Slept well, yet I think some heaviness proceeds from the air. At 5.30 ― (why do they put cinnamon in their coffe? ―) G. & I & Dimitri ― a well-behaved obliging χωριάτης1 ― went out. Lovely bits of green sward or fern ― with beautiful olives ― characteristic bits of Lefchimo scenery, we passed, ―― & so reached the cypress tuffy hill of Ἄγιος Ταξιάρχης, by 7, or 6.30: where I drew 3 or 4 times. The “cypress tree” is here smisuratamente2 existing: & thousands of tiny little cypress treelets pick up everywhere. At 9.30 we went “cross country” ― to Ἄ. Νικόλα, where we lunched ― but Χωρὶς νερὸ.3 So I remain under the shade of a giant Εχινάρι a Lentish tree. There is everywhere a flood of gold & green & blue. This, & the breeze, blowing freshly now & then, remind me of days in many lands before that knowledge came which tells us we have so little, & so much conjecture. On Swiss, & Como hills in 1837 ― in the first years of Rome & Amalfi life /38,/9 ― the long Civitella sojourns ― 1839-40 ―  Abruzzo 43-44 ― Sicily & Greece,ˇ[47] 48/49. ― I do not now suppose that kind of happiness can ever come back but by unexpected & unsought snatches; so I do not strive after it, nor mourn that I cannot have it. Only now & then, the whole long stream of bright ˇ[past] life glitters before me as it was in a distant valley, & I can seem to mark all its windings & shallows, & the lights & shadows on its far distant shores. Just now the lilac range of Albanian mountains with the few pale but defined clouds above, the blue sky & far deeper blue sea: the long ― almost blue plain of [distant] Ilias, & the still dark heavy full cypresses close by  ― all bring back old memories. ― (What excessive contrast there is between the bloo-blooness of the sea & lilac hills, & the rich raw Sienna green of those Cypresses! ―) afterwards ― drew twice, & then to the hill of Ἀνάλειψις, & drew till 6: after which fogs begin & out of door life is fever. This Ἀνάλειψις view is the most pleasing hereabouts, & were there well-drawn figures, it would be beautiful, ― at sunset especially ― when the mountains, by means of many detail=shadows, lose much of their wall-like form.

“Home” at 6.20; Ἔφθασε ὁ Ιἀτρὸς:4 to whom, & the [sost] ιἀτρόσ,5 ― showed all my sketches. Dr. Samuello theological, (οὐ ἂντι-theological)6 discussions were a wee-violent. The small boy Spiro’s queer ways were taking & amusing. It seems I stay here tomorrow ― en famille: ― Sparterò on Monday. Clomò Tuesday.

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

  1. Peasant (NB). [↩]
  2. Immeasurably, excessively. [↩]
  3. Without water (NB). [↩]
  4. The Doctor came (NB). [↩]
  5. Continues in the previous page, for 9 May. [↩]
  6. Not anti-theological (NB). [↩]