BR TO OTTOLINE MORRELL, [8 JULY 1911]
BRACERS 17219. ALS. Morrell papers #139, Texas
Proofread by K. Blackwell et al.

In the train.
Saturday mg.1

My Darling

We are 8 in the carriage which makes writing not altogether easy. I slept till 40 minutes before my train, so I had rather a rush to dress, breakfast, pack and pay, but here I am safely, tho’ without a ticket. I shall get back to a rather late luncheon. I doubt whether Abercrombie will come over in this heat.

Moore and I compared notes of our respective S.S’s yesterday. He is making his just as difficult as his Principia Ethica. He has only one style and method, and can’t alter for a different audience. He seems to be rather more behindhand with it than I am with mine. He is going to live in College next term, which I shall like.

I shall post this at Reading on the off chance of its arriving by 2nd post today.

The question of staying at Trinity or not is very complicated and I am glad it does not have to be settled yet. It has the advantage of giving me plenty of purely masculine society without any effort on my part — I enjoy this but it dissipates my thoughts and prevents me from getting new ideas. If I were in the country where I would see you often and other people sometimes I should get much more new work done. And fundamentally that is the most important thing. Other people can teach it, but the work I have done is chiefly important for its bearings, which no one will discover if I don’t point them out. What will help my work most will be if I can see you very often, without a tiring journey and without an earthquake, so that ordinary thoughts can exist in the same day. That I hope will happen at Ipsden.

I can’t write much in this shaky train where every word can be read by my neighbours. — The thing I ought to do the next few years is to read largely, mostly very dull books. At present, like most people who do original work, I am not at all well-read. But it is time I became more so. During the last few months I have read a good deal of the great philosophers: Descartes, Spinoza, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and some Kant.a (Also some Aristotle!) But I ought to read dull modern German books. I have tons more work in me, and I rather think Trinity in the long run will interfere with it — not at present, because the time for beginning another book is not come yet. I still cherish the hope of general writing on religion and kindred things. But I can’t attempt that while I have ordinary philosophy to write. I believe in my power of doing it, some day — I don’t know when. Perhaps not till all my technical work is finished — another 10 years or so. I judge from the manner of philosophical people that my reputation is increasing (forgive the conceit), I find they treat me with terrific2 and increasing respect and treat my remarks as pronouncements. It amuses and surprises me. I find too that Mind and such journals grow more and more to allude to me. So I suppose I must have a good deal of reputation among philosophers. I shall exact a decent awe in your behaviour. So beware. Now I must stop. This letter is hampered by the conditions under which it is written. Goodbye my Dearest Love.

Yr
B.

• 1

  [document] Document 000139. Proofread against a colour scan of the original.

• 2

  terrific BR is thinking of his reception at the Aristotelian dinner the previous night. See BRACERS 17218 (or SLBR 1: #172). The transcription of the word is not entirely certain.

Textual Notes

• a

  Kant. before deleted But I