Edward Lear's Diaries

Left Lewes at 9.30. ― Stratford Place by 11 or 12. ― Unpacking. ― To Daddy’s pictures. W.C. Exhibition ― Academy. C.F. Back & packed. ― Dined at W.F. Beadon’s ― kind & pleasant.

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

High wind, & dull gray ― rain now & then.

Wrote letters. Walk on downs with Bern, ― to Mt. Caburn. ―― Dined at 6.

Pleasant evening.

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

Letters from ―
F.L. ― Bassæ picture all right.
W.N. ― all pleasant & well.
W.H.H. ― ditto.
Coleman’s brother. 2 letters.
W. Sandbach. ― (J.B.E. is coming home.[)]
C.M. Church.
C. Fortescue
C. Newton ― very nice.
Dickenson.
Mrs. Finn.

sent letters to
F.L.
Mr. Edwards
Mrs. Ferrier
C. Massinghead.
Lady Bethell
Mrs. Musters
W. Sandbach
Mrs. Empson.
Bickens & Bush.

Very dark & rainy morning. Worked a little at the drawings. Lunch at 1.

Dreadfully high wind. At 4, tried to walk but was beaten. Mr. & Mrs. Currie, Mrs. & Miss Moore came to dinner: slow rather ― or perhaps I am “intolerant.” Anyhow I find it more & more difficult to join in small talk.

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

Gray. Rose early & wrote journal. All the morning worked at the 2 Jerusalem W.C. drawings. ― Dined at 1. Called on Mr. Currie. Very fine day. Went to Cricket match with B.H.H. ― & afterwards with all the rest to see the Rifle corps ―― with which I was most pleased.

We walked on the Downs till 8½ ―: supper at 9.

X1

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

Up by 6. Breakfast. ― Off ― Expss train by 8. (Mr. Halkett.) Stopped at Reigate, & waited for the 11 o’clock Lewes train, ― which took me there in time for an early dinner with the kind Husey Hunts.

Julia [Lewin] is going to be married to a Mr. Sharp ― formerly curate here ― & heir to much of Baroness Sternberg’s tin. ― I am very glad of this. ―

The H.’s are always the same ― & Bern looks & is much better ― & all the more from the Rifle exercise. ― Afternoon pouring rain. Supper at 8 ― Mr. Sharpe also. ―

Played & talked  till 10. Sleepy. ―

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

At Paris by 6. ― Nothing opened. To Hotel Louvre. Breakfast ― & dawdling. ― Cloudy wetty day.

At 10 to Station: at 11 off to Boulogne. ―

There by 5.30. Boat. Italian refugees. ― Cornwall Leghs. ― No rain in passage ― & short: but roughish. Start at 7.20. At Folkestone by 8.19. ――

But, being in a crowd, ― it was 10 or more before Customhouse was passed ― very politely & well. Supped at the Pavilion, & was glad to get to bed.

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

Wery high bill, & disgusting landlord. RC I must confess is utterly amiable. Off by rail at 6 ― very fine day. ― Succession of long vallies by river side. At Montemolein (I think) pair of French Regiment got out, Band waiting playing ― “Partant pour la Syrie.” ― &c. &c. On to Chambery at 9-9.30 ― which I did not think any striking or pretty ― anzi.¹ ― Then followed a really pretty lake ― Bourget? ― with Aix les Bains, & much beautiful scenery. By 11.5 arrived at Culõz, & all the Doganeria was passed most agreably & without bother. 11.45 ― at a good quiet restaurateurs, & after that we prowled about, & examined ants’ nests. ― At 4.15 left Culoz in the Macon train, & I was glad to get out once more into the plains: 3 inside besides ourselves. ― At 8 ― or thereabouts, at Macon, where there was no end of excellent supper & lots of time to eat it in.

Off ― ˇ[at 9] & thenceforth sleep or not as case might be, ― moonlight, & very comfortable carriage. ―

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

1. Quite the contrary. [↩]

Clear & bright. Coffee: ― & the carriage packed, started at 5.

Rose at 4.

Walked up the steep ascent. ― Above a village, ˇ[6.30] (Giaúne?) the view over the valley of the Dora, is most exquisite ― a world of walnut foliage softened with light & distance, with snowy summits on each side. But beyond this, the views are dull & uninteresting, this only is one of the widest & loveliest of Alpine views. 7 1er Post (Moralet?) Italy shut out. 7.45 shortcut, cuckoos, calves, cows, & humans all going to Susa fair. 8 French artillery: Capt. ― & dog. 9 RC came up. ― snow. 9.30. Road interesting, landscape ugly: zigzags. 9.40. Top of pass. 9.50. Barriera. 10.30. 2nd post, M. Cenizio. Dreary lake of ice & snow ― fog ― fall of snow, rain, glorious  descent. ― Furs. 12. ˇ[3rd post] Lons le Bourg, lunch. Storm of rain: fuss about luggage. ― 1. Fuss about 3rd horses, & set off ― 1.15 ―― descent by river, ― dull, mononotonous, huge. 3.30 ――― village half way, change horses. Crags & depths. Immense fortress. Walk a little. ― 3.25. 4th post, Modane: valley more beautiful. River fine, descent always. 4.30. Pine valley & river. 5 ― at 5th post ― S. Michel: dirty village ― diligence. ― Great crags & wild torrent valley: ― railway making. ― By 6.15 at the Europa Inn, S. Giovanni Maurienne.  New houses, dined at 7. Other arrivals. Girl of the keys.* Landlord & wine. Bed at 9.

Altogether the M. Cenis pass is not to be compared to the others for beauty or grandeur.

* This girl I accosted as “Madame,” taking her for the Landlady ― but she said ―
O dieu! Monsieurs! je fais la cuisine!
O God Sirs! I am the cook!

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

Perfectly clear & lovely. Rose at 5 ― & at 6, taking coffee on the way, ― up to  the Monti or Cappuccini. It is impossible to imagine the splendour of the Alps ― all their silver close behind the compact magnificence of Turin! I cannot remember any grander or more beautiful city scene. ― There was a pleasant man there who explained the landscape, & who had been in Greece. Cappuccini procession. ― Down to the Dora, & at 7½, breakfast with RC & at 8, in a car up to the Monti again & back by 9. ― Then, in a carriage, we set off to the rail, & took tickets for Susa, starting at 10, arrived at 11.45. ― Very lovely morning & bright, cultivation, mulberry &c. Very picturesque near Susa, but high wind rose, & became frightful. At the Hotel d’Avenue, we got some lunch. Tried to walk, but could not. RC seemed to wish to go on to-day, but it is not really possible. So we agree to go by Post tomorrow, & arrange accordingly. Then we walk about till 4 ― more or less…

It is now 4.30. George may be starting for Naples, having been at C. Vecchia all day. ― This place is gloomy [bare], & the wind distressing.

Slept from 4.30 to 7, then rose & dined ― not very badly I thought. ― The wind is still dreadful, bed at 9.

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

X10.

Rose early ― 4. Packed. Close cloudy morning. Breakfast with R.C. alias RC. Hurry & crowd in omnibus, & difficulty of getting luggage weighed &c. &c. Rail at 10. Agreable little man ― M. Emile De la Rue. ― Much talk of Sicily &c. ― Beautifully rich plains of Marengo. ― Turin at 2.15. No difficulty about luggage. Trombetta’s Hotel very full. D. Augusto Ruspoli. RC got a room, I not. He is worrying about prices, & seems not to wish now to go over to M. Cenis in a carriage. We lunched together, but as he wants to dine out at a cafè to save a franc or two, I advise a separate state all day. ― At 3 I went out & walked “all about the place,” wh. greatly pleases me ― nothing more than the obelisk commemorating the downfall of Ecclesiastical supremacy. Then I went across the Po, & up to the Capuccini ― whence the view is very grand: & returned by 6.30 or 7 by the public gardens. The whole morale & physique of Turin is refreshing after Rome.

Washed & dressed ― having now got a room. ― ――

George I suppose is off to C. Vecchia from Leghorn by this.

Was dining or supping alone when RC came in & supped too ― επειτα εμειτα χειρισα το Πιανο¹ ― & to bed at 10.

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

1. Then we [play] the piano. [↩]