Dear Prof. Whittemore

10, Kings Avenue, Bromley, Kent May 23 32.

I have been reading Dr Covel's diairies – they have not been published but are in manuscript form and at times his writing is difficult to read – but I have culled something of great interest, my notes will follow later. He gives some description of mosaics which are new to me. He does not mention Christ over the altar which one can see today & by the way I have pigeon holed in my mind that under this figure of X was the text « Come unto me all ye etc. » Covel mentions the apparent opening in the gallery. I wrote to you about it. He also mentions two vaulted entrances to the gallery one with white marble ground slabs for the Emperor – the other cobbled as it is today – I cannot remember ever seeing such in marble.

Amid the old papers which I have (copied from the Record Office, Levant Co archives) are copies of letters (1612 to 1640) from the ambassadors, Roe & ##ich to the Duke of Buckingham and Arundel and letters from them to the ambassador and to a Dr Donne & a Mr Petty who were sent out as agents to buy « marbles ». There was rivalry between them but Roe managed to get them to agree to divide the spoil. After working for some years a goodly shipment was made from the islands, Smyrna & Angora – one shipment was sunk off Scio. The Arundel marbles are the ones referred to, I think he got the bulk because Buckingham was working for the king and money was not easy to get from such a source. Arundel on the other hand provided it with his letters of instructions. Amongst these papers is a drawing of a head acquired & at one time I had a photo of it – but cannot find it. Do you think copies of these letters would be of interest. I must have 20 or perhaps more.

Also, the Italian manuscript you mention is in Italian or Latin I did not examine it carefully. The gothic lettering is minute & an ordeal to try to read. If you want it copied or the part which refers to St Sophia I shall have to employ someone. Shall I do so ? Seeing you have the building with all the mosaics it is necessary ? Covel mentions the cistern or cisterns which overflow down towards the sea where the Turks still throw manure and rubbish as they did 3 centuries ago ! I have not copied this. « Lespion Turc » gives a better description of the cistern if wanted.

Ask Edwards to let you see an article I wrote called Sylvestro. I mention there the ruins of monasteries in the Gulf of Ismidt. Dr Covel mentions some, as then working. He is the only one of all the travellers in those parts who mention them but [mot barré : they] there must have been many more than he mentions. You should have a trip down to ?Calora & touch at the islands in the Gulf beyond ?Pendita. Ask Tubini about them. Tubini of R.C. He found some mosaics on the shore of one of those isles – if you know of any book which gives any description of them I would like to see it. My impression is that all were destroyed before 1452.

Y[ou]rs A Baker