| Description | [Diary Transcription]
52
1826
December
Lost myself a little in returning — somehow passed the bottom of the rue Saint Anne — quite near there turned down a passage which brought me into the
court of the Palais d'Orléans — thence along the rue Saint Honore, rue Dauphine, and arcades of the rue de Rivoli, and came in at 5 10/60 — from
5 1/2 to 6 1/4 at my accounts — Dinner at 6 20/60 — came into the salon at 7 40/60 — from 8 50/60 to after 10, at my accounts — made out (and
wrote out after coming to my room at 10 10/60) the summary of the 6th week (October 1) all which took me till 10 3/4 — soft, damp
morning — the streets very wet — cleared up, and turned out a very fine day by 10 a.m. — o..—
Tuesday 12
7 1/4
11 3/4
§
§
§
§
my bowels as yesterday — after thinking of all sorts of things that could give me what I called yesterday indigestion pain, sensation
of painful oppression at the pit of my stomach (fancied yesterday it was the smoke or smell of the burning wood in my room) I
think I have discovered it to be the string of my soutien — It is hooked behind on loops on my stays the hooks sslip off
and it then hangs by the string and therefore drags down and tightens it and I never in my life could I never
in my life could bear any tight ligature round me — if this be not the thing perhaps my stays are too tight, but every
body would say they were very loose — I have done the soutien differently today to try the effect [’]tis tied
to the loops instead of hooked and no string round me ~ George has seldom been free from headache my aunt
told me on Sunday, since he came, and MacDonald sometimes complains of her head being stupid — spoke to George on Sunday after —
he said his bowels were regular — attributes it entirely to the charcoal that we burn in the kitchen for cooking —
came to my salon at 8 20/60 — wrote the above of this morning which etc. took me till 8 40/60 — From 8 3/4 to 10 made out
and wrote out the 8th summary (of 15 October) — Breakfast at 10 40/60 — before and after till 11 50/60 read the whole of today’s paper —
then finished dressing, and went out at 12 35/60 went to the butcher’s — thence direct through the gardens to Quai Voltaire, and got
to Mrs. Barlow’s at 1 20/60 — Sat nearly the whole time tete [tête-à-tête] in her room she on my knee had my right middle finger up
her twice sitting and once standing no blood today nor did I hurt her at all but she suffered a good deal the
last time and on Saturday and Sunday ~ Potter is to leave her and she has hired Thérèse the cuisinière who lives with the Marquis de Saint
Leger, the only French woman servant I have seen that I at all fancied She is to have 400/. a year — Mrs. Barlow talks of going
to England the summer after next — but may not give up her apartment — may get good letters of introduction here, and
return to give Jane a winter in good French society — Said after we parted the next time perhaps we should meet
no more said I did [illegible] not see that at all perhaps I might be here and we might visit together could not re
ceive company while my aunt lived unless she so far recovered as to be likely to live long and then
it would make a difference should like to go to Rome and why should not Mrs Barlow go too she shed a few tears to
day but not many fewer than ever and I hope we shall get to do without them at all by and by ~ got home in 17 minutes
at 2 minutes before 6 — Dinner at 6 10/60 — came to the salon at 7 35/60 — wrote the last 12 lines — then till 9 55/60 (then came
to my room), and afterwards till 10 1/2, making out the totals of weeks 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 — and added up the ppages to the end of the accounts
i.e. up to tonight — a few drops of rain from 1 25/60 to near 2, afterwards fine — Fine day — fine moonlight evening —
Just as I got home a well dressed man came up to me and said voulez vous que je vous offre le bras non non mon
sieur allez vous en je ne vous connais pas [do you want me to offer you my arm no no sir go away I do not know you] and I turned in at our own gate this is the first time anyone
has ever accosted me ~ o.. ~
[margin text:] Fahrenheit 51˚ at 8 20/60 a.m.
__ __ noon
47° __ 10 1/2 p.m.
Fine soft morning
Mrs. Barlow says Pernet, near the Porte Saint Denis,
is the best dentist in Paris.
Wednesday 13
6 40/60
11 25/60
Just before getting into bed last night took 2 teaspoons of magnesia in the juice of a very thick skinned lemon — and this without
operating like medicine, set me right this morning — as it did the last time which was also the 1st I tried it — Held my umbrella, instead
of a stick, across my shoulders this morning before washing for 5 minutes — I did so yesterday morning for the 1st time since I know not when
since leaving Shibden at least — I think this opens my chest — I began to think I have inadvertently besides the soutien had my stays a
little too tight — they are rather looser this morning — I shall see how I am — by and by I think I will take a few warm baths —
Both my aunt and Mrs. Barlow observed I did not look well yesterday — wrote the above of this morning and began my accounts at 7 50/60, having come
to my room at 7 35/60 — From 7 50/60 to 10 3/4 made out [illegible] and wrote out the four summaries begining of 22 and 29 October and 5 and 12 November — breakfast at
10 3/4 — read the whole of the paper which took me till 11 50/60 — at my accounts again at 12 — at this moment ‘Madame Veuve Legendre’ from
my pot shop (rue de la Corderie No. [number] 14 Place du Marché Saint Honoré) came — about the pots I bought on Thursday and did not pay for on Saturday because
they charged me a franc more for the 2 covered dishes than I paid on Saturday the 25 ultimo — and it was agreed I should pay the same — told her (turned to my book) I had paid 4/50 for the
dishes and 4/50 for the tureen — she would have it it was 9/. for the 2 together, 5/50 for the dishes and the rest for the tureen — comme vous
[margin text:] Fahrenheit 47° at 8 a.m.
48° at noon
49° — 2 40/60 p.m.
48° — 10 5/60 p.m.
soft morning
raining a little
at noon
53
1826
December
§§
+§
+§
+§
voudrez [as you wish] said I and paid her what she asked determining never to enter her shop again — she said I should find as she said in the former note — said she had not given me one, but I would always have notes in future and was obliged to her for giving me the hint — I had been very civil to her when
she came in — my manner was now reserved and haughty — she hoped I should go to her shop again — made her no answer — she
saw I was annoyed — and she too had grown red, and was not quite at her ease, seeming a little nervous — this will be a
lesson to me always to have a note of all I buy and to have the price of each thing stated even though I bargain for several in a lot together —
then finished dressing and wrote the last 8 lines all which took me till 1 1/4 — from 1 20/60 to 5 50/60 making out and writing out
the 3 summaries of 19 and 26 November and 3 December — thought I have finished them soon — endless trouble with the last,
having inadvertently done the wrong one first, and got myself confused — at last I have done them — I wish I had
my book to write them out in — Dinner at 6 10/60 — Came to the salon at 7 40/60 — vide Galignani of Saturday 9 December page 1 column 3.
‘the annual extent of the sales of real property in England and Wales, may be ascertained with tolerable accuracy, by reference to
‘the ad valorem duty paid in conveyances thus for the year 1825, amounted to about £440,000; which, at the average rate
‘of 1 1/4 per cent, would give for the aggregate purchases — money upwards of £35,000,000; and for the yearly value (taking the whole at
‘the high rate of 30 years’ purchase) about £1,200,000 — (Herald)’ Galignani of yesterday Tuesday 12 December page 2. column 3.
It is observed by Mr. Bennet of Wiltshire that ‘according to many good writers of good authority, there were about 22
‘millions of acres of waste land, 11 millions of which were capable of improvement’ page 2. column 2. Mr. Peel had observed that
‘the expense attending the emigration of each individual would be £20 at least’ no great relief from this measure — ‘If,
‘however, emigration to any great extent was practicable, it no doubt would benefit the Colonies, and likewise this
country, as it would create a demand for British manufactures’ — Had just written the last 10 lines at 8 55/60 —
then sat and talked to my aunt, and came to my room at 10 5/60 — Rainy damp day from 12 at noon — fair at 10 tonight, but
the street wet, and the air damp — o.. —
Thursday 14
6 55/60
11 1/2
LL
§
+
+
My bowels not right this morning — they were never in this sort of inactive way in my life before — I must
take more exercise — In my salon at 7 55/60 — made some alterations in my general Day-book at Shibden from
January to July — read the whole of the newspaper — breakfast at 10 10/60 — Just before George brought me 2 letters one from M- [Mariana]
Lawton one from Mrs. James Dalton (Croft Rectory, Darlington) to thank me for the jujubes which they had only just received — read both my letters — Had not much noticed George’s
coming in before breakfast to ask if I had got the silver tablespoons — till the porter’s wife came to me at 11 1/4 — they
to inquire about them — they are all 6 stolen, and we make it out it must have happened since George opened
and left open the out-door at 8 this morning — it must have been between 8 and 9 1/2 this morning — he
put them safe by at 8 1/2 last night, and nobody entered last night after this hour who would take them besides
the door was kept locked — 6 silver forks were close to the spoons but these were left — ’tis altogether
strange — told the porter’s wife I had just (on Sunday night) missed a petticoat out of my drawer but begged her to say nothing
about it — I was not quite certain about it — but I am quite certain I have lost nothing from the wash, and the petticoat
is gone — I think the thief must be in the house ~ Told the porter’s wife the spoons were gone — and the next
thing must be to pay for them, and there was an end of it — I will have the plate brought into my room at
night, and we will see if we can[’]t take better care in future — doing my hair and writing all the above
of today but the 1st 1 1/2 line took me till 12 1/2 — finished dressing and went out at 1 1/4 — staid talking to
my aunt 20 minutes — then went to our butcher’s, thence to Amyot (bookseller) rue de la Paix — he had not received
English almanacks — bought an 18mo [octodecimo] copy of Sheridan’s School for Scandal (printed for Baudry, Paris, 1822) which Madame
Galvani sometime since advised me to translate into French — told the man I must have an allowance of 10 per cent, and he returned me
2 sols out of a franc — thence to no. [number] 11 a papetier, to get a blank book for my weekly summaries — such an one as
I want 1/2 ruled that is laterally (without the longitudinal ruling) will cost 14/. — thence to Mellerio to look at
[margin text:] Fahrenheit 46° at 8 a.m.
48° — 12 25/60 p.m.
47° — 10 25/60 —
fine soft morning
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