conversations well--bating some sad omissions and misapplications of
the aspirate. Tom is an old friend of mine; I have seen some of his best
battles in my nonage. He is now a publican, and, I fear, a sinner;--for
Mrs. * * is on alimony, and * *'s daughter lives with the champion.
_This_ * * told me,--Tom, having an opinion of my morals, passed her off
as a legal spouse. Talking of her, he said, 'she was the truest of
women'--from which I immediately inferred she could not be his wife, and
so it turned out.

"These panegyrics don't belong to matrimony;--for, if 'true,' a man
don't think it necessary to say so; and if not, the less he says the
better. * * * * is the only man, except * * * *, I ever heard harangue
upon his wife's virtue; and I listened to both with great credence and
patience, and stuffed my handkerchief into my mouth, when I found
yawning irresistible.--By the by, I am yawning now--so, good night to
thee.--[Greek: Nôhairôn].


"Thursday, November 26.

"Awoke a little feverish, but no headach--no dreams neither, thanks to
stupor! Two letters; one from * * * *'s, the other from Lady
Melbourne--both excellent in their respective styles. * * * *'s
contained also a very pretty lyric on 'concealed griefs;' if not her
own, yet very like her. Why did she not say that the stanzas were, or
were not, of her composition? I do not know whether to wish them hers or
not. I have no great esteem for poetical persons, particularly women;
they have so much of the 'ideal' in _practics_, as well as _ethics_.

"I have been thinking lately a good deal of Mary Duff, &c. &c. &c.