I did not go to town today. Morning taken up in writing for my father, correcting old MS and reading Lingard. I find this historian is somewhat influenced by his Catholic partialities. Yet now that the world is free from the dangers of Popish dominion, it may perhaps with truth be asserted, that historians have pushed to an extreme of prejudice their mention of Prelates and of Religion in early time. Dr. Lingard admits the principal charge against them, that of intermeddling constantly in affairs of State. After this it is surely somewhat immaterial whether the men were the vicious beings they are described. I mean immaterial in a historical point of view, because I think as a matter of Justice the mistake if any ought to be corrected.

After dinner, I read several Chapters of Quintus Curtius,1 and passed half an hour in fishing, with better success than yesterday. Quiet evening. Read a part of Dr. Granville to the ladies and finished the Adventurer.