Item 404 - Letter from Sir George Trevelyan to R. C. Trevelyan

1 item

Wallington, Cambo, Morpeth. - Read Robert's letter aloud to Caroline; they were both very interested by what he said about the [solar] eclipse, which was similar to their own experiences; also by the account of Canon [James Maurice] Wilson who has always been 'something of a myth' to Sir George, since his closest associates mentioned Wilson frequently but he himself never met him; he must have been an 'extraordinary genius' given what Robert says of the 'relative powers' of Henry Sidgwick, with whom Wilson shared the Bell Scholarship. Julian will remember knowing such a man all his life. George has been staying at Oriel [College, Oxford] to read at the Bodleian and reports seeing a 'beautiful mural tablet' to Arthur Sidgwick' at Corpus [Christi]; quotes and discusses the last line. He and Caroline both value Robert and Bessy's letters, but he does not know how they can 'adequately answer them': Caroline is 'incapable' of writing letters 'with any business in them' and cannot really exert herself to write at all, while he has a great deal to do about the estates and domestic management but is 'very weak and often ill'.