25 February–3 March 1822

Few of my pages have been filled so little to my own satisfaction as these — and why ? — be- cause the air has been so fine, and my visits so pleasant, and myself so full of pleasant social feelings, for a day or two past, that the mind has not possessed sufficiently the cold, frigid tone which is indispensable to become so oracu- lar as it hath been of late. Etsi mearum cogita- iionum laus [et honor?) non tarn magna quam antea fuit, tamen gaudium voluptatemque majorem ac- cipit, quoniam sentire principia amoris me credebam. Vidi amicum etsi veterem, ignotum ; alteram vidi not am et noscendam ; ambo,forsitan, si placet Deo, partem vitae, partem mei facient. Pcsnitet mei res magnas narrare cum verbis qualibus tyro uti solet.

Animi ardor, de quo supra dixi, non extinctus est, sedmihiyidetur non esse tarn pot ens, tarn clarus, tarn magnus quam antea. I'imeo ne caderet. Spero ut viveret.