Sunday August 28.
Did not go to church. Miss Gibbons arrived at one o’clock, & Mrs. Boyd with her; Some playing at cross purposes; Mrs. B having walked down the road to meet me as I came from Church, while I was sitting with Miss G in the morning room. She seems to be a feeling kind hearted woman, tho’ not a faultless one. Looking at me, she observed that I did not appear able to bear much fatigue; & when I said “I am stronger than, I was some months ago, & very much wonder at it”, the tears overflowed her eyes in a moment, & she told me to trust that Friend who is more than father or mother, & “sticketh closer than a brother”—[1]
A note from Eliza Cliffe. The Cliffes are not coming today, at which I am not exactly sorry. Dined, & went down to chapel—Mr. Curzon preached very well; & our visitors were delighted.
Miss Gibbons inclined to returning to Hope End,—so there she did return,—& she & Mrs. Boyd climbed our mushroomed hills. Collision with the Martin party; & fire struck between Miss G & Mr. M in consequence of my report to her of his report to me of her controversial conversations at Eastnor. The Martin party came down the hill & into the house with us; & then there was an exposè of Eliza’s representation of me. Abused, nem: con: Mr. Martin proposes that as Eliza has not & never can attain to my mouth, she should paint a book before it. I vote for a black crape—which wd. add a good deal to my sublimity, according to Burke.[2] Not Burke of Edinburgh!—[3]
Miss Gibbons glued herself to me all day, & we talked eternally. She praised Miss Bordman, & told me how much Mr. Boyd enjoyed her society. Well!—I ought to be glad of this.
She asked me when I was going again to Malvern. “Whenever I can”, I said, “for my Malvern days are my happy days—they are my holidays. But I must not go too often.” “You cannot go too often. Mr. Boyd does so thoroughly enjoy the days which you spend with him! they are his holidays!” “I did not exactly mean that—I meant that I must not leave home & occupy the carriage too often. I like to dream that Mr. Boyd has pleasure in seeing me, tho’ I know that whatever pleasure his is, mine must double it.” “Indeed! I dont think it does! and how can you know this?” “By certain inward oracles”. “But tho’ you understand your own oracles, you cant understand Mr. Boyd’s”.
I am half sorry that this conversation shd. have passed: but passed it has.
Miss Gibbons considers that learning is standing between Mr. Boyd & God. I defended his religious state with my best powers. May God increase the grace, which I am certain He has bestowed. Mrs. B & Miss G went away at 8 oclock, & then we had prayers,—& then Bummy went up stairs & did not come down again.
No letters.
1. Proverbs xviii.24: “A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”
2. [Edmund Burke], A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful (London, 1757), pp. 64–65: “when the highest degree of the sublime is intended, the materials and ornaments ought neither to be white, nor green, nor yellow, nor blue, nor of a pale red, nor violet, nor spotted, but of sad and fuscous coulours, as black, or brown, or deep purple, and the like.”
3. William Burke (1792–1829), executed on 28 January 1829 for multiple murders, committed in order that he might sell his victims’ bodies. The Times, 2 February 1829, in the course of an account of the execution, said: “the actual number of murders in which Burke acknowledged himself to be concerned was 16.”
