Author: David Spiech Page 208 of 283

To Cyril Coniston Clemens
Via Santo Stefano Rotondo, 6
Rome. June 15, 1951

I am supposed to be resting after a trying winter. Visitors (not old friends) are forbidden; and please don’t ask me if I have read or known people I never heard of, or send any one with a letter of introduction to me here.

Fidelium animae requiescant in pace, even in this world.

From The Letters of George Santayana:  Book Eight, 1948-1952.  Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2008.
Location of manuscript: William R. Perkins Library, Duke University, Durham NC

To Paul Arthur Schilpp
Hotel Danieli,
Venice, Italy. June 14, 1940

Dear Professor Schilpp,

During these last five days we have had various alarms, moral and physical, but nothing to interfere seriously with our plans. In a few days, as soon as I can get things ready, I expect to move to Cortina d.Ampezzo, as arranged, and there, at the Hotel Savoia, I shall doubtless find Pepper’s essay and perhaps also Dennes. Am I to await Russell’s, or to proceed without him?

Once in Cortina, which is in a sort of lunar landscape, I shall be able to give undivided attention to my Apology, which is already well advanced in composition and complete in plan. There may be some delay and uncertainty about getting it to America, as the military barriers are extending on all sides, but there remains the air route to Spain, and hence directly or indirectly to New York, and the mails through Switzerland, or even through Jougoslavia and Greece or Turkey–perhaps also via Kamschatka!

My greatest personal difficulty might be in getting money to live on; but so long as the United States remains non-belligerent, and Spain (my legal government) also, I can manage; and even in the worst case, the hotel proprietors who know me well, the one here, for instance, would be willing to accept my securities, even if not negotiable until peace returns.

I may make another attempt, in September to secure permission to settle down for a while in Switzerland; but it would be morally more agitated than Italy. My relations keep urging me to return to Spain, and my friends to return to the United States; but I am too old to travel except under compulsion, and in my Italian haunts I have the advantage of fixed habits, that allow my remaining energies to be employed in my writing.

It may be impossible for me to get my Apology typewritten. The lady who typewrites for me is employed at the British Legation to the Vatican. The Minister is now domiciled in the Vatican City itself, but I doubt that his typists are, and my friend may have gone back to England. In that case I will keep a complete copy (the rough draft) of my Apology and send you the corrected manuscript. Should this be lost, I could write you another, or perhaps by that time war will be over, and we can live more at ease.

Yours sincerely,
G. Santayana

From The Letters of George Santayana:  Book Six, 1937-1940.  Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2004.
Location of manuscript: Morris Library, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale

C/o Brown Shipley & Co
123, Pall Mall, London, S.W.1
Venice. June 13, 1935

It is very interesting to know that you have gone over my various effusions on religion and found them consistent yet progressive. As far as I know, in this as in other matters, my views have not changed, once they were formed: but of course the sort of interest and the tone must have varied with age, and with the general background. My attention of late has been turned again to the subject, and I have been reading a lot of books about the origin of Christianity: if ever I got round to composing anything on that theme, it would be to reinforce my old contention about poetry in religion: Christianity (including the Four Gospels) is a product of inspiration. There is also a lot about religion in my “novel”, The Last Puritan, which will probably appear in the autumn: but nothing new for the purposes of you course, which I wish I could attend

From The Letters of George Santayana:  Book Five, 1933-1936.  Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2003.
Location of manuscript: Baker Memorial Library, Dartmouth College, Hanover NH

To George Sturgis
Hotel Danieli,
Venice. June 12, 1940

Dear George,

Your telegram, and the $2000 at Cook’s arrived safely, and your promptness has made it possible for me today, after 48 hours of uncertainty and delay, to get the $2000 into my pocket in the form of Cook’s Travellers’ cheques. This does not solve my difficulty, but it relieves it very much and makes me independent of my old and my new (not yet received) letter of credit.

Now for an account of what has occurred. Three days ago, the young cashier from Cook’s unexpectedly made me a visit. As I had drawn $500 a few days earlier, I was afraid he might come to get them back, on the ground that his draught could not be passed. But no; he said that was all right, but that he came on his personal initiative (he had nothing to do at his office, there being now no travellers) to say they had had orders not to pay any cheques or letters of credit in dollars (as well, of course, as in sterling) in the future; and that he came to suggest, if I expected to draw more money soon, that I should telegraph for it at once, as the order would not become operative until the following day. On getting further explanations, I gave him your address and authorized him to telegraph in my name. He would then let me have half the amount in Italian money and half in Cook’s cheques, which would be good if I decided to leave Italy later.

So that was arranged for the moment, and I had no trouble further than the disturbance to my philosophic peace of mind concerning earthly things.

That was on Sunday, June 9^th; and on the Monday afternoon (morning in the U.S.) came your telegram to me. At half-past five I showed it to the cashier at Cook’s; and he said they too had had your reply (from New York) and that the money telegraphed had been sent for inspection to some head-office. It was just when the Piazza San Marco was filling with a great crowd gathering to hear through the radio and loud-speakers Mussolini’s speech in Rome announcing war. I went and had an orangeade in a quiet café round the corner, in the Piazzetta, looking at the domes of St. Mark’s, with their jolly gilded crosses sprinkled with gilded balls, not yet bombs.

Yesterday was discouraging: the money could not possibly be converted into Italian currency, and Cook’s cheques would be no good, because they too would not be cashed. But the cashier would see if through Switzerland, perhaps, he might not manage it.

This morning he sent a message, please to come at once to the office. I did so, and he said he could do nothing through Switzerland, but could give me the whole $2000 in Cook’s cheques, or have the money sent back to New York. I took the cheques, incidentally getting a thousand more lire in settling for the telegrams, etc: so that I feel happier, although uncertain whether I can go to Cortina or must attempt to leave Italy in whatever way may be possible. Inquiries are being made for me, and I will let you know what is decided.

Yours affly,
G. Santayana

From The Letters of George Santayana:  Book Six, 1937-1940.  Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2004.
Location of manuscript: The Houghton Library, Harvard University, Cambridge MA