Begs PE for visit to Cambridge the following weekend (Commencement). Sorry that PE has suggested some excuses for Barker (who claims that Blomfield and PE had praised him - M knows one of these claims to be false, and hopes the other is too). Two years ago Barker had tried (via an undergraduate) to have Cic De Amicitia included as one of the college lecture subjects...so he could increase the sales of one of his books. Thanks PE for 2 articles for the 2nd number of the Mus Crit. 'Professor' more normally prefixed to the name of the holder in Cambridge than in Oxford.
Blomfield a common acquaintance. Thanks PE for the promise of some comments on his Hippolytus. Thanks PE for promising to contribute to the new journal proposed by M and B. Invites PE to dinner the following week. Confesses to being the anonymous author of the article in the Quarterly Review referring to plagiarism - admits to being wrong, both in his then conclusions and in having written thus. Youthful devotion to Porson to blame. (v. 143 & 144, & Horsfall pp455ff on whole matter.)
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.
Miss L has talked to a friend. PE has said evil and unfounded things to hurt Miss L's character, e.g. that she walked by moonlight with George Grote. PE should act as if he had never loved or hated. Miss L is handsome, clever and good-natured; she may not have acted rightly, but she has suffered very severely, not only in her prospects of Grote, which perhaps were never very decided but also by becoming a public talking point, and her spirits are now hurt. PE should be a friend, and even help her with 'young George.'
Advises against taking precipitate steps. PE is unlikely to succeed - PE has had insufficient opportunity and no encouragement, and there is disparity of age and character. Failure will bring disagreeable consequences, coupled with the 'late business, which is by no means grown stale.'
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.
Congratulations on termination of affair. Further remarks upon Miss L and Mr Collins ('the other business'). Mr Collins may suspect PE of indulging in ridicule at his expense. HH agrees with PE that no one can be glad to have been involved - and Miss L has lost an eminent banker of Threadneedle Street (a reference to George Grote).
