ed on.
He spoke of his own pleasure in returning to them, and of the effect of
the first view from 'Orrest Head,' the point mentioned in his
'unfortunate[250] sonnet, which has,' he said, 'you are aware, exposed
me to the most unlooked for accusations. They actually accuse me of
desiring to interfere with the innocent enjoyments of the poor, by
preventing this district becoming accessible to them by a railway. Now I
deny that it is to that class that this kind of scenery is either the
most improving or the most attractive. For the very poor the great God
of Nature has mercifully spread out His Bible everywhere; the common
sunshine, green fields, the blue sky, the shining river, are everywhere
to be met with in this country; and it is only an individual here and
there among the uneducated classes who feels very deeply the poetry of
lakes and mountains; and such persons would rather wander about where
they like, than rush through the country in a railway. It is not,
therefore, the poor, as a class, that would benefit morally or mentally
by a railway conveyance; while to the educated classes, to whom such
scenes as these give enjoyment of the purest kind, the effect would be
almost entirely destroyed.'

[250] See the Sonnet and Letters on the Furness Railway (vol. ii. p.
321). G.

_Wednesday, 20th Nov_.--A most remarkable halo was seen round the moon
soon after five o'clock to-day; the colours of the rainbow were most
brilliant, and the circle was entire for about five minutes.

Thursday, Mr. Wordsworth dined here with the Balls, Davys, and Mr.
Jefferies. Mr. W. spoke with much delight of the moon the day before,
and said his servant, whom he called 'dear James,' called his attention
to it.

* * * * *

_Wednesday, Dec. 18th_.--The Wordsworths and Quillinans sat two hours
with us. He said he thought [Dr. Arnold] was mistaken in the philosophy
of his view of the danger of Milton's Satan being represented without
horns and hoofs; that Milton's conception was as true as it was grand;
that making sin ugly was a common-place notion compared with making it
beautiful outwardly, and inwardly a hell. It assumed every form of
ambition and worldliness, the form in which sin attacks the highest
natures.

* * * * *

This day, Sunday, the 9th of February, the snow is again falling fast,
but very gently. Yesterday, the 8th, was a beautiful day. We had a very
pleasant