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[stains at top left] [top right] [L.S. AMERY]
9 Chelsea Embankment London SW3.
[left] AMERY (underlined)[JAS handwriting]
ADMIRALTY S.W.
[right] PATH OF THE
[right] KING [JAS handwriting]
May 8th 1921

My dear John,

I have just been reading your "Path of the King" with
the keenest interest, both because of the excellence of the
story and because the idea itself and the names and places
you use (Aimery, Jasper, Lustleigh) touch upon my own
personal legend. I don't think I have ever spoken to you
about the history of the name Amery, but it could be
made quite an interesting story if any one ever took the
trouble to work it up, which I am ashamed to say I have
never done, thought(t marked out) I have got some odd notes mixed among
my papers somewhere. An unusual name, especially in the
days before parents gave their children names out of novels,
generally means some relation of descent of kinship, and
for the thread of a story is almost as good as a ring of
Viking gold. Here are a few jottings for the chapters of
such a story.

The Amalings were the ancient and senior royal house
among the Goths (the Visgothic Baltings were the junior),
descended from Amala, officially, I believe, son of Odin.
Personally, in these days of scepticism, I am not sure about
Odin, and would like to fancy that they were descended from