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Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - Hears from Charles that Robert was in the Gallery [of the House of Commons] on Friday; asks what Robert thought of Charles's speech and its reception, as well as the debate in general. Several friends, including John Morley, have written to him; one (not Morley) says the Tories 'received any allusion to conciliation savagely'. They have no guests until Charlie comes. Has ben reading the letters of T. E. Browne [sic: Brown], the old Clifton master; some passages are very clever, though 'he was quite unkempt and half-civilised'. Sends love to Elizabeth.

Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - Very interested in Robert's account of the House of Commons; evident that Charles was 'very well received' and praises his performance. He is personally 'in despair': believes the Liberal Party 'if united, wise, and bold' might have stopped the [Second Boer] war, but even worse was the 'fatal step of announcing the annexation' with no idea of the consequences. Brodrick gives Napoleon in Spain and the Spaniards in Cuba as precedents for the current 'plight'; calls this 'a nice parallel!'. Sends regards to Jan Hubrecht, though asks Robert not to show him this letter. Sends some papers which need not be returned. The meeting is 'all very proper', but he has an 'intense repugnance' to going to a meeting for the purpose of talking about a friend like Henry Sidgwick. Browne [sic: T. E. Brown, see 12/29] seems to have been an 'eager student' of Flaubert. Caroline sends love to them both; he would have liked to see Elizabeth 'in her furs'.

12 Pembroke Gardens, Kensington, W. - Asks for permission to include Trevelyan's poem about a peacock in an anthology he is editing on birds with Stanley Makower; afraid the publishers will not pay, but any acknowledgement required will be made. The anthology will be mostly 'old masters' but they want some modern poems, which are not easy to obtain; George Meredith's publishers have declined, but he is almost sure of permission for one by 'Toby Brown (the Manx poet)' [sic: T. E. Brown] and hopes to get 'a Stephenson [sic: Stevenson?] and a Henley'. Oswald [his brother' is at Sidmouth for a week.

Asks whether Arthur [Benson] is coming up to Cambridge for the Trinity Scholarship Exam, and states that he and Nora shall be delighted to take him in at Newnham College. Announces that they shall be staying up until the end of Easter week 'and can offer him a selection among about 35 eligible apartments.'

Says that she should write and congratulate him 'on the distinctions which the Learned World is conferring' on him: the University of Glasgow is to make him an L.L.D. 'about April 29th', and that Trinity College has just decided to make him an Honorary Fellow. He and Nora are well; the North Hall [at Newnham] 'is apparently prosperous'; Nora 'is rather overworked but cheerful'; and he is 'putting through the press a book on the Theory of Political Economy.'

Refers to 'the triumph of the 24th of February', and claims that he 'shall never forget the astonishment with which [he] realised that the Senate House was full of about 400 M.A.s and that...they were all going to vote on the right side [in favour of the education of women at Cambridge]' with 'the Enemy' only about thirty in number States that he does not feel elated by the proceedings, as he claims 'a natural aversion to responsibility', and does 'not underestimate the difficulties and perils of the future'.

Reports that Arthur and Charlotte [Sidgwick] have both been over that term, but separately, the latter having come with Margaret Arnold, 'who has been performing at a concert with Joachim.' Mentions that 'her young man [Hugh Frank Newall] wants a post as scientific-mathematical master in some school', and tells Minnie to suggest him if she hears of such a post. States that all was well at Oxford when they last heard news from there; that William is fairly well, and that the alarm about Nevil is over. Asks for news from Minnie, including 'the last particular of Church work. Sends his love to all. Adds that [Thomas Edward] Brown's poems Fo'c's'le Yarns are out. Suggests that she buys them, or persuades her friends to buy them.

Chantry Dene, Guildford. - Thanks for the cheque, which is very welcome due to doctors' bills. Sends an idea for the title page [for "Sisyphus: an operatic fable"]. Hopes Goldie [Dickinson] will come down, but he will pay his promised visit to Mrs Widdrington first. Is glad that Bessie 'goes on well'. Saw H.G.D. [Henry Graham Dakyns], who is 'a dear' and gave Fry T.E. Brown's poems, which he now likes very much.