Letter from William Bodham Donne, Mattishall, to Frederick Walpole Keppel, 1845 May 12 : autograph manuscript signed.

Explaining that there will be a delay in returning some books Keppel had lent him; discussing a recent article on "Hildebrand" by James Stephen, and offering his opinion of the article ("gaudy and overstrained") and its author ("the evil genius of the New Zealand colony, but otherwise a clever and very pleasant man"); stating that (Macvey) Napier (of the Edinburgh review) has hinted that "a writer might be first-rate for the Brit. and Foreign, and yet be unworthy a blue and yellow cover", and noting that "we used to have as good historical articles as either this or that on Prescott's Mexico."; mentioning Mr. (George) Pinson, governor of the Norwich Prison, and his recent visit to Pentonville; relating an anecdote concerning an inmate who was "locked up in a remote cell" for his impious comments on the Church and Christianity; expressing his opinion of (Samuel Richard) Bosanquet's book responding to Robert Chamber's Vestiges of the natural history of creation, entitled "Vestiges of the natural history of creation": its argument examined and exposed ("Bosanquet writes, like an old woman, about Moses, and falsely charges the author of the 'Vestiges' with plagiarising from English naturalists"), and remarking that the English are "prone to bigotry and superstition" in such matters; describing the tread-mill at "the Castle" (Norwich Prison") as a "most astounding structure", but noting that the boxes appear too narrow, "Their inventory, or at least their prescriber, Sir James Graham could not work in them, even if he trod, as Acres wished to fight his duel, 'edgeways.'"