Trin Coll. <1>
Friday. May 1st.
My dear Father.
Having consulted with my Mr Mathison <2> & my coach, as to my prospects I have come to the conclusion that I had better try and get my degree in the ordinary degree examination which takes place in about a month. accordingly I have begun to read the subjects for it, but I shall not go in for it unless I think myself pretty sure of passing. The reason for this is that I think I stand no small chance of being plucked in the Tripos. <3> The difficulty being that I cannot get up my subjects, my coach sayd say said that he had no doubt of my ability to get a place in the Tripos, if I can read. No more have I. but then it has been the same story ever since I have been at Cambridge., but then and I have very great doubts of my being able to read, and I judge by the failure that it has come to every time I have tried to do so; and I also consider, that since I have not done well in any examination I have been in for yet, and I have tried to do as well as I could in every one of them, it is not improbable that I should do just as badly in the f Tripos. Mr Mathison seemed doubtful at first what to advise, but he finally said he thought it would be best for me to do as I proposed. He said that if I did no better in the Tripos than I did in the Mathematical papers for the Scholarships I should certainly be plucked. If I got a pass in this next Poll examination, it would be possible for me to try for a place in the Tripos, though it would be a very unusual thing I suppose to do. I am not sure though that I should not have a better chance of getting one for I should not have on my mind the fear of not gret getting gulphed. If I did that I should read at my own times, and by myself for I do not find that when I read with a tutor I make any more progress than when I read by myself. I get through a book of course, but I do not get through it so thoroughly and I do not think I know so much about it as when I read it by myself. The result of reading with a private Tutor seems to me to in my case to get me into more confusion perhaps than I should get myself into. I think Mr Mathison would say that I sho it would be impossible for me to get honors, if I did not read with a tutor in the Long, & October term, but I am inclined to think that it will be impossible for me to do so if I do.
I might try this if I can get a pass now. otherwise it might be too dangerous an experiment to try for it seems to be the universal opinion here now that a private tutor is indispensable during the latter time of a mans reading before he goes in for honours. It will take me a months reading for the Poll but if I did not read for it I should probably be reading for the May examination (which I get off), and there is not much good to be done in the May except by those who men who get a 1st class & a prize. I have abundantly proved that reading under pressure knocks me up invariably.
If I get pass in this Poll, I shall not be able to take my degree till some time in the October term, because I have not g kept Professor’s lectures. The other day I found a distinctly marked fossil in the coal in my coalscuttle, I think it was a Sigillarium. Did you receive a very long letter <4> I wrote you some time ago, about the latter part of my jour travels, Newark Southwell &c?
Your affect son
Charles
I may as well mention what the Poll subjects are –
Acts of the Apostles in Greek
History of the English Reformation
Cicero Tusculan disputations. I
Sophocles Śdipus Coloneus.
Mathematics (that I have done before)
I find that I h read the Sophocles at Headlams. <5> besides I mean to make great use of a translation.
[envelope:]
H Fox Talbot Esq
11 Gt Stuart St
Edinburgh
Notes:
1. Trinity College, Cambridge.
2. William Collings Mathison (1817-1870), tutor at Cambridge, author, Rector, Dickleburgh, Norfolk.
3. Cambridge honours examination.
4. See Doc. No: 08689.
5. Rev Arthur William Headlam (1826–1909), clergyman and private tutor to Charles.