SWEEPING ARCHIVE OF LETTERS BEGINNING DURING UK PREMIERSHIP ASQUITH, HERBERT HENRY. Large archive of over 360 Autograph Letters Signed, mostly "H," many signed in Greek, to Mrs. Hilda Harrisson (salutations often "Darling" or in Greek), on various topics including politics (e.g., his reasons for resigning as Prime Minister and recalling his meeting with President Woodrow Wilson), war (e.g., his feelings of loss upon the deaths of his son Raymond and Mrs. Harrison's husband), classical literature (e.g., recommendations of books to encourage her study of Greek and discussion of his reading of Milton, Shakespeare, Goethe, Macaulay, Eugene O'Neill, Edith Wharton, Enid Bagnold, P.G. Wodehouse, and others), music, visual arts, and family life. Together over 1,200 pages, 8vo, most on stationery ("10 Downing Street" and elsewhere); couple dozen later letters torn in half and inexpertly repaired, some with later markings or notes in pencil likely made while compiling Asquith's Memories and Reflections (1928). Vp, 1915-27
10 December 1916: ". . . When I fully realised what a position had been created, I saw that I could not go on without dishonour or impotence, or both; and nothing could have been worse for the country and the war. Curiously enough, almost exactly the same thing has been going on in France, where the same forces have been at work producing nearly, if not quite, the same result. You cannot imagine what a relief it is not to have the daily stream of boxes and telegrams: not to mention Cabinets and Committees and colleagues etc. . . . The King offered me the Garter, but of course I refused. I am glad you are reading the Book of Job: I think I must refresh my memory of it. . . ." 27 April 1920: ". . . But for you I should have been tempted to almost desperate things. Slandered and back-bitten by unscrupulous enemies, and scolded and goaded by well-meaning and ill-judging friends, your sanity and unfailing understanding and incomparable sweetness, and perfect companionship, have been, and are my salvation. So you can understand how and why I cling to you, my best beloved. . . ." With--Asquith, Herbert Henry. Notebook containing over 100 pages of holograph notes and newspaper clippings on various literary and political subjects. 4to, cloth boards. [Balliol, 1871] • Small group of letters from Margot Asquith or Violet Bonham Carter to Mrs. Harrison. Together 34 pages, 8vo. Vp, 1916-28. Provenance: From the Steve Forbes Collection.
