The nine letters reflect the two men's shared interest in mathematics and their closer ties of friendship: the discussions of mathematical problems and recent work appear in letters with private nicknames: Brer B'ar and Wicked Will (Johnson) and Brer Crawfish and Bullfrog (Glaisher). Glaisher also shares his opinions on international copyright, the cost of books used by schools, his work editing papers, his preferred work pattern. He writes a good deal about Trinity College life and politics, noting with pleasure the number of Trinity men in the Cabinet, and provides an assessment of Prince Albert Victor at Trinity ("I only hate him when he picks his teeth"). In one 30 page letter dated 25 October 1888 he writes candidly about the internal politics surrounding the election of a Trinity representative to the University Council, and has much to say about certain members of the Trinity College Fellowship: H. M. Taylor, A. R. Forsyth, Arthur Cayley, Henry Jackson, James Ward, J. N. Langley, and the Master H. M. Butler. Accompanying the letters is a note dated 21 Feb. 1891 recording a divided vote on Tutorial accounts which appears to have been separated from an explanatory letter.
[Blind embossed stamp of Royal College of Science, Dublin] - Describes in detail his disappointment on his return from his expedition to the Torres Strait, that the Department of Physical Anthropology has taken a medical turn, mentioning [Alexander] Macalister, [Wynfrid] Duckworth, [J. N.] Langley, Michael Foster; his prospects 'were never so unpromising for the last twenty years as they are at this present moment'.
Inch-ma-home, Cambridge - Thanks him for his letter giving his permission to use his name on the memorial [to the Australian government on preserving the anthropological record of 'primitive men now left on the globe']; other signatories are Professors [Sir Richard] Jebb, [Frederic?] Maitland, [Charles] Waldstein [later Walston], [James?] Ward, [Henry Francis?] Pelham, Andrew Lang, Henry Jackson, and James Bryce, and of Cambridge science men, [Sir Michael?] Foster, [Alfred?] Newton, [Sir Francis?] Darwin, [John Newport] Langley, [Adam?] Sedgwick.
Royal College of Science, Dublin. Dated Oct. 25, 1899 - Describes in detail his diappointment on his return from his expedition to the Torres Strait, that the Department of Physical Anthropology has taken a medical turn, mentioning [Alexander] Macalister, [Wynfrid] Duckworth, [J. N.] Langley, Michael Foster; his prospects 'were never so unpromising for the last twenty years as they are at this present moment'.
Shows group gathered around a bench and table, some sitting on chairs and a few on the ground in front. Labelled with initials above and below: 'AHC' [A. H. Clough]; 'FBW' [F. B. Winthrop]; 'JDD' [J. D. Duff]; 'HFW [H. F. Wilson]; 'AVE' [Prince Albert Victor Edward]; 'JKS' [J. K. Stephen]; 'JNL' [J. N. Langley]; 'JWC' [J. W. Clark'; 'HBS'; 'JND' [J. N. Dalton]; 'AHS' [A. H. Smith]; 'HLS [H. L. Stephen]'; 'HCG' [H. C. Goodhart]; 'CVS' [C. V. Stanford].
Labelled with location to side and initials below: 'AHS' [A. H. Smith]; 'HCG' [H. C. Goodhart]; 'JWC' [J. W. Clark]; 'JKS' [J. K. Stephen]; 'JNL' [J. N. Langley]; 'HBS'; 'HFW [H. F. Wilson]; 'HLS [H. L. Stephen]'; 'CVS' [C. V. Stanford]; JDD' [J. D. Duff]; 'AHC' [A. H. Clough].
Titled above 'In The Bowling Green. Trin. Coll. 1886'.
Shows group gathered around a bench. Labelled with names below: J. N. Langley; A. H. Clough; J. K. Stephen; V=C. V. Stanford; F. B. Winthrop; A. H. Smith; H. B. S.; J. D. Duff; H. F. Wilson; 'Prince Eddy' [Prince Albert Victor Edward]; H. L. Stephen; J. N. Dalton; J. W. Clark; H. C. Goodhart.
Two photographs of a group of 14 men sitting on and around a bench, featuring two different poses of the group; in one of these J. N. Langley is on the shoulders of J. K. Stephen. Pencil caption on the verso records the date and the names of the men: J. N. Langley, A. H. Clough, F. B. Winthrop, H. C. Goodhart, J. K. Stephen, Prince Edward, H. F. Wilson, J. D. Duff, H. B. Smith, J. W. Clark, H. L. Stephen, A. H. Smith, G. N. Dalton, C. V. Stanford. Accompanied by a letter from O. F. Morshead, Windsor Castle Librarian to J. D. Duff dated 25 July 1932 thanking him for the loan of the photographs.
Zonder titelPhotographs of a group of 14 men sitting on and around a bench, with J. N. Langley on the shoulders of J. K. Stephen. Ink caption above and below photograph records the date and the names of the men: J. N. Langley, A. H. Clough, F. B. Winthrop, H. C. Goodhart, J. K. Stephen, Prince Edward, H. F. Wilson, J. D. Duff, H. B. Smith, J. W. Clark, H. L. Stephen, A. H. Smith, G. N. Dalton, C. V. Stanford.
Zonder titel3, Hare Court, Inner Temple, London E.C. - Apologises for not replying sooner; went to Cambridge on Saturday and found 'so much to do and talk about' that there was no time to write. Is going to Dorking tomorrow as his furniture is coming; the house should have been ready a week ago. Will dine with his mother that evening, then on Thursday he is going to Harrow to play [rugby] football against the school on Founders' Day; afterwards will dine at the Headmasters' and go to a 'smoking concert'; the day after that he will dine at his father's club. Will only then really begin the solitude of his 'rural retreat' and is looking forward to 'a quiet and industrious time at last'. Glad Bessie liked the Frys and they got on well with her uncle; not surprised she found 'a certain difficulty in becoming intimate with them', since he thinks Fry's mind is very different to hers and that he is not always quick to adapt himself, while Helen Fry is not like that but is often 'rather diplomatic in conversation until she knows all about a person'; this is not insincerity, as some people think. Heard from them today [see 4/27]; they enjoyed their visit, and Fry seems to have taken 'tremendously' to her uncle and aunt. Went to Highgate last week to see Tom [Sturge] Moore the poet, who read two new poems; criticises the first line of the one about Leda and the swan; Moore is 'always charmingly good-natured when one criticises, and sometimes even will be convinced.' Spent most of yesterday talking to Tom's brother [George] the philosopher. Great excitement at Trinity as the philosopher MacTaggart [sic: John McTaggart], who used to 'disapprove of marriage on metaphysical grounds, is bringing home a New Zealand hospital nurse called Daisy Bird as his wife'; he may need consolation as on his return from his year in New Zealand he will find that Moore and another [Bertrand Russell?], 'his most promising pupils and followers, have set up an entirely new and antagonistic system of the universe'. Sat at dinner at Trinity next to a science fellow [John Newport?] Langley whom he likes very much, who knows and thinks highly of [Ambrosius?] Hubrecht; Langley asked whether "[Till] Eulenspiegel" was originally written in Flanders; perhaps Grandmont knows. Has begun to learn German; finding it easier than expected in some ways, but has not yet got far. What Bessie says about women's tendency to either conceal or be overly frank about their ages seems more or less true to him; her allusion to his having had 'the benefit of women's society and friendship' amuses him, as if she wanted to make him 'a sort of Platonic and sentimental Don Juan' which he is certainly not; before her he has known very few women well, and only in one or two cases has he known them ' rather sentimentally' at some point; does not consider himself 'at all learned in women's psychology and character'. Finishing this letter in the room of a friend who has 'studied the female character far more profoundly', but since he has never fallen in love to his knowledge, Bob looks on him as his inferior.
The Mill House, Westcott, Dorking - Begins the letter on his first night at the Mill House, an 'event of some importance'; describes the 'confusion' in the house, with most of his books still packed in their cases; has just undone two parcels of books from the Bohn library, a recent bargain purchase: sixty Bohns for seven pounds; puns on Ezekiel 37 and the 'valley of dry bones', though the books are not really too dry, and there are translations of Pushkin's tales and Hoffmann's "Serapion" which are quite new to him. Is going for a long walk of exploration this afternoon; hopes to reach the top of Leith Hill; must go and call on the [Paget?] Bowmans some day. Had an excellent game at Harrow last Thursday, just beating the School; [rugby] football is his 'chief... vanity'; they then forgot their injuries 'over the Headmaster's champagne', and he saw many old friends. A couple of days later, saw his greatest school-friend, just back from three years in India as a civil servant, 'a bit fat, but otherwise... not changed much'; does not believe 'nice people' do change much, at least until they 'begin to get senile'. George Moore believes most people 'soon begin to deteriorate', but he is a pessimist. Promises to send her some of his poetry next time. A pity the house at Doorn came to nothing; sympathises with Grandmont's exasperation at a wasted trip around the country. Has written to thank Paul [Hubrecht], who need not have returned his umbrella. Thinks he will get on well with his German when he begins in earnest. Thanks for the information from Grandmont about "Eulenspiegel", which he will share with Langley when they next meet. McTaggart is certainly 'a very interesting and original being, and perhaps the wittiest in Cambridge", though Bob does not think his philosophy sound; has not yet seen his Daisy. Understands her difficulty in talking with the Frys about their 'common friend, that wretched poet', but Fry said nice things about them all and Bessie in particular. Sorry to think of her 'wandering sadly round the country, like Jephthah's daughter' saying goodbye to all the places she knew; will try and write again soon since she is unhappy. Had no chance to show Bramine's sketches to his mother but will do this later; the war is a 'beastly business' but he is glad that 'more sensible people' than he at first though consider that it could have been avoided.