Diary by E.B.B.

Sent my letter to Mr. Boyd. Dealing with Euripides. The Iphigenia in Tauris. Very inferior to the Iph: in Aulide, as far as I can read.

A letter from Mr. Boyd—a very short one—but kind, & in his own manner. Pleased to receive it. If he cared very much about pleasing me, he wd. write very much oftener. Mrs. Cliffe & Eliza called, & spirited away Henrietta & Arabel to sleep at Mathon!— Suppose Papa were to come home in the...

A few lines from Papa in a fish. We are not to write,—& he is to come home “early in the week.[”] Arabel went back to Mathon, with the intention of riding with Eliza & Mrs. Cliffe to Malvern next day. If little Billy cd. be ridden & driven at once, I wd. be driven to Malvern to-morrow. As...

Sent my note, had an affirmative answer, & walked down to the gate with Bummy to meet the carriage. The worst of it was, that Mrs. C & Eliza made another proposition to meet mine, namely that they wd. sleep here—because otherwise they might have been benighted in going round & round on my...

We spirited away Mrs. C & Eliza & Mr. Allen C who made one of our party by an unhappy accident,—for fear Papa shd. come. But he did not—& not a letter!—

No letter—no Papa.

A letter to me: and papa is to be with us tomorrow. My dear dear Papa! His coming is a thing feared & wished for! For what feelings must, & what circumstances may, attend it.

Our beloved Papa arrived between 11 & 12. Tho’ the thoughts of seeing him made me sick & trembling hours before, yet when I was his dear face, my fear of distressing him outgrew other fears. I did not faint; or cry .. much. Henrietta & Arabel cried too! Our dear dear Papa.

Wrote to Mr. Boyd a long letter, to give him an account of the tongues & politics.[1] I told him not to answer it, unless he felt inclined to do so—will he feel inclined?

Read Wesley’s treatise. It is clear & powerful; but not by any means satisfactory to me everywhere. Papa & we walked down to the gate, to hear — — nobody. The Bristol students were minus: on account of the rain perhaps.

Rain by buckets. Finished the Iphigenia in Tauris—not worth re-reading!—and began the Hippolytus.

Reading Greek—Hippolytus. A letter from Fanny to Bummy, about engaging Miss Steers.[1]

Bummy wrote a note of propositions to Miss Steers: and Arabel sent Annie’s newly painted basket by the same conveyance.

Bummy wdnt go at first—settled that she wdnt: and I ran up stairs in an in-disposition. Presently up into my room came Bummy. She wd. go. I had been walking up & down, in my dungeon building mood, half resolving not to go with her on Monday for fear of — --?-- My resolution is not to be...

Arabel told me last night that Miss H M was expected at R C at three. We did not leave it until four. What an escape!

I read Wesley’s pamphlet thro’ a second time; and I read nearly three chapters of Baxter’s Saint’s rest, & Erskine’s prolegomena. Baxter is exquisite. He sings with the spirit, & he sings with the understanding also—[1]

Annie is to go to Mathon to day. Mrs. Cliffe’s carriage is the medium; & I have been dreaming that Mrs. Cliffe’s goodnature might mediate for me, & suggest calling for me at our gate at least. All a dream. The waking was not agreable. But I read myself into a good humour. Hippolytus is not...

The Cliffes & Annie came. Annie says that Miss Mushet is a phrenologist, as well as being wonderful in other things. I am indisposed towards Miss Mushet. Not that I am “jealous” as Annie suggested, of her knowledge of Greek. If her knowledge were double what it is, I shd. not be jealous of...

What did I do today. Greek of course. But I was idle, as I have been lately, about my diary; & kept no account. We drove to Eastnor.

A note from Eliza enforcing a proposition which she made to Bro yesterday, about their (Annie & all) sleeping here, on the night of the puppet show. I wrote an assent. A note enclosed from Mrs. Boyd. In it she says that Miss Mushet is plainer than she was, but “just as amiable as ever”. If...

No memorabilia—Attributable in part to my idleness. I wrote to Mrs. Boyd, & did not say a word about going to R C.; but sent my note there by Henry. She wd. not keep Henry—She will write tomorrow. My reason for sending him, was that Mr. Boyd might have the Methodist Magazine which he wished...

It was determined last night, by Papa & the rest of the senators, that the boys shd. have a holiday today, Christmas eve. A relief to me. Miss Glasco is to exhibit her puppet show next Friday, & she wants my prologue. I hate that kind of composition—am not in a humour for it—but I suppose...

My letter went—

A continuation of the Christmas holidays. A pain in my face & head kept me awake all last night,—& I am not at all well this morng. A note from Miss Glasco. She wants to know what her rascally poet is doing about the prologue. Promised to let her have it tomorrow. And yet how can I write when...