Tuesday 5th.--Woolner returned from Sevenoaks. His news is--of
Gabriel, that he gets up at seven o’clock, is painting his background
with mystic feeling, translates canzoni at a great rate of evenings,
and will probably be back at the end of the week;--of Hunt, that
he is progressing well, painting the ground all covered with the
red autumn-leaves;--of Stephens, that he also is getting on. Beyond
this, he says that a letter has been received from Millais urging
the admission of Collins[240] into the P.R.B.; that Hunt acquiesces
in Millais’s suggestion, Stephens in Hunt’s consent, and Gabriel in
that of them two. Woolner himself fought the point savagely; being
of opinion (in which I fully agree with him) that Collins has not
established a claim to the P.R.B.-hood, and that the connexion would
not be likely to promote the intimate friendly relations necessary
between all P.R.B.’s.... A letter reached me from Allingham, who
speaks as being well pleased with my criticism, at some passages
of which I had my suspicions he might be offended. He says he has
corrected many of the imperfect rhymes in his volume; and, alluding
to Gabriel’s commenced picture from _Pippa Passes_, urges that the
Page should not be made too juvenile or helpless. In the evening I
had a letter telling me not to go to Patmore’s to-night; and stating
that the length of Cayley’s _Dante_ proves an insuperable obstacle
to its publication in _The Palladium_, the Editor, being willing,
nevertheless, to insert a canto or two as a specimen. A letter also
from Mr. Williams, to suggest that I should enable him to show
something written by me to the Editor of the paper he is connected
with. I accordingly looked over my _Critic_ critiques (selecting
the most mildly expressed, as the note speaks of “courteous
consideration”); and, with these and a copy of _The Germ_, called
on Mr. Williams. The paper in question is _The Spectator_, whose
Editor is a Mr. Rintoul; and it appears that its tactics are somewhat
hostile to the Academy, in so far at least as the aim of keeping it
up to public responsibility may be so construed. I gather, however,
that considerable latitude is allowed to the writer, and that I
should be but little hampered with any _antécédens_. The business
of the critic extends, beyond the mere notice of exhibitions, to
the general discussion of any matter affecting art, so that, if I
obtain the engagement, I may reckon upon being pretty constantly
occupied. I find Mr. Williams not of very P.R.B. tendencies, and
no great admirer of Anthony,--my review of whom at Suffolk Street
I had brought with me, fancying it would be appropriate. It seems
that a new Associate has been elected, which will furnish present
matter for an article. Mr. Williams spoke a good deal of Wells,
author of the _Stories after Nature_, who appears to be a most
dangerous and insidious person.[241] His whole aim, it appears, is
to exercise influence over others; a craving which occupies him to