Dear Charles

Will you please sign my guarantee.— I had not intended to bother you & yesterday asked William² but in the mean time the Reg^r had taken my question if they would accept us as mutually joint Sec^ies for a proposal.³

My pride has had a fall   I made the Reg^r look up the receipt for the sealed Certificates feeling confident there was none & he did find it signed by Cath Wedgwood of Parkfield.⁴ I never will be cock sure again of anything.

Horace must count Sir W^m Thompson among his lovers for yesterday Dykes, (do you remember him?) came to exhale himself on Horaces charm.⁵ Some time ago Sir W T told Dykes that when he came to Cambridge he would introduce Horace to him & that was the first he knew of his existence. Accordingly Sir W had Cayley Stokes (Adams?)⁶ & Horace to dine in Hall with him & then introduced Dykes who was sitting by Horace— The swells talked mathematics without intermission— he thought Cayley was the very dullest man he had ever met in his life & he afterwards told M^rs Adams⁷ that she really ought to educate him & she said she had done all she could in that way by supplying him with an infinite number of novels.

Yours affec | EAD