on of sorrow prompted me, such words as grew
from my heart and not my understanding. But in reading "King Lear,"
the iteration in the expression of deep grief confirms me in the
opinion that it is natural to all men, and not peculiar to myself,
for Shakespeare has done it. In the scene where Gloster tells
Cornwall and Regan of Edgar's supposed wickedness, the wretched old
father uses frequent repetition, as, "Oh, madam, my old heart is
cracked; it's cracked!" "Oh, lady, lady, shame would have it hid!"
"I know not, madam: 'tis too bad, too bad!" and in the last scene,
that most piteous and terrible close that story ever had, the poor
old king, in his moanings over Cordelia, repeats his words over and
over again. I defend my conception, not my execution of it; and
true and touching as these repetitions of Shakespeare's are, mine
may be "damnable iteration," and nothing else. Heart-broken sorrow
has but few words; utter bereavement is not eloquent; and David,
when the darling of his soul was dead, did but cry, "O Absalom, my
son, my son! would God I had died for thee, my son!" A vastly
different expression of a vastly different grief from that which
poured itself out in the sad and noble dirge, "The beauty of Israel
is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen!"

_Saturday, 3d._--Henry has obtained his commission; one great piece
of good fortune amid all the bad, for which God be thanked. [The
liberal price given me by Mr. Murray for my play of "Francis I."
enabled me to purchase my brother's commission, which, however, the
money would not have obtained without the extremely kind interest
exerted in his favor by Lord Hill, then commander, and Sir John
Macdonald, adjutant-general of the forces.]

_Sunday, 4th._-- ... My father is in deplorable spirits, and seems
bowed down with care. I believe all that befalls us is right. I
know we must bear it; all I pray for is health, strength and
courage to bear it well. In the evening the Harnesses drank tea
with us.

_Monday, 5th._--Got ready things for the theater, and went over my
part.... In the afternoon, I hoped to hear the result of the
meeting that had been held by the creditors of the theater; but my
father had been obliged to leave it before anything was settled,
and did not know what