Edward Lear's Diaries

Immensely cloudy. Off at 6. Rail ― 6.30. ― Flat, melons. Pinewoods. Pisa at 7. Hotel Vittoria. Very dreary city of beggars! G. & I out beyond the walls, along various hot roads to find a place for a view. It was not hot however, as the sun hardly shone at all. Drew, near the Railway ― vine festoons. Walk by various stagnant ditches. See great snake. Return at 10. The Pisa pomp of buildings are assuredly a wondr. Drew again by ditch. One naked boy embezzled & sank breeches of another naked varlet: and great row: ― Bought Photographs & back to Hotel by 12. A most offensive begging inferno is Pisa! Hotel good: ditto dinner at 12. Cameriere says Corsi is hated because “non vuole farsi Italiano” ―― “Egli dice ‘non puole,’ noi ‘non vuole![‘]”¹ ― (wh. accounts for his name on the walls[)].

Slept till 4.40 ( (Lady Hester Stahope’s Servant, a cameriere in the Hotel: Matteo Leonardi, he says he left her to get supplies at Leghorn, she foretelling the troubles of 1848-9 ― & wishing to furnish Djonni with food for innumerable suppliants. But when he got to Beyrut, she was dead. He says she owed him 40£ which he could not get from ˇ[late] Lord Stanhope, nor from the present.) Came to Rail before 5, off by 6.15: & at Lucca, Hotel de l’Univers at 7. ―

Found letters from Mrs. Clive, Mrs. Bell, T. Cooper, & the Lpool Society[.]

Wrote to
Dickenson.
T. Cooper
Lodomez
Posted 10^th.²

Wrote till 10.

No rain until an hour ago, & then very little.

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

1. He does not want to become Italian. ―― He says ‘he cannot,’ we say ‘he does not want.’ [↩]
2. Presumably added after posting the letters on 10 July. [↩]

Very cloudy. Off soon after 5. Medicine not acting, I, ill.

Industrious people & respectable. Hemp-beating[.] Serchio passed. ― Tile=sided fienili. Village, & old tower. Vines, pines, cypress olive: hills ― low & close. After ascent ― a great open view of an olive plain & L. Massaciuccholi¹ & V. Reggio, & towards Spezia. But not clear. G. says it is like Troada, I own bits being Greek. All extreme distance blotted out by [Scirocco]. Beautiful olives, & wind down to plain, thro’ village. At 8 miles from Lucca, join Pietrasanta road & find Massaciuccholi is passed ― & no ruins known of nohow. Much disgust, the more that I was very unwell. Marshes, & a flat road to V. Reggio by 7.20. Left the Hotel Europa ― (tho’ recommended,) & went to H. Commerciale as nearer the sea. Got a bedroom ― dirty & smelly: a better promised. G. & I walked to the pier & along the beach ― fine rolling surf ― bathers. Parients [sic] washing little children &c. &c. Fine view of mountains ― but hazy. Row of lodging houses. Ill, cross ― hot: returned: room nasty: no sleep. Finished Jack Hinton, a most really delightful book. Dined at 12. Later, no better room to be had, ― went to Europa H.: & got one there, ἐμετοίκισα,² & paid bill, at 3. ― At 4 G. & I to beach, where I drew hard till 7.15. Most lovely sunset. Bathers abound. “There is no joy but calm.” Florentine Landscape painter who knew Lanoue, & Leighton. Pines & mountains[.] Grow happier & walk home. Straggling, unfinished place, V. Reggio. Hotel by 8.30. nice & clean & attentive. Supper 9. Waiter’s converse ― remarks on Gombo &c. &c. Pergola of Passiflora. Comet.

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

1. Lago di Massaciuccoli. [↩]
2. Settled in (NB). [↩]

Cloudy ― & some rain early. Scirocco wind.

Off at 6.30 in a carriage, fissato¹ by Giorgio for 10fr. Arrived at Lucca ― 8.45. The drive is very pretty: ― that great down like turf covered mountain, all chesnut grown ― is a sight. The people too seem so industrious & respectable. Found 3 letters: ― one from Fanny Coombe ― poor Mrs. Drewitt of Peppering is dead. From Mrs. Empson ― kind dear good woman: C. Empson also is dead. And from Sybella Mildmay ― very nice & good. ― Wrote letters to,

R.D. Drewitt.
Mrs. Coombe.
Mrs. Empson.
Mrs. Mildmay.
F.L.
C.F.
W.H. Hunt
&
posted all[.]

Dined at 12.

Afterwards read Jack Hinton² & slept till 4. Then walked to see the Agorā, & S. Frediano ― where a priest was assuring his hearers that Eretici & Schismatici were the property of the Demonio, & it was solo dalla grazia di Dio that “noi, veri Cattolici non siamo di loro.”³ O Christianity! ―― Walked slowly twice round the Ramparts, & at 6.30 drew the Carrara mountains as well as I could ― but they are cloudy. ―

Home by 8.30. Bed before 9.

I mean to try to draw the coast of Via Reggio tomorrow.

I see “abasso il Potere Imperiale del Papa”⁴ & “vogliamo Roma,”⁵ & “W Roma, capitale d’Italia”⁶ all over the walls & houses ―: “W Vittorio Emanuele”⁷ was there plentifully before ― but the present Γραφὲ⁸ is new to me. “in c――o Corsi”⁹ is a favourite piece of delicacy.

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

1. Agreed. [↩]
2. Charles Lever’s 1843 novel, Jack Hinton, the Guardsman. [↩]
3. Only tanks to God’s grace that we, true Catholics, are not among them. [↩]
4. Down with the Pope’s Imperial Power. [↩]
5. We want Rome. [↩]
6. Three cheers for Rome, capital of Italy. [↩]
7. Long live V.E. [↩]
8. Writing (NB). [↩]
9. F――k Corsi. [↩]

Rose before 5 ― better. Morning gray, ˇ[& a few drops of rain,] ― till 10.

Drew the Bagni Ponte Serraglio till 8.30. The chesnut & acacia foliage is pleasant. Then drew on the other side of the River, & 3^rdly went up a steep hill to Lugliano ― whence you see both, or rather all the 3 Bagni, through beautiful Chesnut woods. The quantity of fruit is vast. ― Back by 11 ― & reposed: at 12 dined. The cooking is very good here. Some Chestnut bread, in this Cake ― like bannocks, sweet, but heavy. The Cameriere¹ tells me the woods belong to various padroni,² here & elsewhere, & are affittati³ to Contadini,⁴ who take 1/3 of the nuts. On my remarking the portraits of V.E. ― G.G. C.C. & G. Fanti, & saying, you are all for the Re⁵ ― said Cam.e observed ― “Bisogna far come l’altri, ma le cose vanno sempre diminuendo qui ― speriamo per il meglio.”⁶ ― It is clear that a great class ˇ[in Tuscany] look back uneasily to the past, & might be, (perhaps are) made much use of in case of reaction getting [hard].

Slept, but the mischief has not yet gone. X

At 3, went up slowly to the Chesnuts above V. Bagni Caldi, & drew till 5.30. Then drew the Bagni di Villa till 6.45. Poi, crossed the Ponte Nuovo, & drew till 7.30, back by 8.30.

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

1. Waiter. [↩]
2. Landowners. [↩]
3. Let. [↩]
4. Farmers. [↩]
5. King. [↩]
6. One has to do as the others do, but things are growing worse and worse here ― let’s hope for an improvement. [↩]

X

Indigestion still. ―

Rose before 5. Cafè at 5.30. At 6 ― (no effect of medicine,) with G. to the Bagni Caldi ― (I didn’t go there yesterday,) & above, where we were last night ― when I drew: also looking towards the Villa valley ― & then across the Villa bridge back to our Inn by 11. Slept, dined at 12, medicine acting. Slept X. ―

At 2.30 ― with G. to Ponte Maddalena ― but it clouded & rained, & for some time I thought I should not be able to draw at all. Yet by insisting, I did, finally to the extent of 4 sketches.

The bridge scene is certainly very beautiful: the woody green nature of the mountain above, & the vastly rich chesnut foliage everywhere makes the whole thing lovely.

However, one other day will be enough.

G.’s quiet & even temper, & constant attention are very valuable. ―

Had some soup only at 8.30. ―

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

Same weather: perhaps a few clouds.

Rose ill ― but took an immense dose of Citrate, & at 7 ― operative ― & consequent resuscitation.

Penned out hard ― all yesterday’s work, ― till 12.

Dined.

Letters from C.F. ― F.L. ― & W.H.H. the last most delightful & beautiful, yet sad. The 2^nd is going with Venables in a yacht, but, if not, thinks of joining me. But “I shall not be there.” AT ET & the boys are at Auvergne! ( O vere now in France is Auvergne?) ― C.F.’s letter is better than the last ― yet hurried. Lord Westbury, on being told that Sir W. Atherton would not like R. Palmer being put over his head ― said ― “I was not aware he had one!” ―――

Altogether, the letters & the physic have done me good. ― So I paid my bill ― & came off at 2.30. Long dusty road: 5 miles of Abeles. The valley of Serchio is rather pretty. At the 12^th mile the “Borgo” & Maddalena bridge are very much so. At “Looker’s [Balves]”¹ by 5. Hotel New York. Very tiny room. Paid vetturino 40 instead of 30 fr. ― supposing the 10fr. pieces were ˇ[5] fr. ditto. Disgust. ― Set off at 5.30 with G. along the road to the “villa.” ― Very vulgar place full of absurd people. ― We went up to the Bagni Caldi ― & the view is fine both ways: towards the Villa Bagni I am reminded of Calabria, of Bagaladi.² We came back by the Church, (& saw Mrs. Stisted,) & came back by the bridge & the other side of the River. Had a very good supper, & feel much better. George ― (as I thought he would) has been rushing after the Vetturino ― but vainly.)

These valleys have much that is pretty in them ― particularly the Chesnut trees.

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

1. A joke on Bagni di Lucca, Lucca’s Baths, I suppose, but the first letter of the second word is blotted. [↩]
2. A village in the province of Reggio Calabria. [↩]

Very lovely early. Took the medicine at 4, & again at 6, but with no effect. Carriage did not come till 7. Long drive by immensely rich, abele edged roads, ― vine festooned ― stream bordered ― I. corn, hemp, corn, fig, mulberry & every sort of luxuriant growth. But it was a long jolting way to the Villa Mansi, & when there the sun was high. Gt. oleanders, & growth of flowers delighted me not ― & there was no view, except in one other villa ― & that blotted out by heat. So I drove back to Lucca, by one long long dusty way ― vexed & ill ― & lay down: ― taking some Citrate of Magnesia, wh. has had no effect either ― & it is now near noon. ― Irritation, sleep ― indignation ― botheration.

X2

Once more I half incline to send G. back ― at any rate from Genoa. ― I had certainly considered the subject well, & believed it better to keep him ― (tho’ at present a comparatively useless expense, ) in order that if in Greece or Palestine I could have his services: ― but I do not know that I have sufficiently allowed for my apparently altered state of health, which seems to make me unable to cope with vexatious & altered plans & changed physical & moral system. If I send him back ― I shall pay him 30£ ― a whole year’s wages ― to give him the chance of a good master in that time ―― my last 2 weeks at Florence ― growing better as I was, & very constantly occupied, were of the happiest for a long while past. ―――

Dined at 12 but grew worse: ― XX ― miserable ― & pain.

Yet I rose before 3, & went in the carriage to the Villa Montecatini, drawing twice ― & returning at 8 ― & walking ― tho very unable to do so, on the Ramparts. ― Bed ― taking a gt. dose of Citrate.

A more uncomfortable day has not passed for a long time.

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

Rose before 6. No physic.  Drew 50$.

At 7.30 walked to rail. ― At Pisa by 8.40 car (1fr.) to t’other Station. At Leghorn by 9.45. Aquila Nera.

Macbeans, ― & saw Charles M. A good deal of talk about Severn & other toppix. ――― Left at 12. ― Bought a railway bag. Aquila Nera ― & paid Dottori the ten borrowed by G. ― 2 Carriage to Rail. Fuss about new Railway bag. 2.40 Pisa. Waiting at t’other station ― off at 3.30. Lucca at 4.15. G. out, & key not to be found: fuss & rage. G. came, but hadn’t key, wh. they themselves had. ― Off in carriage with intelligent coachy ― by twisty roads to Villa Montecatini. Amicable & intelligent gardener, & lovely view. (Belongs to a Marchesa Tempi.[)] Gardens delightful. Resolve to go tomorrow. Went on towards a Villa Orinelli (?) ― but gave it up. At the Universo by 8. Dined. ―

Talk with Landlord, who evidently regrets the old regime. So did the Gardener at the V. Montecatini.

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

Hot & fine again. Rose at 5.30.

All packed. Letters from Jane Husey Hunt,
&from Dickenson. Sent letters to
Gussie Bethell
John B. Harford.
Mrs. Evans,
Mrs. Chaworth Musters.
Isabella Knight
& P. Williams.

At 11.30 left Florence, ― admirable Hotel! ―― & at 12.20 by Prato, Pistoia & Pescie, to Lucca ― by 3. All these places are rich & pretty, but monotonous & over-sugary. ―

Hotel de l’Universo: ― & dined.

At 5 with G. to various churches & round the ramparts ― but there is nothing to draw. It is ˇ[a] wearily dull little “cathedral town.” The Carrara Mountains are grand ― but will not come in with the towers & trees.

Back at 8 ― 3 ices & bed.

X1

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

Very coudy ― & swoops of hard rain, with gleemes of sunshine. No letters. Packed.

Sent letters to
T. Cooper.
Lady Goldsmid.
Miss E. Beaufort.
Ellen Newsom.
F. Lushington.
Mrs. G. Scrivens.

At 3.30 to the Levers. R. Lytton (Bulwer) who was to have dined there, could not come, on account of Mrs. Browning’s death! Mr. Walton, & Mr. Scotto there.

Dinner very pleasant: & after converse. Lever’s stories are endless & inimitable.

At 6 a break up: went with Walton to his house, where he talked of Gibson, Spence, Wyatt & others. Then with him & Scotto, walked to the Cascina ― a bore ― being a crowd: & S.’s scandal on all sides was unlimited & vulgar. Lever joined us, & it became better fun. ― Back to the L.’s, where R.B. Lytton had sent to say he could not come, being with poor Browning. Evening pleasant: tea: talk of Mrs. Stisted,¹ & immense laughter. ― G. came for my book of drawings at 10.15. The Levers have made Florence very pleasant to me. ―

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

1. “Wherever Byron went the English followed, and a whole population of Britons took up their abode by the riverside in the first half of the nineteenth century. Well known among them was Mrs Stisted, author of a charming, garrulous book,1 and a devoted friend to the poor. She belonged to a type that no longer exists, the old-fashioned English gentlewoman with a simple evangelical piety and much rambling culture, who lived abroad for the greater part of her life, and took England with her wherever she went. The Villa Stisted, with a pretty garden by the riverside, lies just outside the village of Villa. The Brownings and their friends the Storys were there at a later date, as well as Tennyson and many other English notabilities.” Ross, Janet and Nelly Erichsen. The Story of Lucca. London: J.M. Dent & Sons, 1912. 344-345, chapter “The Bagni di Lucca.” The book mentioned is Mrs. Henry Stisted’s Byways of Italy. London, 1845. [↩]