Letter by John Cavafy to C. P. Cavafy
GR-OF CA CA-SF02-S01-SS02-F20-SF001-0025 (400)
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[Alexandria] 31 May 1883
My dear Constantine, I am much obliged for your nice letter 20th. Enclosed you will find the English translation asked for. In reply to your questions: ― Mr. Moss is always very kind to me: we pass our Sundays together in Ramleh as of old. Mrs. Zervudachi was not at home when we visited her. ― A new English paper will be shortly started here under the name of Egypt: mainly conducted by Chapman and Royle, and edited by one called Goodrich, an Oxford M.A. I shall send you the
first copy of the journal, as a curiosity. Major Baring is appointed to occupy the pos- ition lately held by Dufferin in Egypt. This new offi- cial is at present somewhere in India and will go to England before coming out here. ― Of course you have heard of the proposal to make a new Canal; today’s telegram states that negotiations à ce sujet have already commenced with Lesseps.
The french sentence: “L’histoire n’était qu’une suite de mémoires redigées par orgueil de race”, I would render thus: (’tis really a difficult phrase to put into English) ― History was nothing more than a collection of continuous family records prompted by vanity -
of lineage. ― With best love I am, dear Constantine Yours ever John.
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DIGITAL OBJECT DESCRIPTION
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REFERENCE CODE:
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GR-OF CA CA-SF02-S01-SS02-F20-SF001-0025 (400)
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Letter by John Cavafy to C. P. Cavafy
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31/5/1883
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Item
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27 x 22 cm
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Handwritten letter by John Cavafy to C. P. Cavafy on both sides of a letterhead of R. J. Moss & Co., Alexandria. He announces the impending publication of a new newspaper and refers to the political developments in Egypt.
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Mainly English
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Writing in ink. Watermark: R. J. Moss & Co Alexandria.
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The transcription and editing of the letters of John Constantine Cavafy addressed to C. P. Cavafy was first carried out by Katerina Ghika; said transcriptions were subsequently uploaded to the official website of the Cavafy Archive.
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John translates an excerpt from French into English, upon the request of C. P. Cavafy.
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Cavafy, John Constantine. “Letter by John Cavafy to C. P. Cavafy”. Letter, 31.05.1883. GR-OF CA CA-SF02-S01-SS02-F20-SF001-0025 (400), Onassis Foundation C. P. Cavafy Fonds. From The Digital Collection of the Cavafy Archive, edited by Onassis Foundation, Athens, last modified 01.10.2025. https://doi.org/10.26256/CA-SF02-S01-SS02-F20-SF001-0025.
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DOI: 10.26256/ca-sf02-s01-ss02-f20-sf001-0025
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PERSONAL PAPERS
Correspondence of C. P. Cavafy
Family correspondence
Incoming correspondence of C. P. Cavafy
Incoming correspondence by John Cavafy