Affichage de 259 résultats

(The name of the person to be admitted has not been entered.)

The manuscripts listed under this head are all in Clifford’s own hand. E4/8–9 were formerly folded up together, as were E4/13–14.

Trinity College, Cambridge.—Was sorry to hear of Uncle John’s death. Hopes Kitty (his sister) was not hurt much by the swing. Has heard from Mr Heywood and seen Tovey. Romilly has died.

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Transcript

Coll: SS: Trin: Cantab:
Aug: 20/64

My dear Papa and Mama

I was very sorry and surprised to hear of poor Uncle John’s death. It is no wonder that you are not well. You say he was well enough the Saturday before to go to Starcross {1} and stay with Aunt Lizzie. Is it not very like what one has heard of the flicker of a candle before it goes out? I remember having noticed it in other cases. It must be a consolation to think that he had no suffering during the week, and was conscious so long. And, if I may say anything of this kind, ought we to think that the mercy which we should ourselves accord can be greater than the Infinite mercy? It seems to take away all the benefit of the Incarnation, if the Compassion of our Lord is not at least as great as that of men.

I do hope dear little Kitty was not much hurt by the swing. I know it can knock very hard, because Clement hurt his knee there very much once. I have been scratching myself in bathing. About a fortnight ago I knocked my elbow against a rough post in diving, but it is nearly well now.

I have heard from Mr Heywood, who was in Paris on the 13th, and seems to be enjoying himself. Mrs Heywood is with him, and he says they have had delightful weather. I saw Tovey in a boat last night. You will see by the Paper that Mr Romilly, one of our Dons, has just died {2}.

Please to give my love to Mitchell, and say I hope he has not lost the opportunity of making interesting experiments as to the nature of physical pain. It is such a waste of trouble if he has.

With best love to all the little ones, and hopes that you are much better, believe me to remain

your very affectionate son
+W: K: Clifford.

P:S: I have at last borrowed a machine for mending pens, and my writing is rapidly improving under its influence. You should see the two awful tables of the Inequalities of the Moon’s Radius Vector and Longitude, which I have to read over every day, so as to get them by heart.

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On the back of the letter are two addresses in an unidentified hand: ‘W | 59 Cannon St | London’ (‘City’ struck through before ‘London’), and ‘2 Elm Grove | New North Rd’. The latter is an address in Exeter.

{1} A village in Devon, eight miles south-east of Exeter.

{2} Joseph Romilly died of heart failure on 7 August, while on holiday at Great Yarmouth.

Trinity College, Cambridge.—Sends birthday greetings. ‘I suppose you went to see Kean, and enjoyed him very much.’ Describes measures taken by the men of Trinity to observe the meteor shower. Has been for a walk with Mathison. The new Master has given an eagle (lectern) to the Chapel. Has been told (mistakenly) that the Prince of Wales is dead.

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Coll: SS: Trin: Cantab:
Nov 17/66

My dear Papa

I wish you many many happy returns of the day, and that each one may give fairer hopes of its successors. Moreover I wish in particular that I may contribute to your happiness myself more than I have done before. I don’t know that I could wish you very much more than that I may be able to repay ever so small a part of what I owe you. So again, dear Papa, many many happy returns of the day.

I suppose you went to see Kean, and enjoyed him very much {1}. What did he play? We had great fun here looking at the meteors {2}. The Great Court was full of men who clapped and encored whenever there was a good display. The Pleiads were distinctly seen to give chase to one of the brightest, but the couldn’t catch him, and so returned to their places. Conybeare, Leeke {3}, & I, got well wrapped up and lay in respective gutters on the roof of the New Court, where we could see everything. Challis, the astronomer, thought the show was a very good one. I went for a walk with Mathison the other day; we were mutually affable. My bedmaker was surprised to see him call; she said he hadn’t done so since Mr Fitzwilliam was in the rooms, and then it was beautiful to see him with his head on that gentleman’s shoulder just as if he had been his father. “Was he a fellow-commoner?” said I. “Oh yes, sir.”—The tone of this was perfect; she hates Mathison because he dropped on to her for not being here when a certain freshman came up. The new Master has given an eagle to the Chapel for the lessons to be read from {4}. Somebody told me last night that the Prince of Wales was dead; I don’t know if it’s true {5}. With best love to dear Mama and all the little ones—as Moule {6} puts it, “with warmer love than this scrawl indicates”—believe me to be

Your very affectionate son
+W. K. Clifford.

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{1} There are no references in The Times to performances by Charles Kean during this month, but the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography records that he and his wife drew crowded houses in the provinces in September.

{2} A notable meteor shower occurred on the night of the 13th. See The Times, 12 Nov., p. 10; 15 Nov., p. 10, etc.

{3} Several Leekes were at Trinity at this time. It is unclear which one is referred to here.

{4} W. H. Thompson had been admitted as Master on 17 April. This ‘eagle’, or brass lectern, was presented to the college by Thompson and his wife. See Willis and Clark, Architectural History of the University of Cambridge, vol. ii, pp. 590-1.

{5} A telegram from St Petersburg scotching this rumour was printed in The Times on the 19th (p. 10).

{6} H. C. G. Moule.

Cambridge.—Sends birthday greetings. Has ordered a pipe for him.

(Dated Saturday. For the date assigned cf. A1/9.)

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Cambridge, Saturday

Dear Papa

As there is no post from here which is delivered at Exeter on Monday, I must wish you many happy returns of that day {1} prematurely. You know all the amount of my wishes for you, dear Papa, so there is no need to enumerate them. May you have long life, and happiness, and rest, and whatever there is more—to wish all this is quite selfish on my part, because it is wishing for my own pleasure. I ordered a pipe to be sent you from Soutter’s in Regent Street—I hope they will remember to book it to-day. It was difficult to find what to send you, because any of the ordinary things that one gives away would be to you like coals to Newcastle. All my love to dear Mama and the little ones. I must get more leisure next week to write to you. Now there is hardly time to catch the post—all the pups {2} on today. I must endeavour to write tomorrow—then there will be plenty of time.

Believe me, dear Papa,
ever your most affectionate son
+W K Clifford.

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{1} 18 November.

{2} Pupils? See OED, s.v. pup, n.2.

Cambridge.—Sends birthday greetings. Has sent her a gift of some china. Is sorry to hear that Edie is unwell.

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Cambridge Sep. 16

Dearest Mama

I have just come to the painful consciousness that today is Wednesday: I seem to have antedated all the days of this week and have been going about all day under the impression that it was Tuesday. Still I hope to be in time to wish you many and many happy returns of tomorrow, with all the health & prosperity that you deserve, which is saying a great deal. I brought a little bit of china from Dresden for you: I hope it has got to you safely and in time. I am very sorry to hear of poor little Edie: give her my best love and tell her to make haste and get better. Believe me always to be

Your most loving son
Willie.

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Letter-head of the Cambridge Union Society.

58 Montagu Square, London, W.—His health did not suffer by the journey. He got to the ‘diagram man’ just in time to prevent him spoiling them. The experiment will not ‘come off’, but he will repeat the lecture elsewhere in order to do it. ‘Miladi’ (Lady Pollock) has written to her.

(Dated Thursday. The reference to ‘Miladi’ (Lady Pollock) suggests that the letter was written after 23 August 1870, when her husband succeeded to the baronetcy. A reference to Cambridge suggests a date before September 1871, when Clifford moved to London.)

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59 Montagu Square, London, W. {1}

Dearest Mama

I am very much better and did not take any cold on the journey. Mitchell was a great brick and took all possible care of me, and I kept wrapped up all the way. Walter met me on the station and carried me off in a cab. I have been lying down a good deal, and only appeared for a short time last night. This morning I breakfasted in bed, but got to the diagram man only just in time; for he is very stupid and would have spoilt all the diagrams {2} in another day. The experiment I am afraid won’t come off; but I can’t be beaten in that way, and shall repeat the lecture somewhere else on purpose to do it—perhaps make a Sunday lecture of it at Cambridge. This afternoon I have been consulting authorities at the Royal institution, and am rather tired; but now I shall take a long rest. Miladi says she wrote to you this morning but is not sure that Walter has not made a mistake about posting it. I have got some more poppy-heads. How are Edie’s throat and Kitty’s tooth and your indigestion? Now I must stop and have some tea, and send the letter to post; so good-bye.

Your most loving son.
Willie.

Thursday afternoon.

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Black-edged paper.

{1} The home of (William) Frederick Pollock.

{2} Probably diagrams for a lecture. As the next sentence indicates, the lecture had originally been intended to include an experiment.

26 Colville Road, Bayswater, W.—Aunt Francis (sic) died this morning. Lucy would have gone to her (Granny) straight away, but is not fit to get up yet. Agnes and ‘our baby’ (Ethel or Margaret) will come and see her tomorrow.

(Dated Thursday.)

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26 Colville Road, Bayswater | W
Thursday

My dear Granny

I am sorry to have the worst news to tell you of poor Aunt Francis†. She died this morning. Lucy would have gone off to you directly, but I would not let her, because she is really not fit to get up at all yet, though she will come down stairs a little in the afternoon. I write this for her as she is waiting to go to sleep. Don’t be unhappy about her, she will be all right if she keeps quiet, but she may do herself a lasting injury if she gets about too soon. And don’t fret about anything, dear old Dovey, we will both come and see you as soon as we can.

Your loving grandson
Willi

Agnes and our baby are going to see you tomorrow.

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Black-edged paper.