"Wed. evg." Wrote review of Bergson's Laughter today.

[Cambridge Review, 33: 18 Jan. 1912, 193-4.]

"Thursday aft." "I have seen my men—the German aviator [Wittgenstein] very vigorous."

"Wednesday night" "My Beloved—Parting from you tonight was dreadful, like a temporary death—I had not imagined it wd. be so bad."

"Thursday night My Darling Darling—I have only a few minutes before my people come so I can't write much."

"Friday 11.30 My Darling Love—It is late, because [G.H.] Hardy brought a Danish mathematician to see me, very young but apparently already distinguished: not interesting because I couldn't understand his English."

"Friday aftn." "I have read a presidential address by Whitehead (he never told me of it as far as I know, but it came from somewhere by post) to assembled mathematical schoolmasters, on how to teach mathematics—quite amazingly good, I thought."

"An eminent doctor named Mercier has written a fat book called 'The New Logic' which the Nation has sent me to review." [The Nation, 10: 23 March 1912, 1029-30.]

"Sat. aftn." "I had to read it [letter] hurriedly because the aviator [Wittgenstein] was talking to me."

"Sunday mg." "My Darling Love—Two letters from you this morning were a great joy—one should have come last night but didn't."

"Tuesday evg." "Wittgenstein brought me some ms he had written in the vacation, very good, much better than my English pupils do. I shall certainly encourage him. Perhaps he will do great things. On the other hand I think it very likely he will get tired of philosophy."

["The writing"—a joint product? Forstice already?]

"Tuesday aftn."

"I imagine you now in the train bumping up to Burnley...."

"Monday nt."

"Our talk at the end today I feel was very useful."

"Wed. mg." "Your dear letter in the train was a great joy to me this mg."

"Wed night." "My Shilling Shocker is out."

"Thursday mg" "My Darling Love I was very glad indeed to get your letter this mg. and to hear you are not too tired and Julian is well."

"Friday mg."

"Crushed by ghastly anxiety these days"*—but he can't tell about it—not personally.

*See letter no. 327.

"After the lecture Wittgenstein came back to my rooms with me to propose a definition of logical form (as opposed to logical matter), to which I suggested various objections which made him miserable.

"Sat mg." Yesterday wrote review of Mercier.

"Monday"

The worries: "They involve nothing in any way sordid, nothing discreditable to anybody, only anxiety and solid pain, which I, by a chance, have power to relieve when no one else can. What I have been able to do in this way is the most useful thing in my life apart from work. Some years back when I had lost self-respect and faith, it was the only thing that kept me from suicide. I knew that my death must ultimately bring disaster."*

*This may refer to Russell supplying Mrs. Whitehead with money. See also letter no. 412, record 17509.

"Tuesday evg."

"I have after all bought Lytton's* book and read as far as Racine. It certainly is amazingly good. About Villon it is astonishing."

*[Strachey]

"Tuesday aftn."

"My German [Wittgenstein] has brought me more ms...."

"Friday evg."

"They are now feasting in honour of the purification—I saw Desmond a moment, and expect him and Moore later on in the evening."

"Sat mg."

"Your dear letter was brought to me as I was on the way to my lecture, so I read it hurriedly before going on—I lectured much better than I usually do."

"Sunday evg."

"I have only a moment as people have been at me all day."

"Monday evg."

"We were very happy today weren't we."

"Tuesday mg."

"Your dear little letter again came just before my lecture (usually it is just after I have gone), and again my lecture was good."

"Tuesday evg."

Wouldn't buy many books even if rich.

"I don't think of them, and I can get them from libraries, and my friends lend me books! I haven't room for many more books, and I have a feeling that possessions are a curse—they put one in bondage to matter."

"I care much less about books than most people do. Once in a way a book is important to me, but very seldom. Of books I have read in the last 11 months, not counting poetry, Synge and Spinoza and the Phaedrus and perhaps Trelawny's letters made a real impression on me, but the rest remained external—except [for] Tolstoy's life, I might almost as well not have read them, in fact if I had sat still thinking, it might have done me as much good.... It is the same with philosophy—I am very bad at reading what is written. It so seldom fits on to what one is thinking about."

"Friday night."

Look at last chapter but one in Prisons for Hibbert J.*

On religion.

*"The Essence of Religion", Hibbert Journal, 11 Oct. 1912, 46-62.

"Sat. mg."

"Your little line was waiting for me when I got back from my lecture and I was very glad to get it."

"Sunday evg."

Her marriage* was within a week of when he discovered he no longer cared for Alys.

*[Feb. 8, 1902, Ottoline's Memoirs, p. 121.]

"Sat. evg. 7.15."

"I have just come in and found your little note; so I shall expect you tomorrow mg."

"Tuesday mg." Paper on Bergson on March 11.

"Monday night."

"Prisons was wrong, I think, simply because it was expository. One must have a more artistic form."

"Tuesday night."

Santayana has had "mystical experiences"; "ten years ago, and at the time of our summer crisis."

"Thursday evg."

"I have only one moment to write while Santayana is dressing and before I begin to dress."

"Friday evg."

"Santayana is gone, I have written at last to Agnes Grove and to my Aunt Agatha*, and a sense of vast leisure has descended upon me." [Russell]

"Friday mg."

"It is very sad to think of you free this mg. and me not there—but it would never have done."

"Sat. mg."

"I was very glad of your letter, which I got before my lecture."

"Sunday mg." [continues] "Later". G.E. Moore.

"... repeated all he had heard of Gibbling's life from [H.G.] Wells, which was rather less than Wells had told Gilbert Murray."

[Fragment of letter beginning on page 2.]

"My Darling Darling There are difficulties about writing as the carriage is full and I am overlooked but I will do my best."

"Tuesday 12.30." Worked on religion chapter last night, trying to incorporate some earlier parts, but result unsatisfactory.

"Tuesday night. My Darling Love—It is one of the sad things about your going away that your letters take longer to come, so I have nothing from you tonight."

"Wed. mg. My Darling Darling I can't tell you what a joy your letter from Dover was this morning."

"Wed. night" Worked on Prisons again.

"Thursday mg." "It was about 6 weeks" into 1901 that he had his 'first conversion'". [This is inconsistent with letters #338, record 17430, and #342(?), record 17434.]

"Friday evg." Busy with Prisons again—"cutting out odd pages and sticking them into the chapter on religion."

"Friday mg." "Had ... Wittgenstein to talk to" yesterday. Schiller's book on formal logic. [Reviewed in the Nation, 11: 18 May 1912, 258-9.]

"Sat. mg." First proofs of third volume of Principia Mathematica today. Showed religion chapter to Lucy Silcox.

"Sunday evg. My Darling—Two letters from you this mg. were a great joy to get."

"Monday mg. My Darling—I loved your long letter of Sat. wh. came by 1st post to my surprise—it found me in quite the right mood."

"Monday evening."

BR notes that Whetham has sent him proofs of his book on science in order to criticize the philosophical parts. [This book must be William Cecil Dampier Whetham's The Foundations of Science (London: T.C. and E.C. Jack, [1912]), a 96-page book in "The People's Books" series. Philosophy (and formal logic and the principles of mathematics) are discussed on pp. 83-93 (with knowledge by acquaintance and knowledge by description on pp. 83-4). There is a reference to Whitehead's Introduction to Mathematics on p. 89.]

"Tuesday" "This morning I had my lecture, then Wittgenstein, bringing some lovely roses—he is a dear man, and I like him much, in spite of his being a bore. He also brought a very good original suggestion, which I think is right, on an important point in logic. He stayed while I shaved and ate my lunch, and only left me when I actually got on my bicycle." Bedmaker and roses.

"Tuesday night. My Darling—Here I am, returned from the Flexners. It was all rather simpler—at least superficially—than I had thought it would be; we had pleasant friendly talk, partly all together, partly Helen and I, while Flexner was out lecturing."

"Wed. aft'n. My Darling Love This mg. I went to the Whiteheads, had a long talk about various matters—chiefly North—with Mrs W., but W. was out till near the end of my time."

"Wd. night My Darling It was a joy to find your letter waiting for me when I got here at tea-time."

"Friday mg. My Darling—I am not much disappointed about the length of your stay at Lausanne, because it is much what I expected."

"Sat. mg." "While I was preparing my speech Wittgenstein appeared in a great state of mind because Johnson (with whom I advised him to coach) wrote and said he wouldn't take him any more, practically saying he argued too much instead of learning his lesson like a good boy. He came to me to know what truth there was in Johnson's feeling. Now he is terribly persistent, hardly lets one get a word in, and is generally considered a bore. As I really like him very much, I was able to hint these things to him without offending him.... Wittgenstein says Johnson's own ideas seemed to him muddled, but his comments on W's ideas seemed excellent; evidently however J. resented W. not taking his word as law.... It was a delicate matter talking to Wittgenstein." [No letter number written on letter.]

"Sat. night. My Darling Love—I do hate writing you such miserable hurried scurried letters with no life in them, but indeed I can't help it—it will be better after the next ten days."

"Sunday afternoon." About preparing to write on Bergson.

"Monday mg. My Darling Love—It was a great joy to get yr letter this mg., and I was very glad you made an effort to express things that are difficult to express."

[Beginning of letter only; not signed. Letter #372a, record is written later on this same day.]

"Tuesday night. My Darling Love—It is too late to post a letter tonight, so this must wait till tomorrow." [Letter no. not on letter.]

"Tuesday mg." "Moore thinks enormously highly of Wittgenstein's brains (W. goes to Moore's lectures)—says he always feels W. must be right when they disagree. He says during his lectures W. always looks frightfully puzzled, but nobody else does. I am glad to be confirmed in my high opinion of W.—the young men don't think much of him, or if they do it is only because Moore and I praise him."

Started on Bergson paper (writing).

[Letter no. 368 is written on envelope of this letter as well as letter which Russell Archives have renumbered 368a.]

"Wd. mg. My Darling—It was good of you to write me such a nice long letter when you were so ill—please don't tire yourself writing to me."

[Letter no. 368 is written on envelope of this letter as well as on the letter which has retained the number 368.]

"Yes I am afraid a great deal of public opinion is against the men—quite unfairly it seems to me." Bergson paper.

"Wed. night" "I have just come back from a most heavenly concert which I went to by the kindness of Wittgenstein—I should not have known of it otherwise but he got me a ticket." ... "W. is musical as no Englishman is—naturally and as a matter of course—the way Englishmen are political. He tells me he remembers seeing Brahms at his father's house when he was seven, and his father had Joachim and Millfeld[?] to play Brahms's clarinet quintet in the house. The only thing he thought was how vexed his mother would be if his hair was as untidy as Brahms's."

20 pages of Bergson written today.

"Sat mg. My Darling Love—I have very few moments because of my lecture and people coming."

"Friday mg. My Darling Darling Love—I have just finished Bergson and have at last a free mind."

Writing about old Bergson but BR wants so much to write to Ottoline.

"Friday aftn." "I like Wittgenstein more and more. He has the theoretical passion very strongly—it is a rare passion and one is glad to find it. He doesn't want to prove this or that, but to find out how things really are. He is very excitable and rather mad, but has excellent manners—though in argument he forgets about manners [manner? names?] and simply says what he thinks. In spite of it all, something about him makes him a hero[?]. In his flat moments, he still talks, slowly, stammering, and saying dull things. But at his best he is splendid. There's much more in him than in any of my other pupils."

"Sat night. My Dearest Dearest—I have very few minutes before the post goes."

"Sunday evg. No one could be more sincere than Wittgenstein, or more destitute of the false politeness that interferes with truth; but he lets his feelings and affections appear, and it warms one's heart."

"Monday aftn. My Darling Love—I have only a few moments while the Flexners pack—they are going this aft'n as he has a lot to do in London tomorrow mg. and is tired."

"My Darling I do want you so much." [Fragment of letter beginning on page 2; possibly the conclusion of letter no. 379, record 17475.]

"Thursday night." "Then I came home and prepared my last lecture and gave it—it lead [led?] to a very lively discussion, continued afterwards by Wittgenstein in my rooms. He is certainly very good. I forget if I told you that he says his father has been disappointed in all his other sons, and is very anxious this one should do something respectable like engineering and not waste his time over such nonsense as philosophy. So he is going to finish his engineering course. But I don't believe he will give up his philosophy—it has too great a hold on him. A little engineering would do no harm."

"Monday evg. My Dearest Heart—My guests are gone and I have a few moments before dinner."

[Letter is not signed; it may conclude as letter no. 377, record 17473.]

"Tuesday night" Vol. II of Principia Mathematica is published today. [The English Catalogue of Books gives April 1912.]

"Wittgenstein brought me some lilies of the valley—I gave him my vol. II, which he deserves."

"Wed. mg. My Darling Darling—It feels quite odd to be in the train again—it is such an age since I was last in London—nearly a fortnight."

"Thursday mg. My Darling Love—I am sorry you have had such a fiendish headache—and burning the inside of yr nose must be torture—it is hateful to think of it."

"Wed. evening." Had tea with Whiteheads. Whiteheads "were very unhappy about the suffragettes."

"Friday mg." "But [Broad] is very much abler than any of my present pupils except Wittgenstein. He is much the most reliable pupil I have had—practically certain to do a good deal of useful but not brilliant work; whereas W. [Wittgenstein] only knows a small proportion of what he ought to know, and is mad and erratic—there is no guessing what he will do. He is full of boiling passion which may drive him anywhere."

"Wittgenstein on the other hand is rather a severe critic of my lectures—he says I make things seem too simple and easy, and encourage the dogmatic discipleship which I deplore. W. is very excitable: he has more passion about philosophy than I have; his avalanches make mine seem mere snowballs. He has the pure intellectual passion in the highest degree: it makes me love him. His disposition is that of an artist, intuitive and moody. He says every morning he begins his work with hope, and every evening he ends in despair—he has just the sort of rage when he can't understand things that I have."

"Sat. aftn. My Darling Love—I have been looking up the passages in Spinoza."

"Friday night." "Then Wittgenstein came for luncheon and a walk. He was very nice—said how much he loves Moore, how he likes and dislikes people for the way they smile—Moore has one of the most beautiful smiles I know, and it had struck him. We had a lot of argument—he is very good. He said he liked the peroration of my Bergson article, but doesn't like that sort of thing unadulterated as in Free Man's Worship. He says in his judgment it needs something solid at the back of it. He dislikes the last chapter of my Shilling Shocker, I think because it vexes him that one should hint at philosophy having any end outside itself. He is always absolutely frank."

"Monday mg." "While I was doing this Wittgenstein came and stayed till after 12. We had a close equal passionate discussion of the most difficult point in mathematical philosophy. I think he has genius. In discussion with him I put out all my force and only just equal his. With all my other pupils I shd. squash them flat if I did so. He has suggested several new ideas wh. I think valuable. He is the ideal pupil—he gives passionate admiration with vehement and very intelligent dissent. He spoke with intense feeling about the beauty of the big book [Principia], said he found it like music. That is how I feel it, but few others seem to. Our parting was very affectionate on both sides. He said the happiest hours of his life had been passed in my room. He is not a flatterer, but a man of transparent and absolute sincerity. I have the most perfect intellectual sympathy with him—the same passion and vehemence, the same feeling that one must understand or die, the same sudden jokes breaking down the frightful tension of thought.

He is far more terrible with Xtians than I am. He had liked Farmer, the undergraduate monk, and was horrified to learn that he is a monk. Farmer came to tea with him, and W. at once attacked him—as I imagine, with absolute fury. He made of course no impression. Yesterday he returned to the charge, not arguing but only preaching honesty. I wonder what will have come of it. He abominates ethics and morals generally; he is deliberately a creature of impulse, and thinks one should be. What he disliked about my last chapter was saying philosophy has value; he says people who like philosophy will pursue it, and others won't, and there's an end of it. His strangest impulse is philosophy.

"My Darling Love—Your dear dear letter of Friday is such a joy to me—oh I do love it so much."

"Monday evg. Darling I have 10 minutes to write before post goes, so I will do my best."

"Tuesday aftn. My Darling Love—Here I am in the flat, half wishing to stay and not go a walk."

"Wed. mg. My Darling Darling—Here I am, ambling along in a very slow train, hoping to reach Lulworth in time for dinner, after spending an hour or more at South'n."

"Wed. aft'n. My Darling—Just one line to catch the post.

"Tuesday nt." Dined with Whiteheads.

"Lulworth Cove Thursday mg. My Darling Love—By going away I have missed a day of your letters—I shan't hear till tomorrow mg. I walked here from Wool after tea yesterday—"

"Thursday evg. My Darling Love—After hoping all day to get at the newspapers on arriving here, I find the harbour full of battleships, 2000 sailors landed on leave, and not a single paper to be had."

"Friday 1 p.m. Royal Hotel"

Considering book on Syndicalism which Bell's approached him about.

"Yes, Wittgenstein has been a great event in my life—whatever may come of him. He has even the same similes as I have—a wall, parting him from the truth, which he must pull down somehow. After our last discussion, he said 'well, there's a bit of wall pulled down'."

"Friday mg. Royal Hotel.

My Dearest Dearest Love—I am so sorry you have been so bad again with yr head—I hope it is only due to the nose and will soon be better."

"Friday night. My Darling Love—I have been reading the beginning of Endymion—it is wonderfully good, and as you say it has a cry in it."

"Sunday night. The Ship Inn.

My Dearest Dearest—Here I am, terribly fresh still after walking faster and rather farther than yesterday."

"Sunday mg.

My Darling Love—I was glad to get yr. letter this mg.— it seemed an age since yesterday mg."

[Letter no. not on letter.]

"Amour Profond et Sympathie"

"O My Dearest Heart I love you so infinitely—I cannot weigh my love with other things—the world or philosophy, or great achievement—it outweighs them all."

[Letter is not signed but seems to be complete.]

See record for an extract from this letter for insertion into Forstice.

"Tuesday mg." Dined with Whiteheads.

[Letter is not signed but seems to be complete.]

"Sunday night. My Darling Darling, Just one line to say what heaven it was today my beloved."