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States that he was glad to hear from Cowell, and very sorry to hear of his bad health. Admits that in the question he proposes he 'can only give an answer [apolitically obscure].' Refers to the group known as 'the "Apostles" ', and his perception of it during his time at Cambridge. Claims to believe that 'a certain amount of reserve' is an indispensable sign of the well-being of the Society. Maintains that the portrait of the Society in Dr [Coughlan's] [ ] religious [ ] 'shews how little the real character of the "Apostles" was known in his time and implies both the [ ] and some disadvantages resulting from it.' Concludes that he sees 'no good to be [ ] by talking much about the Society to the general world who are most likely to mistake its objects and misunderstand its principles.'

The collection includes manuscripts in various European languages, dating from the sixteenth century to the twentieth. Most of them are, broadly speaking, of a literary, historical, or religious nature, but it is not easy to summarise the range of subjects they cover. They include, for instance, from the seventeenth century, notarial instruments in French relating to Charlotte de Beaune, an English translation of Den Spegel der Gherechticheit by Hendrik Niclaes of the so-called ‘Family of Love’, and a collection of English court poetry; from the eighteenth, papers on British trade, literary copyright, notorious criminals, and the French revolution; and from the nineteenth, a collection of papers and prints relating to the history of ballooning, items collected by Richard Burton on his travels, and a series of volumes recording the transactions of the Philobiblon Society.

Houghton's archive includes: Cambridge papers, 1827-1830; a voluminous correspondence; literary papers; publications, 1834-1873; political papers, 1837-1880s; business and estate papers; papers relating to travels, 1828-1885, papers relating to clubs and societies; commonplace books, 1838-1865; press cuttings, 1801-1878; diaries of Annabella Hungerford Milnes, Lady Houghton, 1855-1872; papers of Houghton’ father Robert Pemberton Milnes and other members of his family.