Edward Lear's Diaries

Very bright at sunrise. At 7 ― 9 ― thick clouds: then clear & fine.

Dawdled. Breakfast at 8. ― Afterwards went to the Boboli gardens, which are wondrously beautiful ―& then to the Duomo ― returning to the Hotel at 12. At 1 called on the Marchesa Farínola, ― all out.

After which, walked slowly till 3. If George had come, I could get good lodgings, I would take some for a month at once.

At 4, to Mr. Lever’s to dine. Mr. L. very cheery & pleasant. Mrs. L. invalide ― funny. Mrs. L――. lively & pleasant, & a Dr. Trotman. Much fun & liveliness. ― After Coffee, Mr. L. took me to the Torregiani Gardens ― all places let; & round the walls then back again. Met Lady “Walpoles” daughter. Heard that Mrs. Somerville is here always ― the same as ever. ―― Talk in the evening & back to Hotel before 10.

Bowels all wrong ― stoppage again.

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

Quite cloudy & gray early, & a little rain; fine at noon.

Rose at 5.30. Got out paper & brushes, & divided luggage till 8. Breakfast.

Straw hatted women of Florence. ― Carriage to Villa Albrizzi, where Galileo lived. Very grand view of Florence, but wanting the River. On to the Certosa d’Ema: much like other Convents. ― Drove back by Poggio Imperiale, & left a letter for Mr. Lever ― home by 12.

Wrote to C. Fortescue ― badly ― & to T. Cooper & read the Woman in White.

4. Table d’Hôte ― Mr. Kearney ― & lo! Πέντε κυρίαι ποῦ ὀμιλήσουν Ἑλλενικήν!¹ ― Mr. Barff of Zante & his family. Pleasant enough.

Cloudy ― & thundering rain; was ever such Italian weather?

At 5.30 walked out solo ― up nearly to the Albrizzi & ˇ[then] to the Badia Oliveto: no very perfect view. The quiet & courtesy & intelligence of these people is everywhere delightful.

Then, crossing the bridge of chains, I walked all down to the end of the Cascine ― lovely Nightingales! & back ― fireflies & frogs ― by 8.30. ―

Mr. Lever asks me to dine  tomorrow.

Some rain.

Out of the day & night,
A joy hath taken flight!²

X2

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

1. Five ladies that spoke Greek (NB). [↩]

2. P.B. Shelley’s lines from “A Lament” (1821) had become almost proverbial:

   I.
   Oh, world! oh, life! oh, time!
   On whose last steps I climb
   Trembling at that where I had stood before;
   When will return the glory of your prime?
   No more―O never more!

   II.
   Out of the day and night
   A joy has taken flight;
   Fresh spring, and summer, and winter hoar,
   Move my faint heart with grief, but with delight
   No more―O never more! [↩]

Fine: hot.

Read W. Collins’s Woman in White ― late & early. At 5 rose, & at 6 got some coffee ― & went up to S. Miniato, ― & back by 8. Breakfast.

Letters from
C.M. Church.
Lord Clermont.
E. Drummond.
Mr. Rose ― with dearest Ann’s Doctor’s bill.

o Ann! My dear dear Ann!

Mrs. Straham.
Mr. Morier &
George Kokali ― date 27 May, & unable to start on account of Spiro’s being very ill. He however was better.

9. Went in a carriage to Petraija:¹ it is a little disappointing, ― the foliage being meagre, & little at command. Yet it must be done. Afterwards to Careggi ― wh. is not drawable either. It does not seem to me possible to paint the Petraija, but go constantly in a carriage & draw all I can. ― I doubt painting her at all. ― Meanwhile poor George may not come for weeks. ― There is no help for it, & on Monday, I must begin somehow or other. Returned at 12 & wrote to G. & to the Master of the Aquila Nera of at Leghorn.

The noia² of this place bullies me horribly: & I look for no quiet this summer somehow. ― Read Papers.

Slept awhile, & woke better. At 3 walked to the wondrous Duomo & back. 4. Table d’hôte ― agreable Singapore man & bride, saith tigers at S. eat one Chinaman a day: 80,000 are there. Mr. & Mrs. Kearney ― Mr. Moore’s fellow traveller. ― Dinner tolerably good. ― At 5.30 carriage again ― up to V. Mazzi. ― Lo! it is now called Villa Spence! ― Old Spence’s son ― Kirby Spence. By luck, I had Sir James Hudson’s letter with me, & I went in, & found Mrs. Spence, who amiably asked me to stay, so I shall go on Monday. He knows Lady W. well. ―

The sunset was grand tho’ dim: ― for the day has been cloudy & gray after 2 P.M. Went up to Fiesole, & the Cappuccini Garden. (All day long how nightingales have sung: some at Petraija were amazing ― “θαμάζουσα αἠδόνες”³ ―. ―― Left a letter of Lacäita’s at Paolo Capponi, & home at 9. ―――

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

1. Petraia. [↩]
2. Tediousness. [↩]
3. Nina is not sure about the first word, but gives “wonderful nightingales” as a possible translation. [↩]

Cloudy bad early ―― finer, later, later ― fine.

Woke at 5, rose at 6. At 7 the Servitor di Piazza said the Malta boat was in, but no George. It boots nil to regret or wonder why. So I left a letter at Macbean’s, & came off to the rail. Many people came by the Naples boat, ― Mr. Parish, Sir W.P.’s brother: ― the Martins ― in great grief, their child having fallen into a well at Senigallia, & died: ― & lastly, Cornwall Simeon & his wife, in the same carriage as myself. At Pisa I left them, & came to the “Ussari” ― where I paid bill, & had an omelette, & talked to the old respectable wigged. ― Shortly after ― I hear,

Cavour is dead.

“Dead” ― is a word: ― but Cavour does not die: yet this is a dreadful calamity for all Italy.

At 2.30 to the Rail. Alone in carriage. Very interesting journey: cultivation: pleasant peasantry & villages. Ponte d’Era,¹ ― Empoli, ― & the pass of Capraija² & Montelupo³ (?).― & lastly Florence, with all the begemmed & villa-sparkling hills, more exquisite than one could fancy.

To the Hotel Nuova York: ― & got a good large room for 3 fr. At 7 walked a bit, & at 7.30 dined. ― An Irish Gentleman & his sister ― & a 3^rd Irishman were the party ―― all 4 of us had been at Jerusalem, wh. is funny, by way of an accidental quartette. Some pleasant talk: & bed at 9.30.

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

1. Pontedera. [↩]
2. Capraia. [↩]
3. Montelupo Fiorentino. [↩]

Cloudy. Rose at 8. No use going to Lucca, or the Pisan Hills in such weather: ― so, better at once return to Leghorn.

Slow train: 2^nd class: priests & monks. Vettura ― 1 fr. to Hotel ― having taken no luggage. Carriage to Montenero, but it began to rain. Hills, a sort of bare miniature caricature of Frascati, villas &c. A rather good Passeggiata¹ near the city. ― Pouring rain before I got to the top: left the carriage, & walked to the church. Amable little man borrowed umbrella for me. Pouring rain all the way back, shut up.

Read Woman in White² till 5. Table d’hôte. Mr. Moore, who is related to Beaumont of Warrington, a young man full of various talent & acquirements, & I dare say companionable, but nowise as gentlemanly by nature as Forwood. It is odd enough to fall in  so with 2 Lancashire men in this short tour. He went at 7. I strolled about the dim damp gloomy docks till 8.

Old Albanian dog at Hotel.

Send G.’s name & messages tomorrow.

X1

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

1. Walk. [↩]
2. Wilkie Collins’s novel had been published in book form in 1860. [↩]

Scirocco: gray dull, warm.

At leghorn by 8.30. To the Aquila Nera. ―

No George. ― Breakfast: a Mr. Moore ― who was with Frith the Photographer at Jerusalem. Curious the meeting so many Liverpool men!! But this youth spat so ― I could not have joined him, & his obtuseness to the Cameriere’s rushing to broom over the floor at each spitting, was funny.

Called on Macbeans ― saw John M. No George.

Resolved to go to Pisa at once: & did so. ― Bother of double dogana, & out of humour. Rail at 2 to Pisa by 2.40. ― Dead place & bothery. “Hotel Hússan.” I took a man, & a carriage to the Cascina, but saw very little. Afterwards to the Duomo, Campo Santo, & Baptistry ― all miracles of Architecture. ― Dined at 7: very well, also a piano. What to do tomorrow?

The Clergy here oppose the new Regime in all ways. ― Respectable old Waiter in a wig. Tired.

Sybella Clive’s wedding day.

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

Fine.

Rose at 4. At 4.30 having looked at pretty Miss M.’s face once more, in an omnibus to the Milan Station, where W.B. Forwood left me. I have hardly ever seen any young man ˇ[for] so short a time ― 4 days ― with whom I have been so, & with such good reason prepossessed.

As for me, I went to the Genoa line, & at 5.20 was off “alone” once more. The journey was very pleasant; a young Naval officer who spoke English, & had been in all the world, ― an Engineman who had been in England, tho’ he did not speak English, ― & a new married couple, ― the lady sweetly pretty in her Genoan scarf, ― & the gentleman having been, with 4 brothers, in Sebastopol. I was sorry to get out alone at Genoa. Hotel d’Italia, breakfast, “Mr. Goodwin of Palermo.” ― the same merry astute kindly lame old gentleman of 1847! ― & asking directly after J. Proby!! ― I took my place in the Post boat for the night, & came home & slept. At 5 I dined with Mr. Goodwin at a table d’hôte, & []¹ him afterwards till 8. At 8.30 on board the Zuavo di Palermo, a good boat. Went to bed at 9. ―

A good deal of rolling ― but I slept by fits.

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

1. A big blot covers one or two words. [↩]

Fine: rain only from 6 to 7 P.M.

We rose at 6. Café outside, & together head for the bridge. Mountains not clear. ― Waited at the palace, to see the King come out, which we did well. ― Later we stopped here to see the review of the troops ― & the K. came back. He is a florid dark man. I had thought him light ˆ[but very kinglike in manner & look.] Home by 12 ― I write & rest.

We dined at 2. F. adopting all the dishes I recommend & being thoroughly amiable. After a rest, we walked out to the Railway having resolved both to start tomorrow: & then to the Race course & ouside streets ― (once standing up on account of rain,) till the Illuminations were begun, & so to the Castle & V. Dora Grossa,¹ all alight with Lamps. The quiet good sense of the whole fête was curious to me, & the constant courtesy of the people. Home by 9.30 ― & paid bill. We are well content with our Inn.

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

1. Now via Garibaldi, in the centre of Turin [↩]

Macon, about 4½  A.M. buffet & wash.

On to Culoz ― 7. ― St. Jean Maurienne 12¼.

Long packing of Diligence. Day cloudy. ― Got 2 places in Coupe, joining W. Bower Forwood, me. ― drive by the great angry river up the valley to S. Michel ― & by the vast Fortress to Modane, & at 8.30 to Lanslebourg where buffet. Colder, 13 miles & 2 horses drag us up. At the top 4 horses.

[A line separates what follows indicating that it is referred to the following day, the entry continuing without interruption on the next page.]

To descend, two only ― nervous work. Got no sleep ― bandage troublesome. At Susa by 2. ― Trunx not opened, as I showed Cavour’s letter. ― Café. ― Rail ― asleep ― to Turin by 4.30. Drove

[1 June]

to 6 Hotels all full, & was about to give it up ― when the Tre Corone took us in: & later we got a large double bedded room. At 6.30 ― after washing ― ˇ[we] took a carriage to La Superga ―― vastly magnificent view & returned ― going also to the Cappuccini, at 12. Then I, solo, called on Lt. James Hudson, who is very prepossessing, & agreeable, & gave 2 letters, Spence, & Lever, ― very kindly. Came home & had a Lemonade, & then slept till 4 or 5. Gt. thunder storm, & pouring rain. Dinner at 5. Later, I & Forwood walked about, & after sunset, to the Cappuccini once more. Ices at 9 ― & bed. ――― Both I & Forwood have resolved to stay here ― as neither he nor I can hope to be better off at Milan or Genoa; & the fête is not a common one: & we two agree thoroughly together: all good reasons for staying. ―

This lad is engaged to Miss Moss ― whose portrait he has shown me: it is very nice, & not unlike Gussie Bethell. Also he says his prayers, & is altogether a good specimen of Marchant Prince.

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

Gray cloudy, warm.

Morning at Modern Exhibition: Lanoues¹ & other works &c.

Called on Pantaleone, who afterwards called on me.

Lacäita also, who has just come here, so I went & saw old Lady Carmichael ― who ― sad life ― is taking the little boy southward.

Dined at 4. At the Louvre, (after calling at Lady C.’s ―) by 6, & off to Rail.

Place to Turin. Got good place, opposite [was] a pleasant young Liverpool merchant, who knew Ashtons, Edwards, everybody. ― We talked a good deal ― & the night ˇ[was] soon past.

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

1. I can’t find any information on this landscape painter, but in Maxime du Camp, Le Salon de 1861, Paris: Librairie nouvelle, 1861, p. 158 one can read: “M. Lanoue a envoyé neuf toiles qui toutes se distinguent par des efforts consciencieux: sa Forêt de pins du Gombo est de grande tourure, pleine d’air et conçue dans un système de coloration habile qui a permis au peintre d’avoisiner sans crudité des verts et des bleus.” [↩]