Skip to Content
 

Royall Tyler to Robert Woods Bliss, February 6, 1927

Grand Hotel Hungaria
Budapest
6 Feb. 27Sunday.

Dear Robert.

I am delighted—and so is Elisina—to hear that you are going to so important and alive a post as that of Ambassador to Argentina.Robert Woods Bliss was officially appointed U.S. ambassador extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to Argentina on February 17, 1927. His appointment as envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to Sweden ended on March 15, 1927. See letter of January 31, 1927. Our warmest congratulations to you and Mildred. Please let me know as soon as you know when in March you are going to be in Paris. I shall be in Geneva, probably, up to about March 8th or 10th, and I’ll certainly arrange to run up to Paris afterwards if there’s any chance of seeing you. It would be grievous if you went off to Argentina without our meeting. It’s a pang to think I’ve missed seeing Stockholm under your tutelage. But I don’t think you are crazy to go to such a post as Argentina.

It is very kind of you to ask me whether I spent more in Egypt than the sum you sent me.See letter of January 31, 1927. I wouldn’t have done so if I hadn’t taken Elisina and if we hadn’t treated ourself to the trip to upper Egypt, and spent much more time than would have been necessary to do the business, so I can’t possibly ask you for more. I’m—we are—most grateful to you for the opportunity of seeing Egypt, and what you refer to as the trouble was only one added interest—the tourist, proverbially, is seldom granted a glimpse into the soul of the inhabitants of the land he visits, especially so interesting an inhabitant as Boubouc,Royall Tyler’s nickname for Tawfic Abucasem. who explained to Hayford and me that he might be old-fashioned, but for him nothing in this world counted unless it was in conformity with the Divine Law.

Bill enjoyed Egypt prodigiously, and has said and written to me that it has been the event of his life.

Hayford stayed behind us, and did a lot of very valuable work with the museum people at Cairo. He has also mopped up some very fine archaic hardstone vases.

I am quite in agreement with you about Boubouc’s things. You would like the candlesticksPair of Lampstands, Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, acc. no. 57.634–635. all right, and perhaps we may be able to do a deal with Eric permitting their acquisition at a reasonable price. I’ve written to Eric telling him in general what I think—namely that the pieces with figures on them would make a very valuable ensemble with the rest for a museum. I know they wont want to pay a large sum, and I hope they may feel that in order to get the figured pieces they might give up the candlesticks. But it isn’t at all urgent, for Boubouc will have to make up his mind to a loss first. Of course I haven’t yet made any suggestion of a deal to Eric, and won’t until we meet. What I’d like to do would be to lead Eric to make the suggestion of a deal to me. “Patience, not passion.”“Patience, not Passion, builds up the great heart.” Frederick Tennyson, Isles of Greece (1890). See also letter of January 7, 1927 [2]. I won’t quote the horrible Spanish proverb.

Much love from us both (Elisina is here) to Mildred and you—and many congratulations.

Yrs ever
R. T.

 
Associated Places: Budapest (Hungary); Egypt
Associated Things: Kaper Koraon Silver Treasure