William Allingham’s diary, 1868

Fine ; walk to Pitt's Deep — vernal and pleasant ; Coastguard station. Beautiful Sowley Copse — men destroying it by order of Lord Henry Scott, since he finds he…

Fine, frostyish ; Enchantress gone. Walk, Pennington, etc.

To London — very fine day. Mr. Burnett at Custom-House ; away 1.45. Clapham Junction ; lovely evening, moon, Jupiter and Venus. Lavender Sweep — friendly welcome as…

Lavender Sweep, called at 7.30 ; WyclifFe, Lucy — Breakfast. In with T. T. to Victoria. National Gallery, Egyptian Hall, Dudley Gallery. Bond St., Mrs. Cameron's…

Lavender Sweep — rail to Chelsea, cab to Onslow Gardens and breakfast with Froude, Mrs. F., two daughters, governess ; chat. Study, where he has his cigar — State…

Very fine. Lavender Sweep, walk, Clapham Common, pretty. Train to Lyming- ton. Custom-House, relieve Burnett and take up old routine.

Very fine. Walk, EfFord Copse, first primroses ; the Island blue, sweet air, thrushes. Dine — out. Stars — from some bird a sudden single gush of song : a…

Browning's 'Sludge,' etc. Mem. — Too often a want of solid basis for R. B.'s brilliant and astounding cleverness. A Blot in the ''Scutcheon is solid. How try to…

Lymington. Walk, EfFord, poor little moles executed, hanging on twigs. Talk with the Gamekeeper, who is considerably like Carlyle in person : Grouse — pheasants. 1…

Birthday. Begin sad ; grow cheerfuller. C. Parry and wife from Island ; a great rainbow. Tea at F. St. Barbe's.

More cheerful again, but Emma vexatious. O for a house of one's own ! * Mary ' — ' Squire Curtis.' ^ Sleep better.

Cross to Freshwater ; Mrs. Norman (Mrs, Cameron's daughter), with her husband and children. He is of Baring Brothers. ' His God- father,' Mrs, C, said, 'gave him…

Good Friday — Mrs. Curry's, Miss Thackeray's : Fitzjames Stephen, tall, burly, pleasant, the 'makings' of a judge, as we say in Ireland; plain in dress. To…

Fine. Cross to Yarmouth. Servant girl says, ' I took your advice, sir, not to go to London ' ; had forgotten it, but it was good advice — wonder whether my habit of…

Breakfast with Froude, 5 Onslow Gardens — wife, two girls, little boy : Ireland, English cruelties, massacre of women and children on Raghlin Island, Sorley Buie…

To 16 Onslow Gardens to accept Miss Thackeray's invitation. Find her with John Leech's daughter Ada, thirteen, in black, very tall and slender, with large eyes,…

18 Neville St. To 16 Onslow Gardens. Breakfast 9.30, Miss T., Mrs. Stephen ; warm day. With Leslie S. to Mrs. Brookfield's ; children's party. Magdalen B., large…

18 Neville St. Cab to Albe- marle St. and breakfast with Lecky. Books on Witch- craft, etc., and on Ireland. Rooms very quiet, no look- out, has them from year to…

Lavender Sweep. To evening party at Halle's. Mrs. Brookfield and her daughter, Mrs. and Miss Sartoris — Leighton, Aid6, etc. — Santley, Titiens, Trebelli…

Lunch at Browning's. Talk runs chiefly on his forthcoming new Poem in many thousand lines. He takes me into his study, and shows me the original Book, a small brown…

Lavender Sweep ; very fine — 11.30 to Clapham Junction and take train to Epsom to see the Derby Race. Only one other person in my carriage, young man from Southport…

To Carlyle's about 3. He is writing, but soon comes out for a walk. On the door-step we find Sir Charles Dilke and Hepworth Dixon come to solicit C.'s vote for the…

Lymington. Coach to Freshwater, Mrs. Cameron's ; long wait for lunch. Mrs. C. and her household take no note of time. Meet girls going up- stairs in fancy dresses,…

— Hot. Tennyson and Mrs. T. on the steamer, 1 with them to Brockenhurst. ' To London, the dentist ; then Scotland.' T. said of Longfellow, ' A very gentlemanly man…

Kind note from Miss Thackeray, to which I reply. (Suggest possible match between Alamayu and little Margery— future Queen of Abys- sinia.)

To Esher (by invitation from Mrs. Howitt). Arrive at ' The Orchard,' a pretty homely cottage, where William Howitt, sturdy and white-haired, welcomes me from the…

Freshwater. Very fine. Lionel and I on ponies, a gallop on the downs. Hinton's Life in Nature (praised by A. T.). I walk to Yarmouth, cross to Lymington, Custom…

Freshwater. Mrs. Carter's lodging. Very fine and sunny. To Farringford, meet William with the ponies. Breakfast, then out to croquet-lawn, sit in shade, reading odd…

To Farringford. — Tennyson. — Is writing his ' San Grail.' ' I'm spoiling it. Will you take a turn '^. ' — then we talk on Hinton's book, and on his brother…

Vestiges of Creation. Depressing scientific views of life. Call on foreign gentleman — Mr. Quintinella, a Brazilian : Brazil, Paraguay, Spain, etc.

To Southampton. Lunch at Dr. Bond's ; then with a party to the New Forest — Miss Webster, Mr. and Mrs. Hankin, etc. Swan-Green, Queen's Bower, rich red sunset…

Dissatisfied : life slips by — to what purpose ^ Lindley on plants. Walk to Keyhaven by marsh.

To Freshwater. Miss Thackeray at St. John's Cottage, with Marjorie and Annie, and maid Justine. Guests — Frederick Walker, the artist, small, compact, jockey-like…

Saw little Alamayu in the road; tv/o of the De Havilland children came up, whom he kissed, and then came the snuffy old Postman with his bag, and the little Prince…

Freshwater. To breakfast at Miss Thackeray's. To Farringford. A. T. and 1 down the lane ; call at Miss T.'s, where they are at luncheon ; then at Mrs. Cameron's. He…

Cross to Yarmouth. We find the Tennyson carriage at Miss Thackeray's ; Mrs. T. asks the ladies, ' Will you take compassion on him ^ ' that is, allow A. T. to walk…

Lymington. Walk to Setley, and find gypsies encamped. Coming back I overtake a little girl carrying with difficulty two bags of sand, and just as I am asking how…

To Forest Bank, and (on suggestion of Aide) call on La Marchesa Taglia-Carne, who has taken the place for a time. She has been a widow more than twelve months.

A. and E. Ritchie by steamer, with them to Brockenhurst, and show the old Church. Walk alone into Forest, among coloured trees : Whitley Wood, Gretnam, Tollgate,…

Invited to Miss Dickson's. Pay pensioners. Kind Miss D. in her pretty rooms, but * not well,' — I wish the good soul could be well. Out and walk in the dusk on…

Assembly Rooms, Election Meeting.

Call on old Kirkwood, pensioner ; hands crippled, cheerful face and voice, cheerful heart to all appearance : tended by his old wife. What is the secret of the…

Christchurch ; Boscombe. Lady Shelley, luncheon, Sir Percy. Upstairs, cast of Shelley monument at Christchurch. Bust of Mary Wollstonecraft, bust and oil picture of…

Sir Percy Shelley's steam- yacht Nokken at Inman's Quay, steward calls to invite me. I find on board Sir P., and in the cabin Lady S. and Miss ' Flossy ' Gibson.…

I walk into Cowes by road near the sea, then upper road, muddy lanes, Floating Bridge, then wide road with streets and villas, and the rails and gates of Osborne…

1.45 train to London. Lodging at 44 Hans Place.

Tom Taylor at Richmond Terrace, friendly as usual : ' all well — come to us on Christmas Day ' ; gives me card for Picture Galleries, see Wallis's Exhibition in…

Call on Carlyle, ' out.' On Froude, who is friendly, praises the Rambles. On Miss Thackeray ; Mrs. Stephen, Marjorie, Annie, Nellie Ritchie and brother : Christmas…

Miss Thackeray's at 1.30, to luncheon : Leslie Stephen and his wife : ' Come next Sunday.' L. S.'s ' earliest recollections connected with Kensington Gardens, The…

To Froude's to luncheon. Then to Carlyle's at three, shown upstairs, where I see The Ring and the Book, part read, a Frederick snuff- box, blue and gold,…

Cab to Warwick Crescent, to lunch by invitation with the great Robert. After luncheon — Shelley, the drowning of S. — ' not in his right senses — in the moon.…

To Cheyne Row (heavy rain). Parlour : 'Scotch lassie,' niece of Carlyle, lives at Dumfries, has never been to London before, been here about three months (,?)^ —…

Return to Lymington.

Fine. Walk to EfFord, sunset. Evening, Methodist chapel. Watch Night. 1 Mary Carlyle Aitken, afterwards Mrs. Alexander Carlyle.