24 January 1876 – 30 January 1876

Spring-like. Walk with Carlyle and Froude, Hyde Park, ' School proposed for Haddington in memory of John Knox.' Lord Amberley's death. (To W. A. ) — ' Emerson has quoted from you about sleep.' Game Laws — ' do animals enjoy being hunted } I asked a man how he would feel if he had to run for his life with twelve devils at his heels } ' C. declared game laws bad, caused a ' waste of food- producing power.'

To C. 12.30, and stayed three hours, examining with him Goethe's Sprilche, the original, and an English translation by a lady. C. said, ' She has rubbed down all the points with a bathbrick.' Froude comes in. F. — *Jowett's Plato, a bald, tame, prosaic transla- tion.' C. — ' Plato's style is admirable, but he has nothing particular to tell you.' A. — ' One wonders how much is Socrates.' C. — ' Socrates one suspects to be a myth mainly. I could get nothing out of Plato ! What do you mean then } — the devil a word ! ' F. — ' You would have liked to meet him ^ ' C. — 'O yes, I daresay I should have found him highly interesting in himself.'