98 MEMOIR OF JOHN WILSON. 



part of creation, but not by our sex. I think her appearance is 

 very pretty, particularly her figure, but I think her deficient in 

 feminine propriety and modesty. Her husband has been dead some 

 years ; she was married at fourteen, and is still quite a girl in ap- 

 pearance. I don't know whether Mr. Wilson's attentions to her 

 will end in a marriage, but I hope not, for his sake. I think he is 

 deserving a very superior woman." 



There is a pretty touch of female character about this relation ; 

 the evident penchant for Mr. Wilson, the reserved manner of speak- 

 ing of him, the slight grudge, if so it may be called, against the 

 " little widow," the constant recurrence to his name, the interest 

 taken in those belonging to him, all declare very plainly how much 

 tendresse there lay in the wish, " he deserves a very superior 

 woman." And most truly did he obtain one. 



The flirting with the " little widow" was but the amusement of 

 idle hours, and Wilson had now begun seriously to feel the want, 

 as he called it himself, of " an anchor," without which, he said, he 

 should " keep beating about the great sea of life to very little pur- 

 pose." A closer intimacy Avith Miss Jane Penny revealed qualities 

 more precious than those which shine most in the light of ball- 

 rooms, and he found that " the belle of the lake district" was also 

 such a woman as was worthy of his whole heart's love, and wanted 

 no quality to fit her for giving happiness and dignity to his life. It 

 took some time, however, before his mind settled down to this con- 

 clusion. The image of Margaret still rose before him tenderly in 

 his solitary hours : he had as yet found no woman's heart in which 

 he could confide so utterly as he had done in hers. Among other 

 projects to divert his thoughts, he meditated an expedition into 

 Spain along with Blair and De Quincey ; and in the course of the 

 year 1809, he and the former occupied themselves for some time 

 assiduously in the study of Spanish, in order to qualify themselves 

 for enjoying the journey. The intelligence of Bonaparte's fresh 

 descent upon that country caused the breaking off alike of their 

 plan and their studies. 



The following letter, addressed about this time to his friend Mr. 

 Harden, who was about to proceed to Edinburgh to edit the Cale- 

 donian Mercury,* gives some idea of the state of his mind and 

 prospects : — 



* Mr. Allan ,the proprietor, was Mr. Harden's father-in-law. 



