Monday, 20 August 1860
Rose at 6 ― grayish fine till 5 or 6 P.M. when al solito ― rain. ― Worked at colouring penned drawings. ― “Painted up” skies of the 2 Nuneham views. At 1.30 Archibald & Mrs. Peel came: A.P. was always a nice fellow. ― Afterwards, Jameson ― who wants me to do another small picture.
Heard of C.A. Knight being here ― & at 5 (― coming back again with Augustus Egg,) went to find him: ― out: then to Foords ― & home in a cab.
At 7 W.F. Beadons ― no one else. ― Evening quiet & pleasant, & I hope he seems better. Later he told one or two of his exquisitely funny magisterial “experiences” ― only his imitations are they lost. Once, a very respectable looking woman came for a summons against a neighbor for abuse. How ― & what &c. &c.? ― O! She could not tell! too bad! &c. &c. ― “Then ― there could be no summer-time valuable &c. &c. ― So ― after much difficulty, she came out with great force ― “Sir! she called me the most appropriate names ― W―― & b――h ―” Whereon the court roared & she rushed out. ― 2nd case ― Woman ˇ[cook] came to sear child to young footman ― serious Chaplain family. “Much religious preface ― backsliding &c. seductive unprincipled man &c. &c. too much for her at last sat. ―
Footman stands hands hanging down ― speechless. Housemaid witness afainst him ― constant attention ― &c. pious life &c. &c. ――― Have you anything to say? ――――― Footman brushes up & attitudes ―― “Well Sir, do you think that once against the stump of a tree on Clapham Corner could have got a child out of such an old creature as that?” ―――― Magistrate. “Possibly: ― so I must &c. &c.” Moral. Clapham Piety &c. &c.
What I hear of Catherine Vaughan & even of A.P. Stanley is terrible.
[Transcribed by Marco Graziosi from Houghton Library, Harvard University, MS Eng. 797.3.]
Very interesting. I wonder if there are other instances of Lear repeating stories that at the time would have been deemed unfit for the kind of mixed company he kept? Lear and respectability is a great subject of research.