mental,
must have rest. As Edgar says, I cannot fool it further.[263] Anne is
gone to Hopetoun House for two days.

Dined at the Royal Society Club, and went to the Society in the evening.

_March_ 3.--Began this day with labour as usual, and made up my packet.
Then to the Court, where there is a deal of business. Hamilton, having
now a serious fit of the gout, is not expected to aid any more this
season. I wrote a little both before and after dinner. Niece Anne and I
dined alone. Three poets called, each bawling louder than the
other--subscribe, subscribe! I generally do, if the work be under 10s.;
but the wares were every one so much worse than another, that I declined
in the three instances before me. I got cross at the repeated demands,
and could have used Richard's apology--

"Thou troubl'st me: I am not in the vein."[264]

_March_ 4.--Being Teind Wednesday, I settled myself at my desk and
laboured the whole forenoon. Got on to page seventy-two, so there cannot
be more than twenty pages wanted. Mr. Drummond Hay, who has an alertness
in making business out of nothing, came to call once more about Mons
Meg. He is a good-humoured gentlemanlike man, but I would Meg were in
his belly or he in hers. William Laidlaw also called, whom I asked to
dinner. At four o'clock arrives Mr. Cadell, with his horn charged with
good news. The prospectus of the _Magnum_, already issued only a week,
has produced such a demand among the trade, that he thinks he must add a
large number of copies, that the present edition of 7000 may be
increased to the demand; he talks of raising it to 10,000 or 12,000. If
so, I shall have a constant income to bear on my unfortunate debts to a
large amount yearly, and may fairly hope to put them in a secure way of
payment, even if I should be cut off in life, or in health, and the
power of labour. I hope to be able, in a year or two, to make proposals
for eating with my own spoons, and using my own books, which, if I can
give value for them, can hardly, I think, be refused to me.[265] In the
meantime I have enough, and something to bequeath to my poor children.
This is a great mercy, but I must prepare for disappointment, and I will
not be elated.

Laidlaw dined with me, and, poor fellow, was as much elated with the
news as I am, for it is not of a nature to be kept secret. I hope I
shall have him once more at Kaeside to debate, as we used to do, on
religion and politics. Meanwhile, patience, cou