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The papers consist of over 2000 letters written to Henry Arthur Bright from friends, colleagues, and family members arranged in alphabetical order. Principal correspondents include Robert Brook Aspland, William Robert Brownlow, William Henry Channing, Lord Charlemont, William George Clark, Sir Reginald John Cust, Charles Milnes Gaskell, Lord Houghton (130 letters), Charles Eliot Norton, and Spencer Perceval (b 1828). There are also letters from Hungerford Crewe, and the Hawthorne family, but not Nathaniel himself: Nathaniel Hawthorne's wife Sophia, and children Una and Julian. Letters to Bright's family consist mainly of photocopies.

The last box contains a few miscellaneous items: notes, an essay on ''The Characteristic Difference between Ancient and Modern Civilization' which was awarded the English prize at Trinity College, and a bound volume containing proofs of Lord Houghton's 'Notes on "Endymion"' and Houghton's introduction to the works of Walter Savage Landor in Thomas Humphry Ward's 'The English Poets 1880-1918, Vol. IV, The Nineteenth Centry: Wordsworth to Rossetti', accompanied by a letter and a note from Lord Houghton.

Written from Pall Mall.

Fifteen letters.

Dingle Cottage, Ledbury. - Today received 'the cleverly executed miniature which certainly does recall one expression of that most dear countenance [her late husband Eliot Warburton]'. Did not think 'so good a likeness could be produced'. Recognises the added interest the portrait has 'coming to me from the hands of his two best friends'; gratefully accepts the gift 'in memory of an affection which followed my husband through life' and as evidence of continued friendliness towards herself. Is going to stay with her brother-in-law George Warburton and his wife when they are settled in Kent, and will pass through London, but is unsure whether she will see Milnes there, but will certainly 'obey the summons whenever you tell me again "to come and see you in Yorkshire"'. Asks to be remembered to Milnes' wife; will not 'forget her Orphans but all my people will belong to the wrong Asylum'.

Pencil number '2' added on first page.

Hagley - met [Richard Monckton?] Milnes and [Edward?] O'Brien at Lord Northampton's, "Jupiter Tonans of Trinity"

Oxford. - Has 'sought vainly' among his brother Eliot's possessions for something he might send as a memorial of him to Milnes, 'but the very few personal matters he possessed perished with him in the Amazon'. Asks if Milnes will accept something accompanied by this letter; had 'two or three to be made for his friends, whom I knew he held to his heart most deeply; had I sent them in the order he would have wished, I know you should have had it before anybody else, but I was anxious to make sure of your being in town'.

Junior U[nited] S[ervices] Club - London. - There is still 'reasonable ground of hope' [that his brother Eliot Warburton survived the sinking of of the Amazon in the Bay of Biscay on 4 Jan. 1852]; knows his brother 'was completely dressed on the deck, calm and collected', having heard from Mr [Frederick] Glennie, a passenger already rescued who knew him well. His brother's wife and their sister are here at 23 Savile Row, and 'full of hope, the suspence [sic], however, is little less dreadful than the last certainty'. Knows Milnes will sympathize with them in 'the time of bitter trial'.

Pencil number '2' added on first page.

'Please to give Bearer a copy of Darien for Mr Monckton Milnes'.

On embossed notepaper of East India United Service Club. - Has 'found the original copy [of the omitted appendix 4, two pages of which appear in this book in print form, the rest in manuscript by an unknown hand], also a slip from Longman's'. Milnes can now judge if he thinks it interesting, as Burton does. Will return from Germany in about a month and get Milnes' opinion on reprinting it.

48 letters to W. H. Thompson dated 1831-1866, and 1 letter addressed to [John] Allen dated 24 Aug. 1840. Names mentioned in the accompanying calendar of the letters include Henry Alford; John Allen; Robert Leslie Ellis; Edward FitzGerald; Arthur Hallam; Walter Savage Landor; Samuel Laurence; Richard Monckton Milnes, Lord Houghton; Stephen Spring Rice; Sir Henry Taylor; Robert John Tennant; Alfred, Lord Tennyson; Charles Tennyson [later Turner]; and William Wordsworth. Spedding also refers to his work on Francis Bacon.
With a further 35 letters to William Aldis Wright and William George Clark, dated 1862-1881. Letters to William George Clark date from 1862 to 1864 and relate to collations of Shakespeare's plays. Letters from 1881 to William Aldis Wright relate to Frederick James Furnivall, with copies of Spedding's letters to Furnivall, and one letter from Furnivall to Spedding dated 26 Feb. 1881. Accompanied by a mechanical copy of the Northumberland Manuscript.

Mattishall - arrangements for Donne's visit, Reginald Buller going to live in Matishall, daughter's illness, works of Dr Arnold, Niebuhr and Milnes, Peel's speech

Mattishall - ready for Donne's visit, arrangements for travel, Tennant's marriage, poems of Milnes

Letters written from 16 Upper Brook Street, 26 Pall Mall, and Chatsworth, Chesterfield.

Transcript

Dec. 5

Dearest A {1}

This is merely a P.S. to my last notelet to beg you to give my sweet & "blessed little Florey" an extra kiss from poor Anty Ett on her birthday,—; & to beg Richee's {2} acceptance, (ultimately for her) of my Copy of the Hungerfordiana, which he told me the other day he had been trying to procure & could not—

There were never more than 100 Copies printed—only 50 for sale—now six & thirty years ago—so no wonder.

He is to keep it, please, for his beautiful little Florey, as she alone bears the dear dear old name.

Neither Amy nor Robin have anything to say to it!—

I trust the sweet Rob does not feel these changes of temperature, & that you are all "flourishing"—

God bless you, my dearest—Yr most devoted
HMC.—

—————

{1} Followed by a heart containing the letters 'a', 'F', and 'R', for Amy, Florence, and Robin.

{2} The spelling of this name is uncertain.

Letters dated 15, 30 Jan. 1842, and one undated letter, all written from Fryton, Ferrybridge.

3 Bolton St. - Thanks Lord Houghton for his note about the book [The American]; agrees that 'the Bellegardes are rather "belated". They would have been more probable under the old régime; but I suppose a novelist has always to force matters a little. But even to modified Bellegardes an American savoring much of the soil would never have been acceptable. The French don't at all like the Americans (according to my observation) - none, that is, save M. [Charles Frederick] Worth; & he, I believe, is English!. But the French, after all, don't like any one but the French!...'

Hopes that Houghton has completely recovered. Will leave town in a few days, but will visit Houghton before he does so. 'Yours faithfully & gratefully, H. James jr.'

Complains that he has not heard from her, and that he saw that she had written to William in Oxford, and was envious. Reports that William looked well, and said that he stood his work pretty well; states that he didn't see much of William, since he was entertaining Professor Fawcett. Asks whether she thinks Lord Houghton worth autographing. Encloses a note of introduction [not included] that he got from him. Announces that he has set his examination papers [for the Moral Sciences Tripos], and is amusing himself with reading Hallam's Middle Ages, which he describes as 'inexpressibly dull'; this is strange, as Hallam is 'clever, enthusiastic, and has a good style'. Complains that it is very difficult to work at that time, as 'everybody is giving dinners at half past seven. Reports that Trevelyan promised to lecture to the Edinburgh people 'on "Impressions of a tour in Greece" and when he got to Corfu he found there was violent quarantine going on everywhere, so he turned tail and went to Austria instead.' Remarks that 'he will have to lecture out of his inner consciousness now.' Mentions that there is talk of a petition against him. Undertakes to bring Colonel Browne's book [the 'Persian MS' referred to in 99/42?] home with him. Doesn't know when he shall come home.

Agrees to lead the Banns of Marriage Bill through the Lords

Album containing over 250 letters, notes, documents, unaccompanied envelopes, printed items, and photographic prints carrying the handwriting and/or autographs of sovereigns, prelates, government ministers, peers, authors, and Trinity College masters and professors, with a few unusual items in addition. The material appears to have been largely culled from the correspondence of George Peacock, his wife Frances Peacock, her father William Selwyn, and her second husband William Hepworth Thompson, with a few unrelated items. Most date from the 19th century but there are a few items from the 18th century.

Among those represented are King George III, Charles Babbage, E.W. Benson, the 15th Earl of Derby, the 7th Duke of Devonshire, W. E. Gladstone, Lord Houghton, Charles Kingsley, H. W. Longfellow, Lord Macaulay, Sir Robert Peel, John Ruskin, Adam Sedgwick, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Anthony Trollope, and William Whewell; there are in addition a miniature handwritten Lord's Prayer in a circle no larger than 15mm across, a carte-de-visite photograph souvenir 'balloon letter' from the Paris siege of 1870 with an image of the newspaper 'La Cloche', and a photographic print of Lane's portrait of George Peacock.

London - new proposal relating to the University, function of the University, provisions for students who want to become clergymen, Cathedral Colleges, [Richard Monckton] Milnes and Mortmain

Asks Sidgwick to consider presiding over the Apostles Society annual dinner in 1900. Mentions previous men who have presided over the event, for example, T. T[aylor] in 1871, and Lord Houghton in 1880. Remarks that Sidgwick 'last presided in 1875.' Claims that it would give great pleasure to the society if he [Holland] could announce Sidgwick's participation 'on the 14th', and mentions the possibility of a second dinner for 1900. Claims that 'it would be good for the Society to hear an address from [Sidgwick].' States that [Ailsa] and he, 'or others, in London could do all the arrangements for [Sidgwick] next year.' Asks Sidgwick to let him know in a few days.