[From internal evidence, this letter must date from the summer of 1821, after the award of the Porson Prize in late June and before the vacancies were filled in October. All known letters from WHFT in Berne are from 1821. His parents arrived there in June and he appears to have travelled around Switzerland, being in Berne at least in September - see ].
Dear Talbot/
I met Porter by almost as great an accident as you did at the foot of the Simplon 1 - I was buying a copy of the play at the Odeon when I observed a man looking rather fixedly upon me, and soon recognised the tutor of Caius 2, somewhat altered by his spectacles, but looking very tutorial - I acknowledge the receipt of the long letter you mention, and confess the shame which I feel at not having answered it before but it arrived at Stamford 3 a few days before I left it, and the time, which has since slipped away, has chiefly been spent in resolving to answer it. I must enter upon Cambridge news - Thorpe [sic]4 is travelling Bachelor, and is in Italy, I presume, with a pupil, who is to give him 300 £ for this year, and go with him to Italy, Malta (where Thorpe has a sister) and Greece, if his nerves permit him. Coddington 5 is in Germany, Worsley 6 was here till the Commencement, but I suppose, would scarcely find you here. I have a pupil here, who is to come up to Triny next year - Key and I had a severe contest, but I defeated him - We have made been very patiently labouring at Euc. Lib. 4, and shall get through it perhaps to-morrow i.e. in one month from our arrival.7 Talk of stupidity, in Fursdon 8 or any other man - Their stupidity must be a mere joke to his - Talking of Fursdon of course you know that he has got the Latin ode; but cruelly robbed Trinity 9 of an honour, and placed one laurel leaf upon the brow of Downing, 10 where now it
Blooms like a single chimney on a cot,
Sequestered emblem of that lonely spot -
The Ode is much too long to be presented to you entire, but some of the striking beauties of sentiment and description I proceed to lay before you - Subject, Mary Queen of Scots-11 Scene A window; Time, midnight - Mary is brought forward, like Julia [sic], on a balcony " Leveni / cæruleas / speculata lymphas", 12 but, lest we should wonder at Mary's rashness in braving the night air, he informs us that she did not hear wind or wave " Sed mumur undarum querelâ / Et gemitu superavit auræ / Molles susurros" &c.13 translated, ni fallor, from Prior.14 He then compares her to a dove in a cage; and informs us that " Quietis horas excubiis dedit"-15 The death of Rizzio,16 and his consequent absence are thus alluded to " Ille et, latronum victima, defuit"- 17 We have next the description of her leaving France; he makes her actually see the coast of France during the night, but to account for this tells her us that her eyes were dim with tears " udis luminibus tuens Clivos recidentes". 18 Although however a miracle was in this instance performed for her, we find that she experienced the truth of the old saying, that time and tide wait for no man, for in the morning he talks of the " Littora Galliæ linquenda" 19 Observe the pathos in the following stanza " Ergo vetuste te Laris exulem / Maria, cui sors debita mitior / Natus tyrannorum fugavit / Terrificus patriis ab oris". 20 Towards the end of the Ode he waxes constitutional, and addresses strong, but affectionate petitions, complaining of grievances, as a power, born to soften the adamantine hearts of Kings
Oh! nata suavi voce adamantina 21
Mollere regum pectora non levis
Querela, suspirans amorem [etc]
Here is a magnificent and inconstruable invocation!
Vos quæ tenetis compede amabili,22
Vultus decori blanditia, semel
Formosa mirantem labella,
Et rutili radios ocelli,
Matthews and Key have a theory about vegetable diet. Matthews is very stout, but, from my last intelligence from Cambridge, Key was claiming his arrears like the Duke of Clarence.26 Matthews informs me, that Key went up to town for the purpose of hunting in the high-ways, and hedges for pupils, but had just returned απρακτοc. Your friend Bollacobs is unknown to us all. Porter Junr27 has just got his commission.
Othello Act 1. Sc. 3 Barham. Trin.
Εν τωδε δ'ωσπερ και θεσις αει λεγω
οσ'ιμερου πλαναισιν εξαμαρτανω
ουτω τα τουδ'ερωτοσ, ως κορη τ'εμου
εμαι τ'εκεινης, ως κορη τ'εμου
[extensive Greek text follows] .28
The 1st Class 3rd year consisted of Hamilton, Holgate, Thornton, Ware. Poor Perry was thrown out.29 I am nearly killed by my pupil's stupidity - Here is a specimen of proof - Two things are each greater than the third ∴ Equal to each other!!!! Though I do not deserve it at your hands, send me an account of your Italian Expedn. By the way I am getting on very rapidly with Italian here not doing much for a fellowship - I composed a chanson in (bad, I fear) French upon Tivoli, but I am afraid it is lost like your Ode on Chimneys - Here are some lines
Les negocians, les militaires descendent en perpendiculaire
les jeunes gens, et la vieillesse
viennent eprouver la douce ivresse
de descendre avec vitesse.30
I met G. Peacock at the moment of his first seeing a montagne: he was absolutely entranced-. Morris and I descended and Dawes said that he would with Peacock,31 upon which Peacock vanished like the man in black in Anne Carlile's trial. 32 How completely the French Papers have surpassed the English in Alderman Wood's title.33 " Sa haute Sapience". 34 Farewell. Our year do not sit for the no Vacancies in October.35
Yr very Sincere Friend
T. K. Arnold
Rue du Regard. Faubg St Germain
No 9.
W. H. F. Talbot Esq.
Poste Restante
Berne.
Suisse
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