Edward Lear's Diaries

Misty & dull. Breakfast with Miss R. & the children. Hugh is very odious in teasing all. ― Walk with Will. At last we decide to go to Pepper Harrow¹ ˇ[at 10]. ― Leave ― & go in carriage, W.N., ― Hugh, Allan, & I. W. vexes me always by his absurd snatches of affection to his boys. ― Pepperharrow park, home, & garden, most magnificent cedars. ― Pleasant gardener.

Back to Godalming at 1. ― Kind, good W.N. ―

Station: ― to Weybridge. Lunch at Inn, & fly to Ockham. ― Miss Kerr, pleasant place & old fashioned house. Cedars & garden. ― Portraits of Lady Byron, & Joanna Baillie. ―― Dr. L.:² most delightful old gentleman: walk with him: what an old age & what a life! ―― … William L.: walk with him & dog. ― I ζορια λωρδ ου [].³ ―

Return to house.

Dinner.

Pleasant & good dinner. The L.s are a good race. ―

Talk with Mr. Probyn afterwards ― … Evening short. I wouldn’t sing. δεν ηλαπα λοσον τους αδελφους τους δυω ωσαν αλλους ταντης της φαμιλιας.

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

1. Peper Harrow. [↩]
2. This should be Stephen Lushington (1782-1873), who had five sons (and five daughters), among them Vernon and Godfrey (twins). [↩]
3. I strain my Lord [] (GT). An ink blot covers part of this and the previous line. [↩]

Fine: pale sun. Breakfast alone, & at 9 to Waterloo St. Weybridge by 10. Cab or Fly to Mr. Hewitson’s, where the Cedars are really magnificent. Mr. H. was out, but I walked in the gardens, & met a Mr. Lyle, of the next house,who showed me his Cedars, & they were better still. Mr. L. says Charles Lushington is the Vicar of the Parish, ― & J. Lewis lives close by. I then went to the Oatland Hotel ― & saw rooms &c. ― & then at 1― back to Mr. Hewitsons, who, it turns out, is he of Newcastle, & through Mrs. Wentworth, a subscriber to my Parrots. His stuffed birds, & cabinets of butterflies are wonderfully fine: ― & some good drawings there are also.

Lunch: & he asked me to stay there altogether ― but I don’t know what to say to that yet. At 2, walked to Weybridge Station, & from 2.30 to 3.10, waited for the train, in wh. was W. Nevill ― & so we got to Godalming whence we drove to Langham Cottage. Miss Robinson, Hugh, Allan, Mary & Guy there: we walked about: it is a quiet nook, but too confined for me to like it much.

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

W.F.B. breakfast, he goes out of town on Monday: poor fellow, ― I cannot think he will ever wholly recover. ―― I sat to work on Jameson’s Campagna ― yet did not complete it: nor is Potter’s Palermo finished. One Howard Hopley came ―: & later some others, but (I am writing on the 13^th) I can’t remember who.

At 3 or 4 W.G. Clark: ― & then Dickenson, whose bill I have reduced now to 65£: ― he took away Sandbach’s Palermo, & the 2 Stansfeld Campagnas. J.B. Edwards also came, & told me of his visit to the ATs ― (from whom I had heard to day,) &, sad to say, of much trouble at Moredale House. I walked with him to Regent Circus: then Buss to Angel, & walk to Ann’s ― whose lodgings are very comfortable. Sarah was there ― older only as to the loss of teeth, otherwise not at all so apparently ― Ann’s dinner, poor dear, was excellent, & so evening pleasant. S.S. is certainly a very curious woman. She seems to have grown wider in some of her religious views. The accounts of R.B. were really disgusting & terrible: his conduct to Mary frightful, & were he within reach I would give him a severe shaking.

At 10 I came away, & buss me home.

Fine day ― at least, no rain.

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

Dull ― even gray: but not fine: ― dark at times, but also a small idea of sun later.

Worked pretty hard at the 2^nd Stansfeld Campagna picture.

Nice letter from Lord Clermont.

W.F.B. breakfasted with me: he is (naturally,) full of the day’s affairs, & I often wish I had a livelier nature at early hours.

Nobody came all day ― absurd to relate.

Slept, ασματοsely ― at 3.

At 4 rushed out: Omnibus to Wardour St. ― Foords.

Walk to Charing Cross, & to Robersons: ― & then all the way through the city ― (for it was earlier than I thought,) to Mr. Bell’s ―: out. ― To the Blackwell station ― & at Blackwell by 6¾ . ―

Wonderful good dinner. Brass band. View of ships.

(Recollections of H. Lushington, & my last dinner here.)

Talk with Clark. ― Simultaneous rush to Omnibus. ―― & all got outside ― with much fun.

I, at Bond St. left. ―

XX6

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

Dull ― & some rain. ― dark

W.F.B. breakfasted. ομιλει πολλα, και δεν  εμπουρωσα να τον ζητησω να ηλθε και ημεραν: αλλα ειναι καλος, και φιλος μου πιλο, και πρεπει να ελθε, τωρα.¹

Worked by fits at 2 Campagnas, & the Cedar sketch.

Will Nevill, Senior
Willie Nevill ― Junior
Captain Jameson.
Sir J. Clark Jervoise.
Lord Stanley ― who was particularly nice. & as of old.
W. Frith, who was also agreable. ―

At 7 to Geo. Middletons’s. ― Mrs. M. new to me: also small jolly uproarious boy. Dinner very plain, snug & pleasant: “soup, good lamb & pease, cherry tart”!

Afterwards, one Mrs. Walken ― & both she & Mrs. G.M. played & sang well.

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

1. More or less, Lear must have meant: “He speaks a lot, and though I did not ask him to come evey day, it is good that my friend and [pilot] should come now” (GT). [↩]

Rose at 8. No servant to be got at. Walked to Station. Rail to town by 9½ & at Stratford Pl. by 10.

Dreadful accounts from the Lebanon.

X4

Comfortless waste!

Slept.

Worked suddenly at a sketch for the Cedars of Lebanon.

At 6pm came Mrs. Frith & 2 children & Mrs. F. Stone.

Mrs. F. poor woman was ― “as she is” ― as Ισμήνη says to her father “ἔις ουπέρ ἐιον.” The vegetating Royals suppose all like themselves, & pity those who “they hear nothing of.”

Bonham & Mrs. B. Carter, & their 2 little sons came afterwards, & that visit was far more agreable.

At 6½ to Wyatts ― where were Dr. & Mrs. Thurnam, ― a Mr. Nurse of the Cape ― & Miss Matthias! how many years that brings back to the Whitechapel Rectory ― & the long long walks with a folio, heavy & large. ― Mrs. M. was always very kind to me. In the evening were the Digbys ― & after I had sung a great deal came C. Landseer ― who, as I was not in the most Academic mood, riled me by calling me “Leach.”

X5

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

Rose at 7 & wrote notes. ― Fine day.

At 9¼ Daddy came ― very poorly with a dreadful cold got at Oxford, where those unthinking selfish fools have worried him to death. Ditto the Trevelyans in Northumbeland.

He had to go at 10½ ― to answer a note from the Gladstones ― sent last night late ― asking to see his pictures this morning. ― At 12.30 to Rail, & waited till 1.30: at Twickenham by 2. Large lot of folk at lunch, Col. & Lady C. Harcourt, Lady G. Grey, Cheney, Lady Truro, Count & Lady Bernstoff, Granville & Lady Selina Vernon, C.F., there, with Mr. H. & Lady W., myself, & ‘Poodle Byng’ ― made 14. & in the evening came Lord & Lady Clanricarde, Lord & Lady Shelbourne, Duke & Duchess D’Aumâle, some french man, & the Swiss Minister.

The gardens were lovely, ― later we all drove to Lord John Russells, whom we all saw: also Arthur R. ― also C. Newton is back. Returned. Walk in Garden, & long talk with C.F. Dined with him in the little room. Evening in the Gallery.

X4

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

Fine, not much sun.

W.F. Beadon at breakfast. Afterwards worked a little at Potter’s Palermo, & a good bit of the figures in Gibbs Cervara.

Then came

J.G. Blencowe.
Mr. Sayer.
Lady Farquhar
Mrs. K. Macaulay.
Mrs. Seymour, & Mrs. Bouverie.
T.G. & Mrs. Baring.
& so on all afternoon.

At 7 left a letter & Bassæ Photographs on Miss Cockerell. At 7¾ to Bonham Carters. Nice little children. ―

Pleasant party enough.

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

Paid Mrs. Shakespear 2£ | No.

Fine ― i.e. no rain; but cloudy always. W.F.B. at breakfast.

A day of bother. Rose at 7. Infinite letters ― & wrote infinitely also. ― Ann came at 11 ― & was pretty happy I think. ― I painted at T. Potter’s Palermo. Willie Nevill at 1: ― he is much improved: Lunch with him & Ann. Painted again till 3. Then Mrs. Shakespear & little Ida: & I got Ann to go in & see her, but Venables came, & Mrs. Headlam & her sister ― so poor Ann escaped. Finally, Ida wouldn’t go, & screeched so as to [resound thro’] Stratford Place, & was forcibly carried into the Brougham. Thereon, near 4 ― I began to dress ― but Lord Somers came ― queer & altered: whom I think descends. ― He went, & I, at 4 ― out to cabinet maker, Tailor, & C. Cross omnibus, seeing Mrs. Shakespear by the way, & Somers also. ― To Camberwell Gate ― & walked to Mr. Maclean’s, where was H. à Dennett.

Evening difficult. Mrs. M. is slow ― & there was little relief, tho’ they are good folk. So I talked. ― Back by 11½.

Found cards & notes from

Col. Caldwell
Mrs. Ford
Mrs. Bouverie. ―

Dreadful accounts of the Lebanon! Zachleh, & Hasbayah destroyed!

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

Rose at 5.30!!!! & arranged boox.

W.F. Beadon to Breakfast.

Hardly worked all day ― T. Potter’s Palermo only ― that last of incubi!

At 3 came Major Reynolds & Miss Yates ― & looked over Athos drawings.

At 5 Capt. (Admiral) & Mrs. Robinson, who are “as they always were.” ειναι που ηδουν,¹ good & pleasant & intelligent, “rational!”

At 5.30 left card on Sir C. Jervoise ― ― returning, met Greene ―, who was succinct & clear in his recital of his family’s life: ― they were kind to me once, & Mrs. G. particularly ― but ― ……

At 7 to Mr. Sayer’s; Louisa S. & a brother of Mrs. [Shakespear] who was not prepossessing. Nor were the inner ― relazioni della famiglia ― bench’il vino fu buono.²

At dinner, the talk was much too vivid regarding  the Q. ― & Col. Phipps &c. &c. ― How Col. P. “alone kept her afloat, poor wretched woman” ― &c. ― & much more silly ― but unpleasant. The father also had no end of bits of the foolish daily papers ― about his son, & although Mrs. S. mere went into loud & endless horrors about her son & the Crimea, ― yet I could not remind her that there were hundreds as suffering ― but more unrewarded.

So I was glad of tea. Much talk of Corfû. L.S. is what we always thought, a good woman.

I left at 10.45 or 11 or later. Found letters from Venables, Miss North, & W. Nevill.

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

1. Lear is trying to translate the previous sentence. [↩]
2. Family relationships ― though the wine was good. [↩]