Sunday, 31 July 1864

Rose at 7. Very close & warm ―

Wrote all the morning, to George ― Dean Stanley ― Mrs. Boyd & others. At 2 ― went to poor Mr. Morier’s ― 2.45 to Wade-Browne, with whom to Z. Gardens, where I staid till 6. ― meeting Digby & Mrs. Wyatt, who asked me to dine. ― Saw Sir H.J. Holland ― Lord Wesbury ― T. Landseer ― Philip, Geoffrey Nevill, & others. The Oran Otang is a very great brute. Cab with the Wyatts home.

Cab home by 11.

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

Saturday, 30 July 1864

Rose before 6 ― (so strong is the ruling passion ― O! Morn ―― morn! ― tho’ we see it not now. ―) & then, & after breakfast coloured one more dozen of the Cretan drawings ― leaving only 4½ dozen to pen out & color, out of the 11.

(Was it this morning, or yesterday ― yesterday it was ― that a new press came from Charltons, & I had that, & the old one placed in the “sitting-room” ―soon to be turned into a bedroom.) I worked also at designs for Sir W. James’s pictures ― with an unwonted Energy.

After lunch, Thomas Cooper & I absolutely changed all the furniture from the Bedroom to the other, & vice versa, & at least one has a tolerable sleeping room. ― (Alas for casa Παραμυθιόττι ― & the view therefrom!! ―)

Ἤλθε κανεῖς.[1] At 6 I went to Newmans ― to get colors ― but that was shut, as was Robersons ― (Saturday-early-closing Movement:) ― but at the latter I got colots & brushes I wanted.

Returned at 8 ― & dined alone ― “purchasing” a leg of mutton of Thomas Cooper, to help the “Doctor’s bilz.” The Coopers, in spite of their calamities are incessantly obliging & kindly as servants. T.C. has just come back from Mr. Moriers ――

Admiral Morier died last night at 6. Very stretto[2] & queer is this little sitting room. ― but there is no help for it at present, for Robinson, the man below, is disappointed of the house he was going to, & I can but ask him to stay a week or two to save him extra trouble.

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[1] No one came.

[2] Tight.

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

Friday, 29 July 1864

Rose at 6. Penning out, ―for unless I break the neck these Cretan sketches, I shall have no peace. But the little upstairs room is sadly hot & close. ―

Pazienza. Tarrant sent some more mounted drawings, ― arranging which took up some time. Also I fell asleep. And Jameson the jovial, with his mother & Mrs. Coleridge came. How pretty is Mrs. C.! ― Later, poor Major Reynolds came, looking very ill, ― & Miss Yates, who is not satisfactory. Then, Mrs. Robinson, Mrs. Warde, & Mrs. Louis ― all pleasant. Did not go out at all, but coloured & penned till 7.30. The sooner the dose is taken the better, but it is hard work.

Dined, μοναχῶς, at 8.30. The Coopers’ poor little child still lives ―weary & dreadful work foro the 2 parents. Looking back at last year’s & earlier journals, life is much the same now as then.

Ἐγευμάτισα μοναχῶς: [κὶ] ὑπήγα εἰς τὸ κρεββάτι -‘ς τὰς ἒνδεκα.[1]

Mr. Morier came late ― appearing to me sadly aged; ― the Admiral is ill & I fear dying at Eastbourne. ―

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[1] I dined alone: and went to bed at eleven (NB).

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

Thursday, 28 July 1864

Very fine ever. Penned before breakfast, & all day more or less.

Letter from Mr. Alfred Morrison who is coming again.

At 3.30 ― came Mr. Lytton-Bulwer, Mrs. & Miss D° & a pleasant Mr. Green ― who turned out to be Mr. Green of Ditcham!!!!

Also Miss Caroline Napier, Margaret & Rachel Bruce, & Bruce’s sister. later, as I was going out, 6.30 ― Alfred Drummond, ― & ― as I gound at 11.30 ― later still ― Arthur & Lady Augusta Stanley ―― to my very great sorrow. At Mrs. Martineau,

The dinner was pleasant, tho’ it is a hard & laborious matter to bear up against the depressing silence of the M. Family.

Walked home with brother Bob.

(X9)

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

Wednesday, 27 July 1864

At work, penning out the drawing of May 17 ― by 6, & penned out, (or slept, ― for that little upstairs room is deadly close! ―) all day ― except when interrupted[.]

Little Willy Beadon, dear little chap: a really nice dear little boy. ―― Eheu! ― Then Underhill, with a copy of Mount Athos drawing. Next Mr. Bonham ― H.B.M. [Coneal] of Naples: genial, intelligent, & pleasant. (he lives close by the Hooke.) Afterwards, Mrs. Thomson Hankey ― always agreable. Bob Martineau, kindly hearted: & lastly ― Wade-Browne the cheery. By this it was 7 ― so I dressed, & to St. John’s Lodge[.]

Spence sang afterwards cleverly: but he is really what Sir J. Hudson tso truly described hims ― a most fanastic queer man & vulgar. He says “as I said to the Grand Duchess” &c. &c. &c.

Walked home alone by 11.30.

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

Tuesday, 26 July 1864

Rose late. Sent off Jameson’s FGlorence, begun Feby. 6[.]

Penned & coloured Cretan sketches all day.

Only good-natured John Chaworth-Musters came: he is building & says “what if he should invest in pictures?” ― “the Cedars would go in the dining room & Beirut in the Drawing room.” Bu I am not good at “pushing,” ― &, au contraire, suggested economy & thoughtfulness as to coming children’s fortunes.

At 6, just as I was going out, came good-natured Dunn-Gardner ― asking me to dine: so, ἠπήγα.

Most queer people! The way in which they talk! ―

Home by 11.30.

Grinding aching sorrows burn me ― thinking of days of freedom & happy beautiful places.

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

Monday, 25 July 1864

Warm, cloudy ― wetty. Rose at 7. ―

After much delay & indecision, I posted 2 letters, to Taylor, begging him to send the 7. Packages to Liverpool, & to have all the furniture sold. Also to George ― telling him to fetch, or send for, the 4 packages left at Piræus, ― & to send them also to England. This year is like 1849 ― or 1855 ― or 1858 ― or 1860 ― i.e. ― with a regular renewing & break up of all sorts of arrangements.

Did nothing all day but pen out 2 Crete drawings.

Lady Goldsmid & 3 ladies came.

Later Jameson: ― who likes his Florence greatly. He tells me that Æneas Macbean is dead! ― He died last February.

At 7. I went out, ― but it rained alittle: & I only walked through various streets ― & returned at 8.

Ἐγευμάτισαμοναχῶς.

& afterwards, wrote up Crete journal till 11.

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

Sunday, 24 July 1864

This regular irregularity of pain!

Rose at 8 ――. Cooper’s little girl still lives: ――― a great misery for these poor people.

I coloured 6 more Cretan drawings & penned out one ― before 1. A.M. (The Coopers brought me up a plate of has mutton “by way of change” ― they said ― but in reality is a humble way to testify that they were gratified for sympathy ―― which, however, any man, not a hog, should give.) It comes over me at times that the “old times,[”] are all gone: ― no more Corfu ― no more Greece: no more light. ― …… Wrote― finishing ― letters to Taylor, & to George ― ordering all things to England: but as to wintering at Genoa, or Spain, or elsewhere ― who can say? ― Best wait & work ―― but this last how hard to do here! ――――――――

So at 4 I called on Mrs. Crake: ― shrunken, but yet little older: she would talk of W.N. ― wh. I stopped. And “Mary Ann” is at “Quorn Hall” forsooth, “a beautiful place in Leicestershire” ― forsooth! an’ I knew it not! then I walked across the park to Bruces ― but met him, & Mrs. Bruce, & one of his sisters, & little Willy. This was refreshing: A certain sort of brightness & truth is in Mrs. Bruce’s face ― unlike ordinary expressions. She would light up a dark room. H.A.B. left at Constitution Hill, ― they & I walked back to Poiner’s gate ― where I put them in a Hansom cab. Then walked home, & at 8 to Blue Posts, where I dined, & came back by 9.30

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

Saturday, 23 July 1864

Rose at 6.30. The poor little Girl still living! ―

Worked horribly hard all day ― ˇ[colouring &] penning out Cretan drawings. No one came, till 5 ― when Sir H.J. Storks called. His account of Whittingham well explaining the animus of the “4 years in Corfû.[”] Did not go out at all, but at 6.45 ― cab to 37. Tavistock Place.

Wonderfully pleasant in all ways.

Cab home by 11.30.

X8

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

Friday, 22 July 1864

Being waked by the Portuguese lodger, who comes home at 4 ―― rose at 4.30 ― & worked at penning out Cretan sketches from 5 to 7.15 ― when I was obliged to come downstairs, ― (one gets no coffee here!) & sleep till 9. The poor Cooper’s little girl still lives, but dies slowly. ― “O world! O life! O time!” ― words equally ˇ[to be] applied to all grades. ―――

No one came all day!! ――

Penned out, finishing the 4th dozen of large Cretan drawings ― & began to color: ― moving (once more,) my oil paints downstairs. ―

At 6. went to Charlton’s & looked at some furniture. ― Day oppressive ―― gray ―― cloudy. At 7.30 to 45. Portland Place. ―

Wonderfully pleasant party ― in every possible way. Afterwards, I sang a bit.

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