16. HUPPER SEEMORE STREET,

PORTMAN □. 18th Nov. /58.

Coming home at 11.30, from Mr. Stanley’s, I find your Wusstussher noat. ― Thank God I ain’t to be rubbed by a beastly fiend with a wet sheet: ―1 But I believe you will be all the better for it. Is Ward Braham rubbed rubbing rubbable or rubbabibbabubbapbimbubabebabblllleee {115} also?2 ―  I rote to you this morning: ― but, how the debble could your letter reach me to-night?

At Mrs. Stanley’s there was Arthur,3 (who is grown much more expansive & talkative & World-like than of old ― though as good & kind as always:) Mr. Penrhyn4 & Emmy ditto, always good. Mary Stanley of Scutari memories & twisted faith, ― Walrond who is stilty & scholastic: ― & one Adolphus, whose name savours of Dolphins. The conversation was not bad: mostly of Spain & Biarritz, with sparks of fun. Show’d all my sketches to Arthur S. & Walrus, ― & was pleased by their praise of their fiddlediddlety of representation. But we don’t agree about the beauty of Palestine: ― I say that ‘‘there is beauty in everything” is a better principle than “look for conventional beauty, & failing that don’t see any.”

Returning here, I find varicose gnoats. One from Mr. Morier, containing ever so much good Greek. “μεθ αὔριον θα ἐρχομαι πρὸς σὲ πρῖν ταῖς ἐνδεκα ὤραις, νὰ σὲ χαρετίοω κὶ νὰ ἴδῶ, θαθμάζων, τὰς τῆν Παραιστήωηες ζωγραφιάς σου. Φοβερα θὰ γένωωται τὰ ἀνακαταώματα τῆς Ιὠνικὴς θαλάσσες, τέτοια γαιδαρλίκια ποτὲ δὲν ἤκουσα.”5 He Writes really good Romaic. {116}

O mi! how giddy I is! ― Perhaps it is along of the cliff of Ain Giddi: perhaps of the glass of sherry & water close by ― only I ain’t drank it yet.

I wen tup two the Zoological Gardings, & drew a lot of Vulchers : also I saw the eagles & seagles & beagles & squeegles: leastwise the big bears & all the other vegetables.

also the little dragging, who is the Beast of the Revialations.

Miss Mackenzie is married this afternoon to Lord Ashburton, 34 ― 60.

The cold is so great that my nose is frizz so hard that I use it as a paper cutter.

I have axed Lord Stanley for the Cadetship6 & have written to Lady Derby to know if she wants her usbing’s hancester’s picter.

To-morrow I go to Holman Hunts, to city, pay bills, & dine at Beadons. ― Saturday Clowes comes {117} up: & I go to Cramers to arrange finally about the 5 songs. Poor dear Lady Bethell writes me a sad note: I fear now that she is really ill.

It is zis ted-bime. ― Goodnight. My love to the water fiend.

  1. Refers to a visit of Fortescue to Dr. Gully’s establishment and cold water cure. [↩]
  2. Lady Waldegrave’s youngest brother, who accompanied Fortescue. [↩]
  3. Arthur Penrhyn Stanley, a close personal friend of Lear’s, who is mentioned frequently in the letters, was the second son of the Bishop of Norwich. He was appointed Chaplain to the Prince Consort in 1854, and afterwards became Dean of Westminster. Mary Stanley, his sister, was in charge of fifty nurses in the Crimea during the war. [↩]
  4. Brother-in-law of Lord Derby. [↩]
  5. To-morrow I am coming to you before eleven o’clock. Yea I shall greet you and shall see with admiration your pictures of Palestine. Fearful indeed did the up-and-down motions of the Ionian Sea become, what universal longings for terra firma have ever come to me. [↩]
  6. Probably for a nephew or young friend. [↩]