T. E. Lawrence Correspondence – Page 174

To: G.P.J. Cumberlege, From: "..." Dear Mr. Cumberlege, Since your letter came I have seen Bruce Rogers - seen him twice in his last days here, for he has sailed for the States - and we have discussed generally the American edition of the "Mystery". Incidentally he showed me a suggested page of it. I am aware of the importance of the money side of it to B.R., and will allow nothing to be done to favour it - short of having an English public edition. Books are miser- ies, and if I could, there would be no more of them. I hope never to put out anything in England again. The States will matter to me: I do not care what they do, and they will no... be any trouble on this side. English booksellers are stiff-necked. They do not import American books: and if they do, the public refuse them. So unless someone actually advertises the thing over here, there will be no demand; and imports can be checked by Walker's, as an infringement of his copyright ! I have dealt with the royalty question direct with B.R. as you suggested. He bought out Colonel Isham's interest, which was a good act; but not immediately profitable to me, for had the burden been Isham's there would have been no need of translator on your edition. In my contract for doing the English version I stipwed myself expressly against all assoc- iation with any edition of the book. So I want you to realise that in accepting the use of my name upon your edition I am sacrificing what I regard as very important. I do not want you or anyone to imagine that I have let B.R. down. He understood from the beginning that I was opposed to any mention of myself. Had the version been done in my two years in India, and promptly printed, no curiosity about it would ever have arisen. I shall be much more careful and exacting upon any future occasion - unless this experience teaches me to prevent future occasions ! Yours T. E. Shaw.