Showing 17 results

9 Esplanade, Lowestoft - Sends detailed instructions to the use of a hanging desk to enable an invalid to read in bed, which he and Mrs Blakesley have devised for him.

If Blakesley [Joseph W. Blakesley] has no chance RJ hopes [F. W.?] Clark will succeed [presumably for James Amiraux Jeremie's replacement at Haileybury] . However there are a number of formidable Oxonians in the field with a good chance. RJ has 'no doubt Jeremie will get through all his public duties well[,] as for private feuds he may get into some but they will at Cambridge among no one but himself - he means as to these to mean to try to be a good boy I am sure' [Jeremie has been appointed as the new Regius Professor of Divinity at Cambridge]. The Government has seen an abstract of the Tithe Commission Report before it was made and have pledged themselves to it.

Herstmonceux - JCH's brother, Augustus Hare, has died. Could WW recommend a master for JCH's Training school at Chichester: 'for various reasons it is thought that a Cambridge man would be more acceptable to a large part of the Diocese than one from Oxford. Of course nor do we wish for a man of eminent learning or talents, steadiness, sober mindedness, & piety are the qualities we want'. The number of pupils currently in the school is nine. JCH is annoyed at the possibility of Joseph W. Blakesley standing against John F.D. Maurice as the replacement to John Lonsdale at King's College, London: 'Surely, if there be a man who has a claim, for his services both to the College & to the whole English Church, it is Maurice. A great one he has just been rendering by his noble pamphlet, which, I trust, will do much good, teaching many, who are now bewildered, to understand themselves, their position, & their duties'.

Herstmonceux - JCH is upset to find that he is the only one who thinks John F. D. Maurice should be the next Principal of King's College, London - 'almost everybody else says he is unfit for the post, and no one so vehemently as himself'. JCH is unsure what competitors Blakesley [Joseph W. Blakesley] will have for the position: 'He will certainly possess many valuable qualifications for the post'. JCH notes that Leopold von Ranke's book has found a translator in Mrs Austin [presumably Sarah Austin, see also JCH to WW, 21 Oct. 1843]: 'When I wrote last, Bunsen had told me that there was a dispute between Mrs Austin & Longman about terms, which I suppose has been adjusted, & that Ranke himself rather wanted a translator of more masculine intellect & learning'. It must have been both a burthen and great honour for WW to have had the Queen of England as his guest [see JCH to WW, 21 Oct. 1843]. JCH was 'quite unconscious of anything Schleiermacher [Friedrich E.D. Schleiermacher] in my sermon; and knowing how totally different his calm abstract philosophical, almost image-less style is from mine, I was startled at first by what you said. But I dare say there is some foundation for it in some of my later sermons'. JCH has often been struck at the lack of structure in some modern British sermons by people like Arnold [Thomas Arnold], Newman [John H. Newman] and Manning [Henry E. Manning] - 'they seemed to be a series of paragraphs strung together, often excellent in themselves, but with no organic connexion. On the other hand the dialectic development of the fundamental thought in Schleiermacher is almost always exquisite, & in Hofsbach often singularly happy. Our preachers have other high merits, but, except Maurice [John F. D. Maurice], few have this; and of course the defect may be accounted for by our different education & habits of thought. But a natural effect of these observations has been that I myself have of late given more thought to the structure, & less to the details of my sermons, though I was hardly conscious till today that Schleiermacher had had any influence in occasioning this change. I merely fancied I had gained a better insight into what a sermon ought to be'.

14: includes transcripts of verses by Tennyson.

Herstmonceux - JCH has another sermon to send to WW. His 'volume advances but slowly; from time to time however stragglers make their appearance; and this is preparing the way for the opposition it will have to encounter when it becomes the property of the public & the publicans'. JCH 'wrote to Blakesley [Joseph W. Blakesley] about the Tunbridge school; but his reply indicated soreness at his not succeeding at Rugby, & declined another repulse'. Could WW give Wordsworth JCH's kindest remembrances when he sees him.

Embossed notepaper, The Athenaeum. - Supplies information about [published?] letter from the Duke of Wellington to Dumouriez, 26 Nov. 1814, on military matters.

Dresden - JWB is in reasonably good health but will not be able to lecture if 'my enemy, inflammation of the membrane lining the windpipe, should come on'. JWB describes his journey to Germany. Classical literature is studied with much greater effect in England than in Germany.

Trinity College - JWB has told Hudson that pupils who are Questionists are allowed 'edibles' to the amount of 12 shillings, four times a week, on their own orders: and Senior Sophs three times a week in the same manner. In a couple of years very few students will not habitually dine in hall.

Monk Soham Rectory, Wickham Market, Suffolk - Hardly ever keeps letters, so has none of Edward FitzGerald's; indeed, generally only had notes or cards from him since they lived near to each other and 'kept our topics for such times as we met and talked them out'. Suggests John Allen, Dean Blakesley, Dean Merivale, the Master of Trinity and Mrs Thompson as people who could supply letters, but has 'misgivings whether such letters should be published, good and pleasant as they may be', questioning whether FitzGerald 'would have sanctioned it? He, who carefully tore up letters almost as soon as he received them'.

Encloses a letter from John Allen [ADD.MS.a/6/23?]. Thanks Crabbe for congratulations on the engagement of his son William to [Emma] Colvin.

Will not go to the auction, but would like to have catalogues. Mrs Ritchie (Miss Thackeray) should have some, as two of her father's drawings are on sale. 'Also Mowbray Donne, Allen and Crowfoot cum multis aliis'.

On headed notepaper for the Athenaeum Club, Pall Mall. - Condolences on the death of Lady Houghton.

Written from Trinity College.

WW is sure Blakesley [Joseph W. Blakesley] 'will be much obliged to you for thinking of him in the matter of Tonbridge school'. WW recollects 'something of your story of the school; and I also happen to have read your Master's essays, for they were in our school library. Once or twice since a feeling of wonder has caught my mind, how it came that a book so silly and worthless was so widely diffused. The ignorant abuse of universities and several other things circulated even in Tory regions; and I supposed belonged to those secure times which elapsed before reformers began; when folks thought they might balance their indiscriminate practical conservativism with indiscriminate theoretical condemnation. We cannot do such things now, and it is well that we cannot'.

WW is reading JCH's sermon and is 'much reminded of the structure of some of Schleiermacher's [Friedrich Schleiermacher] sermons which I had read long ago'. Blakesley is desirous of the situation at Tonbridge school [see WW to JCH, 30 July 1843]. Mill [William H. Mill] 'will probably also be thought of; and of his great merits there can be no doubt - nor of some dangers which would attend his appointment to the office'. News regarding posts within Trinity College.