Correspondence – Page 25

To: Lieut. Robin White, R.N., F.E.S. Aeologe.

From: [illegible]
Plymouth,
10/11/31.

Dear Lieutenant White

You will have thought me very rude for not
answering your letter before, but I have been on detached
duty for months, testing and testing some new types of motor-
boats being built for the R.A.F.F. I had, interesting job
which has entirely held up all my own affairs.

Consequently the Odyssey is not finished. I have
done book 21, and have 3 to do. The publisher wants it as
soon as possible, to produce in the late autumn or next
spring. It will probably be 12 quires, and is not yet
all subscribed. 500 copies. This bad season has killed
the luxury book trade, like all other fwash. The Fleet B(or d).4 will be
lucky if they sell the whole edition, now.

I would like to give you a copy, but can only two,
and both are earmarked already.

I do not know what to say about the book. It is
very well but plainly printed: very lightly decorated:
a little rough. The translation is better than some, but
plainly (definitely) than Samuel Batley’s. The thing does
worse than his. Its straight, and as an investment
not vastly appeal to me, as not coming out of the fine-
edition market.

I saw Maurice Baring, who rolled into Plymouth on
his Tiger months ago. He spoke of you. A strange, fervid
creature, all called for birds, as for the last 20 years.

Hornby is closing his Press, after the Thucydides.
He has done such lovely work. His Quixote, his
I fear. His Dante, his Morte d’Arthur, his Virgil ….
dozens of them.

The Italian “Novels” was licensed, I believe. The
ownership of “Norels” passed out of my hands in 1927, and
I do not follow its fortunes.