er introduced to
Herschel at a breakfast with Mr Peacock: and he approved of the scheme
generally. On August 5th I drew up a complete mathematical paper for
the Cambridge Philosophical Society, which I entrusted to Mr
Peacock. The aberrations, both spherical and chromatic, are here
worked out very well. On Nov. 25th it was read at the meeting of the
Philosophical Society, and was afterwards printed in their
Transactions: this was my first printed Memoir. Before this time
however I had arranged to try the scheme practically. Mr Peacock had
engaged to bear the expense, but I had no occasion to ask him. Partly
(I think) through Drinkwater, I communicated with an optician named
Bancks, in the Strand, who constructed the optical part. I
subsequently tried my telescope, but it would not do. The fault, as I
had not and have not the smallest doubt, depends in some way on the
crystallization of the mercury silvering. It must have been about this
time that I was introduced to Mr (afterwards Sir James) South, at a
party at Mr Peacock's rooms. He advised me to write to Tulley, a
well-known practical optician, who made me some new reflectors,
&c. (so that I had two specimens, one Gregorian, the other
Cassegrainian). However the thing failed practically, and I was too
busy ever after to try it again.

"During the October term I had no pupils. I kept my second Act on
Nov. 6 (opponents Hamilton, Rusby, Field), and an Opponency against
Jeffries on Nov. 7. I attended the Questionists' Examinations. I seem
to have lived a very comfortable idle life. The Commemoration Day was
Dec. 18th, when I received a Prize, and the next day I walked to
Bury. On Jan. 4th, 1823, I returned to Cambridge, and until the
B.A. Examination I read novels and played cards more than at any other
time in College.

"On Thursday, Jan. 9th, 1823, the preliminary classes, for arrangement
of details of the B.A. Examination, were published. The first class,
Airy, Drinkwater, Jeffries, Mason. As far as I remember, the rule was
then, that on certain days the classes were grouped (in regard to
identity of questions given to each group) thus: 1st, {2nd/3rd},
{4th/5th} &c., and on certain other days thus: {1st/2nd}, {3rd/4th},
&c. On Saturday, Jan. 11th, I paid fees. On Monday, Jan. 13th, the
proceedings of examination began by a breakfast in the Combination
Room. After this, Gibson gave me breakfast every day, and Buckle gave
me and some others a glass of wine after dinn