I hear bad news of James Ballantyne.  Hypochondriac I am afraid, and religiously distressed in mind.

I got a book from the Duke de Levis, the same gentleman with whom I had an awkward meeting at Abbotsford, owing to his having forgot his credentials, which left me at an unpleasant doubt as to his character and identity.[293] His book is inscribed to me with hyperbolical praises.  Now I don’t like to have, like the Persian poets who have the luck to please the Sun of the Universe, my mouth crammed with sugar-candy, which politeness will not permit me to spit out, and my stomach is indisposed to swallow.  The book is better than would be expected from the exaggerated nonsense of the dedication.

April 10.—­Left Abbotsford at seven to attend the Circuit. Nota bene—­half-past six is the better hour; waters are extremely flooded.  Lord Meadowbank at the Circuit.  Nothing tried but a few trumpery assaults.  Meadowbank announces he will breakfast with me to-morrow, so I shall return to-night.  Promised to my cousin Charles Scott to interest myself about his getting the farm of Milsington upon Borthwick Water and mentioned him to Colonel Riddell as a proposed offerer.  The tender was well received.  I saw James the piper and my cousin Anne; sent to James Veitch the spyglass of Professor Ferguson to be repaired.  Dined with the Judge and returned in the evening.

April 11.—­Meadowbank breakfasted with us, and then went on to Edinburgh, pressed by bad news of his family.  His wife (daughter of my early patron, President Blair) is very ill; indeed I fear fatally so.  I am sorry to think it is so.  When the King was here she was the finest woman I saw at Holyrood.  My proofs kept me working till two; then I had a fatiguing and watery walk.  After dinner we smoked, and I talked with Mr. Carr over criminal jurisprudence, the choicest of conversation to an old lawyer; and the delightful music of Miss Isabella Carr closed the day.  Still, I don’t get to my task; but I will, to-morrow or next day.

April 12.—­Read prayers, put my books in order and made some progress in putting papers in order which have been multiplying on my table.  I have a letter from that impudent lad Reynolds about my contribution to the Keepsake.  Sent to him the House of Aspen, as I had previously determined.  This will give them a lumping pennyworth in point of extent, but that’s the side I would have the bargain rest upon.  It shall be a warning after this to keep out of such a scrape.

April 13.—­In the morning before breakfast I corrected the proof of the critique on the life of Lord Pitsligo in Blackwood’s Magazine.[294] After breakfast Skene and his lady and family, and Mr. Carr and his sisters, took their departure.  Time was dawdled away till nearly twelve o’clock and then I could not work much.  I finished, however, a painful letter to J. Ballantyne, which I hope will have effect upon the nervous disorder he complains