Dorothy Wordsworth’s diary, 1801

Coleridge went to Keswick, after we had built Sara's seat.

... Coleridge came in to Mr. Luff's while we were at dinner. William and I walked up Loughrigg Fell, then by the waterside....

Attempted Fairfield, but misty, and we went no further than Green Head Gill to the sheepfold; mild, misty, beautifully soft. Wm. and Tom put out the boat....

Rode to Legberthwaite with Tom, expecting Mary.... Went upon Helvellyn. Glorious sights. The sea at Cartmel. The Scotch mountains beyond the sea to the right.…

... Wm. is now, at 7 o'clock, reading Spenser. Mary is writing beside me. The little syke murmurs. We are quiet and happy, but poor Peggy Ashburner coughs, as if…

A very rainy morning. We walked into Easedale before dinner. The coppices a beautiful brown. The oaks many, a very fine leafy shade. We stood a long time to look at…

We sate in the house in the morning reading Spenser. Wm. and Mary walked to Rydale. Very pleasant moonlight. The lakes beautiful. The church an image of peace. Wm.…

We walked in the morning to Easedale. In the evening we had cheerful letters from Coleridge and Sara.

We walked in the morning, and paid one pound and 4d. for letters. William out of spirits. We had a pleasant walk and spent a pleasant evening. There was a furious…

We wrote to Coleridge.

... It was very windy, and we heard the wind everywhere about us as we went along the lane, but the walls sheltered us. John Green's house looked pretty under…

It was a showery morning and threatened to be a wettish day, but the sun shone once or twice. We were engaged to Mr. Lloyd's and Wm. and Mary were determined to go…

Mr. Olliff called before Wm. was up to say that they would drink tea with us this afternoon. We walked into Easedale, to gather mosses, and to fetch cream. I went…

Wm. walked into Easedale. Hail and snow.... I wrote a little bit of my letter to Coleridge....

... Wm. translating The Prioress's Tale. William and Mary walked after tea to Rydale. I finished the letter to Coleridge, and we received a letter from him and…

... Wm. finished The Prioress's Tale, and after tea Mary and he wrote it out....

A very fine beautiful sunshiny morning. Wm. worked a while at Chaucer, then we set forward to walk into Easedale.... We walked backwards and forwards in the flat…

We rose by candlelight. A showery unpleasant morning, after a downright rainy night. We determined, however, to go to Keswick if possible, and we set off a little…

A dullish, rainyish morning. Wm. at work with Chaucer. I read Bruce's Lochleven.... William worked at The Cuckoo and the Nightingale till he was tired....

... I read Palemon and Arcite.... William writing out his alteration of Chaucer's Cuckoo and Nightingale.... When I had finished a letter to C., ... Mary and I…

... We walked into Easedale to gather mosses, and then we went ... up the Gill, beyond that little waterfall. It was a wild scene of crag and mountain. One craggy…

... Snow upon the ground.... All looked cheerful and bright. Helm Crag rose very bold and craggy, a Being by itself, and behind it was the large ridge of mountain,…

Mr. Clarkson left us, leading his horse.... The boy brought letters from Coleridge, and from Sara. Sara in bad spirits about C.

Wm. and Mary walked to Ambleside in the morning to buy mouse-traps.... I wrote to Coleridge a very long letter while they were absent. Sate by the fire in the…

Snow in the night and still snowing.... Ambleside looked excessively beautiful as we came out--like a village in another country; and the light cheerful mountains…

Mary and Wm. walked round the two lakes. I staid at home to make bread. I afterwards went to meet them, and I met Wm. Mary had gone to look at Langdale Pikes. It…

It snowed all day. It was a very deep snow. The brooms were very beautiful, arched feathers with wiry stalks pointed to the end, smaller and smaller. They waved…

being the shortest day, Mary walked to Ambleside for letters. It was a wearisome walk, for the snow lay deep upon the roads and it was beginning to thaw. I stayed…

... Wm. composed a few lines of The Pedlar. We talked about Lamb's tragedy as we went down the White Moss. We stopped a long time in going to watch a little bird…

... Mary wrote out the Tales from Chaucer for Coleridge. William worked at The Ruined Cottage and made himself very ill.... A broken soldier came to beg in the…

Still a thaw. Wm., Mary, and I sate comfortably round the fire in the evening, and read Chaucer. Thoughts of last year. I took out my old Journal.

Christmas Day. We received a letter from Coleridge. His letter made us uneasy about him. I was glad I was not by myself when I received it.

... We walked to Rydale. Grasmere Lake a beautiful image of stillness, clear as glass, reflecting all things. The wind was up, and the waters sounding. The lake of…

A fine soft beautiful mild day, with gleams of sunshine. William went to take in his boat. I sate in John's Grove a little while. Mary came home. Mary wrote some…

William, Mary, and I set off on foot to Keswick. We carried some cold mutton in our pockets, and dined at John Stanley's, where they were making Christmas pies. The…

A fine morning. A thin fog upon the hills which soon disappeared. The sun shone. Wilkinson went with us to the top of the hill. We turned out of the road at the…