Saturday. Jany. 7th.
I have been to R C. Bummy & Henrietta almost disinclined me from thinking of it; but at last I put on all my brass, & went into the dining room to ask Papa for some silver. No objection from him! Henry drove, & Sette & I were driven. Got to R C at about half past twelve, or a little before: & talked to Mrs. Boyd as long as I could in the dining room— Quantum mutata!— No not mutata!— I may as well have quoted it literally!—[1] Miss H M came into the room, & after a minute or two, I went up into Mr. Boyd’s. He showed me his three new books, his Dion Chrysostom, & Gregory, & Heliodorus: and I read one or two short passages out of each. He told me that he had written to ask me to spend a day or two with him! Would I do such a thing? No indeed— There was a passage in Gregory’s funeral oration on his father, of which he cd. not make out the meaning. I was made to try at it. It did not appear to me quite incomprehensible,—but then, I am not infallible. At a quarter past three I went away. Not a happy day: I wd. not mind sharing or yielding my laurels, if I had any, with or to anybody: but in the regard of those whom I regard, I must be aut Cæsar aut [nihil][2]
<…>[3]
Dearest Occyta playing with me all the evening. I do love him.
Began a note to Mr. Boyd tonight.
1. See entry of 24 June 1831, note 2. Quoting literally would have involved the use of the masculine rather than the feminine gender, emphasizing that the change was really in H.S.B.
2. “Either Cæsar or nothing,” the motto of Cesare Borgia.
3. Half a page excised.
