Item 6 - William Whewell to Richard Jones

WW is now re-established into College life. After RJ left both WW and Richard Sheepshanks in France [see WW to RJ, 16 July 1820], they 'were principally employed in seeing earth and stone and wood, either in their natural or artificial combinations and had not much opportunity for speculating, or collecting facts for speculators like you, about the animals who inhabit these localities'. WW got on adequately with his French but RS 'continued to talk the very worst jargon that ever man uttered - Notwithstanding this however he was very strenuous in his attempts to expound and give his ideas on all points, especially political, to all the people who came in our way'. WW did not use to believe RJ's 'conclusions as to the chance of a revolution in France but all that we saw after we parted had certainly a tendency to confirm them. An expectation of the same kind seemed to be entertained by most of those who would tell you their opinions and everybody appeared to have some modification or other of hostility to the Bourbons. And this is so much the worse because the powers of political and moral reasoning of the mass of the people are not such as to make it likely that they will make themselves any thing better than what they have. However if their house of cards stands a few years longer I hope to go and take a most accurate look at it. I am convinced that for a quarter of a year they would be delightful people to live amongst'. WW would recommend RJ to visit Switzerland: 'If you could stay there a little you might see the working of a set of miniature constitutions consisting of all conceivable mixtures of aristocracy and democracy. So far as externals are concerned the aristocratical parts are much superior'.