4 November 1872 – 10 November 1872

To Carlyle's. We spoke of the ' Immortality Dinner,' otherwise Metaphysical Society. Fraser — paper on the stars. C. — -' It seems the stars are racing along at an inex- pressible rate of speed. But I care next to nothing about it, let them race as they will. There are much grander and more important subjects for contemplation.' The Fenian meeting in Hyde Park on Saturday — ' Fitzjames Stephen and I passed through the tail of it; they were mainly London idlers. What are we coming to } People intend to try Atheism awhile. They will not find it answer.' A. — ' When the main road of dogma has become a quagmire, people will get back to Religion by byways, as it were. Domestic love will not fail. The love of Nature, too, I own I think a powerful help to religious feeling.' C. (as I knew he would). — ' Ho ! there's not much in that. A great deal of sham and affectation is in the raptures people express about Nature ; ecstasies over mountains and waterfalls, et cetera. I perceive that most people really get much the same amount of good out of all that that I do myself: I have a kind of content in it ; but any kind of Nature does well enough. I used to find the moorlands answer my purpose as well as anything, — great, brown shaggy expanses, here and there a huge boulder-stone — "There you lie, God knows how long ! " ' I intimated dissent, but knew that discussion would be useless. Coming back, we spoke of hand- writing ; bad writing is hard on the printers, who lose wages by it. C. — ' I could not be taught to write at school ; the master gave it up in despair. I taught myself after- wards. A hand should be legible, neat, and saving in space. I was very economical in paper, perhaps too much so — I used to bind myself to do so many pages of writing every day, before I went out to other affairs. I don't quite approve of your hand ; it looks hurried. I like my own as well as any I have seen.'

To C. at 3. Found him dictating to Mary about Schiller ; description of S., — long nose, long neck, awkward. C. said, ' The veritable living Emerson was with me to-day ; hair all gone from the back of his head, but cheerful. He asked about Matthew Arnold, but I could give him little satisfaction as to Matthew. He mentioned you.'

Note from Edward Emer- son, ' Father at 1 1 Down St., hoping to see you in the evening.' Walk to Down St. Emerson and his daughter Ellen. He said, ' Carlyle called to-day — his humour runs into everything, hearty laugh, excellent company — has always something memorable to say in choice language.' E. — ' London — much improved to the eye. ' Matthew Arnold — his book on Homer good. ' Dr. Wendell Holmes, — a man with us who writes (perhaps you have not heard of him.''), said he could find nothing to read ; everything appeared to him slow. I said, " I have a book at home which is not slow," and lent him Matthew Arnold on Homer. He said he could read any quantity of books like that. ' Matthew Arnold called on me when I was in London before, but our interview was interrupted before I got any good of him. ' Canada — Americans will not take any definite step, they feel that Canada must come into the Confederation, and will of herself. American party in Canada always at work.' A. — ' Tennyson and Carlyle are for keeping together the Empire — Canada, Australia, India, etc' E. — ' Is not the case of India different } I think the world would applaud England if, after due preparation, she withdrew from India.' Going now to Italy, Athens, perhaps Egypt, to return to London in the Spring. ' My curiosity has increased with years.'