life bewailed that desultory reading results as much from idleness as from a desire for knowledge, getting through books unconnected with each other without any purpose, but amusement. To be deprecated at any age, but positively pernicious to youth, encouraging an appetite for novelty merely, unsettling the mind without much informing it, causing over-excitement followed by lassitude without any one good result.
27. Something radically wrong in the character of Sir James Mackintosh I imagine, a want of thoroughly religious principle though he had much religious feeling. He was too much disappointed in his situation at Bombay because he did not seek for it on right grounds. It was all wrong and yet I feel for him, for how desolate did I not myself feel at Bombay, how dull the parties were, how stupid the conversation, and there was great improvement since Sir James’s day but I took myself to task for my folly in expecting to find Lord Jeffrey, Mr. Horner, Charles Grant, the Duke of Gordon, Count Flahault etc. with their proper accompaniments in a distant Colony, or rather not expecting, I was not so ill informed as that implies, but feeling dull because I did not find all of talent and of polish I had left behind. Here I feel this too a little, the people are not sufficiently educated to be to me what my early friends were, but there is much worth and much talent and much kindness among them. And I have sobered myself down to be quite happy with ‘good home brewed ale’ and to think of Highland days as of a glass of champaign not often attainable.6
Walked to Blesinton with the little girls, called at Mrs. Murray’s, found them in, heard a great deal about Lord Downshire of course, met Mr. Moore in the market place, talked of our books, he has offered to lend me Sir James Mackintosh’s Essay on Ethicks which he says with the Colonel’s help I shall understand. Mr. Murray [Lord Downshire’s Agent] showed us a Temperance Medal rather handsome. It is really curious what an effect Father Matthew7 is producing, the distilleries are in many places given up, the breweries even injured. Our brewer told us he does not sell one cask of beer now for twenty he used to sell; that and the fine of five shillings really seeme to have produced great effect; that odious whiskey, it is the bane of Ireland the money spent on this abominable poison would keep each family in comfort, besides that with so excitable a people the use of spirits maddens them and puts them up to the commission of every crime.
SUNDAY, MARCH 1. Much interested in the journals of Sir J. M’s little Tours, knowing most of the places, his idea of Indian politicks so correct, projected improvements affected. Strange that I should never have seen Sir James himself though we were relations after a Highland fashion, and our families intimate and my father and he great friends. I must write you some Highland tales, dear children, or you will not know your mother well.
10. Children all went to Peeny Kelly’s who made much of them Jack in particular, he must be Squire Smith again, no Colonels for her, he must live in his own place among his own people and he will always have plenty for they always had plenty before him. Very likely, when the property was twice as large as it is now.
15. How excessively beautiful is the English of Junius, 8 I never studied it before having only known it read in bits by my father as was his custom with most Authours he liked from whom he used to select passages for our evening’s amusement. What pains my father took with us, it did not strike us when we were young, it was done so easily, so much as a part of his own occupations. But every hour since I was separated from him, I have felt the value of early constant intercourse with such a mind as his. We were his companions in all his pursuits—his assistants as far as our powers admitted. What we could comprehend he always so fully explained, yet he led us to enquire for ourselves, seldom either giving us short roads to knowledge, he often let us take a great deal of pains to find out what he could very easily have told us.
John Hornidge called quite in a bustle about the Election for Poor Law Guardian, having nominated Colonel Smith and taken a world of pains to secure his return in opposition to one Riley set up by the Priests. He tried hard to get Hal to promise to accompany him to-morrow to canvass some respectable farmers in Lacken. Sacred musick the first part of the evening, Lord Byron afterwards.
16. I think my self my little hub is acting Coriolanus a little bit, however he says he won’t move; if the black-guards elect him he will do his best for them but he won’t solicit one of their most sweet voices. They all know he has consented to the nomination.9
19. We met the priest Father Germaine whose Curate has been so busy setting up this Riley, he very much wanted to pass us appearing in the extreme of hurry, but Hal would not let him off. ‘How are you, Mr. Germaine’? He was obliged to answer though he quickened his pace. ‘Has your Curate been very successful in his canvass?’ ‘I believe not, Sir’, said the poor priest quite taken aback; it was too bad. Coming home my heart filled thinking of all the happiness that awaited us, business going forward everywhere, the ploughman in the field, the labourers splashing [trimming] the hedges, the farm yard full. It is really enjoying life to live as we do.
31. Tumult in the family on account of thefts from the pantry, so many cakes taken away yesterday, the two girls suspected but in the absence of proof could accuse none so we called the whole household together. Would allow no one to speak, only listen to a pretty severe rebuke; fancied that we saw guilt on the two faces.
Hal and I walked all about to see what the men were doing, some fencing, some potato planting. Beautiful weather, all prospering round us. Both Hal and I bore the success of the priests and Mr. Riley in the poor law business with equanimity.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1. Hal and I walked to Russboro’, found Lady Milltown in and so agreeable we staid an hour hearing her talk. In praise of John Robinson as a man of business and talent and as a gentleman. Against the priests and the Irish generally. About the queen and her temper!
6. The Doctor and Tom Darker amusing us with the Priest’s denuciations in the chapel against Colonel Smith and anyone who voted for him as a Poor Law guardian in opposition to the Candidate of the true faith. He called on most of our tenants, threatened all, and rated all, yet all but two voted for their landlord. Dempsey stoutly insisted that he would, he did not care, he would vote for the man who gave him his land, and he let the priest understand that it would be as well to give over abusing him for he was not the man that would bear it, the Curate struck him when Dempsey turning to the Priest advised him to look after that young man of his for so sure as he ever laid hands upon him again so sure would he knock him down.
They told Farrell the carpenter that if he did not vote for their candidate they would not let him enter their chapel, on which he observed there were other places of worship he could get into without any leave from them. They have refused to christen a child of James Carney’s the mason on the same account without he pay them most exorbitant fees. All this is most agreeable to me, the tighter they strain the cord the sooner will it snap. The roused feeling of the people too is really comforting, a ray of light in the darkened land.
The Doctor a good judge says it is surprising the change among the people latterly in their estimation of the priests they are losing much of their fear for them and all their respect. Tom Darker says the same thing, that they talk of their priests now in a way they would never have dreamed of doing a year or two ago. I think nay I feel sure that if we protestants did our duty, if we acted up to our principles, if the landlords visited and assisted and became acquainted with their tenantry and our clergy laboured with zeal in their vocation, there would be few papists in this country in twenty years.
14. Another summer day but windy. Paddy the gardener who had been absent yesterday without leave (whiskey drinking of course) at his
