wn ideal of womanly perfection. I was a very
indifferent actress and had not begun to understand my work, nor was Mr.
Macready far wrong when, many years after, he spoke to me as "not
knowing the rudiments of my profession."

JOURNAL, 1831.

_Thursday, April 21st._--Walked in the square, and studied Lady
Teazle. The trees are thickly clothed with leaves, and the new-mown
grass, even in the midst of London, smelt fresh and sweet; I was
quite alone in the square, and enjoyed something like a _country_
sensation. I went to Pickersgill, and Mrs. Jameson came while I was
sitting to him; that Medora of his is a fine picture, full of
poetry. We dined with the Harnesses; Milman and Croly were among
the guests (it was a sort of _Quarterly Review_ in the flesh). I
like Mr. Milman; not so the other critic.

_Friday, 22d._--Visiting with my mother; called on Lady Dacre, who
gave me her pretty little piece of "Wednesday Morning," with a view
to our doing it for my father's benefit. It is really very pretty,
but I fear will look in our large theater as a lady's water-color
sketch of a landscape would by way of a scene. I walked in the
square in the afternoon, and studied Lady Teazle, which I do not
like a bit, and shall act abominably. At the theatre to-night the
house was not very full, and the audience were unpleasantly
inclined to be political; they took one of the speeches, "The king,
God bless him," and applied it with vehement applause to his worthy
Majesty, William IV.

_Saturday, 23d._--After my riding lesson, went and sat in the
library to hear Sheridan Knowles's play of "The Hunchback." Mr.
Bartley and my father and mother were his only audience, and he
read it himself to us. A real play, with real characters,
individuals, human beings, it is a good deal after the fashion of
our old playwrights, and does not disgrace its models. I was
delighted with it; it is full of life and originality; a little
long, but that's a trifle. There is a want of clearness and
coherence in the plot, and the comic part has really no necessary
connection with the rest of the piece; but none of that will
signify much, or, I think, prevent it from succeeding. I like the
woman's part exceedingly, but am afraid I shall find it very
difficult to act.