1813

8 March: A day of dissipation but of more enjoymtthan mere dissipation usually allows. In the forenoon I accompd MrsW. Pattisson to Lawrences, where Mr L. sent us a promise that the picture wod be ready for the exhibition – I had a very pleasant conversation with Mrs P. whom I left to go to a dinner party at Mr Geo: Wedds – There I met Esther & Wedd Nash Mr John Hays The Andrews’sAnd a Law Student, a Mr Austin – I was in very high spirits – And they amused me at least I do not know wher they were so acceptable to the rest of the Co. [Mary H. not present]

22 March (Morley, I: 124): Forenoon at home; Law &c Afternoon a call on S. Robinson about the Sale of Coffee in consequence of wch he paid over on the follows day £286 15/ to Messs  Barclay for W. Lincolne And bot me 800 ls Consols for £474. He informed me of the dangerous illness of Mrs Kitchener. Her death wod concern me. She is a very respectable Woman And if she dye before her husbd it will probably affect the interests of my niece Elizabeth. Took tea with Miss Hayes at Mr Hills, Islington She has not succeedd in her desire to live at Southeys, And is displeased with the Ansr received.[1]I tried to weaken the impression of a disrespectful letter but I dare say her letter was thot  too sentimental. Miss H. is now thrown on the world She seeks a residence in some picturesque country. I fear she will not easily find one to her taste. Concludd the Eveng at Mrs Roughs Read Mr H. to her & the Miss Strutts It did not appear to give much pleasure.

7 April:  The day spent chiefly over Nolan. Before dinner a call on Andrews – And after dinner at Mr Hill’s Islington but Miss Hays was gone And Mrs Thornthwaite not at home.

16 April: . . . Walked with Mr Austins to Mr Hay’s Black Heath.[2]A. was less disputatious than before & our Walk was not unpleast At Mr H’s were Mr & Mrs Tooks Mr Atkinson of the Mint The day passed off tolerably. Mr T. is a very sensible man, but a strong Malthusian And on the Subjt of populn And most topics [       ] durg the day I was opposed to the Co in general wch I did not precisely with T. is a liberal ex-democrat with, apparently, no factious feelings.

        I had my full share of talk with too much vague & decisive declamation to be quite agreeable, however the day was so far pleast that I accepted an invitation for next Sunday

        Rode back with the Wedds great part of the way.

18 April: At Breakfast with Becher And then read a little desultory law. Afterwards walked to Black heath by way of Redrif & 

      Readg Goethe’s life the latter half of the Volume abounds in the most exquisite things I ever read. The profound moral reflexion & the warmth & repose of feeling throughout are sources of excellence in this work almost without parallel. He seems to have been thro’ life the most enviable of beings I will not here say what I intendd or in fact the translations wch I design to make as they will be better put into a book apart. I had the greatest conceivable delight in readg the book. At Mr Hay’s I met with an Attorney a Mr Panther.[3]A Mr or Captn[     ] And Mr Austin. As usual we had a quant: suff: of disputation  In comg home I had the most agreeable conversnwith A. He shewed himself more amiae as he took civilly some hints I evidently intended for him And his ardour tho’ sometimes troublesome & his confidence tho’ unbecomg his Youth ought not to offend me Unless a man may justly be disgusted with his former self – I observed to A. that nothg is so offensive in dispute as meetg your adversary with a common place wch implies a great ignorance or want of understanding on his part.

      I also urged to him the necessy of findg when a conversnshod be dropped And how far without wearisomeness an argumtmay be pressed. We afterws went again into metaphysics And were full of chat till we parted with a more cordial shake of the hand than either had ever received from the other before. The party besides at Mr H. was not equal to that on Friday. Mr  [     ] is a good natured vulgar man. The Atty a man of more sense but not pleasing in his manners.

11 June [In Morley, I: 128] – Mem: On Friday night when I came home: C. Lamb was here his sister had been taken ill and he had brot her from Windsor – he came with a note from Miss Hayes I was to ansr And wch I did the next morng Supped at the Rough’s in the Evening where I met with Burrel with whom I had an agreeable conversation. He spoke of himself as havg failed entirely in his profession havg no practice after being eight years at the bar – how sad a prospect for me for certainly I know myself to be a very inferior man to Burrel in most of the higher qualities of mind Perhaps I may have more vivacity & bustle & show – but he has infinite superiority over me And he had failed!

1 September [In Morley, I: 130-31]:  At Hazeleigh was my old friend Miss Hays. She shewed me letters from a lady in Northamptonsh: to whom she will perhaps go & live as a boarder. I wish her happiness wherever she goes, but I fear an over-strained sensibility joined to precise manners will make her offensive & ridiculous to the many, infinitely below herself in all essential qualities. MrsJos: Wedd was there Made furr engagemsin order to have an opportuny of seeing her Husband.

3 November:  Having reced a melancholy letter from Miss H. complaining of her solitude & want of newspapers, I applied to A.R. for his old papers, And sent some to her with a letter.

14 November:  Devoted this day to the third vol of Mad: de Stael’s work but had interruptions Called on Shoberl to find a book for Miss Hayes to translate.  S. shewed me the MS. of his Catag of Living Authors.[4]

14 December:   Took tea with Ant Rob And had as usual an interesting chat with him Cargil called on me & took me to Chitty’s first lectures on the study & practice of the Law. It was not eloquent or elegt And had too many common places but it had also some judicious thoughts. Then came home lounged over Critl Rev: Wrote to Miss Hays abot a work for her to translate. Wrote Mems &c. &c.[5]

[1]William Hills, brother-in-law to Mary Hays, and former student at Ryland’s Academy, Northampton; Miss Hays is Mary Hays the writer, also a friend of HCR.

[2]Mary Hays’s brother.

[3]William Panter, Jr., commercial broker at 12 Idol Lane, Great Tower Street, London (see Pigot’s 1823 London Directory, 62). 

[4]Frederic Schoberl, John Watkins, William Upcott, eds., A Biographical Dictionary of the Living Authors of Great Britain and Ireland … including notices of some foreign writers whose works have been occasionally published in England(London: Printed for H. Colburn, 1816). 

[5]Reference to Hays not in Morley.