Affichage de 25 résultats

Tri Coll
May 4 1839

My dear Mrs Buckland

I am truly sorry that I can not promise myself the delight of a visit to Oxford at the time you mention. Peacock tells me it will be impossible for him to come but he sends his best thanks. When we went out yesterday after lectures and I suspect will not return before Sunday night or Monday morning so he must answer for himself. [Daubny?] has offered him a bed at Magdalen Coll. If I cannot come in season, perhaps I may come out of season Dr Buckland is to be in London next Wednesday and so am I. Now I think it would be a nice round about for me to return to Cambridge by the way of Oxford halting there one or two days. And why not a water party? Oh! but I beg your pardon you are not now in travelling condition. But could we not ship [your sofa] in a long boat and then float you down the stream of Old Father Thames? Cheerful faces and cheerful talk would do your heart good, and the shifting scene would fill your soul with thoughts that might influence the future fortunes of your next boy and make him a navigator as great as Cook or Columbus. But I will not anticipate pleasures that may not come. Give my kindest remembrances to Mrs [?] and Mary and my love to all your children. In my present condition and temper I ought not to talk of a visit, but a visitation. Since my return from Norwich I have been tormented by schimatic gout, A name that implies a legion of [?]. I am dyspeptic and hypochondriac, crusty and crabbed, mopish and mulish. My stomach is a manufactory of vinegar and I have no bowels of compassion. My nights are without sleep, my days a kind of sustained torpor that leaves me alive to nothing but what is evil and as for my hair, I verily believe it has and [?] fermentation, so some are its impressions from without and its notions from within. Should I come down next week you ought to slam your door in the face of such a miserable mountain of maladies. But perhaps you will let me in and find some charm to drive away the blue [legion?] that has taken such forcible possession of my [quarters] [?] so that I may be my self again. And after all there have been worse men that the old Adam and it is a shame to make a [?] [?] as you have done seeing that his [?] fault was a compliance with one who was naughtier than himself.
Believe me dear Mrs Buckland

Very truly yours

A Sedgewick

P.S. In spite of the gout I rode twenty miles yesterday and to-day I walked five miles before breakfast and had you seen the rate at which I rode yesterday and strode today you wd have said that I was leading the blue gentleman a dance. But I cannot part company, they follow me like dogs after a trail.

To Dean of Westminster &
Mrs. Buckland
Miss Buckland

Lady Peel

at Home
Saturday Evening 8 May

Whitehall Gardens Small Party

Dear Mrs Buckland

I beg to offer for Miss Marianne’s acceptance a knitted cap I purchased at Meeda in 27 it was the work of the little Babes of the Ecole Primaire established by the Beguines. Pray shew it Mr Duncan whenever the christening takes place I shall beg to offer a X-tening robe to therefore spare your working fingers. I send the Professor of Pomology 2 specimens of Profane apples grown in this Park (very good keepers) & 1 specimen of Religious apple given me by the B(isho)p of B(ath) & Wells. I shall be glad to see my pocket book as soon as Mr. Duneen has [?] me his contribution- Mr Bragge has been our guest all this week & went to drink tea with us last night to see a great curiosity - an ancient Beauty the dow(age)r Lady Pembroke the [?] [?] of Geo.3. I send a roll of L[or]d [Powis’s]? hot water plan I don’t want it returned

Sheepstead
Jul 26
1826

To the Revd
Professor Buckland
Post Office
Tobermorey
Mull
Scotland

My dear Sir
Thank you for your last kind letter, I am very glad to hear your voyage proceeds so [propiciously?] and that you have had such pleasant companions - it was very provoking to miss of the Giant's Causeway, but I hope a fair voyage to Staffa may compensate in some measure for your disappointment, I congratulate you on your satisfactory visit to Arran I have no doubt your researches will throw much light on those perplexing trap rocks, though Dr Shuttleworth may say what he please of Isap being understood by most Professors its history appears to me very little known by any of them. Dr McCullochs account of Arran is not at all intelligible - I should think the S.E of Sky will prove very interesting is it not there that a Isap Dyke converts some of the Lias into Marble as on the C. of [Ireland?] I wish I had any entertaining matter to communicate to you but I have only everyday occurrences to detail - My dear father is returned from his journeys in high health and, I trust he will continue to be free from gout - I have not heard from Miss Ayling and I begin to be astonished at her silence, but I am known so wonderfully patient under the influence of my watchword "[?] tranquille" that I seldom permit myself to fidgit, tho' Nature certainly did not make me a stoic. I hope you will meet with no greater dangers than occur from the [?] [?] and that your Trap hunting will not lead you into unnecessary risks, if I don't hear from you at no very distant intervals, I shall fancy in spite of "[?] tranquille" that you have tumbled over a Gneiss Precipice, or that a huge [?] has swallowed you or a thousand other terrible disasters. Your last letter was an unexpected pleasure to me, for I did not think to hear quite so soon - I hope I may often have such agreeable surprises. I have found a rare and very pretty shell in the Coppice and my Collection of fresh-water shells comes on very well it is surprising how much thicker a shell becomes when the animal dies in it and it is gradually dried up by the sun and air - I find that the animals inhabiting the shells contain, apparently dispersed over their bodies very minute grains of lime and very pure Carbonate I should imagine, from their [efficasing] so violently with acids. In some the larger grains of lime are as large as a small pin's head will [?] [torn paper] this account for the Shell becoming nearly [Paper missing] twice as thick under the circumstances I have mentioned and I think this may be the reason why many fossil shells which appear to have been originally very fragile are still so well preserved. I have had a present of two tame Plovers and a Curlew. Alas! I found my pretty Curlew lying dead yesterday morning - he was so tame as to eat from my hand and was very handsome with the brightest eyes I ever saw. John Hughes and his wife are staying here Mrs H is a particularly nice woman, very clever and intelligent you would like her very much - I am profitting by Mr Hughes' instructions in sketching and I mean to surprise you by my performances in that way. Mrs [Wraughton?] has just sent me a large ugly Yucca to paint for her - I do not like the employment at all - you had some difficulty in getting your Church [?] when you were here last - if you want any person now, there is a Mr Thomas of [Painbeck?] a gentlemanlike small man who dined here the other day and who I believe is unemployed. I hope a letter from you is now on the road if not pray write when you can that you may return in good health and safely is the constant prayer of
Yrs ever most Truly

M.M.

6 Jany [18?]

To Mrs. Buckland
Ch. Ch.
Oxford

My dear Mary

I go Friday morning to Cirencester with John who will return to Oxford with me Saturday to sleep at our house in the best Bed Room and dine Saturday with [Daubeny?] to meet Dr. Graham and Professor Johnson.
A good meeting last eve.

Ever yours
Wm. Buckland

Saturday
Broom
Dorking

My dear Mary

We are all well and trust you are better and the little ones. We go Monday morning to London and if Edward goes up that morning we hope to meet him there at Mr [Chaplin's?]
Will you send up my letters to me by Sunday eve's post at Ship Hotel [?] [?]

Ever yours
W. Buckland

Let Frank's letters come too

Postmark
16 May 1831
Cambridge

Dear Mrs Buckland

I am this moment going out on a two days excursion from Cambridge and as one term is drawing to a close I am desirous of again assuring you how much we shall be delighted to see you in Cambridge - I have written to Mrs Murchison whom I fully expect to meet you. Pray has Dr. Buckland had any communication with [Langham?] on this subject as he promised in his last? I would write to [Langham?] this eve but I don't know where to address him as I am told he is [away] from home. Excuse this scrawl. I am writing in a dreadful hurry while a friend waits at our gates in a gig. If I delay longer I shall make him break our [commitments/commandments?]

[Most truly yours]

A. Sedgewick

Saturday morn.

Trinity College

Feb 28th 1838

My dear Mrs Buckland
Could you see the pile of letters I have still before me I think you would pity me and had you seen the struggles I have been making to clear off my epistolary debts, I think you would have given me an encouraging laugh, and as for your drops of pity - they would have been shed for the unfortunate correspondents who were doomed to read my handwriting. Now it is not very long since I have seen you and you have sent me a kind note in such a light hand quite unlike the pretty [pothooks?] most ladies now write and which we mortal men can read as the u's, m's and n's and i's [?] are all just alike so that the characters have no character at all that I am bound to write my best. In short I wish to tell you that I shall rejoice to be a sponsor for your little by. And that the temptation of a visit to Oxford is so very great that no ordinary engagement will prevent me from accepting it. It will be a great pride to me to have a little Sedgewick among your bairns that after all is it not a sad business to do things of this kind by Deputy, and would it not be far betters for me to have some little Sedgewicks of my own and so I will by the beard of old [Time?] Nay that's a foolish oath, as old Time has nothing to do with such matters. Let me therefore rather swear by the torch of Hymen and the wings of love that I will have my [?] encircled by olive branches that you shall be Godmother to the Sedgewick that is to be and that your 'guide man' shall stand for my young master so there's a bargain and say done. During the last three months I have had [?] [service/services?] dined almost to death-frozen almost to death-Cathedral service twice a day and each [?] [?] a Cathedral sermon and another at the Country Hospital - not to mention a short course of geological lectures for the benefit of the intellectual digestion of a [?] eating generation of East Anglian Aldermen and Alderwomen. No matter I have stood it all to admiration and have turned out plump as [?] theology ought to be. By the way I thought Dr. Buckland was looking rather thin but he said he was quite well and I don't know that a man is any better for the dilatations of certain large flat muscles that cover the region where pity and compassion are said to dwell. But after all a convex superficus is better than an angular one - to that I hope the doctor will soon come. After our anniversary I went down to Greenwich and spent the day with my dear friend Mrs [Aire/Airs?]. Home I had not seen since last Spring, twelve months since that time she has added a fine boy to the family [quiver?]. And if there be any trusting to outward signs she may before long [?] another [?] domestic arithmetic. But what can a Senior Fellow know of such signs? I can say I am only blundering. Time has made a sad change to Mrs. A since I saw her. She has lost a front tooth and looks very thing and ten years older than she did. Do you remember when she made any lady [?] I think it was in Exeter College when she glided to the piano cast up her beautiful and dark eyes, pushed back her raven locks from her cheek and struck up Hebe's Hymen. She was and ever will be once of the kindest and most charming natural characters ever adorned the face of woman, their moral beauties can only fade in the life itself but her personal attractions have already in a considerable measure disappeared. By the way I remember writing you a strange rigmarole about Mrs [Aire/Airs]. In a former letter. I don't know how many years since I saw Mary Conybeare while in town and went with her to Chantrey's studio. Is she not a very charming young person? She looks stronger than she was but I fear she is only delicate.

Best Regards to my Brother and
Best love to all your little geologists
Most truly yours
A. Sedgewick

P.S. I am turning back (before I seal this sheet up) to dot and i's and cross the t's. I could not help thinking that I had made a foolish [swagger?] about my bad writing considering the abominable [?] I have been sending you. Since I broke my arm my forefinger is quite stiff and my right ulnan nerve is often partially paralysed so that my hand gets worse and worse and still I often write with considerable pain

My dear Mrs Buckland

I am very desirous of knowing that our Cambridge philosophy has done you no more harm than my [potion] of the same kind which your Oxford [people?] prepared so well last year and which you took with such infinite grace and alacrity. After your good [?] in coming to see us to see how we succeeded in or [?] I should be very sorry indeed to think that the fumes of our scientific cookery had left any disagreeable impression upon you, either in this effect upon your health or your good opinion of the various cooks who were [concerned?] in the broth that was set before you. If you are quite well I do now know that we have anything to report for people in general seem very well pleased. Sedgwick had intended to go to Leamington as soon as the [?] was over but he is detained from correcting the proofs of his own speech which I have tried to impress upon him in a very reasonable manner for having talked so much as he did. In a few weeks I think it likely that he and I may go and air ourselves upon the [?] patch of Charnwood [?] [?] in our hands. Perhaps Aire may accompany us on his way to Mrs. A's family in Derbyshire in which case I think it is very [?] if we do now strike awe and admiration into the minds of the Leicestershire [?]. We shall not be quite satisfied till we know that you are quite well, so I hope that you will let us have that satisfaction soon. I suppose my [?] Bridgewater has begun to make his calls upon you again. I shall be very glad when he has called so that you and Dr. Buckland come in view

Ever Very Truly Yours

W. Roberts?
Trin Coll

[July 11?] 1850

Mrs Buckland
Oxford

The Athenaeum
Nov ? [18]72

My dear Mrs Buckland

I am off by coach in a few minutes, but before I start I will try to [leave] this at the Sloppian Coffee House where your [gude man?] is disporting himself. Be it known to you by those present that my dog's wife - [Zelept?] Mustard, was safely delivered of a son about three months since - that said son was christened Pepper and is growing fast in all canine accomplishments. Bu the beast and his mother are both at Norwich, and as there is no coach from Cambridge to Norwich direct, I have not ventured to send either the mother or son, or to trust them to tender mercies of guard and coach driver. This is the cause of the delay. But if my friend Frank is become heartsick for want of Pepper I will do my best to have him sent to Oxford. The best way will be to send him to London sometime when Dr. Buckland is there. I shall be in Norwich [?] at my sister's residence on Dec 1st. Ant time after that day I can do the [?]. So much for canine matters - Last night we had a long discussion on canine teeth in which I was a listener. Indeed I was partly compelled to hold my jaw by a bad cold which has so damaged the vox humana and top of my organs, that at present they emit no sounds but such as are utterly beastly and inarticulate. The Doctor fought [lustily] but had I spoken I would have had a tilt at him for one sentence. He said there was evidence enough without more, and that he would not bring up his reserves to fight on the side which was already victorious. Those were not his words but they express his meaning. Now this will not do while there is doubt will as one [?], had you seen Dr. Grant opining doubts and difficulties you would have smiled and perhaps have thought that all the candles must be [lighted] before the mists clear. Be this as it may I do hope Dr Buckland will bring every chief block and payment which can give light to these dark [jaws?]. The anatomical evidence seems to preponderate greatly on one side, and yet I wish that side to lose for I have no idea that a warm blooded animal should dispose himself by restling away the [?] monsters of Horsfield.

My kindest love to all your little ones
Ever Vy ty yours
A Sedgewick