| Description | [Diary Transcription]
290
1831
November
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‘persons are sent here — the airiness of the houses may do well enough for summer, but is
‘sadly cold-giving now — there are drafts in all directions — Paris doors and windows shut
‘much better than these — Luckily, we are much less exposed than we were at St. Leonards, or the
‘strong Southwest winds, which have blown almost incessantly, with as many rainy days as fine,
‘ever since our arrival, — might have turned a mill, and ground our corn at our fireside — we
‘are sheltered here by an enormous, perpendicular, sandrock cliff close behind us, and
‘circling round a little on each side, so as to keep off all winds but due South — we are
‘even closer upon the sea than at St. Leonard; yet, they say, shall not be so incommoded with the
‘spray in winter — In fact, after all, Hastings is well and picturesquely situated, is a
‘nice little town, and might be a comfortable residence, were it possible to get a well-built,
‘air-tight house, and dry the atmosphere a little’ — mention having taken our apartment
till 1st April — the box contained all I expected — Miss Hobart liked the parking — walk for a
couple of hours before breakfast — breakfast at 11 or 11 1/4 — dine at 6 1/2 or 7 — do not a minute in the
dining room after dinner — then music — tea at 9, and go to bed about 11 1/2 — our 2 bedrooms
over our drawing room and dining room with ‘no inconvenience but that of being perched at the height
‘of 4 flights of stairs from the kitchen — we have soup, one dish of meat, 3 dishes
‘of vegetables, and a pudding or tart every day, and are, so far, from 1st to last of us,
‘very harmonious and agreeable’ — must begin and stick to my writing soon — It will
be a great comfort to me to hear a good account of her — ask for news — told M- [Mariana]
neither she nor Mr. Lawton would like Hastings — gave my letter for the post at 4 35/.. to
‘Mrs. Lister Shibden hall, H-x [Halifax], Yorkshire’ — had just done the above of today at 4 1/2
read from page 208 to 254 De la Beche’s geology till 5 50/.. — prepared for dinner — lost a hit at backgammon
before dinner and won and lost one after — Dinner at 7 in 40 minutes — music immediately afterwards
till tea at 9 — after backgammon my cold too bad to read aloud — sat talking — came upstairs at 11 3/4 — Just before speaking of the drafts of air and her
bad cold and mine she said she had already come round to my opinion about Hastings
I said I hardly forgave Mr Freeman but he told me he did not like the responsibility
in fact everybody thought she had some other reason for wishing to be in England this winter
than merely on Lady Stuarts account I really meant no allusion to annoy her (that is
pumping or glancing at Captain Cameron that is Lochiel I never thought of him)
she fancied otherwise and began getting into her annoyed way and then I tired of all this
nonsense pulled up into dignity and shewed by my manner that I too was annoyed and thus
I left her in her own room without staying a minute I think she felt sorry it will do her
good if she did my patience on this ssilly fancying of hers is now exhausted ~ fine day
but very foggy in the afternoon from about 12 — Fahrenheit 56º now at 12 1/4 tonight —
291
1831
November Friday 11
9 50/..
1 1/2
Fahrenheit 56º and fine morning now at 10 40/.. — downstairs at 11 — breakfast at 11 20/.. read the paper till 1 10/.. — went
out at 1 50/.. — went 1st time to Wooll’s, 5 High Street, bought map of the town etc., and sat reading a Hastings guide in letters and
looking at views of Hastings and the neighbourhood 1 1/2 hour — got no further than the end of the street and returned by all Saints
street — the portable water closet hired till 1 April would be 3/. a week — the little work table for Miss Hobart
1/. a week — not worth this — left thermometer at Cohen’s to have new tube put to it! impossible?
went to the printer about marking stamping the table linen etc. and left him the permanent ink to be
mixed up with printing ink to try if that would do — went to my shop in the bazaar about a box
for Miss Hobart instead of work table — home at 4 3/4 — sat talking — dressed — dinner at 7 in 3/4 hour — music
for an hour — tea at 9 — read aloud from page 384 to 412 Chapter 10 volume 1. 8vo. [octavo] Gibbon — came upstairs
at 11 3/4 — Miss Hobart’s cold though still bad, better today — Mr. Duke ill — his son Mr. William
Duke came — Miss Hobart quite amiable today and so I was too ~ fine mild day — Fahrenheit 60º now at
12 40/.. — Took one teaspoonful of epsom salts on getting into bed ~
Saturday 12
7 1/2
12 3/4
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fine morning — Fahrenheit 59º at 8 1/4 — out at 9 10/.. — walked slowly (always feel languid here) by Wellington and St. Mary’s row till came
into the London road at the 1st turnpike, 1 mile from Hastings — bought foot stool at Eaton’s and some time at Woodmans about little
table for Miss Hobart the woman would engage to pay me back 1/2 price at the end of the time and kept the
table or, if not much abused, 20/. out of the 35/. — home at 11 10/.. breakfast immediately in an hour — skimmed over
the paper — out again at 2 for near a couple of hours to make little shoppings — some time at Wooll’s
bookseller looking over Bohn’s (Bone’s) catalogue — he is the best man in London for old
books — home a little before 4 for 1/2 hour and then to the printer — stood by while in 3/4 hour he stamped
all the table and other linen bought for here — dressed — dinner at 6 3/4 — music at 7 3/4 for an hour —
Letter this morning from Messrs Lambert and Rowlings, 11 and 12 Coventry Street London saying that the
coffee pot was sent yesterday (received it yesterday evening) — bill 9.9.0 +3/. for engraving arms — tea at
9 — from 10 1/2 to 11 20/.. read from page 412 to 456, end of chapter x and volume 1 Gibbon — fine day —
Fahrenheit 61º. now at 12 20/.. tonight — sleepy all the evening — In playing Miss Hobart said I ought to like one of her
tunes it must remind me of Brussels ssaid I it was there I so offended you no it was not
said she then where and how was it I inquired it is not worth remembering said she rather angrily
I took no notice but dozed a little merely saying when she said I had been out four hours enough
to make me sleepy no it was not that it was she herself who had made me and neither of us
ssaid more about it and were good humoured enough but dull ~ came up to my room at 11 50/.. i.e. 1/4 hour after Miss Hobart
Sunday 13
9 50/..
1 5/..
Vc
No motion at all this morning and very little morning in spite of the half doze of salts on
Friday night I fear my bowels will be all wrong here breakfast ordered at 9 1/2 — overslept myself
but down at breakfast in 3/4 hour at 9 35/.. — read the Globe — at 1 read aloud the morning prayers (except
the communion service) to Miss Hobart She preferring not having the servants then talking
over another odd letter from her brother Lord Buckinghamshire when Mrs. and Miss Courtenay called on Miss Hobart
Well enough good sort of people knowing nobody here she Miss Mayos ssister and shook hands with me on going
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