Mostly about JH's health and instructions about the madeira and claret JH is sending home.
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The Sir John Herschel Collection
The preparation of the print Calendar of the Correspondence of Sir John Herschel (Michael J. Crowe ed., David R. Dyck and James J. Kevin assoc. eds, Cambridge, England: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1998, viii + 828 pp) which was funded by the National Science Foundation, took ten years. It was accomplished by a team of seventeen professors, visiting scholars, graduate students, advanced undergraduates, and staff working at the University of Notre Dame.
The first online version of Calendar was created in 2009 by Dr Marvin Bolt and Steven Lucy, working at the Webster Institute of the Adler Planetarium, and it is that data that has now been reformatted for incorporation into Ɛpsilon.
Further information about Herschel, his correspondence, and the editorial method is available online here: http://historydb.adlerplanetarium.org/herschel/?p=intro
No texts of Herschel’s letters are currently available through Ɛpsilon.
Mostly about JH's health and instructions about the madeira and claret JH is sending home.
As the Mint is closing for a week, JH is trying to arrange a long weekend at Collingwood.
Will be home a few days later than expected as JH is involved in a court case to be heard immediately after the one he is sitting through, and which he describes.
Received formal notice that MH will be voted to membership in Royal Institution on 3 Mar. John Barlow will reserve seats for daughters Caroline and Isabella. JH has tickets to Institution lectures. Son William's exams with W. T. Hooper [at Haileybury College] yesterday. Family finances.
Describes son William's entrance exam to Haileybury College yesterday and procedure of announcing results. Assured by [H.E.I.C. director] W. H. C. Plowden that William's assignment can be changed from Madras to Bombay. W. H. Fitton delivered 'Umbrella and [Panel?]' last night. Daily News criticized JH for inaction. Promoting decimal coinage. Mint is in crisis.
About the family, and the need for wine from the cellar at Collingwood.
Unhappy with matters at the Mint; JH talks about the activities of the children, and about his involvement with the Great Exhibition. [Most of the letter written on 1851-4-7.]
Describes JH's day at Mint and at home. Reading H. V. Regnault's 'Chemistry.' Met with Richard Grenville about 'miserably knotty affair' with Benedetto Pistrucci. Inspected [W. A.] Miller's improved assay process at R.S.L. Arranged with Sir [Charles] Fremantle to employ twenty Custom House clerks at Mint temporarily. Arranged lease of refinery to Rothschild. Too busy to join daughters and Miss Stewart for dinner and opera. Dined at Duke of Somerset's with Charles Babbage, [Holland?], and David Brewster.
Of JH's activities with some of the children; about an invitation to the Mansion House ball, and of the health and activities of several friends.
About the expected death of [Richard] Jones; JH is about to leave to visit him and Mrs. Jones.
Is awaiting notice that he needs to go to see [Richard] Jones, who is very ill with a carbuncle on his neck. JH also comments on arrangements to be made related to Jones's illness.
It appears JH is just back from Paris, and so brings MH up to date on the health of various individuals and on JH's activities. Describes the procedure for making fused muriate of lime, and the costs of insurance and income taxes.
Is enjoying son William's stay with JH; comments on the poetry of MH's letters as opposed to the lack of poetry in London. JH and son William are to go to dinner, but JH complains that he would rather have his Sundays in London free of engagements.
Has been to see [Richard] Jones, who has undergone some 'abominable' treatment; Mrs. Jones believes Jones is recovering; JH talks about a plague of boils in England. JH comments on the activities of a little kitten, on Annibale de Gasparis having found another planet [Eunomia?], and on a strange poem being written about the Crystal Palace by a man named [?] Warren.
Most of the letter is taken up in replying to MH's letters; JH talks about Charles Wheatstone's idea of 'binocular Daguerreotypes,' and about a chart of all balloon ascents, prepared in Paris, and brought to JH by a friend coming from there.
Son William's report from the school at Haileybury is very good; JH attended the closing of the Crystal Palace Exhibition, which 'was very stupid.' A basket of grapes from Cornwall has been sent for MH, and JH is eating them.
About JH's health and news of friends and relatives.
Is extremely depressed at living in London, a 'howling wilderness of brick and mortar;' JH compares at some length the personality of MH and Richarda Airy; brings MH up to date on some family and acquaintance happenings, and mentions in passing that William Lassell has discovered two interior satellites of Uranus [Ariel and Umbriel].
Complains of overwork and of other people trying to involve JH in their quarrels; is glad MH has company.
Is explaining why JH will not be able to meet MH's train.