Sunday, 31 January 1864

XX10

Awfully unwell ― stoppage & pain in bowels: Medicine ― but ill all day, hardly able to sit up. Some ‘order’ must be taken about diet for as Vern says, at 50 odd these bouts are not as when one was 30.

Major De Vere, Col. Halliwell, & another came & looked at drawings. After which I got worse till at 4 was obliged to go to bed.

Feet in hot water, & hot stones wrapped up in flannel eased pain a little, & constant diarrhœa: ― & had that not ceased I must have sent for a Doctor. ― Some hot tea at times also was a benefit.

George was very attentive & good, & got his mattress into the next room to be within reach of the ‘bell.’ ―

So ends January. 1864. Not so regularly progressing a month as that in last year, but testifying to more energy than I should have expected.

Leaving London on the 2^nd ― & reaching here on the 9^th I began to work by the 12^th & had I not been so unwell with cold for many days should have worked more than I have. Yet I have all but finished (barring a few hours’ work,) 6 watercolor drawings ― 70£’s worth of work: ― have finished 9 previously commenced sketches in the country, & have penned out some 20 or 30 Cephalonian drawings ― besides letter=writing.

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

Saturday, 30 January 1864

Fine ― & showery at times.

Worked at the 6^th & last Watercolor drawing till 4.30 ― when it rained. So I arranged the room to begin oils next week.

Letters ― very nice one from Ellen.

Drummond’s ― £6.6 paid.

Hutchinson ― asking for a letter for his nephew, to Sir G. Bowen!!!!! Ha! Ha! Ha!

Jane Husey Hunt,

& Lady James. ―

Unwell, indigestion & boles. ―

Penned out.

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

Friday, 29 January 1864

Quite warm ―― & rainy-cloudy.

Drew at the Watercolor drawings off & on ― all day.

Colonel Wynne came.

Various letters ― i.e. notes ―

At 5 ― went out ― (having had a letter from C. Lane,) with a book from him ― & to give it to Baring. Sir H.J. was there, & “walked on” up & down. Afterwards Major Cocks.

Home by 6.30. Dined at 7 μοναχῶς.

Penned out till 10.30.

Heavy showers of rain. ―

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

Thursday, 28 January 1864

If possible ― lovelier still & calmer.

Worked at Cave’s drawing of Corfu ― but very slightly ― lots of interruptions.

Dogana man ― paid £2.16.0.

Letter from Cocks ― asking me to dine ― which I wrote to decline.

Mr. & Mrs. Crookshank called: pleasant sort of people[.]

At 12.30 ― set off with George ― & up to Πανταλείμωνα at Ποταμῶ: ― finishing 2 drawings begun last year. Then to the large tree at Εὐροποῦλος, & later to the view above the village, which was indeed most wonderfully lovely. We came home by the hill & river to Alipû.

Little boy recognized me as having sang about the Κακο σκυλη ˆ[& καλο Ψωμὶ][1] ― of last year.

Dined at 7 on cold Turkey, & penned out till 9.30. ―

(Walked with Major Cocks to the Citadel as I came into the town: he says the German news is very warlike. ―)

X9. Woe.

 

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[1] Bad dog ― good bread (NB).

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

Wednesday, 27 January 1864

X8 ― which is futile misery.

Could hardly work: but idled.

The only possible remedy to this is walking ― so I went out at 2.30 ― & drew by the upper “Parga Road” ― (seeing Dr. & Mrs. Innes,) till 5.20. Home by 6.

They are moving the cannon of Fort Neuf today.

A more than possible lovely day!

Cocks & Stockley, Braidley-Wright. Sturt & Middleton.

Bed at 11.

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

Tuesday, 26 January 1864

X7.

Wonderfully lovely calm ― all day!! ―

Drew little, having to send off a lot of letters. But, nevertheless, drew a little at Wolff’s Virò view.

G. ― being “aposto”[1] ― cooked some 2 small porky cutlets, I ate them for lunch, not to distress him: ― & at 1.45― I walked out to Potamô ―. The dwarf Anastasius as usual.

Beyond, I sate drawing that beautiful dell & mountain view till 4.15. ― The farther pink & ashy snow range (Jenny Edwards used to call it Tzamourià ―) ― then the lilac-pink-ash sea range: ― with Vido ― the bright sea; & the olives ― dropping as the sun sank into dark grots ― with bright sheep sparkling thereamong. ―――― Walked back by the lower road, meeting foolish Craven. (Dear! Dear! fancy such a man being listened to as a preacher! ―) But he means & tries to do well, whereby ― pity & respect forbid ridicule.

At home, dined μοναχῶς ― on pigeons wonderfully stewed by Giorgio. And penned out 1 & a ½ difficult Cephalonia drawings afterwards till nearly 11. ―

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[1] All right.

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

Monday, 25 January 1864

Lovely ― but not clear.

Finished “Damascus” for Alfred Drummond, & “Athens” for Sibilla Mildmay.

Capt. Stocker R.A. came.

At 2. went out to above the Parguenote village, & drew, there, & nearer Manducchio till 5.20.

At home found several letters ― Drummond’s had received my £50.4.0. T. Cooper writes ― & Ellen, & several others.

Dined at De Vere’s. ―

Came home at 11 ― & wrote to Ellen & for an hour or two.

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

Sunday, 24 January 1864

Perfectly lovely. ―

Wrote till 10.

Church. Eh ― weary work.

Afterwards called on Mrs. Loughman ― & on Lady Wolff: apropos of Canino.

At 3 ― walked by Ποταμῶ Φλᾶττς[1] ― & back by Ποταμῶ, ― overtaking Sir Henry, Capt. Beauchamp-Seymour, & E. Baring.

At 7.30 to the Palace ―

Very pleasant: ―

Afterwards went to S. & B.’s rooms. ― Capt. Seymour also: where we sung &c.

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[1] The Potamo flats (?).

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

Saturday, 23 January 1864

Perfection of loveliness all day. Full moon.

One of “those days” ― more heaven than earth.

Drew at S.W. Clowes’s “Corfu” Watercolor drawing: ― but not well.

No letters.

A kind of indifference grows on me.

Sir H.J. Storks sent £31.10 for his 10 copies: ― & one was bought for the mess of the 9^th Batt.

At 3.30 ― I walked round the upper Parga road ―― what loveliness! ― & back ― by 5: when I called on the De Veres, & sate a time. They are about the nicest people here ― (as far as I know ―) & little Mary a duck.

Home by 6.15. What a Moonlight! ― Dined ἔτζι κ’ἔτζι ― & penned out Cephalonia drawings till near 11.

G. has a bad finger, & eclipsed early.

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

Friday, 22 January 1864

Very lovely calm ― all day. The hills are whiter than I ever saw them, except in 1856.

Drew at S.W.C.’s view of Corfu. ―

Sent prints of Citadel to Taylor.

Steamer (Alexandria,) of 21^st in: one letter only ― Cheque for £3.3 from Mrs. Noble: so now there are only 27. Subscriptions left unpaid.

Kind letter from Sir H.J. Storks.

Major Cockes called. 3 subalterns also of the 6^th. The 6^th officers seem to me always as more of one set ― a simple domestic lot ― than those of any Regt. I have known.

At 4.30. I walked out ― only round Καστράδες. Old Βασίλια saw me, & ran after me Ἀφέντι μου,[1] “to shake hands with me.[”]

Moonlight ― & recollection of other moonlights. But those days are gone: ― nor do I say with Mrs. N. ― “Would those days could come again!” ―――

Dined μόνος: & penned out till nearly 11. (G. having come in, saying ― “Vado a letto, Sigre.”)[2] at Argostoli drawings. Froude’s life of Elizabeth delights me.[3] ―

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[1] My Master (NB).

[2] I’m going to bed, Sir.

[3] Froude, James Anthony. History of England from the Fall of Wolsey to the Death of Elizabeth. Volume II. Reign of Elizabeth. London: Longman, Green, Longman, Roberts, & Green, 1863.

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