Thursday, 31 July 1862

X12.

A bad month. ill at ease.

Fine. Dickenson’s man put the glass into the Athos frame, & as far as I can see, I finished the picture. ―

A sale is going on in poor W.F. Beadon’s house.

At 3. I lunched ― being a fool. ―

The blue sky saddens me. Really if I could realize enough money to give me 200 a year, I think I would begin a new kind of life altogether, but I suppose this cannot be.

At 4.30 ― came Col. Cockburn; ― later Dowgr. Lady Wenlock, Mrs. Stuart Wortley & her daughter, who staid till after 5 ―― when I cabbed to Rail to Putney ― arriving there at 6 ― & a cab to Mrs. Cameron’s. Lots of people: poets can’t be seen alone. ―

Rail back at 10.30.

Home by 11.30.

---

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

Wednesday, 30 July 1862

Fine all day.

No sleep ― indigestion & bother-boles ―

X11 ― Rose at 6.30 ― & during the day worked at Sir F.G.’s Athos ― & not ill.

But first ― Mr. & Mrs. Middleton came & a Miss Bridges. ― & later, Mrs. Jonathan Nevill, with Tarratt N. & his bride: very pleasant, & young T.N. is a superior youth. ― (I gave him a letter to W.G.C. ―) Later, Sir Creswell Creswell, who is a very agreable & pleasant man.

It was too late to go out ― so I rather fussed till nearly 8 ― (7.52.) when Holman Hunt came. At first I was thinking, he might have come sooner to see my pictures, but then I remembered his own hard work, & did not think so.

We concurred on the possible marriage of his sister: & on other matters; & he left me to go to the R.A. soirée. ―

Having done some Homer ― I now go to bed ― at 11.

Lady Strangford sent a nice note ― asking for any sketch for 7.7.

---

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

Tuesday, 29 July 1862

Rose at 6 ― or rather 5.40. Fine all day.

Worked all day alas ― at Sir F.G.’s Athos ― with intervals of Homer.

At 5 ― came 40scue ― & staid till 5.30 ― but no one else came. Τότε,[1] I walked across the Park leaving cards ― & being overtook by Jameson ― who is not a desirable comrade very.

So at 7 ― or 7.20 I returned to dine

---

[1] Then.

---

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

Monday, 28 July 1862

Rose at 6. 2 pages of Homer. ― Very fine.

Walked out into those lovely woods: ―

The days that are no more.

Breakfast at 8.40 ― with Gussie, the Lord C. Wally & Miss Gye. & at 9.15 to rail with Lord Westbury, with whom in a private carriage compartment with him only ― came to town by 11, & to Stratford Pl. by 11.30[.]

X10

Indigestion. Sleep. Came pretty Mrs. Fane ― & her sister ― & little Miss Fane. ― Afterwards Caroline Jones & her daughter Emily: later, James Edwards & Lord Harrison. ― At 5. I walked with James Edwards, & left cards at Lord De Tabley’s, & D. Woolffs &c. ― Mrs. S. [Wortlap]: ― & saw Mr. Mrs. & Miss Percy ― all 3 kindly & pleasant.

At 7.30 ― to Adml. Robinsons. ― Dinner thus ―

Pleasant.

Staid till 10.30.

Cab home.

---

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

Sunday, 27 July 1862

Quite fine all through: ― sun, but cold wind.

Rose at 6. Homer till 8.30. Walk till 9.15. ―

Breakfast ― merry & pleasant. I never saw Lord Westbury more cheerful & full of converse. He proposed a walk, he riding the white pony ― & at 10.30. we set off. Talk of Corfu ― & lots of things: continual talk ― till at 1.30 we reached Hackwood house. Lunch. ― After ― walk with Lady W. (in chair pushed by Wally ―) Gussy & Miss Gye ― & Richie ― in the old kitchen garden ― what memories! ―――――

After returning ― the L.C. proposed another walk ― & we went through the woods, & to see the Dux &c. ― & later still I walked by myself. ― “The days that are no more.”[1]

Dinner ― after more sittings & walkings ――

Much talk: ― but later ― the Lord C. was asleep & Lady B. ― till very late ― when [he] woke up. ―

Bed at 11.

As pleasant a day as passed for many years.

 

---

[1] From the first stanza of Tennyson’s “Tears, Idle Tears” (1847):

Tears, idle tears, I know not what they mean,
Tears from the depth of some divine despair
Rise in the heart, and gather to the eyes,
In looking on the happy autumn-fields,
And thinking of the days that are no more.

---

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

Saturday, 26 July 1862

Very fine ― (for England) ― all day. i.e. Sun.

Painted early & until 2 P.M. at the Psararous Corfu ― & not ill ― as things go. ―― At 3.15 ― (no one came,) went to Waterloo Rail & so to Basingstoke by 5.20. Kind Lady Westbury was there to meet me. ― At Hackwood were the ‘angel in the house’ ― & Miss Gye: & Wally. A walk in those Hackwood shades before dinner ― once more with Gussie ―― & Miss G. ― Dinner, thus,

(Lady W.’s account of Fanny Coombe’s “dodging her all over the Exhibition,” ― was hardly what F.C. had liked to hear.)

& it was very pleasant. The L.C. was more agreable than I almost ever knew him. His anecdotes of the Turner lawsuits ― & many other matters were amazing. Also of his withstanding 5. Cabinet minutes about Stamp duties ―― apropos of a life of himself in the London Review.[1]

Later, he asked for “the Phantom bark” ――!! which I sang. How silent it is here!

 

---

[1] “Men of Mark. ― No. 1. The Right Hon. Lord Westbury, Lord High Chancellor of England.” The London review and weekly journal of politics, literature, art, and society, 5.108 (Jul 26, 1862): 80-82.

---

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

Friday, 25 July 1862

Rose at 7 ― The finest day of this summer.

Actually no rain! & a kind of sunshine all day.

No one came, but a Mr. Stanley, from Lady Strangford. I worked at figures for Florence & Ιωάννινα ― but grew dreadfully tired & sad. & at 6 walked to the Martineaus ― where I dined.

Evening pleasant. A Mr. Deffell played well. Bob walked mostly home with me by 11. I begin fearfully to weary of this life. ―

Homer till past 12 ― & finished the 1^st Book of the Iliad!!!

---

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

Thursday, 24 July 1862

Finish all day ― gray: wind ― no rain hardly.

Rose before 7.

Unwell all day, working hard & badly at the Sta. Decca Corfû. ―

W. Nevill came: & later, Mrs. W. Prescott & 4 cousins: & A. Peel: & old Mr. Wynne.

At 5 I walked to the Parry-Crookes, & F.L. ― all out. ―

A really quiet pleasant evening. Young Tarratt N. is a modest & intelligent youth, & by what I have heard of his history ― singularly meritorious. He was curate at Ormskirk ― or Scarisbrick.

Home by 10.30

---

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

Wednesday, 23 July 1862

Rose at 6.30. Dark & wet.

A dark ― very dark day: & wet. ― Unwell, in head & eyes ― & all over: but toiled on at the S. Decca Corfu. ― There is no help for it ― but ― “work on.” When all these pictures are done, then I will face what is to come next. Though there is money to be got early in August, & I don’t know how. So I worked till 4, & was going out, when lo! Mr. & Mrs. Pender ― cum small boy. They are in reality plain good people. ― They wished for the Beïrût but having little room, have not decided on taking it.

Mrs. G. Clive also came.

At 5.40 ― I rushed down to W. Evans’s, to see the Boyds ― but could learn nothing but that they were not there, & that the Evans’s were gone abroad. At 7 ― cab to St. John’s Lodge.

Dinner pleasant.

Evening ditto. Mr. A.G. & I & the Dr. walked to Albany St. & put the Dr. in a cab. Walked home. Mr. A.G. ὀμιλεῖ παραπολὺ.[1]

X9

 

---

[1] Talks too much (NB).

---

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

Tuesday, 22 July 1862

Rose at 7. Fine ― hardly any rain.

Worked at the Temple Ascension Corfu ― till at 3 got tired & wretched when came (― I had a fit of asthma too ―) Cowald Middleton & his pretty sister ― Archibald Peel, ― Mrs. Robinson & Miss Lones, Mrs. Martineau 2 daughters & a niece, & C.F. The latter outstaid the rest, & told me of Bonasus’s conversation about ‘the´marriage.

At 5 I went to Mrs. Bedford’s views of the Photographic Palestine Tour, ― & returned by 6 to wash brushes.

Dined at the elder Middleton’s ―: a thoroughly & particularly well appointed dinner: good & pleasing society: ― food & drink above par: ― arrangements quiet & excellent: ― altogether white.

Sir Creswell Creswell is a pleasant & conversible & happy cove. ― It rained at 10.30. but luckiously I got a cab home.

---

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