| Description | [Diary Transcription]
118
1827
February Friday 23
6 50/60
11 40/60
at my desk at 8 40/60 — having been looking at the maps of France Switzerland and Italy 1/2 hour — Full of this going to Sw
itzerland ~ think of making a thorough tour of Switzerland and returning by the banks of the Rhine as far at any rate, as
Strasbourg (according to time and money), and thence home — [illegible] the thermometrical journal from this day fortnight today on the
2nd end of my letter to M- [Mariana] and read over the 2 1/2 ppages written yesterday — her account of herself a great relief to me, or I should have been with her not many weeks hence — promised her the ground plan in my next letter this
day fortnight — determined to economize as well as I can — ‘I abominate being so much in debt’ — and wish
to save, but this will be difficult — ‘considering the way manner in which we live, our expenses seem exorbitant’ —
whatever we do with make of Northgate it will be more expense to us before we have done with it — Shall be glad to
avoid law about the collieries, and well satisfied if the people will pay off the arrears, and give up the concern
quietly — ask if it would not be a good plan for her to have a web of cloth by her to be ready when
I go over and want new linen ‘I had rather not go to England this year, if I can help it; it must necessarily be
‘so great an expense to me; but, as my aunt is so well, I shall probably make a little excursion for ten
‘days somewhere or other, before the summer is over — Perhaps I may go a little way with the Mackenzies; for I
‘should not quite like going by myself; and you will not let me go with Mrs. Barlow and Jane — I feel as if I should
‘like a little change of air by and by — But, if I have no opportunity of going with the MacKenzies ,perhaps I may give the
‘thing up — Dr. Tupper orders Mrs. Barlow and Jane to go somewhere; and if I will go, Mrs. Barlow will not wait
‘to join Miss Harvey — But I say nothing decided as yet; for though perhaps I should give my consent if you gave yours,
‘I certainly should have no pleasure in anything you really disapproved, and would give up anything at your serious
‘suggestion — If you knew me better you would have no fears — However, whether reasonable or not, I am
‘well inclined to indulge even your prejudices, and, in one sense of the word, am too indifferent to all the
‘world to make it at all difficult for me to oblige you — Choose, therefore, as you like — Perhaps a few
‘days rambling might lighten me up a little; and Mrs. Barlow and Jane (for the one cannot lose sight of the other)
‘might make the thing comfortably feasible — but, after all, I care nothing about it; and you may say yes, or no,
‘as seemeth to you best — To move my aunt is next to impossible — I could not procure her the necessary comforts —
‘she must always be back at night — the country here, is not like the country in England — I myself would not go into
‘the country to be stationary — If I leave my aunt at all, it will be to make a little tour, — to see what I can
‘of the places sufficiently near, worth seeing — But as I would not go alone, and the MacKenzies are uncertain, and I know
‘not of others to companionize with, I shall not think of the thing at all, unless you can cordially leave
‘me at liberty — Depend upon it, you may do so safely enough; but if you fancy otherwise, I shall really be
‘quite satisfied, merely saying to myself, it is your loss, not mine, that you do not know me better — You have
‘no business with uneasiness on my account — I am heartily ready to do anything in the world you wish, and care not
‘how, or when you call upon me — At all rates, you have nothing to fear — Perhaps you would understand this better,
‘did you know all my late anxiety about you — But no more — Your doubts about me in any way, cannot
‘survive much longer’ — at the time of writing the above yesterday, I had really little serious idea of going anywhere
with Mrs. Barlow I had mentioned Geneva on Tuesday quite lightly — I had since thought of the expense and length of the
journey, and, though I asked Madame Galvani on Wednesday the best month for Switzerland, it was very little my intention to seriously profit
by her advice — In fact, I had been calculating and calculating, and had almost resolved to stay quietly here
all the year without having moving farther than beyond I could return at night — Somehow, on seeing Mrs. Barlow and Jane, they
talked so in good earnest about Geneva, Jane had been so full of schemes and plans as to what she should take
with her etc. etc. I began to be more serious myself, and to hope M- [Mariana] would have no objection — What can I do, said I to
myself, if she really objects — I scarce know how to be off — I will wait the result of what I have written to her —
[margin text:] Fahrenheit 31° at 8 1/4 a.m. very fine.
37° at noon.
38° at 6 1/4 p.m.
35° at 10 —
119
1827
February
L
reading over my letter writing the thermometrical journal and writing the above of today took me till 9 50/60 — then till 10 3/4 wrote the latter 1/2 page 3, and the 1st end, and the 1/2 of the 2nd
not taken up with the thermometrical-journal — all that I have written this morning, a spirited appeal to M-’s [Mariana]
good sense to ‘keep her mind in order, and at ease’ …. ‘throw off that ‘lethargy of woe’ that can only
‘paralyse your every nerve, and certainly, though secretly, work the ruin of our happiness….you have nothing to fear,
‘or mourn over, or complain of, with respect to me; and in pity, — in mercy, — in justice, do not inflict on
‘me the too heavy punishment of your unhappiness’ …...‘Come come Mary, cheer up and rouse yours like a giant
‘from his slumber — throw off this pitiful weakness, and act with energy, and by your example, win to happiness
‘that one whose hopes are identified with your own and who is forever entirely and very especially yours’ —
‘said a short time would probably determine much — ‘If [illegible] you are really and efficiently determined either to get the upper hand or quit
‘the field, it is in the very nature of things that you must do either the one or the other very shortly’ —
wrote the last 10 lines, skimming over the paper, folded wafered and directed my letter and sent it off at 11 23/60 to ‘Mrs. Lawton, Lawton hall,
Lawton, Cheshire, Angleterre [England], port payé [post paid]’ — then breakfast at 11 25/60 — read the remainder of the paper which took
me till 12 1/4 — then at my accounts till 12 3/4 — went out at 1 1/4 — took George — bought marrons at the end of the rue de
la Paix — then to Bertrand’s — then to Madame Irlande to tell her to send about the castor of my aunt’s work table and to fasten
the candlesticks of the candelabra — thence to rue des Lombards No. [Number] 3 and bought tea — Sent George home with it, and I returned by
the Quais, through the court of the Louvre and Place du Carrousel to Mrs. Barlow’s at 3 — Staid a few minutes there, and she came out,
with me to the Stocking-shop au coin de [at the corner of] la rue de l’Echelle, then to no. [number] 11 rue du Faubourg St. Honoré about a hat for George then
to my shoemaker rue des Capucines, then to Amyot’s rue de la Paix for Ebel’s Swiss Guide — will have one tomorrow then went back with Mrs. Barlow to her own door —
then along the boulevards to Boulevard Italian No. [Number] the comestible shop — bought chinois and de provinces
(slices of preserved watermelon), and got home at 6 5/60 — Dinner at 6 1/4 — Left the dining room at 8 1/2 — Slept on the sofa all
the evening — and came to my room at 10 — mentioned to my aunt at dinner that it seemed as if Mrs. Barlow and Jane would take a little excursion
with me — I thought we had best go to see Switzerland, and in that case I should be 6 weeks away — my aunt is glad of it — thinks
it will do me good — the sooner I get off the better — very fine day — the streets dirty — but drier towards evening — wrote the
last 10 1/2 lines which took me till 10 10/60 —
Saturday 24
6 3/4
12 1/2
+§
Might have been ready to go out at 8, but turned to my atlas — noted down all the counties in England, Wales and
Scotland — all the cathedrals in England and Wales I had seen and all I had to see — then turned to my Gazetteer — vide
Lexington in Kentucky said to have been originally colonized by a people from Wales — finished dressing — at my desk
at 9 50/60 — settled my accounts breakfast at 10 20/60 — Dawdling over 1 thing or other — Went out at 11 35/60 some time with my
aunt then direct to Mrs. Barlow’s — She and Jane only just getting up — had over slept themselves — waited 50 minutes for them then
all went out — to Madame Esté shoemaker rue de la Paix for Jane, then along the Boulevards to the Diorama (piente par Daguerre) close to the
Château d’eau — 50 minutes there — the view of Unterseen, ‘Situé Sur l’Aar, entre les lacs de Thoun and de
Brientz canton de Berne, [Unterseen, ‘Located on the Aare, between the lakes of Thun and Brienz canton of Bern]’ very pretty —disappointed with the view ‘d’Edinbourg prise à onze heures
du soir, par un clair de lune, au pied du mont arthur….au moment de l’incendie qui
éclata dans l’ancienne ville, le 15 Novembre 1824 [Edinburgh taken at eleven o'clock in the evening, by moonlight, at the foot of Mount Arthur... at the time of the fire which broke out in the ancient city, November 15, 1824]’ — what with the glare of the fire and the shades of night
one could distinguish too little to give one much idea of the city — and this disappointed me — In returning stopt chez Felix
Passage des Panoramas and ate pastry — I had 3 petites pâtisseries and a meringue this last excellent 5 sols, — Left Mrs. Barlow and Jane
opposite our house, and came upstairs at 4 3/4 — finding the Senés engaged to a ball this evening, and could not drink tea with us, put
on my things again and went to Mrs. Barlow to tell her not to dress — staid till she and Jane were ready and walked back with them
and got here at 6 — Dinner at 6 25/60 — Left the dining room at 8 40/60 — Tea at 9 3/4 — mentioned before my aunt our Swiss journey —
All came to my room at 10 40/60 and Mrs. Barlow and Jane went away at 11 — my aunt trying to move the sofa just before we came at 6 slipt
and fell Said she could hardly get up again but managed it last — a good deal shaken and therefore could not move about so well, but thought she
should be no worse — very fine day — o.. ~
[margin text:] Fahrenheit 27° at 7 a.m. very fine day
34° at 11 35/60 —
30° at 11 10/60 p.m.
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