Signed W. S. Vaux, Secretary.
Horn Hill Court, Chalfont St. Peter, Buckinghamshire. - Had thanked Trevelyan 'verbally' at the R.S.L [Royal Society of Literature] for his Christmas gift of poems ["From the Shiffolds"], but writes now to do so properly. Likes "Epistle to My Grandson" best. Notes in a postscript that Arundell Esdaile, a family friend, is kindly writing a foreword for her new book of poems ["From the Chilterns"].
67 Lincoln's Inn Fields. - requesting payment of subscription of two guineas for the Royal Society of Literature, for the year 1857.
Embossed notepaper for Royal Society of Literature, 4 St Martin's PLae, W.. - No mistake about John Milton's Commonplace book: Mr [A. J.] Horwood found original at Netherby Hall. Details of Royal Society of Literature facsimile and subscription; Camden Society is reprinting Horwood's edition of the text, but the Royal Society of Literature will produce autotype copies of every page. Postscript: encloses original prospectus [no missing].
Stocks Cottage, Tring. - Has sent on a cheque from Robert with one of his own; hopes they will 'buy a nice acre, lots of bracken and birches and part of a beck'. Agrees that the landlords may 'blackmail' them, but every policy has dangers. So far the Society [National Trust?] is only buying land threatened by building. The proposed Academic Committee of the Royal Society of Literature seems 'likely to be a harmless, if useless and unimportant, body', whose object is to 'prevent the fatuous dons who compose the so called 'British Academy' from posing as the official representation of Literature', as for the Tennyson centenary and the death of [George] Meredith.