Rome and at the castle of Sermoneta.

Hayward, John, in TSE's thumbnail description, his condition and character, what TSE represents to, VHE complains about TSE to, TSE's new chess-playing neighbour, meets EH over tea, hosts TSE, GCF and de la Mare, on EH, on EH (to TSE), gives TSE cigars for Christmas, calls EH TSE's 'sister', and the Dobrées on Boxing Day, and TSE play a prank on guests, backstage at The Times, taken for walk, on Jenny de Margerie, Empson, TSE and Sansoms call on, evening with Spender, Jennings and, exchanges Christmas presents with TSE, exchanges rare books with TSE, sends luxuries to convalescent TSE, TSE's only regular acquaintance, dines with TSE and Camerons, lent Williams's Cranmer, accompanied to the Fabers' party, hosts discussion about Parisian Murder, inspects French translation of Murder, and TSE's Old Buffers' Dinner, gives TSE bath-mitts, given wine for Christmas, one of TSE's dependents, at Savile Club Murder dinner, Empson takes TSE on to see, possible housemate, in second line of play-readers, walked round Earl's Court, and Bradfield Greek play, and TSE drive to Tandys, and TSE give another party, corrects TSE's Anabase translation, watches television with TSE, Christmas Day with, introduced to Djuna Barnes, meets Christina Morley, walk round Brompton Cemetery with, Hyde Park excursion with, moving house, at his birthday-party, honoured at F&F, displaced to the Rothschilds, where TSE visits him, among TSE's closest friends, his conversation missed, the prospect of Christmas without, excursions to Cambridge to visit, 'my best critic', gives TSE American toilet-paper, helps TSE finish Little Gidding, possible post-war housemate, protector of TSE's literary remains, foreseeably at Merton Hall, discusses plays with TSE, flat-hunting with, and Carlyle Mansions, his furniture, installed at Carlyle Mansions, further handicapped without telephone, undermines TSE's aura of poetic facility, irritates except in small doses, helps with adjustment of TSE's OM medal, at the Brighton Cocktail Party, hounded by Time, quid pro quo with TSE, arranges first-night party for Cocktail Party, arranges Confidential Clerk cast dinner, and TSE's Selected Prose, and TSE entertained by Yehudi Menuhin,

11.JohnHayward, John Davy Hayward (1905–65), editor and critic: see Biographical Register.

McPherrin, Jeanette, first mentioned, mentions 'shriners', TSE approves of, to accompany EH to Paris, and her first London visit, thanks TSE for Caetani introduction, TSE offers to rearrange studies at Cambridge, under I. A. Richards, encouraged to join EH in Rome, causes EH difficulty, joins EH in Florence, with EH in Rome, offered rare editions of Commerce, given introduction to the Maritains, whom she visits, shares TSE's Perkins concerns, sent stuffed plums, not to be mentioned at Campden, compared favourably to Margaret Thorp, disliked by Edith Perkins, EH job-seeking for, TSE confides EH's breakdown to, accompanied TSE and EH to Burford, taken to the Elsmiths, still persona non grata with the Perkinses, promised and receives East Coker, a Christian Scientist, recalls TSE's final day with Henry, hosts EH at Wellesley, now Lecturer in French at Wellesley, missed by EH, asks TSE to read at Wellesley,

2.JeanetteMcPherrin, Jeanette McPherrin (1911–92), postgraduate student at Scripps College; friend of EH: see Biographical Register.