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Typed copy letter from Sir Henry Willink to C.S. Lewis.

Their second choice for the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance English had declined and hopes that he will now accept the invitation.

Suggests a date of 1 October as a possible start date for the tenure but if he was still unsure he suggests meeting to discuss outstanding issues.

Hopes that he will approach the Master of Magdalene [Lewis's sister College] enquiring about living at that College before accepting any other invitations he would receive [Willink was Master of Magdalene as well as Vice-Chancellor of the University in which capacity he was writing about the offer of the chair].

Typed copy letter from Sir Henry Willink to C.S. Lewis.

Thought that his letter was such a definite refusal of the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance English, that after consultation with Prof. Willey he had sent an invitation to their second choice and would have to wait for a reply.

Clarifies the residency rules and how long a Professor could be absent. Chairs at Cambridge were not tied to a particular College and thought that suitable rooms and a Fellowship could be easily found for him.

If Choice No. 2 refuses then he thinks they should meet to talk it over. Regrets that he sent the letter to Choice No. 2.

Typed copy letter from Sir Henry Willink to C.S. Lewis.

Is writing after the College meeting as promised. They greatly hoped he would accept their invitation to live at Magdalene. It was their unanimous intention to elect him to a Professorial Fellowship as soon as possible under the University Statutes. Couldn't forecast when this would be.

In the interim their offer would include all the social rights of a Fellow - dining in Hall etc but he would not have to attend College meetings or be entitled to the Fellow's allowance of 3s 0d a day during residence. They could offer an attractive set of rooms in First Court - two sitting rooms and a bedroom and bathroom.

Hoped he would accept presentation by the College for a degree by incorporation in due course.

Hoped he would accept their offer even though it fell short of the immediate offer of a Fellowship which Christ's and Downing were in a position to make.

Suggests dates in the summer for a meeting to discuss various things and settle details about his rooms.

Typed copy letter from Sir Henry Willink to C.S. Lewis.

Was delighted that Lewis accepted their offer of a Fellowship and rooms at Magdalene.

Understands about the difficulty of him coming to Cambridge in the near future, he would just like to start their acquaintance and make sure his rooms were as he liked them.

[handwritten note by Willink at the bottom of the page]:
"C.S. Lewis came into residence in October 1954 and was elected to a Professorial Fellowship on 18 January 1955".

Typed copy letter from Sir Henry Willink to C.S. Lewis.

Transcript

Thank you so much for your second letter.

But I am sorry to have given you the burden of writing a second time. It is abundantly clear that you have cogent reasons for not making the move which we had so much hoped would be possible.

Typed copy letter from Sir Henry Willink to C.S. Lewis.

The 'time for consultation' to which he referred in his letter of 8 June had begun and would run until 24 June when they would have a College meeting. He would write immediately after the meeting.

Returns his letter from Corpus Christi.

Apologises for the brief note as he was just off to London.

Typed copy letter from Sir Henry Willink to C.S. Lewis.

Thanks him for his letter of 12 May and the kind things he said about the invitation to become the first Professor of Medieval and Renaissance English.

Expresses the wish of many in Cambridge that he should come and live in Cambridge. Thinks that he will receive several personal letters from people who he knows who will be more persuasive. Hopes he will reconsider and withdraw his refusal.

He did not feel the need to write to their second choice before 1 June.

Typed copy letter from Sir Henry Willink to C.S. Lewis.

Asks if he could reply to his letter of 24 June so that he could report back at the next College meeting and confirm his acceptance of their offer. The Master of Corpus had telephoned hi to say that as he [Lewis] had accepted rooms at Magdalene they would abandon their attempts to entice him to the Society.

Photocopy of a draft typed letter from Sir Henry Willink to C.S. Lewis.

Informs Lewis that a second Professorship of English at Cambridge was to be established under the title 'Professorship of Medieval and Renaissance English'. As Vice-Chancellor he had presided over the Electors [Prof. J.R.R. Tolkien, Prof. F.P. Wilson, Prof. P. Alexander, the Masters of Jesus College and Pembroke College, Prof. Willey, Prof. M.C. Knowles, and Mr H.S. Bennett] and they were unanimous in the decision to offer Lewis the first tenure.

Hoped the moved to Cambridge would not be a deterrent and offered to meet with him if he would like to discuss the offer.

Autograph letter addressed from "36 S. Audley St", signed, to Jean-Sylvain Van de Weyer, inviting him and Elizabeth Van de Weyer to breakfast to meet William Wordsworth.

Autograph letter addressed from "Curzon Street", to Jean Sylvain Van de Weyer, referring to his presentation of a book for Van de Weyer’s library.

Autograph letter addressed from "49 Upper Grosvenor Street", to Jean-Sylvain Van de Weyer with a request that he endorse the accompanying passport for Ouseley’s friend, Mr Johnston and his daughters.

Autograph letter addressed from "9 Stratford Place", to Jean Sylvain Van de Weyer, presenting his compliments and inviting Van de Weyer to sit, to be painted into a picture of the Christening of the Prince of Wales.

Autograph letter addressed from "Brussels", signed, to Jean Sylvain Van de Weyer, enclosing a proof copy of the lithograph of his portrait, and referring to the sitting for the portrait with Baugniet.

Autograph letter addressed from "Chapter House", signed, to Jean-Sylvain Van de Weyer, inviting him to dine on Wednesday the 13th, also with Mr Barry, the architect of the new houses of parliament.

Autograph letter addressed from "St. James’s Place" to Jean Sylvain Van de Weyer, regarding communications to the King of Belgium and remedies for Dr. Turnbull’s blindness.

Autograph letter addressed from "92 Eaton Square", to Jean Sylvain Van de Weyer, presenting his compliments and regrets that he must cancel their dinner.

Autograph letter addressed from "20 Conduit Street, London", signed, to Jean-Sylvain Van de Weyer, asking him to help in passage to Brussels to discuss practical applications of the electromagnetic telegraph and to show his invention to the King.

Autograph letter addressed from "16 Hart Street, Bloomsbury Square", signed, to Jean Sylvain Van de Weyer, referring to Professor Wheatstone at King’s College who asked to be introduced to Van de Weyer. Prof. Wheatstone wanted to show Van de Weyer the new electric telegraph laid at the Birmingham railroad and wanted to know if Belgium would be interested in such a system.

Autograph letter addressed from "Llanover", signed, to Elizabeth Van de Weyer, sending two “bills of performance” to her and Jean Sylvain Van de Weyer.

Autograph letter addressed from "Mall, Kensington Gravel Pits", signed, inviting the recipient to view some pictures.

Autograph letter addressed from the "British Museum", signed, to Jean-Sylvain Van de Weyer, to introduce Berchet, a friend of Pecchio. Berchet has had the melancholy office of communicating the news of Pecchio’s death and Panizzi introduces Berchet to Van de Weyer for the benefit of his passage to Brussels, to improve his health and possibly to visit a mutual friend Arrivabene.

Autograph letter in Spanish, addressed from "Barranquilla", signed, to General Luque, Cartagena. Bolivar is helping a friend leave the country to General Luque and asking Luque to make adjustments to his passport.

Autograph letter, signed, in French.

Autograph letter addressed from "St. James’s Place", signed, to Jean Sylvain Van de Weyer, thanking him for "these proofs of your Remembrance".