Youth, 1831–36 letters 1–22

Summary

1 George Long to James Gooden, 13 December 1831

5 Camden St Camden Town December 13 1831

James Gooden attended my class in the University of London during two years while I was Professor of Greek in that institution. He was always very regular in his attendance at the lectures or daily examinations, and his conduct also in the lecture room, where alone he came under my notice, was correct and praiseworthy.

G Long

2 George Knox Gillespie to James Gooden, 19 July 1832

July 19 1832

Sir,

At the conclusion of my engagement with your son, it may be satisfactory to you that I should give some account of the progress which he has made in his Mathematics under my tuition.

When commencing with me, Mr Gooden Jun. had a slight knowledge of the first book of Euclid. The difficulties of the second book opposed an obstacle which he found himself unable to surmount. But his knowledge of the first book was so very imperfect that he concurred with me in the opinion that it was necessary to recommence the study anew. We accordingly proceeded with great care through the first four books, dwelling on each single proposition until a perfect knowledge of it should be acquired, and always keeping up by repetition the parts already gone over. My principle has been to consider the possession of a few clear ideas better than an obscure glimmering of many. I may safely say that your son now possesses a very competent knowledge of the first four books, being able not only to demonstrate any proposition in them but also to shew, by referring to the grounds of the proofs, that he really understands them.

I wish I could say the same respecting the 6th and 5th books. We have indeed gone through the whole of the 6th and about a third of the 5th, but the difficulties attending the doctrine of proportion are so considerable that it requires much time and attention to understand them thoroughly. I have endeavoured to the utmost of my ability, by employing numbers instead of lines in explaining the definitions etc. to communicate accurate ideas of the fundamental theory.