Showing 15 results

Letters date from 4 May 1843 - 30 Oct. 1844.

Garden Corner, West Road, Cambridge. - Bob 'did not put the letter into the envelope about Ugo Foscolo', but his question must have been about the only mention of Foscolo in his ["British History in the] Nineteenth Century": Foscolo's description of Napoleonic rule. Gives the reference for this as Lord Broughton's "Recollections of a Long Life". Glad that Bob may visit after 12 December: George and Janet will be in Cambridge until the end of the month. Sends love to Bessie: they are 'deeply anxious about her dear country [the Netherlands]'.

Written in answer to Houghton's letter of 29th. Robert Pemberton Milnes hated Mr Shepherd [sic] who was so severe as to be sometimes cruel; his parents were unaware of it at the time and few pupils then would have considered complaining; he was a good classical scholar. Mr Belsham knew nothing and was theologically prejudiced; few gentlemen taught by Belsham except John Cam Hobhouse and sons of Sir Evan Nepean and Sir William Smith. Dissenting background a check to private nature. Robert Pemberton Milnes' private nature. Surprise at his political divergence from the family in famous speech on government of the nation [Apr. 1807]; remembers occasion as it coincided with viewing the corpse of her governess Miss Le Mesurier. Robert Pemberton Milnes was not a Tory by nature but had a personal opposition to Grey and Grenville; he explained his refusal of office on the grounds of unfamiliarity with the task and threat to health, but it must also have arisen from his reservations about the Tory party; her own recollections of his beautiful reading aloud.

Concerning plans to move the Byron statue to Cambridge.

Erle, Stoke Park, Westbury, Wiltshire - Concerning the Byron statue's move to Cambridge, and the inscription.

Corsham Court, Chippenham. - On the death of Robert Pemberton Milnes. Saw the news in the newspaper of the 'sad event' which prevented Milnes's visit. Quite true that Broughton's friend Charles [Skinner] Matthews compared Robert Pemberton Milnes to 'the admirable [James] Crichton - referring to his intellectual power & his physical energy & agility'; this was said on seeing Milnes 'jump over a very high gate hunting'.

Grand Hotel de la Cloche, Dijon. - Glad to hear from Robert about [Henry] Jackson and Vernon Lushington, and about the reading at Harrow; good that it 'is so much out of Macaulay'. Has just finished Cicero's "Tusculan Disputations", and likes him increasingly; he 'supplies a need' which, at Sir George's current age, no-one else does. Liked Robert's article in the "Review'. Had a very interesting evening at Geneva: always thinks that the 'most wonderful combination of young genius... without an atom of pretention' was when Byron, Shelley, Mary Godwin, and [Claire Clairemont] were living on Lake Geneva [in 1816]; mentions 'amusing' letters from Byron to Hobhouse; he and Caroline were allowed to see all over the Villa Diodati since the occupants were away; Caroline has sketched both the Villa and Shelley's house nearby. It was as interesting as Keats's and the Brawnes' villa at Hampstead, but much more beautiful. Will be home on Saturday.

Berkeley Square. - No vacancy for a messenger at the India Board but will bear Milnes' applicant in mind.

Whitton Park, Hounslow. - Agrees as to inadvisability of publishing memoir of Charles Skinner Matthews: personal details of his short life, including 'passion for Whist & for boxing; will overshadow importance of a talent never fully developed; will inform Henry Matthews. Scrope Berdmore Davies had only about £200 on departure last year, but Mr Hibbert thinks he might escape calamity of income from King's College fellowship can be conveyed to him; he is at Ostend with irretrievable debts of seventeen or eighteen thousand pounds; Mr Andrews will be hardest hit'; Davies should have sought help from his friends rather than obtain money under false pretences. Hibbert's address is 47 Great Ormond Street.