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Papers relating to Hilaire Belloc (1870-1953)

Papers relating to Hilaire Belloc (1870-1953)

Extent: 4 items in 1 box.

Belloc A. An MS draft of Hilaire Belloc's poem, To The Balliol Men still  in Africa. 1l.
Written in pencil on both sides of an otherwise unused  compliments slip from The Speaker ns, nd , framed to show both sides of the paper. One side of the mount is inscribed , without date, ‘MSS of Hilaire Belloc’s Poem “To the Balliol Men still in Africa “. It is evident that  the Balliol ms is not the final version but a first draft (see below ).

Provenance: presented to the College by Mr Douglas Woodruff. College Meeting Minutes record the gift in 1953; it was exhibited in 1963.

As printed in H Belloc Verses ( intro by J Kilmer) NY 1916, with differences from the Balliol ms shown:

TO THE BALLIOL MEN STILL IN AFRICA
Years ago when I was at Balliol,
Balliol men and I was one
Swam [B..] together in winter rivers,
Wrestled together under the sun.
And still in the heart of us, Balliol, Balliol,
Loved already, but hardly known,
Married Welded us each of us into the others:
Called a levy and chose her own.

Here is a House that armours a man
With the heart  eyes of a boy and the eyes heart of a ranger,
And a laughing way in the teeth of the world
And a Holy Hunger and thirst for danger :
Balliol held made me, Balliol fed me,
Whatever I had she gave me again :
And the best of Balliol loved and led me.
God be with you, Balliol men.

I have said it before, and I say it again,
There were bribes about and a  treaty broken
And England under the least of men
And treason done and  a spoken false word 
There was treason done, and a false word spoken,
And England under the dregs of men,
And bribes about, and a treaty broken:

But hating it hard and saying it still
But angry, lonely, hating it still,
I have wished to be there in spite of the wrong.
My heart was heavy for Cumnor Hill
And the Hammer of galloping all day long.

Galloping outward into the weather,
Hands a-ready and battle in all:
Wine Words together and words wine together
And song together in Balliol Hall.
[An illegible line here ]
Rare and single ! Noble and few ! . . .
Oh ! they have wasted you over the sea !
The only brothers ever I knew,
The men that laughed and quarrelled with me.

Balliol made me, Balliol fed me,
Whatever I had she gave me again;
And the best of Balliol loved and led me,
God be with you, Balliol men.

Belloc B. Album of cuttings.
Early C20 album, 4to, with tape closures and pages of hand-made paper, into which are pasted cuttings of contributions by Hilaire Belloc to various newspapers 1909-1914 ( 29 leaves, both sides used ) and in a separate section Andrew Lang 1909-1910 ( 11 leaves, both sides used  ).

Provenance: unknown. A loose TS insertion listing some of Belloc’s articles bears a short annotation in the hand of EV Quinn

Belloc C. 2 letters by Hilaire Belloc to Collin Brooks (1893-1959, broadcaster and writer), 1933.

C.1. TL from Hilaire Belloc to Collin Brooks of 88 Grove Park Terrace, London W4. Kings Land, Shipley, Horsham, 9 May 1933. Belloc agrees to be a dedicatee [of Brooks' The Economics of Human Happiness, pub. 1933] and apologises for not being able to meet Brooks. Typed signature. 1l with envelope.

C.2. TL from Hilaire Belloc to Collin Brooks of 88 Grove Park terrace London W4. Kings Land, Shipley, Horsham, 29 September 1933. Detailed discussion of Brooks' The Economics of Human Happiness. MS corrections and signature. 2l with envelope.

Provenance: These two letters purchased by the College from Blackwells, 2017.

- JH Jones 2010/2012, ed. & add.A Sander 2017.