3 Bolton St. - Thanks Lord Houghton for his note about the book [The American]; agrees that 'the Bellegardes are rather "belated". They would have been more probable under the old régime; but I suppose a novelist has always to force matters a little. But even to modified Bellegardes an American savoring much of the soil would never have been acceptable. The French don't at all like the Americans (according to my observation) - none, that is, save M. [Charles Frederick] Worth; & he, I believe, is English!. But the French, after all, don't like any one but the French!...'
Hopes that Houghton has completely recovered. Will leave town in a few days, but will visit Houghton before he does so. 'Yours faithfully & gratefully, H. James jr.'
Bridge House, Matlock, Derbyshire. - Sent a 'small Páli MS and a printed Buddhist tract to Trinity Library yesterday, and with this letter sends his copy of Rask's Sinhalese gramma, 'a work of exceeding rarity, and which I do not think any English library possesses. Gives him great pleasure 'to confide this valuable volume to such able and enlightened keeping as that of the Master and fellows of Trinity College.'
Bridge House, Matlock, Derbyshire. -Is sending a Sinhalese manuscript to Trinity Library by this post: 'Saǹkhyátha Prakáça - A collection of Buddhist "classifications". A Sinhalese M.S. The technical terms being given partly in Sinhalese and partly in Páli'.
Bridge House, Matlock, Derbyshire. -Is sending another Páli manuscript to Trinity Library by this post: Bálávatára, the text is in the 'Sinhalese Character'.
Villa Riquet, Arcachon France. - Supplies further details on the two Páli texts he has sent to Trinity Library.
68 Mount Street, Grosvenor Square, London - Hopes that Wright will accept for the Library at Trinity 'a Pali manuscript in the Burmese Character... It is the Káraka Kappa of Kaccáyana's Páli Grammar'.
Cambridge. - Has written to Professor Roth. Wright 'will find a long account of the Pali Subha Sutta in Burnouf's Lotus de la bonne loi.
35 Mecklenburgh Square, London W. C. - Has forwarded 'a copy of the Pāli Manuscript Subha Sutta', and asks that it might be added to the collection of Pāli MSS already at Trinity.
19 Dean's Yard, Westmr. S.W. - Describes a 'disorderly scene' in [Westminster] School on Shrove Tuesday, 'the Cook having failed for 3 years to throw the pancake over the bar'; has written a poem about the ensuing fracas, a revised version of which he is sending Whewell.
Presentation letter.
Letter referring to the report of the various arguments against the new educational code, which will affect training colleges 'to a very great degree'.
Asks Whewell's opinion of his interpretation of new research into Bacon's submission and confession and speculates that the final book on Bacon will not be written in their time.
Manse of Moffat - Has brought his researches to their simplest form and have now only one law to deal with instead of three; hopes Chemistry will adopt his views or those of a similar order before too long.
Transcript
Dec. 5
Dearest A {1}
This is merely a P.S. to my last notelet to beg you to give my sweet & "blessed little Florey" an extra kiss from poor Anty Ett on her birthday,—; & to beg Richee's {2} acceptance, (ultimately for her) of my Copy of the Hungerfordiana, which he told me the other day he had been trying to procure & could not—
There were never more than 100 Copies printed—only 50 for sale—now six & thirty years ago—so no wonder.
He is to keep it, please, for his beautiful little Florey, as she alone bears the dear dear old name.
Neither Amy nor Robin have anything to say to it!—
I trust the sweet Rob does not feel these changes of temperature, & that you are all "flourishing"—
God bless you, my dearest—Yr most devoted
HMC.—
—————
{1} Followed by a heart containing the letters 'a', 'F', and 'R', for Amy, Florence, and Robin.
{2} The spelling of this name is uncertain.
Oxford & Camb Club, Pall Mall - Presents his pamphlet; the 'Government Bill seems aimed against every Liberal Interest & among other evils, it would, I think, extinguish academical representation & place the elections entirely in the hands of the proverbial clergy.'
64 Pall Mall - Sends the essay, written to dispel the author's misconceptions of political and military history, thanks him for his support of his application to an India examinership, which was not successful.
Presentation letter.
On embossed notepaper of East India United Service Club. - Has 'found the original copy [of the omitted appendix 4, two pages of which appear in this book in print form, the rest in manuscript by an unknown hand], also a slip from Longman's'. Milnes can now judge if he thinks it interesting, as Burton does. Will return from Germany in about a month and get Milnes' opinion on reprinting it.
Presentation letter.
Lacock - Is not able to offer any introductions at Rome, for the only family he knows of is that of Mrs John Spedding; encloses the remarks on Assyrian inscriptions he could not find when he last wrote; has been conducting mathematical researches, thought he had found a clue to the solution of Fermat's theorem, which he discusses and which he sent on to Professor Kelland, who admired it.
Thanks him for the examination questions. Is glad that Mr Grote thinks the Institutes is worthy of contributing something to the field of study.
Presentation letter, attributes the title to a suggestion made by Whewell in 1854.
Presentation letter.
St Johns Coll Oxford - Thanks him for the papers on Plato; discusses Plato's concept of 'hypothesis', universal postulates, refers to the theories of Mill and Spencer.
Queen's Hotel, No. 71, Queen's Road, Bayswater, London -- Sends the book and asks for assistance in obtaining a copy of an elementary treatise on the tides by 'Lubock' or 'Luccock', as he has seen it variously spelled [William Lubbock]; is about to return to America.
Teston Rectory, Maidstone - Sends a copy of a work by a pupil of his who has just been admitted to [Trinity College].
A draft of a translation of the poem, picking up from the last lines of the printed version of part of the poem, which has been bound in front of the draft.
Dingle Cottage, Ledbury. - Today received 'the cleverly executed miniature which certainly does recall one expression of that most dear countenance [her late husband Eliot Warburton]'. Did not think 'so good a likeness could be produced'. Recognises the added interest the portrait has 'coming to me from the hands of his two best friends'; gratefully accepts the gift 'in memory of an affection which followed my husband through life' and as evidence of continued friendliness towards herself. Is going to stay with her brother-in-law George Warburton and his wife when they are settled in Kent, and will pass through London, but is unsure whether she will see Milnes there, but will certainly 'obey the summons whenever you tell me again "to come and see you in Yorkshire"'. Asks to be remembered to Milnes' wife; will not 'forget her Orphans but all my people will belong to the wrong Asylum'.
Pencil number '2' added on first page.
Presentation letter.