I AM ENGAGED IN WRITING A HISTORY OF MYSELF - A SUBJECT WHICH DOES NOT GREATLY INTEREST ME

Autograph Letter, Signed

WAUGH, Evelyn

Autograph Letter, Signed - ,

1963.

An unpublished letter from Evelyn Waugh to Christopher Sykes, discussing the Profumo affair, as well as literary and social matters. One side of Combe Florey House letter paper (single foolscap sheet, approx. 260 words in total), addressed "Dear Canon Ward", signed with the soubriquet "Profumo Keeler Waldorf Astor", and dated "7th August 63, Sir Algar Howard's 83rd birthday". Waugh begins by discussing the Profumo Affair and noting "how grieved (though not surprised) I was at Stephen's fate", Stephen Ward having committed suicide four days earlier. Waugh adds that had Sykes "brought him up in the True Faith" his life and death may have turned out differently. He goes on to discuss his recent article for the Saturday Evening Post about the Pope ("An Appreciation Of Pope John", 27th July 1963), and how, despite not being pleased with it, "clever Mr Peters made them pay the full price and use a few sentences as the postscript to an article by another hand about Pope Hamlet." The second half of the letter moves onto social concerns, with Waugh first complaining that a son of Sykes's friends came to stay with him. "I did not enjoy his company" was his verdict. He then mentions that John Sutro wrote to him saying he was "shortly to visit Christopher." Waugh, confounded, writes "I do not know whether he refers to you or Hollis or dear little C. Robin... if to you, will you kindly direct him on to me so long as he is not accompanied by his pretty young wife?" Waugh also references the ongoing debacle concerning Stephen Spender and his watch, writing that Spender attempted to take it but "his agent was foiled and imprisoned and the instrument returned to me." Closing the letter, Waugh references the writing of his autobiography, noting "I am engaged in writing a history of myself - a subject which does not greatly interest me." Folded twice, with Sykes's pencil markings.

The Profumo Affair, which had animated newspapers since the start of the year, stirred little in Waugh. Writing to Lady Acton earlier in the summer he remarked "if you see English newspapers you would suppose we are all in ferment over 'the Profumo affair'. We aren't." That said it is very likely that both Waugh and Sykes knew Stephen Ward through mutual friends, which explains their grief and Waugh's candour in discussing his suicide four days earlier.
Sykes and Waugh often traded notes on the exploits of their agent A. D. Peters, a man Sykes described as "the ablest literary agent in London", mainly boasting, as in this case of Waugh's article about "Pope Hamlet", of his wringing the maximum revenue out of their copy.
Waugh's closing missive about Stephen Spender's "attempt" on his watch requires some explanation. Mark Amory explains in a footnote to another reference Waugh makes to the affair in The Letters Of Evelyn Waugh that "previously Stephen Spender had been taking Waugh's watch to be mended, when, much to his embarrassment, it was stolen from him. It was recovered, slightly damaged, and he had it repaired."

PROVENANCE: From the estate of Christopher Sykes. One letter of seven housed in an envelope marked "Letters not given to Mr Amory". Mark Amory was the editor of The Letters Of Evelyn Waugh, in which this letter is not published.

Stock ID: 37541

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