Trin[ity College] Cam[bridge - on college notepaper]:- Should have written before to thank his father for the wine, which 'will last... some time' and is 'better than most of the wine which people have here'. Georgie 'enjoyed his visit very much'; they 'went down to see the boats [race?] in the afternoon', and to 'hear the end of the competition for the [Winchester] reading prize', just won by O'Rorke.
Thinks the 'new Cambridge paper' is 'not good enough, and... pretty sure to fail'; is very glad that he is 'only nominally connected with it'. Saw [Dorothy crossed through] Mrs Stanley at the Myers' and is 'going to call on them [the Stanleys?] next Sunday. Lendrum is coaching him again this term, and wants him to go to Germany in the summer to learn the language, which he says is 'indispensable for being a scholar'; this will 'want thinking about, to say the least'. Hears things are 'not as they should be in some of the Northumberland states': would be a 'great pity' if they [the Liberals] lose any of them. As far as he can tell from the newspapers, politics 'seem very stupid now'.
Trinity:- Has 'had a new bill made out, and paid it': would have been better if they had sent it to him 'at the beginning', as he believes 'they were instructed to do'. His tripos is on the 31st, so he has almost a fortnight more, "each day being invaluable... would willingly give £10 a day for more time'. Only has six papers. Walked with Charlie and G[eorge] to Barrington yesterday and had tea there; the 'country is very delightful now', and the flowers better than he 'ever remember[s] seeing them'. Charlie has been well and 'enjoyed his visit immensely'. George and his friends have 'committed themselves to Skye [for a holiday ?]' and Robert does not think they could back out now, though they are having 'some difficulty in getting some volunteers for so distant an enterprise'.
Is glad to have good news of Welcombe; hopes Fairweather has recovered from his fall - he 'must be used to that sort of thing by now'. Went to dinner at the Myers' house last Sunday and met Dolly [Stanley?] who was 'very pleasant and delightful'. Also there was Sir Alfred Lyall, who 'was subjected to a severe catechism on Mango-trees and chupattis'. Saw Welldon at the Provost of King's', as he was 'preaching the annual university sermon'. The subject was 'the Colonial bishops and missionaries, and he very wisely' made the sermon into a 'historical lecture, quoting also large passages from Seeley's Expansion of England' and making 'a dull subject as interesting as it could be made'.
10 Royal Crescent, Bath - Confirms arrangements to meet at the Albemarle Club on the 15th for lunch, describes his normal lunch diet; is staying with Lady Stanley at 2 Richmond Terrace, Whitehall.