Item 228 - Letter from Arthur Sidgwick to George Otto Trevelyan

1 letter.

On headed notepaper for Woodstock Road, Oxford. - Has been examining at Harrow with [Henry] Lee Warner, and thought Trevelyan would like to hear about his two sons there. Charlie is 'no scholar, but differentiates himself from all the other bad scholars' by 'a certain sense and a certain way of putting things' which indicate that he 'has his share of the family literary gift'. He makes numerous mistakes, but not the 'dreary canine bosh which distinguishes the duffer'. Sidgwick sat next to him at dinner at Welldon's, which 'confirmed [the] impression that he is one of the nicest young fellows... if not the nicest' he knows.

Bob is 'a genius', but currently 'suffers from two week points': he 'can't get up the pace requisite for a trying exam' like the Scholarship', and knows much less Greek than Latin. His Greek composition is 'at present somewhat embryonic, at least in verse'. However, he did some 'capital translations', and gave 'far the best answer of the kind sent in' to the question of 'whether Vergil was deficient in originality'; his Latin essay was also the best.

Thinks they would give Bob a scholarship at Balliol 'this year or next', but supposes Trevelyan 'mean[s] him for Trinity'. Sends regards to Lady Trevelyan; hopes this letter will 'catch' Trevelyan before he goes to Brussels. Adds a postscript saying that it was 'so queer' for him and Lee Warner 'to be examining out of 18 boys, two Trevelyans and a Storr [Frank or Charles Lancelot?]- nephew of F[rancis?] S.'