134. 17 March 1999 [ES] (Brahms book finished; back to Shakespeare)

previously unpublished; © the estate of eric sams and beatrice cazac (Mrs. Mathew’s letters)

Dear Hayat,

  Thanks for yours. Sorry you've been unwell; glad you're better.

  I've finished my Brahms song book. And the turbulence of my Hugo Wolf birthday celebrations has somehow abated. [...] So it's back to Shakespeare. I haven't seen the C.U.P. book, and probably (after your description of it) shan't bother. I'm reading Prof. Honan's recent biography, with some (but not much) profit. Perhaps I was rather put off by seeing it reviewed so effusively by Stanley Wells. Kiss of death, really.

   I'm preoccupied at the moment with the compilation of a list (which even as a selection is enormously long) of anachronisms etc. in Shakespeare plays. It shows to my (if no one else's) satisfaction that his mind always moved in Tudor times. Immediacy is all.

   Which reminds me that I must instantly resume work on that project. Up, lad! When the journey's over there'll be time enough for sleep.

   Farewell for now,     

   Yours as ever, Eric