se. He never would sacrifice
anything he thought right on reflection, merely to secure present
popularity, or avert criticism which he thought unfounded; but he was a
severe critic on himself, and would not leave a line or an expression
with which he was dissatisfied until he had brought it to what he liked.
He thought this due to the gift of poetry and the character of the poet.
Carelessness in the finish of composition he seemed to look on almost as
an offence. I remember well, that after speaking with love and delight
of a very popular volume of poetry, he yet found great fault with the
want of correctness and finish. Reciting one of the poems, and pointing
out inaccuracies in it, he said, 'I like the volume so much, that, if I
was the author, I think I should never rest till I had nearly rewritten
it.' No doubt he carried this in his own case to excess, when he
corrected so largely, in the decline of life, poems written in early
manhood, under a state of feelings and powers which it was impossible to
reproduce, and yet which was necessary, generally speaking, for
successful alteration. I cannot but agree with many who think that on
this account the earlier copies of his poems are more valuable than the
later.

1836. _September_. Wednesday 21.--Wordsworth and I started in my
carriage for Lowther, crossed Kirkstone to Paterdale, by Ulleswater,
going through the Glenridding Walks,[236] and calling at Hallsteads. We
reached the castle time enough before dinner for him to give me a walk.

[236] I remember well, asking him if we were not trespassing on private
pleasure-grounds here. He said, no; the walks had, indeed, been
inclosed, but he remembered them open to the public, and he always went
through them when he chose. At Lowther, we found among the visitors, the
late Lord W----; and describing our walk, _he_ made the same
observation, that we had been trespassing; but Wordsworth maintained his
point with somewhat more warmth than I either liked, or could well
account for. But afterwards, when we were alone, he told me he had
purposely answered Lord W---- stoutly and warmly, because he had done a
similar thing with regard to some grounds in the neighbourhood of
Penrith, and excluded the people of Penrith from walking where they had
always enjoyed the right before. He had evidently a pleasure in
vindicating these rights, and seemed to think it a duty. J.T.C.

After luncheon, on Thursday 22d, we had an open carriage, an