Edward Lear's Diaries

To St. Martin.

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

Fine, but not clear. Breakfast at 7. Then with G., who, oddly enough, has taken to Geneva extremely ― wandered about the streets: markets: vegetables. bought raspberries, &c. ― ate them in the Focille: Botanic garden ― olives ― Synagogue: ― Cemetery. (Calvin’s grave.) ― Rhone.

At 11.30. Restaurant & good lunch. Eagles: ― Bridges. 1. Post. Letters from Mrs. G. Scrivens, who has not taken any lodgings ― a relief. ――

C.F. who cannot come. ― & Ellen ― a double of her last letter. (Wrote to, & posted letters to C.F. & F.L.). Came home at 2 ― & slept. Resolved to go to Chamouni tomorrow.

Walked ― partly to Diodati. Talk with G. about his service with me. Returned at 7. ―― Dined (?) at 8. ― ―

Walk in the Νήσος ἒπειτα.¹

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

1. Island later (NB). [↩]

Clear & bright early. Fretted at the lateness of a one-horse shay. Off ― at 6 ― to Fernex [sic] ― & was there by 7.15. ― A long village street. Walked beyond, & drew the wonderfully lovely “Claude=like” landscape ― Mt. Blanc clear, ― but dimmy, very hot. G. lively & contented. Angry cow. ― Village of Ornex. Kindly & gentle people ― asked me to draw in their garden. At 11 walked back to Ferney, where, G., seeing the sign of a fish, begged to choose that inn. And sure enough, they had fish, (pike tho’.) & a very nice little dinner=lunch, tho’ not as cheap as at Turin. ― At 1 To Fernex: ― disagreeable foot boy. 2 rooms are shown ― Voltaire’s own ― & much as they were ― all the portraits &c. It was not permitted to draw, but later, I wrote a card to M. David, & the odious foot boy said, yes. But the Mt. Blanc was then invisible, & I gave it up. G. & I, at 3 set off ― drinking at every pump ― very hot. ―

At Geneva by 5: saw apartmts ― no go. Washed & dressed & out, from 5.30 to 6.30 or 7. ― Saw other apartments ― but concluded on staying here at the Bergues. ― dined at 7. Walked with G. afterwards. No letters.

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

Fine & clear.

Rose at 6. ― Drew half outlines at 3 places. ―

Breakfast at 10. Sidney Herbert is dead: ― how many years since that dance at Salisbury? ― and at their first reception in Belgravia Sqre?

At 11 came to Rail. Χωρὶς τάξιν¹ ― Swiss Railway. Drunken Soldiers ― a whole regiment. Mt. Blanc & exceeding lovely blue-green scenery. ―

Geneva by 3. Horrible hustle at Hotel des Bergues, but luckily got a good room. ―

Post. Letters from F.L. & W.N.

Cleaned, & dined at table d’hote ― noise, disgust & misery: not for 5fr. would I go through it again. Read in papers of the Brigands attack on Reid’s at Ravello. ― Could get no dinner for George till 7. Late, walked out, & engaged a carriage for Ferney² at 5 tomorrow.

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

1. No order (NB). [↩]
2. Ferney-Voltaire. [↩]

Did not rise till 7.30. Very lovely morning.

Breakfasted at 10 ― having written up journal.

Went alone down to Ouchy, & on the way saw Miss Tullok’s servant, who said she was at the Hotel, where I enquired & found she was at Church. ― Returned up to Lausanne at 12. This place is certainly most lovely. ― Came Giorgio, ― & on my telling him he must now decide as to going to England or home, ― he said ― “Meglio che vado a Corfù.”¹ I told him that if so, he must cease quite to be my servant, for many reasons, ― all wh. he acquiesced. His wish to go back home is wholly natural, ―& very proper also as to independence. So I shall go to Geneva tomorrow, & send him off at once. ― Nor do I now think I shall ever take him again, as it upsets his ordinary course of life. ― He himself has never spoken a word more than right, ― but Spiro should not have made him say ― “sarò felice di servirvi in qualunque parte del mondo.”² Spiro also seems to have told him he should not go on ― & that he would be ill in England. ――― At 2 or 3 had some Lemonada, & sate in the garden talking with the 2 men of last night ― one’s name is Mattheus, & he seems very regularly up in the Alps. ― I myself, being weary, ― would gladly go at once to England, but I cannot get letters before Wednesday very well: ― the Mt. Blanc visit I doubt making now, ― & glad should I be to be at work in Hastings.

At 5 ― dined at Table d’hôte ― hateful things: & if ale English, as this is ― atrocious.

Walked afterwards to the English Church ― & waited till the service was over. Miss Tullok came out, but introduced me to a lot of people ― I really believe Cadogans ― of all detestable races. So I came back, & wrote a note to her that I could not come tomorrow.

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

1. I’d better go to Corfu. [↩]
2. I’ll be happy to serve you anywhere in the world. [↩]

A very odious day. Rose at 4.30. Cloudy, but I thought I would try the day at Chillon. Could get no coffee till 6. Porter & gardener said, “rain all day.”

G. & I set off ― but it grew darker: ― I drew a little at Chillon, & then rain. So I went to the Castle, & saw it all, wh. was really worth doing. On returning ˇ[10.45] it poured torrents all the way, & we were wet through. ― Found, that owing to the change of weather, no one had gone away, so I had no room, & was all packed & comfortless. Changed, & at 1 dined at the table d’hôte, a process I detest. Worried & disgusted by the crowd & noise. Tried another Hotel but could get no rooms. Finally at 3, resolved to go, & ordered carriage to Lausanne, which I reached at 6. Hotel Gibbon, & quiet room.

Walked out with G., to the Signal. Very lovely scenery. Nice intelligent children. Wood of beech trees &c. Returned & supped. 2 Englishmen. ―

X
X

Unhinged & altogether upset.

I do not know what to do.

I dislike & hate the Chamouni journey yet do not wish to give it up. ― Then I would fain have good drawings of Chillon & the Vevey view: ― but had rather be at work at Hastings. Also, to take on George or not? ― I generally end by deciding no way at all, wh. considering the absurdly unimportant nature of life, is perhaps best.

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

Very fine. Rose at 5 or 6, & walked about, ― to the Railway &c. &c. dawdling ― till 9. 24 years ago ― in 1837 ― I was doing much the same. At 10.40 off to rail in omnibus, full of English. The clatter & bother of Swiss Inns & travel is most odious to me. ― At St. Maurice, they obliged me to go on to the lakes, where I had to wait from 12 till 2 ― for a steamer[,] gt. disgust. Steamer touched at Villeneuve, [Chantreux],¹ Clarens & Vevey at 4. Hotel 3 crowns, full all but a bad room. Table d’hote at 5 ― an operation wh. makes me ill for days. Music, & very beautiful Gardens. (V. Emmanuel’s 2 sons.) But the whole thing is a Crowd, & drawing impossible. Made an outline near the water, but came back utterly disgusted & angry.

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

1. There is no Chantreux between Villeneuve and Clarens, perhaps Lear means Montreux, or Chailly-Montreux. [↩]

To Martigny.

Off in a carriage & 2 by 4.45. At 6.15 Gignod. Great pass=scenes but not very beautiful. Walked ― the precipices boring me. 7.43 Etrouble. 8.10 St. Oyen ―― 9.10 St. Remy,¹ where I got mules at once, & was off at 9.33. Pull up ugly base pass ― half up at 10.35. At 11, the last house in Italy, wh. I regret. ― 11.20 rest & brandy & snow. 11.50 at the Hospice. ― A grand scene, & I wish I had time to draw it, but to do so involved staying all night. A lot of loud & vulgar folk at dinner ― apparently actors from Aôsta theatre. “Did” the Monastery rapidly: the Superior talked to me from a staircase outside ― evidently in no happy mood concerning all monasteries, & this particularly. Off ― 12.55 ― Fuss with luggage ― but we got to St. Pierre at 3.55. Absurd & odious Gendarme about Passports & luggage. Got 2 cars, & was finally off at 4.45.Same very grand Swiss Valley bits are in the downward pass, but it is long & tedious, & trying to the bones & nerves. At 5.15 Liddes. ― 6 Orsieres. At 6.25 reached the half-way village. At 6.45 Branchier.² At 7 the tunnel in the rock. Then much very bad new road, & at Martigny by 8.15 just in time for daylight. The Post inn, very clean & comfortable.

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

1. Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses. [↩]
2. Probably Sembrancher. [↩]

Rose at 4. Off alone at 5.30, & walk to Mongex by 7, where I drew till 9 ― & the car came at 7.50. At “Derby” bridge by 8.30, & drew till 9. Drew again at top of Pass. ― 9.30 to 10. At Villeneuve by 10.30 where I wished to draw but didn’t, & at St. Pierre by 10.45.

I rather regret not drawing those Castles. But I got to Aôsta by 12. Dined ― (Chambave an inferior sort of Morelle.) & read. Colonel & Mrs. Evans. Sit in the Gallery ― weather bright & cloudless, fine mountain air.

Heaps of English arrive. One ― nephew of Sir G. Buller. How green & blue ― & green-black the view of the poplars & mountains is! Went to Post ― a letter from Ellen ― very sad. Mary said to R.B. when dressing her wounds ―― “Ah! you must love me to do all this for me!” ―― late ― ah late! To find out there was love at all ― poor thing.

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

Courmayeur.

Rose 4.30. The 2 nice women ― cousins of Miss Beauforts ― ˇ[one] a Miss Nicolls. 5.30 went with G. to Pre S. Didier & to the Cliffs above, where I drew till 8.30.

At 12 ― dined ― in perfect torture from flies which are horrible here. I resolved to go tomorrow. Life in [Levityahead] is harder work than in any place I know. I shall not waste time in going to the Cramont & I don’t respect or like Mt. Blanc enough to stay longer.

Drew in various places after 3: & wandered in the Enormous gloom valley from 6.30 to 7.30.

Supper ―― crowds of English, some 30 or 40 at table.

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