| Description | "Suggests to have place taken in the Tantivy. Judge Coleridge’s opinion and advice about standing for the Scholarship. Prize books received from Dr. Hawtrey and his tutor."
Eton. Wednesday.
My dear Papa,
As we go home next Tuesday week, I suppose I had better write to Mr. Davis to ask him to secure two places in the Tantivy for that day.—You asked me in your last letter to tell you what the opinion of Cottons father was on the subject of our standing for the scholarship. I have not been able to find out, owing to his absence, but Coleridge had a letter from his father, Judge Coleridge [Sir John Taylor Coleridge (1790-1876), nephew of the poet. See the Dictionary of National Biography] , to-day, in which he says, “I enclosed you a note a day or two since in a frank which I had occasion to send to Dr. Keate, & there I advised you to stand, but I confess I was much influenced in giving that advice by a belief which I had got hold of, that the spirit both of the assistants & the school was much come round,—& that it was wished by all that what had passed should be forgotten & that you should stand.—from your letter I infer that I was wrong in this;
“What I wish you to pursue is the course, that will upon reflection be hereafter most likely to secure your honour; if through mistake you have gained an unfair advantage, if even that can be reasonably, though untruly surmised, by all means withdraw from the contest;
“Finally shew this letter to your uncle, & as you have hitherto done, continue to act by his advice; as far as I am concerned, I entirely absolve you from standing.”
My tutors own wish a few days ago was that we should not go up unless the masters fo[r]mally retracted their accusations, & unless all the boys going up for the Scholarship, declared that they thought it fair.—For whilst eleven masters still continue to think it unfair, the opinion, however really ill-founded, would still seem reasonable, & therefore if any of us were to do well, the envy against us & my tutor would rise up as bad as ever. Cotton is not yet come back, but I should think he would soon. Dr. Hawtrey has given me a book for the essay, it is Sismondis Roman empire in two volumes, very nicely bound in morocco. I have also got another book for the 12th time of being sent up, & if he reads me over any other exercises, I shall have another.—We have had some very violent winds for the last two or three days.—Pray give my love to all, & believe me to remain
Your affectionate Son
M. P. W. Boulton.
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