Edward Lear's Diaries

Queer ups & downs. ― Very pleasant, placid nice day ― out & in. Fine out ― bright, calm, summery.

Rose at 7.15 ― setting palette on, before breakfast.

Worked at Bethlehem. A Mrs. Davison (in the Hotel,) sends, wishing to see the Lebanon picture ― & she turneth out to be sister of Lady Montefiore, & aunt of Rothschild ― whom I so wish to see these pictures. ― Queer quincidence. ― Worked till 3.30 ― when it was so bright I went out, ― & walked to Weybridge ― that English place ― & past L. Philippes & the Duchess D’Orlean’s tombs ― & so about the common. Very pleasant. ― Dinner at 6. ― & a note from Mrs. Davison, saying she’ll come tomorrow, ― so I wrote to say ― con piacere.¹

Comes Cokayne ― & says Mrs. D. is all wrong in the head, & at times “werry bad” ― so I hope she won’t franticate tomorrow & run a muck at my painting.

Something today must have put my digestion all right ― perhaps the reaction from from Saturday ― & yesterday.

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

1. With pleasure, i.e. “I’ll be happy to see you.” [↩]

Perfectly glassy clear & bright!

Breakfast at 8 & walked to rail at 9.

Ἄσχημος κὰι ασθενῆς.¹ X

Bore!

To Stratford Place: & found a letter from C.F. very nice.

Bus to Angel ― & walk by Highbury to Woodberry.

Only W.N. & Susan Head.

Willie is better ― (but it was scarlet fever,) & at Gresham St.

Afternoon immensely happy ― & so brilliant & beautiful! ― At 4 in pony chaise to St. John St. ― & cab to Waterloo Station.

Young middy in carriage ― who took out lots of chocolate to give a little child: ― a nice English boy. He had been at Corfû & to Crimea in the “Hannibal” ― & at Australia in the “Abu? dair? ――――― ?[”]

He was a well-informed & pleasant lad!

Moonlight. Walked to Hotel.

Bed early. ―

X9²

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

1. Ugly and ill (NB). [↩]
2. This X is connected to the one above in the page, presumably indicating a single attack. [↩]

All day long unceasing pouring rain: only about 4 it snowed hailed & sleeted. ― My plan of town going being upset by the weather, rose at 7.15 & sent a note to P. Cooper, ― telling him to send letters as usual. ―― Letters from Gussie Bethell, & Mr. Hay’s servant. That poor man goes to Paris today ― but I cannot think he will live! ―

Painted at Philœ ― & later S. Sabbas: & at 4 walked to Library to buy paper. The only way is to work off these incubi.¹ ― I worry at times at my hearing of George ― but hope he is employed somewhere. ― At times I think of a plan for him to quit my service ― i.e. ― that I should pay him one year’s wages ― & leave him thenceforth to get work in his own country. For he could not come here ― & chance, & my increasing age are against my employing him there. ― thank God, my health now is far better than I ever knew it in November. ― And as for loneliness ― that one must put up with to the end of the chapter: only, it is not right to cause any worry to others. ― A month or 6 weex hence will shew more distinctly what I can, & have to do. Reading back, there has been a deal o’ work done since January 1.

At 6 dined; the tedious Mrs. Jones there: ― & a queer old man. And a Miss Howard, “a hauthoress” says Cockayne[.]

Read Bulwer’s, “what will he do with it?” ――

Penned out Zagóri sketches calmly till 11.

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

1. Nightmares. [↩]

X8

Very fine day.

Letters from P. Williams ― & Anne Scrivens. Painted at the small Cerbara.

Almost resolved to flee ― anywhere ― but didn’t.

4 to 5½ ― saw Mr. Lyle ― & walked to Walton.

Ἐγευμάτισα μόνος: ἔπειτα, ζωεγράφισα κὰι ἔγραψα.¹

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

1. I dined alone: then, penned out and wrote (NB). [↩]

No good sleep. Day fine. ― Letters from F.L. ― δὲν ἔρχεται¹ ― Grove ― (to whom I wrote ―) & W. Sandbach.

Worked pretty hard all day ― 10 to 4 ― at the Tiber view. ― Walked by sandy roads from 4 to 5.30. ―

Dined monos. Penned out a whole drawing. Bed ― 11.

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

1. He isn’t coming (NB). [↩]

Slept well. ― Letter from Ann, & wrote to her. She gets better.

Day gray ― warmer. ― ὁλίγον ἥλιος.¹

Paiνted at Philate, ― & how completely the carrying out the sketch brings the life of those days of August 1856 back again ― strangely dreamy! ― when lame & ill, I lay on the rugs over the door of Jaffier Pashas palace, & watched the Albanian Evening life.

At 4 walked till 5 ― the walks are pleasant here ― & less monotonous than at St. Leonards in 1859. ―

Dined at 6.

Wrote Greek, but fell asleep. ―

Penned out a little. ―― Weary.

On all beyond I purposely close my eyes ― & think nil. ―

Finished the Mill on the Floss ― a very skillfully written, but unwholesome book & bad.

X7

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

1. A little sun (NB). [↩]

“We are going back again” ― it seems.

Rose at 7.30. Breakfast. Gray day at first ― the sun!!!!!! from 11 to 2. And not cold ― except indoors.

Worked at the small Zagóri ― but fitfully ― reading & writing at times ―: letters having come from W. Nevill, Baring, & C. Church. ― C.M.C. is pleased ― κὰι μ’ ἀρέσκει τοῦτο¹ ― with his drawings.

Worked most at painting from 2 to 4.

Scarcely went out ― alcuni passi.²

Dined at 6.

Upstairs ― penned out till 10 ― & wrote ― & Greek. Μάλλον ἐυτυχὴς ἡμέρα.³

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

1. And I like this (NB). [↩]
2. A few steps. [↩]
3. Quite a happy day (NB). [↩]

21 Day Cedars

Rose at 7.30. Day fine. Breakfast with J.B.E. ― & afterwards walked with him to Weybridge Station, where, standing about, I got chilled. Returned before 12 ― & worked a little in darkening the trees, ― but grew ill.

Slept.

X5

Slept.

read. “Mill of the Floss.” [sic]

did nothing more to painting ― knowing I could only spoil what I touched.

A day provoking & rememberable ― as if one had died or gone clean out of reason.

Yet I remember that I never could work, if I did not do so at once & directly after breakfast.

The plans ahead of J.B.E. are curious enough ― & a great deal of character opens out in this young man, who is an uncommon one.

Painted but little more: & at 4 walked beyond Walton, & back by 6.15.

Ἐγευμάτισα μόνος.¹

Penned out somewhat.

X6

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

1. I had dinner alone (NB). [↩]

A fine (November,) gray day ― cold ― sunless generally.

Letters from W.H. Hunt, ― & Mrs. H.J. Hunt. ――― Arabella Gage is dead. ――

After breakfast at 10.45 J.B.E. & I set out, & went over & through St. George’s Hill ― & its blue blue firs & brown fern ―― to Paine’s Hill ― & Cobham Street ― & Cobham: & so to Stoke D’Abernon: where we turned & went to “Bullock’s farm” ― & then by “Occupation road,[”] ― to lanes, & a ――― green. ― After that, returning, we went over commons for a long way ― & came in a circle inopportunely to Bullocks farm again ― whence by roads various to Oxshott ― where we had beer & a biscuit. So on to Claremont, Esher, Hersham & Walton ― & to the Hotel by 5.30. Some 18 or 20 miles μεθὶνξ.¹

Dinner acceptable.

Evening in my room. ―

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

1. Methinks. [↩]

Cedars 20^th day.

Day, gloomy, dark, foggy ― cold, damp ――― altogether horrible.

Letters from Ann & L. Shakespear. Wrote to Mrs. S. Worked a good deal at Cedars, when there was light enough.

I must be better somehow than in other years ― or I could not keep up in this frightful gloom & physical suffering.

Possibly Edwards may come tonight ― but I hardly think he will in such weather.

Walked up & down & about ― but it rained more or less. At 6.30 J. Edwards came.

Dinner: & talk: & evening in my room.

(Ὁ Κύριος Δρούμονδ ― ὁ συζυγὸς τῆς ἀδελφῆς τῆς Κυρίας Λίζερ ― εἶναι ὁ ἵδιος Δρούμονδ ποῦ εἶδα εἰς τὸν Κωλόνιαλ Ὅφις ― διὰ τὸν Τἀλβοτ ― γραμματεῖς καὶ οἱ δύω ― τοῦ Λόρδου Δέρβι.)¹

Queer chains of life.

Bed at 11.

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

1. Mr. Drummond ― the husband of Mrs. Lizar’s sister ― is the same Drummond I saw at the Colonial Office ― by Talbot ― [they are] both secretaries ― of Lord Derby (NB). [↩]