His imagination appears better calculated to adorn the _belles lettres_ with just criticism than to define the Penal Code. But no person of abilities finds out exactly their excellence. Boccaccio despised the only work which makes him immortal. He never showed his friend Petrarch his _Decamerone_, tho’ upon second thoughts Petrarch must have known parts at least of the work, as he tells him in their letters he frequently reads _Griselda_, but never without shedding tears. Beautiful as the _Griselda_ is in ye Italian, I am almost disposed to prefer our Chaucer’s English version; there is a pathetic simplicity that touches the heart. The expressions are very natural where one can understand the language. The day before we left Bowood Mr. Jekyll came. He is never so pleasant where Ld. L. is, as elsewhere; he aims at being the grave senator, and becomes pompous, didactic, and, with his merry little figure, one may add ridiculous. [Sidenote: MR. FOX’S ACCIDENT] On Tuesday we left Bowood. Our long conversations and disputes upon Stonehenge and the Druidical worship made us desirous of seeing that remarkable place: we therefore went by it to London. It is, to be sure, a most wonderful edifice, let it be raised by who it may. I shall transcribe great part of the description of its situation, etc., from Gough’s edition of Camden’s _Britannia_. We arrived that night at Basingstoke, and arrived here on Wednesday. We found Ste. in perfect health and spirits; he is fat and ugly, but very merry and strong. His head is beautifully shaped; his ears are as pretty as his father’s; he will be darker than Charles. In the eve. Ld. H. went to see his uncle Mr. Fox, who was confined in town under the care of two surgeons. A gun burst in his hand and shattered his fingers. There was for some time a danger of his losing one of them. Hamilton came and stayed a night. There is a great perplexity in the family about his brother’s name, whether it is to be Douglas or Clydesdale.[31] The Chancellor has started the difficulty, but Scotch etiquettes are a _mer à boire_. The late Duke made no will, but left bonds to a great amount, for which his personal property must answer; thus the fine pictures at the Palace of Hamilton will go to the hammer. There is no danger of Ld. Stanley claiming the dukedom. I went on Thursday to the play; General Fitzpatrick came with us. Sr. Lionel[32] dined with us on Saturday, and Hamilton. On Sunday, General Fox.[33] He is going immediately to Minorca, where he is appointed Governor. His wife is not to accompany him now; she imputes her not doing so to Sr. James St. Clair’s pompous dispatches, in which he announces the intention of the Spaniards to attack that place, a vapour to give himself importance.