| Administrative History | Sir Samuel Romilly (1757 - 1818), lawyer and politician
Alexis-Charles-Henri Clérel de Tocqueville (1805 - 1859), French political thinker and historian
William Whewell (1794–1866), College Head and Writer on the history and philosophy of science
Adam Sedgwick (1785–1873), Geologist |
| Description | Letter from Duncan Farquharson Gregory to his sister, Mrs Margaret Alison, stating that she has given a tolerable but not favourable account of herself but does not show signs of amendment; recommends that she does not fall ill of the new disorder 'The Symptoms' which he remarks is an awkward and unsatisfactory one; has not heard from Geo[rgina] either so is rather in the dark as to his mother's state but that as she has had previous attacks without serious consequences, he hopes it will be so again; acknowledges receipt of the Doctor's pamphlet and suggests that she defers sending a copy to Sedgwick until the middle of the following month when he is at Norwich; if she likes biographies, he recommends Sir S Romilly's life; at present he is enjoying Whewell's 'Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences' (published in 1840) which is a better and more metaphysical book than the other; he remarks that Whewell's book is dedicated to Sedgwick but that he thinks that the dedication is long and not in good taste; recommends that she read the second part of De Tocqueville's 'Democracy in America' which is just out; remarks that he has read all of Miss Austen's novels including Sense and Sensibility which is not as good as Pride and Prejudice and Emma but which may still amuse her in her supine condition; hopes that an improved diet and quinine will effect a change in her health, 23 June [1840]. |