2110-5-12-32

The Red House, Littlestone, New Romney, Kent.

Station: New Romney, Telephone: Littleston 33.

May. 28. 1932.

Dear John Buchan,

We have not met for over thirty years, so I don't know if you still remember me, as Max Teichman, of Trinity. when you were at B.N.C. and afterward sometimes together at Curtis Lampson's in Pont St. In these latter days our boys were in the same division at Eton together, and now, mine, Antony, is at Corpus, struggling with Mods (perhaps yours at B.N.C. is in the same boat?)

Aetas parentum, pejor avis, tulit

Nos nequiores, mox daturos

Progeniem vitiosiorem -

I don't know about "vitiosiorem" but at any rate less up in the Classics than we were at their age!

Only, having just read your new life of Sir

Walter Scott, I felt I must write to tell you how much I have enjoyed every word of it.

Your other books have their place in my library, many of them reread over and over again, but this your latest effort will stand out among the great biographies, and every admirer of Scott owes a lot to you, and you must not mind one of them writing to say so.

We, who knew you long ago, have followed your career in the great world from afar.

My own energies in my retirement are directed to civic duties (Mayor of our old Cinque Port Borough of New Romney for the last seven years), to antiquarian research in our old records from the 14th century onwards, and to all sorts of curious offices under the new Land Drainage Act in supervising the dykes and sea defences of Romney Marsh, a district almost as fascinating and full of mysterious attraction as your own Border Country.

[Sincerely?]

Max Teichman-Derville