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Magdalene College, (Cambridge).—Sends and discusses the results of his investigations into the phrase ‘cur of Iceland’ (Henry V, II. i. 40) (see 7/2).

(With an envelope.)

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Transcript

Magd. Coll.
20 March 1880.

My dear Wright,

I have been looking after the “cur of Iceland” {1} and here are some of the results {2}, which are heartily at your service, though I am afraid they are not of much use.

I have not got Wilkin’s big edition of Sir Thomas Browne, but only Bohn’s reprint, in which Theodore Jones’s letters (given in the former) are not included, but only Browne’s summary, which is not much to the purpose, as follows:—

“Besides shocks and little hairy dogs, they bring another sort over, headed like a fox, which they say are bred betwixt dogs and foxes [bosh!]; these are desired by the shepherds of this country” [i.e. England]. {3}

Of the extracts I send herewith that from Sir Wm Hooker’s book is perhaps the best—but the others being from books very little known in this country may have some interest—and Mohr was a very careful observer. Henderson I dare say knew more about Icelandic dogs than any other Englishman, but he does not seem to mention them in his book.

I have not looked at Hamilton’s book but I doubt his having access to any more original authorities than I have given you.

When I was in Iceland in 1858 I had a commission from a lady to bring back an Icelandic dog for her, & I dare say that had I gone more into the interior I could have found a pure-bred one, but I mistrusted the pedigree of the dogs in the Danish trading stations & their neighbourhood, and I cannot be sure that I ever saw a pure-bred example. I saw enough however to know what it would be like, & you can get a very fair notion of one by looking at a “Spitz” or “Pomeranian” without going to Iceland.

It is the fashion to liken (as Hooker does) the Iceland dog to the Esquimaux dog, but I take it there is no real affinity between them—& I should be inclined to suppose the Iceland breed is cognate with the “Spitz” & the real Lapland dog—which itself is a scarce animal, and only seen in its purity (or impurity considering its usual food, at which Thienemann, in the extract I send, hints) in the interior of that country.

Since communication with Iceland has become so easy & frequent of course the breed there has got much mixed. I therefore don’t think it worth looking through the works of recent travellers, especially as none who have been published on the matter have been much of naturalists. I think however that Faber (who was a good man) may have mentioned something about dogs in his many papers on Icelandic zoology, published in the ‘Isis’—but I have never had time to study then even for my own purposes.

Believe me, yours very truly
Alfred Newton.

[Direction on envelope:] W. Aldis Wright, Esq. | Trinity College.

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There are no marks of posting on the envelope.

{1} Cf. Henry V, II. i. 40.

{2} See Add. MS b. 74/7/2.

{3} The square brackets in this sentence are in the MS.

(Two messages.)

(The works quoted from are Eggert Olafsen’s Reise igiennem Island (1772), N. Mohr’s Forsøg til en Islandsk Naturhistorie (1786), W. J. Hooker’s Journal of a Tour in Iceland in the Summer of 1809 (1811), and F. A. L. Thienemann’s Reise im Norden Europas, verzüglich in Island in den Jahren 1820 bis 1821 (1824). The passages from foreign books have been translated into English.)

Henham Hall.—Thanks him for some grouse, and expresses interest in hearing news of Dr and Mrs Hooker. The Larix repens is not worth sending to Scotland on its own.

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Transcript

Henham Hall
Monday

Lady Stradbroke begs to offer her best thanks to Mr Dawson Turner for his present of Grouse—Lord & Lady Stradbroke will always feel much interested in the health & happiness of Dr & Mrs Hooker whose absence from their neighbourhood they regret extremely.—The Larix repens is not worth sending to Scotland unless accompanied by other Plants Mr Dawson Turner may wish to send there.—Lady Stradbroke requests to be kindly remembered to Mrs Dawson Turner—

[Superscription:] Dawson Turner Esq | Yarmouth | [At the head:] Dawson Turner Esq | Yarmouth [At the head:] Wangford Oct twenty | eighth | 1822 [At the foot:] Stradbroke

(Two messages.)

(Two messages.)

Transcript

July 18th. 1817.

My dear Sir,

At last I return you with many thanks Mr. Cotman’s letters, & I can assure you I have felt satisfaction & delight in his satisfaction & delight. Very much should I have liked to [have] been with him (yourself & some others being of the party) at Shoreham & Steyning: ¿Is there any account of ichnography of these churches? I forget whether while waiting for the packet wch was to carry you to France, you looked at any of the neighboring villages.

I thank you again for the trouble you took respecting my question about Thou & You. I do not however feel completely answered or rather I should say refuted. ¿Can you tell me when Y was first substituted for Th? ¿Is there any language, Celtic or other, from wch both the Roman & our own are, {1} derived that is wanting in the Y, or never uses Th., or uses them promiscuously?

Do not forget, whenever you see a Norman arch regular in it’s ornaments, to examine whether it be not so connected with the other parts—windows—tower—buttresses &c. as to infer the probability of it’s never having been moved—And Vice versâ.

My inference respecting the brick & flint, & subsequently brick & thin stone, radiated arches over the windows of Churches is drawn rather circuitously. I have suspected this date to be from 1480 to 1540 for some time & should much like to have my supposition confirmed by your observation. The W. window in Ormesby tower is thus radiated: it was created 1490. Potter Heigham & other windows are so: I think I can ascertain by connecting the new roof there, with that at Ludham & another at Loddon (these roofs by the bye are another help,) that they were built about 1490. The East window of the Dutch Church, Elm Hill, Norwith (finished 1460) is not radiated. The W. window of St. Andrew’s Hall (part of the same Church) evidently more modern is radiated.

At present, my dear Sir, I cannot say when the Introduction to the Brasses will be finished, because I really cannot say when it will be begun. I am so involved with domestic trifles (for they who cannot hire assistance must use their own fingers) that I feel to have no time to spare & my wife has extorted a promise from me to compile a new Sermon every week & to preach it too—this takes me up time. “very good,” you say, “but perform all your promises in rotation, & you promised me while you were single.” I shall, I hope bye & bye be able to perform all my promises.

Mrs. Layton (my Mother is in Suffolk) tho’ unknown to Mrs. Turner, yet knowing her in character & feeling grateful for her kindness to me, begs to join me in expressions of respect & esteem for her, & for yourself. Speak for me to Elisabeth also & Harriet, Hannah, Ellen, Gurney & the poor little […] {3} How is he? How fares the colony at Halesworth? How are you all?

Yours faithfully
Js. Layton.

[Added on the outside:] Obtain for me some seeds of the Pap: Cambr: {4} & a root of a double tulip wch is at the corners of the squares in Mr. Penrice’s garden & I will thank you.

[Direction:] Dawson Turner Esq | Yarmouth.

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No marks of posting.

{1} The comma is superfluous.

{2} Reading uncertain.

{3} A word, perhaps ‘babe’, has been lost here where the seal was cut off.

{4} Papaver cambricum, the Welsh poppy.

(Two messages.)

Transcript

My dear Sir

Tho I can hardly hold my pen after the fatigue of yesterdays excursion & have much to do this morning I cannot resist the gratification it gives me to tell you of my pleasures & to enclose part of my treasures, I set out at 3 oClock in the morning for a distant mountain lake, which I had once before visited, at a time when I did not collect plants. on the way I walked thro a deep & curious glen, where I was delighted beyond expression at finding in a little gloomy cavern that beautiful rarity Hymenophyllum alutum I cou’d not find a single frond in fruit, I have brought home roots to plant, I placed some by a rock at one side of my flower garden where I had a morsel that I got from Killarney last year growing, so that I may expect the good roots I have now planted will flourish. {1} I have put more in another situation, I cannot enclose you a fine specimen but have some good ones for the next parcell. I suppose you got it long since from Mr Mackay. however you will not be sorry to have a little more from me. by the side of the lake I found the fine Jungermannia No. 59 which I enclose. {1} it is not the same of† any specimen I have from Mr Hooker. perhaps it may be new. {1} I have a large store of it but cou’d not find fruit, if it be any thing that you wou’d like more of I can supply you abundantly. {1} I am told that the Hymenophyllum has been nearly destroyed at Killarney, the place where it grows is so well known that any person can find it, I have a Hieracium that I cannot make out & will send you in a few days with some of the mosses that you wished to get more of. at this time you will excuse my looking for them, I heard from Mr Mackay that Mr Hookers first No. had been left with him for me. {1} I expect to have it in a few days, I suppose you met with some person who brought it to him. let me again thank you for the beautiful & valuable american mosses, I wish I coud send you so great a number of any thing, equally valuable, the best I can I am & shall ever be willing to give, indeed it is a great pleasure when I find any thing new to think it will give you pleasure, A friend near Dublin has lately sent me Dicranum polycarpum & Gym[n]ostomum microstomum. {1} I dare say you have them but if not I can share with you or get you some. Mr Mackay has just sent me a little Gymnostomum that I had not before seen. {2} it is like mic[r]ostomum but different—

You have long before this returned from Town & I hope found Mrs Turner & all your girls well, little Ellen will soon be able to call you. how does she get on? I have not answered your last kind letters, I shd have written but was disabled for some days by Rheumatism in my arm. I hope to go again into the mountains next week & if I find any thing worth sending or telling you about you shall soon hear of it for I feel as if I never cou’d send anything I find soon enough,

Ever faithfully yours
E H.

July 1t 1812

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The date ‘July 1’ has been added at the head in pencil.

{1} Full stop supplied. The preceding word is at the end of a line.

{2} Full stop supplied.

† Sic.

Transcript

Croft. May 9th 1817.

I have delayed thanking you, my dear Friend, for the beautiful collection of Engravings you sent me, from the supposition that you might be from home. I wrote, however, to the excellent Hooker, & said all I could towards expressing the grateful sense I entertain of your unremitting kindness. My ex-pressions cannot represent my feelings, which, I assure you, are very warmly disposed towards my valued friends at Yarmouth, & all their belongings. Do I not know the elegant female figure, to which no name is attached?—

In my letter to Hooker I attempted to justify my resolution of sending Cecil to Eton. It is not a good cause which demands very elaborate defence. A choice of evils only was left me, & I am not perfectly convinced that I have chosen the least. Much harm, however, cannot be done by the trial of a year. My feelings are acute enough where my children & friends are concerned, & this will render me sufficient-ly observant of whatever may have been done amiss. With good abilities & a tolerable foundation, Cecil will never make a scholar. He has no ambition that way, & the best hopes Eton holds out to me, are those which, as I have told you before, flatter me that his situation & class-fellows may excite a spark of it in him. As to myself, I am by nature of a warm constitution & {1} I sometimes think that my anxiety as a pedagogue may render me less dear to my boy as a father. In short I have done my best, & may possibly—nay very probably find, as I have often found before, that my best endeavors† & intentions have been frustrated. I assure you I tried hard to find a conscientious, able private Tutor, but could not find both qualities united. Had my search been fortunate, Cis had never gone to Eton—a place I cannot yet think of without apprehension. The die, however, is now cast, & I will endeavor† to hope the best.—

What is become of Leache’s† Crustacea? {2}—I have part of that interesting work, but am so completely out of the literary world, that, except from you & Hooker, I hear nothing about it. You now talk seriously about finishing your noble work upon the Fuci. For the public good I hope you will act seriously too. I am happy in possessing a Large-paper-copy of it, as far as it has gone, & will, sh[oul]d it please God that I live to see the finale, have it bound, as nearly as possible, as well as it deserves.

To revert to Mrs Turner’s most beautiful engravings, may I once more beg a likeness of my dear Friend Turner? by the same hand. This w[oul]d make it doubly valuable, & I will promise it a good frame & excellent—i.e worthy as well as scientific company.

I have taken a house at Hartlepool for two months, &, in July, remove the whole of my family thither. Sh[oul]d the weather prove cold & ungenial as it has been for these two months past, & still is, I shall wish myself back again, in my quiet little Study at Croft. Nothing vegetates with us—indeed things appear rather retrograde than progressive. My intentions now are to build a small Green-house (upon which subject I am in the act of pestering dear Hooker) by way of assuring, by means of fire, as little vegetation at the season when it is usual to find it. {3}

You speak cheerily with respect to the times. With us no improvement has yet taken place. The Funds, certainly, rise—but may not this be from the opulent in London not knowing exactly how to employ their capital? America will thrive upon our distresses, for many of our excellent manufacturers are emigrating, & will, no doubt, meet with that encouragement there, which here they cannot have. I cannot say, however partial to national glory, that I think it cheaply bought by national distress, starvation & nearly bankruptcy:—yet at this price does England possess it!!! Delirant reges—plectuntur &c.—Adieu! my dear & highly valued friends! Be assured that I am yours Ἐς ἀν ὐδωρ τε ῤεη, {4} δενδρεα μακρὰ τεθήλη.

I beg my best regards to Mrs Turner—who, also, has my thanks, as is most due, for the parcel mentioned above.—

[Direction:] Dawson Turner Esq[ui]re | Yarmouth | Norfolk.

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Postmarked at Northallerton. Letters missing from words abbreviated by superscript letters have been supplied in square brackets.

{1} Written as a catchword at the foot of a page and repeated, as ‘and’, at the head of the next.

{2} W. E. Leach’s Malacostrata podophthalmata Britanniae, or descriptions of such British species of the Linnean genus Cancer as have their eyes elevated on footstalks, published in 1815, with illustrations by James Sowerby.

{3} ‘by means of … find it’: this appears to be what is written, but the meaning is unclear.

{4} There is an indistinct word of two letters here.

† Sic.

(Two messages.)