Typescript notices; declarations of trust for founding a lectureship.
Concerning the Rev. William Travis's position as chaplain, which Whewell does not think reconcilable to the College and therefore thinks 'it necessary very soon to take steps to declare his office vacant' and elect a replacement.
In pursuance of the directions from Sir James Graham, he returns the vellum copy of the amended statutes of Trinity College.
The Times - Received no official notification of the Freedom of Glasgow, or they would have made more of it; has made note of the engagement at St Andrews on June 28; is pleased to hear of the improvement in Sir James' health, asks if they may publish a paragraph about it.
Broad Campden, Gloucestershire. - Thanks Bessie for her letter. Is glad if he expressed anything of what she was feeling. Like her, he feels stunned.
Glad Julian and Ursula can come on 14 June. Mozzot [sic: Julian and Ursula's cat Maszat] did not 'go on long with her outdoor erotic appeals' and seems 'absorbed in her kittens again'. Wants her to stay, though she occasionally irritates him; he does like her 'when she is not too querulous', but more importantly Bessie is 'very fond of her, and of the kittens'; asks Julian not to tell Bessie he said this. Tet Htoot visited last week with a 'very interesting Chinese friend', and seemed 'much happier and less depressed' than before. John Luce came over for the day yesterday.
'On the Road! Birmingham [written on 8, Grosvenor Crescent notepaper]. - Glad Elizabeth had a good time at Pen Moel; has met the 'rather astonishing lady [Agnes Macdonald: see 46/101]' and does not know what Meggy [Price] sees in her. Everything lovely at Welcombe and she was sorry to leave, but Sir George is 'longing to be at work again'. Now on her way to the Park [home of Annie Philips]; hopes to be at Wallington by Saturday evening. Glad that Elizabeth has seen the V[aughan] W[illiams]s and that 'all is going pleasantly'; hopes the roof [of the new house] will be on before she and Robert go abroad. Caroline and Sir George dined at the [Grosvenor Crescent] Club and thought it 'very much gone off'; the food and the meeting [?] were both bad. Thinks she will give it up next year; for the cost of the subscription she could have a kitchen maid. Writing at Birmingham station, having seen Sir George off North. He is 'enormously excited about the Russian business' [the Dogger Bank incident]; since he is 'so peaceful generally', his agitation makes her worried about 'what hot headed jingos will do'. If Elizabeth would like to stay at Tunbridge Wells for the Conference, the local secretary Miss Jones is Caroline's friend and would take her in or find her somewhere else to stay; Sophie [Wicksteed] seems very ill; does not think Aunt A[nnie] would like any visitors there in her absence.
Larkbeare, Cumnor Hill, Oxford. - Thanks Trevelyan for his letter; will be 'delighted' to come on Monday if he does not hear otherwise; will be at the National Liberal Club at half one.
Taormina. - Apologises for not thanking Trevelyan sooner for sending his poems ["Polyphemus and Other Poems"]: would cover his face if he wore a chlamys or toga; discusses them at length. Has tried to translate the poem about the bat in love with a star ["The Lady's Bat"] and "Fairy Song" but failed, in contrast to Trevelyan's success with Catullus' "Phaselus". Finds some merit in the illustrations [by Roger Fry], and they are in harmony with the text, but feels they lack sincerity. Hopes that Trevelyan's stay at Ravello gave him inspiration. He and Bramine have bought a small house by the sea and invite Trevelyan and Bessie to stay there, or at their room at the Fondo [?] or with them at Rocca Bella.
Downside Abbey, Stratton-on-the-Fosse, near Bath.—Hopes that Smith gets the Fribourg chair. Has had a bad cold, which has affected his sinuses and jaw. Is delighted that [Godfrey] Lienhardt is under instruction. Asks whether the other young man, who has written some impressive letters to Dom Sebastian, is called Ernst. ‘Downing must fairly swarm with Papists now. I wish that meant that Leavis was nearer the Church.’ Refers to Leavis’s reception of the article in La Vie intellectuelle and to Smith’s own evaluation of it. Has arranged for Smith to receive the [Downing] Review. Discusses J. C. Maxwell’s career and character. Dom Illtyd is thinking of sending Maxwell’s article to Leavis. ‘I hope the result won’t be a violent outburst from Queenie on the ineptitude of “Christian Discriminators”!’. Suggests Smith should contribute something on the ‘misdirection of research in medieval things’ he mentioned in his letter. Has found a number of Latin tags used by Skelton in Dom Aelred [Watkin]’s 1537 Sarum Prymer. Appreciates his remarks on the recusants. Invites him to stay.
Asks when Harrow breaks up, as Mr Arnold is going to invite [Nugent] Hicks or [Thomas James Chesshyre?] Tomlin to visit at the end of term. Beat Farnborough away this afternoon, one-nil'. Sends love to all. The train 'comes in at 10.27'. Is glad 'Mr [Charles?] Fenwick and Uncle Harry [Holland] have got in [to Parliament in the General Election].
The Shiffolds, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking. - The Interludes [in Prose and Verse, by G O Trevelyan] arrived this morning, and they look forward to reading it; Bessie will write soon to his father to thank him for it. Robert has 'just read most of Horace [at the University of Athens], which seems just as good as it ever was', and he expects the whole work will be improved by 'the slight alterations and 'the unimaginable touch of Time" [a quote from Wordworth's Mutability]'.
They have had a 'pleasant visit at the [Augustus Moore?] Daniels, and found all well at home'. George Moore has been for a short visit; now [Donald] Tovey is here for a week and there is 'an immense deal of music'. Bessie likes Tovey's playing as much if not more as anyone's, and he is 'very interesting when he talks about music, in a way few musicians are'; he plays 'a great deal of Bach' on the Trevelyan's clavichord, and their piano 'has a beautiful tone'.
Aunt Meg [Price] will visit in October and they hope also [her son] Phil. The Grandmonts are coming for a few nights next Monday. Does not know whether they will like returning to Taormina 'while the earthquakes still continue'; supposes 'Taormina is untouched, as it usually escapes', but Messina suffered greatly. Hopes there will not be a bad earthquake near Vesuvius, which 'is in great activity just now'; everyone near Naples seems 'very much frightened'. Will not be sorry if 'Cook's railway gets demolished', as long as nothing worse happens.
Hopes his parents are well, as well as the 'Cambo household [Charles and Molly]'; G[eorge], J[anet] and M[ary] C[aroline] seemed well when they dined with them in London; Crompton [Llewelyn Davies] was there 'and seemed fairly cheerful, though looking rather tired and worn perhaps [after the death of his brother Theodore in July].
Thanks him for the photographs.
Religion at a low ebb in Norwich, preaching by Robert and others: Surrey Street, Norwich
The Philosophical Magazine has received a copy of the Correspondence of Sir Isaac Newton with Professor Cotes and others: 'I feel a serious responsibility, - in the first place that it should not fail to obtain a suitable Notice in some early number of the journal; - and, next, that the tone and temper of the notice should accord with the views which were maintained in the Philosophical Magazine on the occasion of the publication of the Flamsteed Letters [Francis Baily ed., 'An account of the Rev. John Flamsteed, the first Astronomer-Royal, compiled from his own manuscripts, and other authentic documents, never before published', 1837]. Could WW offer 'advice or assistance on this occasion in obtaining a Notice (whether short or long) worthy of the subject, and, in the main congenial with my own views'. From what RT can judge 'Mr. Edleston's Volume is most valuable and interesting, and deserving of a Notice which should be highly commendatory'.