no MORE POT-POURRI 



kinds of hospitals than will, I fear, ever be supplied. You 

 would find Mrs. Marcet's " Conversations on Political 

 Economy " very useful, and there are some good reasons 

 given in the beginning why ladies should be acquainted 

 with the principles of the science. Let me recommend 

 to you, as connected with your German reading, Madame 

 de StaeTs work on Germany. I have derived great 

 pleasure from reading it. And though she occasionally 

 goes out of her depth, and her facts are not always 

 correct, there is a good deal still of profound reflection 

 and much valuable information in the work. I will 

 mention to you a few others of the books which I have 

 most admired. I am not, however, a miscellaneous reader ; 

 I wish I could be ; but I have not a retentive memory, 

 and as reading is to me valuable only in proportion as 

 I retain what I read, I confine my studies as much as 

 possible to those works which I can bear to read over and 

 over again. Of such character is Wordsworth's poetry, 

 and I should be glad if no day elapsed without my read- 

 ing some portion of it. If you have his works with you, pray 

 read the " Buth," the " Laodamia," the " Ode to Duty," 

 " Lines written near Tintern Abbey " (I know nothing 

 more beautiful than this), the " Cumberland Beggar," and 

 a little poem I think he calls it the " Yew Tree " or the 

 " Yew Tree Seat " (for I have not the book with me) in 

 which there are some lines beginning, " The man whose 

 eye is ever on himself doth look on one the least of 

 Nature's works," etc. I like Coleridge's poetry but less 

 well. Of all his long pieces I like his translation of 

 Schiller's Wallenstein the best. It is admirable as a poem, 

 while it is perfect as a translation. His " Ancient Mariner " 

 and his " Love " or " Genevieve " are very beautiful. 

 I hope you will be able to read my friend's play, which 

 my sister told you of. 1 I longed to send it to you. It is 

 1 Philip van Artvelde. 



