[Thursday, 2 February.]
<…> a very beautiful & powerful one: & afterwards communicated them to Mrs. Boyd. He agreed to by far the greater number; & asked me to visit him again next Thursday or Friday or Saturday, to finish my criticisms. But I am not to mention at home his reason for wishing to see me then: for fear he might be under rated by a misapprehension of it. That is a feeling which I do not understand. Sir Uvedale Price had no personal regard for me, & yet he used to speak openly of sending me his mss 26 miles, to be criticised previous to their publication!--
Mr. B had thought of writing to ask me to pass two more days with him in the capacity of his secretary; as Miss H M found the fatigue too much for her. I told Mr. Boyd immediately that in the case of my coming, being a convenience to him, I was ready to come. He answered in a quick way—“Oh it was only in case of Miss H M being unwell!— She is quite well now”— I said nothing.
He speaks of Miss H M as if he did not like her. He says that she takes no interest in what he is writing, is of an uncandid mind, & very different from what she was formerly.
Miss Heard has told him that I am the most engaging person she ever knew, & that she quite adores me!-- I heard this a little bitterly. People like me better at first than they do afterwards. I wish they wd. not like me at all. I dont mean to imply that Miss H.’s language was not exaggerated.
Took courage & told Mr. B of my translation of the Prometheus. He seemed pleased, & surprised at my having done so much, & so unparaphrastically. I asked him inconsiderately, if he wd. read it, if he wd. read some part of it!— His answer did not please me: and yet he did not say “I will not”— Mrs. B
<…>[1]
I wd. have done, if it had not been for one reason. An express sent off to Bro who is dining & sleeping at the Commelines. A little of the Prometheus tonight.
1. Half a page excised.
