6 September 1921  The Plat  Elsted

Dear Professor:

The erratic Brill sent me a telegram from Innsbruck asking me to meet him in Zurich, although I had sent an account of my movements to New York, Plymouth and Paris!  I suppose he thinks we are as mobile in Europe as they are in America.  We return to London on the 9th, leave for Nürnberg via Brussels on the 12th, arriving on the 14th (address there p/a Merck, Freytagstr. 1.) and staying there till Hildesheim on the 21st.  Hiller is coming to Nürnberg, which will have many advantages in organising the «MDUL»Journal«MDNM» further.

I have just finished going through Strachey's translation of the «MDUL»Massenpsychologie«MDNM», which is excellently done.  As I have also corrected seven chapters of the «MDUL»Vorlesungen«MDNM» there has been little time left of my three weeks here to consider writing an article for Edinburgh.«FN1.××See notes 1 and 7 to letter 320.»  But I regret this the less because you give so much food for thought in the «MDUL»Massenpsychologie«MDNM» that it will need much digesting before fresh ideas flow.  You seem to have written it very easily and confidently, I suppose as a reaction to the difficulty of the «MDUL»Jenseits«MDNM».  You could have expanded and illustrated every paragraph of it, but you are rightly leaving such «MDUL»Hosenarbeit«MDNM» [dog work] more and more to others.  What a library of books that little one will give rise to in time.

It may interest you to know that Bernard Shaw has just written an epic play in which he attempts to deal with the origin of death, and also uses Plato's idea of the origin of sex in connection with Lilith.«FN1.××See Bernard Shaw, "Back to Methuselah«MDUL»«MDNM»" (1918‑1920), in «MDUL»Bernard Shaw: Complete Plays with Prefaces«MDNM», vol. 2 (New York: Dodd, Mead, 1962, pp. 3‑262).  The character Lilith makes an appearance as the being who sundered itself at the beginning of time and gave rise to Adam and Eve, see the end of part V, "As Far as Thought Can Reach: A. D. 31,920." »  I will bring the book with me for you.  I have just refused an American article for the «MDUL»Journal«MDNM», in which the attempt is made to identify your «MDUL»Anschauung«MDNM» [outlook] with that of Bergson.«FN1.××Albert Polon, "Bergson and Freud: Some Points of Correspondence," was presented at the May meeting of the New York Psychoanalytic Society and was to "be published in full in the Journal," as reported by Adolf Stern, «MDUL»Journal«MDNM», 2(1921):485.»  I remarked that it needed to be completed by an indication of the gulf between you.  In general I fear that your Life Instinct in the «MDUL»Jenseits«MDNM» will lead to your being claimed an adherent of self‑creative evolution and vitalism; it will be said that you have found out the error of materialistic determinism.  But you are proof by now against misunderstandings, and can also rely on us to correct them for you.

I was glad to hear that Ernst has a son: another gain for Zionism.  We are hoping that our second attempt will have the same result next March.  In the meantime we are more than pleased with little Gwenith, who is developing in the most normal manner, physically and mentally.

It will be very good to see you again this month, and also our other friends.

I am sorry to say that I have had another spontaneous attack of perforative otitis, but it seems to heal quickly and I am otherwise very well.

Yours very affectionately  Ernest Jones