THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

From R. Vaughan Williams,
10, Hanover Terrace,
Regents Park,
London, N.W.1.

December 27th 1957.

Dear Eslyn & Michael

Thank you so much for both the books.  I expect the Metaphysical poets are more for Ursula, but I have a particular interest in Robert Graves as I know him slightly.  I think I told you of our last meeting, but will repeat it, in case I haven’t.  It sounds like a game of consequences!  We discovered that we had both been at Charterhouse, where upon we both started singing the Carmen Carthusianum in a majorcan restaurant in loud voices – this caused a thunder storm, whereupon Robert Graves upset his coffee over Ursula and a cat.¹
Our love to you both and hopes for a happy new year.
Ralph²

1.  The Kennedys had given VW for Christmas a revised edition of Robert Graves’s memoir Goodbye to all that originally published in 1929.  For the full story of the encounter with Graves in Majorca see R.V.W.: a biography, p. 375.
2.  This letter printed in part in Michael Kennedy, Works of Vaughan Williams, p. 390.