RJ is concerned over 'Buller's [Charles Buller] dangerous illness and the succession to his office - I went to town and after consultation with Ryan [Edward Ryan] wrote to Ld. Monteagle asking his advice'. RJ will not probably see WW in Cambridge for at least another week. Has WW seen the Westminster Review? - 'Neither very fair nor very strong but the readers of the Westminster will be neither worse or wiser for it'.
Embossed notepaper, 'Vicarage, Mapledurham, Nr Reading'. - Thanks Houghton for assistance; 'goodly quartos of chit-chat' of Charles Buller's time. His brother [Sir John Taylor Coleridge] asserts that Buller was very weak in legal arguments despite brilliance in the House of Commons.
3 Essex Court, Temple. - Sends first number of his colonial magazine [no longer present]; requests contribution for the next number; 'Our political object is to take the torch which was dropped from the hand of poor Chas Buller, and get something better than the existing system of Colonial administration; hopes Milnes can persuade institutions to subscribe.
Embossed notepaper, 'Vicarage, Mapledurham, Nr Reading'. - Is unknown to Houghton; asks where he can obtain a copy of Charles Buller's complete dog-Latin epistle, an extract of which appeared in the Monographs.
Trinity College. - Was surprised this morning to receive two letters, from Macaulay and [Tom?] Taylor, with the news that the former had offered the 'presidentship' of the [Apostles] dinner to the latter, who had accepted it. Spedding's clear opinion is that honorary member 'were ghosts who could only speak when spoken to, but even supposing the appointment lay with the existing President, it was clear that whatever power Macaulay had must have expired immediately after the appointment of C. Buller'. Notes that 'Historically the London dinner is only the Cambridge dinner transferred, of which the President was regularly appointed on a Saturday night'.
A new member, named [John Daniel?] Williams, was 'evangelised' yesterday, who 'testified his faith by abandoning a literary club in Trinity which goes by the name of the "Roaring Cockatoos". Thompson is recovering well and was out for a while yesterday. Hopes Milnes will not be annoyed by the part Harcourt took about the dinner.
Blackheath - notice to quit his rooms, profligacy of Brookfield, Thackeray and Buller, Tennyson's sister, coalition between Tories and Radicals, Apostles should be less profane in their conversations
Introduces his cousin George Strachey, who is about to become a member of Trinity.
Monograph also includes notice of Charles Buller, and is accompanied by engraved photographs of both Lady Baring and Buller. pp 225-255, with proof of p. 257 from another version of the Monograph.