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These letters were found in an edition of Lucan once belonging to Thomas Babington Macaulay, and containing annotations by him. Sir George Trevelyan read through Macaulay's annotations in his retirement and published Marginal notes by Lord Macaulay](https://lib-cat.trin.cam.ac.uk/Record/cb3e6e1b-d386-492f-b8d2-9e729a4ba531) in 1907; in these letters his son Robert discusses the text and some of Macaulay's textual criticism.

Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - Glad to hear about Elizabeth; will be glad when she can get home; good of Miss Martin to come. Caroline thanks Robert for getting her the watercolour. Sorry there are delays about Robert's book ["Polyphemus and other poems"] but it will soon be out. Agrees that George seems full of 'just and wise ideas'. Caroline comments that since Miss MacCracken brought back and started reading "The Dutch Republic" ["The Rise of the Dutch Republic", by John Lothrop Motley?], 'we have been suppressing two Dutch republics'. Amused by Robert's account of [James?] Welldon and of the Master [of Trinity, Henry Montagu Butler]; encloses a note which Robert can burn which bears out his comments on the Master's 'vivacity'. Has sent something towards a subscription for Mrs Farmer [widow of John Farmer?]. Has almost finished reading Lucan and is now getting on quite easily with the Latin.

Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - Will instruct Drummond to pay fifty pounds into Robert's account as he did last year. Harry Thompson, his wife, and a niece are here, as well as George's friend [Robin] Mayor. Charles is going away on visits tomorrow; George and Mayor set off on food on Tuesday. Asks Robert to remind him of the 'very apt quotation' which was a parallel to 'Unde pares somnos' [Lucan "Pharsalia", 28]. Lord Ridley is coming to shoot, and he wants 'to prove to him that his brother [Sir Edward Ridley] was wrong'; there is a note by Grotius in Sir George's old 1669 edition which has it right. Life is generally quiet; he and Caroline are reading Carlyle's early letters; it is interesting to see 'all his great literary qualities in a vigorous but ordinary style'.

Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland; addressed to Robert at the Mill House, Westcote [sic: Westcott]. - Discusses a passage in Haskens [sic: C.E. Haskins' edition of Lucan, see 12/43], with reference to [Henry] Fielding's "Amelia".

Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - Bought Hackens [sic: Haskins?] edition of Lucan which led him to 'fill in Mcaaulay's notes'; asks Robert to find out which passage of Thucydides Macaulay is refereeing to in a note on Book 5.

Welcombe, Stratford on Avon. - Thanks Robert for his letter [46/245], particularly the part about Lucretius; is not reading it all through this time. Will know whether there is any truth in the atomic theory 'so soon that [he] is prepared to wait'. Describes his reading, alongside Uncle Tom [Macaulay]'s notes; paid as much attention to the last lines of the third book as he would to passages in Juvenal, Horace or Lucan. Is interspersing the books with Cicero dialogues. The winter has been long and wet, and Wallington has suffered from their having to plough up half of the old pasture 'without proper labour, and proper appliances'; they have lost a good deal of money, and it has been 'a dead loss to the nation in terms of productiveness'. Other people have suffered more; ironically mentions a 'comical' account in the "Times" of the editor of the "Almanach de Gotha" having to 're-cast his noble work' due to the disappearance of nearly thirty Royal Houses. Robert must be looking forward to his return from France and reunion with his family. A postscript [on a small scrap of paper] quotes Macaulay's high opinion of the end of Lucretius's fifth book.

Thanks his mother for her letter. Is still well and enjoying Eastbourne. Georgie 'did not look so well this morning', but Robert thinks it is only a cold; hopes he will be all right before he returns to school. Asks her to tell Georgie that Robert will 'send the list of the dead in our last battle [of toy soldiers] soon', and that he has 'taken 65 prisoners'.

Still likes Lucan, though has 'not had much time to read it'. Asks if she could bring him a Roman history, if she can find 'one in the house which is not too big or too valuable': he 'wanted to find out something about Nero', but it does not matter much. Booa [Mary Prestwich] asks her to bring Robert's watch and some more writing paper. He and Georgie had two battles, in which Georgie was 'very interested'; they 'even bought a few soldiers'.

Hopes his father is well, and that he 'has made a successful speech'.

The Mill House, Westcott, Dorking. - Robert and Bessie send thanks for the present of fifty pounds, which will 'more than cover the income tax'. Glad there has been good weather at Wallington; it has 'just broken' here, and the 'autumn is well upon' them. Discussion of a reading by Sir George in the text of Lucan; hopes he will convince Lord Ridley [see TRER/12/45]. Must read Carlyle's letters; Aunt Annie has an early letter, which he and Bessie thought 'admirable'.

Has just returned from town, where he has been discussing his book [Polyphemus and Other Poems] which will probably come out early in November. Bessie sends love.

Dunford House, Heyshott, Midhurst, Sussex. - Thanks Trevelyan for "From the Shiffolds", which has given him and his wife 'much pleasure'. The "Epistle to Philip Erasmus" is a 'masterpiece', and has introduced him to a word he did not know though he has 'read most of Hume and Berkeley'. Wonders to whom Trevelyan refers in "Ten Years Ago", 'possibly G.L.D. [Goldsworthy Lowes Dickinson]'. The "Birds of the Air" is 'good and edifying'; hopes Trevelyan will also try Pompey's Dream [in Lucan?] and Persius 'on his old tutor Cornutus [corrected from Cornelius by hand]. Was a 'great as well as an unexpected pleasure' to see Trevelyan again; they look forward to a visit from him and 'Miss C. W.' [Irene Cooper-Willis ?] when conditions improve'. Postscript that an enclosure [no longer present] may 'amuse' Trevelyan.

The Shiffolds, Holmbury St Mary. - Thanks his father for sending [William] Everett's letter and translation [see 12/87]: Bowen 'used to make the sixth form learn Phaselus [Catullus 4] when they were late for lunch'; they had usually forgotten it and had to learn it anew each time. At one time Robert was 'rather often late', and Bowen found he 'really knew Phaselus by heart' and said he must learn something new; he used to learn a new passage of Lucan each time 'and so soon found it not worth being late'. Had intended to send Bowen his own translation [published as The Schooner from Catullus in Polyphemus and Other Poems, 1901], but he died just before he could. Thinks his translation better than Everett's, as it keeps closer to the 'words and movement of the original', but has seen some 'very good translations of Italian poetry' by Everett.

He and Bessie are much looking forward to his mother's visit; the 'trees are very fine now' and he hopes they still will be when she comes. They 'like Pauline very much for a name [Charles and Molly's daughter, born recently]. It is unusual, but not excentric [sic]'; glad the birth went well.

Liked the article in the TImes [Literary Supplement, on Sir George's Interludes in Verse and Prose, see 12/86] very much; sees Punch objected to the title but cannot understand why.

The Mill House, Westcott, Dorking. - Discusses a passage of Thucydides, and Macaulay's criticisms of Lucan, which 'are among his very best... He never fails to choose out the best passages, and to laugh at the bad ones'. Robert 'has a great affection for Lucan, perhaps out of proportion to his merits', partly because after Catullus he was the first classical author he studied 'on my own adventure, and so, as it were, with passion', and partly because he read it at school with Bowen, who 'delighted in Lucan, and thought his cleverness and brilliance... apart from all others'.

The weather is 'desperately and oppressively hot'; he and Bessie are going to Borrowdale before coming to Wallington. Hopes 'London is not going to be visited for its sins like New York' [perhaps a reference to the stock market crash?]