My dear Mr Freeman,

I am going to take two or three days more that I may finish up Philip IV and his three disagreeable sons, who will complete the 2nd chapter - the 3d is to be the Hundred Years War, the 4th the Italian wars, the 5th must go from Louis XIII to the end of Louis XV, and ought to be called the Absolutism of the King. I expect you will find ... continue reading

My dear Mary,

Mary Woollcombe tells us that Alethea Hickes has mentioned some of the reports that have been going about as to Julian’s troubles, so I think I had better tell you all. I was very near doing so on Saturday evening only I thought I would wait for the great settlement.

I fancy speculation is strong in our nature and from joining in a cooperative company when coals were so dear Julian came on ... continue reading

My dear Mary

Thank you much for your letter. It is curious that Mary Woollcombe should have found the report going, but I think no one likes to speak to any of you of gossip concerning any of the family. As to the measure of the loss we do not fathom it yet, it is so mixed up with all sorts of things and people, as I suppose those things are. It is ... continue reading

My dear Mary

A great deal seems to have happened since I wrote to you last, but before I tell you about Oxford, I must come to what is uppermost in my mind, about Julian’s affairs. He fully expected a compromise to have been made which would not have brought such difficulty, but that has failed, and there is the whole debt of the company, about £12,000 come upon the 5 directors – of whom ... continue reading