21 June 1847 – 27 June 1847

Found Edwardes Square, Kensington, and Leigh Hunt's house, No. 32, left card.

Note from Leigh Hunt.

To Edwardes Square, saw cab with white horse driving away from No. 32, knocked, and found that it was Leigh Hunt, who had just gone off ' to the rehearsal of his play.' This was the Play to be acted for his benefit by Dickens and others. If I had been one minute sooner he might have taken me with him — perhaps even into the theatre ! wild thought !

32 Edwardes Square, and find Leigh Hunt at last. I was shown into the Study, an^ had some minutes to look round at the Book-cases, Busts, old framed engravings, and to glance at some of the books on the table, diligently marked and noted in the well-known neatest of hand-writings. Outside the window climbed a hop on its trellis. The door opened and in came the Genius Loci, a tallish young old man, in dark dressing-gown and wide turned-down shirt-collar, his copious iron-gray hair falling almost to his shoulders. The friendly brown eyes, simple yet fine-toned voice, easy hand-pressure, gave me greeting as to one already well-known to him. Our talk fell first on reason and instinct ; he maintained (for argument's sake, I thought) that beasts may be equal or superior to men. He has a light earnestness of manner, and toleration for almost every possible different view from his own. Of freewill he said, ' I would much rather be without it. I should like to feel myself taken care of in the arms of beneficent power. — Paganini incomparable ; when he came forward and struck "the first chord, my neighbour in the Opera pit (an Italian) exclaimed in a low voice, " O Dio ! " Violin, or better violino, is the name for his instrument. Com- mon English players 7?^^Z?, it is a good word for their playing. Macready is not a genius, he is our best actor now because there is no other. He keeps a fine house, but is not in what is called the best society.' I ask him about certain highly interesting men. ' Dickens — a pleasant fellow, very busy now, lives in an old"house in Devonshire Terrace, Marylebone. ' Carlyle — I know him well. ' Browning — lives at Peckham, because no one else does ! "a. born poet, but loves contradictions. Shake- speare and Milton write plainly, the Sun and Moon write plainly, and why can't Browning ,?' I suggested he was the Turner of poetry, to which Leigh Hunt , replied, ' Now, you've said it ! He's a pleasant fellow, { has few readers, and will be glad to find you admire I him.'(! !) ' ' I shall now be able to see my friends oftener, and will take an opportunity of asking Dickens, Carlyle, and Browning to meet you.' (Gracious Powers ! ! !) ' I would do so for few.' ' Moxon isnot a publisher but a secreter of books. 'Browning says, "People may find my publisher after a careful search, but myself scarcely at all." ' If I see Dickens at Mr. Talfourd's on Tuesday, I'll mention you to him.' Jenny Lind — I said I admired and loved her so much that I wished she would leave the stage, to which Leigh Hunt replied : ' Would not that be a pity, when the public sympathises with her sweet genius } ' W. A. — ' I doubt that : the public is a bad judge of the finest things.' L. H. agreed, W. A. — 'It is pleasant to walk home from the theatre on a fine night, perhaps the best part of the amusement.' L. H. — ' And one is going to rest.' Speaking of his poem, ' The Glove and the Lions,' I objected to the knight's flinging the glove in the lady's face, but Leigh Hunt argued for it : ' He treated her as no woman. Every one admits the justice of it — except you^ now — Browning ? Oh, he is sure to take the opposite view from everybody else ! ' I said it would make me suspect the knight of having been frightened, ' cowardice is passionate.' ' That's true,' said Leigh Hunt.