To Charles Augustus Strong
Hotel Bristol
Rome. January 29, 1930
As to the grand Spanish title, I can’t say that I like it very much, as a matter of policy or management: it has an air of opéra-bouffe. But if they are pleased, what do a few smiles matter? I suppose the world is bound to laugh at all of us in any case. I assume that they will use only the de Piedrablanca and not the de Guana–the latter is unfortunate, especially for a Chilean: it is almost de Guano. But don’t say this to George, it might hurt his feelings; and I will explore the ground prudently when I see them.
From The Letters of George Santayana: Book Four, 1928–1932. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2003.
Location of manuscript: Rockefeller Archive Center, Sleepy Hollow NY