9th February 1826

Tedious day at school. We had to give an oration on why Caesar had invaded Britain. Percy M. said it was because he was always Rome-ing about the place – much laughter – and got thwacked. 

Talked to Percy at lunch. He said that he was ‘in some general difficulty with the old Romans’ because his mouse had made a nest of his Latin dictionary. He has not yet spoken to ‘his Jane’ but he has, at least, taken to going into the Stray Cat and buying a penny screw of tobacco, whenever his funds permit, ‘so that she becomes sort of accustomed to having me about the place.’ I said this seemed a very expensive species of courtship. He said that she takes his money very nicely and, on one occasion, almost touched his hand. He is even thinking of buying a pipe.