The Letters of T. S. Eliot, Volume 1: 1898-1922 (123 page)

1–Proust was wary of responding to a request from TSE that was associated with SS’s solicitations: ‘this Eliot question is all mixed up with the more delicate Schiff question’, wrote Proust (cited in Davenport-Hines,
A Night at the Majestic,
  269). A devout admirer, SS had begun translating Proust in 1919 and was proposing himself to the author as the only suitable translator. In the event, Proust’s ‘The Death of Albertine’ came out in C. 2: 8 (July 1924, 376–94), in the translation by C. K. Scott Moncrieff; this was an extract from the penultimate book,
La Fugitive
or Second Part of
Sodome et Gomorrhe
, published as
The Captive
(1927). After Scott Moncrieff’s death in 1930, the translation was completed by SS with
Time Regained
(1931). 

TS
Princeton

13 July 1922

9 Clarence Gate Gdns

Dear Woolf,

Thank you for your letter of the 8th, and for the trouble you have taken.

I shall still hope that Koteliansky will agree to our publishing ‘Plan’, but otherwise I should like to publish ‘Confession’, if it can be arranged so that the first half of it appeared in the review before the other version appears in book form. The review will appear either the 1st or the 15th of October. Is there any possibility that you might not publish the book before the middle of that month? If Koteliansky remains obdurate about the ‘Plan’ will you let me have ‘Confession’ again in order that I may make up the number?

Yours always,
T. S. Eliot

MS
Texas

Saturday morning [15? July 1922]

9 Clarence Gate Gdns

Dear Richard Aldington,

Tom always leaves his letters behind for me to read, and this morning among others I have just read yours.
¹
It is not easy for me to write to you in this way but I feel for once I must come out of my obscurity and say something. I think your letter is unkind, and not friendly. It is exactly the letter to upset Tom, and to harden his pride, and to help to precipitate the disasters we all foresee and which you cheerfully say he is asking for.

At this moment I know he
cannot stand
a letter like this from anyone he actually
did
look upon as his friend. You might have said nearly all you did say, but in such a different tone, if you were really the friend I have thought you were to Tom. It looks to me as though you are definitely angry and resentful against him for some reason, and are taking it out of him all round. Quarrel with me if you like, and send me any kind of letter, or no letter at all – to show your scorn for my interference.

The article in the [July]
Dial
that you speak of was written just before Tom went to Lugano. He was in a state of collapse – so
ill
– he
asked me what he should say
. And I told him what to say, and he just wrote it down,
anything
, not caring, for he felt too ill and in despair. So the article is more mine than his. I would be glad if everyone knew that.

And as for the title – the
Criterion
, I am responsible for that too. It would be nice if you had offered some good suggestion for the title yourself in time. Perhaps you do not know how many were tried and discarded, and how much worry and bother even the stupid naming of the Review caused us. Anyhow, I thought of the Criterion out of my own head simply because I liked the word, and I gave no thought to the meaning. Lady Rothermere liked it too, and Tom, too tired –
too tired
to bother very greatly once an apparently harmless title had been found, which pleased Lady Rothermere, agreed, and was glad to get the matter settled.

I don’t suppose he thought of it the way you have put it, because he has
so
many other things to think
of. Now, after your letter, I feel the title must once more be changed, although the notices are now being printed, and the letter paper. And Lady R. will be annoyed. I don’t see what to do. – Tom won’t care, he will say let the wolves get him. You little understand his state of mind.

I am English, and once I liked England – once I fought like mad to keep Tom here and stopped his going back to America. I thought I could not marry him unless I was able to keep him here, in England. Now I hate it. I hate the word. I hate the people whom you explain so well and so truly. I think Ezra is lucky and wise to have got out. And it is an everlasting stain on the English that he did get out. I hope Tom will soon get out. Tom will never know I have sent this letter unless you tell him. You know I am ill and an endless drag on him.

I know you have been very good, and a friend to Tom. I have, I must say, always thought of you as his real friend. But the test is now, when Tom is apparently doing, or has done, something you do not like.

He does stand or fall by this review. Can’t you understand it? Each person who gives him a push now gives him a push out of England. And that will be damned England’s loss.

Vivien Eliot

1–Not found, but TSE addresses RA’s complaints in his letter to EP, 19 July 1922.

TS
Texas

17 July 1922

9 Clarence Gate Gdns

Dear Richard,

I am surprised at your letter. My criticism of your article for the
Criterion
was extremely mild compared to criticism you have often made of what I have written. I did not intend you to imagine that I was unwilling to print your article and I think you have taken a very exaggerated
view
tone about the whole matter. It is odd that the first time I have ever offered anything but praise of your work it should cause you such great offense, considering the many times you have objected to writings of mine.

I want to print your article (of course) and as you have promised me that I shall have it for the first number I shall take it that I may print the article before it appears elsewhere, unless I hear from you by return of post (as I am making up the paper now).

Yours always,
Tom.

MS
Lilly

Monday [17 July 1922]

9 Clarence Gate Gdns

Dear Dorothy,

I have just come back from Bosham. Will you have tea with me on Wednesday at the Carlton at 5.30? That is the easiest place for me to get to from the bank. I hope you can.

Yours always,
T.S.E. 

TS
Texas

18 July 1922

9 Clarence Gate Gdns

My dear Flint,

Thank you very much for your letter and for your good wishes. I am delighted to have your consent and am sending you tomorrow the two manuscripts by registered post. Gómez wrote that this manuscript was the only one in existence and implored me to take good care of it and return it to him when the translation was made. I have had no time to read it, especially as I am not enough of a Spanish scholar to read very hurried writing with ease, but whether it is worth his solicitude or not, it is, he says, the only copy.

I am very sorry that the rates are so low at present, and I can only say that the first endeavour of the review will be to increase its rates and to show more respect to the art of translation which is so painfully
underrated
in this country.

I am sorry that you did not take the last remarks in my letter as they were intended. I really should very much like to have a contribution from you, and should have asked for it in any case at this moment.

Will you bear this in mind and at least propose a subject if you have nothing more tangible at present?

Yours sincerely, 
T. S. Eliot

TS
Texas

18 July 1922

9 Clarence Gate Gdns

My dear Ottoline,

I should have written to you before, but as you know I am head over heels in work, and we have also started occupation of the little cottage where I spend my weekends. I am dreadfully sorry to hear that you have had to put yourself into the hands of the specialists again and I do hope that the consultation has not shown the necessity for an operation. You know I have a great antipathy to operations and I hope, if you have not already had an operation in consequence of this examination, that you will not do so. Please write soon and tell me what has happened. I have so little time for seeing people now that I shall not know about it until you write.

We hope that the cottage [at Bosham, near Chichester] will be a success. It is certainly attractive although the conditions are primitive. Vivien has already benefited a great deal in some ways, but at the same time the cure is so drastic that it makes her feel extremely ill and indeed causes her a great deal of pain. In two or three weeks I hope we shall know definitely how sound the treatment is.

Yours ever affectionately,
Tom

TS
Victoria

18 July 1922

9 Clarence Gate Gdns

My dear Read,

I estimate that you ought to be back in London by this time, although I have not heard from you, and I hope that your travels in Italy have been in every way successful.

I am writing now to tell you definitely that I am undertaking for Lady Rothermere the entire choice of contributors for a quarterly review, of which the first number will appear in October. The review will differ from
Art & Letters
in that it will not be illustrated and that it will contain a much smaller proportion of verse and fiction. There will also be room for longer articles than was possible in
Ar & Letters
, although I am at present more in need of shorter ones from 1500 to 2500 words. It will be mainly critical and reflective.

Although I will not publish regular or complete reviewing, it is always open to chosen contributors to use any new book or books as a foundation for an article as in the quarterly review of a hundred years ago.

I have been particularly anxious since it has been settled finally that the review is to appear, to obtain something from you for an early number. Do not disappoint me. Let me know what you are writing or wish to write about and let us arrange to meet and discuss these matters, as soon as I know that you are back in London.

Yours sincerely,
T. S. Eliot

TS
Beinecke

18 July 1922

9 Clarence Gate Gdns

Dear Cobden-Sanderson,

Thank you very much for your letter of the 17th inst. I hope to be able to place the list in your hands within a few days, and I think it would certainly be worth while to send a circular to most of the people on your list. There are also three or four people to whom I want to send ten or a dozen copies each for distribution.

I quite agree with you that it is better to have the envelopes plain and I agree with your previous suggestion that they should be of a rather large size.

Yours sincerely,
T. S. Eliot

Will you add the name Ernst Robert Curtius in alphabetical order to the list in the circular. He is one of the best Germans.

TS
Princeton

18 July 1922

9 Clarence Gate Gdns

Dear Woolf,

Thank you very much for your efforts and their success. You know that I shall be delighted to publish ‘Plan’ and that it will be most valuable to the Review.

The only question is how early in October you must bring out your book. If you will let me know definitely I can prepare to bring out the review slightly in advance. I should certainly put in a note to say that you
were publishing it together with the unpublished Chapter. I shall take this contribution as definitely settled, and please remember that any other parts of books or shorter pieces will always be most welcome.

Is this Plan done by you or by Virginia?

Yours,
T. S. Eliot

MS
Texas

Tuesday [18 July 1922]

9 Clarence Gate Gdns

My dear Mary

I came back here yesterday and as the dentist can’t see me this week, I find, I am going back tomorrow and so I cannot have lunch with you, for I want to get the 1.40. I am very very sorry not to see you for so long. I want to see you – badly. I would have stayed here till Thursday in order to see you but I do feel I ought to go back and start there properly, without delaying any more, especially as I shall probably have to come up again next week.

The weekend was rather ghastly as we had no woman, but I have
engaged
two
! – one in the mornings and one for the evenings. It is quite a nice cottage, but inconceivably tiny.

If only if
only
I could find an unfurnished cottage there and put my furniture in [it], how happy I should be! Bosham seemed so lovely. Even although Tom may be leaving the Bank at Xmas and us going to live in Paris, it would be worthwhile – for there is no country I like better than English country. Don’t you think it is the best? But should quite cheerfully exchange Paris for London, I think.

Write to me!

My love
VE