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Royall Tyler to Mildred Barnes Bliss, April 11, 1931

Hotel Europejski
Warszawa
11.IV.31Saturday.

I left Paris on Wednesday in Holy Week,April 1, 1931. dearest Mildred, and went to Lyons where I attended the peerless ceremonies: pontifical masses on Thursday and Easter Day, and the blessing of the new fire and waterThe blessing of the new fire and water is a mass held on Holy Saturday as part of the Easter Vigil; a fire, symbolic of the enlightenment of Christ, is blessed with holy water and used to light the Paschal candle.—the creation of the Universe—on Saturday.

From Lyons, Sunday night, to Berlin, stopping 2 hrs. on the way at Frankfurt to see the pictures, which have been extraordinarily well added to since the War. Two days in Berlin, and then on here for 3 days. Now to Vienna, Bpest, Bucharest and Sofia.

And since I left Paris I have had various communications: a) A cable from Hayford saying that DreyProbably Paul Drey (1885–1953), a senior partner of the Paul Drey Gallery, New York, founded in 1920. is coming over bringing the Burns enamel cross with him, and Hayford wants me to see it, and if I like it to make Drey an offer on his behalf. I advised Hayford not to attempt such a big morsel (Drey asks $15000)—and this Hayford’s come-back: ¿que le hacemos?“What are we going to do?”

b) The Public Record Office has awakened out of a slumber of 15 years to ask me to go on with the Spanish Calendar of State Papers.In 1911, the Public Records Office of the British Home Office appointed Royall Tyler the editor of The Spanish Calendar of State Papers, a role that he assumed on the death of the previous editor, Martin Hume. The Spanish state papers comprised the correspondence that the English monarchs received from Spain; in 1911 and 1912, the Tylers transcribed and translated documents that were archived in Simancas, Vienna, and Paris. In 1914, Tyler published volume nine (begun by Hume), of the correspondence to Edward VI between 1547 and 1549, and volume ten, which completed the correspondence of the reign of Edward VI. In 1916, he published volume eleven, the correspondence to Queen Mary in 1553. Elisina and I think we must try to finish it off down to the end of Mary’s reign; but how find the time?

c) I’ve had a private intimation (keep this strictly to yourselves, please) that Geneva intends to ask me to go to China in connexion with a financial reconstruction Scheme. This puts me into an indescribable ferment, but I don’t see how I can do it without altogether compromising my chances of making anything of my present career. How I wish I could talk it over with you! It really is a curse to be so far away.

Much love, dearest Mildred.

Back in Paris about Apr. 25.

R. T.

(To say nothing of the Polacks)

 
Associated People: Elisina Tyler; Martin Hume
Associated Places: Paris (France); Warsaw (Poland)
Associated Artworks: BZ.1936.20