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2 Brook Street - HH is extremely glad WW is to publicly support John Couch Adams's claim to have discovered the new planet [Neptune] - as opposed to Urbain Jean Le Verrier: 'It is clear to me after reading the three papers produced at the astronomical society, that Adams would be precisely where Leverrier's now is, had the observations early in August ripened into actual discovery of the nature of the body, actually seen then by the guidance of Adam's calculations. Arago [Francois Arago] is moving heaven and earth (the phrase is not inappropriate here) to fix Leverrier's name upon it'. The planet's name should be taken from mythology.

Compliments Mayor’s memorial inscription of [J C] Adams: [Trinity Lodge]

7 Camden St. & T. - The spoon is a good representation of inductive logic. Whewell's notion of induction contains more than logic. Spoon feeding is synthetical (induction) and knife and fork feeding is analytical. Whewell will probably see a scene at the Astronomical Society as Jerwood, who accused Airy and Le Verrier of conspiring to defraud Adams [regarding the discovery of Neptune], has been proposed as a fellow. He describes his friend [Joshua Ryland] Marshman's suitability for the Professorship of Law at Cambridge.

Thanks WW for his kind letter and hopes he really can do something for him [one of the candidates for the Professorship at St. Andrews in Natural Philosophy]. The evidence [for the discovery of Neptune] is decisively in favour of John Couch Adams.

Edinburgh - JDF is interested in what WW has to say regarding Barrow [Barrow and his Academical Times, 1859]. He is sorry to hear of Robert L. Ellis's very ill state. Is it true that Adams [Couch Adams] has accepted the mathematical chair at St. Andrews? There is endless talk on the improvement of the British universities and JDF thinks they 'may be materially improved; but the misfortune is that those who combine to make a clamour have few ideas in the least in common...I do not think however that the worst of us would do anything more ridiculous than Oxford has done with her associates'. Can WW advise him what to do regarding John Tyndall's 'papers which profess to rectify my theories about glaciers. I am not disposed now-a-days to enter into controversy if I can help it...and there is an especial difficulty in this case that Tyndall has gradually paved away so much of what was definitely controvertible in his earlier papers that one does not know where to hold him, the differences become so fine'. JDF would not therefore worry, but 'On the other hand I have been informed that he makes a considerable impression in London and that his repeated returns to the subject, and my silence, create an impression that he has obtained a victory'. Could WW find out what the prevalent opinion is?.

Royal Observatory, Greenwich, London S. E. - Thinks it 'best to put in writing the purport of what I have said or have intended to say in reference to the Mathematical Studies in the University'; comments first on the study of partial differential equations, which 'are very useful and therefore stand very high., as far as the Second Order. They apply... to the great problems of nature concerning time, and infinite division of matter, and space.. Beyond that Order they apply to nothing'.

Discusses 'what I may call the moral part' of mathematical studies: thinks a 'heavy responsibility' lies on those responsible for the course of education in the University to direct it 'in the way in which it will be most useful to the students' by 'disciplining their powers and habits' and 'giving them scientific knowledge of the highest and most accurate order (applying to the phenomena of nature) such as will be useful to them through life'; does not think that the 'mere personal taste of a teacher is sufficient justification for a special course' unless these aspects are taken into consideration.

Has for some years inspected the examination papers, and considers that except for the very best students there is currently 'a prodigious loss of time without any permanent good whatever', since only a very few such as Adams and Stokes retain their study of abstract analytical geometry. Believes that in contrast a 'careful selection of physical subjects would enable the University to communicate to its students a vast amount of information; of accurate kind and requiring the most logical treatment; but so bearing upon the natural phenomena which are constantly before us that it would be felt by every student to possess a real value' and therefore remain in the mind and 'raise the national character'.

Is 'old enough to remember the time of more geometrical processes' and believes that 'for the cultivation of accurate mental discipline they were far superior to the operations in vogue at the present day. There is no subject in the world more favourable to logical habit than the Differential Calculus in all its branches...'; thinks a return to study of it would be 'far more advantageous... than the simple applications to Pure Equations and Pure Algebraical Geometry now occupying so much attention'.

Encloses Rayleigh's letter [not included]. Wishes that the latter had asked him to bring Myers to Terling, and suggests that he may yet do so. Claims that Mrs Jencken 'seems about the best medium out, and to have her rapping away in the private house of a senior wrangler using all the resources of his laboratory is too tempting a prospect.' Proposes to ask Rayleigh to arrange for some séances with Mrs Jencken in London, to which Myers could bring [John Couch?] Adams. Asks Myers if he could alter the time of his inspectorial visit, in case Rayleigh wishes to confine his invitation to Sidgwick. Reports that their 'anxiety still goes on: but the doctors seem to have good hopes.'

Assemblage of figures in which the faces of various Cambridge personalities are spliced into incongruous scenes. The accompanying printed key explains that, for example Neptune in his chariot has the face of John Couch Adams, since 'The learned Professor was the first to discover the above mentioned planet; the Vice-Chancellor [1874-1876], Samuel Phear, 'did his best to suppress the "wooden spoon"' so his face is superimposed upon one. A scene of three figures balancing on a beam in front of the fountain in Trinity Great Court is labelled 'The Pantomime', and the figures are identified as 'The Author of Supernatural Religion [W. R. Cassels], 'Prof. Lightfoot' and 'Prof, Westcott', with a brief account of the controversy following the anonymous publication of that work in 1874. A tug of war competition is labelled 'Classics v. Mathematics'; a coxed four are labelled 'Ye Antient Mariners'.

Hard to decipher pencil annotations on back, which includes 'Bradford, Camb.' [probably the seller, see O.6.6/47].

Letters dated 30 Mar. 1847, 3 Dec. [18--].

From the edition printed 'Coloniae Agrippinae [at Cologne]. Apud Henricum Falckenburg'.