Thanks his parents for their letters. The [cricket] match began yesterday and will go on until Tuesday. Thinks the picnic will be on Friday. Will send his mother four roses he has got in his garden. Mrs Bartlett [the matron] says the medicine has 'put some colour' into his face and he should go on taking it. Has caught three caterpillars; 'Levson' [Granville Leveson-Gower ?] says he thinks they are peacocks, so Robert has given them away since they are common and small. His other caterpillars seems to be doing well; people think it will turn into a moth. Mr Arnold says the back board has made Robert's back straighter already, that he is fourth out of five in arithmetic and was bottom in French last week but is now second. Is working alone in Latin to 'get up' his grammar. Goes to bed late now, and gets up late.
20 Chapel Street, Park Lane. - Houghton's former kindness over the late Mr Finn of Jerusalem; now wishes to obtain a pension for Mrs Finn; encloses paper [no longer present]; would Houghton write a few lines for Mrs Finn to submit with her petition to Lord Granville?
C[arlton] H[ouse] T[errace]. - Stayed up very late reading Monographs. Would like to obtain engraving of Lady Harriet for framing.
CJM's memorandum will receive an official answer
Encloses letter of introduction
Embossed notepaper, Foreign Office. - Stigand's claims justify Houghton's abandoning his principles, but Stigand writes too often; cannot create vacancies for those already in the Consular Service but will probably find something; foreign decorations.
12 Dover Street, Piccadilly. - Withdraws application to become Chief Judge of Jamaica as the appointment is already under review; has requested an interview with Earl Granville as advised; seeks advice as to possible knighthood; believes honour is due to him as 'a deserving Colonist'.
Bishopsthorpe, York [embossed notepaper for 54 Lowndes Square, London, S.W.; address crossed through]. - Enclosure [no longer present] concerns her father [James Henry Skene] who is in a depressed state at Aleppo and must be helped to leave; his skill in averting massacres has been overlooked by the Foreign Office; he will not give up the Service; asks Houghton to support her appeal to Lord Granville for his promotion.
On embossed notepaper, 16 Bruton Street, London, W. - Has put Houghton's friend's name down; hopes he is the son of an old Oxford friend; asks Houghton's opinion on the House of Lords and the Supreme Court of Appeal.
18, Carlton House Terrace, S.W. - Condolences on the death of Lady Houghton.
Grosvenor Hotel, Park St. - [His brother] Edward Turner Boyd Twistleton was with him in early August, and was a member of a party from Broughton Castle to Edgehill, where 'he explained the Bearings of the Fight with all the Precision of one who had been in it'; he 'never saw him again'. Edward 'had evidently been ailing, tho he told noone of it, both in Eye Sight, the Liver, and the Head'. Thinks these symptoms led his brother to cross the Channel 'that he might trouble no one'. Lord Saye and Sele's son received a telegram from the landlord of the Hotel des Bains at Boulogne on 4 Oct., summoning him over; he found Edward 'sinking' and he did not survive the evening of the 5th.
Transciption of the report of the Chief Physician of the hospital at Boulogne, Dr Dehannel, 18 Oct. 1874, which found that the primary cause of symptoms and death was 'Cerebral Affection localised at the point where the Optic Nerves take root'.
Since it is 'no longer a secret', mentions that in 1860 Lord Granville offered Edward the Clerkship of the Council now held by Sir Arthur Helps, on the resignation of Mr Bathurst.
Darfield, Barnsley. - Has been disappointed in hopes of obtaining Worsborough incumbency; would like to become an assistant school inspector; will Milnesrecommend him to Lord Granville; has never before sought a favour.
Declines an invitation
Asks Charles James Monk to take Mr Waddington to the "cup at Goodwood"
Park Row, Notttingham. - Begs Milnes to remind Lord Granville of his candidature for a school inspectorship
Reports that he has got her letter, and regrets that it is not more definite. Asks her to send her next one to Post Restante Göttingen. Announces that he will be in Halle until the following Thursday. States that his studies have not been as profitable as he had hoped, due in part to lack of energy, and also to the nature of the subject of German philosophy. Has 'almost determined to return to Cambridge at the end of August', because of the war. Reports that it has been very exciting in Berlin, and that its citizens are in a state of indignation, because 'they believe utterly in the justice of their cause'. Claims that their indignation 'renders them quite blind to the French view of the case, and finds vent in needlessly coarse expressions of hatred towards Louis Napoleon and his wife.' Explains that the empress is supposed to have wanted the Prince of Hohenzollern to marry a relative of hers, and to have been infuriated by his refusing to pledge himself thereto.'
Reports that there is bad feeling in Germany against England 'for "sham neutrality".' Believes the conduct of the English government to be 'shortsightedly timid: if it be true that cartridges are openly sent to France by Birmingham firms.' States that 'there is something cowardly in Granville's extreme anxiety not to offend France, and to keep the balance of praise and blame even', and remarks that Prussia 'did not do her utmost to prevent the war which France did her utmost to provoke.' Does not see why the war should stop his mother's tour, considering Switzerland's neutral status. Allows that there might be some difficulty 'in getting by the Eastern line to Bâle', but does not suppose there will be even any difficulty in getting by Dijon to Geneva or Neuchâtel. Informs her that he has a corn under his big toe, which will affect his walking.
5 York Gate. - His brother Gifford seeks transfer to the consulate at Tripoli as his health is affected by the cold and damp of Trebizond; can Houghton influence Lord Granville or Odo Russell; has sent poems ('stillborn about a fortnight ago') to Fryston; thanks for suggestions; yesterday Frith likened Leighton's Hercules & Death to 'a man struggling with his lay-figure.