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Monk Soham.—Thanks him for a copy of his book (the Bible Word Book), and reflects on the death of William Whewell. Invites him to stay, to give him an opportunity of consulting manuscripts at Helmingham. Discusses connections between English dialects and East Frisian.

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Transcript

Monk Soham
March 9. 1866.

Dear Mr Wright,

Many thanks for your book {1} which I have looked over with very great interest, and shall hope to have an early notice of in the Christian Advocate.

You have lost a Great Man at Cambridge {2}. I thought him looking so handsome, when I saw him a month ago. Age had given dignity to the hard features, and his white hair gave him a venerable look.

All his foibles and failings will be buried in his grave and forgotten: but he will live, specially among you at Trinity.

As regards any Chaucer M.SS. at Helmingham, I only know of one a fragment on paper, and I cannot trust my recollection as to what it is.

The books and M.S.S are not accessible save when Mr Tollemache is there.

Perhaps he may come down during the Whitsun Holydays.

Can you come and stay a few days with me, in case the Library is then accessible.

I will ask Bradshaw to come down with you, and you shall rummage one or two closets &c, which I don’t think have been sufficiently gone over.

I quite hold to your project about the General Dialecticon—to coin a word—and will gladly help in it.

I think I can furnish some good specimens of old Harvest-songs, and such old songs as go to tuneless tunes.

Did you ever hear a true Suffolk tune—“never ending, still beginning.”

Do you know a book—of which I carried off Vol. 1. the other day from the P.L.—which mightily amuses me.

“Firmenich, J. W. “Germaniens Völkerstimmen.”

I cannot make out much system in it, except that the series of dialects are topographically arranged. Perhaps the third Volume contains results.

I have gathered some very curious illustrations and Bremen dialects.

Perhaps things all known before, only having the special flavour to me of game taken by my own hunting.

E.G.

Do you know the Dorset Dialect? How constantly the words “I low” recur: “I low, twill rain tomorrow.”—I used to think this meant “I allow” by the figure of Tmesis—so convenient for amateur philologists.

But, lo ye {3}, in East Frisian. | (p. 18. Fermenich)

“De Dokter Liefpien het mi dar’n Dings an mien Schürdöer schreven, ich lör, ’t is Kremerlatien”

“Docter Liefpien had written me something about it on the — {4} door, I low, it is Kremer-(?) Latin.

(Elsewhere it is called “Dews-latien” = Dog-latin!!!

Then p. 42. Mundart Kiels.

“Ich glöw, et sull en Amtsverwalter sien.”

I low, it was an Official.”

So here we have “Ich glaube”. and Dorsetshire “I low” = I believe.

Tög = heng {5} = Dress = Toggery.

Noch ein Wortchen!

Moor = Mother | = Mor, Suffolk.

Yours sincerely,
Robert. W. Groome

I know so little of your Cambridge politics; but who will be your new master.
Mathison, Vaughan, Thompson? {6}

Has W.H.T. any chance?

Have you read E.F.G. “Mighty Magician” yet? {7}

[Second postscript:]

I open my letter to obtrude some advice.

In your list of books appended to your W.B. {8} I miss one book, which may be after all well known to you, but if not a book of great value for your Shakspere Glossary, if you are meditating such a Magnum opus.

“The Courtier of Count Baldesar Castilio – – – – done into English by Thomas Hobby. | London Printed by John Wolfe | 1588.

I meant to have excerpt† it for the Big Dic {9}, during poor H. Coleridge’s Life, but since then “fresh fields”—I cannot “pastures gay”—for they are sad at times—have occupied me.

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The first postscript was added at the head of the first sheet, the second on a separate slip. There are a few irregularities of punctuation, which have not been corrected. The letter was sent with two lists of notable words in Hoby’s translation of Castiglione’s Courtier (Add. MS b. 74/5/2).

{1} Wright’s Bible Word Book, first published this year.

{2} William Whewell, who died on 6 March.

{3} ‘lo ye’: reading uncertain.

{4} A question mark has been added above the dash.

{5} Reading uncertain.

{6} W. C. Mathison, C. J. Vaughan, W. H. Thompson, all Fellows of Trinity.

{7} Edward FitzGerald’s translation of Calderón’s play El mágico prodigioso, privately printed in 1865. There are six copies in Trinity College Library.

{8} i.e. the Bible Word Book.

{9} This is the apparent reading—perhaps short for ‘Big Dictionary’; but the reference is unclear.

States that he does not forget that Cowell was to be at Lugano on 10 September, and announces that he will give 'no possible clue' as to his own whereabouts, beyond stating that he is 'still at this ancient seat of learning', but intends to go the following week to Llandudno, where his people are. Remarks that he has not seen 'the annual J.J.C in the Times yet'.

Reports that Trotter has returned, and that he and Sedley Taylor went up Mont Blanc. Enquired whether they had seen Cowell, and Trotter said that he 'hooted all the way from Grindelwald to Chamounix', and claimed that Cowell must have heard him, but 'wouldn't cry "cuckoo" '. Reports that he had 'an [angels] visit from Bowen the other day, which gave light and life to [their] proceedings. Refers to a four oared race with Huntingdon that Bowen organised, and to the fact that [George Henry?] Richards was 'stroke of the University.' Declares that 'Trevelyan is a splendid correspondent' and that he seems to be enjoying himself.

Reports that Henry Sidgwick and Brandreth have both been [to Cambridge] during the previous week. States that he 'never saw Sidg in such a state of embarrassment'. He had just accepted a Rugby mastership, but seemed to have forgotten about his composition lecture the following term. Adds that Clark was at Constantinople, and so Sidgwick 'could not get out of his difficulty except by telegraphing; he wrote subsequently to Temple to decline altogether, but was immensely disgusted at his "Vaughnism" - and on Monday morning packed his bag, and rushed to Paris, overwhelmed with shame and chagrin, to learn dancing.'

States that he has promised Eve to take his place at Wellington College during the fellowship week, and that when the fellowship exam is over Trevelyan, Wilson, and possibly Tawney are going to join Young in Wales. Reports that '[a] man called Thomas Harvey brother to the blacksmith who fires the guns, unfortunately smashed his mother[']s brains out, and two other people[']s heads in with a hammer the other day, at Fen Ditton, he got off and eluded the police for five days, by [clearly] hanging himself 50 ft high on a tree, not 200 yds from his mother[']s house.' Sends his love to Browning.

House of Commons. - Glad to see Robert so well and so much himself, and to hear what he told Caroline; it is right to 'go through with what has been undertaken' and not to take a step 'which seems crude and unintelligible to people'; Robert will be glad of it afterwards. Spent a pleasant afternoon at Epsom with Lord Rosebery, who is a 'most delightful companion'; good to see him so well. Met 'dear old [Charles?] Vaughan at the Athenaeum today, who asked after them all, and is a 'sort of intellectual grand father' to them. Says in a postscript that he made a speech tonight on 'one man one vote'.

Wallington, Cambo, Morpeth. - Glad that Bessie is really better for her time at Arnside. Effect of the thunderstorms very localised; Charles has described a 'most extraordinary flood which devastated the tunnel under the road in the London Zoo'. Wonders why Sophocles called his 'Satyric drama the "Ichneutae"'. Is just reading the "Bellum Alexandrinum" with 'great admiration'; believes it was written by Oppius, not Hirtius, 'on the rough draft of Caesar's "Bellum Civile"' which he did not live to finish. Macaulay told him the "[Battle of Lake] Regillus" was his favourite of his "Lays [of Ancient Rome]," as he 'had Homer always in mind'; Sir George turned a passage from it into Greek hexameters for his 'Monitor's Greeks' [at Harrow]; they are a 'sort of cento of Homer' and Vaughan told him to write them in the book but he did not, as he did not think them good enough. The pages were left blank; Butler later invited him and 'shut [him] up in his study to write them out', so they are there now, though there are still a blank pages for the letter in imitation of Cicero which he would not write out. Glad to remember that he did not 'over rate his own performance'.

Last part of letter written on a notice from Drummonds Bank that Sir George's account has received some money from the Charity Commissioners.

Welcombe. - Much appreciates reading about the way in which Robert reads with Julian; most important thing is that the 'higher and deeper aspects should be genuine, and within the compass of one's own honest belief', and that any creed should be 'acted on sincerely'. Says that for him, 'the Monday repetition of the Collect, Epistle, and Gospel to Vaughan were the matter of a frequent nightmare' for years. Sends a letter from 'old Hammond' [sic: a mistake for Hallam?] who lives at 'Ortygia' in Harrow, and appears to be staying at what Sir George thinks 'was not Horace's villa at Tivoli'.

Hort to follow the Malvern system (of hydrotherapy) encourages him to take exercise, accident suffered by Hardwick at Zermatt, wedding of [J Llewellyn] Davies, intention of accepting the living of Great St Mary's thrown into crisis by the vacancy for the headship of Harrow, pressed to apply by Harrow masters, asks if FJAH could support him, H M Butler's estimate of the qualities for the post, Vaughan has expressed the wish that H M Butler succeed him

Wallington, Cambo, Morpeth. - Thanks Robert for the 'extract specimen' of an edition of Thucydides, which he returns; discusses the editions he has already, including the text by Poppo which he had at Harrow 'covered throughout' with pencil notes; some 'evidently from Dr Vaughan's lips' but most his own; some are 'really interesting, as written in the stress and agony of the Great War'. Thinks he will 'content himself with this little Clarendon Press edition'; asks Robert to tell Mary Caroline.

Trinity, Cambridge [on Wallington headed notepaper, address crossed through]: - Charlie 'seems to be getting along quite well'; is glad that he is 'writing more cheerfully'. Wright is going with Charlie to Welcombe, and much looking forward to it; Robert too is looking forward to his visit there. Saw Lascelles when he visited for the day yesterday; he has received, for the Vaughan Library [at Harrow], a 'Contio' containing Sir George Trevelyan's 'poem on the invasions of England', or perhaps on the Crimea as Robert cannot remember which; this is 'corrected... by someone writing in a large feminine hand'. Thinks he remembers his father saying that 'Uncle Tom [Macaulay] corrected several lines in one of his prize poems'; alternatively, since the handwriting is described by Lascelles as 'feminine', it is more likely to be Robert's grandmother's. Possible that it is Vaughan's, but has heard he wrote in a 'small Rugby hand'. They could find out by seeing the book, which 'someone picked up on a bookstall'.

There have been 'great rows' in the Trinity debating society, as there is a 'hot contest between two candidates for the Presidency'. Asks if she is going to Oxford next Saturday to see the [Greek] play. Sees the 'government is having a pretty bad time of it'.