From E. B. Ramsay   29 October 1831

My Dear Henslow

Some confusion has arisen with the London Attorney on the subject of the £1000 in the 3½ per cent: It is well known that poor M had nothing of his patrimony left but £1200 – 1100 of this he had lent to Calvert – The £1000 must therefore have been money he received on the tutors account – Perhaps you could ascertain this from Skinner or from the Master – also whether either of the bankers in Cambridge can draw it out of the funds by virtue of any authority which they now possess & to consider if it would not be the most advisable plan to let that money remain, untill the tutors accounts are made up & then to be transferred to the new account according to its value estimated by the price of the stock at the time – I have no doubt that bills will be sent in, now that his death is known, especially the Cambridge bills & those of London w. ^h are the chief – Perhaps you might send a line to Stulby the tailor, in case he sh. ^d not have sent his –

You do not lately mention the health of your dear wife – I hope & trust she is now strong & well. Of your brother I scarcely dare to ask as you have expressed your opinion of his precarious state of health so strongly – an elder brother of my own has just come to Edinb: I think in a state w. ^h cannot be mistaken & I look for his soon following Marmaduke to the grave – alas what melancholy proofs of the uncertainty & instability of human happiness are pressed upon us – Surely these are no ordinary times – & if the anticipations of our own medical advisors be realised what horrors may we not witness when epidemic disease commences its ravages in our crowded & ill fed population! We must direct our people to look beyond secondary causes & teach them in these visitations to see the great cause – our modern Athens is filling fast for the winter season – my chapel is gathering together the summer-scattered congregation so that I am now much occupied – indeed with preparations for the pulpit & ill.del. catechizing I have little time for general reading – I have had time to read Moses’ 8 sermons – & think them quite in the first class of pulpit discourses–

Believe me as ever dear Henslow | yours most truly & affectionately | E. B. Ramsay