Numbered 26.
8 St. James St. - Deep interest in Monographs, but disagrees on several points: Sydney Smith is misrepresented about [Theodore] Hook; they only met twice and after the second occasion Smith remarked to Hayward ;If I had not been told who he was, I should have said he was a quiet, goodnatured, ordinary sort of man. Agrees about Heine but would not have described him as fat; translations excellent; his own writings on Heine. Odd terms of honour applied to Suleiman Pasha: 'But your book is most valuable as a whole. Postscript: living referred to by Sydney Smith should read 'Halberton near Tiverton'.
60: enclosing copy of verse attributed to Sydney Smith.
Encloses a printed Introduction containing a letter from Lord Jeffrey about Sydney Smith's book Elementary sketches of moral philosophy.
Copy by Annabella Hungerford Milnes.
Copy by Annabella Hungerford Milnes.
Containing note by Hon. Emma Cunliffe Offley.
In hand of Annabella Hungerford Milnes.
In hand of Annabella Hungerford Milnes.
29 Beaufort St, Chelsea:- Has just returned from Harrow, where he goes to 'get a game [of football] once a week' to keep himself 'very fit in body and mind'. Bowen had got up a 'team of masters and old boys' against the boys of his house, 'which is very good this year'. Robert's team were 'Somehow' beaten 6-0, but Bowen 'covered himself with glory, playing better than he has done for years'; he also told Robert he 'played like a hero'.
Met Charlie in the morning at the B[ritish] M[useum] Library, 'getting up the question of State Railways'; he is 'much interested in a scheme for a progressive periodical [the Progressive Review] which [William] Clarke, late of the Chronicle, and a young Socialist, [Ramsay?] MacDonald, are going to start next year. It is to be to these dregs of times what the Edinburgh Review was to be to those other dark days'. It 'promises to do well', and Robert wishes it 'God-speed', though they say it 'has as yet no Brougham, much less its Sidney Smith'. Bernard Shaw, whom Robert saw recently in a restaurant, told him 'with his usual superb egotism', that if they had wanted the paper to succeed, they ought to have asked him to 'write a series of articles, as he knew the secret of making a splash and drawing the gaze of the public'. However, 'Clarke cant stand G.B.S., calling him an anarchist and a Jacobin', and Shaw is a 'little piqued at being out of it'.
[Roger] Fry has a cold today and has taken to his bed 'as he always does at the slightest alarm'; this is sensible as 'his colds are both more sudden and more formidable than other people's'. He is doing well otherwise, and has 'just finished some theatrical scenery for a friend [a pencil note suggests this is 'Badley - [at] Bedales']' - the wood in Midsummer Night's Dream] - which is as good as anything Robert has seen by him, 'though you can't get very rich colour effects in tempera'. Their next door neighbours, Ricket[t]s and Shannon, have 'just brought out a magazine... a single Christmas number [The Pageant]' for which they have obtained contributions from 'all the great names in the literary and artistic word' such as Swinburne, Bridges, Maeterlinck, Verlaine, Burne Jones and Watts. There is 'some fine work in it, and some very queer'; Robert's friend [Thomas Sturge] Moore has two short poems included, though Robert does not think them his best. Will show his parents the magazine when they return. Shannon and Ricketts are 'taking to publishing poetry'; he believes they 'make a great success', and hopes that knowing them 'might be useful in the future'.
Is putting this letter into an envelope he finds 'on C[harles]'s table' with his parents' name on it but not yet their address. Expects they will soon be in Rome. Is going to see Aunt Annie [Philips] next week' does not plan to go abroad as he is 'very well, and do not feel the cold'. He will go to Welcombe for a few days, but otherwise stay in London unless 'the frost gives [him] colds'. Is glad their travelling is going so well, and that they like Gregorovius: it is 'always pleasant work welcoming a new historical star', though he doubts this one is 'of the first magnitude'.
Typewritten copy. Bryce will have heard that 'in the present state of the unhappy business' the dinner has had to be put off. Invites him to come to them on Saturday 29 May 'for the Sunday'. Adds that '[F. W.] Cornish of Eton' will be with them lecturing on education. They were glad Bryce made such a good speech: if he should become converted he will attribute it to Bryce's arguments. Remarks that part of it reminded him of 'Sydney Smith's analysis of charity'.
42 Portland Place, W. - Returns Houghton's son's 'very promising' verses, with some corrections [no longer present]; classical composition and translation should be encouraged. Has read monograph of Sydney Smith; special combination of the grave and the gay in his character. Suggests a number of corrections for next edition of Monographs.
"grieved at Reeve renewing the falsehood that Sydney Smith originated"
Postmarked Maddox Street, addressed to Mrs N. Longman, Garden Mount, Hampstead. - Submits a humorous plan of a dinner of insects and bugs - 'Cock Chafer Soup', 'Stewed Slugs' etc - which he thinks will be agreeable to ‘Kirby & Spence’ [the authors of An Introduction to Entomology, 4 vols., 1815–26, which was published by Longmans.
Wroxton Abbey, Banbury. - Asks Milnes if he can assist a young friend who wishes to obtain autographs of modern authors, especially D'Israeli, Theodore Hook and Sydney Smith, including Milnes' own already promised in a sonnet; they should be sent here as Frank [her brother Francis?]'s 'bump of order' is insufficiently developed for him to handle them effectively.
In hand of Henrietta Maria Milnes?
191: Quotes Sydney Smith.
Colonial Office - Doyle elected, last words of Sydney Smith
56 Green St, Grosvenor Square. - Printed 100 copies of 'what I thought much too good to perish, tho' render'd imperfect by partial destruction'; his [her husband Sydney Smith's?] remaining friends must exceed that number as she has none left.
Christopher Wordsworth has spoken with Henry Reeve, William Wood has counselled against a controversy with the 'Edinburgh Review', Brougham and Sydney Smith looked on as demi-gods by the 'Edinburgh Review'
Embossed notepaper, 'Palace, Abergwili, Carmarthen'. - Recollections of figures commemorated in Monographs, including 'the excellent renegade who treated us with anecdotes of Napoleon' [Suleiman Pasha?] at one of Houghton's breakfasts; accounts of von Humboldt and Whewell are surprisingly charitable. Landor well represented; 'I met him at Whewell's table. He unfolded his ideas of the most pressingly needed reforms of the Church. "I would give every Bishop £500 a year. The Bishop of London only should have £1000. And I would make it a capital felony for any Bishop to leave his Diocese." Whewell got very hot indeed and we narrowly missed a scene'. Sydney Smith's antipathy to Bishops appeared to be aggravated by seeing Thirwall.
56 Green Street - thanks him for his present