Better health. Less cold weather. Rose at 8. Rain ― dull dark all day. Worked at the new Παύλος ― Ἄθως1 ― but not satisfactorily, till 5. Then walked out ― first with Gage & Mackenzie ― then with F.L. ― he tells me of another letter from H.C. Mrs. Cortazzi died at last very suddenly: the loss of those poor girls is most sad to think of.

Edward Lear, The Monastery of St Paul, 1856

Came home at 6½, & dined alone. Wrote to [sic]

Steamer not in ― so no letters ― a horrid bore.

X2

[Transcribed by Marco Graziosi from Houghton Library, Harvard University, MS Eng. 797.3.]

  1. Lear refers to the Monastery of St. Paul (Aghios Pavlos) on Athos, one of the eight small paintings he decided to start on 4.ii.58. [↩]