Item 39 - Copy of letter from W. W. Rouse Ball to Henry Cayley

2 sheets (typed).

Trinity College, Cambridge. - Has been through Cayley's father's papers gathers that 'everything of value in the MS memoirs and papers has already been printed. All appear to have been carefully examined by Forsyth many years ago, and nothing more can be picked out for publication'. The largest part of the papers 'consist of notes for and incomplete drafts of memoirs included in his published works. All these rough and incomplete notes I propose to destroy'.

Lists proposed recipients of materials. Has no letters himself from Arthur Cayley. Thinks letters from living writers should be either returned to them or destroyed; is therefore returning MacMahon's letters, and destroying those from Glaisher and Forsyth. Of letters from people now dead he proposes to send those from Sylvester to the Master of St John's [R. F. Scott]; thinks most of the rest should be destroyed, though he mentions a few people to whom he would like to send 'a certain number' which he feels would be unproblematic to send. Encloses a few letters and papers 'of a personal character' for Cayley to take care of.

Corresponding holes in the top left of items O.6.6/35-40 suggest that at one point they were kept fastened together (perhaps with a butterfly clip) by Rouse Ball.