Edward Lear's Diaries

[XXX]¹ ― a sad morning! Dry & cold.

Mr. Wood
Miss Wood            most pleasant & nice
Lady Mary Wood

Lady Elizabeth Grey
[Sir] Francis Grey later these 3 ― also delightful²
Fred Sykes. ――― at 5: greatly altered, but a good kind fellow ―: it is not easy to resume anyone (after 14 years,) at once.

Walked out & left cards at Mrs. Farquhar, & Lady S. Vernon. Saw F.W. Gibbs.

At home ― dined at 7.30 ― μόνος.

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

1. Blotted. [↩]
2. The list is in part blotted and difficult to read. [↩]

Gray. ― dry early.

Wrote to John E. Cross.

C. Fortescue breakfasted with me ―: pleasant ― much talk of A.P. Stanley’s article on Essays & Reviews. He left at 1.20. I went out (μόνος) & called on the Godleys: J.G. is  I think ill beyond hope, & she looks sadly. ― Then on Wynnes, where I lunched with Mr. W. & the 2 Miss W.s (they tell me the Q. never knew the disorder of the Dss. of K.¹ & the Dss. did not recognize her at her last visit: & consequently the Q. has never spoken to P.A. since, he having kept the matter from her. And that she is having a statue made of the Dss., (by Theed!) dressed & coloured like life.)

3dly on Crakes: Mr. C. is still more feeble ― & goes to St. Leonards on [].²

Walked as far as the Church, with M.A.C. & called on (4th) Simeon ― where I saw his daughters. ― 5^th Col. Sykes ― out. home: & [found]³ Frith & 2 daughters at the door. Also Fairbairn had called.

Out again and called on ˇ[6] Fairbairn, 7 ― Bouverie, 8 Lushington, 9. Adderley ― all out. 10. Sir W. James ― Walter better ― home again by 6.30. 7.40 Dowager Countess Greys.

Lady G. told me (before people came,) that it is true the Q. never knew of the Dss.’s complaint, cancer ― nor does she now ― but says the Newspaper stories are false ― & it is not thought worth while to undeceive her. And the Dss. herself never knew ― being never told ― & tho’ she had 5 aperte ferite⁴ ― grew weaker, [thinking] herself very ill, but thankful that she had no positive disease like Cancer.

It was [―] a query with me, why the 2 Royal folk would not acknowledge to cancer? ― simply vulgar terror of an ugly disease, or lofty avoidance of an unroyal unpleasantness. ― The 2 Woods were very nice & simple ― shewing lots of sketches ― (possibly preordained to do so by Lady G.G. ―) of Nice ― very clear & forcible: ― & each lauding the other’s work: ― both pleasant juveniles. ― Dr. B. I thought ill bred. Genl. C. Grey came in ― but I did not think him delightful. Countess Grey fast leaving our world. All the children of this Lady seem kind & respectful to her. ―

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

1. The duchess of Kent, Queen Victoria’s mother, had died on 16 March 1861. [↩]
2. A blot covers the rest of the line. [↩]
3. Blotted. [↩]
4. Open wounds. [↩]

Quite dark till 12 ― fog ― & rain.

Then snow! (It snowed to 2 or 3 P.M.)

Of course no work could be done. Foords men came, & fixed in the Damascus & Beirût.

Sent the old sketch or design of Bethell’s Parnassus to Sybella Clive as her wedding present.

Lunched at 3 ― & read Arthur Stanley’s excellent & beautiful Review of “Essays & Reviews.”¹

Worked at the Cedars till 5. ― Called on Clowes, out, & Foords. Damp ― cold ― dark dirty.

Health, I rejoice to say, better.

But the sore strange pain of Ann’s loss seems never to heal.

Dined at Sir W. James ― kind good people. Their little boy had met with a curious accident, ― the string of a large top wound up tightly suddenly ran out, & tore off his nail.

Pleasant quiet evening.

Sir W.J. (who was at Oxford with J. Ruskin ―) said there was always something odd about him ― & that his parents brought him there & that Mr. R. Senior ― said, (requesting a private interview with the dean of C. Church,) “would it be against the rules of the University for my son to have a Chessboard in his room?[”]

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

1. In the Edinburgh Review. Vol. 113, no. 230, April 1861. 236-256. [↩]

Dry ― gray ― cold: dim ―

Ἃς μοῦ βοηθήσῃ ὁ Θεός!¹

ˇ[came] Mansfield Parkyns, who staid till 3 ― from 11. Gibbs ― F.W. C.S. Fortescue.

Charles Dixon ― who used to be at Sass’s² ― in 1834,5, & who has been in India ever since. !!

Later ― Lady Goldsmid, Mrs. & Miss Proctor.

Worked by fits at the Cedars.

At 5 ― went out; to Goulds ― who was singularly vulgar & odious ― & as he is always so more or less, that means something frightful. ― D. Wyatts ― out. Foord’s ― & back.

At 7.45 to Mrs. Mildmay’s, a house of wealth.

It is useless to write down all or part of what one feels: ― so I do not note how dear Ann’s death comes to me so vividly & drearily often & often.

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

1. May God help me! (NB). [↩]
2. Sass’s School of Art, Bloomsbury, prepared its students for the entrance examination to the Royal Academy Schools. Lear did not camplete the course. [↩]

Dry ― gray ―

Worked at Cedars ― but very brokenly.

Mrs. Mildmay, & 2 daughters came.

Octavius Smith, Mrs. Smith, & Col. Nicholson.

Later, C.M. Church ― good kind fellow.

At 5 I went out, & called on Col. Sykes, Crakes, Bethells, & Col. Hornby.

Dined with F.L. ― who came home with me afterwards, & staid till nearly 12. ―

Notes from Mrs. Clive, & H.S.J. Mildmay, about purchasing the Damascus.

XX

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

Fine ― dry again.

At 11 came Mr. & Mrs. Evans ― Miss Gisborne, & one “Contine.”

Later ― H. Mildmay, & Sybella Clive.

Ἔπειτα,¹ William Nevill.

At 4 I walked to Lady James’s, & to Millais’s, leaving cards, & to Col. Hornby’s: ― Lady Denison has returned.

Dress, ― & to Sir F. Goldsmid’s ――

Lady G. ― Miss ? a sculptress ―― Mrs. Montagu, & Mrs. Proctor, whom I like ― indeed all the women. ― One man only ― a Mr. Drake, or Drax: vulgar piuttosto, but lively. ― R.F. Burton is married ― says Mrs. Proctor. Lady G. is extremely charming & pleasant: ― later, talking of Miss ? (the sculptress ―) I most stupidly said “something about her eyes prevents her being handsome.” ― Now, Lady G.’s eyes are not good, ― & I was disgusted with my folly. After dinner I could not help singing ― as lady G. asked me ―: “Drax” evidently hated music. ―

At last, singing Love & Death ― he burst out at the end ― “the Ass between the 2 bundles of Hay!” for which I delighted in him.

But it seems I have fallen into cœrulæan lands. ― Andiam.²

Returning home at 11: ― George Middleton overtook me. ―

MARY DIED AT SEA ― THIS DAY.
JUNE. 29. 1861.

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

1. Then [↩]
2. “Let’s go!” or “come on.” [↩]

Very dark at intervals ― & at last, rain.

Letters from Jessy Foy ― E. Tennyson, ― & Mr. Edwards.

Wrote to []¹ ― & Mr. Bell.

Worked at the Cedars.

M. Parkyns came & sate 2 hours: a really nice good fellow.

At 6 ― S.W.C. ― but I walked out with him, to Pall Mall & back.

At 7.30 ― came Daddy Hunt ― & our dinner & evening were, as always, ― delightful. He is a very solid good fellow, & wonderful in contrast to J.E. Millais ― all outside & froth. We talked much: ― of many things. ―

At 11.15 he went.

William Raleigh called at noon, to wish me good bye ―: he starts for Melbourne to day.

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

1. A symbol I don’t understand, which may refer to the “Jessy Foy” written above it. [↩]

Health better ― thank God.

Dry ― but darker.

Nice letter from John B. Harford.

Worked a very little at the camels in Beirût ― & then shut up ― unable to apply to any other work ― sleeping or reading all the rest of the day till now ― 4 ― except when J.E. Millais came in for 20 minutes.

I wish I could close the Damascus & Beirût, & get them away: this wholesale idleness ― absolute do-nothing-ness is really frightful.

Nevertheless ― I slept till 5 ― καὶ ἦλθε κανεῖς.¹ Went out at 5.30 ― & called at H.J. Bruce’s ― out. But they said W.F.B. was very ill. ―― Called on S.W.C. ―out. Then to Millais ― 24 Down St. Mrs. M. was there, but in the dark, & a shade over her eyes ― being ill of neuralgia.

The dinner was very good: ― but the 2 hours I passed there, a bore. Mrs. R.’s² ― I mean Mrs. M.’s ― cold Scotch accent, her vulgar queries & half suppressed jealousy about Hunt ― (who is as the Sun to a Candle compared to J.E. Millais) ― her catching at any Aristocratic name, ― her pity of Bachelors ― “its just so melancholy!” ― (as if one half of her ˇ[2] matrimonial ventures in life had turned out so happily!) ― & her drawling stoniness disgusted me ― wrongly or rightly I don’t yet quite know ―― so that I don’t care to see her again. J.E.M. has far better qualities than she ― such is my impression. He walked, at 9 with me to Bo[] St.: but I must say I do not care even to see him much more. As I consider Daddy H. far his superior, this cannot be envy ― nor is the feeling, I believe, anything but one arising from the utter difference of M.’s nature & my own: he, at 30 is like a crafty aged ˇ[French] dancing=master, ― & has neither depth nor softness in his character,

Ἂς ἀφείσωμεν τὴν Ἀγγλίαν. Καὶ ἡ ἀδελφή δὲν ζῆ τώρα.³

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

1. And nobody came (NB). [↩]
2. Lear’s slip, Effie Gray had been Mrs. Ruskin before becoming Mrs., and later Lady, Millais, might be an indication of the reason for his evident dislike of her. [↩]
3. Let us leave England. And my sister no longer lives (NB). [↩]

Dry: ― but very cold ― & gray: ― darky even, at times.

Better in health: & went to C.F.’s at 10¼. ― At breakfast were H. Grenfell, & T.G. Baring: & (unexpectedly ―) A. Seymour. A very pleasant morning.

At 1 T.G.B. & I went in a cab to the Zoo. Gardens: ― & saw all things: ― not to speak of J. Millais, H.V. Johnson ― & M. Halliday. ―― We, B. & I walked back to Stratford Pl. (barring a cab from Devonshire Place.) Baring is undoubtedly one of the most persevering, good, amiable, pure-minded men I wot of. ―

Cab at 7¼ to Lady Greys

And in the evening Lady Grey ― but very much aged & feebler. ―― a pleasant evening. ― walked back with Lacaita.

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

Fine ― dry.

Slept ill, rose at 9.

Did “nothing” all day, but set my palette. Dreary blank hours. Played ― wrote ― slept ― fretted: ― stomach ache & belly ache.

Dined on 1 chop at 2. ― No one came, at least, it is now 3.30. In wandering about these 2 rooms, I mind me of so many days similarly passed in 1850 ― 2 doors off: ― not to speak of the Nile, Corfû &c. Certes, my faculty for doing absolute=nothing when at all in suspense, is remarkable.

And now I do not think I shall go either to C.F.’s ― or to Lady G. Greys ― or to Millais; so unhinged & weary is this child.

At 5.30 came Edwd. (Major) Williams ― much aged & seccato.¹ ― Then S.W. Clowes, who persuaded me to dine  with him at the Blue Posts.

So I sent off 2 drawings & 2 birds (Parrots,) to Fairbairn, & 1 ditto & 2 ditto to T.G. Baring: then cab to B. Posts.

Dinner with S.W.C. pleasant, & went to tea with him afterwards.

Found letter from T. Fairbairn.

What a weary weary day!!

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

1. “Annoyed,” but the word in Italian also means “dried.” [↩]