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[On headed notepaper for Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland]: - Is sorry she 'had so rough a passage'. Got his 'grub all right'. Glad to hear that '[Frank] Holl's picture of Papa is such a success' and would very much like to see it. Charlie 'seems all right now' [after his illness]; Robert 'went a walk with him instead of footer' last Thursday, towards Pinner. [Henry Morton?] Stanley gave a lecture last Wednesday evening; he was 'very interesting' and Robert thinks it was a 'great success'. 'Bozy [Bosworth Smith?] brought in a king and queen from somewhere about Sierra Leone, which caused great amusement'. He 'went into chapel the next morning... in a cap rather like a Bozyite fez'.

Went down [to London] with Charlie to see the Old Harrovians' match against the Old Westminster boys; both played well but Harrow lost [in the first round of the F.A. Cup?]. Lionel Holland came down amongst 'the old boys from Vanity's house'; Robert didn't see him for long. Mr [J. W.?] Cunningham has had Robert and Charlie to tea this evening; they sometimes see the Stevens, whom Miss Martin used to teach, there. He and Charlie are both 'getting on very well'.

[On headed notepaper for Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland]: - Thanks his mother for her letter. Was 2nd this fortnight, with 195; Giffard was first with 201 and Goetz third. Does not know where Charlie came, as he has not seen him for a few days since he has 'had rather a bad cold'. Does not think from what he has heard that it is 'anything serious'; does not think Charlie did too badly with his marks. Hopes he will be first himself next fortnight. They had a 'chesnut fight in the grove today, which was great fun'. Likes 'footer very much', and goes as often as he can. Will find out about the absit and write as soon as he can. Hopes Holl 'will make a good picture of Papa'. Has not had a bad cold himself, just 'a little one in [his] head' which is better now. Asks her to tell his father that he will write soon.

[On headed notepaper for Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland]: - Thanks his father for his letter. Dreamt last night that he was 'conversing with a conservative', who said that 'there would be an election this spring' in which the Conservatives would 'lose 100 seats', primarily due to his father's speeches. Cannot remember much else, but 'hope[s] it will come true, if not this Easter, at all events some day'.

Is glad the picture [the portrait of his father by Frank Holl?] 'looks well': liked it a great deal when he saw it two weeks ago, but it was 'then only on the floor'. Has 'two copies of verses' in a drawer at Inkerman, one about Inkerman and another on a quotation in ancient Greek which is 'not so good'. Does not think he has a rough copy here, but will send one if he can find one, or if he writes another good one. Is 'so glad' Hallam is teaching them, as he is very interesting.

Has been 'working hard and preparing [his] construing', though he 'came to grief once with Welldon': after preparing carefully 'with the notes', he could not remember one particular part, and Welldon thought he had 'not prepared it at all'. This is 'the result of a reputation for not preparing' which he must try hard to reverse. Has not been late 'for any schools'.

They had some 'fair skating last Thursday', but there was a thaw the morning after; was glad he did not send for his skates as he almost did. His house is 'very good this term'; he does not mean in games, though they are 'not bad in torpids'. Has been reading Realmah [by Arthur Helps] and likes it very much. Charlie is reading it now and has lent Robert [Kinglake's] Eothen, which he will read when he has time.

3 Hare Court, Inner Temple:- Is setting off tomorrow morning 'by the train de luxe', and will reach Florence on Friday evening; his address will be c/o B[ernard] Berenson, Via Camerata. Expects he will stay there over Christmas. Went to tea with Mrs [Helen] Fry last Sunday: she was 'still better than last time', and will 'leave Roehampton quite soon, possibly has already'. Will see Roger Fry this afternoon at Fry's lecture. Mrs Russell Barrington and her 'majority on the committee have behave[d] abominably to him in the matter of payment'; his solicitors say he has an 'absolutely safe case' if he choose to fight it but he 'does not want to have a row'.

Is glad his mother 'liked the wood-cuts'; thinks the 'round Shannons were the best on the whole' and bought two of them, the Pegasus and the Diver. Some of Robert's friend [T.S.] Moore's Bacchantes and Centaurs and his Wordworths [illustrations] were 'very charming in quite another way, and of course he is not so accomplished an engraver as the others'.

[Robert] Binyon, who 'should know as well as anyone' recommends Dyer of Mount Street, who 'looks after the National Gallery pictures' to 'varnish the Holl'. Supposes his parents are 'sure it wants varnishing': pictures are 'so often over-varnished now', but Binyon says Dyer 'would be quite certain not to over varnish it'. Will however ask '[G. L.] Dickinson's father' whom he will see later today and 'ought to know best, as he is a good portrait painter of long experience'; Robert also thinks he 'knew Holl himself'. Will let her know in a few days.

Encloses a review [of his book Mallow and Asphodel] from the Speaker, which is 'quite favorable'; is 'still waiting for a real criticism, favorable or the opposite', but supposes he is 'asking too much of Reviewers'. Hopes his parents are well.

Il Frullino, Via Camerata, Florence:- Is 'settled here very comfortably' and will certainly stay 'well into January', when he may 'perhaps go on to Ravello'. Mrs Costelloe is still here, though will go to England soon; nobody else is here but [Bernard] Berenson at present. Sees few people but the Rosses; Mrs Ross was pleased Robert's parents found her book 'interesting'. She is 'very amusing and gives wonderful lunches, having a genius for [a] cook'; Robert likes 'the old boy [Henry Ross' too]'. There is also Janet Ross's niece, Miss [Lina] Duff Gordon, whom he thinks he told his mother about last year. She is 'a great beauty, and very charming though a trifle dull', and Robert 'should have been bound to fall in love long ago' if he had been 'given that way'; but his mother 'need not be afraid'.

Has done some work recently, mainly on his 'book of translations'; gives his translation of Catullus 34. Acknowledges that this does not have 'the charming simplicity of the original', but doesn't 'think it half bad' metrically; must 'try and do something... like it' of his own. Is 'beginning at the play [his Cecilia Gonzaga?] again'. Hopes his mother is having a good winter, and that 'Papa will have some fun among the pheasants'. The weather here is 'quite cold... but fine'. Berenson says they should send [the picture of Sir George Trevelyan by Holl, see 46/64] to Dyers of Mount Street, as Agnews 'would only send it to somewhere of the kind and charge more' and 'Dyers are quite safe'.

The 'danger of the mutilation of Florence has been postponed but not averted'; fears 'they want to pull down a lot in order to make a grand modern street up to the Ponte Vecchio, and then put a grand new iron bridge in its stead, which may the Gods, or rather the Saints avert'.