of people that the absence of a creed is no reason for not thinking in areligious way; and this is useful both to the person who insists on a creed inorder to save his religious life, and to the person who ceases to think seriouslybecause he has lost his creed.Schiller, in his article, struck me as a pathetic fool, who had seized onPragmatism as the drowning man’s straw. I agree with you wholly thatPhilosophy cannot give religion, or indeed anything of more than intellectualinterest. It seems to me increasingly that what gives one the beliefs by whichone lives is of the nature of experience: it is a sudden realisation, or perhaps agradual one, of ethical values which one had formerly doubted or taken ontrust; and this realisation seems to be caused, as a rule, by a situation contain-ing the things one realises to be good or bad. But although I do not thinkphilosophy itself will give anything of human interest, I think a philosophicaltraining enables one to get richer experiences, and to make more use of thosethat one does get. And I do not altogether wish mankind to become too?rmly persuaded that there is no road from philosophy to religion, becauseI think the endeavour to ?nd one is very useful, if only it does not destroycandour.What is valuable in Tolstoi, to my mind, is his power of right ethical‘principia mathematica’ 181judgments, and his perception of concrete facts; his theorisings are of courseworthless. It is the greatest misfortune to the human race that he has so littlepower of reasoning.I have never read Lady Welby’s writings, but she sent me some remarkson my book, from which I judged that she is interested in a good manyquestions that interest me. I doubt very much, all the same, how much sheunderstood my book. I know too little of her to know whether I shouldunderstand her or not.I think Shaw, on the whole, is more bounder than genius; and though ofcourse I admit him to be ‘forcible’, I don’t admit him to be ‘moral’. I thinkenvy plays a part in his philosophy in this sense, that if he allowed himself toadmit the goodness of things which he lacks and others possess, he wouldfeel such intolerable envy that he would ?nd life unendurable. Also he hatesself-control, and makes up theories with a view to proving that self-controlis pernicious. I couldn’t get on with Man and Superman: it disgusted me.I don’t think he is a soul in Hell dancing on red-hot iron. I think his Hell ismerely diseased vanity and a morbid fear of being laughed at.Berenson is here. I shall be very curious to see what you say on Music. Ihave never made up my mind whether, if I were founding the Republic, Ishould admit Wagner or even Beethoven; but not because I do not like them.I am working hard at Vol. II.8When it goes well, it is an intense delight,when I get stuck, it is equally intense torture.Yours alwaysBertrand RussellIvy LodgeTilford, FarnhamSep. 22, 1904Dear GoldieThanks for sending me the enclosed, which I have read with interest.I think you state your position clearly and very well. It is not a position thatI can myself agree with. I agree that ‘faith in some form or other seems to bean almost necessary condition, if not of life, yet of the most fruitful and noblelife’. But I do not agree that faith ‘can be legitimate so long as it occupies aregion not yet conquered by knowledge’. You admit that it is wrong to say:‘I believe, though truth testify against me.’ I should go further, and hold it iswrong to say: ‘I believe, though truth do not testify in my favour.’ To mymind, truthfulness demands as imperatively that we should doubt what isdoubtful as that we should disbelieve what is false. But here and in all argu-ments about beliefs for which there is no evidence, it is necessary to dis-tinguish propositions which may be fairly allowed to be self-evident, andwhich therefore a?ord the basis of indirect evidence, from such as ought tothe autobiography of bertrand russell 182have proofs if they are to be accepted. This is a di?cult business, and prob-ably can’t be done exactly. As for faith, I hold (a) that there are certainpropositions, an honest belief in which, apart from the badness of believingwhat is false, greatly improves the believer, (b) that many of these verypropositions are false. But I think that faith has a legitimate sphere in therealm of ethical judgments, since these are of the sort that ought to be self-evident, and ought not to require proof. For practice, it seems to me that avery high degree of the utility of faith can be got by believing passionately inthe goodness of certain things which are good, and which, in a greater or lessdegree, our actions are capable of creating. I admit that the love of God, ifthere were a God, would make it possible for human beings to be better thanis possible in a Godless world. But I think the ethical faith which is warrantedyields most of what is necessary to the highest life conceivable, and all that isnecessary to the highest life that is possible. Like every religion, it containsethical judgments and judgments of fact, the latter asserting that our actionsmake a di?erence, though perhaps a small one, to the ethical value of theuniverse. I ?nd this enough faith to live by, and I consider it warranted byknowledge; but anything more seems to me more or less untruthful, thoughnot demonstrably untrue.Let me know what you would reply. Address here, though I shall be away.I am going tomorrow to Brittany with Theodore for a fortnight. I hope yoursciatica is better.Yours everB. RussellI Tatti,Settignano, FlorenceMarch 22, 1903Dear BertieI have read your essay three times, and liked it better and better. Perhaps themost ?attering appreciation to be given of it is that the whole is neither out oftune with nor unworthy of the two splendid passages you wrote here – I seeno objection to this essay form. I have no wish of my own with regard to theshape your writing is to take. I am eager that you shall express yourselfsooner or later, and meanwhile you must write and write until you begin tofeel that you are saying what you want to say, in the way that you wish othersto understand it.The really great event of the last few weeks has been Gilbert Murray. I fearI should fall into school-girlishness if I ventured to tell you how much I likedhim. You will judge when I say that no woman in my earlier years made metalk more about myself than he has now. Conversation spread before us likean in?nite thing, or rather like something opening out higher and greater‘principia mathematica’ 183with every talk. I found him so gentle, so sweetly reasonable – almost theideal companion. Even I could forgive his liking Dickens, and Tennyson. – Hehas been responsible for the delay of this scrawl, for he absorbed my energies.What little was left went to my proofs. Happily they are nearly done.I am so glad that Alys is coming out. It is very good of her. I shall enjoy hervisit, and be much the better for it. Dickinson will I fear su?er from thecontrast with Murray.I am in the middle of the Gespr?che mit Goethe all interesting. – What have youdone with your paper on mathematics?Yours everB. B. (Berenson)GrayshottHaslemere, SurreyJa. 10, 1904My dearest BertieI was so very, very sorry to hear that you were not at Dora’s9funeral. I feltquite sure you would be present and can only think that something veryde?nite must have prevented you. – I know you may feel that this last token ofrespect means little and is of no avail – but I am quite sure after all she did foryou in old days and all the love she gave you that her sister and friends willhave felt pained at your absence – if you could have gone. – Many thanks toAlys for her letter and the little Memorial Book she forwarded – I concludeyou have one. – Perhaps you have never heard it at the grave of one you loved –but the Burial Service is about the most impressive and solemn – andespecially with music is sometimes a real help in hours of awful sorrow inlifting one up above and beyond it. – I have had a kind letter from Dora’ssister to whom I wrote as I feel most deeply for her – it is a terrible loss – sheis alone and had hoped some day Dora would live with her. – I hope youwrote to her.Miss Sedg?eld10is probably going on Tuesday to Highgate for a week andvery much hopes to be at your lecture next Friday. – Perhaps you will see herbut anyhow please ask Alys if she will look out for her. She has written fortickets. She asks me to tell you that she particularly hopes you are going tomake it comprehensible to the feeblest intelligence – no angles and squaresand triangles no metaphysics or mathematics to be admitted!Thank Alys very much for the enclosures which I was delighted to see theyare very interesting and I should like some to send to a few who might beinterested. But I don’t like the sentence about Retaliation. The word alone isdistasteful and I have just looked it out in Johnson – To ‘retaliate’ (even whensuccessful so-called) is not a Tolstoyan or better a Christian maxim. – I hopeyour lectures will contain some sentiment and some ideals! – even from thethe autobiography of bertrand russell 184low point of view of success they will be more e?ective if they do! – HowI wish I could come and hear you – I will read you in the Edinburgh but itwould be more interesting to hear and I never have heard you or Alys once!With much love to you both and best wishes for your work in the goodcause,11Your lovingAuntieIvy LodgeTilford, FarnhamMay 17, 1904My dearest BertieI hope thee will not mind my writing thee a real letter on thy birthday. I tryvery hard always to keep on the surface, as thee wishes, but I am sure theewill remember how some feelings long for expression.I only want to tell thee again how very much I love thee, and how glad I amof thy existence. When I could share thy life and think myself of use to thee, itwas the greatest happiness anyone has ever known. I am thankful for thememory of it, and thankful that I can still be near thee and watch thy devel-opment. When thee is well and happy and doing good work, I feel quitecontented, and only wish that I were a better person and able to do morework and be more worthy of thee. I never wake in the night or think of theein the daytime without wishing for blessings on my darling, and I shallalways love thee, and I hope it will grow more and more unsel?sh.Thine ever devotedlyAlysCamboNorthumberland(July, 1904)Dear BertieI want to tell you how very ?ne the last part of your article is. If I couldnow and then write like that I should feel more certainly justi?ed than I do inadopting writing as a business.When I get south again at the beginning of August I should much like totalk to you. I have much to ask you now. Tolstoi’s letter in Times has set methinking very uncomfortably – or feeling rather. It ?lls me with (i) a new senseof doubt and responsibility as to my own manner of life (ii) as to this of war.I feel as if we were all living in the City of Destruction but I am not certain asto whether I ought to ?ee – or whither.It may all come to nothing de?nite, but it ought at least to leave a di?erentspirit.‘principia mathematica’ 185I have for long been too happy and contented with everything includingmy work. Then the intense moral superiority of Tolstoi’s recusant conscriptsknocks all the breath out of one’s fatuous Whig bladder of self contentment.1. In ? a sheet do you agree with Tolstoi about war?2. Where will you be in August?YoursGeorge TrevelyanCamboNorthumberlandJuly 17, 1904Dear BertieI am deeply grateful to you for having written me so long and carefullyconsidered a letter. But it was not a waste of time. I am deeply interested in itand I think I agree with it altogether.On the other hand I hold that though you are right in supposing thepreparation of war to be a necessary function of modern states, in the spiritand under the restrictions you name, – still one of the principal means bywhich war will eventually be abolished is the passive resistance of conscriptsin the conscription nations (to whose number we may be joined if things gobadly). It will take hundreds of years to abolish war, and there will be a ‘?eryroll of martyrdom’, opening with these recusant convicts of Tolstoi’s. It isthese people, who will become an ever increasing number all over Europe,who will ?nally shame the peoples of Europe into viewing war and inter-national hatred as you do, instead of viewing it as they do now. Great changesare generally e?ected in this way, but by a double process – gradual change inthe general sentiment and practice, led and really inspired by the extremeopinion and action of people condemned by the mass of mankind, whomnevertheless they a?ect.Three cheers for Tolstoi’s letter all the same. Also I think that any proposalto introduce conscription into England must be resisted on this ground(among others) that govt. has not the right to coerce a person’s conscienceinto ?ghting or training for war if he thinks it wrong.I think I also agree with you as to the duty of living and working in theCity of Destruction, rather than ?eeing from it. But a duty that is also apleasure, though it is none the less still a duty, brings dangers in the course ofits performance. It is very di?cult, in retaining the bulk of one’s property andleisure at the disposal of one’s own will, to live in the spirit of this maxim:‘One has only a right to that amount of property which will conduce most tothe welfare of others in the long run.’I enclose a letter and circular. Will you join? I have done so, and I thinkwe are probably going to elect Goldie Dickinson who expressed a willingnessthe autobiography of bertrand russell 186to join. There will certainly be perfectly free discussion and the peoplewill be worth getting to know. There is no obligation, as of readingpapers, incumbent on any member. I think the various points of view of thereally religious who are also really free seekers after truth (a meagre band) isworth while our getting to know. They have expressed great hopes that youwill join.Yours everGeorge Trevelyan8 Cheyne GardensTuesdayOct. 11, ’04My dear RussellIt did me much good to see you again. I had a tale of woe and desperationto pour out – vague enough and yet not enough so it seemed while I wasrevolving it this morning; but when I had been with you a little while I didnot feel – well, magni?cently wretched enough to use desperate language. Iwas reminded of so many things I had well worth having. And my troubleseemed nothing that rational fortitude and very ordinary precepts properlyobeyed could not surmount.I look to you to help me more than anybody else just now. I feel that allthose re?nements which you suspect often are half weaknesses and I too,help me. It is everything to me to feel that you have no cut and dried rules ofwhat one man ought and ought not to say to another, yet I know how youhate a spiritual indelicacy.Do not answer this letter unless you want to or unless you have anythingyou want to say. We can talk of so many things right to the bottom which isthe blessing of blessings.I want to stop in London for a fortnight or so and get some work done.Then I shall be better able to tell you how it is with [sic]. I must begin to hopea little before I can talk about my despair.Your a?ectionateDesmond MacCarthy41 Grosvenor RoadWestminster EmbankmentOct. 16, 1904My dear BertieIt was kind of you to write to me your opinion of L. H. [LeonardHobhouse] pamphlet and I am glad that it coincides so exactly with myown. I quite agree with you in thinking that the fact that a ‘mood’ (such,for instance, as the instinctive faith in a ‘Law of Righteousness’, and my‘principia mathematica’ 187instinctive faith in prayer) is felt to be ‘compelling and recurrent’ has norelevance, as Proof of its correspondence ‘with our order of things’.I make an absolute distinction between the realm of proof (Knowledge ofProcesses) and the realm of aspiration or Faith – (the choice of Purposes.) AllI ask for this latter World, is tolerance – a ‘Let live’ policy. In my interpret-ation of this ‘Let live’ policy, I should probably di?er with you and L. H. –since I would permit each local community to teach its particular form of‘aspiration’ or ‘Faith’ out of common funds. I should even myself desire thisfor my own children – since I have found that my own existence would havebeen more degraded without it – and as I ‘desire’ what we call nobility ofPurpose, I wish for the means to bring it about. I know no other way ofdiscovering these means but actual experience or experiment, and so far myown experience and experiment leads me to the working Hypothesis ofpersistent Prayer. I do not in the least wish to force this practice on otherpeople and should be equally glad to pay for a school in which the experimentof complete secularisation (viz. nothing but the knowledge of Processes) wastried or for an Anglican or Catholic or Christian Science Establishment. All Idesire is that each section or locality should, as far as possible, be free to teachits own kind of aspirations or absence of Aspirations.Can you and Alys come to lunch on Thursday 10th and meet Mr Balfour?I am taking him to Bernard Shaw’s play. Could you not take tickets for thatafternoon? It will be well for you to know Mr Balfour – in case of RegiusProfessorships and the like!EverB. WebbPrivate Rozeldene, GrayshottHaslemere, SurreyMarch 20, 1905My dearest BertieI am only writing today on one subject which I wish now to tell youabout. – I have had and kept carefully ever since his death, your Grandfather’sgold watch and chain – I need not tell you how very very precious it is to me asof course I so well remember his always wearing it.But I should like very much now to give it to you – only with one condi-tion that you will leave it to Arthur, – or failing Arthur to Johnny – as I amanxious it should remain a Russell possession. I do not remember whetheryou have and wear now any watch which has any past association – if so ofcourse do not hesitate to tell me and I will keep this, for Arthur later on. But ifnot you could of course give (or keep if you prefer) your present watchthe autobiography of bertrand russell 188away – as I should like to feel you will wear and use this one – not put itaway. – However this you will tell me about.Dear dear Bertie I should like to feel that you will always try to be worthy –you will try I know – of being his grandson for he was indeed one of thevery best men the world has known – courageous – gentle – true – and witha most beautiful childlike simplicity and straightforwardness of naturewhich is most rare – I like to think that you remember him – and that his lastwords to you ‘Good little boy’, spoken from his deathbed with loving gentle-ness, – can remain with you as an inspiration to goodness through life; –but of course you cannot remember and cannot know all that he was. – But ifyou will have it I should like you to wear and treasure this watch in memoryof him – and of the long ago days in the dear home of our childhood.12God bless you.Your lovingAuntieI have just had the watch seen to in London – it is in perfect condition. Icould give it you on the 28th. – Thanks for your welcome letter last week.VicarageKirkby Lonsdale27 July, 1905BertieTheodore is dead, drowned while bathing alone on Tuesday in a pool inthe Fells, stunned as I have no doubt by striking his head in taking a headerand then drowned.I shall be back in London on Monday. Let me see you some time soon.Crompton(Oct. 31?, ’05)Dear BertieI enclose photo which I trust will do.I have some more of Theo which I want to shew you. When will you comefor a night?I have failed with—.13She says she thought she could have done anythingfor me but resolutely declines to marry me so the matter is at an end.Harry and I are going to Grantchester next Saturday. I haven’t managed avisit to Bedales yet.I have prepared your will but think I will keep it till I see you and can gothro’ it with you.The loss of Theodore seems still a mere phantasy and the strange mixtureof dream and waking thoughts and recollection and fact leave me in‘principia mathematica’ 189bewilderment but slowly the consciousness of a maimed existence remainingfor me makes itself felt, as of a body that has lost its limbs and strength andhas to go on with made-up supports and medical regimen and resignation tothe loss of possibilities of achievement and hopes of sunny days.I cling to you with all my heart and bless you for loving and helping me.CromptonStocks CottageTring23rd May, 1907Dear BertieSo now you have ‘fought a contested election’, which Teufelsdr?ck putswith the state of being in love, as being the second great experience of humanlife. I am the greater coward that I have never done the same, and probablynever shall. I don’t suppose a pair of more oddly contrasted candidates will bein the ?eld again for another 100 years, as you and Chaplin.What a sporting cove you are! Next time the Austrians conquer Italy youand I will go in a couple of red shirts, together, and get comfortably killedin an Alpine pass. I hardly thought you were such an adventurer, and hadso much of the ?ne old Adam in you, till I came home (like old motherHubbard) and found you conducting an election!!I am very grateful to you for the article in the Edinburgh.14It did the book alot of good, and helped to pull up the sale, which began badly and is nowdoing well. It was, I gather from Elliot, a disappointment to you not to be ableto do it at more leisure, and I want to tell you that I appreciate this sacri?ce tofriendship, and that it was a real service to me to have the review out in April.I was very much interested in several things you said, especially the sen-tence at the top of p. 507 about the special function of the Revolutionaries.I did not guess who had written it till Alys told us, tho’ I might have guessedit from your favourite story of Jowett’s remark on Mazzini.I hope you are both back in the academic pheasant preserve and that thequiet of Oxford is pleasant after such turmoil.Yours fraternallyGeorge Trevy67 Belsize Park GardensHampstead, N.W.23 October, 1907Dear RussellI have just read your article on Mathematics (in proof) and can’t resistwriting to say how much I was carried away by it. Really it’s magni?cent –one’s carried upwards into sublime heights – perhaps the sublimest of all!the autobiography of bertrand russell 190Your statement of the great thing about it seems to me absolutely clear andabsolutely convincing; it gives one a new conception of the glories of thehuman mind. The simile of the Italian Castle struck me as particularly ?ne,and the simplicity of the expression added tremendously to the e?ect. Whatscoundrels the Independent editors were!15And what fools!I could go on writing for pages – such is my excitement and enthusiasm.