Item 34 - Richard Jones to William Whewell

Brasted - WW's 'projects about wages frighten' him and he hopes WW will leave the subject for at least 8 months. RJ is working at his book on wages as fast as is desirable and hopes WW will be a little more patient. As to RJ's fight with 'the poor laws the remedies can not be well understood till the previous inductive view of the state of the laboring classes elsewhere has been gone through a good reason for getting the book out first'. He has had no answer from the Quarterly Review - 'and without full explanation and apology there is of course an end of my communications with them - I have certain projects forming which when a little more tuned I will communicate to you about periodical criticism'. RJ is to dine with James Macintosh 'whom can give me half a dozen facts I want surely'. He wants WW to keep faith in his fertility - 'less than 9 months of gestation will bring you another baby as pretty aye prettier than the last which through me implores you to let it be born in silence and it claims your love and aid'. In WW's discussion of wages RJ wishes he 'would strike out any illusion to the effects of time occupied in the change' ['Mathematical Exposition of Some of the Leading Doctrines in Mr Ricardo's Principles of Political Economy and Taxation', 1831].