Friday, 10 March 1865

Quite lovely all day ― blowing ― bright, clear, & not cold. ― Rose at 6 or 6.15 ― &was at work by 7. ― thence till 9 ― ― & from 10 ― to 5 ― & from 8 to 10 ― eleven hours in all, ― & I say this won’t do: you will have all sorts of illness. So, at all hazards give it up.

Only letter ― from Mr. Frankland ― wishing for a drawing ― to give Swinton on his marriage with Lady De Kos’s daughter.

Indigestion & misery ―

X2

At 5.30 ― went to Dr. Deakin’s & sat there till 6. One turn on the Promenade ― & back at 6.35 to dine.

Penned out from 8 to 10, beginning the Nice drawings.

Looked at G.’s writing ― & bed at 10.30.

---

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

Thursday, 9 March 1865

Cloudy early ― but fine all day after 10. The sky however, has the unsettled character which March insists on ― here or elsewhere.

At work by 7.15. ― After breakfast ― letters from T. Cooper ^[& Mr. Gush] ― & E. Baring. Baring gives sad accounts of Corfû: ― he has kindly enquired about house in Malta ― & I almost think I had better arrange to winter there next year, & 1867, if one does not shuffle off the mortal coil before. Worked frightfully hard all day, but some of the 4^th process drawings were teasers, & latterly, I was obliged to do less to the remaining ones, so as to make up the tale of 20. ― Τέλος Πάντων[1] ― 80 of the 160 are advanced a considerable lot of steps.

At 6 ― rushed as far as the Hotel des Princes & returned to dine at 6.45 ― (soup & roast fowl,) & to pen out afterwards till 10 ―

finishing the last penning of the Corniche walk ― 145 in all.

Heard G. read. ―

By Galignani I see that Mrs. Tennyson is dead ― 84.

― a most cheery ― simple ― good lady.

---

[1] Anyway.

---

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

Wednesday, 8 March 1865

Quite fine & bright, but colder considerably.

Rose 6.30.

Began to work 7.15 ― & worked till 9. After breakfast ― I wrote to J. Cross, & Mrs. Robinson. Worked ― at 160 Tyrants ― but suddenly

X1

Very unexpected. ―

Worked again till 3.30 ― when Mrs. Beaumont came & bought a drawing.

Worked on till 5.30 ―completing the 4^th process to 20 more Tyrants ― now 60 so far advanced.

Did not go out at all.

Dined at 6.30.

Penned out ―

& looked at G.’s writing ― & so at 10. 9.30 to bed.

No letter from Nicola today ― as was expected, whereby, & owing to accounts of Corfû “sturbi”[1] ― G. (as well as am also I,) is put out.

20 of the Tyrants done 4^th process ― 60 in all.

---

[1] “Disturbi,” i.e. “disturbances.”

---

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

Tuesday, 7 March 1865

Rain all night: cloudy morning: but clearing ― & at noon ― as bright & beautiful as ever.

Worked frightfully ― from 7.30 to 9 ― & from 10 till 5. But there is no medium ― work ― or no work.

Letter from W. Lushington. The dear old Judge is again better. ― Vernon married, & Godfrey engaged to Miss (Octavius) Smith. W.L.’s letter is really nice.

Wrote to Miss Duncan, & J.B. Harford.

At 5.30. ― half stupid with work, called on the Deakins who had sent me the Galignanis[1] of the 3^rd 4^th & 5^th.

In those were printed 2 deaths.
A.A. Mieville of Bedford days aged 81.
Edmund G. Hornby of Dalton … 68.

Certainly ― the world one knew is fast going away. Poor Mrs. Edmund!

A turn on the Promenade ― colder. ― Yet I have left off fires in my north room for a week or more.

Dined at 6.45. & penned out till 10’ ― 3 more Corniche drawings only to do ― & heard G. read. ― Bed ― 10.30.

---

[1] Galignani’s Messenger, a daily paper in English published in Paris.

---

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

Monday, 6 March 1865

Wonderful to say, cloudy morning, & only gleams of sun till 2 or 3 ― after which rain, ― & ever since 5, & now ― at 10 ― P.M. ― rain!! The quiet rain here, unaccompanied by wind, ― is a contrast to Corfu days.

Worked immensely all day ― & with success ― beginning the 4^th process of the 160 Tyrants ― which labor I thought of painfully: ― yet I got thro’ 20 ― more or less finishd ― foregrounds.

No one came. & no post ― (only a kind note from Lady F. about the notes I had sent [for] Lady Frances. What “well-bred” people are those Fitzwilliams! ― which word includes much.

Various interruptions from beggars ― & the “Sacred heart of Jesus” ― ne voulez vous donner quelque chose Monsieur.”

At 5.15. called on Mrs. Saltmarshe ― who goes tomorrow to Genova & Rome.

Some good sort of folk ― Shaw_Taylor’s were there. ―

Penned out till 10.20. ― Only 4 more of the Corniche road to get through.

Heard G. & set him fresh copy.

20. of the 160 Tyrants. 4^th process.

---

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

Sunday, 5 March 1865

Of course ―― always the same weather.

Antibes. 5 March 1865. (73) Watercolor and sepia ink over graphite on white paper.34.1 x 55.5 cm.

Awoke at 5.30 ― & G. has woke no sooner; so there was hurry ― & by the time I & he were ready, it was 6.25. A hustle therefore to the rail, ― but there was time for tickets, & off at 6.50 ― (being then train of 6.30. ― By people in the carriage, learned that today is the festa of the “Return from Elba.” & that all the world were going to Golfe Jouan.[1] Passed the Column of 1-Mars[2] ― 1815 ― & went on ― & up ― & on to a point where the Estrekkes were well seen. Here, above, among Pine & Cork-trees, I remained, to draw once, ― & lunch ― at 11 ― 12. Pleasant ― calm. ―

Pont du Var. 5 March 1865. (75) Watercolor and sepia ink over graphite on cream paper. 22.7 x 53 cm.

At 12 walked slowly back, (there is nothing in the Golfe-Jouan to draw) ― & waited on the beach: a small festa: as G. said, Πανυγύριζε άπεθαμένος, κὶ ἐπληρώσαμεν ἓνα πέννι, διὰ νερό.[3]

Pont du Var. 5 March 1865. (76) Watercolor, sepia ink and Chinese white over graphite on blue paper.11.7 x 35.3 cm.

At 2.15 ― to the rail: & at 2.45, off, great lots of people coming from Cannes to the fête. Arrived at Pont de Var ^[Station] at 3.20; whence walked to the Bridge & drew till 4.45. ― Whence, slowly ― homewards, arriving by 6.20.

Three letters
Holman Hunt ― date 23^rd. Still painting the Fairbairn picture.
J.B. Harford ― wanting me to go to Cannes.
T. Cooper ― enclosing 3
1. Bill of Winn & Newton ―
2. from Underhill.
3. Cards of Vernon Lushington.

So, I dined, on G.’s good Maccaroni, cold mutton & cooked broccoli: & τὶ ἄλλα; ― τίποτε.[4]

---

[1] Golfe-Juan.

[2] A column in Golfe-Juan commemorating Napoleon’s landing on 1 March 1815.

[3] Nina says: “This doesn’t make much sense to me, buti t is what it says: ‘He was celebrating dead, and we gave a penny for water.’”

[4] What else? ― Nothing.

---

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

Saturday, 4 March 1865

Same astonishing weather. The sea all day long I s profound sapphire blue, & the same bright.

I, ὅμως,[1]work on, mole-like, in the little room back. No letters; but the missing mewspaper.

Adml. Henry Murray is dead. A loss to many. Kind-hearted Henry Murray! ― In 1849 ― in days of Cairo ―― & since.

At 1 ― Mrs. Saltmarshe called: she goes to Rome, with [Posidoni] ― on Tuesday. Poor lady ― she was sad ― &, telling me of the last Rawson’s deaths, (Louisa R.’s Father-in-law & uncle,) ― she nearly cried. “Changed indeed is everything: sometimes I hardly think I am the same person, knowing & loving so many then ― now so few.” ―

“So fares it still in our decay.”[2]

Concluded the 3^rd process of the 160 tyrants, today, besides having coloured a good many of the Corniche drawings. At 5.30 walked out, irritated & depressed ― for that Promenade is too odious, to Mrs. Smith-Barry’s. Lo! ― she went χθὲς![3] ―― ――

Dined at 6.45. G., who will clean up all the kitchen ― tired.

Penned out till 10. Only 7 drawings are now left to pen.

---

[1] However.

[2] Thus fares it still with our decay:
And yet the wiser mind
Mourns less for what Time takes away,
Than what it leaves behind.
(Wordsworth, “The Fountain: A Conversation”).

[3] Yesterday.

---

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

Friday, 3 March 1865

Weather ― if possible ― bluer & brighter & shinier & wonderfuller than ever. I never knew such a winter climate as this, anyhow.

But the drawbax! the loneliness ―or ― the only alternative ― the fuss & fashion!

Rose at 6.30 ― & by 7.15 ― work ― all day at the last Tyrants ― & coloring the Corniche drawings, which, ― tho’ they turn out well, is really a dreadful bore.

No letters: ― no newspaper: ― no nothing: & nobody came.

After the golden sunset, at 5.40 ― walked to Mrs. Beaumont: a most pleasant & kindly lady that.

Back, to dine at 6.45.

Heard G. read, & penned out till 10.30. 2 drawings ― only 8 left.

---

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

Thursday, 2 March 1865

Same astonishing clear weather. Without doubt I have never seen any such climate as this, for winter wear.

Rose at 6.30 ― & before 7.30 at work.

Finished the 3^rd process of the drawings already begun ― (155 ―) & went on with the remaining 6, till 5. P.M.

No letters: some error: τουλάχιζον[1] there should have been a newspaper.

Wrote a sort of essay on foregrounds for Lady F. Fitzwilliam.

No one came.

So at 5.30 ― took my letter to Chateau St. Laurent, ― & also one to Mrs. Saltmarshe & one to Mr. Frankland.

Dined at 6.35. ―

Heard D. read & set him a copy & penned out till 10.30.

Absolutely all the December Corniche drawings ― excepting 10 are penned out!

---

[1] At least (τουλάχιστον).

---

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

Wednesday, 1 March 1865

Quite particular lovely all day ― how one longs to be out!

Medicine.

A miserable day ― as might be expected.

Worked at Tyrants ― on & off.

No one came.

Called on Mr. Lyon.

Dined at 6.30 ― somewhat better.

Penned out till 10.

---

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