July 20 Monday.

20th ann. [anniversary] of High Wood.
Reading Laura's Troy typescript.
To Can Gelat where the men are just finishing work.
Bathed with K & Alan as usual.
In evening to village for radio.
Apparently 13 Fascist provinces including Baleares. Gelat and other mayors destituido1 with private orders to hand over to some non-political. Tio2 Pedro, looking very unhappy. Two F's3 went.
A captain of artillery, fascist shot by carabineros4 while trying to seize Soller post office. Carabineros5 from Deyá sent to reinforce loyal[RG] keep order[RG]troops.
Medico and old gang strutting about.

Editorial Notes

1from Sp."destituir": "to dismiss"? eds. In Spain politicians rarely resign. They are removed from office by a higher authority. Here the reference is to councilors in the village town council. WG
2Uncle eds.
3Fascists KG
4coast guards KG
5coast guards KG

Hands Referenced

    • Annotation: ink correction
    • Character: regular
    • Ink: black

Places Mentioned

  • Can Gelat

    Deyá, Majorca, Sp
    One of a group of houses behind the Fábrica called the Viña Vieja. WG

  • Soller

    Soller, Majorca, Sp
    Town of some 10,000 inhabitants ten kilometers from Deyá. WG

  • High Wood

    the Somme, France
    Bois de Fourneaux, site of a WWI battle where Graves was wounded by a burst shell on July 20th, 1916. Initially listed as dead, he miraculously survived (though most of his fellow officiers did not), and was returned to Britain to recuperate. (M. Seymour, 53)

  • Baleares

    Balearic Islands, Spain
    Region of Spain that includes the Balearic Islands. Majorca is one of those Islands. eds.

  • Deyá

    Deyá, Majorca, Sp
    Town located on the northwest coast of Majorca, on the hillside between the Teix Mountains and the sea: this was RG's home with Laura Riding from 1929 to 1936. He returned there with his family after WW II. Eds.

People Mentioned

  • Alan

    Hodge, Alan
    Oxford history graduate. Became close friends with LR & RG. First husband of Beryl Graves. CP & WG

  • Laura

    Riding, Laura
    (1901-91) American poet. Laura Riding (née Reichenthal; then Laura Gottschalk).

  • Karl/Carl

    Goldschmidt, Karl
    Karl Goldschmidt, later Kenneth Gay: Graphic artist, friend and secretary of Robert Graves and Laura Riding since 1934. R. G. spells both as Carl and Karl.

  • Gelat

    Más, Juan Marroig
    Juan Marroig Mas, called Gelat: Landowner on Deyá and friend of Robert Graves and Laura Riding (L.R. & R.G.'s factotum. W.G.)

  • Tio/Don Pedro & Tia/Doña Catalina

    Pedro or Catalina
    Cousins of Gelat from Madrid; RG refers to them interchangeably as Don or Doña and Tio/a, meaning uncle or aunt eds.

  • Médico

    Vives, Antonio Dr.
    The village doctor (Deyá). At odds with Gelat (water rights controversy). His brother, Juan Vives, was Gelat's son-in-law. WG

Bibliography

    • Title: Trojan Ending, A [novel]
    • Author: Riding, Laura
    • PubPlace: Deyá & London
    • Publisher: Seizin & Constable
    • Date: 1937