The Secretaryship and its drawbacks—Social 241 compensations—Illness and death of Elizabeth Hoole—Letters of Jeremy Bentham and others—A visit to Burke—Home travels—Enclosures CHAPTER XII ILLNESS AND DEATH OF BOBBIN, 1797 Illness of Bobbin—Letters of Bobbin and her father’s 263 replies—Dress minutes at the opera—Hoping against hope—Bobbin’s death—Seeking for consolation—Retrospection—Beginning of diary—Correspondence CHAPTER XIII DIARY AND CORRESPONDENCE, 1798, 1799, 1800 Assessed taxes—Society—Mr. Pitt and the Board of 312 Agriculture—A foolish joke—Dinners to poor children—Interview with the King—Royal farming—Correspondence—Bradfield—Incidents of home travel—Portrait of a great lady—Correspondence CHAPTER XIV DIARY CONTINUED, 1801-1803 Public affairs and prophecy—The divining rod—The 347 appropriation of waste lands—The word ‘meanness’ defined—South’s sermons—Projected theological compendia—Correspondence—Journalising to ‘my friend’—Anecdote of Dean Milner and Pitt—Death of the Duke of Bedford—Napoleon and Protestantism CHAPTER XV APPROACHING BLINDNESS, 1804-1807 A great preacher—Arthur Young the younger goes to 391 Russia—Cowper’s letters—Mrs. Young’s illness—Dr. Symonds—Novel reading—Skinner’s ‘State of Peru’—Death of Pitt—Burke’s publishing accounts—Literary projects—Approaching blindness CHAPTER XVI LAST YEARS, 1808-1820 Gradual loss of sight—Illness and death of Mrs. Oakes—Daily 441 routine—A disappointment—Riots—Death of Mrs. Young—Anecdotes of Napoleon—A story of the Terror—National distress—Close of diary—The end INDEX 475 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PORTRAIT OF ARTHUR YOUNG _Frontispiece_ BRADFIELD HALL AS IN ARTHUR YOUNG’S TIME _to face p._ 127 FACSIMILE OF LETTER FROM ARTHUR YOUNG TO MISS YOUNG ” 188 PORTRAIT OF ‘BOBBIN’ (MARTHA YOUNG) ” 265 ARTHUR YOUNG’S TOMB AT BRADFIELD ” 472 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ARTHUR YOUNG [Illustration] CHAPTER I CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH, 1741-1759