Apparently settled fine ― fog cleared at 9. ―

Drew a little, & to Macbeans. ― 1000 Irish landed at Ancona & other botherations.1 Came home. G. unwell. Clouds & darkness. Called on P.W. ― & sent for Passports. ― At 2 violent Thunderstorm followed by hail & rain till 4 or 5. What weather!

At 6½ to Macbeans: Miss Webb only there ― & 2 female Webbs afterwards. Miss W. is not σωφοτάτη2 ―: I gave her a letter to S. Saunders at Alexdria. ― Col. Gordon is a delightful old Gentleman. [7 among] his earliest Captain days being at Kendal ― where he used to draw up his Dragoons on the road just after a Gretna Couple3 had passed ―― hindering the pursuers. ― Also he speaks of “a Miss Howard of Levens” “a great heiress in those days.” ―― He is 74, but doesn’t seem 50. The Macbean Casa is certainly very pleasant.

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

  1. On the Irish expedition to help the Pontifical State in 1860, see Sullivan, Alexander Martin. New Ireland: Political Sketches and Personal Reminiscences of Thirty Years of Public Life. Glasgow: Cameron & Ferguson, 1878. v. II pp. 21-48: “Papal Ireland.” [↩]
  2. Meaning σοφοτατη, i.e. “very wise” (GT). [↩]
  3. Gretna Green is a village in the south of Scotland famous for runaway weddings. [↩]