John Clare

fancys better then the rest he always attributes it to Mrs Emmerson or some of his friends as he has done now one to her & one to Vandyke

1825: Recievd a Letter from Lord Radstock filld with scraps of Newspaper Poetry among which was a pretty valentine by Mongomery & some verses said to be written by Lord Byron they are in his manner - the rest after the perusal of the Newspapers are 'nothing' - when his Lordship sees anything he...

1825: A hedge sparrow building its nest in one of Billingss Box trees.

1825: A robin busy at building its nest in the Garden.

1825: Found several pieces of Roman pot in Harrisons top close on the hill over which the road crosses to the Tindhills at the north-east corner of Oxey Wood one piece was the lettered & Artis says they are Roman & I verily believe some Roman camp or pottery was made there

some furze bushes to set in the Garden

1825: Recievd a Newspaper from Montgomery in which my poem of the 'Vanitys of Life' was inserted with an ingenius & flattering comment past upon it praise from such a person as Montgomery is heart stirring & its the only one from a poet that I have met with - went to Turnills Heath close to get...

1825: Saw a large bunch of blue violets in flower & a root of the Bedlam cowslip

lingers with her storys there is always some truth in them - brought home a bush of Ling or heath to plant in the garden

1825: Heard the Skylark sing at Swordy well - saw a piece of bayonet & gun barrel found while digging a stone pit this proves the story that superstition tells of a battle fought here by the rebels in Cromwells time - it is said were there is smoke there is fire & I often think were superstition...

1825: Heard the blackbird sing in Hilly wood - recievd a Valentine from Mrs Emmerson [three lines inked out] my Anna is some-thing better

beautiful one I forget the title it begins 'A witherd old gipsey one day I espied Who bade me shun the thick woods & said something beside' but the old woman that sung it is gone - the 'Old Guardian Angels' 'Banks of Banna' & a thousand others

1825: Wrote to Vandyk & Dr Darling in my letter to Van Dyk I inserted the tune of 'Peggy Band' There is a many beautiful tunes to these provincial Ballads such is the 'White Cockade' 'Wars Alarms' 'Down the Burn Davy' old & new 'Thro the wood laddy' 'Dusty Miller' 'Highland Laddie' & a very...

began - my dear Anna taken very ill

that I was excessive ignorant to palm such ignorant impudence upon me for truth after he found that his scheme would not take he begd two pence & departed - he is the son of an odd fellow at Baston he is a little foolish in his nature & they put him a long while to school to compleat what she...

1825: Recievd a letter from Dr. Darling - An odd sort of fellow came today with a bag full of old school summing books wanting me to buy them & vowing he was the author of them & that I might make a good bargain by publishing them what odd characters there are in the world the fellow fancied...

ballad is bad I did it in memory of the music & shall not alter it

1825: Receivd a letter from Vandyke in which he appears as the Editor of my Poems they chuse who they please this time but my choice comes next & I think I shall feel able to do it myself he wishes me to alter the title of my song written in imitation of Peggy Band to Peggy Bland because the old...

1825: Saw the first young Lamb this season - saw a blue violet on the Ivy bank next the lane in Billings Close

1825: Fine day the bees are out & busily seeking for wax among the little flowers of the yellow acconite - a sparrow is building its nest in a hole in the old wallnut tree in the Taylors garden

1825: Recievd a letter from Mrs Gilchrist - heard by Ned Simpson of Stamford that a bird of the hawk kind was shot at a fountain in hollywell Park of a large size which he calls the 'hair legd falcon' Heard by the same of a white mole being caught in Stamford field

1825: Recievd a joint letter from Lord Radstock & Mrs Emmerson under a Frank which was put into post too soon for which a charge of 1 py was made - 'Knaves in office' watch chances as the cat watches mice & are of that species of animal that catch their prey by supprise

window with three eggs in it I lookd again in March & found two young ones pen-featherd starved to death - she laid again in the same nest & brought off a fledged brood in April

1825: The first winters day a sharp frost & a night fall of snow drifted in heaps by a keen wind - there has been a deal of talk about the forwardness of this season - but last season was not much behind - on the third of this month I found an hedge-sparrows nest in Billings Boxtrees before the...

the small-pox almost everybody catches the plague

1825: Recievd a letter from Hessey with £5 enclosed & a parcel containing 2 Nos of the new series of London Mag; and 'Waladmor' a German-Scotch novel - if Job was living now he woud stand a chance to gain his wish 'O that mine enemy woud write a book' for this is the age of book making - & like...

young day follys - John Cue was once head Gardener for Lord Manners of Ufford Hall - he was fond of flowers & books & possessed a many curious ones of the latter among which was 'Parkinson'

1825: Went to walk in the fields & heard Ufford bells chiming for a funeral when I enquird I found it was for poor old John Cue of Ufford a friend of mine with whom I workd some seasons at turnip hoeing for which he was famous - he knew my Grandfather well & told me many reccolections of their...

recieves the ink very readily

1825: A beautiful morning took a walk in the fields saw some birch poles on the quick fencing & fancyd the bark of birch might make a good substitute for Paper it is easily parted in thin lairs & one shred of bark round the tree woud split into 10 or a dozen sheets I have tryd it & find it...