My dear Sir

Owing to my accession of property, from my late brother, I sh^d. be much obliged if you w^d make me a new will.—¹ Perhaps you have copies of my present will & codicils; if not & you will inform me by telegraph or letter I will immediately send you either the attested or duplicate copies. I am very anxious that there sh^d be no delay in my new will being made & signed.— I wish all the old provisions to stand; with the following exception, namely that all my property be divided amongst my children in the proportion of 12 to my sons & 7 to my daughters. For instance if my property were to return only 74 thousand pound, each of my 5 sons w^d receive 12,000£ & each of my 2 daughters 7000£. As all my children are now above 21, the clause about minors, I suppose, is superfluous— Since my will was made, stock to be estimated at 5000£ has been settled on the wife of my son Horace; & there is an additional 5000£ settled on her of which I pay interest, but no property was transferred into her Trustees hands..² The codicil about the pictures &c & books to stand.—³

Had I better sign my new will in duplicate & deposit the 2 copies in different places, or is this a superfluous caution?

I also wish to leave two legacies, each of 1000£ (free of Duty) to Sir J. D. Hooker & Professor H. T. Huxley,⁴ “as a slight memorial of my life-long affection & respect for them.’

I sh^d be much obliged if you would send the new will by Post as soon as you, so that I may read it over, & then I will request you to send a Clerk who together with my Butler⁵ might serve as witnesses; for I have no [other], whom I should like to ask