Item 120 - Letter from John Herschel

4 pp

Collingwood - JH is having problems finding a publisher for his translation of Homer's 'Iliad'. JH has used WW's name in order to send Matthew Arnold - whom he does not know personally - books one and two, but fears they have different notions of English hexameters. Bella [Isabella] and Amelia enjoyed their stay at WW's. JH is feeling very old. He is pleased WW thinks Jevons [William Stanley Jevons] has taken too gloomy a view of the coal question, although JH cannot help thinking that 'there is course for very serious thoughts of our national future'. When coal supplies run out 'our civilisation will then have to fall'.