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Dublin. - Encloses copy of a letter sent to Houghton and Mr Lowell at the Spanish Legation, requests return; must resign from jury as he cannot endorse award of prize to any one of the four poems. Postscript: will not destroy other manuscripts until he is sure they are not required.

Enclosed: copy of letter, 13 Apr. 1881, from Richard Chenevix Trench to [James Russell] Lowell and Houghton, on embossed notepaper, 'The Palace, St. Stephens Green, Dublin'. - Cannot vote in favour of any of the Calderon poems; those beginning 'Transcendant Poet...' and 'Fair land flung far' are of average standard; 'The Isle of Sirens' bears no relation to Calderon whatever; the verse 'Steep me awhile in spiced steps' is best but requires much reworking; is honoured by association with jury but must protect Calderon's name, so tenders resignation.

Killyman Rectory, Moy, Co. Tyrone. - Describes self as 'late of Rossall School'. Encloses poem for the Calderon competition; has despatched a less finished version elsewhere; aware of faults of a youthful production. Enclosed: verse by Thomas Disney, 'To Calderon, 1881'. dated 30 Mar. 1881.

Trusts Houghton's diplomatic skill to maintain gravity of a competition in which few Englishmen are interested [the Calderon poetry competition]; appends a sonnet in honour of Sir G[eorge Pomeroy] Colley, a hero who will only be remembered for three disastrous mistakes. Printed verse, 'In Memoriam G. P. C., Feb. 27 1881'.

No English poet can honour Calderon with the true sympathy of a compatriot, but an elevated style would convey appropriate feelings: 'No modern Aesthetic & Philosophy of the Wordsworth-Arnold School [will] do for the People, I am sure'. Dryden's Alexander's Feats, 'immeasurably the finest ode in our Language' a suitable model. Why not abandon the competition and instead commission an ode from a master such as Swinburne?; with his talent he could learn enough of Spanish in a month to achieve a complete understanding of the task; open competition will yield very little of value; Swinburne is the very best man for the purpose. Postscript: 'Our old Alfred [Tennyson] has. I think, been out of the Question this long while'.

Littlegrange, Woodbridge. - Glad to hear Houghton is well and involved in literary pursuits. Thanks for suggesting him for Calderon Committee but he prefers quiet existence here: Houghton and the Archbishop [Richard Chenevix Trench, Archbishop of Dublin] will do the job admirably; recommends Professor E. B. Cowell of Cambridge as a worthy third is needed. Glad the Master of Trinity is recovering. Has withdrawn from the New Shakespeare Society owing to Furnivall's 'blackguard manifestoes'.

Huish, Devon. - Part of beginning of letter missing. Encouraged by Houghton's support of David Gray; has been writing since the age of 10; is now 49 and has published three volumes; some details missing; had hoped to promote a final publication by success in the Calderon competition; what were the shortcomings of his entry? Disappointed that no prizes were awarded; time allowed was too short, especially for a clergyman during Lent.

On printed notepaper, Legacion de España en Londres. - Acknowledges Milnes' acceptance of a place on English jury of the Calderon poetry competition; encloses translation of the rules; announcements also placed in newspapers. Enclosed: announcement and rules of poetry competition organised by the Royal Spanish Academy to mark the 200th anniversary of the death of Don Pedro Calderon de la Barca. Translation of document dated Madrid, 1 Feb. 1881.

Autograph signature only.

Monk Soham.—Thanks him for a copy of his book (the Bible Word Book), and reflects on the death of William Whewell. Invites him to stay, to give him an opportunity of consulting manuscripts at Helmingham. Discusses connections between English dialects and East Frisian.

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Transcript

Monk Soham
March 9. 1866.

Dear Mr Wright,

Many thanks for your book {1} which I have looked over with very great interest, and shall hope to have an early notice of in the Christian Advocate.

You have lost a Great Man at Cambridge {2}. I thought him looking so handsome, when I saw him a month ago. Age had given dignity to the hard features, and his white hair gave him a venerable look.

All his foibles and failings will be buried in his grave and forgotten: but he will live, specially among you at Trinity.

As regards any Chaucer M.SS. at Helmingham, I only know of one a fragment on paper, and I cannot trust my recollection as to what it is.

The books and M.S.S are not accessible save when Mr Tollemache is there.

Perhaps he may come down during the Whitsun Holydays.

Can you come and stay a few days with me, in case the Library is then accessible.

I will ask Bradshaw to come down with you, and you shall rummage one or two closets &c, which I don’t think have been sufficiently gone over.

I quite hold to your project about the General Dialecticon—to coin a word—and will gladly help in it.

I think I can furnish some good specimens of old Harvest-songs, and such old songs as go to tuneless tunes.

Did you ever hear a true Suffolk tune—“never ending, still beginning.”

Do you know a book—of which I carried off Vol. 1. the other day from the P.L.—which mightily amuses me.

“Firmenich, J. W. “Germaniens Völkerstimmen.”

I cannot make out much system in it, except that the series of dialects are topographically arranged. Perhaps the third Volume contains results.

I have gathered some very curious illustrations and Bremen dialects.

Perhaps things all known before, only having the special flavour to me of game taken by my own hunting.

E.G.

Do you know the Dorset Dialect? How constantly the words “I low” recur: “I low, twill rain tomorrow.”—I used to think this meant “I allow” by the figure of Tmesis—so convenient for amateur philologists.

But, lo ye {3}, in East Frisian. | (p. 18. Fermenich)

“De Dokter Liefpien het mi dar’n Dings an mien Schürdöer schreven, ich lör, ’t is Kremerlatien”

“Docter Liefpien had written me something about it on the — {4} door, I low, it is Kremer-(?) Latin.

(Elsewhere it is called “Dews-latien” = Dog-latin!!!

Then p. 42. Mundart Kiels.

“Ich glöw, et sull en Amtsverwalter sien.”

I low, it was an Official.”

So here we have “Ich glaube”. and Dorsetshire “I low” = I believe.

Tög = heng {5} = Dress = Toggery.

Noch ein Wortchen!

Moor = Mother | = Mor, Suffolk.

Yours sincerely,
Robert. W. Groome

I know so little of your Cambridge politics; but who will be your new master.
Mathison, Vaughan, Thompson? {6}

Has W.H.T. any chance?

Have you read E.F.G. “Mighty Magician” yet? {7}

[Second postscript:]

I open my letter to obtrude some advice.

In your list of books appended to your W.B. {8} I miss one book, which may be after all well known to you, but if not a book of great value for your Shakspere Glossary, if you are meditating such a Magnum opus.

“The Courtier of Count Baldesar Castilio – – – – done into English by Thomas Hobby. | London Printed by John Wolfe | 1588.

I meant to have excerpt† it for the Big Dic {9}, during poor H. Coleridge’s Life, but since then “fresh fields”—I cannot “pastures gay”—for they are sad at times—have occupied me.

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The first postscript was added at the head of the first sheet, the second on a separate slip. There are a few irregularities of punctuation, which have not been corrected. The letter was sent with two lists of notable words in Hoby’s translation of Castiglione’s Courtier (Add. MS b. 74/5/2).

{1} Wright’s Bible Word Book, first published this year.

{2} William Whewell, who died on 6 March.

{3} ‘lo ye’: reading uncertain.

{4} A question mark has been added above the dash.

{5} Reading uncertain.

{6} W. C. Mathison, C. J. Vaughan, W. H. Thompson, all Fellows of Trinity.

{7} Edward FitzGerald’s translation of Calderón’s play El mágico prodigioso, privately printed in 1865. There are six copies in Trinity College Library.

{8} i.e. the Bible Word Book.

{9} This is the apparent reading—perhaps short for ‘Big Dictionary’; but the reference is unclear.