1816

4 November Monday:  I went again to the Old Bailey – There I wrote a letter to Mrs M Hays.  She had written a very civil letter to me full of reproaches on account of a MS. she had sent to the Colliers not having been before presented to a publisher for sale – and I resented her letter, I hope not too severely. I called on Mr Aldebert – I found him in bed but better than I expected – I talked about his affair with Jameson – which I now trust may be agreeably arranged. I shall mention this under tomorrow’s date – He intimated a wish to add to the Settlement already made on his children by deed & alter his will accordingly – this idea I encouraged and I also requested him in his will to give directions concerning the money now in the hands of Mylius Schunk etc – I left him in better spirits myself than on former occasions.

8 November:. . . Today I received an apologetical letter from Mrs Hays. She had written an angry letter because she thought I had neglected a MS she had entrusted to me to be forwarded to some publisher. I had written to her (as well as to Mr Hills to whom I wrote from Norwich) shewing how little I had known of her application, and she now writes regretting her impatience. The fact is that my very worthy friend has a sensibility which makes her a self-tormentor & a burthen to others – Full of the delicacies of passion rather than of taste, she suffers severely from every mortification & neglect – Such characters are objects of fear to cooler natures & to the indolent who are apprehensive of having their tranquility disturbed.     

20 November:  … I wrote a letter to Mrs M Hays informing her that her book was purchased etc etc. In bed at One.