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Doubts whether his grandson (up at Balliol) would be able to perform the duties of curate (see 15), since he is not yet quite in holy orders. A Westminster boy was with him yesterday; numbers, at present 90, will rise by 30 after Christmas, the old KS dormitory is now used only for sleeping, rooms have been constructed on the ground floor for use during the day, and School is being heated by hot water pipes. More time is being devoted to study, whole play days have been abolished, and Lily's Latin Grammar now being used. All these changes have been brought about by Dr Buckland, the Dean. More musings on John Fawcett (see 13).

Has heard from a Second Election that the Play is to be continued this year, the Adelphi. The Head Master, educated at the Charter House (see 3), has abandoned Busby's Latin grammar, which formed so many eminent men (William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield, William Markham, Archbishop of York, and Robert South, and replaced it with Lily, used by many of the minor country schools. Has doubled the number of lessons and introduced Maths, unknown in their day. The scholars' dormitory now only used for sleeping, and the space beneath it has been converted into 3 day rooms - these alone have fires, and there are none in the dormitory. On the possibility of a Papal nuncio in London (see 31) - perhaps Daniel O'Connell's prediction of 2 years ago will happen, the celebration of Mass in Westminster Abbey.

On a particularly bad attack of indigestion. Received 2 tickets to the Phormio, which he gave to his doctor and his amanuensis. The Epilogue, a satire on the Chartists of the day, was received with much applause - will be published in The Times on the 19th. The last time he and JB saw the play was in 1779 - 2 lead characters, Dickens and Kelly, went to Oxford the following spring. Quotes a line referring to a set of gamblers known as blacklegs. Refers to Welch's List of the Scholars of Westminster School. Does JB exercise on horseback or on shanks' pony, as their schoolboy expression had it (NB very early use of this phrase)?

Christmas wishes.