_Mrs Spencer-Stanhope to John Spencer-Stanhope. February 23rd._

On Thursday Marianne and I attended the Drawingroom, and so
disagreeable a crowd I never was in. Miss Drummond [7] looked very
well and Miss Glyn quite pretty--the great Hoop suits her figure. I
have not heard you mention being acquainted with a young man of the
name of Knox-Irish. [8] His father and mother live in this street, and
are friends of Mrs Beaumont's. [9]

I have finished the Life of Sir William Jones. [10] His acquirements
appear to have been wonderful--eight languages perfectly, but I think
it was twenty-eight of which he had more or less some knowledge. He
was withal a very religious man. His attainments were of the right
sort, for they fixed his principles and all his writings are in favor
of Virtue.

The speech Mr Windham made in the House of Commons was full of wit,
and would I think amuse you.


_Marianne Spencer-Stanhope to John Spencer-Stanhope._
(_Undated._)

The apparent good spirits in which you write, even after a
Mathematical Lecture, gives us reason to hope that that favourite
exercise has not quite deprived you of your valuable intellect Long
may it continue thus! Long may you be the glory of CH. CH.
Mathematicians; and when you have left the British Athens, long may
your name stand forward among the lists of those Worthies who
discovered that two parallel, straight lines might run on to all