Item 116 - Letter from John Herschel

4 pp

Collingwood - JH sends WW his translation of book fourteen of Homer's 'Iliad', and hopes WW is not getting too tired of the subject: 'for the very name of a translation of Homer is beginning to nauseate the Public'. JH notes that yet another hexameter translation is coming out 'by a Mr. Saxton or Simpson? or some such name!...I spare you that it is dead weight'. JH is still suffering from bronchitis. JH does not think he will be able to get his translation printed: 'Longman whom I contacted about printing the 1st half as vol. i. fights shy of it altogether and talks about the general prejudice against Hexameters etc'. William Herschel and his wife have arrived in Calcutta.