Partie 17 - Letter from Henry Sidgwick to A.J. Patterson

1 letter, with envelope.

Reports that he has found Medveczky's essay, but has not yet had time to read it. Undertakes to read it soon. Reports that he has been suffering from sleeplessness for some months, which has led him 'to make a rigid rule of abstinence from all reading after dinner which leads to hard thinking.' Refers to the '"ultra-continental" climate of Pest over the last few weeks', and describes the recent weather in England. Declares that he has been 'rather gloomy lately on various grounds, including the ageing process. Confesses that [Coutts] Trotter's death especially moved him. Declares that his loss 'is all the more irreparable at this crisis, as [Trinity College is] passing thourhg a period of financial distress from the fall in rents'. Undertakes to send some '"in memoriam"' articles that have been written about him by colleagues. Refers to the war 'in [Patterson's] region' and to the slim prospects of peace. States that a European war would be an advantage to England 'in the way of distracting [their] attention from the Irish problem which much wants letting alone'.