Fine all day ― & cold.

Fire in bedroom ― & needful. Slept well. But how cold is the morning! Breakfast at 8. Mrs. B. lively & ambulatory & demonstrative. ― Afterwards ― gave a “lecture” on the Palestinian drawings ― half of them. Then at 10.30 I, not going to Church ―(Brodie & heaven forbid!) wrote in the “Drawing room” ― to Mrs. G. Scrivens, T. Potter, & Fairbairn: & some days of journal ― near to Petra. At 1. Lunch ― how cold is this home! ― Then second “lecture” on Palestine. ― At 2.30 set out to walk with S.B. through the broad-streeted town, neat & dull ―along the road to old Alresford ― pretty village & church. Now a common & rising fields, ― looking back to most beauteous serene English scenes ― down a  green alley ― (like dear Lord D.’s [donies]. ―) & so to the Grange: very lovely trees & road & the house ― poor Lady A. often remembered, & V. ― &c. ― & to the bridge & back, & through beech woods ― & pleasant walks, & by mills, & houses, & back to the town by 5: a very lovely & sunlit ― (sunset!) walk of 7-8 miles. S.B.’s story of the [Savoy] marriage & family &c. &c. ― Poi ― a cigar with young E.B. & his owls. Dinner ― (I telling “Kestner” to enliven.1 ― Afterwards, talk & singing ――

Mrs. Marx ― Mrs. [Daberly] &c. &c. ― & bed at 10.45. ―

What makes me think of the towns above Farfa2 just now?

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

  1. Perhaps the story of August Kestner (1777-1853), German diplomat, art collector, and “secret office-secretary in the civil service” in various Italian cities. See Wikipedia. [↩]
  2. In Italy, not far from Rome. [↩]