T. E. Lawrence to Jonathan Cape

R.A.F. South Farnborough.

7.I.23.

Dear Cape,

I've thought it over, up and down, and have decided that I can't publish anything, while I'm in the R.A.F. That rules out this year, at any rate.

I'm very sorry to behave in this way, and to do harm to your firm and its prospects. The initial fault was mine, in agreeing to publish the abridgement: and it's another fault to cancel it so late:- but I feel that the fault of letting the thing go to press would be far greater than any of the others, and is one to be avoided at all costs. I'm telling Savage and Garvin.

Yours sincerely,

T. E. LAWRENCE