File:Thomas Butler Gunn Diaries- Volume 3, page 3, October 5-6, 1851.jpg

Transcription:

Pope having broken the shins of his shallow soul against some of the first stumbling blocks in the way of belief. Nothing-arian. Saw no reason for crediting deity or futurity (though of course he believed in the former — what a belief sure!) as he couldn’t understand it. Negatived the existence of the sun because he couldn’t see the mechanism by which it was wound up. And profoundly considered himself a thinker because he had advanced to Negation. Shallow Master Pope! / Talk of Letters from and for Lotty [Kidder]. She finding all things strange about her, talking of masculines deserving an introduction, a concert &c. How [Arthur] Mason hath written a comic letter, narrating the imagined effects of her departure on admirers, that Pope had earnestly supplicated for a supply of prussic acid from the store, that another hearing Lotty’s name inadvertently mentioned at the dinner table had burst into tears & rushed from the room; that another had, attired but partially, mysteriously wandered forth at night, and being followed by him, (Mason), had on being questioned as to whitherwards had frantically answered “Georgia! — Lotty! — The Devil!” and on his condition being represented to him, meekly taken refuge in the station house! / Quaint little dog! / Walked with [William] Barth to the South Ferry, he, as I had expected partially admiring Mrs K [Rebecca Kidder]’s talk; taking the false metal for the true. [words crossed out] / A letter from [Frederick] Gleason in reply to the “Crawford” one, fat vulgar handwriting and tautology. “You blame me when I am not to blame. I would sooner have cut off my hand than have published that Sonnet!” Unfortuate ass!

6. Monday. Wrote to Mr [Henry] Hart, to Alf Waud and to knave