RS had no idea of the state of Robert Woodhouse: 'I never should have suspected him of getting off the hinges but I dare say the loss of his wife disturbed him more than it would have done a soft tempered and opener mannered man'. John Herschel 'who seems to be the kindest scientific or unscientific soul breathing went down to Worcester where Babbage was indisposed and carried him a tour into Ireland. I have not heard anything of them but it was the wisest and kindest thing a friend could do'. RS congratulates 'our worthy Lucasian [George Airy] upon his promise of success and if he can destroy the influence of Venus entirely (not take a poor tithe of her) he has my best wishes'. Although RS would like the money attached to the office of head lectureship, he will not take it this year. RS thinks WW should plan his university career towards getting the divinity chair.
Woodhouse [Robert Woodhouse] was as decided about giving Turner [Thomas Turner, 2nd Wrangler and 1st Smith's prizeman, 1827] the first Smith's prize as George Airy was. WW is working at his sermons.
Trinity College - WW will be voting for [James] Scarlett in the forthcoming election: 'the least evil and as likely to be most frequently on the right side when there is one'. If RJ is 'not a whig I hope you are anti-Tory enough to join us. Woodhouse [Robert Woodhouse] has taken the lead a good deal in bringing Scarlett here'. WW is glad RJ's 'book goes on prosperously and I think you are right to hasten it as much as you can for it will be both more easy and most honourable to knock down Ricardo's errors while they are new'. WW does 'not fear so much discrepancy between our views of the philosophy of science as you anticipate - I shall I assure you be the most inductive of men; and if, instead of deriving some of my principles from the nature of things, I tell you that they are the results of definitions, and hope you will be pacified and it will answer my purpose as well'.
WW understands that HJR must be working at his inscriptions, and may be about to publish some account of them ['Inscriptiones Graecae Vetustissianne', 1825]: 'Have you had time to embody any of your speculations and the results which they have suggested, or is it merely to be something in the way of materials for the few who have similar pursuits and sufficient industry, to work from, without the trouble of turning on several books? Is there any chance of getting at anything certain in the early history of the Greek, or have we drifted down the stream too far to be able to examine its source?'. WW is likely to give up philology for mathematics - especially since he has just accepted the office of mathematical lecturer. Robert Woodhouse has published a book on physical astronomy: 'It is like his other books...executed in no very neat manner but still good metal - so that at worst it may be melted down and coined over again. It will I have no doubt make its way into the Senate House - especially as we have Gwatkin [Richard Gwatkin] & Peacock [George Peacock] as moderators'. [Alexander] D'Arbly 'talks of writing something on the application of analysis to curves &c'. WW was surprised to find D'Arblay had taken his orders. 'If I go on here I shall I have no doubt become a worthy successor to James Wood'.