Sends Nora a letter, which seems to him 'a sincere and touching tribute' [not included]. Hopes that she is well, and has had some rest. Explains that he is still tied [to Oxford] by an effort to reduce his arrears. Wishes her well for 1907.
7 Camden Street, Camden Town - Thanks WW for the invitation but his lectures are 'imperative'. If his papers are to appear together he wants copies all at one time and does not care whether they are printed in the form of two papers or one. He is to publish a work on logic soon after the papers appear, and will think of Whewell's suggestion about taking a subject, but 'what subjects run very thickly in syllogisms...[and the] syllogistic examples in books of logic are literally nothing more than terms of one word or so substituted in the formal syllogism'. Instead of subjective and objective he will use ideal and objective, and explains how he will use it in terms of the mind. He writes this to show Whewell 'how far our language agrees'. Writers on Formal Logic are often confused - they 'speak ideally, and not objectively', and 'admit contradictory propositions as ideally enunciable'. He then presents some phraseology, 'seven definite relations of term and term: identical and contrary, sub-identical and super-identical, sub-contrary and super-contrary, and mixed. He concludes with a dialogue he had with his daughter as to the ideas of necessary and contingent.
Misc. items relating to George Boole.
Includes: 2 autograph signatures of George Boole.
Notes of various items relating to Boole in the possession of the Taylor family.
List of items relating to Boole left at `Farmfield' at Taylor's death, and their disposition (compiled by G.K. Batchelor).
List of material presented by Taylor to the Royal Irish Academy, May 1954.
Press-cuttings re Boole.
Royal Observatory Greenwich - GA is 'busy in the pendulum reductions, and till they are pretty far advanced or indeed completed we cannot tell how good the results are'. He sent six observers to Haston Colliery: 'I put up the apparatus and gave a few lessons, but I did not take a single observation'. GA gives a description of the tests: 'Galvonic wires were laid from one station to the other, and a telegraph needle was mounted by each clock face, and thus our clocks were compared by simultaneous signals without any necessity for chronometers'. GA is surprised at WW's report of Scoresby's remark on the non-correction of varying inductive force, and he should direct Scoresby [William Scoresby] to look at the Phil. Trans. for 1839 (p. 182-183): 'The effect of induced magnetism is very small, and I believe that ship-correcters very commonly neglect it'.
Reports that he has discovered that the sea air does not cure hayfever. Describes Southend as 'not a bad little place', with no beauty, 'but cheerful enough and no Smells, to speak of.' States that he pays £1 a week for two little rooms, with an eating house next door, where he dines for a shilling. Reports that he is reading political economy and [Gewter], and that his eating house 'only takes in the Standard, where Protestantism is breathing less fire and slaughter than [he] had expected.'
Hopes that she has sent him his letters, because among them is 'an examination paper for Ladies' about which he is rather anxious. Remarks on the visitors to the area. Reports that he had considered going to Margate, but was afraid of being sea-sick. Resolves to come to similar places regularly in June, 'get iodized and then go back to London until the hayseason is over.' With regard to Mr Horton, undertakes to pay one third of £60 in two instalments of £10 per annum [for the education of Horton's son Fred], and states that when he agreed on their scheme he had in view his prospective decrease in income. Reports that he has just earned £10 by taking part in an entrance examination. Asks her to ask Arthur whether a Warrington whom he has examined [Thomas Rolls Warrington?] was a new boy in his form 'when he had a Boil.' Claims that he thought that he recognised his signature.
Written at Saint-Légier-Blonay, Verey, Switzerland.
2 Brook Street - HH is extremely glad WW is to publicly support John Couch Adams's claim to have discovered the new planet [Neptune] - as opposed to Urbain Jean Le Verrier: 'It is clear to me after reading the three papers produced at the astronomical society, that Adams would be precisely where Leverrier's now is, had the observations early in August ripened into actual discovery of the nature of the body, actually seen then by the guidance of Adam's calculations. Arago [Francois Arago] is moving heaven and earth (the phrase is not inappropriate here) to fix Leverrier's name upon it'. The planet's name should be taken from mythology.
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. Dated Abril 1924 - Provided answers to his ['Anthropological Questions'] and would like to have a copy of the book in which the answers were published.
Bloemfontein.—Agrees with her about the Suffragette Dinner. Has been quoted in the press, and is enjoying speaking to the South African people. Gives directions about her circular letters.
(With an envelope.)
11 Old Square, Lincoln’s Inn, London, W.C.2.—Unemployment seems a more pressing problem in India than low wages, and he was interested to learn of certain manufacturing projects. Thanks him for his kindness during his and his wife’s visit. His wife went on to Hong Kong, and then to North America to visit her children.
(Carbon copy of a typed original.)