Letter from Thomas MacGreevy to George Yeats. [1 December 1928].

[p.1 recto]

Ecole Normale Superieure
Paris 5me
Saturday

Dearest George,

It is the fault of the post. I sent you a note the day before I put the money in the post and I also wrote you a fortnight before to Dublin, a day before I got yours from London. I didn't know where I should send the money. In my last note I acknowledged the Ludwig and asked you not to be cross if I added a few francs for the postage. I was conscience stricken at your having the bother of sending it and carting it to London too. The least I could do was pay the postage not that I thought for a moment you'd consider the money, but to show that I was reconnaissant. Its pleasant to have even a few lines from you. In this University milieu I pine for contact with the outside world. Apropos, it would be a great pleasure to have a little more time with W.B. than I've had. Do you think it would be any pleasure to him if I came, I don't mean [p.1 verso] to the flat. I wouldn't come to the flat — I'm too lazy and disorderly to be a guest for any length of time — but to the Hotel Mignon or some reasonable hotel for the Christmas week? I could moon round during the day, perhaps you'd be do to free to do a small spree with me of an odd afternoon and I'd see him of an evening if he felt like having me. I'm sure that for my own good as well as my own pleasure I ought to see as much of him as I can. I have some work to do and if I don't come to Rapallo I'll probably go to Cannes where our late laundress would give me a cheap room. But there I'd have no company when I was not working. Now don't reply asking me to the flat. My dear, I know your kindness and I love it. But I'd be amply happy to be seeing you both like that and as I'll get half fare to the frontier the week would be cheap and I am earning now and sufficiently. And besides you'll be having the children. So as I say if I feel that you'd both be pleased to have an hour of me now & again I'll come to the, to an, hotel.

I have no news. This last 3 weeks I've written nothing. I'm reading all kinds of inconceivable Elizabethans, have to for the British Institute where I [p.2 recto]get on fairly, though it means a lot more preparation than I anticipated. And in spite of there being another man from Trinity I still have a great deal of work here. My little leisure this past 10 days has been occupied by singing lessons which Giorgio Joyce insists on giving me. He was shocked that anyone who could sing over two octaves should never have taken the trouble to have lessons. I have no news from Eliot. I sent him four new poems for the book but have no notion whether they, or it, will appear. And I don't much care. He insisted however that it was time I published a book so I suppose he'll get it out if he can. Russell sent me back my article on the Censorship saying he had one from Shaw. Have you seen Shaw's? I don't think it's as much to the point as my own but even if I'm wrong I'm sure that any article by an avowed heretic is unlikely to carry weight with the inquisitors or with the people as against the inquisitors. However we must be satisfied. And at least it saves me trouble with my own people that he refused it. I'd send it elsewhere, however, if there was any [p.2 verso]likelihood of its being accepted. Russell suggested the Dublin "Nation." I might as well send them a defence of W.T. Cosgrave. I refer to Lennox and W.B. as the son and the grandson of "Christian clergymen" in it!

I'm more than glad to hear W.B. is so well. I hope you are too yourself and that the news of the pets is good.

Love ever

Tom.