Edward Lear's Diaries

Sent letter to F.L.

Very fine ― clear, but colder.

Once more to Cerbara [sic], starting at 8½ ― & there by 10½. Drew badly & blackly & wearily. ―

But somehow today was not unpleasant.

My cold however became much worse, ― & the dim home was painfullish. ―

Invitation from Mrs. Story to breakfast tomorrow to meet Mrs. B. Stowe. No go. ― Dessoulany had called. Dined alone. Cold too bad to work. ―

Cheales came: he is afraid for C. Massingberd, also ― ――

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

Sent letter to A. E. Tennyson.

Very fine. We packed & were off at 9½ ― & ― (roads dreadful!) at Cervara grottoes by 11½. ― There I worked tooth & nail at 2 views, till 4. ― ―

home by 6. ―

Dined alone, & penned out till 11 from 7½ ― writing first to F.L.

Mr. Wilson came ― & took on hisself [sic] to lecture me for not going out, overwork, Hugh Miller &c. &c. ―: to which I thought ― o ass! ― but said nothing. ―

My bad cold in eyes & head not improved by the day’s work.

X9

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

Bad night. No rest. ―

Fine early, & half thought of going to Cervara, but it clouded, & I was too cold & unwell. Worked hard therefore all day at Beirut, & 3 Parnassusses. ― At 5 a letter from F.L. A.T. may yet come. ― Walked into the Borghese, & over the Pincian. Dined alone: & suddenly began Musters’s Interlaken, at wh. I worked on till 11 no one coming.

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

Beirût.

Aperiently, fine. ―

Worked at Gibbs’s Cervara ― till 1 ― and a little at the Beirût. ―

At 2 Mr. Lee (Rev.) came.

At 3 went to Foro ― & to Palazzo Caffarelli ― & saw Newton’s drawings of Boodroom &c. &c. Ach! memorie!

Returned ― & called on Newton, (out), P.W. (out) & Dessoulany ― (out.). Home. Letters from Ann, & C.F. ―

Walked in Borghese ―: ― & with Benouville. ―

afterwards with Forster.

Dined alone. ― Later, Wilson came: & staid till 10½: ― a man full of reason of a sort.

X8

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

Damascus.

Rose at 9 ― unrefreshed. Dark raw damp & gloomy day. ― 4th Passo of wood had in.

Worked at Damascus ― but ill at ease.

No letters. ― A walk on the Pincian at Sunset.  ― Dined alone.

G. is more than ordinarily sulky & scontento:¹ poor fellow, no wonder ― but intanto² it is not pleasant for me, as he will hardly answer a plain question, & then sulkily.

I think the best plan will be not to take him to England, but to send him back to Corfû ― & to cease his service: ― for he now could do well out of Greece: & it is better to settle that sooner than later, if at all. ― In England, I must get on as I can, & if other changes follow, a year or two in India or America or Australia will grind away the inequality  to a flat surface. So be it. [“Μη φυναι” ειναι αριζον ―: αλλα the next best, επειδη ειμαι μονος, ειναι να ηναι παντοτε μονος και παντοτε]³

Penned out an old drawing ― 25 May 1848 ― of one gun battery! ― & I found on it P. Hornbys initials: ― in Κεφαλόνια I had heard of his death. ―

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

1. Unhappy. [↩]
2. Meanwhile. [↩]
3. “Better never to have been born” is Arizona ―: but the next best, because I am alone, is to be forever alone (Google). “Μη φυναι” is a famous phrase from Saphocles’s Oedipus at Colonus:

   Not to be born at all
   Is best, far best that can befall,
   Next best, when born, with least delay
   To trace the backward way. [↩]

Damascus.

Wet. ― After 12 a most violent thunder & hailstorm, or piuttosto,¹ many, & almost darkness till 4. rain always.

Went at 10 to Macbeans, & paid 5 scudi to Church fund.

Worked, when it was light enough, at Damascus.

Col. Bowen called: & later, Cheales, with whom I walked on the Pincian, in the rain.

Dined alone. ―

No letters ― which distresses me ― especially from Ann.

No sleep till past 4 AM on account of Carnival noises.

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

1. Rather. [↩]

Fine all day ― but very cold.

No church. read, wrote, & drew, sepia S. Sabbas.

At 3 went with Capt. Jameson across the Ferry ― & over the M. Mario, & by the river home.

Looked for AT, αλλα δεν ηλθε.¹

Dined ― G. giving me the pigeon & sausages of yesterday.

Later ― Newton came, to coffee, & staid till 11.

His place here, & his saying, & thoughts of it are droll enough to me.

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

1. Because he has not been (GT). [↩]

Fine & clear all day ― but very cold.

Did not paint well ― the 2 Palermos. ― Disgusted διοτι ˇ[δεν] ειναι γραμματα.¹ ― ―

Began the Damascus: ― & at 4 went to P. Williams, with whom I walked to P. Maggiore, wishing to go to Frascati with G. tomorrow ― but the Railway hours are too early or too late.

Returned to dine, with Mr. Wilson: ― G.’s dinner was very good, al solito. ― After wh. we talked, & I worked, at a Netching in pen a nink. ― Mr. E.W. is an intellectual, & pleasant fellow. No letter from Ann, which grieves me.

All the P. Pia road was thronged with people & carriages, from 4 Fontana to P. Nomentana. ― & so, I hear it was on Thursday. ― The childish Romans “do” their Carnival thus ― disperati! Poor fools. ― There was a pasquinade 2 nights ago,

Il Carnivali si fa a Porta Pía
Chi va in Corso, e ladr’o spía.²

The restrictions as to the Carnival are certainly abundant.

Wilson staid till 12.50.

XX7

1. Because there are no letters (GT). [↩]
2. The Carnival is at Porta Pia / Those who go to the Corso are thieves or spies. [↩]

Damascus & Beirut began.

Rain!! miracolo! But it cleared later.

Worked hard from 9 to 4½: first, putting an outline of Damascus on canvass ― (having to scrape out one of Beirut[)]:― & 2ndly making another outline of Beyrout. Then worked at Acanthus leaves on the ˇ[2] Palermo pictures.
At 4½ one Mr. Edward Wilson of Melbourne brought me a letter from T. Woolner,¹ ― so I walked round the Borghese with him & asked him to dine tomorrow. Woolners letter is very nice.

Dined alone. ― Placed the Beirut outline on Canvass. No letters ― which abhors me.

Wrote to Woolner.

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

1. Woolner would sculpt Wilson’s bust in 1868, see State Library of Victoria. [↩]

A perfectly clear & very cold day all through. ―

Worked hard at the 2 Palermos ― from 9 to 4 ― besides doing an oil sketch from Beirout.

At 4¾ walked round ― all round ― the Borghese Gardens, ― & mused over the ruins of the V. Cenci ― remembering how the portrait of it used to hang in the drawing room at Queen Square.

E! sogno di vita!¹

Why does Conte d’Ántino come back to me now so clearly & grandly? ― with all its personages?

Dined alone. Penned out the very last of the larger Syrian drawings. ― Nobody came.

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

1. Dream of a life. [↩]