establishment, and out of touch with his younger relatives. Boyd moved to Rome in 1957 where he wrote the Langton tetralogy, frequently considered his finest work, the second autobiography, Day of My Delight, the travel story Much else in Italy and a light novel The Tea-Time of Love. Despite his literary successes, Boyd's medical expenses in the year before his death were paid by his nephews Arthur, Guy, and David Boyd. His loyalty to his family and friends was being generously repaid. Brenda Niall recounts, "A few days before Christmas 1971, Boyd was astonished to get an official letter from Canberra. The Commonwealth Literary Fund had awarded him $1000 and a life pension of $30 a week "out of regard for the part you have played in the development of the literature of Australia". This had come about because a number of his Australian friends had heard of his illness and financial difficulties; and stirred others to do something about it. Thelma Herring, Barrie Reid, Patrick White and Gough Whitlam (then Leader of the Federal Opposition and a member of the Commonwealth Literary Fund committee) were among those responsible." Death Martin Boyd suffered from ill health for the last decade of his life. He died of cancer on 3 June 1972 just days after being received into the Catholic Church. He is buried near the poets John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley in Rome's Protestant 'English cemetery'. Social image and views The Boyd family had considerable influence which extended not only throughout the state of Victoria, where Boyd grew up, but extended to the rest of Australia and parts of Europe. They are known for their various contributions to the creative and literary arts but also had many links to the military and, through the a'Becketts, to legal affairs. Martin Boyd was one such individual who greatly contributed to Australian Literature. Being from an upper-middle-class family predominantly associated with the creative arts was a fundamental influence in the development of his identity and the sense of beauty that would later influence his literary style. With the development and refinement of this artistic flair, Boyd's novels soon gained the appreciation of many despite an inherent disinterest in Australian literature. His social comedies provided colourful characters in understandable if not relatable settings. Behaviour One of the defining characteristics of Boyd was his reputation as a social enigma. This can mainly be traced