Delphi Complete Works of William Wordsworth

by William Wordsworth

  Saturday 9th. William & I walked to Mr Simpsons.

  Sunday 10th. Rain all day.

  Monday 11th. A beautiful day. We walked to the Easedale hills to hunt waterfalls — Wm & Mary left me sitting on a stone on the solitary mountains & went to Easedale Tairn. I grew chilly & followed them. This approach to the Tairn is very beautiful. We expected to have found C at home but he did not come till after dinner — he was well but did not look so.

  Tuesday 12th October 1802. We walked with C to Rydale.

  Wednesday 13th. Set forwards with him towards Keswick & he prevailed us to go on. We consented, Mrs C not being at home. The day was delightful. We drank tea at John Stanleys. Wrote to Annette.

  Thursday 14th. We went in the evening to Calverts. Moonlight, stayed supper.

  Friday 15th. Walked to L(or)d Wm Gordon’s.

  Saturday 16th. Came home Mary & I, William returned to Coleridge before we reached Nadel Fell. Mary & I had a pleasant walk, the day was very bright, the people busy getting in their corn — reached home at about 5 o clock. I was not quite well but better after tea, we made Cakes &c —

  Sunday 17th. We had 13 of our neighbours to Tea — Wm came in just as we began tea.

  Monday 18th. I was not very well. I walked up in the morning to the Simpsons.

  Tuesday 19th. The Simpsons drank tea & supped. William was much oppressed.

  Wednesday 20th. We all walked on Butterlip How — it rained.

  Thursday 21st. I walked with Wm to Rydale.

  Friday 22nd.

  Saturday 23rd. Mary was baking. I walked with Wm to see Langdale Rydale & the Foot of Grasmere — we had a heavenly walk, but I came home in the tooth ache — & have since that day been confined up stairs, till now namely Saturday 30th of October 1802. William is gone to Keswick. Mary went with him to the Top of the Rays. She is returned & is now sitting near me by the fire. It is a breathless grey day that leaves the golden woods of Autumn quiet in their own tranquillity, stately & beautiful in their decaying, the lake is a perfect mirror.

  Saturday 30th October. Wm met Stoddart at the Bridge at the foot of Legberthwaite dale — he returned with him & they surprized us by their arrival at 4 o’clock in the afternoon. Stoddart & W dined. I went to bed, & after tea S read in Chaucer to us.

  Monday 31st October (Sunday). John Monkhouse called. Wm & S went to K(eswick). Mary & I walked to the top of the hill & looked at Rydale. I was much affected when I stood upon the 2nd bar of Sara’s Gate. The lake was perfectly still, the Sun shone on Hill & vale, the distant Birch trees looked like large golden Flowers — nothing else in colour was distinct & separate but all the beautiful colours seemed to be melted into one another, & joined together in one mass so that there were no differences though an endless variety when one tried to find it out. The Fields were of one sober yellow brown. After dinner we both lay on the floor. Mary slept. I could not for I was thinking of so many things. We sate nicely together after Tea looking over old Letters. Molly was gone up to Mr Simpsons to see Mrs S who was very ill.

  Monday November 1st. I wrote to Miss Lamb. After dinner Mary walked to Mr Simpson’s. Letters from Cook Wrangham MrsC

  Tuesday 2nd November. William returned from K — he was not well. Baking Day — Mr BS came in at tea time — Molly sate up with Mrs S. William was not well this evening.

  Wednesday 3rd. Mr Luff came in to tea.

  Thursday 4th. I scalded my foot with coffee after having been in bed in the afternoon — I was near fainting, & then bad in my bowels. Mary waited upon me till 2 o’clock, then we went to bed & with applications of vinegar I was lulled to sleep about 4.

  Friday 5th. I was laid up all day. I wrote to Montagu & Cooke & sent off letters to Miss Lamb & Coleridge.

  Saturday 6th.

  Sunday 7th. Fine weather. Letters from Coleridge that he was gone to London — Sara at Penrith. I wrote to Mrs Clarkson. Wm began to translate Ariosto.

  Monday 8th. A beautiful day. William got to work again at Ariosto, & so continued all the morning, though the day was so delightful that it made my very heart linger to be out of doors, & see & feel the beauty of the Autumn in freedom. The trees on the opposite side of the Lake are of a yellow brown, but there are one or two trees opposite our windows, (an ash tree for instance) quite green, as in spring. The fields are of their winter colour, but the Island is as green as ever it was. Mary has been baking to-day, she is now sitting in the parlour. Wm is writing out his Stanzas from Ariosto. We have a nice fire, the evening is quiet — Poor Coleridge! Sara is at Keswick I hope. — William has been ill in his stomach but he is better tonight — I have read one Canto of Ariosto today.

  24th December 1802, Christmas Eve. William is now sitting by me at ½ past 10 o’clock. I have been beside him ever since tea running the heel of a stocking, repeating some of his sonnets to him, listening to his own repeating, reading some of Milton’s & the Allegro & Penseroso. It is a quiet keen frost. Mary is in the parlour below attending to the baking of cakes & Jenny Fletcher’s pies. Sara is in bed in the tooth ache, & so we are — beloved William is turning over the leaves of Charlotte Smith’s sonnets, but he keeps his hand to his poor chest pushing aside his breastplate. Mary is well & I am well, & Molly is as blithe as last year at this time. Coleridge came this morning with Wedgwood. We all turned out of Wm’s bedroom one by one to meet him — he looked well. We had to tell him of the Birth of his little Girl, born yesterday morning at 6 o clock. W went with them to Wytheburn in the Chaise, & M & I met Wm on the Rays. It was not an unpleasant morning to the feelings — far from it — the sun shone now & then, & there was no wind, but all things looked chearless & distinct, no meltings of sky into mountains — the mountains like stone-work wrought up with huge hammers. — Last Sunday was as mild a day as I ever remember — We all set off together to walk. I went to Rydale & Wm returned with me. M & S went round the Lakes. There were flowers of various kinds the topmost bell of a fox-glove, geraniums, daisies — a buttercup in the water (but this I saw two or three days before) small yellow flowers (I do not know their name) in the turf a large bunch of strawberry blossoms. Wm sate a while with me, then went to meet M. & S. — Last Saturday I dined at Mr Simpsons also a beautiful mild day. Monday was a frosty day, & it has been frost ever since. On Saturday I dined with Mrs Simpson. It is today Christmas-day Saturday 25th December 1802. I am 31 years of age. — It is a dull frosty day.

  Again I have neglected to write my Journal — New Years Day is passed Old Christmas day & I have recorded nothing. — It is today January 11th Tuesday. — On Christmas Day I dressed myself ready to go to Keswick in a returned chaise, but did not go. On Thursday 30th December I went to K. Wm rode before me to the foot of the hill nearest Keswick. There we parted close to a little water course, which was then noisy with water, but on my return a dry channel. We ate some potted Beef on Horseback, & sweet cake. We stopped our horse close to the ledge opposite a tuft of primroses three flowers in full blossom & a Bud, they reared themselves up among the green moss. We debated long whether we should pluck & at last left them to live out their day, which I was right glad of at my return the Sunday following for there they remained uninjured either by cold or wet — 1 stayed at K. over New Year’s Day, & returned on Sunday the 2nd January. Wm Mackareth fetched me. (M & S walked as far as John Stanley’s.) Wm was alarmed at my long delay & came to within 3 miles of Keswick, he mounted before me. It had been a sweet mild day & was a pleasant Evening. C stayed with us till Tuesday January 4th. W. & I walked up to George M’s to endeavour to get the horse, then walked with him to Ambleside. We parted with him at the turning of the Lane, he going on horseback to the top of Kirkstone. On Thursday 6th, C. returned, & on Friday the 7th he and Sara went to Keswick. W accompanied them to the foot of Wytheburn — I to Mrs Simpson’s & dined & called on Aggy Fleming sick in bed. It was a gentle day, & when Wm & I returned home just before sunset, it was a heavenly evening. A soft sky was among the hills, & a summer sunshine above, & blending with this sky, for it was more lik
e sky than clouds. The turf looked warm & soft.