[ G. Lowes Dickinson. ] Early Typescript drafts from 'Plato and his Dialogues', with autograph emendations; and typescript of his BBC radio talk on Plato's 'view of the nature of knowledge' (part of series on which book was based).

'Plato and his Dialogues' was Lowes Dickinson's last book. It was warmly received on its posthumous publication, with its contemporary relevance recognised. In a review of May 1932, the Classical Association's journal 'Greece and Rome' declared: 'Here is material for the most exciting and stimulating discussions'. The same review said of the BBC series on which the book was based: 'if all such talks could have so happy an issue, wireless might be said to have justified itself'. And in October 1932, in another BBC radio talk, Lowes Dickinson's literary executor E. M. Forster praised the book for showing him 'another Plato - a living attractive person inhabiting a real world. [...] It is a most remarkable book. Instructiveness and imagination are combined'. Reviewing the book in the Classical Journal, April 1933, Charles N. Smiley opined that Dickinson's BBC broadcasts gave 'new meaning' to the 'biblical declaration that "wisdom crieth aloud in the streets"'. It was, Smiley stated, 'quite fitting that the last work of this gifted man, whose life and writings reflected so much of the Greek spirit, should be an attempt to help cure a sick world by trying to enlist the interest of a larger number of intelligent Englishmen in the doctrines of Plato'. The present item totals 197pp., of which 23pp., folio, are part of the original 1931 BBC radio scripts; and 174pp., 4to, are part of the typescript of the 1932 book, the material is accompanied by a piece of card carrying the pencil note: 'Suggested Title. Chapters on the Platonic Dialogues'. The material is in good condition, on lightly aged paper. The following description is divided into five sections. ONE: Six sections of the book, totalling 77pp., with various autograph emendations: 'Introduction' [including 5pp. of the script of the first BBC radio talk, 15 February 1931, with autograph emendations]; 'Chapter I. The Historic Background' [with a number of footnotes, all deleted]; 'Chapter III. The Characters of Plato's Dialogues'; 'Chapter IV. [amended in autograph from 'III.'] The Republic' [one page only, with deleted four-line autograph addition]; 'Chapter V. The Laws' [20pp., including two drafts (both numbered pp.8 and 9) of passage discussing women, one with reference to 'Bolshevist Russia']; 'Chapter VI. Love and Philosophy'. With covering leaf with 'Imperfect copy' in autograph. TWO: The entire script of the sixth and final BBC talk (18pp., folio), on Plato's 'view of the nature of knowledge', broadcast 22 March 1931. The first page marked by Dickinson 'not correct', and with short pencil note by him at head of p.12. THREE: 'Extracts. from "Selections from Plato." by B. Jowett, M.A. 25pp. With various autograph emendations. FOUR: Translation of dialogue, headed: 'Aristophanes. Ecclesiazusae. ll. 595 seq. translated by Benjamin Bickley Rogers'. 6pp. FIVE: Seventeen translated extracts from Plato, each separately paginated. Totalling 71pp., and numbered in pencil between 15 and 88.