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Add. MS c/58/1 · Item · 25 Oct. 1899
Part of Additional Manuscripts c

[Blind embossed stamp of Royal College of Science, Dublin] - Describes in detail his disappointment on his return from his expedition to the Torres Strait, that the Department of Physical Anthropology has taken a medical turn, mentioning [Alexander] Macalister, [Wynfrid] Duckworth, [J. N.] Langley, Michael Foster; his prospects 'were never so unpromising for the last twenty years as they are at this present moment'.

Draft and proofs of Hamlet
Add. MS a/679/1 · File · 1871-1876
Part of Additional Manuscripts a

Draft of the preface and notes dated Dec. 1871; corrected proofs dated Feb.-Mar. 1872, incomplete, with some sections represented by multiple copies with the same corrections and one corrected proof. Accompanied by an uncut page proof of the 1876 edition.

R./2.40A/1 · Item · 20 Dec. 1902
Part of Manuscripts in Wren Class R

Trinity Lodge, Cambridge.—Encloses six letters (2–7) written by Lord Byron to Henry Drury, which have been bequeathed to the college by the son of the recipient.

—————

Transcript

Trinity Lodge, Cambridge
Dec. 20. 1902

My dear Vice-Master,

On Thursday last {1} I had a visit of some hours from Mr L. M. Stewart, nephew and executor of the late Mr “Ben Drury,” of Caius {2}.

He read to me the enclosed letters of Byron to Mr Drury’s father, “Old Harry” as he was called at Harrow, a Son of Dr Joseph Drury the Head Master.

He left out one sentence in one letter about the Turks, which he told me was disgusting {3}, and I have not seen it.

The letters date between 1807 {4}, when the Hours of Idleness were published, and 1815 soon after Byron’s Marriage.

As there are numerous references to my Father, it may be well just to point out that my Father succeeded Dr Drury at Easter, 1805, and that Byron left the School that summer, i.e. I suppose, at the end of July. Consequently, their relation as Master and Pupil lasted only some 12, 13, or 14 weeks. How a reconciliation came about, and how the “gold pen” was given, I do not know, but our family tradition vouches for both facts, to say nothing of Moore’s Biography.

You will observe that the letter of 1810, in wh. the {5} reference to the “gold pen” occurs, describes the famous swim from Sestos to Abydos, and adds—what I had either not known or forgotten—that the swimmer had made a previous attempt which failed.

May I ask you and Dr Sinker kindly to take Charge of the letters, which Mr Benjamin Drury bequeathed to our Library, and to consider where and in what form they may best be kept. The fact that they are a bequest should be specially recorded.

Perhaps it might also be recorded that Dr Joseph Drury, the Grandfather of the Testator, was himself a Trinity man. His Son, “Old Harry,” to whom Byron wrote the letters, was at Eton and King’s.

I am, my dear Vice-Master,

Most truly yours
H. Montagu Butler

—————

2 folded sheets.

{1} The 18th.

{2} Benjamin Drury’s sister Emily (1813–1902) married Stewart’s father, Lestock Wilson Stewart (1824–1876), an army doctor, in India in 1852.

{3} See the letter of 3 May 1810 (R.2.40A/4). Stewart may well have omitted more than one sentence.

{4} The earliest of the letters (R.2.40A/2) in fact dates from 13 January 1808, but it was misdated 1807.

{5} ‘1810’ struck through.

Add. MS c/52/1 · Item · [1 Oct. 1819]
Part of Additional Manuscripts c

RJ looked at the appearance of a friend's first book with great pleasure [WW, 'An Elementary Treatise on Mechanics', 1819]: 'The Book they tell me is pronounced good but the introduction a puzzle - in truth I think while writing it you forgot for a moment the thick darkness by which you are surrounded - 9 tenths of the people old and young at Tonbridge I take it know exactly nothing about the question as to constant precessions of phenomena efficient courses[,]etc. and you have earnt nothing but abuse and curses by paying them the compliment of supposing they did - for myself I find fault with you for using the term necessary truth as applied to physical conclusions for thinking you escape, from what even you mean in spite of your former pretty promises to think the blot of an experimental foundation to your statics'. RJ believes WW does this by resorting to metaphysics. He thinks that one must always suppose some sort of experiment and induction before one can get through it to a physical conclusion - 'will you fight?'. RJ's Rectorship in Wales has been postponed. Rose [Hugh Rose] has been preaching at RJ's with 'great applause from the better sort as well as the mob'. Rose tells RJ 'that the old mathematics have died and faded away with scarcely an audible groan before the bright flood of analytic love which has been poured in upon them and you therefore I take it have been revelling uncontrolled in the luxury of long brackets filled with cabalistical characters - I give you joy but alas for the poor geometers! methinks I hear their mutterings loud and deep echo through the sympathising courts of St. Johns and Queens'.