T. E. Lawrence Correspondence – Page 494

To Hogarth 7.VII.77 2 even be possible to get back in '29. The sooner the better, from my point of view. I've turned suddenly, as I always thought I would, to corse into middle age: hair going white, the fellows tell me: and my eyesight and hearing both giving me trouble with what little time I have to expect, the more I want to spend it in England. The one great loss when I came to the R.A.F. war-history, which Jones was to have finished: I do not think it has suffered, but why not lend Sir H.Samuel a copy, if you have an incomplete set? I think that would give him a sense of the untidness of the book to be his possession. But if he still wants it, after that, let him exert his own obliquity. The Geraldesa copy which you still require should be sent to C.S.C.Book Rs H.H.S.Naval Base Singapore Wood is the engineer who rode with me to the Tell el Shehab ridge one night, and he has asked for a copy. Will you send him a brief letter with it, from yourself, saying that "... understands from me that he wishes to read it, and that you therefore put this copy at his disposal: for such time as he require: it - no, from me, that self t-re will not give him great pleasure, and I hope that he will return it here, after reading it. There is a shortage of the beastly things. After I came home I'll craw from Doran four or five of the sale copies in his safe, and use those to stop the mouths of entitled by dismounted claimants. So we will keep a list, still, detaile there being no more incompletes left. The completes we'll hold. One is to be a brough, for me, in 1900, if I'm still inclined to file after I get home. T.R.S.