Eric Sams Letters to Andrew Porter

9.

31st July 1966

Dear Andrew,

Please Find Enclosed an attempt to answer your question about why Florestan and Eusebius; I suppose you had better have (and will no doubt eagerly accept) first refusal.

   Of course it can do with tidying up, as usual, but this draft will give you the general idea. A sub-title would nice, for example; but "N Saints Caught it in N+ Acts" would do little to help the reconciliation with Rome, I imagine.

   At need it could be covered all over in references and footnotes.

   Anyhow, perhaps this gives you enough to say whether/when you might consider publishing it. Could you let me know what you think before I go on holiday on August 15th?

   Meanwhile I'm going ahead with my own translations of the "Gegentheil" cipher article, in the no doubt naive belief that it might arouse an Evanescent Flicker of interest elsewhere. (I know I ought to stop that, but I've now reached the stage where I can't even ay "stop" without adding, "or End, or Finish"). I hope I'm right in assuming that you don't mind my trying it on e.g. Mainz again; but if you did you would have told me by now. Besides, what with the Neue Zeitschrift article and the World Cup; the game of bewildering the Germans seems to have become extremely fashionable (sorry).

   Thank you very much too for suggesting my name to Alan Gregory. I tried not to let you down too badly, but they didn't give me very much time. I am mindful too of the honour and prestige value of being allowed to work for E.M.I.; and I hope, by the exercise of careful economy over the next few weeks, to be able to afford it.