Saturday, 30 November 1861
Florence & Turin Day 2
Perfectly clear & bright again ― all Amethysts & gold.
Worked at the Florence & Turin Outlines all day long, & nearly completed both in pencil. Grew horribly weary & tired.
At 4.20 ― walked out by the Alipu=Potamo ― upper Mandruchio giro. Clouded ― & S. Wind ― depressing & gloomy.
Against my will went & dined at Woolff’s ― Count Henckel & one of the Miss Curcumelly’s only. Horridly bored at dinner, ― the good-natured Counts incessant talk ― & Mrs. W.’s namby=pamby smallness ― & also W.’s fluffy zigzag talk.
After dinner came in Strahan ― & Mrs. W. played most tiresomely. Came away at 10.20 ― as they were setting down the Cards.
Really, were it not solely for the winter ― & the voyage, & the dread of London Darkness &c. ― I would send the fact of expense gone to to the right about, & leave Corfu at once ―: however I suppose it is better to be patient for 3 months.
So ends November 1861
I hear Aubrey De Vere has come to day.
[Transcribed by Marco Graziosi from Houghton Library, Harvard University, MS Eng. 797.3.]
What these entries show is the great lonely traveler’s need for social life. But “horribly bored”, “incessant” or “zigzag talk” and “namby-pamby smallness” show what a severe critic of social manners he was. The class he moved in demanded a polite front.
The diary was the place for his real feelings. His curmudgeonly side is much more fun than his niceness. Thanks, Marco, for making it available.