Collected Letters Volume Three: Narnia, Cambridge and Joy 1950–1963. Walter Hooper

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СКАЧАТЬ the house ready for a visitor would not have shared it.

      I am lately back from Cornwall where I have been sailing for the first time. I think it is a way in which people who can’t dance can get some of what dancing was made to give. There’s nothing like water after all. Do you know David Lindsay’s lines explaining why there was no wine before the Flood—

The wattir was sae strung and fine Thei wald nat labour to mak wyne.¹²⁴

      That is why they lived so long. Well, thank you. My duty to you both.

      Yours sincerely

      C. S. Lewis

      

       TO WILLIAM L. KINTER(BOD):

      REF.310/51.

      Magdalen College,

      Oxford. 17th July 1951.

      Dear Mr. Kinter,

      The sardines, and the enormous tin of ham which you so very kindly sent me, have arrived in good condition, and I am most grateful to you for such a welcome gift; it could hardly have arrived more apropos, for I saw yesterday in the paper that our microscopic ration of bacon is shortly to be reduced by one ounce. Your ham will be of great service in tiding us over a lean period. It shall be consigned to the refrigerator until the time comes—though I was a little surprised to find the instruction that it needed refrigeration on the label; over here we never put canned goods into the frig., but just store them in the coolest part of a larder.

      There is a larger number of American visitors in Oxford this year than usual, and I’m glad to say that they are having what—by our standards—is a very good summer. They are doing the Colleges very thoroughly, and putting us natives to shame daily by asking questions about them which we can’t answer. You never realize how little you know about your home town until you meet an intelligent visitor in it.

      We are all very thankful—and you are no doubt more so—to see that at last there is some prospect of an end to this ghastly Korean war. Our only fear now is that it may be replaced by a Persian one; but it will be time enough to cross that river when we come to it.

      With many thanks and all good wishes,

      yours sincerely,

      C. S. Lewis

      

       TO MRS D. JESSUP (W): TS

      RER328/51.

      Magdalen College,

      Oxford. 27th July 1951.

      Dear Mrs. Jessup,

      Thank you for your letter of the 21st. Someone (and someone I don’t even know) had been selected by Charles Williams as his biographer some time before his death, and is in possession of all the materials. So that is that! But don’t imagine you are losing anything. Biography is not in my line.

      I agree most strongly with all you say about him, and wish someone really good could do him: but I would’nt, even if there were not another claimant in possession.

      With all best wishes,

      yours sincerely,

      WH Lewis

      Secretary.

      (Dictated by Mr. Lewis)

TO THE EDITOR OF THE CHURCH TIMES (EC): ¹²⁵

      Magdalen College,

      Oxford.

      Sir,—

Having read Mr. Bradbury’s letter on the Holy Name,¹²⁶ I have a few comments to make. I do not think we are entitled to assume that all who use this Name without reverential prefixes are making a ‘careless’ use of it; otherwise, we should have to say that the evangelists were often careless. I do not think we are entitled to assume that the use of the word Blessed when we speak of the Virgin Mary is ‘necessary’; otherwise, we should have to condemn both the Nicene and the Apostles’ Creed for omitting it.

      Should we not rather recognise that the presence or absence of such prefixes constitute a difference, not in faith or morals, but simply in style? I know that their absence is irritating to others. Is not each party innocent in its temperamental preference but grossly culpable if it allows anything so subjective, contingent, and (with a little effort) conquerable as a temperamental preference to become a cause of division among brethren? If we cannot lay down our tastes, along with other carnal baggage, at the church door, surely we should at least bring them in to be humbled and, if necessary, modified, not to be indulged?

      C. S. Lewis

      

TO I. O. EVANS (W): ¹²⁷

      As from Magdalen College,

      Oxford 4/8/51

      Dear Evans

The Coming of a King¹²⁸ arrived most opportunely when I was in almost solitary confinement recovering from mumps, and I read it at two sittings. I think it not only the best but incomparably the best book you have done. The others interested me but this really set wires jangling. I congratulate you. And I think it is a great thing to put that idea of the Stone Age—which is at least as likely to be the true one—into boys’ heads instead of Well’s or Naomi Mitchison’s. It’s all good. The marriage customs are amusing, the Ogres exciting, and the Dark Faces with their quest just add the something more. I hope it will be a great success.

      Yours

      C. S. Lewis

      

TO MRS C. VULLIAMY (W):¹²⁹ TS

      RER347/51.

      Magdalen College,

      Oxford. 10th August 1951.

      Dear Mrs. Vulliamy,

      Many thanks for your most kind and encouraging letter of the 4th. With all best wishes,

      yours sincerely,

      C. S. Lewis

      

       TO GEORGE SAYER(W):

      Magdalen College

      Oxford 15/8/51

      You are treasures. Yes, I’d love to. The СКАЧАТЬ