ld
nevertheless hold before my mind. _3rd._--West Indies Committee
1-4. Finished writing out my speech and sent it. Read
Wordsworth.... Saw Sir R. Peel. Dined at Sergeant Talfourd's to
meet Wordsworth.... _5th._--St. James's, Communion. Dined at
Lincoln's Inn. St. Sepulchre's. Wrote. Jer. Taylor, Newman. Began
Nicole's _Prejuges_. Arnold aloud. _8th._--Wordsworth, since he has
been in town, has breakfasted twice and dined once with me.
Intercourse with him is, upon the whole, extremely pleasing. I was
sorry to hear Sydney Smith say that he did not see very much in
him, nor greatly admire his poems. He even adverted to the London
Sonnet as ridiculous. Sheil thought this of the line:

'Dear God! the very houses seem asleep.'

I ventured to call his attention to that which followed as carrying
out the idea:

'And all that mighty heart is lying still.'

Of which I may say _omne tulit punctum_.

Wordsworth came in to breakfast the other day before his time. I
asked him to excuse me while I had my servant to prayers; but he
expressed a _hearty_ wish to be present, which was delightful. He
has laboured long; if for himself, yet more for men, and over all I
trust for God. Will he ever be the bearer of evil thoughts to any
mind? Glory is gathering round his later years on earth, and his
later works especially indicate the spiritual ripening of his noble
soul. I heard but few of his opinions; but these are some He was
charmed with Trench's poems; liked Alford; thought Shelley had the
greatest native powers in poetry of all the men of this age. In
reading _Die Braut von Korinth_ translated, was more horrified than
enchained, or rather altogether the first. Wondered how any one
could translate it or the Faust, but spoke as knowing the original.
Thought little of Murillo as to the mind of painting; said he could
not have painted Paul Veronese's 'Marriage of Cana.' Considered
that old age in great measure disqualified him by its rigid fixity
of habits from judging of the works of young poets--I must say that
he was here even over liberal in self-depreciation. He defended the
make of the steamboat as more poetical than otherwise to the eye
(see Sonnets).[73] Thought Coleridge admired Ossian only in youth,
and himself admired the spirit which Ma