1824: Tryd to walk out & coud not have read nothing this week my mind almost overweights me with its upbraidings & miseries my childern very ill night & morning with a fever makes me disconsolate & yet how happy must be the death of a child it bears its suffering with an innocent patience that...

1824: A wet day did nothing but nurse my illness coud not have walkd out had it been fine very disturbd in conscience about the troubles of being forced to endure life & dye by inches & the anguish of leaving my children & the dark porch of eternity whence none returns to tell the tale of his...

1824: Very ill & did nothing but ponder over a future existence & often brought up the lines to my memory said to be utterd by an unfortunate nobleman when on the brink of it ready to take the plunge: In doubt I lived in doubt I dye / Nor shrink the dark abyss to try / But undismayed I meet -...

1824: The Statute & a very wet day for it the lasses do not lift up their gowns to show taper ankles & white stockings but on the contrary drop them to hide dirty ones. Wrote a poem on the 'Statute' last year lookd it over & think it a good one Taylor is of another opinion & thinks it not but it...

1824: A very wet day: an occurrence has happend in the village tho not very remarkable yet very singular for I have not heard of a former one in my day 'tis a gipsies' wedding Israel Smith & Lettyce Smith. What odd names these people have they are more frequently from the Bible than the...

1824: I wish I had kept a Journal sooner not of facts only but opinions of books when one rises fresh from the reading & thoughts that may rise at the moment for such a collection woud be an entertaining medley of the past out of which tho there might be a many weeds one might cull a few flowers...

1824: Bought the John Bull Magazine out of curiosity to see if I was among the black sheep It grows in dullness that's one comfort to those that it nicknames 'Hunt bugs. I have seen a boy grope in a sink for the hopes of finding a lost halfpenny but I have been worse employed than that boy for I...

1824: Began Don Juan 2 verses of the Shipwreck very fine & the character of Haidee the best I have yet met it is very beautiful the hero seems a fit partner for Tom & Jerry fond of getting into scrapes & always finding means to get out again forever in the company of ladys who seem to watch at...

1824: Had a visit from my friend Henderson of Milton who brought Don Juan in his Pocket. I was very ill & nursing my head in my hand but he reviv'd me & advised me to read Don Juan. We talked about books & flowers & butterflys till noon & then he descanted on Don Juan which he admird very much I...

1824: Finished the reading of Chatterton admire his tragedy of 'AElla' and 'Battle of Hastings' noticd a good description of a Thunder-storm in the 'Ballad of Charitie' inserted it in Appendix & a beautiful one of a ladye. Chatterton seemd fond of taking his similes from nature his favourite...

1824: Continued the reading of Chatterton in search for extracts to insert in my natural history. Inserted them in the Appendix - I was struck with the many beautifull & remarkable passages which I found in them what a wonderful boy was this unfortunate Chatterton. I hate the name of Walpole for...

1824: Wrote 2 or 3 more pages of my Life - read some of the Sonnets of Shakespear which are great favourites of mine & lookd into the Poems of Chatterton to see what he says about flowers & have found that he speaks of the lady-smock: 'So have I seen the lady-smocks so white / Bloom in the...

1824: A wet day. Wrote a letter to Rippingille & to H. F. Cary & finished another page of my Life which I intend to bring down to the present time as I did not keep a Journal earlier. I have inserted the names of those from whom I have recievd letters & to whom I have written in cronological...

1824: Written an essay today on 'The sexual system of plants' & began one on 'The Fungus Tribe' & on 'Mildew, Blight Etc' intended for 'A Natural History of Helpstone' in a series of letters to Hessey who will publish it when finishd I did not think it woud cause me such trouble or I shoud not...

1824: My health woud permit me to do nothing more then take walks in the garden today what a sadly pleasing appearence gardens have at this season the tall gaudy holliock with its mellancholy blooms stands bending to the wind and bidding the summer farewell while the Low Asters in their pied...

1824: Took a pleasant walk today in the fields but felt too weak to keep out long tis the first day of shooting with the sportsmen & the poor hares partridges & pheasants were flying in all directions panic struck they put me in mind of the inhabitants of a Village flying before an invading...

1824: The rainy morning has kept me at home & I have amused myself heartily sitting under Waltons Sycamore tree hearing him discourse of fishponds and fishing what a delightful book it is the best English pastoral that can be written the descriptions are nature unsullied by fashionable tastes of...

1824: I have read Foxes Book of Martyrs & finished it today & the sum of my opinion is that Tyranny & Cruelty appear to be the inseperable companions of Religious Power & the Aphorism is not far from truth that says 'All priests are the same' - the great moral presept of a meek & unoffending...

1824: I have determined this day of beginning a sort of journal to give my opinion of things I may read or see & set down any thoughts that may arise either in my reading at home or my musings in the Fields & this day must fill up a sort of Introduction for I have nothing else to set down all I...

1825: Wrote a letter to Mrs Emmerson & one to Mrs Gilchrist & one also to Baynes & Son Publishers in Paternoster row respecting some contribution solicited for a new Poetical Almanack

1825: Recievd a letter from Mrs Emmerson

1825: The account of Lord Radstocks death was thus mentioned in 'Bells Weekly Messenger' of August 29th - 'On the 17th Instant Admiral Lord Radstock was seized at his house in Portland Place with a sudden attack of apoplexy. The strength of his constitution struggled with that of the malady till...

1825: Went to Milton turned out a very wet day took the two large catterpillars which I had found in Billings potatoes & found they are the Deaths Head Moth

1825: Yesterday I found another of those deaths head Moth Catterpillars in Billings Potatoes

1825: James Billings shot a Cuckoo to day on one of his Plumb trees - it was very like the sparrow hawk in color but it had a strait bill & very thin short yellow legs neither of which seemed able to turn assailants in its own defence for it had only its wing broke & lived a long while it peckd...

1825: Recievd a letter from the Editor of a new Annual Almanack of the Muses or Souvenir or Forget me not or some such things intended to be published by Messrs Baynes & Son of Paternoster Row requesting me to send a contribution

1825: Found a beautiful Deaths head Moth catterpillar in Billings potatoes it is about 4½ inches long of most beautiful rainbow colors

1825: Recievd a letter from Mr Emmerson which tells me that Lord Radstock dyed yesterday he was the best friend I have met with - tho he possessed too much of that simple heartedness to be a fashionable friend or hypocrite yet it often led him to take hypocrites for honest friends & to take an...

1825: Wrote a letter to Henderson & sent one with it to get frankd for A A Watts Esq Editor of the 'Literary Souvenir' with a Ballad 'First Loves Reccolections' for insertion in that Work

1825: Returned from Milton brought home some flower seeds & roots - saw 2 very large catterpillars which a man found among the Potatoes in his garden one was about 3 inches long & the other 4 the smaller one was green with triangular marks of black, light blue, & yellow, the other was yellow...

1825: Went to Milton wrote a Letter to Miss Kent - & corrected & sent the Proof back to Taylor - saw the transactions of the Horticultural society

1825: A Newspaper lye of the first order - 'Mr Gale of Holt in the parish of Bradford Wilts has at present a Pear of the jargonel kind in his possession which was taken by himself from the tree in 1776, 49 years ago & is now as sound as at the first moment it was gathered. It is hung up by the...

1825: Sowed my Anemonie & Bath Polyanthus seed - lent Mrs Fanny Knowlton Bloomfields Hazlewood Hall & Remains & Aytons Essays - Got a look at Gillead [?] of Spaldings 'Alworth Abbey' & I never saw such a heap of unnatural absurdities & ridiculous attempts at wit & Satire strung together in my...

1825: Recievd a letter from Mrs Gilchrist in which she says that Barron Field has offered to edit Octave's miscellaneous papers

1825: A person of the name of Clay came to see me the 'Editor of the Scientific Receptacle' he stopt with me all the rest day he talked much of poetry & Poets but the latter were such names that nobody knew but himself the correspondents of Deweys Mathematical Companion &c &c - he told me an odd...

1825: Wrote a Letter to William Hone's 'Every Day book' signed Roberts with a copy of Verses which I have titled 'A Farewell & Defiance to Love’ & fatherd on Sir John Harrington but I don’t suppose they will get inserted

1825: Heard an old Fen Farmer say to-day that on his farm he finds a great deal of wood particularly Oak Hazel & Yew in the earth he says that the earth is actually nothing else but a decomposition of wood & that it will grow nothing but Oats he says that the Hazel will burn well as fire wood...

1825: Recievd a letter from Mrs Emmerson in which she has discovered me to be the Author of the Verses on Death in the every day book signed Marvel she has oftener been wrong in her guesses & I think if I had not given her some hints of it before I sent it she woud not have found it out now

1825: Sharp came to bid me good bye before he started to London A young Lady was with him of very amiable & pleasing manners who was very fond of Poetry & flowers.

1825: Received a proof from Taylor - the plan is again altered & he now intends to print the Months only & leave out the Tales this plan is one that puts the worst first & leaves the best for a future oppertunity - this proof contains 'February' & 'April' - the last is good for nothing & is not...

1825: Recievd the 28 No of the Every Day book in which is inserted a poem of mine which I sent under the assumed name of 'James Gilderoy' from Surfleet as being the production of Andrew Marvel & printed in the Miscellany of the Spalding Antiquarys - I shall venture again under another name after...

1825: ‘A hive of Bees natives of New South Wales has been recently brought to this country - The Bees are very small & have no Sting but their honey is peculiarly fine' - Stamford Mercury

1825: Found a species of Broom in Bushey Close of a dwarf kind the like sort grows in great quantitys on Casterton Cowpasture - the weather changed very cold but still dry

1825: Paid Stevenson for the Stamford Mercury & gave it up as too expensive

1825: Still uncommonly Hot.

1825: Recievd a letter from Mrs Emmerson in which she tells me that Rippingille is come up & she wants me to start tomorrow - this is one of the hottest days I have known & all my ferns is nearly scorchd up - Began to teach Eliza Holmes the common rules of Arithmetic at the restless request of...

1825: Recievd a letter from Lord Radstock in which his Lordship has made another troublesome request for his letters which he has written to me I cannot hunt them up at present

1825: This day I am thirty-two (or thirty three I am not certain which) - & my health was drunk at Milton by 2 very pretty girls Mrs P-r & Mrs B-n who wishd I might treble the number but I did not drink it in return [3 lines scored out] Henderson has promised me a curious 'Everlasting Pea' a...

1825: Went today to see Artis found him busy over his antiquitys & Fossils he told me a curious thing about the manner in which the Golden crested wren builds her nest he says it is the only english bird that suspends its nest which it hangs on three twigs of the fir branch & it glews the eggs...

1825: Started to Milton - a yery pleasant morning saw a bird that was an entire stranger to me about the size & shape of a green linnet with wings of a brown grey color & the crown of the head a deep black that extended downward no further than the eyes it had an old appearance & tho Artis...