nearly floating, now wading, now swimming. The kind horse took the water like a spaniel. Fortunately John bent his direction to the right and we were soon mid-wheel high and a little more till we got to the other side.--At Hartford Bridge we got dry shoes and stockings, and in that state came to Newcastle.--Our bags and their contents were soaked in salt water. John's dressing case and my new box have without the use of keys opened their contents. Their paste and glue are dissolved.- -While we were in the river I continued very cool and without fear; but our danger was so great that for thinking of it I could not sleep till after two o'clock."

"1841, 8 Sept.-James Potts, of the Light Battalion, killed at Salamanca, 22 July, 1812. His wife buried him in a field, on an open and exposed place, and, having no instrument to cover his body, collected earth and stones in her lap to build his grave-raised a barrow to him —as in Homer's time, in honour of the mighty dead."

"To the Rev. J. RAINE. Hexham,* 6 Sept.-I have been here a week, confined almost constantly to house or bed by indisposition and bad weather. I have seen nothing, and, till to-day, unable to say when you might expect to see me. Pray write to me at the Post Office, Hexham, whether you could meet me here on Thursday, and at what hour, and I will be at the station to meet you. The "Black Book " I have had, but after I copied a part of it I dare not collate it: doing so hurts my head."

26.

"Sept. 25. Drove Mrs. H., Emma, and Miss Brown, to Newbiggin, where Mr. Woodman had taken lodgings for us. Sunday. Not at church to day. Very much distressed-my head broken. Wandered along the sea-side banks. The head to the south

*He had left home in quest of materials for another portion of his History, with which he was still anxious to proceed, and had visited several places in North Tynedale for that purpose. His Journal contains many very interesting entries and sketches made during this visit. It was upon this, or a former occasion, that he heard a derivation which much amused him. The public road near Simonburn climbs up a steep elevation called Lincoln Hill. "Pray (said he to a man who was driving a cart upon the spot), can you tell why this place is called Lincoln Hill ?" "Why, sir, if you please, (said the man,) it's because we links on at the bottom, to get up the hill, and takes off at the top." The man was doubtless right in his account of the real origin of the It carries with it a reason, but not so many of the modern appellations which one daily hears.

name.

side of the bay is much fretted by the sea, and has an old quarry on the side next to the Spital brook. The fretted rocks at the narrow point of the head are grey with ancient lichens. Not a vestige now remains of Newbiggin Hospital."

"To the Rev. J. RAINE.-Newbigging Baliol, Morpeth, 27 Sept. 1841. —I wish I could have been able to be present at the anniversary of the Surtees Society, but on Thursday I am engaged to be at the meeting of some friends for laying the foundation stone of Cambo Chapel.*-Mr. Hawdon has ordered both Mrs. Hodgson and myself to Newbigging. I wish I could have had an opportuity of seeing the Bishop (at the meeting of the Surtees Society) for a few minutes. I wrote to him on the 24th of June last, but he has not answered my note, and took no notice about it at the Visitation. It was about the chapel of Cambo that I wrote to him.—I fear that I have offended his lordship by my letter. I know that I wrote to him briefly, and in a headache, but in the fewest words that I could, that I might not trouble him with useless numbers. If I could any way avoid to offend him (it) would be my most anxious study; but still my head is not in a state to write anything well, and most of all able to suffer distress from fear that I have offended one human being.—If you can, pray try to get an opportunity of soothing a broken reed: strong again it never can be, but soft words are good for aching brains. I was very unwell while at Hexham; and when I got better could learn little about its church. -I was also a few hours at Dilston, and found some account of the chapel and mill of Temple Thornton; but my head ached so much that I could not read the Greenwich Hospital papers, and Mr. Grey directed some minutes to be copied which are curious. Here I am, without books; and as the morning is thick, and the sea cannot be seen, I have written a note to you, dark, however, I am sure, as the Scottish mist that is enveloping us from the beauties of Newbigging Baliol. J. H."

"27 Sept.--Mr. Murray Aynsley called on Saturday on Mr. Woodman, and in reply,' as Mr. W. says, 'to my application for the payment of 21. 2s., returned the last volume of your History. He is legally bound to keep it and pay for it; but I suppose you will not be inclined to litigate the question? I therefore allowed him to leave it.'t—

* A chapel of ease which he was beginning to build in his parish. See hereafter. + I am told that upon being informed by Mr. Woodman that the returned volume would be gladly taken back by its author, as in a very short time, instead of being

In my account of Whelpington, when he found I wrote his pedigree only through that of the Aynsleys of Little Harle, he got me to print four additional pages of his descent through the Murrays; but, though my book was perfect without those star-pages, he never thanked me for the trouble. He bought Wood's Scottish Peerage to enable me to write the pedigree of the Murrays, and I thought he intended me the book for the trouble; but he sent a note requesting me to return it. I made much new matter to the pedigree."

"1841, Oct. 23.-At Morpeth. Mr. Woodman gave me 301. amount of Northumberland payments. People would not pay by (notwithstanding) my application."

"7 Nov. Sunday.-Very thankful that I was able to go to church to-day and remain during service without pain."

"20 Nov.-Called on Mr. Joseph Cookson, now at Meldon Park; an amiable charmingly-minded gentleman; sweet in his manners to his gentle wife, and kind to a mind like mine that kindness can do good for."

"9 Dec.-Called on John Brown, of High Angerton, one about my own age, and feeble now like myself; but, till a few months since, never had a headache. But I wish he could dream like me, and think of flying over rivers, and hearing music over lakes, and think his soul in the milky way-though every day my head by the slightest thoughts and words is often distracted."

"18 Dec.-To-day began to make a new catalogue of my books, Northumberland and Antiquarian. The next to be Poetry; but the sound of the poet and of music to me is now brought low, and all their sons and daughters are silent and dead, and nothing is heard as in the night, but the murmur of the brooks and the voice of the sea."

"22 Dec.-A letter from Mr. Macaulay, Albany, London, respecting the history and character of Sir John Fenwick of Wallington."

"1812, Jan. 11.-Wrote ab ut Jacobite poems to Mr. Macaulay."

merely worth its publication price of two guineas, it would sell for at least five, the repudiator would fain have retained it. This however he was not permitted to do.

CHAPTER XVII.-1842, 1843, 1844.

Journal, Letters, &c.-Descriptive Catalogue of his printed Works, Manuscript Collections, &c.-British Grave at Angerton-Visit to Harrogate-To Shap Wells — Journal, Letters, &c.-Tithe Commutation-Journal, Letters, &c.-Visit to Shap -Chapel of Cambo-Journal, Letters, &c.-Brockett's Glossary-Journal, &c.— Final Visit to Shap-Journal, &c.-Paralytic Attack.-Letters, &c.

I proceed with my extracts from Mr. Hodgson's Journal, Letters, &c., according to the plan adopted in the preceding chapter. My task is drawing rapidly to its termination, and, with the exception of an occasional departure from home in search of health, or a visit to a relation or friend, there is not much of variety in my materials or in the life which is waning away. Hodgson had been long neglected by the world. It must be the peculiar happiness of a man of his simple character and of his acquaintance with the world and its vanities to depart in peace, with no complaint upon his tongue, and no feeling of disappointment in his heart.

"1842, Feb. 18. Desired Mr. Milnthorpe, Mr. Cookson's gardener, to get me eighteen apple trees and six pear trees, to make the orchard greater in the garden; also thirty black Italian poplars, fifty spruce firs, and ten larches, to plant in the wood."

"Feb. 24. Began to arrange in yearly order Mr. Swinburne's drawings engraved for my History. Feb. 25th. Pasting in guarded books Mr. Swinburne's drawings."

As it was impossible for Hodgson to be idle, I find him engaged in the opening of the year 1842 in drawing up a descriptive catalogue of his printed works and manuscript collections respecting the History of Northumberland, which he proposed to publish in parts, from time to time, in proof of what he had already done, and of the extent and importance of his unpublished

materials on the subject. To the account of his printed works he appended an occasional extract from a private letter or a review in their favour. Of this catalogue the first part was published in March in this year, with a title and advertisement as below, from which the object which he had in view will be ascertained; and it will further be seen how intent his mind still was upon the subject by which his health had been destroyed. By the advice of a friend, however, who was fearful of the consequences of such an arduous undertaking to one already broken down by literary labour, the design was abandoned, and Hodgson continued to work at the easier task which he had commenced in 1840, the arrangement of his manuscript collections in local order. This undertaking he happily completed, and his papers relating to any parish or township in the county may now be found in a moment. In a letter addressed by him on the 2d of April to the author, who had ventured to give him the above advice, he thus writes, "I have been saying to some of my friends that I will endeavour to bind all my papers into volumes, number them with order, and do nothing more. But a catalogue, such as I planned, would be very interesting. Even the British History of Northumberland, the names of all its places, arms, bronze implements, and cairns and clay urns, would, in methodical order, bring to life the days of full two thousand years."

"A Catalogue of Printed and Manuscript Works, on Northumberland and Miscellaneous Subjects. By the REV. JOHN HODGSON, M.A., M.R.S.L., &c. Newcastle: for the Author. 1842.

"ADVERTISEMENT.-After fighting a long time with difficulties in writing a History of Northumberland, the author was suddenly conquered and carried out of battle, and is now, in that, as in every other kind of war, completely "hors de combat;" but he hopes, that as he kept his arms, he may, as an old soldier, be allowed to re-temper and re-polish them, stamp them with his own signature, and prepare young historians to fight in the field, till the difficulty be overcome.

"The testimonies for Printed Books in this catalogue, are selected principally in favour of those that are for sale; of which it is of importance to one that has to dispose of them, that their reputable character should be labelled in established and distinct words. But the list and credit of those that are out of print will also be noticed, that they may raise their