Further to Le Verrier's principle, that France ought to be in the first rank in observations as well as every thing else, GA thinks his 'bold talk is admirable' - but he does not agree: 'The Greenwich Observatory has grown up like the British Constitution under pressure of circumstances, and has thus adapted itself to the genius of the people, and is likely to receive permanent support under circumstances in which a French observatory would not receive much support. I can abandon such showy things as discovering comets and planets, and can therefore do the dull meridian work surprisingly well, and this is known to and approved by the astronomical public of England but it would not do in France'. However the mathematical and astronomical parts of Le Verrier's Annales are admirable and should be adopted 'as the authorised exposition of modern astronomy (Lunar Theory excepted)'
40 Weymouth Street - congratulates Blakesley on becoming Dean of Lincoln, Donne's sons are accident-prone
Gives WW a copy of a second edition of his book on Parallels ['Geometry without Axioms. Or the First Books of Euclid's Elements', 1830, in which he tries to establish the theory of parallel lines without recourse to any principle not founded on previous demonstration]: 'It contains some corrections, and alterations meant for improvements; of which the only one worth specifying, is the alteration in the lemma in the notes, in which perhaps after all, the stress of the argument resides'.
HB has been looking at WW's Bridgewater Treatise and has a query regarding his discussion of the law of centripetal force. He would like a note of WW's analysis.
2 Hampstead Hill Gardens, Rosslyn Hill, N.W.3. - Very good of Trevy to send "From the Shiffolds" as Christmas greetings: he and his wife send best wishes in return. Asks how the Trevelyans are; has not seen any works by Julian recently, though he 'much frequent[s] Picture Galleries'. Nick [their son], his wife, and small daughter are staying here while the house they have bought in Chelsea is repaired; Nick is staying in the Army, and is now an acting Major. He himself is 'always reading poetry in scraps, in the bus, in bed...'; he has recently regained some of his 'old passion for Fitzgerald', and always has Rilke and Horace by him, whom Trevy will call an 'odd couple'; has recently 'turned to Pope - stranger still' but now will 'turn to' Trevy.
2, Cheyne Gardens, S.W. - Bessie will have heard about what has happened today [the death of George and Janet Trevelyan's son Theo]. Cannot write about it except to say he 'often thought about [her] and Bob' [remembering the death of their son Paul in 1909?]
Welcombe, Stratford on Avon. - Glad to hear that Elizabeth is well and that Robert is losing his cold; hopes the Booths [Charles and Meg] arrive safely. Sir George has been troubled by rheumatism for a while; thinks he is recovering but he is 'low & out of sorts'; he has been able to work and take walks everyday, not liking to stay in bed which she thinks may have been best. S[idney] Colvin and Morton Philips are coming on Sunday, alone as both their wives are ill; they have also had neighbours visiting for tea. Has been busy with things in the village; Mr Clarke was here this week. They are expecting news from Cheyne Gardens [of the birth of Janet and George's child]; the preparations were made long ago. The ["Independent] review" is 'in a bad way' but George 'has made up his mind to it'. Meggy [Price] has sent her a very amusing letter from Phil [Morgan Philips Price], who 'led the interruptions' at [Henry] Chaplin's meeting at Cambridge in 'a most intelligent & effective way'. Sir George enjoyed Robert's letter about classics and 'keeps it as a marker!'; sends love from him and Booa [Mary Prestwich], who was 'quite anxious' about Elizabeth.
110 Banbury Road, Oxford.—Is glad that things are going well, if slowly, at Cambridge. Will come over after the end of term. When he was there last year Vincent [not identified] showed him the new [university] library and he briefly met Leavis. Discusses paintings he saw in Italy, by Correggio and others. Criticises The Times’s interpretation of recent by-election results.
Department of Ceramics and Ethnography, British Museum - Saw Mr Edge-Partington, who has been to Tongatabu, and he confirms there is only one trilithon on the island.
Accompanied by an envelope, "H. J. Braunholtz, 8 April 1927, the trilithon in Tongatabu (Edge Partington's evidence).
95 Sloane Street, London, S.W.1. - Concerning Sir James' pension.
Part 1: California. American Association for Cancer Research Special Conference. The Role of DNA Viruses in Human Tumors, 22–26 January 1989, San Diego
Part 2: Massachusetts. Scientific Advisory Committee Meeting, Harvard Medical School's New England Primate Research Center, 27–28 April 1989, Southborough, Massachusetts.
Part 3: Cape Cod. National Academy of Sciences and Royal Society Officers Meeting, Woods Hole Study Center, Cape Cod, 19–22 July 1989
Part 4: California. The 1989 International Symposium on Medical Virology, 16–18 October 1989, San Francisco
Hopes to be able to work with Butler on his return to Cambridge, has written to A C Pigou that he will lecture at Cambridge if he can be sure of a secure livelihood thereby.
Urania (1964)
World Review of Nutrition and Dietetics (1957, 1963)
Requests to write articles (declined).
'Kinawanua' Gordon N.S.W. Dated November 13th 1912 - Will talk to Prof. [Baldwin] Spencer about the Arunta people; encloses a note [not transcribed] about the belief of sympathetic magic, and something further he took from a woman named Mrs Atkinson about and unidentified practice; would like the Frazers to come when the British Association for the Advancement of Science comes to Australia in 1914.
Enclosing lock of hair from a god-daughter of Mary Babington - perhaps Lydia's daughter Mary?
Rose, Lydia (1789-1880), née Babington, wife of Joseph Rose