The Year 1920 (68) Summary: On March 4, Examinations for Classical Honour Moderations began for Jack and lasted for eight days, and on March 31 he learned that he had earned First Class Honours. On March 9, the Martlets had dinner in the J.C.R. with the Pembroke College Cambridge Martlets and the University College Oxford Martlets. Then they returned to Mr. Long’s rooms for their joint meeting over which Jack presided. On March 31, Jack earned First Class Honours in Classical Honour Moderations, and later in the year he began Greats. The Government of Ireland Act 1920 was passed by the British Parliament in this year, dividing Ireland into two countries—Northern Ireland and Ireland. In this year or a later year shortly after 1920, Jack wrote the poems “Oh That a Black Ship,” “Heart-breaking School,” “And After This They Sent Me to Another Place,” and “Old Kirk, Like Father Time Himself.”1 January 1920 January 12 Monday. Jack writes to Leo Baker from Little Lea about his lack of privacy, Baker’s health, and H. E. Monro’s refusal to publish the poems Jack sent him, encouraging Baker to come to Oxford next term so Jack can become his disciple in mysticism. January 14 Wednesday. Hilary Term begins. January 15 Thursday. Around this time Warren completes his visit to his father and Little Lea. Warren gets his orders, reports to Salisbury Southern Command, and is sent to Devonport to work with the Horse Transport, commanded by Vale, as Barracks Officer before taking a course at Aldershot. January 21 Wednesday. The Martlets meet in Vinter’s rooms and set the schedule and topics of this term’s meetings. January 28 Wednesday. The Martlets meet and hear B. P. Wyllie present on “Don Quixote of Cervantes,” in E. F. Watling’s rooms. The meeting adjourns when Jack’s pipe falls into the fire. February 1920 February At some point in early February, Warren leaves Devonport to take a course, the 2nd Regular Officer’s course, at Aldershot. During the first three months of the course he stays at the Victoria Hotel in Aldershot with Parkin and Faithfull. February 2? Monday. Jack reads Euripides’ Bacchae. He is in Baker’s rooms at Univ. with Pasley until late at night, conversing about ghosts, spirits, and Gods, generating a “fit of superstitious terror” in Jack. Baker used to dabble in things occult. February 3? Tuesday. Jack writes to Arthur about his conversation with Baker and Pasley. He read and enjoyed H. G. Wells’ Marriage on his return trip to Oxford from Belfast. He thinks he may read some of Wells’ more serious books. February 4 Wednesday. Jack writes to his father about Aunt Lily Suffern, a coat the maid sent, a book on Mexico that Albert is reading, and H. G. Wells, thanking him for his letter. He is reading George Borrow’s Lavengro at breakfast every morning. He has a good walk. Around this time Jack and Minto move from 76 Windmill Road, Headington into the house of Mrs. John Jeffrey, a butcher by occupation, at 58 Windmill Road. February 11 Wednesday. The Martlets meet at 8:00 p.m. and hear George H. Stevenson, M.A., speak on “Goethe’s Worther and Iphigenia” in G. O. Vinter’s rooms. Jack presides. February 14? Saturday. Jack writes to Arthur about Lavengro, Borrow’s anti-Catholicism, Tchaine’s thinking Jack will become a critic, the frosty weather, their accommodations at 58 Windmill Road, and Arthur’s poor spelling. He has purchased Charles Doughty’s epic poem Mansoul, which was 1 Don King, ed., The Collected Poems of C. S. Lewis, 127-130. recently reviewed in the Times. He has read two and a half of the six books of that epic poem; it has some well at the world’s end scenery in it. February 17 Tuesday. A statute is passed making women full members of Oxford University. February 25 Wednesday. The Martlets meet to hear H. L. Hopper speak on “Thomas Hardy” in Mr. J. E. S. Long’s rooms at 8:00 p.m. Jack presides. March 1920 March Warren purchases a Triumph motorcycle with sidecar. March 1 Monday. Warren begins or continues training courses at Aldershot Military Garrison, England. March 4 Thursday. Examinations for Classical Honour Moderations begin today and last for eight days, apparently excluding Sunday. Jack has swollen glands as he begins to write. March 9 Tuesday. The Martlets have dinner at 7:15 p.m., wearing dinner jackets, in the J.C.R.2 with the Pembroke College Cambridge Martlets and the University College Oxford Martlets. Then they return to Mr. Long’s rooms for their joint meeting, where they hear a paper by Mr. E. R. Scott on John Masefield. Univ. participants include Wilkinson, Pasley, Hartmann, Hamilton-Jenkin, Edwards, Long, Craig, Wyllie, Watling, Hopper, and Vinter. Carlyle, Stevenson, and Wilson attend as Fellows. Two of the five guests from Pembroke are G. F. McCrane, President, and E. R. Scott, Secretary. The others are Macan, Fox, and Dunston. March 10 Wednesday. The Martlets meet and hear J. E. S. Long read a paper on Max Beerbohm in A. K. Hamilton-Jenkin’s rooms. March 12 Friday. The last day of examinations for Classical Honour Moderations. Shortly after this, Jack and Minto pack up and move to other quarters, then take a holiday in Cleeve near Wales. March 27 Saturday. Hilary Term ends. March 31 Wednesday. Jack earns First Class Honours in Classical Honour Moderations. April 1920 April 1 Thursday. The Times publishes Jack’s First in Classical Honour Moderations. April 2 Good Friday. Jack writes to Arthur from a new home about his hard work before exams, the eight days of exams, the move to other living quarters, a holiday in Somerset which he is now enjoying, and his intention not to visit Albert. He mentions the feeling of Richard Wagner and The Well at the World’s End. Jack is writing and reading a lot. He finished George Eliot’s Romola recently, and he then read Washington Irving’s Lives of Mahomet and his Successors and Lowes Dickinson’s The Meaning of Good. Jack is now reading Sir Walter Scott’s Waverley and Prometheus Unbound. Mrs. Moore has a bad cold. Warren goes to Hove with Parkin for three days, seeing Brighton while visiting Parkin’s family. April 3 Saturday. Warren and Parkin spend more time in Hove and Brighton. April 4 Easter Sunday. Jack writes to his father about his First Class Honours in Classical Honour Moderations, being unable to come home, his time in Somerset, the beautiful countryside, and thanking him for the checks. He is reading Sir Walter Scott’s Waverley and has sent a poem to the Hibbert Journal. Warren and Parkin spend more time in Hove and Brighton. April 7 Wednesday. Trinity Term begins. April 11 Sunday. Jack writes to Arthur about Arthur’s cheerfulness in his letter, the possibility of Arthur coming to live in Oxford, The Slade School of Fine Art at University College, London, poultry farming, philosophy as a possibility for Arthur, Scott’s Waverley, seeing the Castle of Dunster recently in Somerset, Sir James Barrie’s play Dear Brutus with its supernatural element, Oliphant Down’s play The Dream-Child, Arthur starting to write again, and Jack working on his poem on Merlin and Nimue. Arthur’s best plan is probably to enroll at The Slade School of Fine Art at University College, London. He has finished Waverley and has started Thomas Carlyle, 2 Junior Common Room, a lounge for students. The Senior Common Room is a lounge for faculty. On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History. Jack writes to his father about his First Class Honours, Aunt Warren, Daisy, the town of Watchet where Coleridge and the Wordsworths slept once, Warren possibly returning to France for military service, and Albert’s poor health. May 1920 May 1 Saturday. Jack writes to his father about finances, his two new tutors in history (George Stevenson) and philosophy (Edgar Carritt), Herodotus, traveling, Herodotus, Marco Polo, and the Irish news. May 3? Monday. Jack writes to Arthur from University College about Responsions, Arthur’s plans to attend Oxford University, the elimination of Greek from Responsions after June, Latin, a recent walk Arthur took, an anthology of poems with Blackwell that Jack and some friends have written together, Baker leaving Oxford, and painting. He and the Moore’s have moved to 131 Osler Road, Headington. May 5 Wednesday. The Martlets meet at 8:00 p.m. and Jack calls on G. O. Vinter to read his paper on “Alfred Noyes,” a contemporary English poet, short story writer, and playwright, in A. K. Hamilton-Jenkin’s rooms. May 19 Wednesday. The Martlets meet at 8:00 p.m. and hear E. F. Watling on “Charles Lamb” in J. E. S. Long’s rooms. Jack is absent due to illness. May 23-29 Sunday-Saturday. Warren is in Belfast on a leave. This is perhaps At the approximate halfway point of Warren’s second training course, when he gets a leave of two weeks and travels to Belfast by way of Liverpool, traveling with a man named Patterson. He is stationed at Aldershot in Hampshire. Shortly after this Warren buys a Triumph motorbike for £130 and uses it to run over to Oxford on weekends. May 25 Tuesday. Jack writes to his father about the heat, thanking him for his check and having been in bed for several days with the flu. June 1920 June 1 Tuesday. While enrolled in the second of four courses, Warren is assigned to the 487th Company Army Service Corps.