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Slough - WW and George Peacock have 'absolutely turned his [Babbage] brain by your inflammatory conversation'. Babbage has been 'running analysis mad' and so has JH: 'I really have read and written more in the last fortnight than ever I did in twice the time in any other part of my life and I advise you to go and do likewise'. 'The distress of the poor and the pressure of the times forms the subject of conversation here'.

Slough - JH has sent WW's paper to Davy 'with the character it merits (for he cannot read it) - one of the neatest applications of algebraic analysis I have seen' ['A General Method of Calculating the Angles Made by Any Planes of Crystals, and the Laws According to which They are Formed', Phil. Trans., 1825].

Collingwood - JH sends WW the beginning of his Hexameter translation of book one of the 'Iliad': 'So far as the question as to the nationalisation of the Hexameter goes I am not dissatisfied with it, as there seems to me to be no appearance of constraint, and no material violation of accent in reading the lines but it assuredly does read bald and homely'. However, Homer's diction is also homely and in comparison to Pope is also bald. The English blank verse comes with a class at the end, while the Hexameter makes up for its terminal weakness by its initial form: 'The one is epigrammatic, the other impulsive. The one belongs to a natural and somewhat artificial literature, the other to a nascent and majestic one'.

Collingwood - JH is preparing 'a popular lecture on the sun adapted to the meridian of our Hawkhurst trades folks and farmers'. He is also producing a translation of the first book of the 'Iliad' into hexameters: 'It is shockingly bald and homely by the side of Pope - but I flatter myself a good deal more like Homer'.

Collingwood - Thanks WW for his Plato Vol. 3 [WW's trans. of Plato's Republic, 1861]. JH gives his reply to WW's observations on the beginning of JH's translation of the first book of Homer's 'Iliad' [see JH to WW, 12 Dec. 1861].

Collingwood - JH thanks WW for his remarks on his translation of book one of Homer's 'Iliad': 'I have adopted your suggestions all but one or two'. He has also begun the second book , but has not got far as he is constructing a 'general index catalogue of nebulae' with the aid of George Airy. JH's son Alexander Herschel is a candidate for the Professorship of Natural Philosophy at the Andersonian University of Glasgow: 'If in addition [to signing his certificate] you should think that he would be likely to make a good professor and in that case would express that opinion to the Secretary W. Ambrose...it would be a great help to him'.

Collingwood - JH does not like book two of Homer's 'Iliad': 'The catalogue of ships is simply abominable - the whole book is such a falling off from book 1 that (but for other characteristic marks) I should scarcely believe is written by the same author'. JH does not want to see any other translations in advance of his own and 'of those I have seen I like my own best'.

Collingwood - JH has not been working much on his translation of Homer's 'Iliad'. He will not be attending the BAAS meeting in October: 'that sort of thing is more than I can face now'. De Morgan has sent him a spoof of the opening of book one of the 'Iliad' [JH encloses a copy].

Collingwood - JH claims he thought he had sent WW 'my atoms' and encloses another off-print [JH, 'On Atoms' dated 16 Oct. 1860]. Thanks WW for his remarks on his translation of Homer's 'Iliad'. JH asks: 'What is to be done in the matter of this lamentable blow up between [George] Airy and [Edward] Sabine, - Surely A has taken up the matter in a very high handed and violent manner' [GA wants to expel ES as Chairman of the Board of Visitors to the Greenwich Observatory]. JH had been unaware that there had been any bickering at the BAAS.

Collingwood - JH will be sending WW 'a modified copy of the Maclear [Thomas Maclear] memorial', all he has to do is sign it and return it to JH. C. P. Smyth [Charles Piazzi Smyth] has informed JH that there 'is a provision (by superannuation fund deduction) for his retirement' which means JH has to cancel what has already been done.

Collingwood - Business concerning Thomas Maclear's testimonial and a mistake regarding a provision for his retirement. WW is to annex his signature where indicated [see JH to WW, 23 Dec. 1862]. Could WW get Challis's [James Challis] signature also and then return the form to JH.

Collingwood - Thanks WW for his lectures on Political Economy. JH can imagine WW in his cape and gown lecturing to the Prince of Wales seated on a stool, 'note book in hand...drinking in the words of wisdom'. Regarding the book: 'So then the good old theory of Rent is exploded and auxiliary capital is the word! Well well live and learn'. Illness in the family.

2 Orchard St., Portman Sq. - WW's paper on Crystallography was read at the Royal Society and an abstract will be distributed at the next meeting ['A General Method of Calculating the Angles Made by Any Planes of Crystals, and the Laws According to which They are Formed', Phil. Trans., 1825]. JH did not hear whether WW had made any reference to Levy's paper in Brewster's journal. Because of the similarity with his paper, WW should refer to it in his abstract.

Collingwood - Thanks WW for his annotations to JH's translation of Homer's 'Iliad', and shows WW where he thinks he has misread him. Book five is nearly finished but JH does not like it. Maria Herschel hopes to be well enough to accept WW's invitation - along with Amelia Herschel - to Trinity Lodge. JH attaches a short verse of translation.

Collingwood - JH sends WW his translation of book six of the 'Iliad', and thanks him for his 'just and welcome' notes on his translation of book five. JH has compared his translation to others, and prefers his own since it does not 'gallop so oppressively...which always makes me seasick and puts me in mind of making game'. Maria, Amelia and William Herschel have returned from their stay at the Whewells. Margaret Herschel is now off the sick list but JH has had terrible bronchitis.

Collingwood - Thanks WW for his remarks concerning JH's translation of Homer's 'Iliad', and gives his reply to WW's comments. JH is thinking of stopping at book six and getting his translations printed. However he has started book seven - 'not to mind a pleasing book. Homer is too hard upon Hector in making him so evidently no match for Ajax'. JH has given WW's friend Mr Kindt [Hermann Kindt] 'a castigation' for criticising Pope.

Collingwood - JH sends WW book seven of his translation of Homer's 'Iliad' and has begun work on book eight. JH has not enjoyed translating book seven and is 'conscious of having done it less 'piously' than the others'. Book six has really benefited from some of WW's suggestions. William Herschel is to be married on Thursday. JH can not get rid of his illness [bronchitis - see JH to WW, 2 April 1864].

Thanks WW for his remarks [on JH's translation of Homer's 'Iliad' - book seven], and gives his response to them.

Collingwood - JH was not sure whether WW was abroad or not: 'So I now (taking it for granted that you are in College) send book xi which I finished not long since and am now advanced some way in book xii'. JH is thinking of publishing all the books he has translated so far of Homer's 'Iliad'. JH is still ill with bronchitis which he has now had since mid-January: 'when it goes , I fancy it will take me with it'.

Collingwood - JH sends WW his translation of book fourteen of Homer's 'Iliad', and hopes WW is not getting too tired of the subject: 'for the very name of a translation of Homer is beginning to nauseate the Public'. JH notes that yet another hexameter translation is coming out 'by a Mr. Saxton or Simpson? or some such name!...I spare you that it is dead weight'. JH is still suffering from bronchitis. JH does not think he will be able to get his translation printed: 'Longman whom I contacted about printing the 1st half as vol. i. fights shy of it altogether and talks about the general prejudice against Hexameters etc'. William Herschel and his wife have arrived in Calcutta.

The wedding of Maria is fixed for the 12th of next month: 'The more we see of the young man the better we like him'. [Maria] can thus no longer take up WW's invitation to stay at the Lodge but Amelia can stay some time in early November. Julia Herschel is in Switzerland. JH has nearly finished his translation of all the books of Homer's 'Iliad'.

Collingwood - If JH's newly married daughter [Maria] and husband are now with WW could he give Maria the annexed. The wedding 'went off very prettily'. A Mr Prescott, a man of high scientific learning, very cultivated and an agreeable person, is going to take up residence in Cambridge. Prescott is an old Trinitarian and would like to be introduced to WW.

Collingwood - JH has sent WW his translation of book twenty-four of Homer's 'Iliad', and does not want WW 'to be sparing in criticism'. JH does not think he will find a publisher for it. JH is expecting Maria [JH's daughter] and her husband next Monday. Amelia Herschel will be escorted to WW's by Alexander Herschel who will then go straight to Norwich to give some lectures.

JH's reasons for declining to become a candidate for the Lucasian Chair: He does 'not wish to devote myself exclusively or par excellence to any one branch of science - perhaps too a consciousness that I prefer physical to mathematical science'. Any science he does do 'I had rather should be considered as done an amateur than as a matter of duty and profession'. JH has written to [James] Wood to canvass for Babbage. JH has become 'an ultra-Huttonian in regard of long geological periods'.