T. E. Lawrence Correspondence – Page 482

To Hogarth 24.5.27 1) Yes. Gen Wright should have a gratis copy of the incomplete edition - those half-bound in cloth and morocco. There will be more of these, I expect, when Pike has finished. If he has not sent you the pigskin, then please ask him to send his copy to Gen. Wright at St. Leonard's, Devon.) 2) Your copy, being specially bound, will be issued after the ordinary distribution. I hope you will be satisfied with ... IAFLO... told. If not, then please send a line to Pike, and ask what is the cause of delay. It may be some trifling printer's hitch. 3). I said nothing about libel in the Trust deed, because before signing the shirkers used to Page 576 been twice through it, also no other end than to smell out the possibility of a libel action arising from it; and decided finally that every precaution personal irritation has disappeared; and further, it stands to reason that no one will take action against a second edition which must be sold in order to refund the advances have to be brought against the first issue in default. The book publication in England or America, is too precarious a risk. Consequently your hesitation has no real ground - as you have realized, upon seeing the very harmless expurgated literary abortions which Revolt in the Desert will seem to every right-thinking man. 4). Doughty letters. Yes. There are about 20 more loose, with a leaf or two round it) not looked, but closed, on a tray of the Four Bundles of Baker's office at 14 Oakley St., Postmen's letters, about 50, the rest not very interesting, except those; perhaps under a pile of papers. Baker's office is in a block near Hutchins, somewhere up Yooalstock Road in Oxford. I do not know if he still has the thing in his waste room or not. I'm advising in them of any use to you, if you can find anything. 5) Any Pike items are (intentionally) not complete. No body but myself knows how many copies of the Seven Pillars were sent out A to Roger. Two hundred and thirty nine copies in all of the various editions (i.e. Oxford, Creswell, New York) are still extant. When the Pike balance comes down, please avoid the risk of picking them up with the special copy (containing one extra cut & 2 extra plates) which Messiah is to send direct to even for preser-I do not want it in this place: but I want you to hold it, till I can send or ask you to dispose of it. There will be 50 or sixty plus copies, & these I'm going to hold on to, in case they have to be sold for the highest possible price, & used to help pay off Robin Austen's loan to me. I do not expect there to be any such eventual attritition: finance has very cautiously conservative: but it's as well to run no risk whatever. That's my life's motto. Yours T.E.S. 341