Sunday. Jany 1st. 1832 Hope End.
I suppose I must go on here with my diary,—as I cant get another book.[1]
This is the first day of a new year; and I am not in the humour for being wished a happy one. Into thy hands oh God of all consolation, into thy merciful hands which chastise not willingly I commit the remains of my earthly happiness: and Thou mayest will that from these few barley loaves & small fishes, twelve basketfuls may be gathered.
My heart sinks within me—but not when I think of Thee!— Lord gracious & merciful, teach me to think of thee more often, & with more love--
No church. Examination day on the heath;[2] & almost everybody, except Papa & Bummy & me, went there. We down to the gate. A good sermon from Mr. Curzon’s vice. In the evening Papa read to us Mr. MacGhee’s letter to Dr. Whately Archbishop of Dublin, on the subject of Irish education.[3] An admirable letter. I abused Dr. W. as I always have & will do. He wrote against evangelical religion, & clinched his arguments by a translation of Plutarch’s treatise on superstition.[4] An intimation that Plutarch knew more of christianity than he did?—
1. The second portion of the Diary is written in a separate book.
2. i.e., of Wesleyan-Methodist candidates.
3. The letter, dated Dublin 15 December 1831, appeared in The Dublin Evening Mail, 23 December 1831. It was subsequently printed and sold as a pamphlet, Education in Ireland. A Letter to the Most Reverend Doctor Whately, Archbishop of Dublin, by Robert James M’Ghee (Aberdeen, 1832).
4. E.B.B. refers to his book, The Errors of Romanism Traced to their Origin in Human Nature (London, 1830), pp. 1–76 of which dealt with superstition.
