Ἐσηκῶθης ᾽ς τὰς ἑπτὰ, ἀλλὰ ἔμεινα ᾽ς τὸ κρεββάτιον, διὰ τὰς σύγγεφας ἀπὸ τὰς ὁποίας ἧτον διόλου σκοτεινὴ ἡ ἠμέρα: (καὶ πολὺ κρύον.) ᾽Σ᾽ τὰς ογδω, ἐνδυματισμένος ὦν, ἔγραψα εἰς τὴν Ἄνναν, διαβάζων πρώτων τὸ βιβλὶον του, τὴς Γεολογίας. Καὶ, τώρα, γράφω ταύτα ― εἰς Ἐλλενικὴν δε, διότι ὅλα τὰ πράγματά μου εἶναι ἀνοιγμένα καὶ χωρὶς θήκην, ― ἐπειδὴ ἔχασα τὸ κλείδι πρίν νὰ ἀφίσω τὴν Λονδίνον: ― καὶ ἐὰν γράφω Ἀγγλικὰ, δὲν θὰ διαβάσει ἥ ἀναγνώσει ὅλον ὁτὶ γράφω οἱ ὑπηρέται; ― Οἱ οὐρανοὶ εἶναι ὀλίγον λαμπρότεροι τώρα ― καὶ ἐλπίζω ἀκόμα ὠς θὰ ἔχωμεν καλὸν καιρὸν.1

Breakfast pleasant. Afterwards ― drew & played: ― little boy Musters. Miss Hammond is very nice: her mother is M.A. Chaworth’s daughter.2 ―

Walk solo in the Park. Deer. ― Lunch, Mrs. C.M. Miss C.M. Miss H. & I. Talk of Ghosts: the skeleton: the sigh: the butler &c. ― Soon after at 2 Mrs. C.M. drove me with the ponies ― just as last year ― only in finer weather ― thro’ Linby & Papplewyck3 ― (Walters away,) & the rough green lanes, to Newstead. To day it was most beautiful. We walked ˇ[half] round the water ― & I drew. Then the house ―: the lower monked rooms: the Cloisters, the gardens, so beautiful! The terraces! the close alleys & ponds: the balustrades & the Abbey arches ― the Dogs tomb. ― Inside, the tapestry & rooms, & endless care of Col. Wildman: the room of Byron ― just as it was: the great drawing room ― & the dining room: the skull ― &c. &c. All so sad & wild & strange, remembering too as I did all my early thought & reading ― & that I had thought also at Janina & Greece ― & Spezzia. ― A strange dream. Mrs. Shepherd the housekeeper very nice. (La Guiccioli had been there last year: ― Lady Lovelace once. ―) So I came away ― & I dare say Mrs. C.M. wondered at my interest ― for indeed they consider ― at least the Musters do ― that Lord B.’s verses & admiration of their grandmother was a liberty.

We drove home ― & I walked till 6 on the Terrace.

I have joined the family party.

Dinner, pleasant, al solito.

[At the bottom of the previous entry:]

3rd Later sang.

It is long since I passed as pleasant a day.

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

  1. Rose at seven, but stayed in bed, because of the clouds that darkened a good deal the day: (and much cold.) At eight, already dressed, I wrote to Ann, having first read his book, of Geology. And, now, I am writing this ― albeit in Greek, for all my things are open and without a case, ― because I lost the key before I left London: ― and if I was to write in English, wouldn’t the servants read or study everything I wrote? ― Skies are a bit brighter now ― and I still hope that we shall have nice weather (NB). It is not clear whose book of geology Lear had been reading. [↩]
  2. For Lear’s interest in the Chaworth Musters family history see the new Blog of Bosh. [↩]
  3. Papplewick. [↩]