Thursday Oct 20th.
Was in Mr. Boyd’s room before nine. Heard him say over the passages in the Prometheus, & read Gregory. He told me that he had a great mind to buy a book mentioned in Bohn’s catalogue, a very ancient edition of Gregory’s orations, price £2—12s—6d—[1] & that in that case he wd. ask me to make Papa get it for him. He might receive the book from me, & pay for it from his private purse,—& so escape a reproach of extravagance from Mrs. Boyd. I had made up my mind that if I procured it for him thro’ Papa, he shd. never pay for it from his private or public purse. But he decided at last not to have it. It was an extravagant thing to do,—& besides, by taking the book, another copy of which he had, he wd. prevent some other person from having it. I smiled at this disinterested benevolence & resolved that the book shd. be his. Writing out treasonable epigrams for Mr. Boyd, Mr. Curzon interrupted us!—But I was allowed to be present at the audience. A great deal of talking about the compatability or incompatibility of intellectual & religious pleasures. Of course Mr. Boyd & I took the right side of the question. Dinner!— In the midst of it, the carriage came. I saw Mr. Boyd for a few minutes before I went away,—& then the good bye came. An effort was necessary to steady my voice & say it,—but the tears would crowd into my eyes in spite of every effort. He did not seem to care ..much about parting with me—
Henrietta & Arabel were my escort home, & we called for a moment at Mrs. Trant’s. She was at dinner, & evidently wd. have preferred our being there too. Not that she wished us to dine with her.—
Dear Bummy not at all angry at my having stayed. I had fancied her note cool, & Mr. Boyd had recommended me to put it into the fire & warm it,—but I dont think now that she meant to write cooly.
My spirits are rather depressed tonight!— rather!!—
I found here a note from Miss Gibbons, in answer to mine.
1. Bohn’s Catalogue, ed. cit., Item 433, an Aldine edition of 1536.
