November 14.—­A little work in the morning, but no gathering to my tackle.  Went to Court, remained till nigh one.  Then came through a pitiless shower; dressed and went to the christening of a boy of John Richardson’s who was baptized Henry Cockburn.  Read the Gazette of the great battle of Navarino, in which we have thumped the Turks very well.  But as to the justice of our interference, I will only suppose some Turkish plenipotentiary, with an immense turban and long loose trousers, comes to dictate to us the mode in which we should deal with our refractory liegemen the Catholics of Ireland.  We hesitate to admit his interference, on which the Moslem admiral runs into Cork Bay or Bantry Bay, alongside of a British squadron, and sends a boat to tow aside a fire-ship.  A vessel fires on the boat and sinks her.  Is there an aggression on the part of those who fired first, or of those whose manoeuvres occasioned the firing?

Dined at Henry Cockburn’s with the christening party.

November 15.—­Wrote a little in the morning.  Detained in Court till two; then returned home wet enough.  Met with Chambers, and complimented him about his making a clever book of the 1745 for Constable’s Miscellany.  It is really a lively work, and must have a good sale.  Before dinner enter Cadell, and we anxiously renewed our plan for buying the copyrights on 19th December.  It is most essential that the whole of the Waverley Novels should be kept under our management, as it is called.  I may then give them a new impulse by a preface and notes; and if an edition, of say 30 volumes, were to be published monthly to the tune of 5000, which may really be expected if the shops were once cleared of the over-glut, it would bring in L10,000 clear profit, over all outlay, and so pay any sum of copy-money that might be ventured.  I must urge these things to Gibson, for except these copyrights be saved our plans will go to nothing.

Walter and Anne went to hear Madame Pasta sing after dinner.  I remained at home; wrote to Sir William Knighton, and sundry other letters of importance.

November 16.—­There was little to do in Court to-day, but one’s time is squandered, and his ideas broken strangely.  At three we had a select meeting of the Gas Directors to consider what line we were to take in the disastrous affairs of the company.  Agreed to go to Parliament a second time.  James Gibson [Craig] and I to go up as our solicitors.  So curiously does interest couple up individuals, though I am sure I have no objection whatever to Mr. James Gibson-Craig.[76]

November 17.—­Returned home in early time from the Court.  Settled on the review of Ornamental Gardening for Lockhart, and wrote hard.  Want several quotations, though—­that is the bore of being totally without books.  Anne and I dined quietly together, and I wrote after tea—­an industrious day.