ring; a sober twilight--that is all.

I am in great hopes that the Bannatyne Club, by the assistance of
Thomson's wisdom, industry, and accuracy, will be something far superior
to the Dilettanti model on which it started. The _Historie of K. James
VI._, _Melville's Memoirs_, and other works, executed or in hand, are
decided boons to Scottish history and literature.

_February_ 2.--In confirmation of that which is above stated, I see in
Thorpe's sale-catalogue a set of the Bannatyne books, lacking five,
priced L25. Had a dry walk from the Court by way of dainty, and made it
a long one. Anne went at night to Lady Minto's.

Hear of Miss White's death. Poor Lydia! she had a party at dinner on the
Friday before, and had written with her own hand invitations for
another party. Twenty years ago she used to tease me with her youthful
affectations--her dressing like the Queen of Chimney-sweeps on May-day
morning, and sometimes with rather a free turn in conversation, when she
let her wit run wild. But she was a woman of much wit, and had a feeling
and kind heart. She made her point good, a _bas-bleu_ in London to a
point not easily attained, and contrived to have every evening a very
good literary _melee_, and little dinners which were very entertaining.
She had also the newest lions upon town. In a word, she was not and
would not be forgotten, even when disease obliged her, as it did for
years, to confine herself to her couch; and the world, much abused for
hard-heartedness, was kind in her case--so she lived in the society she
liked. No great expenditure was necessary for this. She had an easy
fortune, but not more. Poor Lydia! I saw the Duke of York and her in
London, when Death, it seems, was brandishing his dart over them.[460]

"The view o't gave them little fright."[461]

Did not get quite a day's work finished to-day, thanks to my walk.

_February_ 3.--There is nought but care on every hand. James Hogg writes
that he is to lose his farm,[462] on which he laid out, or rather threw
away, the profit of all his publications.

Then Terry has been pressed by Gibson for my debt to him. That I may get
managed.

I sometimes doubt if I am in what the good people call the right way.
Not to sing my own praises, I have been willing always to do my friends
what good was in my power, and have not shunned personal responsibility.
But then that was in money matters, to which I am naturally indifferent,
unless when the consequ