Opinions

Lawrence's opinion of SP darted between the extremes of elation and despair, as it was to do for the rest of his life. He denigrated the style - 'elaborate and self-conscious', which meant that it would also be a failure as a simple 'good yarn'. (1) He longed for praise, but rejected it as merely the kindness of a friend when it was freely and enthusiastically given by so many. To Garnett he gave a clear account of these ambivalent feelings - 'I thought that the mind I had, (and I've matched it competitively often against other fellows, and have an opinion of it), if joined to a revival of the war-passion, would sweep over the ordinary rocks of technique. So I got into my garret, and in that month I told you of, excited myself with hunger and cold and sleeplessness more than did de Quincey with his opium . . . I had hopes all the while that it was going to be a big thing, and wrote myself nearly blind in the effort. Then it was finished (pro tem) and I sent it to the printer, and when it came back in a fresh shape I saw that it was no good . . . It's only that my weathercock of a judgement, which would like, in secret, to believe The Seven Pillars good, blows round that way whenever it finds a fair wind from someone else. I go on exercising the poor bird wantonly, by thinking to send the copy to more people for comment . . . so I'll go on veering about the point of publication, as with you, so often as any of them praise it: but at the end I'll say, No, once more - and it's the right decision.' (2)

In the same letter Lawrence told Garnett that Kennington had been given a copy - handed over with the comment 'I intended to throw these volumes off the centre of Hammersmith bridge' (3) - and 'another man, whose work I admire, has got it on loan by his own request.' He said that he intended showing it to six people in all, but with the work now in a more readable form he began its increasingly wider circulation among friends for their criticism and comments.

On 30th August 1922, Lawrence enlisted in the RAF as John Hume Ross, A/C 2 No 352087.

1	L 163, Edward Garnett, 23.8.22
2	L 164, 26.VIII.22
3	Friends, p 273

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The writing of Seven Pillars of Wisdom - full listing