8 St. James St. - Deep interest in Monographs, but disagrees on several points: Sydney Smith is misrepresented about [Theodore] Hook; they only met twice and after the second occasion Smith remarked to Hayward ;If I had not been told who he was, I should have said he was a quiet, goodnatured, ordinary sort of man. Agrees about Heine but would not have described him as fat; translations excellent; his own writings on Heine. Odd terms of honour applied to Suleiman Pasha: 'But your book is most valuable as a whole. Postscript: living referred to by Sydney Smith should read 'Halberton near Tiverton'.
Embossed notepaper, Privy Council Office. - It is a 'very curious thing that Dr Dechannel should report thus, if poor T[wistleton] really committed suicide. He heard the story from Lady Minto, who 'had the details from Lady Elizabeth Romilly', but everyone he has seen in town 'such as Lacaita, [Abraham?] Hayward etc believed in the fact of the suicide'. Is just back from Christchuch where his work is going on well'; did not buy the roan mare. Encloses note from Montagu Smith [no longer present].
Letter incomplete.
Bawtry. - Read Hayward's 'Radowitz' [obituary of the general, published in the Morning Chronicle, 31 Dec. 1853?]; apt description. of 'Peelite' views, combining pomposity and simplicity. His wife is much better. Coalition failing, much as expected, possibly because of [Sir James] Graham's presence; did he write 'F-----' article in the Times?
Broadlands. - Will Hayward offer Napier [Macvey Napier, of the Edinburgh Review] an article by Milnes on Custine's Russia?; has just returned from 'the Land's End'.
A friend would like to know if the boiled beef immortalised by Hayward in the Quarterly Review can still be obtained from that corner eating-house; general disgust at the doings of Dr Dionysius [Lardner, i.e., elopement with the wife of Richard Heaviside]; 'the moral Blues have turned Private Jackson out of the Reg[imen]t and intend to pay Serg[ean]t [Brunskill's?] fine'
The Cottage, Lyme Regis, Dorset. - Has a few of Houghton's letters to Abraham Hayward but concludes he does not wish to be associated with the Memoir; will return letters if desired.