No.353. Inserted is autograph letter from Brennan to A.G. Stephens, 2pp, 8vo. Dated by the latter 1.7.01

Component identifier:

Item 28

Content Summary:

"Dear A.G.S. Excuse delay: the 17th brought us a new daughter and things - including my head - have been topsy-turvy. I am sorry to hear of Mrs Stephens' illness." Then an offer by Brennan to care for some of A.G.'s books, and their case, after he moves into the new house at Mosman, is followed by mention of an "Ignotus-bloke", who wants work to aid him in the "futile amusement of applying to our living prosody the terms applied to a dead prosody by grammarians who had lost - or rather never had the sense of it". Reference to a Sailor's Chant, quoted by A.G.S. which reminds Brennan of an ancient drinking song used by students in a modified form. Brennan quotes the refrain, and offers his own improvement thereon: "Then bring me six whiskies and sodas / (or other drink that suits the metre) / and set them all down in a row / and bring me six jolly good drinkers / to drink to the buffers below. / (dubitatur sitne legendum utrobique b-gg-r). The over-the-wold chap got hold of a fine rhythm - I doubt whether his own: surely a man with such rhythmical invention ought to write better on the whole. Thine, C.B."

Names:

Christopher Brennan

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