Sri Aurobindo
Letters of Sri Aurobindo
Volume 4
I enclose Nolini’s typescript of your letter on Grace as it is important and as I don’t quite understand the “somewhat”. Is it all right?
I find from the “Who’s Who” that Murray1 (who spoke “with diffidence” about your likelihood of rising high as an original thinker and metaphysician) is a scholar. But what does First Class Hum. mean? But I want to make him more confident. Will you permit that I send him your Collected Poems? / think we should be agog (a little at least) to get them confer on you the Nobel Prize this year. Why, I think we should send your poems by next mail to Professor Gilbert Murray also. Qu’en dites-vous?
You can send the Poems to the two Murrays.
Romain Rolland said before the last war, “I will not rest” – till the final recognition of Humanity. Let ours be a modester vow, “We will not rest till the Nobel committee crowns you.” It will be a good restlessness, don’t you think?
I am afraid it would be premature to be agog about the Nobel Prize. Even if the Russians go banging into Berlin shortly there would still be so much to clean up that the Prize might have to wait another year or two before being available and by that time all my published works capable of getting it would be old and Nobelly out of date.
One last thing: my host and hostess at Tambaram were going to come yesterday. I receive a letter he is down with fever. She has been inviting me to spend a week with them before they leave for Calcutta this month. I have worked rather hard during the last month (three books in the Press, you see) and I finished only last night. What would you say to a flying visit of mine for four or five days to their delightful and secluded garden house with a swimming pool? I want to swim for a few days – getting too fat sitting writing all day.
Lastly, Nishikanto expressed a desire he would like to come too for five or six days. I can take him with me as they surely accommodate him willingly if I ask them. What would you say to that? It might be a change for N. (I hope not for the worse?).
All right. You can of course take the outing and the “defat” of the swimming course. Nishikanto also can go. Does he intend to live [like] the gorilla there in its native jungle?
But don’t forget about my resolution about being agog re. your Nobel Prize. I want to take the tide (in the affairs of big gurus) at the flood, what?