gleams of resolution and self-promises of better things. 31st.Retire to bed at eleven-this has been a dismal day of depression, and closes a year, part of which has been full of sanguine hope, of social enjoyment, peace of mind, and health of body; and the latter part saddened by disappointments and distrust of the world and of myself; by sleepless nights and joyless days. May the coming year prove more thoroughly propitious!

CHAPTER XIII.

EXTRACTS FROM DIARY-WEST-MEDWIN-ANECDOTE OF GENERAL JACKSON AT NEW ORLEANS-LETTER TO PIERRE PARIS IRVING OVERTURES FOR A LIFE OF WASHINGTON-UNABLE TO APPLY HIMSELF-PAULDING'S REBUKE - DISASTROUS INVESTMENTS - DETERMINES TO GO TO WORK-LEAVES PARIS WITH PETER FOR BORDEAUX-THE VINTAGE-AMERICAN ESSAYS AN ILL-BODING FAILURE-FURTHER EXTRACTS FROM DIARY-CLOSE OF 1825.

EELINGS of depression continued to weigh upon

FE

his mind, as will appear from some of the extracts from his diary, which follow:

Feb. 5th, 1825.-A good night-mind excited-thinking over project of an American work-Spanish lesson-called at West's-Mr. Lynch and Miss Caton sitting.

Feb. 6th.-Read Spanish all the morning-Calderon's play of Las Manos Blancas-talked with Peter about Cervantes' life -[a theme for his pen which had been suggested by Murray and which was afterward adopted by Lockhart].

Feb. 10th.-Called at West's-found the daughter-in-law and granddaughters of Lafayette there-accompanied the Storrows to see West's pictures.

Feb. 14th.-Studied Spanish all the morning-Latin

**

went with Lynch to Pasta's-found her by her fireside -simply dressed-simple in her manners.

Feb. 16th.-Awake with low spirits, as is too frequently the case of late-read in Calderon-study Spanish during the morning-a misty, chilly day-feel great depression all the day-called on West-had much conversation about Lord Byron, whom he describes as amiable, kind, and affectionatedined at home with Peter.-In evening took Sam. Storrow to Gaieté.

Feb. 17th.-Slept well; though awake several times-did not read-still I awoke very much depressed-that continual want of confidence either in myself or the public-cheerless prospects-Spanish lesson-studied Spanish-Latin.

Feb. 19th.-Dined at Galignani's-Sir Egerton Brydges and Mr. Underwood, and Peter-Sir E. said Medwin showed him the MS. of his recollections [of Byron], but withdrew them before he had time to revise them-received letter from proprietor of European Magazine, requesting me to sit for portrait to be engraved, and for biographical particulars.

Feb. 24th.-Dined at Lord Northland's-Present. Col. Thornton, attached to the embassy-Col. Thornton commanded the troops which crossed the river at New Orleansspeaks highly of conduct of Jackson in his correspondence with British-letters courteous-sent back watches, epaulettes, &c., of officers killed-epaulettes of one officer had been cut off, -apologized for not sending them-said diligent search should be made, and if found, they should be sent and the offender punished.

March 4th.-Dined with Peter at Mr. Storrow's-saw Peter and Mr. S. off in malle-poste for Calais. [Peter, from whom he

was now to be separated for some months, was proceeding to his sister's at Birmingham.]

March 14th.-Received letter from Peter-Medwin has arrived-have not met him.

March 16th.-Medwin breakfasted with me-thinks of writing an answer to Hobhouse-talked of Spanish literature -speaks of a play by Calderon called sometimes El Embozado and at other times El Capotado.-Lord Byron thought of writing something on it-Medwin promised to procure me a MS. he had written on the subject. Went with him to West's he pronounced the likenesses of Lord Byron and the Guiccioli admirable.

March 19th.-Wrote letter to P. Irving-dozed-felt sad and heavy.

March 23d.-Re-write two chapters of Virgin tale.

March 24th.-Called on Medwin-he gave me his note concerning El Embozado-* Have thought this day

*

*

of plan for dramatic work on story of El Embozado.

March 25th.-Called at West's-sketched there a part of plan of Embozado. 28th.-Tried to sketch plot of Embozado, but could not bring my mind to the task. 29th.-Wrote letters to E. I. [his brother Ebenezer], and Pierre [his nephew Pierre Paris Irving, the eldest son of Ebenezer].

I give this last letter from a copy placed in my hands by the party to whom it is addressed. The reader will remember that in a previous letter, to the same juvenile correspondent, his uncle had rather rebuked his premature literary outbreak. In this communication, he touches, among other things, on the subject of languages.

MY DEAR PIERRE :

[To Pierre Paris Irving.]

PARIS, March 29, 1825.

I am very much gratified by your letter; it is full of good sense and good feeling. You have taken the observations of my former letter, however, much too strongly, if you have suf fered them to produce any thing like mortification. They were rather meant to warn you for the future, not to censure you for the past; I had felt in my own case how insensibly a young man gets beguiled away by the imagination, and wanders from the safe beaten path of life, to lose himself in the mazes of literature. Scarcely any author ever set forth with the intention or surmise of becoming such; he becomes so by degrees; and I have seen enough of literary life to warn all of those who are dear to me, should I see any danger of their straying into it.

Upon the whole, I am glad that you have entered into your father's counting house. You will there have a certain. and prosperous path in life marked out for you, instead of having to adopt and clear away a doubtful one for yourself. You will, in all probability, have the means of living independ ently, and indulging your tastes and talents at an age when, in another line of life, you might have the whole struggle of existence before you. In our country, too, a commercial life does not imply the abandonment of other paths of honorable ambition. Many of our most valuable public men have been merchants; and, indeed, there are few men who have greater influence in our community than individuals who combine the intellectual requirements of the scholar with the practical habits of the man of business and the moneyed influence of the man of wealth. There is no city in the world which presents a fairer