Letter by John Cavafy to C. P. Cavafy

GR-OF CA CA-SF02-S01-SS02-F20-SF001-0043 (418)

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[Alexandria] 22 April 1884
    My dear Constantine,        I am in receipt of yours 14th and Paul’s of same     date: for both of which I am much obliged. Your letter     is, as usual, interesting and kind; and especially valuable     to me ― knowing how, at the risk of impairing your eyesight,     you write so long an epistle. God help, that ― notwithstand-     ing the assertions of your Doctor ― the date may not be     far distant when you shall be able to do without eyeglasses.     Edgar Vincent has returned and proceeds to Cairo ― Sir
    Evelyn Baring left this morning for England and is replaced     pro tempore by a certain Mr. Egerton. Clifford Lloyd ’tis     said, is going for good: I think few will regret him, for     he is one of the essentially world-into-English-and-Foreign-di-     viding individuals: and such Englishmen, as you know, are     no great blessings. Gordon is in a dead-lock and the he-     sitating policy of his country may be his ruin. A letter     from him to Baring has been published, in which Gordon
    urges the Consular Agent to appeal to the millionaires     of the United Kingdom for some such sum as £ 200.000     wherewith to raise an army. The letter, despatch or     telegram (I don’t know which) is dated 8th instant and Gordon     goes on to say that with the mentioned     amount permission might be got from the Sultan for the loan of say 3.000     Nizams who might be sent to Berber, and with these not only     settle the affairs of Khartoum, but also do for the Mahdi
   in whose overthrow the Sultan is necessarily interested. He    adds that he cannot recommend the sending of many Europeans    because they are too expensive.    Mr. Kneen and Mr. Miani are still here: these great men’s    movements ― like the wind’s ― are uncertain: but they both    intend at present going for a holiday. Don’t trouble your
   kind heart about Mr. Malaxos: he is in no way worthy    of your pity. Like little Jack Horner he has had too    much plum-pudding “on the sly”, and ’tis only just he shou-    ld now suffer for his greediness ― to use no harsher terms. ―    Greeks, as you know, are not over-scrupulous, and they    often finger other people’s money to their own immediate    advantage.    Remember me kindly to dear mother and ask her to    try and keep up her spirits: all may yet go well.    My brotherly affection to Alexander and Paul from
          Yours thoughtfully                John.
   P.S. I have not heard    the two Dervishes sent to convert Gordon.    “Tot capita, tot sensus!”
               id.

DIGITAL OBJECT DESCRIPTION

IDENTITY AREA

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GR-OF CA CA-SF02-S01-SS02-F20-SF001-0043 (418)

TITLE:

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Letter by John Cavafy to C. P. Cavafy

DATE(S):

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22/4/1884

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Item

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44 x 27.5 cm

FORMER REFERENCE CODE:

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F53_Φ1-32

CONTEXT AREA

NAME OF CREATOR(S):

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Cavafy, John

CONTENT AND STRUCTURE AREA

SCOPE AND CONTENT:

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Handwritten letter by John Cavafy to C. P. Cavafy, on the first and third pages of a double sheet letterhead of R. J. Moss & Co., Alexandria. The remaining pages are blank. News from the social entourage and the political situation on Egypt and the Sudan. (Alexandria)

CONDITIONS OF ACCESS AND USE AREA

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CC BY-SA 4.0 Cavafy Archive Onassis Foundation

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English

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS:

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Writing in ink. Watermark: R. J. Moss & Co., Alexandria.

NOTES AREA

NOTE:

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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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SUBJECTS:

Letter

Journals:

Queen, The

Works by other authors:

PLACES:

PERSONS:

Ahmad, Muhammad (Mahdi)

Alvère, Patrice

Baring, Evelyn (1st Earl of Cromer)

Cavafy (Fotiadi), Charikleia

Cavafy, Alexandros P.

Cavafy, John Constantine

Cavafy, Paul

Egerton, (?)

Gordon, Charles George

Kneen, (?)

Lloyd, Charles Dalton Clifford

Malaxos, (?)

Miani, (?)

Vincent, Edgar

CITATION:

For citation purposes, please use the reference provided here.

Cavafy, John Constantine. “Letter by John Cavafy to C. P. Cavafy”. Letter, 22.04.1884. GR-OF CA CA-SF02-S01-SS02-F20-SF001-0043 (418), 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-SF001-0043.