Edward Lear's Diaries

Sent letters to Dickenson, Stansfeld, Sandbach, Potter, Reid, Clive, Edwards.

Worked at Clermont’s Bruce’s Parnassus ― off & on all day.

Went to Macbeans, & sent various letters to ask people to come in. Very fine weather.

3 Jervoises came, & 2 Macbeans, & 1 Malcolm, & 2 Parishes ―. ― 2 Reynolds, Miss Webb,

At 5½ called on Helen R. ― at 6½ to the Reynolds ― who had persuaded me to dine there ― against my will.

3 Jamesons ― P. Williams, Payne, ― Maj.r Oldfield, Misses Cushman & Stebbins, ― & Clark.

[Wh ] the dinner was long, & piuttosto tea[-]juice. Miss Jameson, on the right, is a very sweet nice girl, ― clear[-]eyed & open[-]faced, ― & somewhat recalling L.L. ――― Miss Yates, “on the left” ― was talkative & sharpy: ― her comparisons & contradictions are sadly tiresome, ― though she has much cleverness. ― After dinner, Clark & Payne, went away. ― Talking remained ― old China, & drawings. Mrs. Jameson & Ardee collections, Miss Cushman & Miss Stebbin. ― The Hosmer, it seems, is gone off to America, moribondo il di lei padre.((Her father being moribund.))

Returned by 11.

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

Gray day: no rain.

Did not go out.

Wrote to Sir J. Reid, Mrs. Potter, Mrs. Sandbach, Mr. Edwards, Mrs Clive, & H. Stansfeld

asking for
£
20
30
25
&30
―――
105

No one in the Corso, so I suppose there is some demonstration  elsewhere.

G. is out. A queer sort of man came with a letter to him, ― & would not give it to me. ――

At 6 to Macbeans. Procession of holy somebodies, ―― Newton, O’Brien, ― & the Malcolms at Dinner. As usual ― immensely pleasant. The Monday affair was very much discussed. Tuscany is annexed.¹

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

1. Tuscany, Parma and Modena, already united into the United Provinces of Central Italy, voted to be annexed to the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia after Napoleon III agreed to recognize the annexations in exchange for Savoy and Nice. [↩]

Roze late ― 8. G. calls me ― on principle ― at sunrise which is 6. ―

X11.

Began to work on Lord Clermont’s Parnassus.

Macbean. ―― News none particular. Home, & worked again, or slept X12, & so on all day, no one came. ―

Did no [sic] go out.

Dined alone.

Nobody; nothing: no letters: ― τίποτε.¹

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

1. Nothing (GT). [↩]

Sent letters to Gush, Drummond, & L. Shakespear

Slept particular, & hardly riz at 8.

Began to work at those everlasting Palermoes.

To Macbeans. Everything is more vexed & angular. Over 100 were wounded on Monday. ― Pacetti the painter among others. & there is a great movement of the F. officers around the matter.

Worked more or less at the Palermoes.

Lunched. Slept. ―

Edmund Colborne & 2 anonymous ladies came.

Queer, remembering Prevesa.¹

Then a letter from Louisa Shakespear ― very nice in all ways: ― & rejoicing Giorgis ― simple [single] George, by news of all his people ― good.

I could half return to Corfu.

So I wrote to L. Shakespear: & to Gush, & Drummond.

At 5½ went to the Knights, & sate with poor Isabella, & the D.ss: ― kind[-]hearted & good.

A walk on the odious Pincio.

Dined at home alone ― where poor Giorgio had made a “Mayonnese” far too good for me to enjoy. ―

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

1. An Albanian town of Venetian origin. [↩]

Sent letters to Ann, & C.F.

Slep [sic] betterly, but riz at 8.

Worked badlyish ――.

G. getting on better with his “letters.” ―

To Macbeans at 10½ , everything yet all sullen & unpleasant: carabinieri at every corner. Returned, & worked very ill at Potter’s Palermo, ― but read & looked out of window more.

At 5½ called on Coleman. He seems very ill & sad: ― She is a jewel of a good woman.

Walked on the Pincian.

Weather changing ― gray, ― sad & gloomy.

Dined alone.

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

X10

Fine ever.

Worked at Sandbach’s Palermo.

Macbeans. Much uneasiness about the street row ― …

Letter from C. Fortescue ― kindly & nice as ever. ―

Returned & worked again off & on at the Palermo till 5.

Various folk called. Col. Bowen. ― Maj.r Reynolds & Miss Yates, who bought my Janina for £35 ― frame included. Mr. Jervoise, & later Macbean. R. Cholmondeley also.

At 5½ or 6 walked in the Borghese.

Dined alone. Young Reilly came, & I read Guinevêre to him, wh. is assuredly a wondrous pome. ―

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

Sent letter to E. Tennyson.

X9

Bad wicked life.

Rose fervently ― nonostante. & Worked at S. Sabbas more or less all day.

Going out at 12 to Macbeans, ― heard of the row in the Corso last night. ― The was a great “demonstration” of young men ― 4 a 4 abreast ― (Garibaldi’s birthday,) ― & much fuss thereby. At the P. Colonna, 2 or 3 it seems called out V. Manuello,¹ & were arrested: but the gendarms let them go, on F. persuasion, whereat the populace hissed the Gendarms. ― Shortly after, some 10 or 20 G. rode out of the M. Citorio, & down the Corso, ― stabbing & “a casa, canaglia,”² ― on all sides. 3 F. soldiers, & 1 F. officer, & some 10 or 15 Romans were wounded. ― The excitement is great to day.³

Worked at home till 5. Dessoulany called, & cheered me by his natural & straight way’d admiration of my paintings. ―― Called on the Knights ― on Helen K. & walked a bit in the Borghese.

Dined alone.

Cholmondeley came, an excitable & enthusiastic fellow, ―: I had called on him at 1 or 2 & saw his brother, a R.C. Priest.

also called on P. Williams.

George is livelier & more studious to day.

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

1. Vittorio Emanuele II, king of Sardinia and Piedmont, who was operating for a unification of Italy. [↩]
2. Go home, scoundrels. [↩]
3. For the Roman events of 19 March 1860, see R. Ambrosi de Magistris and I. Ghiron. Roma nella storia dell’unità italiana. Studio storico. Roma-Torino-Firenze: Fratelli Bocca, 1884, Vol. 2, pp. 372-6. [↩]

Sent letter to Dickenson.

Slept always, & well!! ― & rose very late.

Nonostante,¹ cross ― & crosser that George had done no lessons, ― the fact in itself not vexatious, but his reason for so doing ― “mi c’entrava la testa, ch’era la Domenica, e stavo meglio far niente.”² ― as his best writing [evenings] had been ever Sundays ― this was absurd. Eyes bad, & could not work.

To Macbean’s but it was a fêsta:³ however I got some tin.

Returned, & worked very very little.

Mr. Parish came. Letter from V. Crake ―

And 6 papers ― sent from Dickenson, very obliging. ―

At 4½ or 5 called on P.W. ― & walked with him till 6½.

Dined alone.

And now to bed.

What a solitary, bad, foolish, unwholesome life!

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

1. Notwithstanding which. [↩]
2. It entered my head that it was a Sunday, and I was better off doing nothing. [↩]
3. Holiday. [↩]

Very clear & fine. ― Rose late.

Church. Burgon is intolerable ― Lazarus & Dives,¹ ˆ[arguing that it was certain we should have all our members ― vide “the tip of my tongue.”]
Calls on Miss Cushman, & Macbeans.

Walked with Jameson to Tor di Schiavi.

Dined at the Bertie Mathews: ― very pleasant. ―

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

1. Dives (the rich man who will be damned) and Lazarus (the poor man that is saved) were common figures in fifteenth- and sixteenth-century moralities and interludes. [↩]

I suspect the night was bad.

Gray, cold, damp day.

To Macbeans, after working at the small Palermo.

Worked again at the little brute till 4½.

Then walked with P. Williams till 6½.

Dined alone. ―

Ομιλ ισα με τον Γεοργιον, δια τα πραγματα του Κορφου. ―¹

X8

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

1. But I speak to Giorgio about the things of Corfu (GT). [↩]