| Description | [Diary Transcription]
82
1827
January
carpet put down — (looks shabby) and everything in progress — a woman there making the curtains — went with the 2 girls into
their apartment to inquire — the length of their sheets — should 14 ells for a pair — then they would turn down nearly to the bottom of the bed —
12 ells would only turn down — a little way — good toile de crotone at 4/50 an ell — on leaving Monsieur Sené’s sauntered
slowly along the boulevard — went into the furniture warehouse Boulevard and Place de la madeleine No. [Number] 25 bis —
a long while there — saw a cabaret of white china with a broad gold edge 12 cups and saucers, 2 teapots, tea pot,
cream pot and sugar ditto and slop basin at 20/ — then sauntered into the Marché — thence to Mrs. Barlow got there at 4 25/60 —
still all in the bustle of moving — sat there quietly till 6 — got home in 5 minutes — at 6 5/60 — Dinner at 6 20/60 — came into
drawing room at 8 10/60 — talked to my aunt slept 1/2 hour — then at 9 1/4 wrote the last 11 lines — very fine day till after
2 — then a shower for 20 minutes or 1/2 hour — a few drops afterwards, but on the whole fair and pretty fine after this one shower — went to
my room at 9 55/60 — windy windy towards night —
Friday 12
6 50/60
11 20/60
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In my room at 7 40/60 at my desk at 7 3/4 — from then to 11 read this morning’s paper and finished the latter 1/2 page 3, and the ends, and my thermometrical journal
under the seal, all very small and close, and thus finished my letter to M- [Mariana] dated Sunday 31st ultimo yesterday and today — from 11 to
11 32/60 reading over my letter — observation on the ending of the old year — a short journal from the sending off my last up to this morning —
long, and particular account of our new apartment of the terms and of the Senés — promise to measure the rooms and send her a ground plan as soon
as we are settled there — compare the rent of this apartment and our new one — shall save above 1/2 — must mind
what I am about — many expenses just now — being settled for 14 months from the 1st of next month must have what
English comforts we want — must have £15 worth of linen — perhaps a carpet for my study, etc. etc. convenient enough
she does not want gowns just at present — will do the best I can for her when she does want them — While
Northgate is unlet and times bad may not have more than seven hundred a year ~ Completely answer
every part of her letter — By all means do what she mentions for Duncan but not on, meaning before his
going to Addiscombe — that would only make those around him give him so much less — manage it so that he may
have it as a really unexpected surplus — as there seems no hope of William Milne’s recovery one should half
regret his lingering if one was less confident that providence ordered all things well — no chance of war
with France — all quiet and comfortable here — public attention occupied by the press law project — Anxiety has
perhaps made me so sleepy in an evening of late — hope to be less so (but I am quite well), and write her
things as they occur in future about Mrs. Barlow etc. etc. then mention a thought that has struck but which has
not escaped me to any one but herself, and if she has any objection (which she needs not have) the thing
shall not occur to me again — mention Madame Galvani’s being perfecting to be a governess in England the daughter
aetatis [age of] 17, of an Italian Colonel who died in the campaign in Russia in 1812 — an amiable girl who
speaks French and Italian very well — would M- [Mariana] object to my taking this girl for 6 months before she gets a
situation? I would sleep in my study, and give her up my little bedroom — It would be a great advantage to me —
I much wish to acquire French and Italian as well as I can — Say my aunt is as well as ever —
Perfect recovery seems not improbable — she can mend the fire, open the doors, do many things she
could not when M- [Mariana] was here — her hands appear getting right again — Tell M- [Mariana] she can do nothing
with Mrs. Bailey — surely she (Mrs. Bailey) must be beside herself — say our 3me. [troisième, third floor] (above an entresol)
is 82 steps high — Mrs. Barlow’s 2nde [seconde, second floor] above 2 entresols, is 68 steps high — sent off my letter to
M- [Mariana] (‘Mrs. Lawton, Lawton hall, Lawton Cheshire, Angleterre’, at 11 35/60 — Did not mention having just heard
(about an hour before) from Messrs. Hammersley’s and company (London) but said I had just had a letter from Miss MacLean
(Tobermory) — good account of her herself — nothing else particular but I had not time to read it all — Breakfast
at 11 20/60 — read my letters It seems Messrs. Hammersley received the remittance from Messrs. Rawson on the 6th —
Surely I shall hear from Mrs. Briggs tomorrow or Sunday — [illegible] I have had less to pay Messrs Hammersleys than I
expected Power of attorney to sell out my 250 three percent consols, if required, 1.1.6 Passport 2.7.6
postage 13/. charge for their circular notes to the amount of £350. nineteen shillings — 3 ppages the ends, under the
[margin text:] fine and frosty Fahrenheit 38 1/2° at 8 a.m.
37° — noon
38° — 6 p.m.
37° — 10 —
83
1827
January
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seal, the 1st page crossed and more than 1/2 page 3 ditto — Received my last on New Year’s day — that she got it on the 10th
day from that of its leaving here — very good account of her health — All in trouble again Mr Moone her broth
er’s governess for his children and Albane all take against and annoy her in all possible ways she had
near been turned out by her father the day after she sent off her last but one to me her brother
and sister in law are dulled by Mrs. Moone wretched work she fidgets herself about her father‘s
being so little religiously inclined in his present precarious health and age the quaker seems
to abet this writes wholly on spiritual matters I begin to suspect a little cant is my
friend becoming rather evangelical somehow I like not much this quaker ‘she not my Quaker
argues for the most perfect resignation, but he knows none of my errors, one alone, and I am not aware that
you know that only one he knows, he has been painfully anxious on the subject’... Tried in vain in conversation to
lead old Coll ‘into serious thoughts’ .... ‘you would not wonder that a man’ (it seems he sent sometime ago Pascal’s
thoughts) (‘I believe a minister of the society) should in the course of a series of letters on religious subjects’ make
‘remarks on the state of his mind…..this, I can assure you is the Quaker’s greatest interest’ — vide page 3 crossing
‘Last night’ (20 December vide middle of page 2) ‘brought me a letter from the Quaker, a long scold — I had disappointed him I suppose
‘in my opinion of books he sent me — he begins to think me not so far on in my spiritual journey as he once
‘thought’……’meek mild man he is most ardent in leading me that way he thinks best’ — I suspect
some cant — Miss MacLean owes M- [Mariana] many thanks for mentioning Mrs. Carter and Miss Talbot — has got
their correspondence — delighted with it — joins M- [Mariana] in thinking me much like Mrs. Carter the person Miss MacLean
compared me to ‘was an intimate of Mrs. Carter’s vide page 3 — then vide page 3 the crossing ‘the animal I compared
‘you to was — S-J — How stupid if you do not now know’ — S.J-! Samuel Johnson? Hem —
I know nothing about it — Breakfast at 11 40/60 — reading my letters finishing dressing, and writing all the above of today
{took me till 3 — Fine frostyish morning — became very dark about 9 — soon afterwards rain and a snow shower—
{fine and sunshiny between 10 and 11, then about noon became very dark again rain then snow — snowing now — rain or
{snow ever since noon till now (3 p.m.) with every prospect of continuance for the rest of the day — so dark I can
{scarce see to write at my desk opposite the fire — from 3 10/60 to 5 55/60 wrote 1 page very small and close to Miss MacLean
Dinner at 6 — talked to my aunt or slept all the evening — went to my room at 10 o..~ continued snowing till between 4 and
5 — afterwards heavyish rain — fine moonlight night at 10 —
Saturday 13
7
11 1/2
In my room at 7 50/60 — remodelled my fire — from 8 10/60 to 10 1/2 reading over Miss MacLean’s letter skimming over
Montlosier’s Dénonciation relative to the difference he makes between la vie dévoté and la vie chrétienne [the devout life and the Christian life] — then looking
over the 4 gospels and the acts of the apostles for a reference that I wanted — then wrote (all but the first 1 1/2 lines) the first 19 lines of
page 2, my letter to Miss MacLean begun yesterday — Breakfast at 10 1/2 — read the whole of this morning’s paper — finished dressing — sat down
at my desk again at 12 10/60 — from then to 2 1/2 wrote the last 35 lines of page 2, and the first 11 of page 3 to Miss MacLean all very
small and close — 10 minutes reading over as quick as I could these about 2 1/4 ppages — went out at 3 1/4 — took George with me — bought
candies at Gilbert’s — biscuits at Michel’s — then paper rue de la paix — sent George back with it, and went to Mellerio’s — ordered 3 couverts dù
dessert, and 3 teaspoons for the kitchen all to have the arms engraved on them — thence along the boulevards — Chez Simon next to the Bains
Chinois white China plates at 8/. the dozen tumblers (good) like ours at dinner at 9 sols per tolerably handsome decanters 25/. Plain
decanters for bedrooms 1/. each — thence to Truchy No. [number] 18 Boulevard des Italians — bought the French interpreter for my aunt and Moore’s
almanac, and Mr. Canning’s poems — these and the almanack charged 3/. made the man 0/50 — thence leisurely along the boulevard to
opposite our new apartment — down the rue Richepanse at the bottom of it, en face, rue St. Honore No. [Number] 371. went into a butcher’s shop—
after some talkation about the veal, agreed that, on condition of my paying the full price for all I might take above 2 lbs. [pounds] in one week,
I should have both this and beef and mutton at 0/60 a lb. [pound] — I now pay 0/70 — got home at 5 — Dawdling over 1 thing or other till 6 — Dinner at 6 10/60—
On coming in the porter’s wife told me a gentleman would look at the apartment tomorrow or Monday — would have 3 horses in the stable so must pay I must tell
him if he asked, 600/. a month — I wish he may take the apartment — but then we must be off on the 1st of next month sans faute [without fail] — yet I shall save 500/. or 600/.
[margin text:] Fine and frosty Fahrenheit 35° at 8 a.m.
39° — noon
— — 6 p.m.
40° — 10 —
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