* * * * *

Lesketh How, Jan. 11. 1847.

In a morning visit by our fireside to-day from Mr. Wordsworth, something led to the mention of Milton, whose poetry, he said, was earlier a favourite with him than that of Shakspeare.  Speaking of Milton’s not allowing his daughters to learn the meaning of the Greek they read to him, or at least not exerting himself to teach it to them, he admitted that this seemed to betoken a low estimate of the condition and purposes of the female mind.  ’And yet, where could he have picked up such notions,’ said Mr. W., ’in a country which had seen so many women of learning and talent?  But his opinion of what women ought to be, it may be presumed, is given in the unfallen Eve, as contrasted with the right condition of man before his Maker: 

    “He for God only, she for God in him.”

Now that,’ said Mr. Wordsworth, earnestly, ’is a low, a very low and a very false estimate of woman’s condition.’  He was amused on my showing him the (almost) contemporary notice of Milton by Wycherly, and, after reading it, spoke a good deal of the obscurity of men of genius in or near their own times.  ‘But the most singular thing,’ he continued, ’is, that in all the writings of Bacon there is not one allusion to Shakspeare.’

Lasketh How, Jan. 10. 1849.

A long fireside visit from Mr. Wordsworth this morning, in highly sociable spirits; speaking much of old days and old acquaintances.  He spoke with much regret of Scott’s careless views about money, and said that he had often spoken to him of the duty of economy, as a means to insure literary independence.  Scott’s reply always was, ’Oh, I can make as much as I please by writing.’  ‘This,’ said Mr. W., ’was marvellous to me, who had never written a line with a view to profit.’  Speaking of his own prose writing, he said, that but for Coleridge’s irregularity of purpose he should probably have left much more in that kind behind him.  When Coleridge was proposing to publish his ‘Friend,’ he (Mr. Wordsworth) offered contributions.  Coleridge expressed himself pleased with the offer, but said, ’I must arrange my principles for the work, and when that is done I shall be glad of your aid.’  But this ‘arrangement of principles’ never took place.  Mr. Wordsworth added, ’I think my nephew, Dr. Conversations and Personal Reminiscences.

Wordsworth,[251] will, after my death, collect and publish all I have written in prose.’

On this day, as I have heard him more than once before, Mr. Wordsworth, in a way very earnest, and to me very impressive and remarkable, disclaimed all value for, all concern about, posthumous fame.[252]

(e) CONVERSATIONS AND REMINISCENCES RECORDED BY THE (NOW) BISHOP OF LINCOLN, &c.

Remember, first read the ancient classical authors; then come to us; and you will be able to judge for yourself which of us is worth reading.