William Allingham’s diary, 1847

Covent Garden Opera. Grisi in Norma. She looks the part better than Jenny does, and had a specially grand moment when she rushed up the altar-steps and smote the…

Found Edwardes Square, Kensington, and Leigh Hunt's house, No. 32, left card.

Note from Leigh Hunt.

To Edwardes Square, saw cab with white horse driving away from No. 32, knocked, and found that it was Leigh Hunt, who had just gone off ' to the rehearsal of his…

32 Edwardes Square, and find Leigh Hunt at last. I was shown into the Study, an^ had some minutes to look round at the Book-cases, Busts, old framed engravings, and…

A short interview with Hans Andersen. He had not English enough to allow of our conversing, asked me to write to him ; but I have nothing to say save that I love…

Bruckless; boat to Killybegs, passing rocks with caverns. — Visit three vessels, Andromeda, South Durham and another Brig. Land and visit Roman Catholic Church,…

At Leigh Hunt's. He looks ^ wonderfully different in the street from in the house. ■' There, a spare old man in a frock-coat and black stock, f with weak eyes and…

Having received a civil little note signed ' S.R.' giving me leave, I went to Mr. Rogers's house in St. James's Place, and was shown through three rooms hung with…

Liverpool. Coach to George's Dock, Maiden City steamer. Walk, dull narrow lanes between huge warehouses, numbers of Irish. Breakfast in small hotel. Steamer —…

Came on deck at Moville, beautiful morning ; the Foyle looked spacious and fine as we glided up to Derry.

Coach, fine day; Strabane, Stranorlar, and through Barnesmore Gap to Donegal. Old James greets me with his kind old smile and says, ' Sure, you've seen all sorts of…

To Ballyshannon. My father in the garden.

Coach to Donegal. Then car to Killybegs on Customs duty : horse falls.

Killybegs. Walked over Carn- tullagh to Bruckless to my good friends the Barretts. I prefer the rocky grandeur of this prospect to the luscious richness seen from…

The poor crazy man who likes to be called Mister Gallagher says he ' finds his head rather hypothetical to day ' ; attributes it ' to the familiarity of the…

Mendelssohn dead I Wrote lines, ' By the shore, a plot of ground.' IVednesday^ November 24. — Letter from Emerson.

Visit Poorhouse, Tom Read, crazy man with small sharp black eyes ; sometimes keeps a piece of iron on his head to do his brain good ; plays on a fiddle, the first…

Irish Idylls. Read Blot in the ''Scutcheon. Bravo, Browning ! Decetnber 5. — Dream — dine with the Queen, who asks me to ' try her custard pudding.' I ask if Her…