2nd volume of Poetae Minores in the Press. Asks for PE's comments on the 1st volume, to be included before the index. Lord Spencer has given him a duplicate copy of Theocritus (?) printed by Calliergus. Respect for Museum Criticum, but no time or wish to write for it. Valpy at the Classical Journal ignored TG's wishes concerning a piece of his, 'though the Journal itself is improving. Neither publication concerned to using best editions.
PE in Florence. Medicean ms. of Suidas not much help - longer passages omitted or curtailed - asks for collation of Alpha only - then he can make a final judgement. Asks after mss. of Stobaeus. Reasons for some palaeographical errors. Has G's letter to Niebuhr arrived? Some doubts re Bekker. Sale of duplicates of Burney's books from British Museum. Death of Bishop of Peterborough, and various academic gossip.
PE in Naples. Thanks for letters from London, Paris and Rome. PE's nephew admitted to Oriel (university crowded, and many applications notwithstanding). PE's transcript of the Suidas ms. very useful. PE failed to find a Suidas in the Vatican, but G is not convinced - he would have asked (Cardinal) Mai, but his promotion (chief librarian of the Vatican) makes it unlikely that he would accept. Wyttenbach dead - his papers on Plutarch had been sent to Oxford last summer, but needs much work. Possible purchase by the university of some mss. Request from President of Magdalen that PE collates a ms. if he passes through Milan. Oxford news, inc. fire at Magdalen Hall and proclamation of George IV.
PE in Florence (intending to return in autumn). Mss. of Stobaeus. Niebuhr has (illicitly?) improved and reprinted a palimpsest publication of Mai. Visit of Bekker and Brandis to Oxford - working on Aristotle, and thwarted by Mai in Milan and by del Furia in the Laurentian (Florence). Praise of Bekker's collations. Blomfield unlikely to continue with Aeschylus after his appointment to the living of (St Botolph's) Bishopsgate.
Calls PE a Priapus - PE has sent him some beastly, filthy verses in Greek, by unknown author.
PE thinking of priesthood - advises against Canterbury because of the danger of invasion and the plague of troops - Oxford or Cambridge the only provincial situations which would thoroughly suit PE.
Follow-up from last - because of the recent publicity given to the affair, it is too soon for PE to be paying addresses to another woman.
Mr Collins has remarked upon PE's age - HH advises against retaliation. Violent love is neither reasonable nor desirable at PE's time of life - and a calculated marriage is a risk, since the necessary sacrifices are not always compensated for.
PE should 'kiss and be friends,' according to the ancient method of making up quarrels. PE should not have shown HH's letter to X (name unclear - HH does not know which letter) - she might not like to have her name taken in vain by a stranger. HH will never allude to the other business, that of Miss B.
Busy - lectures, pupils, wide acquaintance, medal and scholarship exams, publishing two books (2nd ed Hippolytus, 1st number of Museum Criticum). Asks for two new sheets of the Heracleidae. Articles in Mus Crit longer than expected and without much variety, so may not at first be popular. Asks for a short notice of any new publication PE sees, and for his views on the Mus Crit when it appears.