19 MAY 1973, Page 28

Maudling on Macleod

Sir: Reginald Maulding tells us (May 12) that lain Macleod was addicted to Burns. If so, one can only imagine Macleod's expression had he read that " laughter and the love of friends" was supposed to be a dictum of that poet. Even if Mr Maudling was too idle to look up the quote (it is, of course, by Belloc), surely he must have recognised that it has the unmistakable 1920-ish flavour and could not possibly have been written in the eighteenth century? We'd always heard that Mr Maudling was interested in the arts and all that, not one of your Philistine Tories. Dear, dear.

Georgina Yglesias 4 Frognal Gardens, London NW3.