Letter by John Cavafy to C. P. Cavafy

GR-OF CA CA-SF02-S01-SS02-F20-SF001-0038 (413)

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[Alexandria] 29 November 1883
    My dearest Constantine,        Since writing you some time ago ― ’tis     really such a long time ago that I don’t remember ―     I have received your entertaining epistle of the 18th     instant, and thank you for its enclosure, the which     however I have so far been unable to clothe in En-     glish poetical language for the simple reason I sup-     pose that the spirit cannot be made to move at     one’s will or fancy. The news you give me is real-
    ly very interesting and I was much amused at what     you say about grandfather. Please give the dear old     man my very kind regards and make some sort of an     apology for my not writing. In fact, how can I     write? To compose letters of that sort and with no     distinct purpose, the mind must be easy and     unpreoccupied: but such is not the case with me.     During business hours ― from early morning to late at     night ― my mind is preoccupied with the work I am
    in the act of doing, and after business hours with     the business that has to be done on the morrow ― So     you see, but little time is left for quiet meditation     or relaxation of the mental faculties, and such time     is best employed in sleep (“nature’s sweet restorer”)     of which I take as ample a share as I possibly     can. Life nowadays is very much like a treadmill     and our principals are little better than slave-drivers.
     You will doubtless have heard something about the     late commotion in the Soudan. ’Tis some time now since     the news came that the Mahdi was victorious and had     cut to pieces the Egyptian army under General Hicks:     but this has not yet been confirmed, and all is     doubt and uncertainty ― In any case this disaster ―     (should the news prove true) has been the cause of     some good, i.e. the counter orders for the non-with-
    drawal of any of the troops of the army of occupation     from Egypt, and Cairo consequently will not     be vacated. In the meantime the effect of     these events has been disastrous indeed on the     Egyptian funds: at one moment they touched 60     or say a fall of 8 points. In an indirect way     even exchange was influenced, and I was enabled     to sell some of the firm’s paper the other day at a     price that has been long unknown on our Bourse.
    By the bye I have not told you that Kneen has     been seriously ill: in fact he very nearly “kicked     the bucket” last week ― He is now convalescent     in Ramleh, but I am afraid will not be good for     work for another ten days or so ―     Have you read Bulwer’s Athens? I am now     reperusing this work and find it extremely inter-     esting ―Alexander tells me that you are     reading Herodotus together and that he discovers
the Father of History to be rather lax in his descriptions of morals. I was much amused at the remark. What would Alexander think of Plato’s Symposium? or the third book of the Iliad or the Bacchae of Euripides!! and here I pause, for I have mother’s and Alexander’s letters to answer. So with much love believe me,
          my dear Constantinus
               Your affectionate brother
                    Johannisberg.

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GR-OF CA CA-SF02-S01-SS02-F20-SF001-0038 (413)

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Letter by John Cavafy to C. P. Cavafy

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29/11/1883

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Item

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44 x 27.5 cm

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F52_Φ1-31

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 three pages of a double sheet letterhead of R. J. Moss & Co., Alexandria. The last page is blank. John refers to his everyday life as well as to the situation in the Sudan. Family news. (Alexandria)

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CC BY-SA 4.0 Cavafy Archive Onassis Foundation

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English

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Writing in ink. Watermark: R. J. Moss & Co., Alexandria. Physical item wear: oxidation; hole.

NOTES AREA

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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.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

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John’s thoughts regarding Bulwer-Lytton, Athens, its Rise and Fall, London 1837.