T. E. Lawrence Correspondence – Page 568

COPY. Clouds Hill, Moreton, Dorset. 10.6.35. Dear Ishan, Morton, like the wholly gentle and decent man that he is, was delighted to hear that I had remained in his name the firm's involuntary omission to send you one of the limited Odysseys. He has written to confirm you in my forecast. Excellent ending to a mistendu. New subject. The enclosed - who or what is this self-styled "University" and where are its manners? They have apparently bought somewhere a letter from me to someone, and have published it without even attempting to ask my permission first. As you know, I greatly dislike the publication of private letters (except after very full consideration) and therefore the insult is greater than the injury. Yet the injury is not negligible. My writing does command a certain market price, and they have stolen it. As soon as I was sent the column, my mind turned to you. You must be learned in U.S.A. law: you may know a really good hard bad-tempered blackmailing lawyer. When the Anderson galleries published that letter which accompanied your proofs of the Seven Pillars, I wrote to Nelson Doubleday and suggested that as my American publisher he might be able to twist their tails. He didn't, or couldn't. I do not know how copyright stands in the States: but the bad manners of this effort, at least, seems to me so flagrant that if the University has any reputation, it could be made to squirm. A caution, though. My total income is now less than 30/- a week, and all of it must go on necessaries. So please don't involve me in any expense greater than the income of one week .... say seven dollars the limit. But if your lawyers can squeeze anything from the purse of the pirates, than he will be welcome to it for himself. I went to hear a squeal from them, to teach them manners (or if that is too much, prudence) in the hereafter. Yours, T.E. SHAW.