[Letter no. is not on letter.]

Lecture at 5 at the London School of Economics.

"Dearest O. Thank you very much indeed from us both for the new Waley book."

Lecturing on "Language and Fact" at Oxford.

Going to prepare lecture on "Propositional Attitudes".

Sends her ms. of article on Eden for pacifist paper.*

*"The Crisis in Foreign Policy", Peace News, 5 March 1938.

"Dearest O. I am very sorry I can't manage any time this week."

"Dearest O. Thank you for your letter."

"Mrs. Whitehead doesn't want you to write to me at Carlyle Square, on account of a long business about servants."

"Whitehead and North have been here separately this morning...."

[Letter no. is not on letter.]

"Monday mg. I boasted too soon of freedom from gramophones, there is a particularly fine one playing next door."

[Date could also be 4 Sept. 1911.]

[Letter no. is not on letter.]

"Thursday mg. In the train. It is difficult to write much, not only because the train shakes appallingly but because W.M. Fletcher (Mrs Acland's brother in law and senior tutor at Trinity) is sitting opposite."

[Letter no. is not on letter.]

"Tuesday mg." Thinking of rearranging "Prisons"; Whiteheads today.

"Reading poor old Ward—he is dull and antiquated."

[Letter no. is not on letter.]

"I have never written anything on Spinoza except the Nation review* of which I have no copy. [*12 Nov. 1910, but BR reviewed another book on Spinoza in the Nation for 13 April 1907; and Spinoza comes up frequently in The Philosophy of Leibniz.]

[Letter no. is not on letter.]

"Monday aftn. My Darling Darling Love—I ought to be writing about old Bergson but I want so much to write to you—and I have been working almost all day so while I have my tea I will allow myself a moment; besides I may not have time tonight."

[Letter no. is not on letter.]

"Tuesday mg. My Darling—Probably what you say about my impartial worship is true."

[Letter no. is not on letter.]

"Monday mg." "I am rather expecting Wittgenstein, and if he does come he will stay for ever."

[Letter no. is not on letter.]

"Monday night. My Darling—It was a joy getting your letter tonight."

[Letter no. is not on letter.]

"Sat. mg. Darling Darling—Only one instant but I must write."

[Letter no. is not on letter.]

"Wed. night. My Darling Love—Lucy Silcox is gone and I can write in peace."

[Letter no. is not on letter.]

"Wed. night. My Darling Love—My lecturees today of their own motion asked me to alter my time of lecturing to 6."

[Letter no. is not on letter.]

[Defn. 7 of "Motion" in the O.E.D. is declared to be obsolete but fits the context:

"The act of moving, prompting, or urging (a person to do something, or that something be done); a proposal, suggestion (esp. in phr. to make a motion); an instigation, prompting, or bidding."]

"Tuesday evg. My Darling Love—It is a comfort that Combe is on the whole pleased about you—I am quite sure he is right about your needing rest, and about London being destructive."

[Letter is not signed; letter no. is not on letter.]

"Thursday mg. My Darling—I haven't time for a proper letter now, but will write again this evg. if I can, as you are not leaving early on Sunday."

[Letter no. is not on letter.]

"Thursday night. My Darling Darling—I have only a few moments before my people come, but I must write to say what a great joy your letter is wh. has just come."

[Letter no. is not on letter.]

"Friday night. My Darling Love—Your dear letter has just come—your letters are such an inexpressible joy."

[Letter no. is not on letter.]

"... we have decided to publish what is printed of Principia Mathematica at once in a thin volume (about 480 pages), and I have had to make the table of contents and list of errata—such things as 'p. 218, last line but one, for — read —', where only a very careful reader would notice there was any change. But although it is tedious it is soothing; work that involves no thought is always rather agreeable. What remains to be done to the book is Whitehead's affair—his ms. won't be ready till the autumn at the earliest.

[Letter no. is not on letter.]

"Monday night. My Darling Darling—Just one line to thank you for your dear letter—such a joy to get. Oh I do love you so much dearest. Yes I cd. come Tuesday perfectly well. All Monday and Tuesday I have nothing to do. I do long to be with you my heart—if there was any chance of a few moments Monday I wd. come then and sleep in London.

No time for more. I love you love you love you.

Your B."

[Letter no. is not on letter.]

"Sunday night. My Darling—It was a delight to get your little line this morning, when I hardly expected anything."

[Letter no. is not on letter.]

"Monday mg. My Darling Darling—It was a great joy to get your letter this morning."

[Letter no. is not on letter.]

"Thursday evg. My Darling Darling—Your dear letter came at tea-time—it is such a joy."

[Letter no. is not on letter.]

"Monday night My Darling—I wrote you a quite needlessly depressed letter earlier today—please do your best to ignore it."

[Letter no. is not on letter.]

"Tuesday evg. My Darling—So far, no letter has come from you since the one your wrote in the train, and I don't know yet why you are staying 2 nights in Florence."

[Letter no. is not on letter.]

"Friday. I had thought we should meet again, but from your letter it seems as if it would be useless pain on both sides."

"Monday night. My Darling Love—Your letters are not at all dull—I don't know why you think they are. I can imagine the brain getting frozen in that cold—"

[Letter no. is not on letter.]

"503 Craigie Hall" "What you say about Nijinsky interests me very much."

[Letter no. is not on letter.]

"2 Tuesday mg. My Darling—All that I wrote in the note last night is true."

[Letter no. is not on letter.]

"Monday mg. My Darling Love—[D.H.] Lawrence is gone, disgusted with Cambridge, but not with me I think."

[Letter no. is not on letter.]

"Sunday. My Darling—The Lusitania horror weighs upon one more and more—it seems such utter madness."

[Letter no. is not on letter.]

"Friday night" "Whitehead came to tea with me...."

"... The Doctor's Dilemma*, which is disgusting and crude and indecent, and made one feel hot all over. I haven't recovered from the effect of it yet."

[*By Bernard Shaw.]

"I have had anxiety and worry about Whitehead and it has taken all the life out of me."

"Thursday night" "Since I came back, I have read and analysed innumerable articles, prepared a number of lectures on theory of knowledge [for Harvard], made some important discoveries [see My Philosophical Development, pp. 104-5], written a long paper for a New York Philosophical Society ["The Relation of Sense Data to Physics"]—about 12,000 words—and compiled most of a lecture on the philosophy of evolution. This is five days' work. So, whatever energy you absorb, there seems a good deal left! Part of my paper I dictated to Jourdain's secretary, who does shorthand—this saved a lot of time. I don't think my brain has been more clear, or more willing to do all I ask of it, any time since 1900."

[Letter no. is not on letter.]

"Sunday" "At present I am harassed by practical problems—when and how to leave Trinity—the necessity of telling the Whiteheads, which I dread doing more than I can say."

[Letter no. is not on letter.]

"I don't know what you would like me to call you, so for the moment I won't call you anything...."

There is also a typed copy of this letter, document .201101, numbered “1”, record 115257, which also contains an annotation.

There are two typed copies of this letter: a typescript, document .201108, numbered "7" with number "8" written beside, record 115360, and a literary condensed version, document .052353, numbered "3", pp. 6-7, using Russell's pseudonym "L", record 99802.

Part of this letter is published in facsimile, beginning with the second mention of "the pain" in The Observer, 31 March 1968, “Magazine”, p. 34 (C68.07a).
 

"Sunday night late What a happiness my dear one to find your letter when I got home just now."

There is also a typed copy of this letter, "numbered 2", document .201102, record 115258.

"Monday night late What a joy to get your letter just now."

There is also a typed copy of this letter, document .201103, record 115256, numbered “3”. The typescript omits the postscript as well as the sentence about Gladys Rinder.

"I cannot go to bed, my Darling, without a word to say what this evening has been to me—I did not know how it would be, and I was nervous till, suddenly, by the river, it all came right—I know that I love you deeply, seriously, with all my being—".

There is a typed copy of this letter, document .201104, numbered “3a” which has been crossed out with “4” written underneath, record 115259.

One sentence, "I should not think very much of anything that faded when passion faded", is printed by Malleson in her book, In the North (London: Gollancz, 1946), p. 185, without dating it.

"Thurs. aft. My Darling Colette—This morning my brother came and interrupted me—he is a person who scatters one's thoughts by his presence, so I couldn't go on—".

There is a typed copy of this letter, document .201105, record 115260. It contains additional information on the poem "L'Infinito". There is also a literary version of this letter, document .007052ey, record 93466. 

"This is only one line my Darling to wish you good morning and ask about tonight."

"Tuesday My Dearest Love, I was glad to get your dear letter this morning—and I love your picture, which has come—it is wonderfully good—thank you with all my heart—I knew at once before I touched the parcel what it must be—but I hardly dared to open it for fear it shouldn't be."

"Tuesday night. My Dear Dear Love, No, I have not been giving you too much of my time — and I am not so busy as all that!"

There is also a typed version of this letter, document .201106, record 115444. It differs only in that it begins "Thursday night".

"This is not a letter my Dear one only one hasty line to say I have got your letter—I am troubled too about the N.C.F."

A typed copy was made of this letter, document .201110, record 115362.

"Thurs. mg My Darling, My Dearest, My Lovely and Wonderful Colette—I feel so full of love—the instant I wake my thoughts run off to you and stay there—I wonder if you are awake yet—if you are thinking of me? and how?"

[Letter is not signed.]

"The result of seeing you and getting your letter was that I wrote an article for the Tribunal* which I hope may do some little good—I enclose it because it was so directly inspired by you."

[*Tribunal, 12.10.16, p. 1: "What We Stand For". Not present.]

There is also a typed version of this letter, document .201111, record 115363.

"Thursday evg My Darling Loved One—I shall never never forget the wonder and beauty of last night with the moon and the wind and the silence—it was quite enchanted and magical—".

There is also a typed version of this letter, document .200112, record 115364.

"Sat. mg My Dearest Darling—I was happy being with you last night—it was divine."

"My address is c/o Mr. Enticknap, Abinger Common, nr. Dorking."

There is also a typed copy of this letter, document .201107, record 115261.

"Sunday It was a joy, My Dear One, to get your letter when I was called this morning—I hadn't thought it possible—my heart leapt when I saw it."

"Monday aft. My Darling Colette—Your wonderful letter has just come—I have read every word with joy—".

There is also a typed copy of this letter, document .201113, record 115365.

"Friday I have heard nothing from you my beloved and have been wondering what you are doing and thinking—I can't imagine how I ever for a moment supposed I would find free time these days—I haven't had 2 minutes to myself—"

[Letter is not signed.]

"Sunday I have a good deal of reason to think my letters are read by the censor, so I will try not to write in a way that would interest him."

"Wed. aft. My Darling Colette—Your dear dear letter was waiting here when I got back from the dentist—it was a joy."

"Thurs. night My Darling Colette—All day I wanted to write but I have been kept rushing about—I am creeping back into life—please please don't think anything has been the matter except exhaustion—tomorrow I shall be less tired and shall be a human being again."

[Letter is not signed.]

"One line my beloved to tell you my love is yours absolutely—equally when I can show it and when I can't."

Letter is not signed. Its publication in SLBR omits the cover page addressed in the second person to Colette.

"Saturday." "Then there is the slavery of work. The sort of work I try to do is not a question of hours, but of getting ideas, which only come to one if one keeps one's thoughts on the subject—and that means that I have to keep on thrusting you out of my thoughts when I am away from you."

There is also a literary version of this letter, dated 1916/10/23, document .007052ez, record 93467.

"Telegram and letter only just received all well looking forward to tomorrow."

"Wednesday My Beloved—What a happy time it was yesterday—only too too short."

"Thursday. My Beloved—Your letter has come—I have only one moment before dentist."

"My Beloved—I have only a moment but I want you to go away knowing that my thoughts and my heart and my whole devotion are with you—"

"Sunday My Beloved—I wonder how you are today—I am afraid you will be tired and a little sad—I hope not."

This letter has been matched with an envelope pmk. 29 October 1916 in Harrogate. Colette annotated the envelope: "Written and posted Sunday 29 October 1916, 7.15 pm after which, he evidently returned to Gordon Sq. and then left again for Leeds the next day 30 October." While at Gordon Square he wrote a letter, document .200035, record 19068.

"Midnight. Beloved—Your wonderful divine letter was here when I came home—can you ever know the burning joy of it?"

This letter was written at Gordon Square beginning at midnight, 29 October. He took it with him and posted it at Leeds the next day, 30 October. Leeds should not be given as his location for this letter however.

"Monday My Beloved—Your letter was at the P.O. this morning when I called."

"Thursday evg. My Beloved—Your dear little letter has just come, with the Hansard—I have sat at home almost all day, writing and dictating letters—I have nearly caught up—I grudge the time it takes."

"My Beloved—Your letter last night was an inexpressible joy—"

[Letter is not signed.]

"My Darling—Your lovely little letter came this morning—I am afraid this won't reach you till Monday but it is the only moment I shall have for writing until I get into the train for Manchester." "I am staying with Barry Brown."

"Monday. My Darling, My Loved One, My Joy. I was glad of your letter yesterday."

[Letter is not signed.]

"Beloved—One line to say I am free for lunch and early afternoon—I must be back to tea—would you like me to come to lunch?"

"Friday mg. My Beloved—It will be too divine—I long for it."

"Sat. night late" "My book* is out."

[*Principles of Social Reconstruction.]

"Monday It was quite wonderful of you my Dearest Darling to find time to write this morning before such an early start."

"Friday My Life, My Soul—I can't yet tell you the thousandth part of what you have brought me during these days—it has been all so beautiful, so wonderful, so great."

"Sat. It is very hard to write here as there are 8 of us and every word can be read by my neighbour."

[Letter is not signed.]

"Thurs. evg." "I lunched with the Whiteheads—they were very kind, but I suffer because they are so war-like—it is very painful seeing them because I have to keep silence about so much."

"Monday aft." Has to write for America this week.

"I am writing a lot of stuff."

A literary version of this letter was prepared, letter number 6, document .052355, record 99806, with the date of 28 November 1916.

"Sunday night" "I have finished my article for America and written a letter to Massingham."

"Monday aft." Letter to President Woodrow Wilson is mentioned.

"Tuesday." Two Tribunal articles, finishing America article. Nothing below surface.

[Probably those of 7 and 14 Dec. 1916 and "For Conscience' Sake", Independent, 15.1.17.]

"Monday week, the 18th, I have to come up for the Aristotelian Society, as Whitehead is reading a paper."

"Wednesday evg." "I don't think Whitehead's paper is very important—I have found out more about it." [Perhaps it was "The Organization of Thought".]

"Thurs. My Dearest Darling—It was a comfort to get your little note this morning."

"My Dearest Darling Loved One—Your letter just came—I have one moment before starting for Newhaven—"

"Fri. night Train very full—can't write as I shd. like—I saw C.A.* today—a most delightful visit—2 hours talk in the guard room."

[*Clifford Allen].

Also re Katherine Mansfield.

[Letter is not signed.]

"Monday My Dearest Darling—I had no possibility of writing at Garsington in time for yesterday morning's post—so I have left you a terribly long time without a letter."

"Wed. night. My Beloved—It was an unspeakable happiness to be with you again—even though we were both saddened by [Clifford] Allen—I was thankful to be with you—it made it all easier."

"Thursday night" "Undertaken to do an article for the Ploughshare".

"Finished the Ploughshare article". ["The Logic of Armaments", Jan. 1917.]

"Yes, a perfectly divine day—I was unbelievably happy—tho' I was sorry you got so tired—"

Writing from "in the tube".

"Wed. evg." Undertook to write "a long document" for J.A.C. Committee.

"Thursday" "Spent almost every minute writing a memorandum on Ll. George's Universal National Service—for the J.A.C.—to be sent to N.C.F., F.O.R. and F.S.C." "Chappelow is here."

"Sat. My Darling—I got your long letter yesterday and your short one today."

"Boxing day. My Beloved—Two letters from you came this morning—unhappy letters—I wish you were not unhappy."

"My Darling—Your dear letter came this morning and brought the warmth of your heart with it."

"My Darling—Yes, alas, I am still in prison—I feel I have been living too laxly."

"Friday mg. My Beloved—Your letters are a great joy and support to me—you are so generous and full of courage—it is so splendid."