Masada 20 day

καμμία ἐπιζολὴ.1

Bright & colder than ever.

We rise at 7.45 or 8. ― Breakfast, εἰς τὸ δωμάτιόν μας, καὶ, ἒπειτα, διαβάζωμεν τὴν ἑφημερίδαν.2

Worked at Masada ― foreground ― all day.

At 4 walked to Weybridge, & to the Thames ― nearly all ice. Sky pure & bright ― earth iron. Yet, I am far better in health than in any other year at this season, excepting on the Nile, ― & much of this must be from dryness of the soil.

Back at 5.15…

Dinner ― Miss Howard & a new man ― afterwards whom I found to know Spedding &c. ― & to be a friend of Carlyle. He came into my room ― & I sung him some AT.

Ἐτελιώθη ἡ ἡμέρα: καὶ πολὺ ἐπιθυμῶ ὢς ἣτον τελειομέναι ἂλλαι τόσαι ἡμέραι!3

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

  1. No letter (NB). [↩]
  2. In our room, and, then, we read the newspaper (NB). [↩]
  3. Done is the day: and I very much wish that many more days were done too (NB). [↩]