Reinhard apologies for his delayed response and thanks Goethe for sending some of his writings. He praises Goethe’s biography and talks of having devoured it, before reflecting on the past. He suggests that today’s youth have it harder in the face of the destroyed values, if they want to settle at home on the barrier-free realm full of rubble, on desecrated ground. Reinhard goes on to speak of his literary studies in youth, noting that he read Voltaire’s writings as well as the excerpt from the general world history; his mother forbade him to read novels and other “bad” books. He then turns to German readers, who for some time, he remarks, have become such a shasty, grumpy, attitudeless and shapeless monster. He goes on to discuss literary and political matters, and especially about the growing tensions between England and France.

The collection consists of anecdotes and verses, both original and excerpted from various authors, including: biographical anecdotes on Alexander the Great, Voltaire, Sir Walter Raleigh, Philip of Macedon, Socrates, British sailors, Turks, Russians, American Indians, and other individuals and groups; epistolary poetry and extracts from letters, most of which are signed William Thomspon; one letter from a British soldier at the Battle of Bunker Hill to his wife in England; elegiac and farewell poems; poems on nature, plants, and animals; hymns and prayers; religious and moral poems and fables; from speeches, and from religious texts, lectures, and sermons; recipes for burn and lip ointments, stain remover, flea repellent, and other home remedies. Excerpts attributed to Rousseau, Cowper, Goldsmith, and others. Indexed by category.

Edward Robert Lytton thanks Charles Kent for settling the debate over the Voltaire quotation mentioned in DZ/118/C2/141. He discusses progress made on a biography until Edward Butler’s marriage and is now only missing the story of the arrest of the thief/murderer. He poses several questions about the publishers of Edward Bulwer Lytton’s early novels, and ends my stating his plans to visit Ken to examine materials for the third volume of his biography.