8th--... John Marshall[9] came in; went out with him, and then called to see my aunt Brown. Lost a day like Titus, but dined (like Lord Byron on his birthday) on eggs and bacon and ale. Am very sulky with myself. 9th.--... Bought some plaid draperies, and set about arranging the draperies for Robert Burns[10] on the lay figure--sweated over it till dark, but got it to do at last. Went out till bed-time.... 11th.--... Painted-in part of a study for Robert Burns’ tartan with copal varnish; worked till quarter to six. 13th.--Went to Gravesend to see Lucy dear. 14th.--Got up later, at eight. Finished the plaid, and began a drawing for the robe of Robert Burns. Mr. and Mrs. Lucy came in: afterwards Thomas interrupted,[11] and I didn’t do much. Have bought a rat-trap: studio[12] swarms with them.... 16th.--Got up at half-past seven. Cut out a fresh mantle for Milton. Set it and began drawing it. Went out in the evening. Set about preparing a togam;[13] bought more flannel for it. 17th.--Got up at quarter to eight: worked all day at the cloak for Milton, and all the evening till twelve at the togam.... 18th.--... Cut out the togam, and arranged it on the lay figure for Lord Byron.... 20th.--Got up very early for a wonder: got to work at quarter past seven. Worked very hard all day; finished the drapery for Lord Byron. Dined, and walked round Regent’s Park with Thomas. Left him about to go and tell them, at a Shakespeare meeting of the Church Mason Society, that he thought it all humbug, and that the old House[14] had better be pulled down, and monument put in its place. Afterwards I came home, and had the energy to arrange the lay figure for Shakespeare before going to bed. _I_ am honouring him in the right way. 21st.--Got up at seven, worked pretty well all day. The Lucys came in, and in the night the rats ran away with a mutton-chop--could find no trace of it, not even the satisfaction of seeing the bone.... 23rd.--Got up late--painted till five.... Find that, when I have painted some hours, I get tired and cannot see the colour, but can see the shape. Memo., ought not to paint too long if I want to do good.... 25th.--Got up early--and got to work late. Fumbled till twelve o’clock over the hood of the left-hand-corner figure of the knight; made a liripipe for it. About twelve set to work at a small drawing of ----;[15] had not finished it by dusk. Am a very swine--shall never get the painting done in time--am a beast and a sleepy brute. 26th.--Finished the drawing of the hood, and a drawing of a cloak for one of the men next him, the Chamberlain.... 28th.--Got up at eight. Arranged the cardinal’s cape again; began a drawing of it. Lucy came in about one: made me go out with him. Did nothing more, but went to Richmond; back with him to tea. Came home by eleven. Read Shelley, and got to sleep about twelve.