SIR,—May I be allowed to say with Freimut, not to
say Hochniut, as one of the worst syntaxists (I bet there's no such word) ever to get into print, how smashing I thought Leavis was on Snow? And how even better Mr. Gerhardi's snowstorm in reply? For my part, I think Snow so square that he really ought to be called a cube, or even the cube. And Leavis so unalive that he would not recognise Life or Dark Passion or Unconscious Blood or whatever it was Lawrence was always on about, if it were to be placed before him—a nasty sight—on a plate. And that is what is so splendid about the gruelling battle, or multi-duel: what would a group duel be cor- rectly called? Now we should be given the ineffable Snow with his own choice of weapons, slaying Leavis. Then we could perhaps see how utterly un- important they both are, Sneavis and Low the cul- ture-vultures. As Mr. Denis Lant pointed out, Leavis proves Snow's point about the state of academic England and except that it really applies to both parties Lord Boothby has a wise point when he says
'the breed has become a destructive force in this country.' Probably it always was, and probably it doesn't matter much—we shall survive by enough people having the sense not to take too much notice of either Leavis or Snow.
The best thing about it, though, is that it is all so wonderfully rude; the voices echo through the print with real rage, laying about them with a will, even if about something that doesn't matter. They really do hate each other, all these highly cultivated chaps, and that at any rate is a real feeling. What a pity they don't as passionately love something, or perhaps they do and hide it with true British breed- ing; only curses should be said aloud. Finally, since we are all bandying quotations to show how many languages we read.... I bet I know which of his own quotations Goethe would have used were he to join the row.
SARAH GAINIIAM
Hohenzollernstrasse 14, Bad Godesberg I Rh., Germany
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