“* * called to-day in great despair about his mistress, who has taken a freak of * * *.  He began a letter to her, but was obliged to stop short—­I finished it for him, and he copied and sent it.  If he holds out, and keeps to my instructions of affected indifference, she will lower her colours.  If she don’t, he will, at least, get rid of her, and she don’t seem much worth keeping.  But the poor lad is in love—­if that is the case, she will win.  When they once discover their power, finita e la musica.

“Sleepy, and must go to bed.

“Tuesday, March 15.

“Dined yesterday with R., Mackintosh, and Sharpe.  Sheridan could not come.  Sharpe told several very amusing anecdotes of Henderson, the actor.  Stayed till late, and came home, having drank so much tea, that I did not get to sleep till six this morning.  R. says I am to be in this Quarterly—­cut up, I presume, as they ‘hate us youth.’ N’importe.  As Sharpe was passing by the doors of some debating society (the Westminster Forum), in his way to dinner, he saw rubricked on the walls Scott’s name and mine—­’Which the best poet?’ being the question of the evening; and I suppose all the Templars and would bes took our rhymes in vain, in the course of the controversy.  Which had the greater show of hands, I neither know nor care; but I feel the coupling of the names as a compliment,—­though I think Scott deserves better company.

“W.W. called—­Lord Erskine, Lord Holland, &c. &c.  Wrote to * * the Corsair report.  She says she don’t wonder, since ‘Conrad is so like.’  It is odd that one, who knows me so thoroughly, should tell me this to my face.  However, if she don’t know, nobody can.

“Mackintosh is, it seems, the writer of the defensive letter in the Morning Chronicle.  If so, it is very kind, and more than I did for myself.

“Told Murray to secure for me Bandello’s Italian Novels at the sale to-morrow.  To me they will be nuts.  Redde a satire on myself, called ‘Anti-Byron,’ and told Murray to publish it if he liked.  The object of the author is to prove me an atheist and a systematic conspirator against law and government.  Some of the verse is good; the prose I don’t quite understand.  He asserts that my ‘deleterious works’ have had ’an effect upon civil society, which requires,’ &c. &c. &c. and his own poetry.  It is a lengthy poem, and a long preface, with a harmonious title-page.  Like the fly in the fable, I seem to have got upon a wheel which makes much dust; but, unlike the said fly, I do not take it all for my own raising.

“A letter from Bella, which I answered.  I shall be in love with her again, if I don’t take care.

“I shall begin a more regular system of reading soon.

“Thursday, March 17.

“I have been sparring with Jackson for exercise this morning; and mean to continue and renew my acquaintance with the muffles.  My chest, and arms, and wind are in very good plight, and I am not in flesh.  I used to be a hard hitter, and my arms are very long for my height (5 feet 8-1/2 inches).  At any rate, exercise is good, and this the severest of all; fencing and the broad-sword never fatigued me half so much.