36 Campden Hill Gardens, W.8. - Thanks Bob for his Christmas present: the "Dream" has a 'fascinating quality' and he enjoyed it, though is not sure 'how far' he agrees with the conclusion, and is 'rather inclined to side [?] with Christ against Lucifer & Socrates': thinks Love should only 'worship Reason' if 'Reason has begun by learning from Love', but does not think this is 'implied in the ordinary use of the word today' though Plato and perhaps Socrates may have meant something like it. Should not 'criticise from the wrong end': a 'poet has the right to use words in his own way', while a reader should 'listen & try to understand'; thinks he quite agrees with Bob's 'main point'. Likes the poetical qualities of the work; particularly the rhythm. He and his wife send best New Year's wishes to Bob and Bessie.
The sketch is captioned ‘What happens after reading Aristotle his Ethics’. The declaiming man is saying something in Greek, and at the foot is written: ‘NB on the lower row to the left. may be observed the immortal Socrates. his pupils Aristides and Zeno are on his left. behind them are Gorgias and D. Republica the celebrated Epicurean philosophers. Aristotle is to be observed in the background asleep as he ought to be’, and is marked with Fox's initials.
The following quotation has been added on the leaf of the book itself: ‘But I’m afeard | Being in night, all this is but a dream | Too flattering sweet to be substantial. Romeo & Juliet Act. II. Sc. 2.’
The sketch is captioned only with the date and ‘7.30. AM.’
The sketch is captioned ‘This is meant to represent the extremely pleasant condition of one who has been down a “wet grip”’.
The sketch is captioned ‘Result of climbing Fairfield & dining late. Sept 25. 63 | Rydal.’ Five climbing scenes, four of them falls of various kinds, are pictured.
The sketch is marked only with the month and year.
The sketch is captioned ‘Terrible position of Bumpkins when encountering the following’ above a cutting from a newspaper referring to two recent additions to the Zoological Gardens at Regent’s Park, namely ‘a Derbyan Screamer and two Howling Monkeys from New Granada’.
The notice is headed ‘Truth stranger than Fiction!’, and the attributes of the horse are described as follows: ‘Fourteen-and-a-half hands high. Fine lofty action, and a splendid walker. Up to any weight or distance. A truly noble and magnificent animal: perfectly sound and without vice. He will also perform several Curious and Remarkable Feats! Will carry a walking-stick: and has been known to stand on two legs for a considerable time during the performance of a piece of music.’ ‘Enquire of G. Sheltie, Loughrigg Cottage, Rydal.’ ‘Printed by John Garnett, Windermere.’
The two pages are marked ‘See Page 34.’, i.e. f. 34r.