Riz at 4 ― one’s old ways ― “e’en in our ashes.”1 ― drew mountains, (clear) for an hour: ― coffee: (always bad Sea,) & at 5½ off with G. a walking. Every promise of a fine day. The giro of the gulf is pretty, & the views of Spezzian streams. ― Bye & bye, a world of bog & slosh, ― & a nice woman, who, having passed it, cooked her feet & legs amazing. She recommended a “collo” ― & so, a lad came, ― who carried me over a pick-a-back, & G. afterwards Route along the shore ― & bye & bye, leaving it, thro’ gardens, & again, bits of sea-side. Thence, a long rise through a close olive & fig valley, & so sharp ascents ― ending in a lovely view of Lerici. ― Descent, (& the courtesy of the people it’s impossible to imagine;) ― & so to the High Street of S. Erenzio,2 clean compared with southern towns in general. On the beach is the house of Byron & Shelley ― sad looking: but the views are very glorious. Thence by the rocks, & through a superb olive wood to Lerici, a large town. G. & I had some wine & eat our breakfast ― (we arrived at 9) in the Osteria of a very political female. [below: “Roma, città santa, popolo cornuto.”3 quo’ she.] All we observed in the town was pleasant & agreable ― such beautiful women & children! ― At 10 I began to walk back & draw ― & so it was 3 before I got to S. Erenzio, ― & 3½ before I had done the view above it. At 4½ bathed. By 6 it was a little raining, & we got to the mud marsh, where after a time a strong peasant came, to carry us over. But his foot striking on a stone, he stumbled, & nearly threw me: after a time we righted & came off all right. The peasants beyond were “deeply interested” by the scene, & when I waved my hat, all shouted with laughter. Rainbow, as last night: arrived at J. Hotel. Empty. Drank & ate. Communicative waiter. As pleasant a day as for years past.

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

  1. “Even in our ashes live their wonted fires,” a line from Thomas Gray’s Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard. [↩]
  2. San Terenzio, a village near Lerici. [↩]
  3. Rome, a holy city, a cuckolded people. [↩]