23 December 1872 – 29 December 1872

Carlyle's. Drove to Athenasum Club. Natural scenery : ' any part of Nature is wonderful.' His first view of the river Annan, ' running solemnly down with a slight rippling.' I said I dreamed much of wonderful landscapes. Did he ,? C. — 'I do work upon Scenery sometimes; I dreamed every night, for about six months, of Ecclefechan as a wild wide moorland.' One day Carlyle said, ' I have for many years strictly avoided going to church, or having anything to do with Mumbo-Jumbo. I stood sponsor the other day to Sir Baldwyn Leighton's child ; I didn't like it, but was told it was only a form. I don't think it was right. I have an unfortunate difficulty in saying No' Speaking of Memorials of a Quiet Life^ he said, * I cried over it. It brought back my old world — I used to ride to Hurstmonceaux in summer — couldn't stay on the road. I was strong enough for anything then. ' I was forced into resistance to the intellectual position of the men (Julius and Augustus Hare), but as to the women all was clear and right. They had no doubts. Julius used to attack me for my heresies ; always giving me due and grave notice. But when the attack came, it was really so mild that it made no impression on me one way or another.' One day I found him with the Life of Beethoven^ edited by Moscheles. He said, ' 1 have been wading through it. I can perceive that there may be a great deal of expression in Beethoven's music, if I could understand it — as I never could. We are to think that the greatest thing a man can do is to write a sonata, which I cannot at all believe ! '