on. In England it is
cultivated by the capitalist, for the farmer is capitalist. Some
astonishing views recently propounded by D. of Argyll on this matter.
Unearned increment--so terribly difficult to catch it. Perhaps best try to
get at it through the death duties. Physical condition of our
people--always a subject of great anxiety--their stature, colour, and so on.
Feared the atmosphere of cotton factories, etc., very deleterious. As
against bad air, I said, you must set good food; the Lancashire operative
in decent times lives uncommonly well, as he deserves to do. He agreed
there might be something in this.

The day was humid and muggy, but the tumult of the sea was most majestic.
Mr. G. delighted in it. He has a passion for the sound of the sea; would
like to have it in his ear all day and all night. Again and again he
recurred to this.

After dinner, long talk about Mazzini, of whom Mr. G. thought poorly in
comparison with Poerio and the others who for freedom sacrificed their
lives. I stood up for Mazzini, as one of the most morally impressive men I
had ever known, or that his age knew; he breathed a soul into democracy.

Then we fell into a discussion as to the eastern and western churches. He
thought the western popes by their proffered alliance with the mahometans,
etc., had betrayed Christianity in the east. I offered De Maistre's view.

Mr. G. strongly assented to old Chatham's dictum that vacancy is worse
than even the most anxious work. He has less to reproach himself with than
most men under that head.

He repeated an observation that I have heard him make before, that he
thought politicians are more _rapid_ than other people. I told him that
Bowen once said to me on this that he did not agree; that he thought
rapidity the mark of all successful men in the practical line of life,
merchants and stockbrokers, etc.

_Wednesday, Dec. 30._--A very muggy day. A divine sunset, with the
loveliest pink and opal tints in the sky. Mr. G. reading Gleig's
_Subaltern_. Not a very entertaining book in itself, but the incidents
belong to Wellington's Pyrenean campaign, and, for my own part, I rather
enjoyed it on the principle on which one likes reading _Romola_ at
Florence, _Transformation_ at Rome, _Sylvia's Lovers_ at Whitby, and
_Hurrish_ on the northern edge of Clare.

_Thursday, Dec. 31._--Down to the pier, and found all the party watching
the breakers, and superb they were. Mr. G. exulting in the huge force