Derryherk House Hotel,
Lough Melvin, Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal, Ireland Aug 31/52
My dear Roger
Good. I shall, D.V., breakfast in Woodside Hotel on the 9th and expect you there at about 10.168
South Donegal is a terrifying country: I have much to tell, but you see what the pen is like. Have read Virgin of the Sun169 & think it one of the 3 or 4 best books Haggard ever wrote. My duty to June.
Yours
Jack
TO JUNE LANCELYN GREEN (BOD):
Magdalen College,
Oxford. Sept 11th 1952
Dear June
‘Roofers’170 traditionally begin, I think, with the assurance that the writer arrived safely home—though it is not very easy to see why one’s hostess should be supposed to doubt this once she has got the letter. At any rate, I am not now writing from the other world. (Perhaps the idea is to assure the hostess that the guest has really gone: arrival at one place being the strongest evidence of departure from another.)
Well, thank you both very much. Last night was among the great nights (‘devilish’ or ‘famously snug’ as the last century said) and led through a flawless tunnel of sleep to a typically beautiful morning. I see one can’t blame Roger for always writing about his own house. By the way, tell him I finished his Lewis Carol171 (a word I don’t know how to spell) all but two pages in the train. It cd. hardly be better. If he ever has a chance he shd. take out 9 of every 10 exclamation marks, though. I feel about them as the Red Queen felt when she said ‘You needn’t say exactually, I can believe you without that.’172
If this letter contains anything insane, take it all for the best and remember I have been writing for hours: mostly dull ones. But I really did love my sojourn, and am v. grateful. Blessings on you all.
Yours ever
Jack Lewis
TO FLORENCE (MICHAL) WILLIAMS (W):173
Magdalen College,
Oxford. Sept 12/52
Dear Michal
What day are you coming? Wd. you and Michael174 care to lunch? or (if you want more tête-à-tête, as well you may) can you meet me for a drink anywhere? Joy Gresham is an old & valued pen-friend of mine: I’m so glad you like her.175 Prod her to say when she is coming to us.176
Yours ever
Jack
TO MARG-RIETTE MONTGOMERY (W):
Magdalen College,
Oxford Sept 12th 1952
Dear Miss Montgomery
Thanks for your letter of July 24th. That’s right: keep on holding the life-line, like someone going down broken stairs into a dark cellar, anxious not to miss any treasure it may contain but even more determined not to make any step wh. can’t be retraced.
I think the Anthros177 suffer not so much from heresies about the Son as from heresies—or total vagueness—about the Father. God keep you.
Yours sincerely
C. S. Lewis
TO MARY VAN DEUSEN (W):
Magdalen etc.
Sept 12/52
Dear Mrs. Van Deusen
I’ve just got back from Ireland & found your 2 letters among the mountain of mail. I’ve written to Genia. No time for a proper letter to you—I’ve had 9 hours’ letter-writing already! Blessings.
Yours
C. S. Lewis
The Voyage of the ‘Dawn Treader’ was published by Geoffrey Bles of London on 15 September 1952.
TO GEOFFREY BLES (BOD):
Magdalen
15/9/52
My dear Bles
Achtung! Here’s an imperfect copy omitting the Preface but (comble de malheurl)178 wearing the jacket wh. advertises the Preface. This is the only imperfect copy among those you sent me: but how many more are there? What on earth can be done?
Yours
C. S. Lewis
TO FLORENCE (MICFLAL) WILLIAMS (W): PC
Magdalen College
Oxford 15/9/52
Good. Mitre Hotel. 12. noon. Wed. Sept 24th. Shall assume this unless I hear to the contrary.
C.S.L.
TO WILLIAM BORST (P):
Magdalen College,
Oxford 15/9/52
Dear Borst
I enclose
Introduction (2 copies)
Footnotes (2 copies)
Text of Selections (1 copy)
If the Introduction is too long I cd. excise some bits. As I shall be working from the MS. (where the pagination is of course different) if you want to refer to a particular paragraph in writing to me, I am afraid you must quote the opening words—as if it were a Papal Bull!
If the Selections are too long, my first choice wd. be to omit in toto No. XXI (Britomart in the House of Isis): my second, much more reluctant, to omit in toto No XIX (Scudamour in the House of Care). I have also noted some individual stanzas for possible omission, but they matter only if I’ve been very slightly too long.
I’ve only just come back from the West of Ireland. I hope you get on well with Horace. There are easier authors!
All the best.
Yours
C. S. Lewis
TO GEOFFREY BLES (BOD):
Coll. Magd.
17/9/52
My dear Bles
The fact that I happened to get an imperfect copy didn’t matter two hoots. What worried me (for I never knew that a percentage of such things was normal) was the fear that half the edition might be like that! You have set my mind at ease.
I