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The personal papers of Colin Andrew Murray from when he was a pupil at the Westminster School, 1939-1944. Includes, school reports, school work and correspondence and notices from the school to parents.

Three press cuttings, including one from the Evening News on 21 June 1945 regarding the damage to the school after being bombed; one from an unknown paper regarding disciplining students; and one from an unknown paper regarding the arrival of the students at their new quarters outside the city during WWII.

No formal addressee or date or signature - apparently the draft of a love letter to one Mary Hallowell, first object of his youthful affection and chosen life companion of his later years, but also a letter of apology and regret

London. Copy of Mr Romilly's opinion on Boylston's will (v. 294?). Reconciliation of Pitt and Addington. Items of gossip. PE has remitted to John the last portion of the family estate. The family has, however, a sixth interest in a new edition of Chambaud's dictionary (perhaps from his bookseller uncle Peter, d. 1802?)

Geneva. Arrived 31st August, having left Brussels on 31st July. Suggests that his nieces trace his route on a map (number of nights in each town is given - Frankfurt is the only very thriving place he has seen on the continent). Description of continental roads, drivers and inns. Germans not prosperous but like fresh air (unlike the French and Italians), and the roads are good and the food is cheap. Geneva is a hole, but Switzerland is beautiful. Heidelberg a gem - wishes Blucher had put barrels of gunpowder under the Louvre in return for Louis XIV destroying the Elector's palace. Likes the Swiss - very like the Germans. French proverb - one must be either a hammer or an anvil - the French are hammers, the Germans are anvils. Country around Liege most reminded him of England. A monument at the confluence of the Moselle and Rhine - inscribed by the French on the way to Russia in 1812, and by the Russians on the way to Paris in 1814.

Naples, 35, Largo del Castello. More on the dishonest clerk. Left Rome on Shrove Tuesday, 18th February. Last hours spent with Bonars, who gave pancakes to PE and his travelling companion Pigou. Agnes (Aggy) Bonar (who would have refused PE some years ago, had he made her an offer) has settled her

Florence. Sailed from Dover on Saturday, 18th May, 1816, and sailed from Malta (for his return to England) on Sunday, 18th May, 1817. Left Naples on 1st June and arrived in Rome 4 days later. Intended to remain there 2 days, but bumped into the Miss Allens (v.271), so stayed until the 18th - in mourning due to death of nephew in Pisa in the spring, and also 1 of the 3 sisters - the 2 survivors and their mother are with their aunts in Rome. Trip to Tivoli - frequently mentioned by Horace, so PE bought a copy to take with him. 5 days from Rome to Florence - carriage overturned and PE tumbled into a ditch (without damage) - it will soon ne too hot to travel in the middle of the day. Much better pleased with Florence than in the autumn, having spent the interim in the filth and misery of Rome and Naples. Joined from Rome to Florence by Timothy Rogers of New York (whose brother Elmsley is named after PE's brother) - he had an affair with a married woman in Naples. Miss V (v.274) has found her man again - rich, good-tempered but such a fool (according to Mary King). Plans for his journey home - the Sothebys are in Venice, and he hopes to catch up with them in Heidelberg, and then persuade them to spend 2 or 3 weeks in Holland. Availability or not of various fruits in Italy. Letters PE found in Rome - more on the dishonest Roman postal clerk. Sending 3 boxes, mostly of books, from Leghorn - will need to pay duty on his return. Asks for name of Miss Bigge's husband (in the military?), and passes on good wishes.

Paris. Mary's (PE's niece?) letter arrived for PE in Paris via Milan, apparently enclosing an introduction by Lord Lansdowne to Mr de Brome - but PE could not have fully profited from it, since after arriving in Milan on 29th June excessive heat drove him away on 10th July. Sister-in-law has been preoccupied by a Mrs Gee having to defend a will in court - PE has received threatening letters in his time (which his sister-in-law may find among his papers if she survives him), and is none the worse for them. Arrived in Paris on 28th July, and will stay at least a month; intends to be in Oxford by 10th October. A letter has reached PE via Milan - the government means to engage PE to examine some mss. in Naples. On return to England may land at Brighthelmston (official name of Brighton until 1810). Has bought his sister-in-law some eau de Cologne. 15 night journey from Milan to Paris. Paris said to be full of the English, but PE knows only one (who has a pretty country house just outside the city, but only one cow). Has received a letter from Sotheby explaining a bit more about the Neapolitan expedition (but nothing about the timing). Love to the girls, and thanks to Mary in particular for her letter - short, but exceedingly fairly written. (On the 1st page the letter continues, written interlineally in red - an experiment in how to cram even more onto the sheets. Women are indefatigable scribblers, and have many ways of getting a great deal of matter onto paper. Then a story of an Italian lady, courted by two men - she chose the Englishman by drawing his name from a hat, and said that he must be faithful to her, since if she lost him she would not be able to recover the other man; she was not choosing a husband, however, having one already, but a lover. Some remarks on the attitudes to love of various nationalities, and the story tails off...else PE will lose his dinner.)

Dunkeld. Prevented from writing of Edinburgh by the attentive hospitality of the MacKnights. Barnbougle Castle far superior to Hopetoun House. Left Edinburgh yesterday and spent the night in Kinross (the trout not much larger than a Ramsgate whiting). Strath earn a lovely and rich valley. Perth today - disappointing. Dunkeld similar to the suburbs of Canterbury. To see Blair Atholl the next day. Veysie is PE's travelling companion (Daniel, Bampton Lecturer 1795?).

From John Richardson in Montreal to Mrs Elmsley in Quebec. Condolences on heavy loss (her husband - cf. letter 30). Apologises for heavy expenses (medical, funeral).