Cambridge University 'is a vile university and the vice chancellor is a damned vice chancellor. - But if possible I will waste no more time in exclamations and give you the facts - scene - Union debating Room - Time - six o'clock. - Knock at door - silence - enter the red round idiot head & turkey cock breast of Okes [William Okes] - Hon. gentlemen stare - enter the inflexibly meek countenance & proctorial smile of French [William French] - stare wider - Okes running himself against the table & addressing the president. "Vice Chancellor sent us to say he don't like these societies - all to go home". French "The Vice Chancellor desires you to disperse & to meet no more". - Pres. requests the messengers to withdraw that soc. may consider of it - "No - not a subject for your consideration - you must oblige" - so the vice chancellor dislikes these societies - but suppose we reject political subjects - will he let us discuss literary ones - "Can't say - no authority - but V.C. is in the house we will mention"[.] [Says] again "no societies at all to be allowed - all to disperse". But we must finish this meeting - we have financial matters - V.C. is here - you will let us send a deputation to him - Whewell - Thirlwall [Connop Thirlwall] - Sheridan [Charles B. Sheridan] - ushered into a room - V.C. in full silks - head white[,] face red & ugly. - Jackson in the background - Red nose of [Hornbuckle?] sticking across the room - and o sorrow & shame! Monk [James H. Monk] - (Why the devil - fool as he was - did he not let it be a Johnian business as it deserved to be) - "We are told you have an objection to our debates - want to know how far it goes - literary subjects?" "No sir - they are against the statutes - all meetings at regular times for the purpose of debate are - hum - haw - hum irregular - and you have only three years - you have other things to do - you take too much upon you - your knowledge[,] your reading[,] your minds are not proper food..." "I am afraid we are not to be allowed to consider the reasons - we must submit to the authority" A move at the word authority "But the case must have been exaggerated - two or three hours a week" "Sir I have had a letter from a person who once belonged to the society and who says that his prospects have been ruined & that the prospects of several of his friends have been ruined by the time and attention he has bestowed on the Society." "Very unfortunate - but it is impossible this can be common." "Sir it is against the statutes - you must disperse." But we may retain our reading room - and continue our present debate - granted. - Long debate - all manner of motions - Remonstrances proposed. - Committee - Whewell - Thirlwall - Sheridan - Lawson - Lodge - My Lord Chief Justice a fool as usual and apparently somewhat frightened. - Committee met today. Now what think you of this? - It is not yet decided what is to be done but of course there must somehow or other, a great noise be made. Do you not think it would do good to write to Clarke & inflame him about it. - And to write to some of the newspapers - it has been proposed to petition the chancellor - write immediately and tell me what you think. - I have done nothing for Lacroix [Silvestre F. Lacroix] yet but we will talk of that another time'.
Brasted - RJ knows as much as WW regarding John Herschel's movements. However, RJ 'can answer for him as boldly as if I was present to his thoughts - 1st he will not stand if there is a chance that he would be in your way or I think Peacock's [George Peacock] - 2ndly He will not stand if he has to canvass the heads with a chance of an opposition so far I am sure 3rdly I do think he would accept the professorship with the expressed and implied condition of lecturing if you and Peacock were out of the question and it was offered him unanimously'. However this will not happen. Herschel further has an 'aversion to the very thought of a Cambridge professorship - he wrote to me with some surprise and some apparent sorrow when you first talked of the mineralogical chair but promised if you got it, to with hold for the future more of the contempt he had been endulging in against the university professorships'. RJ does not think WW should give up the Mineralogical professorship for the Lucasian since the former is tenable and the latter is not. Hence if WW wants to stay in Cambridge and get married, as he has always maintained, he should stick with it -'If moreover you are ever to give way to Peacock I had rather it were now than on some future occasion, because to say the truth, I am intimately persuaded more you will get it now and that if Newton himself were to come to life as a plain Master of Arts the heads would give it to French without hesitation and perhaps with an additional relish from the mere weakness of the job - I say this without any ill will to Peacock - there are not many men I wish better to - I am supposing you to be sure of the mineralogical'. If Julius Hare is not in Cambridge RJ is willing to come and listen to WW's thoughts. WW should not wait to hear from Herschel and would himself have a better chance than Peacock and King for the Lucasian Chair - 'I do not know why but Peacock is not popular in the University'.
WW has been meaning to write to HJR for some time 'for the purpose of remonstrating with you as to one or two things more hard than was necessary which you have said of my friends the experimental philosophers'. WW cannot imagine why HJR 'should charge mathematics with being useful and with strengthening the memory, when you may easily know that all of the science which we learn here is devoid of all practical use; and I can give you plenty of testimony that it may produce the effect of very thoroughly spoiling memories naturally good, besides giving you psychological reasons why it should do so if you wish for them. Nor do I think that you quite fairly represent the nature of progress in scientific knowledge when you talk of its consisting in the rejection of present belief in favour of novelty; at any rate if the novelty be true one does not see what else is to be done. But, to tell the truth, I am persuaded that there is not in the nature of science anything unfavourable to religious feelings, and if I were not so persuaded I should be much puzzled to account for our being invested, as we so amply are, with the faculties that lead us to the discovery of scientific truth. It would be strange if our Creator should be found urging us on in a career which tended to a forgetfulness of Him. I have undertaken to preach at St. Mary's next February, and may possibly take that opportunity of introducing some of my own views on this subject'. WW is not surprised HJR likes the Master of Trinity [Christopher Wordsworth] so much 'for he always strikes me as most admirable in respect of principles, affections and temper'. If French is made Lucasian Professor, WW will be very upset - 'It will be making the office contemptible, and will besides be a clear proof that there is no greater dispositiion here to select people for their fitness to offices than there has been in previous times; that we do not feel the responsibility of our situation. I wish Babbage had any chance. He would be an admirable person, and so would Airy who is also a candidate'.
Trinity College - WW has had confirmation that Herschel [John Herschel] will not be coming forward for the vacant office of Lucasian Chair of Mathematics. 'Babbage [Charles Babbage] is making application and has written to people here on the subject. He has no chance whatever and it is mere extravagance, at least as appears to me, his taking up the thing. I do undoubtedly believe that he would be a good Professor now, but it is too much to expect that our heads should understand not only his merits, but the varying shape of them as time and circumstances may have modified it'. WW thinks Peacock [George Peacock] the most desirous candidate: 'I suppose Airy [George Airy] will not think of offering him for though he would be a better professor, it would be ungracious in him to fight Peacock - and after all it makes no difference. For French if he be a candidate will undoubtedly be elected'.
Christ's College Lodge - Thanks WW for having preached the sermon before the University and expressing 'the grief which we all partook' of the death of Dr French.