BR TO OTTOLINE MORRELL, 15 OCT. [1911]
BRACERS 17306. ALS. Morrell papers #220, Texas
Proofread by K. Blackwell et al.

<letterhead>
Trinity College,
Cambridge.1^, 2
Sunday aftn. Oct. 15.a

My Darling Darling

Two letters came this morning, one from Milan and one from Lausanne. I am very sorry you are so tired — I suppose it is not to be wondered at with so much travelling. It was a great joy getting your letters. If you come home Sat. I wonder if I might tell Miss Birch (as was) that I must leave Sunday night — otherwise with my lecture Monday it gives so little time. I could come up again Tuesday. I must try to alter my Monday’s lecture to Friday — I could do it on account of the Aristotelian on Mondays which I had forgotten. I quite agree a hotel is infinitely nicer than Bedford Square — I should never have hesitated except on the grounds of prudence. But I don’t think the imprudence is really very great. I think it is almost best to arrive together — it prevents anything looking odd. But that will be as you think.

I am so glad you did get a taste of Italy and managed to see the Certosa. No, I don’t like lakes, except Garda, which I love. Swiss lakes are beastly.

Today Moore came to breakfast — he was very pleasant indeed and we had some good philosophical discussion, as to what is meant by mental and perception and various fundamental questions of that kind.

He stayed till it was nearly time for luncheon — then I went (without Maurice) to lunch with Shove and Rupert Brooke and Jim Strachey to meet a youth named Bliss whom they think well of — so did I, he seemed very intelligent. Keynes came in — he and Shove were on the 80 Club tour in Ireland — they seem not to have liked the 80 Club. We talked about that, the Irish, politics, Bergson, infinity, probability, etc. etc. When that was over I had a few minutes’ walk, and began this letter but was interrupted by the McTaggarts and Halévy who came to tea. The beautiful and charming Madame Halévy, who beguiled my lonely hours in Paris at Easter, hasb not come, to my profound sorrow! Halévy does not interest me.

Maurice is dining with Keynes, so I shall get some peace this evening. I must prepare tomorrow’s lecture some time. I enjoy seeing lots of people, but one needs some time to oneself.

I had been thinking of you arriving in Paris yesterday, but I suppose you are just arriving now. You will find hundreds of letters from me. I hope you won’t be utterly exhausted. I have had a number of reviews of my Philosophical Essays from the publishers, which I will send you if you like. One of them, from the Tablet (Catholic), is much shocked, but tries hard to be fair.3 The rest not very interesting.

I am getting into a state of expectancy in which the present has no colour or life, and is merely so much solid time to be got through. So far I have been wonderfully successful in subduing impatience, but it gets more difficult as the time gets shorter.

You needn’t worry about my work — I am sure it is at least as good as formerly, besides that I am more ready to embark on another big job, and lay a new set of foundations. In my technical work, the good I get from you will come to fruition about ten years hence. I have the peace of mind now to do the dull plodding sort of work in which a big job begins. For the last 9 years I have done almost none of that until this year, when I have made a beginning by reading a good deal of the great philosophers. The erudition to be derived from other people, so far as Principia Mathematica was concerned, was almost all acquired by 1902. Now, to write on theory of knowledge, I need fresh erudition, though not so much as I needed for Princ. Math. I know that I shall do the work infinitely better owing to having my mind at peace and freed from restlessness. But is it not desirable that I should actually write much at present.

Darling I can’t tell you how I am longing for you. I see it coming out in a certain asperity in my talk — It will be divine. Goodnight my Darling. I wish your health was better. I love you, I love you.

Your
B.

• 1

  [document] Document 000220. Proofread against a colour scan of the original.

• 2

  [envelope] A circled “220”. The Lady Ottoline Morrell | Hotel des Saints Pères | Rue des Saints Pères | Paris | France. CAMBRIDGE | 10. PM | OC 15 | 11

• 3

  tries hard to be fair. “Mr. Russell’s Philosophy”, The Tablet,  118 (30 Sept. 1911): 527–8.

Textual Notes

• a

  15 written over 14

• b

  has written over was<?>