One of Paley's pupils--Thomas Kidd--probably a member of the same family as the Writing Assistant, a family who had lived in the neighbourhood certainly since 1587--wrote from Trinity College, Cambridge, to the Vicar, the Rev. John Clapham, in 1792:
I recd your Draught of £26 0_s._ 0_d._ April 19, 92. Mr. Jas. Foster left the University in March. I _was_ very happy to congratulate him on his being elected Fellow of S. John's Col. _by that_ respectable _Society_ and I _hope_ that he will be able to assert this honour _legally_ x x x. I am sincerely sorry that the Governors are not pleased that I so long deferred to send a certificate of my residence, if it is an _offence_, it is _involuntary_:--and for the future it shall be sent in due time and _nearly_, I expect in the same _formula_. For what business have I in the country previous to "taking" my degree?
There aren't any I remember in the country, _some here_, who affect to despise what they cannot understand; such enterprising critics and fastidiously hypercritics, men of truly philosophical penetration--of a truly classical taste spurn aside the coarse beverage to be found in Gr. mss. scholiasts and various _lections_; but
[Greek: all' aidesai men ... en lygrô gêra proleipôn ... mêtera ... hê =me= pollakis =theô= aratai zônta pros domous molein.]
This appeals to the feelings: but we must attend to general consequences.
Please to present my respects to my worthy master Mr. Paley--let him know that we have this year gone through Mechanics--Locke on the H.U., Duncan and Watts, etc. Logick--Dr. T. Clarke and Dr. Foster on the Attributes, Mr. Paley's Moral and P. Phil.--Spherical Trigonometry--and are going to lectures in Astronomy--That I have written a Gr. Ode in Sapphics--that it has been examined--that I am advised to hazard it in the Lottery.
This year has been distinguished for remarkable events in the litterary world, wh our narrow limits will not permit us to mention.--The learned Dr. Parr _began_ an edition of Horace--it will _come out_ a 4to on _Human Evidence_--(a very interesting subject in _Jurisprudence_)--caused by a political frate.--Porson will vacate the University Scholarship next October.
I am your most obliged humble servant, T. KIDD.