ow down and scatter abroad. Really to master a subject,
we should begin at the beginning, storing the memory with
consecutive facts, reasoning and reflecting upon them as we go
along, till the whole subject is digested, comprehended, made
manageable and producible at will; but then, for this process,
the mind must be disciplined, and there must be a power of
attention undiverted, and of continuous application; but if the
eyes travel over the pages of a book, while the mind is far away
upon Newmarket Heath, and nothing but broken fragments of
attention are bestowed upon the subject before you, whatever it
may be, the result can only be useless imperfect information,
crude and superficial ideas, constant shame, and frequent
disappointment and mortification. Nothing on earth can make up
for the valuable time which I have lost, or enable me to obtain
that sort of knowledge, or give me those habits which are only to
be acquired early in life, when the memory is fresh and vigorous,
and the faculties are both lively and pliant; but that is no
reason why I should abandon the design of improvement in despair,
for it is never too late to mend, and a great deal may yet be
done.

Beaudesert,[25] January 12th, 1838 {p.048}

On Monday went to Sutton; nobody there but Mr. Hodgson, formerly
my tutor at Eton, the friend of Byron, author of a translation of
Juvenal--a clever, not an agreeable man. The house at Sutton is
unfinished, but handsome enough. Came here on Wednesday; a
magnificent place indeed, and very comfortable house. A good many
people, nobody remarkable; very idle life. Read in the newspaper
that Colburn gave Lady Charlotte Bury L1,000 for the wretched
catchpenny trash called 'Memoirs of the Time of George IV.,'
which might well set all the world what Scott calls
'gurnelising,' for nobody could by possibility compile or compose
anything more vile or despicable. Since I came here, a world of
fine thoughts came into my head which I intended to immortalise
in these pages; but they have all evaporated like the baseless
fabric of a vision.

[25] [The seat of the Marquess of Anglesey near Burton-on-
Trent.]

Beaudesert, January 17th, 1838 {p.048}

To Sandon on Monday, and returned here yesterday; go away to-
morrow. It has been a dreadfully idle life all day long, _facendo
niente_, incessant gossip and dawdle, poor, unprofitable talk,
and no rational employment. Brougham was here a little while ago
f