-2-

8/2/48

very well in his apartment because of the high temperatures. That means he has little energy for the day work.

Enclosed is a clipping from a sheet you will recognize. The style sounds very much like Till, it even has an eulenspiegel quality.

Please make our greetings to the Gray family. We hope that their arrangements for migrating to Chicago are proving relatively painless. And we regret that they will not be nearer to Connecticut.

Please also make our greetings to Grace Case if you see her. The only time we have been in Greensboro is many years back when we spent a day with the Cases.

I shall look forward to seeing you in September, especially at the Institute.

s
Enc.

THOMAS W. COPELAND

1554 TIMOTHY DWIGHT COLLEGE
NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT

August 6, 1948.

Dear Jim:

Thanks for your letter. It's taken me quite a time to get to the bottom of this business, chiefly because Wheelwright was not in Hanover, but the Dartmouth office thought he was; I kept trying to reach him by phone. I finally wired Norman at the Huntington yesterday, and find by his reply that the program is filled without me (a man named Seidler is the fourth). This disappoints me a little because I had finally warmed up some things I wanted to say. I didn't one, unless it's myself, for the disappointment; when I accepted I did so with great, obvious reluctance, saying that if the committee could get speakers who were really at home in the fields of myth and Shakespeare I would be ready to bow out at any time. I think I should have been informed at once whenever Seidler was found, and I don't know yet whether the committee was neglectful in that matter. My investment of time in working up the topic was negligible. I read and thoroughly enjoyed the Last Plays, and also a good deal of Wilson Knight. I had organized my thoughts for the essay but written nothing at the time I got your letter.

This has been an ideal vacation. I spent two days with the Rostows on the way up, then a week with an old friend and employer of mine here, Colonel Bayne; I am now just finishing up a week at the Grays'.

We've had lots of tennis, swimming, horseback riding, social life. Vermont is a tonic to the spirit, as you know. Burke doesn't know how much good this is doing him.

I expect to start for New Haven on Sunday, therefore be back in harness Monday morning, with nearly six weeks to lavish on Burke before the fall term gets started. I wish you were going to be lunching with Ray and me during that time. We'll get together soon, though - at least as early as the Institute meetings.

I'm seriously considering dropping in on another kind of Institute. One of my classmates is obsessed with General Semantics and wants me to visit a kind of Korzybski "Seminar-Workshop" and summer camp in the middle of August. As I expect to give Semantics a place in my course in Modern Criticism next year, I have about decided to go for a long weekend. Tell Mary Louise I hope to be more articulate - also more informed - on Semantics when we discuss it again.

Till we meet again, "live pleasant." Greetings to Mary Louise and the boys. Thank you very much for your helpful letter.

Yours,

Thomas Copeland, Esq.

5/21/49

it came like a bombshell. The action was entirely due to President Seymour, since the committee at the College had other ideas very distinctly. We can talk about it when we meet in England. But it has had the effect of an atomic bomb in the English Department, and John Hershey could make a sequel to his Hiroshima story if he cared to do so.

Rene is fine, and said he is going to write you. He took the address. A few days ago he was on a "Great Books" panel, which he seemed to enjoy thoroughly. Evidently Paul Weiss "got all the laughs" and it was a bit of fun for everyone concerned.

Marie-Louise is fine, except for a stiff arm from a typhoid shot. I still have everything to come, except for smallpox. We are looking forward very much to hearing from you again, and to seeing you in England. Our Oxford address will be Barclay's Bank, High Street. And our English address in general will be c/o Guaranty Trust Company, Bush House, W.C. 2. But probably we can give a better address than that before long.

s

June 16, 1949

Professor Thomas Copeland
Rutland Hotel
Sheffield
Yorkshire, England

Dear Tom,

This will be "just a line" to answer your note which began with the
same words.

We are delighted to hear of all of the good news. You seem to be having
a grand time and accomplishing a lot. I am especially happy to hear
that you received so much help from Chapman, and eager to have you tell
me about it.

A week from today we shall be setting out. I wonder if you received my
long letter with all the details? It was sent to you at Iffley. The
question occurs because none of them seem to be mentioned in your letter.
Not that they were important, but I wanted to indicate that I had already
written you.

To recapitulate, we have rented a house at Kingston Bagpuize which is ten
miles southwest of Oxford. The house belongs to some people named
Jennings and the address is "Wayside", Southmoor, Berkshire. Or, I can
be reached at Barclay's Bank, High Street, Oxford.

We expect to reach the house on the twenty fifth of June. So if you are
going to be in Iffley about that time, we must be sure to get together.
I hope to hear from you soon after our arrival.

Everything here seems to be going about the same as usual. I shall try
to remember the latest gossip for us to consume with muffins and tea.

We look forward to some happy times with you in England. Marie-Louise
joins in sending fond greetings.

8

Bob Smith is due next Friday, after which we'll have a factory running to compete with the most unregulated of the Sheffield sweatshops. I suppose the rest of them aren't unregulated any more, what with the present government. We'll be the old system at its worst in the very midst of the socialist paradise. Well, it's dawg eat dawg. American academic capitalism. Export or die.

We haven't fully surveyed the situation yet, and when we have done so I may decide that there is a chance of my getting south before the first of the month. Now I rather doubt it. I hope you and the family go on having as good a time as you seemed to be having last week. If I don't see you before the 29th, I hope I shall at English Institute. Love to Marie Louise.

Yours,
Tom

September 24, 1949

Professor Thomas Copeland
Department of English
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Dear Tom,

The other day I forgot to mention to you a couple of Burke
items. Perhaps you have them already, but at any rate I am en-
closing one page from a book catalogue.

The other item concerns some Burke letters in the British Museum.
They are written to Miss Katherine Pelham on the trial of
Viscount Kepple, and their number is additional manuscripts
45880E. Since they were acquired just a few years ago, it oc-
curred to me that you might not have come across them.

It was a great pleasure seeing you for even the brief minutes on
Wednesday. Be sure to let me hear from you after you have had a
chance to get settled, and to form some definite impressions of
your new situation.

When you encounter Ronald Ccrane, please make my tender greetings
to him and tell him he may expect a letter from me sometime.
Also make my compliments to the Grays.

s.
Enc.

THE QUADRANGLE CLUB
CHICAGO

October 13, 1949

Dear Jim,

Thanks heartily for your letter with the Burke references. I sent the references on to Bob Smith at once - who is doing our booksellers' catalogues along with Walpole's, Boswell's, etc., in the British Museum. I would have answered the letter far sooner if I hadn't had an impractical intention of giving you my first grand summary of the situation in it. I couldn't (a) get enough free time for any such ambitious project, (b) get clear enough in my own mind as to what the situation is. Now I'm resigning the intention and just writing anyway, without either time or clarity.

In the matter of housing I think I've been very lucky. The Quadrangle Club takes good care of its customers, mostly much older and more plutocratic folk than I. I doubt if I would have got into it if there hadn't been an under-sized room just a little too unpretentious for their usual trade which happened to suit me perfectly. I'm settled in it now. I moved over a few of my own things last weekend (the rug still smells of mothballs from an exceptionally well protected summer). I may stay here till next June, though I might not if I found the right opening in a new University-sponsored apartment that is going up. This location is unsurpassable for my needs.

It's too early to make comments on the classes. To an Old Dawg trying to learn the Chicago tricks they do seem undisciplined. I may see later

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that they're only in another discipline based on
different assumptions. They're full of good will,
like most kids of their age, but their good will
hasn't been channeled into quite the courses we
Old Line teachers expect. I look forward to classes,
because I find them adventurous, but I would like to
burn Mr. Hutchins's ears with a few questions that
keep returning to me.

I've talked with Ronald Crane and
remembered you to him. He's as approachable and
discussible as ever, never unwilling to begin talk
nor in haste to leave off. I'm better acquainted
on the College staff than on the Department, but
am getting to know a few people in the Department too.
I've talked with Professor Wilt, with Crane, am going
to meet E. K. Brown (whom I don't yet know by sight)
and various others on Sunday.

What's news on the Rialto? I had a letter
from L. F. Powell two days ago - not very highly
charged with news. In response to a letter of
Chapman of somewhat longer ago I've sent him back
his perpetual calendar. I've heard nothing from the
Times Literary Supplement in relation to my little
essay. I suppose that may be a sinister sign. Bob
Smith says he can have access to some letter books
of Richard Champion now in North Wales, which may
have as many as a couple hundred copies of to-and-
from-Burke letters.

I told you I believe of a first and
thoroughly satisfactory talk with Mervin Loos. I
wasn't so lucky on a second attempt, which was
undertaken chiefly for the purpose of introducing

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CHICAGO

Milton Smith to him. Partly through our fault, partly through his, we never got together that time. It's hardly fatal, though disappointing to Milton.

Did you know that Chicago had a Boswell Club? So far I've met only one of the members (who was at the Johnson dinner at the Grolier). I'm going to talk at the monthly meeting, though, which is this coming Wednesday. Edmund Burke is almost certain to be mentioned. I'm going to read them three new Boswell letters and talk about the work of the summer.

I met Mr. Couch of the Chicago Press last night and am to have lunch with him on Monday. He is an enthusiast for Burke, as came out in his conversation. Whether there is any money under his control which is as enthusiastic as he, is naturally a question. I remember your cautious comments on the enthusiasm of Presses, which should never be dissociated from finances.

How is Spence responding to attention? Is he ductile and malleable (fine old combination from High-School physics)? Some authors, of whom Burke comes to mind, make a Hell of a resistance to that old Shaping Spirit of Imagination.

Remember me to René. He kindly sent me one of his offprints with note "please write." Tell him I read both the offprint and the message with pleasure. I'll respond to both. OUR EMINENT is now only 40 days from release.

I can't remember whether you told me you went to SUMMER AND SMOKE by Tennessee Williams. I

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CHICAGO

went to it with the Phil Grays a couple weeks
ago. An odd piece to call itself a play, because
I don't think he ever decided whether he was dealing
with people or abstractions. I enjoyed it quite
a little, partly because it was well acted, partly
because Williams is one of the few modern writers
who gets to me and I can enjoy anything of his -
as you always can. when you've decided you like an
author. Still, it's a dramatist's sketch-pad,
not his completed work.

Will you give my love to Mary Louise?
I'll write again before very long. Write yourself
when you can. Be sure to let me know when you see
a chance of swinging out this way.

Yours,
Tom

October 19, 1949

Professor Thomas Copeland
The Quadrangle Club
1155 East Fifty Seventh Street
Chicago 57, Illinois

Dear Tom,

Your newsy letter was very welcome. Naturally, we are all gratified that you are enjoying your new environment so much. We shall look forward to hearing more about it, as you become farther aware of the traits of the fauna and flora in your new home.

In particular, your remarks about the students are very interesting. Is the lack of discipline entirely mental? And is it something that can be blamed on Chicago, or on their high school training? Probably you had enough Western boys at Yale so that you can compare them easily.

The article you sent to the TLS has now appeared, and I enjoyed reading it thoroughly. It is very well written, with a sense of humor winking out between the lines. Everyone wonders why you didn't have it appear as a signed article? We know you are modest, but question whether you should be. The TLS ought to pay you for it, since it very definitely does not appear as an epistle. Be sure to let me know what you hear from them, if anything.

Incidentally, I have acquired one new Burke letter, and possibly two. The one about which I am uncertain is one that appeared in the last catalogue issued by Robinson, item #60. It is to William Elliot, and is dated 21 June 1795. According to the catalogue it extends to four pages quarto with an addressed wrapper.

The reason that I say I don't know about it is that I have ordered it largely as a springboard to a relationship with Robinson. This catalogue announces that he has acquired the remainder of the Phillipps collection. There are undoubtedly all kinds of riches in this collection that have disappeared from sight for a hundred years. In writing him to establish a connection, and to tell him some things I am particularly looking for, it seemed tactful to order something from the catalogue, and this Burke letter seemed one of the few things that was worth the price.

The other letter I have not yet received, though a letter from Quaritch tells me it is being sent. It is included among a number of papers of Sir George Macartney and is item #232 from catalogue #668. These are a group of papers concerning his embassy to Russia, which sound very intriguing, especially the report on the manners and customs of the Russians of that age. There are also several letters of Richard Burke. Do you want a note on their dates when I receive them?

Work on Spence's *Anecdotes* advances every day. A lot of the collating is somewhat tedious, but I enjoy this type of work a great deal. It is going to extend my education over a wide range once I have done the explanatory notes, since they cover practically every subject from China to Peru. But they have never been annotated before, and in some ways this will be the most valuable feature of my edition.

THE QUADRANGLE CLUB
CHICAGO

October 29, 1949

Dear Jim,

Thanks for your splendid long letter of last week. You were right in guessing that it would almost frighten me out of a reply, for I'm sure I can't equal your fulness. I won't try it. This is a note.

You were kind in your comments on the TLS article. I confess I hadn't worried a bit about its not being signed. That was their decision, though. I was so pleased that they printed it in full and in a good spot that I was rather ignoring the refinements. They haven't sent me any checks yet, unless one was mailed to my sister's address (now deserted by her) and not forwarded. Frankly, the amount of money they would be likely to pay isn't much of a consideration. I'm glad you found a spark or so of humor in it. The opening part almost had to be matter-of-fact and dull, to get over the many complications of the history. I haven't counted words, but with all the compressing I could do I'm sure I was well over the 1200 words which was my supposed limit.

The speech to the Boswell Club (my other recent utterance) went off about as it should have. The group, as you shrewdly guess, is basically a bunch of convivial business men for whom literary culture is an also. They're infinitely friendly, listened with every show of interest for about forty minutes, asked some questions, made quite an occasion of it. They asked me to come to the

THE QUADRANGLE CLUB
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future meetings, which I shall certainly do if I can afford $5 a plate. One of them even thought I might like to join the Union League Club and offered to get me the University rate; but there is a limit to my worldliness. They were an interesting crowd to see, though not chiefly for scholarly reasons. One Yale man, who introduced me, was a former candidate for Mayor of Chicago - a beautiful specimen of an attractive Irish politician. The most scholarly *looking* man, another old Yale, was a Mr. McCormick, not Bertie but a cousin of his who owns the McCormick Building. One of the speakers was Kelsey Guilfoil, the Tribune's reviewer of books. The Union League Club's librarian was there and assured me that he would buy two copies of *Our Eminent Friend* for the Club's use. In all there were about thirty men present.

Delighted to hear of your new Burke letters. The Macartney stuff sounds good - has even a kind of timeliness. Sooner or later I'll ask you for the Will Burke references, but please don't bother now; I'll get them either at Christmas or at the beginning of next summer. William Elliot is one of Burke's better correspondents - became as you know one of his Devoted Young Men and ultimately a literary executor.

I've had Bob Smith's report on the visit to North Wales. He got thirty or forty new letters, which is not contemptible, and nailed down a few that we had only as references. Still, it's a little disappointing; if it had been a good set of letter-books the finds might have run into hundreds. He tells me that he is a bit concerned, as he works in book catalogues, to find how many

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Burke letters are still at large. I don't know
what can be done about it. When the list comes
out and (let's presume) stimulates interest in
Burke letters, I bet scores will turn up here
and there that we can't now locate. If it were
only <u>ars</u> that's so <u>longa</u>! I still think we must
get the thing out while its attention value is
still high.

The arrangement of Spence you describe
sounds fine. Thank heavens you pay attention to
the reader who will read for interest. Beginning
"almost like an autobiography of Pope" is exactly
what we need. I'm sure that both the notes and
the index will be of value, but there's been a
tendency lately to neglect the book itself.

Why is René described as being "much
better"? I hadn't heard of his being disabled.
Most sorry to hear it now. Please give him my
best. Assure him that I will write him before
long, meantime thank him heartily for the last
offprint.

Last time I wrote I had just seen a
performance of <u>Summer and Smoke</u>. Last Friday I
saw a much better organized but still a less
interesting play, <u>Death of a Salesman</u>. I know
you will have seen that. How did you like it?
I don't doubt that the New York production rescued
it from various flatnesses in the production I saw,
but I'm pretty sure the flatnesses are really there,
however well a good cast might cover them. I
think Miller has a good clean-cut skeleton of a
tragedy but hasn't the imagination he would really
need to fill it out. I give him B-plus, 88.
Tennessee Williams is a high A on the same scale.

THE QUADRANGLE CLUB
CHICAGO

Do you know that when I first read your
letter I entirely missed the little "(over)" on
the second page? The postscript is the best of
the letter. I hope your possibility comes through.
Let me know when it is a certainty. I look forward
to seeing you.

As always,

Tom

November 21, 1949

Professor Thomas W. Copeland
The Quadrangle Club
1155 East Fifty Seventh Street
Chicago 37, Illinois

Dear Tom,

I have just heard from Kenilworth, and learn that it would be entirely
convenient to have the Cranes and you there on Saturday afternoon. This
assumes that either or both of you are free on that day. In any case, I
thought I would let you know.

On our arrival in Chicago I shall telephone the Cranes, and find out
whether they have heard from you, and what the likelihood may be of our
having this reunion. So let us hope it is a free date on your calendar.

Last night when I arrived home at one thirty A.M. after spending several
days in the Ithaca area of New York, and celebrating my twentieth wedding
anniversary at dinner in New York City, I was delighted to find a copy of
your book on *Our Eminent Friend*. It is a very handsome volume, and I am
much indebted to you for it, not to mention your kind inclusion of me
among your "encouragers" in the preface. I haven't tried to read any of
it, though I am looking forward to the opportunity. The volume is very
handsome, and the inclusion of the three portraits makes a great differ-
ence. The whole thing has the characteristics of a quality volume, and I
am sure will be very much to your credit.

Since I hope to see you on Saturday, I shall not try to include other
news here, except to say I had lunch with Rene today, and he sent his
greeting to you. He seems to be fine, and I shall enjoy telling you
about the contract and fine advance he is receiving from the Oxford Press
for his projected *History of Modern Literary Criticism*, in two volumes.
Also, I have a bit of news about the Index Society.

It will be great fun to see you, and if we can't arrange it on Saturday,
I shall try to talk to you on the telephone, at least.

Yours ever,

James M. Osborn

THE QUADRANGLE CLUB
CHICAGO

March 19, 1950

Dear Jim,

I heard from Ronald Crane last week
that you passed through Chicagoland at least on
your way back from the Huntington. I assume you're
in New Haven by now, recovered from as well as
refreshed by the Western Swing.

I can't remember whether you ever told
me you had been out there before. I've never seen
the place. Is there a happy-band-of-scholars such
as is sometimes described for us? My experience has
been, small communities composed of scholars and nothing
but scholars are likely to be happy. A fortiori
likely to be comfortable. I'm sure you had tea
occasionally, cocktails regularly, dinners, "evenings,"
a great interchange of the news of scholarship.
Who's out there now? To tell the truth, I didn't
even know that you were there till I saw it in Jim
Clifford's Letter. Were you there several weeks?
It's ten weeks since we sat drinking your wine so
happily at the Sherburn dinner.

I got off to Boston in good time that night
and discharged the Burke paper next day. We had a
fair audience, for the afternoon of the third day of a
convention: about 100, or roughly twice what I had
expected. Professor Hoffman thinks he can get the
American Philosophical Society to print both our
papers; if they do, you stand in peril of an offprint.
The American Philosophical Society has shown a faint
whisper of interest in supplying money for Burke
publication. The Chicago Press has shown great interest,
but of course they can't move a step without an angel.

THE QUADRANGLE CLUB
CHICAGO

I am not as worried as I suppose I should be
that no patrons are standing in line just yet. I
think it will be better if the project is a little
neater about the edges before the unspecialized
layman is asked to look it over carefully. It's
getting better looking all the time, but a century
and a half of neglect can't help getting things
into an Augean state of disorder.

The summer is going to be consecrated
to Burke, of course. I'll be in and around New
Haven most of the time, but otherwise it'll be
surprisingly like last summer. What we spent last
summer transcribing onto cards, we'll spend this
in organizing, typing, and checking. Milton Smith,
as you might imagine, is bursting with eagerness
for the fray. I fear he has no idea of how vast
this thing has now become. (Maybe I'm going to be
dismayed at that myself.) We are adapting the
methods of modern business to the project, as
Wilmarth Lewis says one should: printed forms
(already supplied us by Mr. Loos), rubber stamps,
and so on. I hope you'll approve their efficiency.
Bob Smith made a most fundamental contribution to
the completeness of the thing while he was working
in the British Museum for Mr. Lewis; he kept an
eye open for Burke items in all the book auction
catalogues he examined, so that we'll have record
of most of the wandering letters owned by dealers
or by private collectors. Bob Smith will be working
with us too this summer if all goes well.

I can't remember whether I mentioned to you
having got microfilms of half a dozen Malone letters
which were in the collection at Sheffield. I would
have sent you copies of them before now, but I lent
my microfilm roll to Professor Hoffman at Fordham,

THE QUADRANGLE CLUB
CHICAGO

who is hard at work on two Burke projects partly
based on the Sheffield papers. If I remember
rightly you are postponing the big job on Malone
till after the Spence, so I take it the delay is
not vital. I'm hoping that these may be entirely
new letters to you, though I suppose that's a lot
to hope. Malone was so methodical, probably he
never sent a letter without keeping a copy for you!

What's news on the New Haven Rialto?
René sent me an offprint not long ago. Up to the
usual high standard. High butter-fat content, as
you would once have said. By the way, did you see
Ronald Crane's *Tom Jones* piece in the last *Modern
Philology*? Impressive, don't you say? I'm not
sure that our students should go in for these
prodigies of critical concentration (University of
Chicago students undoubtedly over-rate criticism now),
but it is a brilliant tour de force of a professional.
I saw the review of the Pope volume in *T. L. S.*; it's
embarrassing, but I haven't seen the volume itself yet.
What's the present state of advancement of Spence?
I hope it's well along, all the hard part done, but
that there's just enough left to keep you in the Yale
Library for a comfortable piece of the summer.

It's a great question whether spring ever
comes in Chicago. Or is it backward everywhere this
year? This letter ought to reach you on March 21.
Is there the faintest tint of fresh green in your lawn?
One crocus that has taken the gamble? Here the snow
is still grey on everything. I have only seen one
kind of bird on the campus, which is that metropolitan
pigeon which doesn't pay attention to winter, spring,
summer, or much of anything but bread crumbs. I
don't notice any "livelier iris" breaking out on
these pigeons either.

March 23, 1950

Professor Thomas Copeland
The Quadrangle Club
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Dear Tom,

Your letter was very, very welcome. I did not try to telephone you while I was in
Chicago, since we were very involved in a family way. But I was glad to hear from
Ronald that you are well, and are making such a fine place for yourself at the
University. When you are here this summer I shall be interested to learn the de-
tails of your year.

It is very good news that you are going to be in this area for most of the summer.
We expect to be here also, so we can have frequent meetings. Be sure to let me
know when you have arranged your address and any other details about your sojourn.

Our stay in California was a good change, and a great opportunity to work without interruption. Indeed, I spent more time in the Huntington than all but a few of the employees there. Accordingly I got a great deal of work done. It is a fine place to work, since they have the books and they are on the shelves where anyone of them can be reached within two or three minutes.

Of course, they have the manuscripts too. I went out to use one particular manu-
script and then turned up enough other stuff to have justified the trip had the
one I went to use been non-existent.

The weather was mild but much less sunshine than we had hoped for. Nevertheless
we enjoyed the opening announcement of every newscast on the radio, which always
dealt with the storms and blizzards in the East. And we enjoyed a lot of other
amenities, also. But I am inclined to think that before we return for another
such period, we may try the University of Texas, where they have books also, and
more sunshine.

In answer to your questions, we were there for five weeks. The group was small,
but there were very few eighteenth century people, since the place runs to
Elizabethans and American Lit people. But it was a lot of fun. We also saw
friends at U.C.L.A. and U.S.C., and I gave in to the invitation to give a lecture
to graduate students at U.C.L.A. But we also had fun being wined and dined, since
everyone from the East seems to be a kitten of some kind, though there are few
real lions.

Since we have been back just a week, I have picked up various bits of news that
you would love to chew over if you were here. Unfortunately, most of them will
have to wait until this summer. For example, the discussion of the new President
will have to wait until that time.

The topic that now has the academic groves rocking is the blow up at Pierson

Professor Thomas Copeland

-2-

5/25/50

College. To be brief, in order to forestall a mass meeting of students who wish to protest against the various actions of the Master, it was finally settled by having a committee of Fellows and students to hear grievances against the Master. They have already heard about twenty hours of grievances, and apparently the lion still runs around the corner of people who want to have their say. The Master admitted publicly that he had lost control of the situation. As you know, he was appointed over the protest of the Fellows. But it is remarkable that things should have come to such a pass at such an early date. Since I know your attitude toward the incumbent, I know this news will set you aglow.

The instances have multiplied of dictatorial actions and unsympathetic treatment. What the results will be we cannot imagine at present, except that it is difficult to see how any recovery can be made. The mills of God are supposed to grind slowly, but this time, for some reason, they seem to be powered by jet propulsion.

I am glad to hear that your Burke paper went off so well in Boston. And I shall look forward to more detail about your various Burkeian activities in the summer. I have learned about your printed form already, but haven't seen it. The microfilm of the Malone letters will be welcome, but I am in no jury for it.

Spence goes on apace. Since my return I have had very little opportunity, but am beginning a regular schedule of work in the library. Unfortunately, the charter revision situation is rearing its cauliflower eared head, and I shall be somewhat involved there. But I got a flying start during my five weeks at the Huntington, and so am well along the way. Yet, I shall have difficulty completing it in time to have '51 on the title page, since every footnote is the equivalent of a scholarly article.

Yes, I have copy of Ronald's article on Tom Jones, but have not looked inside it, or any of the other things that accumulated during my absence. I am looking forward to it a great deal, and your high praise of it adds to my appetite.

I can think of very little other news that should be added to this long epistle. Renee is fine, and we miss you on Fridays. He goes to Harvard for one day a week, to give a seminar in Comparative Literature. He is very handsomely paid for it, which means he will not have to teach this summer. He has also received a good deal of encouragement in other ways on his major job now, namely the "History of Modern European Criticism."

Renee is well impressed with his students at Harvard. I think there are nineteen in the seminar and fifteen auditors. He seems to enjoy the people there a good deal, during his one night stands.

There is little personal news to add. Marie-Louise is fine, and enjoyed California a lot. Tom is home now for his spring vacation. Marshall will not be home, since he goes on the Southern tour with the Glee Club.

Let me hear from you soon, and I am looking forward to the sessions we have before us this summer.

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