John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 13h1824: Looked over 'The Human Heart' the title has little connection with the contents it displays the art of book making in half-filld pages & fine paper 'The Murderer's Death-bed' is very poor - the worst thing in the Newgate Calendar is as interesting 'Thou shalt do no Evil, etc' is a new... 162
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 29/09/20261824: Took a walk in the fields saw an old wood stile taken away from a favourite spot which it had occupied all my life the posts were overgrown with Ivy & it seemd so akin to nature & the spot where it stood as tho it had taken it on lease for an undisturbd existance it hurt me to see it was... 1225
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 28/09/20261824: Wrote another chapter of my Life read a little in Grays Letters great favourites of mine they're the best letters I have seen & I consider Burns very inferior to all the collections I have met with tho they have gaind great praise they appear to me when I read them as the letters of a man... 161
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 27/09/20261824: Read in Milton his account of his blindness is very pathetic & I am always affected to tears when I read it. The opening & end of Paradise Lost I consider sublime & just as the beginning & finish of an Epic poem shoud be. I never could read Paradise regaind through tho I have heard it... 190
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 26/09/20261824: Took a Walk in the fields heard the harvest cricket & shrew-mouse uttering their little chickering songs among the crackling stubbles. The latter makes a little ear-piercing noise not unlike a feeble imitation of the skylark & I verily believe this is the noise said to be made by the... 1101
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 25/09/20261824: Read some of the Odes of Collins think them superior to Grays there is little pomp about them & much luscious sweetness. I cannot describe the pleasure I feel in reading them, neither can I possess discrimination enough in Criticism to distinguish the different merits of either. Both are... 191
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 24/09/20261824: Tryd to walk out & coud not have read nothing this week my mind almost overweights me with its upbraidings & miseries my childern very ill night & morning with a fever makes me disconsolate & yet how happy must be the death of a child it bears its suffering with an innocent patience that... 172
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 23/09/20261824: A wet day did nothing but nurse my illness coud not have walkd out had it been fine very disturbd in conscience about the troubles of being forced to endure life & dye by inches & the anguish of leaving my children & the dark porch of eternity whence none returns to tell the tale of his... 292
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 22/09/20261824: Very ill & did nothing but ponder over a future existence & often brought up the lines to my memory said to be utterd by an unfortunate nobleman when on the brink of it ready to take the plunge: In doubt I lived in doubt I dye / Nor shrink the dark abyss to try / But undismayed I meet -... 1101
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 21/09/20261824: The Statute & a very wet day for it the lasses do not lift up their gowns to show taper ankles & white stockings but on the contrary drop them to hide dirty ones. Wrote a poem on the 'Statute' last year lookd it over & think it a good one Taylor is of another opinion & thinks it not but it... 151
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 20/09/20261824: A very wet day: an occurrence has happend in the village tho not very remarkable yet very singular for I have not heard of a former one in my day 'tis a gipsies' wedding Israel Smith & Lettyce Smith. What odd names these people have they are more frequently from the Bible than the... 181
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 19/09/20261824: I wish I had kept a Journal sooner not of facts only but opinions of books when one rises fresh from the reading & thoughts that may rise at the moment for such a collection woud be an entertaining medley of the past out of which tho there might be a many weeds one might cull a few flowers... 1110
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 18/09/20261824: Bought the John Bull Magazine out of curiosity to see if I was among the black sheep It grows in dullness that's one comfort to those that it nicknames 'Hunt bugs. I have seen a boy grope in a sink for the hopes of finding a lost halfpenny but I have been worse employed than that boy for I... 142
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 17/09/20261824: Began Don Juan 2 verses of the Shipwreck very fine & the character of Haidee the best I have yet met it is very beautiful the hero seems a fit partner for Tom & Jerry fond of getting into scrapes & always finding means to get out again forever in the company of ladys who seem to watch at... 181
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 16/09/20261824: Had a visit from my friend Henderson of Milton who brought Don Juan in his Pocket. I was very ill & nursing my head in my hand but he reviv'd me & advised me to read Don Juan. We talked about books & flowers & butterflys till noon & then he descanted on Don Juan which he admird very much I... 171
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 15/09/20261824: Finished the reading of Chatterton admire his tragedy of 'AElla' and 'Battle of Hastings' noticd a good description of a Thunder-storm in the 'Ballad of Charitie' inserted it in Appendix & a beautiful one of a ladye. Chatterton seemd fond of taking his similes from nature his favourite... 161
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 14/09/20261824: Continued the reading of Chatterton in search for extracts to insert in my natural history. Inserted them in the Appendix - I was struck with the many beautifull & remarkable passages which I found in them what a wonderful boy was this unfortunate Chatterton. I hate the name of Walpole for... 181
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 13/09/20261824: Wrote 2 or 3 more pages of my Life - read some of the Sonnets of Shakespear which are great favourites of mine & lookd into the Poems of Chatterton to see what he says about flowers & have found that he speaks of the lady-smock: 'So have I seen the lady-smocks so white / Bloom in the... 1101
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 12/09/20261824: A wet day. Wrote a letter to Rippingille & to H. F. Cary & finished another page of my Life which I intend to bring down to the present time as I did not keep a Journal earlier. I have inserted the names of those from whom I have recievd letters & to whom I have written in cronological... 160
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 11/09/20261824: Written an essay today on 'The sexual system of plants' & began one on 'The Fungus Tribe' & on 'Mildew, Blight Etc' intended for 'A Natural History of Helpstone' in a series of letters to Hessey who will publish it when finishd I did not think it woud cause me such trouble or I shoud not... 182
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 10/09/20261824: My health woud permit me to do nothing more then take walks in the garden today what a sadly pleasing appearence gardens have at this season the tall gaudy holliock with its mellancholy blooms stands bending to the wind and bidding the summer farewell while the Low Asters in their pied... 2124
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 09/09/20261824: Took a pleasant walk today in the fields but felt too weak to keep out long tis the first day of shooting with the sportsmen & the poor hares partridges & pheasants were flying in all directions panic struck they put me in mind of the inhabitants of a Village flying before an invading... 1142
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 08/09/20261824: The rainy morning has kept me at home & I have amused myself heartily sitting under Waltons Sycamore tree hearing him discourse of fishponds and fishing what a delightful book it is the best English pastoral that can be written the descriptions are nature unsullied by fashionable tastes of... 1123
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 07/09/20261824: I have read Foxes Book of Martyrs & finished it today & the sum of my opinion is that Tyranny & Cruelty appear to be the inseperable companions of Religious Power & the Aphorism is not far from truth that says 'All priests are the same' - the great moral presept of a meek & unoffending... 171
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 06/09/20261824: I have determined this day of beginning a sort of journal to give my opinion of things I may read or see & set down any thoughts that may arise either in my reading at home or my musings in the Fields & this day must fill up a sort of Introduction for I have nothing else to set down all I... 1130
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 04/09/20261825: Wrote a letter to Mrs Emmerson & one to Mrs Gilchrist & one also to Baynes & Son Publishers in Paternoster row respecting some contribution solicited for a new Poetical Almanack 060
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 30/08/20261825: The account of Lord Radstocks death was thus mentioned in 'Bells Weekly Messenger' of August 29th - 'On the 17th Instant Admiral Lord Radstock was seized at his house in Portland Place with a sudden attack of apoplexy. The strength of his constitution struggled with that of the malady till... 130
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 29/08/20261825: Went to Milton turned out a very wet day took the two large catterpillars which I had found in Billings potatoes & found they are the Deaths Head Moth 091
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 28/08/20261825: Yesterday I found another of those deaths head Moth Catterpillars in Billings Potatoes 090
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 27/08/20261825: James Billings shot a Cuckoo to day on one of his Plumb trees - it was very like the sparrow hawk in color but it had a strait bill & very thin short yellow legs neither of which seemed able to turn assailants in its own defence for it had only its wing broke & lived a long while it peckd... 130
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 26/08/20261825: Recievd a letter from the Editor of a new Annual Almanack of the Muses or Souvenir or Forget me not or some such things intended to be published by Messrs Baynes & Son of Paternoster Row requesting me to send a contribution 071
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 23/08/20261825: Found a beautiful Deaths head Moth catterpillar in Billings potatoes it is about 4½ inches long of most beautiful rainbow colors 0120
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 21/08/20261825: Recievd a letter from Mr Emmerson which tells me that Lord Radstock dyed yesterday he was the best friend I have met with - tho he possessed too much of that simple heartedness to be a fashionable friend or hypocrite yet it often led him to take hypocrites for honest friends & to take an... 1101
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 20/08/20261825: Wrote a letter to Henderson & sent one with it to get frankd for A A Watts Esq Editor of the 'Literary Souvenir' with a Ballad 'First Loves Reccolections' for insertion in that Work 040
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 14/08/20261825: Returned from Milton brought home some flower seeds & roots - saw 2 very large catterpillars which a man found among the Potatoes in his garden one was about 3 inches long & the other 4 the smaller one was green with triangular marks of black, light blue, & yellow, the other was yellow... 171
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 13/08/20261825: Went to Milton wrote a Letter to Miss Kent - & corrected & sent the Proof back to Taylor - saw the transactions of the Horticultural society 050
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 10/08/20261825: A Newspaper lye of the first order - 'Mr Gale of Holt in the parish of Bradford Wilts has at present a Pear of the jargonel kind in his possession which was taken by himself from the tree in 1776, 49 years ago & is now as sound as at the first moment it was gathered. It is hung up by the... 192
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 09/08/20261825: Sowed my Anemonie & Bath Polyanthus seed - lent Mrs Fanny Knowlton Bloomfields Hazlewood Hall & Remains & Aytons Essays - Got a look at Gillead [?] of Spaldings 'Alworth Abbey' & I never saw such a heap of unnatural absurdities & ridiculous attempts at wit & Satire strung together in my... 141
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 04/08/20261825: Recievd a letter from Mrs Gilchrist in which she says that Barron Field has offered to edit Octave's miscellaneous papers 071
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 03/08/20261825: A person of the name of Clay came to see me the 'Editor of the Scientific Receptacle' he stopt with me all the rest day he talked much of poetry & Poets but the latter were such names that nobody knew but himself the correspondents of Deweys Mathematical Companion &c &c - he told me an odd... 141
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 02/08/20261825: Wrote a Letter to William Hone's 'Every Day book' signed Roberts with a copy of Verses which I have titled 'A Farewell & Defiance to Love’ & fatherd on Sir John Harrington but I don’t suppose they will get inserted 070
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 01/08/20261825: Heard an old Fen Farmer say to-day that on his farm he finds a great deal of wood particularly Oak Hazel & Yew in the earth he says that the earth is actually nothing else but a decomposition of wood & that it will grow nothing but Oats he says that the Hazel will burn well as fire wood... 1201
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 31/07/20261825: Recievd a letter from Mrs Emmerson in which she has discovered me to be the Author of the Verses on Death in the every day book signed Marvel she has oftener been wrong in her guesses & I think if I had not given her some hints of it before I sent it she woud not have found it out now 0111
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 30/07/20261825: Sharp came to bid me good bye before he started to London A young Lady was with him of very amiable & pleasing manners who was very fond of Poetry & flowers. 081
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 29/07/20261825: Received a proof from Taylor - the plan is again altered & he now intends to print the Months only & leave out the Tales this plan is one that puts the worst first & leaves the best for a future oppertunity - this proof contains 'February' & 'April' - the last is good for nothing & is not... 1100
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 27/07/20261825: Recievd the 28 No of the Every Day book in which is inserted a poem of mine which I sent under the assumed name of 'James Gilderoy' from Surfleet as being the production of Andrew Marvel & printed in the Miscellany of the Spalding Antiquarys - I shall venture again under another name after... 170
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 25/07/20261825: ‘A hive of Bees natives of New South Wales has been recently brought to this country - The Bees are very small & have no Sting but their honey is peculiarly fine' - Stamford Mercury 0112
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 24/07/20261825: Found a species of Broom in Bushey Close of a dwarf kind the like sort grows in great quantitys on Casterton Cowpasture - the weather changed very cold but still dry 071
John Clare @johnclare.bsky.social · 21/07/20261825: Paid Stevenson for the Stamford Mercury & gave it up as too expensive 081