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[On headed notepaper for Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland]:- Thanks his parents for their letters. The work is 'very slow in the sixth', but he does not mind too much, as 'the Sophocles is very hard to do really correctly' and at least Welldon thoroughly explains it. Studies in his own time to 'make up', and has 'now got fairly into the Prometheus Vinctus [of Aeschylus]', which he has always wanted to do. Will also 'finish the De Corona [by Demosthenes] easily before the end of the term'.

Is 'very glad' that Sanderson has come back, 'as he is the only person who is really interesting'; he is 'conservative in opinions, but not in heart', and Robert thinks 'he will be converted, in part at least'. Football is 'rather slow, and [their house's] torpids are too small to be good' but they are 'doing [their] best to teach them'. [William?] Strutt 'promises to be a really first rate player, if only he will grow'. Asks his father to tell his mother that he is 'not in the Philathlet[ic Club], and shall not be for a long time': he just used Charlie's writing paper.

Had a cold which looked as if it were going to become serious, but is 'well now by judicious stopping-out'. Hopes Georgie will recover by the end of term, and will at least have 'a happy time at Wallington'. Is 'very surprised to hear about the 5 at a shot business', but is 'always for defending Thornton [Trevelyan?]'s veracity'. Has written to his grandfather, though found it 'rather difficult' since he 'had had now experience'. Is 'very sorry for him as he feels it so much'.

Wallington, Cambo, Morpeth. - Would like to see Robert and Julian in the hay. Their own hay-making was 'deplorable' last year, but the crop has been wonderful this year and was 'practically made in the course of a week'; this makes a difference to the household, as a tea has to be sent out each day to the hay-makers. Strange how children 'like young nations' take verse for their first 'natural channel of literary production'. Is beginning to read Aristophanes in chronological order, with Latin between each play; is currently following up the "Acharnians" with [Cicero's] 'marvellously interesting speech on Sextius'. Judges Cicero to be the best 'orator who reads well': Macaulay reads very well, but 'it is primarily literature'; Gladstone is 'so deficient in matter'; Demosthenes and Bright lack 'the volume of historical and literary, and philosophical matter. Plans to read many of Cicero's best speeches, and Suetonius. Sends a letter from Hilton Young, referring to a 'really beautiful poem of his'; the 'Praed blood' seems to be coming out in him and Geoffrey [a reference to Winthrop Mackworth Praed?] as is 'the old naval blood of the builder and namer of Formosa' [Admiral Sir George Young, of Formosa Place, Cookham, Berkshire]. Has had a letter from Sir George Young about his 'own studies in English prosody, which he is making his old age occupation'; will send it to Robert when he finds it.

Wallington, Cambo, Morpeth. - Have had, through Aunt Anna [Philips], a 'very bright and pleasant account of Julian' from Henry Grey, who with his wife gave him dinner; reminded him of when he used to go to Haileybury College from Mr Seawell's for a weekend to be entertained by the Empsons - [Lord] Jeffrey's son-in-law and daughter - and the 'other famous professors' because of the 'India fame' of his uncle and father. Also reminded him of a 'much cleverer little boy' [Macaulay] who went to Queen's College, Cambridge, to be entertained by the 'great President [Isaac] Milner'. They are 'rather in the dumps' about the weather; having been forced by the Government to plough up almost thirty acres of old pasture and plant it with corn, the winter has 'caught' it despite Clarke and Nixon's 'energy and judgment' and he does not like to think about the loss he has made; others however had made greater sacrifices. They have been detained at Wallington for at least another fortnight because of the influenza 'raging at Stratford and Snitterfield'. Has just read the fine speech of Demosthenes about the Chersonnese; finds him much harder than Plato, Herodotus, Xenophon and Thucydides. Caroline sends her love; she has been very busy over the Cambo Sale for Northumbrian prisoners of war, which has raised a sum of one hundred and forty seven pounds; her own sketches fetched twelve pounds.

Wallington, Cambo, Morpeth. - Interested in the Basil Williams dinner [see 46/278], and views his departure [to take up a professorship at McGill University] 'with regret' and hopes he will benefit from it. Would not have believed it if anyone had told him a generation ago that 'Canada would be a very great country with a future like that of Australia...' He too loves the Plutus; read it at the age of sixteen during one summer holiday with Uncle Tom [Macaulay]: 'I construing, and he enjoying'; Macaulay chose it as his introduction to Aristophanes, as he then chose the Meidi [Against Meidias] of Demosthenes and Gorgias of Plato. Is now reading the last five books of Herodotus, interspersed with [Demonsthenes's] Olynthiacs and first three Philippics.

Wallington, Cambo, Morpeth. - The 'next generation' are very fortunate: Mary Caroline, George Lowthian, and now Julian can read Macaulay, Carlyle, and [Motley's] "Dutch Republic", and the books he himself had to read 'almost secretly, and as a sin' because he was meant to be writing 'copies of bad Greek Iambics' and puzzling over Demosthenes; now his grandchildren's 'first duties' are to 'read "Clive" and "Chatham" and Ferrero'. Interested to hear that Robert and Elizabeth have been reading Herodotus aloud together; when Elizabeth comes to Wallington he will show her Paul Louis Courier's paper, which is a 'masterpiece'. Begins re-reading the last two books of Herodotus himself on Wednesday; is finishing Tacitus's "Annals" today; discusses the contrasting styles of it and the "Histories". Agrees completely about Horace's "Epistles". Asks for advice on editions of Thucydides.