Co. DownSeptr. 5, ’94My dear BertieLady Russell will have told you that everything has been arranged foryour going to Paris. I am sure you will like it, and the climate is charming atthis time of the year: and though perhaps there may be a certain amount ofwork, I hope it will not be too much to prevent you taking advantage ofyour stay to see all that is to be seen in Paris, for the autumn is the best timefor that.I think, if it could be arranged, that it would be very desirable from ouro?cial point of view that you should stay for at least three months, though Ihope we shall tempt you to remain longer and to go out a little into Parissociety, which would amuse you very much.engagement 103I have written to all the authorities at Paris to warn them of your arrival,and to tell them to do everything they can to make you feel at home.Yours very sincerelyDu?erin and AvaHotel du Prince de GallesParisSep. 11, 1894Dear Lord Du?erinI have waited till I was established here to thank you warmly for your twokind letters to me. It is very good of you to take so much trouble about me,and I have indeed been most cordially received by everybody. I arrived inParis last night and spent this morning at the Embassy. I am sure I shall likethe work, and that the life generally will be very agreeable.I will certainly stay the three months which you speak of as o?ciallydesirable, indeed under ordinary circumstances I should have been glad tostay any length of time; but I am engaged to be married, and had hopedthat the wedding might be in December; so you will, I am sure, understandthat I should be glad to be free then, if that is possible without anyinconvenience. I hope you will not think this wish ungracious on my part –no lesser inducement could have made me wish to shorten my stay here,and I am deeply obliged to you for having given me the appointment – butas I do not intend to take up the diplomatic service as my career, it seemedperhaps needless to postpone my wedding, for which I feel a naturalimpatience.Yours gratefully and sincerelyBertrand RussellThe following letters have to do with a project, which I entertained for a short time, of abandoningmathematical philosophy for economics, and also with the a?airs of The Society. It was thepractice for one member, in rotation, to read a short paper, chosen by the others the previousSaturday out of four suggested subjects. In the subsequent discussion it was a rule that everyonemust say something.Trinity College, CambridgeOct. 18th, ’94Dear RussellWhen I ?rst read your letter I thought that you had gone raving mad. Itook it round to Marsh, and he did not take such a serious view of the case.I will, of course, ask Ward about it directly. I don’t know how far it would bepossible for you to do much good at the subject, but I am fairly certain thatthe amount of economics which you would have to read, would not be morethan you could easily do. But I expect that, as well as Psychology and Ethicsthe autobiography of bertrand russell 104that you would have to learn some politics and law. I doubt whether you willreally ?nd much life in trying to ?nd out whether the word ‘Utility’ can haveany meaning and what is meant by a man’s ‘demand for tobacco’. Surely youhave a very excellent opportunity of being of some service to the Universe bywriting about space whereas I doubt if you will quickly increase humanhappiness by doing the basis of economics. For, on the one hand, owingchie?y to the spread of democracy, it is distrusted and despised, and on theother hand the few people who, like myself, think that it is or ought to be ascience naturally do not much mind whether it means anything or not. Iexpect McTaggart will have a ?t if I tell him what you say. Trotter would like apaper from you (if it is possible) for the Moral Science Club. Last Saturdaywe chose subjects and Marsh is reading on Saturday on, I think, ‘Why welike nature’. Please let someone know as soon as possible which day youare coming up on. It is splendid of you to come. We are thinking aboutGeorge Trevvy but are not quite decided. I hear that Edward Carpenter haspublished yet another pamphlet on ‘Marriage’. I will send you a copy assoon as I get one.Have you got Erdmann’s book on the Axioms of Geometry or do youknow of anyone up here who has it; as I rather want to read it and can’t ?nd itin the ’Varsity library. Do you see the English papers? Some women have beenraising hell about the prostitutes at the Empire and it is probably going to beclosed. I wish they would protest against those in the streets instead.I can’t ?nd anything to write about in Economics and I ?nd law somewhatdull so I should be depressed if it were not that I am going to hear the 9thSymphony on the day after tomorrow.Yours frat.Charles Percy SangerTrinity College, CambridgeOct. 19th, ’94Dear RussellI went to Ward and asked him about you. He said immediately that youhad better do economics, if you thought that you would like it better. Thatthe important thing was to work at what you liked and that though yourdissertation would have to go in by August, yet you worked very fastand would probably have enough time. He also said that there was not theslightest objection to your sending in two or more dissertations, or that ifyou write an article on space in ‘Mind’ or elsewhere that you could countthat in with your dissertation on Economics. But that, as one would expect,two moderate dissertations do not count as one good one. He said that hewould not advise you about economics and suggested that you should writeto Marshall. Have you read Keynes’17book on the Scope and Method ofengagement 105Economics? I think that that perhaps might interest you. Marsh tells me thatMcTaggart is rather horri?ed.Your friendCharles Percy SangerTrinity College, CambridgeOct. 23, ’94Dear RussellI’m very glad you’re coming soon and it’s all your eye to say you don’twant to write a paper.Your ?rst letter to Sanger was most subversive, the e?ect on us can only becompared (in its humble way) to that produced on Europe by the CabinetCouncil last month – Sanger came rushing round here to say you were quitemad, and ?nding me unprepared with an opinion o?ered me his. Not beingentirely satis?ed with my attitude he proceeded to spoil McTaggart’s appetiteby telling him the dreadful news as he was marching up to the Fellows’ table.He’s since been more or less paci?ed by Ward – I don’t know anything aboutthe rights and wrongs of the case, but I can’t refrain from appealing to yourbetter nature to consider what o’clock it is, to consider what a long wayyou’ve got to go before July, to consider anything – before embarking on arash project.I was awfully glad to get your letter (the day before I left Heidelberg) andhear you were happier in Paris; I don’t know how often I’ve nearly answeredit since – I seem to be working very hard this term, as I do nothing else in theday except perhaps a game of 5’s, 30 pages of Zola, and of course meals, butthese very moderate and un-Heidelberg. Life a?ords few distractions. I knowlamentably few people, yet the temptation to call on freshers is one which iseasy to resist. The fact is I’m getting old and posé, even rheumatic, and almostrespectable; parts of this letter are in my new Mary Bennet style. Z.B., the ideaof life a?ording few distractions, though not perhaps wholly new, strikes meas well expressed.I saw Miss Pearsall Smith on Saturday at the Richter Concert, and wediscussed the comparative fascination of space and economics. She lookedvery well – and had such a pretty green cloak with fur trimmings. Sanger saidhe was going to tell you what had been happening in the Society. Last Sat.was rather a failure, as I had discovered that my paper was all nonsense onFriday; besides wh. Sanger and I were so completely done by the Concert thatwe hadn’t an idea in our heads. I had ‘brain stoppage’ every time I was askeda question. We are thinking of little Trevy,18but Moore who knows himbetter than anyone else has scruples. I’m rather hoping that a young Babe atKing’s may turn out embryonic – He’s in?nitely the cleverest and mostfascinating of the family.the autobiography of bertrand russell 106I’ve done a fabulous amount of work today so I’d better leave o?. esp. as Ishall see you so soon and talking is better than writing (esp. my writing wh.has gone rather funny on this page).Yrs. fraternallyE. M.(Edward Marsh)Trinity College, CambridgeOct. 22nd, ’94Dear RussellI am very glad that you can arrange to come up. I will see about the rooms.We should be very glad if you would read a paper as there are only four ofus now.Maggie Tulliver or Cleopatra sounds such a good subject that you hadbetter read on it and thus don’t trouble to send subjects for us to choose. Lastweek Marsh read an excellent paper on ‘Do we like nature’, but unfortunatelythe discussion was not so good as Marsh and I were quite stupid (we hadheard the Choral Symphony in the afternoon) and there were only Mooreand Dickinson besides. Dickinson was good and I expect that Moore was, butI couldn’t understand him. In the letter that I wrote telling you what Wardhad said, I don’t know whether I su?ciently emphasised the fact that hisgreat point was that you should work at what you like (in distinction I thinkto what you might think you ought to do). He was quite strong on the pointthat if Metageometry bored you, it was better that you should do somethingelse. We are quite divided about George Trevey – that is to say Marsh andWedgewood are in favour of him, and I am, on whole, neutral but Moorethinks that most of our discussions would not interest him. The spookical[psychical] society have got hold of a medium who does things that theycan’t explain. Myers is, of course, triumphant and Sidgwick is forced to admitthat at the time he was convinced, but thinks that he isn’t now.Yours frat.Charles Percy SangerTrinity College, CambridgeWednesday (1894)Dear RussellI’ll send the paper o? tomorrow; the end part is rather muddling to anuneducated person, but I’m glad I read it again.I’ve just come back from a concert. I was next an old lady who was exactlylike the leg of mutton in Alice; the features were almost identical and she hada becoming pink paper frill on her head, which a closer inspection revealedas a dyed feather. I don’t think she can have known the picture.engagement 107MacT.’s paper on Sunday was very interesting. Mackenzie remarkedafterwards that Hegel’s theory of punishment was quite di?erent, and MacT.simply continued to smile – I don’t know wh. was in the right, but I neversaw MacT. shut up so easily. It was very funny to see Trotter follow him in theroom, humble and imitative – he had an air of being ‘also stark mad, in whitecotton’ (do you remember the Con?dante in the Critic?)I had such a funny scene with my bedmaker the night you left. I was in mybedroom, and heard a timid voice calling me. ‘Well’, I said. ‘Isn’t this a sada?air, sir?’ she began in her plaintive voice. ‘What?’ I asked (I thought MrsAppleton must have had twins at least) – ‘About your table, sir’. ‘Well?’‘We ren’t you surprised to ?nd the leaf still in?’ ‘Very much, why was it?’‘Didn’t the gentleman tell you, sir?’ ‘What gentleman? What’s happened?’ Itturned out she’d broken a bit of the wood, just as Tommy Booth came in witha pipe of mine. Wasn’t it extraordinary how she couldn’t tell me straight out? Ihope when my wife dies, or anything like that, I shall always have someone tomake my troubles ridiculous by their exaggerated concern. I never can mindwhen anything goes wrong in my room. I can’t resist Mrs Roper’s sympathy.Oswald Sickert’s book is out at last, he sent me a copy this morning. It isdedicated to me, which makes me very proud – it reads much better than itdid in ??. I think it’s splendid.We’re going to have another enormous meeting next Sat. Mayor, Trevy,Theo all coming to Moore’s paper. I dare say I’ll write to you about it. I thinkthis is the end of my news for the present and it’s near 12.GoodnightE. H. M. (Marsh)Trinity College CambridgeNov. 21st ’94My dear RussellI’ve just come back from such a funny concert – not that it was particularlyfunny, but I was put in a thoroughly unmusical frame of mind by the ?rstperformer who appeared – one of the wiry and businesslike kind (of mon-keys, I mean – she is a monkey) – she played very much like a person, but notquite. Of course it was very creditable to the result of so recent an evolutionto do it so well but it hindered one’s appreciation of the music. The nextperson was a singer – one of those middle aged ladies who have an air ofbeing caricatures of their former selves – she made one of those curiousconfessions which are only heard in Concert rooms about her behaviour oncein a state of drink, when she enlaced a gentleman in her arms – Te souviens-tu de notre ivresse quand nos bras étaient enlacés? Conybeare remarked that ifshe was in ivresse she was now in evening dress – her arch curtseys at the endwere a sight to be seen.the autobiography of bertrand russell 108When did I last write to you? Have you heard about Moore’s paper onFriendship? There’s not much to say about it, as it was a speci?cation of one’sown ideal more or less, without much practical bearing. Of course our poorold friend copulation came in for its usual slating, one wd. think from the waypeople talk about it in the Society that it was a kind of Home Rule Bill that hasto be taken some notice of, but which everyone thinks a bore. The discussionwas interesting. Trevy, Theo and Mayor were all up. Mayor gave Theo occasionto say he hadn’t expected to ?nd him such a middle aged phenomenonso soon. Mayor took wings – Wedd was there too, he and Theo talked well.19Last Sat. McT. read an old paper. Why are roseleaves crumpled? on the originof evil. – It wasn’t quite satisfactory, as on the one hand MacT. has changedhis position since he wrote it, and on the other it was rather a nuisance noone except him knowing the dialectic – one felt like the audience at anextension-lecture. Sanger reads on What is education? on Sat. Crompton willbe up.Lady Trevy was up today. I always like her very much, she has such anessential gaiety. I met a lovely person on Sunday, Miss Stawell, whomDickinson was nice enough to ask me to meet. I think she’s very superiorindeed – she seems to have quite a rare feeling for beauty in art, I hope weshall see more of her.20Mayor’s sister was there too, she seemed rathercommon and ?ippant in comparison. It’s great fun seeing so much of Verrallas I do now – (I go to him for composition again), the other day I asked himthe meaning of something in the Shelley we had to translate – ‘I’m sure Ican’t tell you my little dear’, he answered, ‘you pays yr money and you takesyour choice.’ That kind of thing makes me very cheerful.The day’s coming very near now, isn’t it? What a wonderful thought.Remember to tell me how your grandmother is when you write.Yrs. fraternallyEdward M. (Marsh)By the way thanks for the photograph, it’s good on the whole, tho’ youlook rather bumptious.Pembroke Lodge,Richmond, SurreySep. 16/’94Dearest BertieI can’t say I am much disappointed with your second letter – for ‘I mean’ todo so and so in yr ?rst left little hope of yr considering any other course. Ofcourse I am very sorry, as U.R.21and Auntie will be – she writes as if she cdnot think you wd. wish to be out of the country this winter – but that isnothing.22You must do what you think best, and I must rememberengagement 109As one by one thy hopes departBe resolute and calm—They have been departing in rapid succession of late – but when I turn mymind to good and happy Dunrozel, to human perfection in Agatha, to thegoodness and unceasing a?ection of my old children and their children, toother relations and to many faithful friends, I feel how much beauty therestill is in life for wch in my old age I have to thank God. And for you, my toodear boy, I can only try to hope, though the way is not easy to ?nd. Have youcalled on the people to whom the Baronne gave you letters? She asked meyesterday. The Warburtons are gone, and Lotty,23dear wonderful Lotty,come. You know what it is to her and me to be together. I’m glad you like MrDodson (no g) – I think there must be everythg. to like in Mr Hardinge or Ld.Du?erin wd. not call him ‘a great friend’ – I did not imagine Ld. Terence tobe very nice – Ld. D’s children seem to be rather disappointments. Of courseone cannot ?nd everybody with whom one has intercourse having the sameinterests as oneself, but one can often be the better for entering into theirs – Ido hope that as time goes on and you know more people, you will enjoy Paristhoroughly – there is so much to enjoy there. Very good accounts of Auntieyou’ll be glad to hear but this is horrid letterless Sunday. Rollo proposesto come to me the 20th when Lotty goes – brings Arthur and Lisa – for10 days – such a joy in prospect.Goodbye and God bless you my dearest Child.Yr. ever lovingGrannyMy letters are for you alone – Remember I am more than willing to believethat you will pro?t by yr German experience, as regards yr studies.Pembroke LodgeRichmond, SurreyOct. 9, ’94Dearest BertieI am glad you have had more Embassy work to do. I guessed it would be so,owing to the ‘tension’ I think that’s the diplomatic word – between Englandand France – it must also have been more interesting work I shd think? Ihope and trust that both countries will behave well, in wch case peace andgoodwill will be preserved. I shd think the Govt of both likely to do so. I amalso very glad Mr Austin Lee is back – he is a man well worth knowing. By thistime, accordg to the D.E.’s (d’Estournelles), a good many of their friends arereturning to Paris and I shall be anxious to hear how you get on with thescienti?c, the political, the musical and charming among them to whom youhave letters....the autobiography of bertrand russell 110My dearest Child, you must not wish time to pass more quickly than itdoes! There is little enough of it for us to make the use of that we ought. Ofcourse I understand as anybody would that you regret even this short separ-ation – but perhaps you don’t know how very much you would have su?eredin the estimation of the many who wish you well in the highest sense and carefor us and know what we had always thought and felt about you, had youremained in England leading the life you were leading – indeed you hadalready su?ered greatly and so had she and I felt that having work to do abroadwas the only chance to prevent increasing blame and if you are to marry her,before you have learned to know anybody else, I do most earnestly wish thatthere may be as little unfavourable impression as possible. You wrote to meonce, dear boy, that you dreamed of me constantly by night and thought ofme by day and wondered how you cd make me happier about you – and Ihave sometimes thought of puttg down on paper what has made me and yrUncle and Aunt so unhappy – in regular order of events and incidents –to help you, even now, to make us happier. Shall I do so? There is nothingI wish more ardently than to have good reason to love dearly the person youmarry if I live to see you married. I am going on pretty well – only a veryslow downward progress of the disease – so that I am still able to do prettymuch as usual, except breathing in bed – I have discomfort but nothg worthcallg pain.If you write to Auntie only say about me that you hear I am going onvery well.Yr most lovingGrannyPembroke LodgeRichmond, SurreyOct. 23/’94Dearest BertieWe were glad of your letter to Tat,24but sorry that no notice had yet beentaken of your cards. The cycling in the Bois de Boulogne must be great fun. Isuppose you go with the others? You don’t mention Lord Du?erin havingarrived; which according to newspapers ought I think to be the case. What apity Frank’s visit was no pleasure. I think he really went out of good natureto you on my telling him how lonely you felt, but we quite understand whatyou mean. I am better for the moment. I hope it may turn out for more thanthe moment – for Agatha’s sake especially. She, poor darling, is far from well,and obliged to stay very late in bed. Dear good Isabel [Mrs Warburton] wentyesterday – her visit has been touchingly delightful, in spite of or indeedpartly because of my being very unwell most of the time – she is sosimpatica, and we had much solemn conversation intermingled withengagement 111pressing topics. – You have never answered my next to last letter, whichI thought you would like but I will not enter upon the subject of you andMiss P. S. – writing is so unsatisfactory – except just to say her refusal to seeme makes everything very di?cult to me. It is the ?rst time in my long lifethat such a thing has happened to me. I don’t think it is doing her any goodand tho’ for her sake I put it as gently as I can. She was so good and thankedme when from my interest in her I several times told her where I thought shehad been wrong – and on her various visits after that she was altogether nice,and I was growing happy and hopeful that we should ?nd her deserving ofthe love we were more than ready to give. Then came the sudden and to usutterly unaccountable change – and I cannot but be saddened by the thoughtthat the person you love is one who refuses to see me and whom therefore Ican never know any better even if I live longer than is likely. Howevernothing can pain me much longer here below, and in the meantime I tryas a duty not to think about all this, as it seems that mental troubles areparticularly bad for my kind of illness. God bless you, my boy, and her too, ismy most earnest prayer.Yr ever lovingGrannyPembroke LodgeRichmond, SurreyOct. 30, 1894Dearest BertieGranny is much less well again – bad nights, pains and weakness. She isquite kept to bed today – and yesterday. Of course she cannot see yr. letters. Ihave told her of them. She long ago saw Alys’s letter to her and I think youwill remember that in hers to Alys she said she wished once to say what she felton that subject of yr proposed course – and never again. I suppose you willcome here on yr way to Cambridge? Let me know at once. Granny I’m certainwill be medically ordered never to touch on painful subjects and of course, Inever shall, and she has once for all said what she felt and what was her dutyto say if she cared for you and Alys. Dearest Bertie I cannot write more I am sodisheartened seeing Granny su?er. It pains me beyond expression that youthink I have been ‘hard’ and without sympathy. If my words have everseemed so you must remember and will know some day that only love was inmy heart and that nothing but love prevented absolute silence on my part forspeaking was far more painful than you now understand.Your lovingAuntiethe autobiography of bertrand russell 112Pembroke LodgeRichmond, SurreyNov. 19, 1894My dear AlysRollo reminded us that Dec. 14th was the day of the death of Prince Albertand of Princess Alice – and considering our situation with regard to theQueen, we feel we could none of us like the Wedding being on that day. I amsure you will not mind our mentioning this. Would not the 15th do? We didnot quite understand the reasons against that day. I hope you and Bertie had a