[ Alfred Mond, Lord Melchett, industrialist, politician and Zionist. ] Autograph Letter Signed ('A Melchet [sic]') to 'My dear Anthony', regarding the Ancient Greek concept of the 'daimon'.

Author: 
Alfred Moritz Mond, 1st Baron Melchett [ Lord Melchett ] (1868-1930), industrialist, financier, politician and Zionist
Publication details: 
On letterhead of Melchet Court, near Romsey. 21 February 1928.
£120.00
SKU: 20533

6pp., 12mo, on six leaves. In good condition, lightly aged. He begins by thanking him for his 'most charming letter; and an inspiration to a young man', before commenting: 'Nothing pleases me more than your letters, which occur like intellectual milestones, epitomizing, where we have lately come from and where we are going.' The rest of the letter discusses the recipients use of the Greek word '[daimon]', of which Mond approves. He begins: 'Modern languages hardly have a translation of it. It is a point where Rome really parted from Greece and a division confirmed and widened by the monkish middle ages. In those days men had “souls” as today, “souls”, “geists”, “esprits” all abstractions based on a theory but [daimon] was a good pagan reality based on intuition.' He wraps up his argument by opining that 'it was a great, a free, and on the whole a pure belief, perhaps we are working back towards it again.' He concludes with a reference to a 'dog' which has been sent to 'Derek': 'when it is reaedy would you send it here, to Melchet. If you could send it to Salisbury station and wire me I will have it fetched.'