other. I am however in these matters a very bad judge -and would advise you to act in a way that appears to yourself the best for your interest. As your Hermia and Helena is finished send that without the prologue of a Miniature. I shall see you soon, if you do not pay me a visit sooner there's a Bull for you.

I have been expecting a Letter from you about what the Parson said to your answers. I have thought also of writing to you often, and I am sorry to confess that my neglect of it has been but a small instance of my idleness of late-which has been growing upon me, so that it will require a great shake to get rid of it. I have written nothing and almost read nothing—but I must turn over a new leaf. One most discouraging thing hinders me-we have no news yet from George—so that I cannot with any confidence continue the Letter I have been preparing for him. Many are in the same state with us and many have heard from the Settlement. They must be well however: and we must consider this

1 Severn's profession at that time was that of a miniature painter; and, as "The Cave of Despair" was only his second attempt at oilpainting, it follows that "Hermia and Helena" was his first. It figured in the Academy catalogue as Number 267. The portrait of Keats was Number 940 in the catalogue.

silence as good news. I ordered some bulbous roots for you at the Gardener's, and they sent me some, but they were all in bud—and could not be sent-so I put them in our Garden. There are some beautiful heaths now in bloom in Pots-either heaths or some seasonable plants I will send you instead-perhaps some that are not yet in bloom that you may see them come out. To-morrow night I am going to a rout, a thing I am not at all in love with. Mr. Dilke and his Family have left Hampstead-I shall dine with them to-day in Westminster where I think I told you they were going to reside for the sake of sending their son Charles to the Westminster School. I think I mentioned the Death of Mr. Haslam's Father. Yesterday week the two Mr. Wylies dined with me. I hope you have good store of double violets-I think they are the Princesses of flowers, and in a shower of rain, almost as fine as barley sugar drops are to a schoolboy's tongue. I suppose this fine weather the lambs' tails give a frisk or two extraordinary—when a boy would cry huzza and a Girl O my! a little Lamb frisks its tail. I have not been lately through Leicester Square-the first time I do I will remember your Seals. I have thought it best to live in Town this Summer, chiefly for the sake of books, which cannot be had with any comfort in the Country-besides my Scotch journey gave me a dose of the Picturesque with which I ought to be contented for some time. Westminster is the place I have pitched upon-the City or any place very confined would soon turn me pale and thin-which is to be avoided. You must make up your mind to get stout this summer-indeed I have an idea we shall both be corpulent old folks with tripple chins and stumpy thumbs.

Your affectionate Brother

John

CII.

To BENJAMIN ROBERT HAYDON.

My dear Haydon,

Tuesday [13 April 1819].

When I offered you assistance I thought I had it in my hand; I thought I had nothing to do but to do. The difficulties I met with arose from the alertness and suspicion of Abbey: and especially from the affairs. being still in a Lawyer's hand-who has been draining our Property for the last six years of every charge he could make. I cannot do two things at once, and thus this affair has stopped my pursuits in every way—from the first prospect I had of difficulty. I assure you I have harassed myself ten times more than if I alone had been concerned in so much gain or loss. I have also ever told you the exact particulars as well as and as literally as any hopes or fear could translate them for it was only by parcels that I found all those petty obstacles which for my own sake should not exist a moment-and yet why not-for from my own imprudence and neglect all my accounts are entirely in my Guardian's Power. This has taught me a Lesson. Hereafter I will be more correct. I find myself possessed of much less than I thought for and now if I had all on the table all I could do would be to take from it a moderate two years subsistence and lend you the rest; but I cannot say how soon I could become possessed of it. This would be no sacrifice nor any matter worth thinking of-much less than parting as I have more than once done with little sums which might have gradually formed a library to my taste. These sums amount together to nearly 200 [], which I have but a chance of ever being repaid or

paid at a very distant period. I am humble enough to put this in writing from the sense I have of your struggling situation and the great desire that you should [do] me the justice to credit me the unostentatious and willing state of my nerves on all such occasions. It has not been my fault. I am doubly hurt at the slightly reproachful tone of your note and at the occasion of it, for it must be some other disappointment; you seem'd so sure of some important help when I last saw you-now you have maimed me again; I was whole, I had began reading again—when your note came I was engaged in a Book. I dread as much as a Plague the idle fever of two months more without any fruit. I will walk over the first fine day: then see what aspect your affairs have taken, and if they should continue gloomy walk into the City to Abbey and get his consent for I am persuaded that to me alone he will not concede a jot.

My dear Fanny,

CIII.

To FANNY KEATS.

Wentworth Place, Saturday[17 April 1819?]

If it were but six o'Clock in the morning I would set off to see you to-day: if I should do so now I could not stop long enough for a how d'ye do-it is so long a walk through Hornsey and Tottenham-and as for Stage Coaching it besides that it is very expensive it is like going into the Boxes by way of the pit. I cannot go out on Sunday-but if on Monday it should promise as fair as to-day I will put on a pair of loose easy palatable boots and me rendre chez vous. I continue increasing

my letter to George' to send it by one of Birkbeck's sons who is going out soon-so if you will let me have a few more lines, they will be in time. I am glad you got on so well with Mons'. le Curé. Is he a nice clergyman? a great deal depends upon a cock'd hat and powdernot gunpowder, lord love us, but lady-meal, violetsmooth, dainty-scented, lilly-white, feather-soft, wigsbydressing, coat-collar-spoiling, whisker-reaching, pig-tailloving, swans-down-puffing, parson-sweetening powder. I shall call in passing at the Tottenham nursery and see if I can find some seasonable plants for you. That is the nearest place-or by our la'kin or lady kin, that is by the virgin Mary's kindred, is there not a twig-manufacturer in Walthamstow? Mr. and Mrs. Dilke are coming to dine with us to-day. They will enjoy the country after Westminster. O there is nothing like fine weather, and health, and Books, and a fine country, and a contented Mind, and diligent habit of reading and thinking, and an amulet against the ennui-and, please heaven, a little claret wine cool out of a cellar a mile deep-with a few or a good many ratafia cakes-a rocky basin to bathe in, a strawberry bed to say your prayers to Flora in, a pad nag to go you ten miles or so; two or three sensible people to chat with; two or three spiteful folkes to spar with; two or three odd fishes to laugh at and two or three mumskul[1]s to argue with-instead of using dumb bells on a rainy day

Two or three Posies

With two or three simples

Two or three Noses

With two or three pimples

1 The reference is to the journal letter following this (No. CIV), which was not finished till the 3rd of May, though begun in February.