| Description | [Diary Transcription]
94
1831
April
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where there was perpetual spring — well, said I, if you will vote for her going, I will go with her —
and I repeated this afterwards to Lady Mexborough Lady Stuart asked me if I had read Miss Berry’s book — No! asked if it
was good — No! there was much about late events in Paris that was not true — wondered where she had
got her information — Gave Lady Sarah her fan back, and said she must keep mine on condition of
writing something in my album — but took the fan to Privat’s to have to riband regummed — about
1/2 hour at Lady Stuart’s — gave my letter to ‘the honourable Lady Stuart’ into Lady Mexborough’s charge — then at 2 3/4
drove to the de Noés — sat with them some time — then took Mademoiselle de Noé to the bois de Boulogne, to
Longchamp and round by that part of it called Madrid — it rained almost all the time — home at 5 3/4 — dressed —
dinner at 6 1/4 — Read part of the paper — at the book sale per fiacre at 8 — just 10 minutes
too late — just entered after the 2 books I particularly wished to have were sold — bought histoire amoureuse
des Gaules, a little vellum 18mo. [octodecimo], and views folio of old Rome, and home at 9 1/4 — coffee at 9 1/2 —
wrote all but the 1st 3 lines of today — finish, dullish morning till between 10 and 11 — afterwards
rainy day with little intermission — Came to my room at 11 3/4 at which hour Fahrenheit 48° and fine night — while sitting
after dinner letter from Miss Hobart 3 ppages of 1/2 sheet — dated Barham, House April 13th — with Mr.
Henry Stuart’s sister, Mrs. Knox? — She says she is better — waited to tell me this — concluding
with ‘this is no letter dear Miss Lister, but I know you get fidgetty, if you do not hear from
‘me now and then — your affectionate Vere Hobart’ — not in fact very good account — ‘for the last week I have
‘been very uncomfortable, another bleed and blister and then a spitting headache but today quite
‘another creature — I have been here in the country just a fortnight’ but had not been
allowed to stir out till 4 days ago — Stood reading Les femmes fortes till 1 10/.. —
Tuesday 19
10 40/..
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Fahrenheit 52° at 11 and fine morning — Incurred a cross just before getting up thinking of Vere that would not do and then of π [Mariana] ~ Dawdling
and looking over the maps of France and England — incline to going by Havre and Southampton, and thence to Richmond
and London for a few hours — not dressed till 12 10/.. — Note from Miss (Arabella) Scott — Madame Galvani Lesson 34
from 12 1/2 to 1 40/.. — did nothing but chat — Then wrote copy and note to Miss Scott Miss Scott
apologizes for ‘venturing to bore you with a tale of my grievances’ — her father does not
come so soon as she expected — wishes her ‘to go to London under some other protection’ — wishes
to know if I know of any family going this week who would allow her to put herself under their protection
etc. etc. 3 ppages of a full sized 1/2 sheet — is sure I shall have thought them very rude in not calling, but they
have been confined to the house ever since Mr. Barton left them — Mrs. Barton and the children and servants
all ill — wrote in answer (making it cover 3 ppages of 1/4 sheet and enclosed in envelope to ‘Mademoiselle
Mademoiselle Scott Hotel de la Terrasse’) ‘My dear Miss Scott — Though your note is dated yesterday, I only received it
‘a couple of hours ago, and being at the moment particularly engaged, would not keep your servant waiting — I regret exceedingly not
‘knowing any family or lady going to England this week — but if I hear of anyone’s going at all likely to make your journey
‘agreeable, I certainly will not forget you — nothing would give me greater pleasure than to be of the smallest use to you in
‘any way — I am really very sorry to hear so indifferent an account of Mrs. Barton and the children — Believe me, my dear Miss
‘Scott, very truly yours Anne Lister Tuesday 19 April 2 p.m.’ — off at 2 — my aunt with me — En passant, left my note
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1831
April
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for Miss Scott at the hotel de la Terrasse — at the college de France in 1/2 hour — waited — Lecture 30 (had missed
Lecture 29 on Saturday 26 much thinking there was to be none that day — Monsieur Julliart told of it its having been excellent on the writings
of Buffon) from 3 40/.. to 4 55/.. a sort of prospectus of the remainder of his course that he is going to give us —
In returning drove to Madame de la Croix No. [Number] 18 rue des Vieux Augustins and told her come Thursday morning between 8 and 9 —
(To measure me for stays) 1/2 hour at Madame Contant’s, and ditto at Madame Decante’s, and home at 6 1/2 — dinner at 7 —
read the paper — came to my room at 8 35/.. — wrote all but the 1st four lines of today — Sent to ask Madame de Hagemann
to come to us this evening — She came at 9 1/4 (at which hour went into the drawing room) and staid till 11 10/.. — Tea and coffee at 9 1/2 — the de Hagemanns
must be at home before the 26th and will be off from here on the 10th of next month — We are now really very good
friends staid talking to my aunt — came to my room at 11 3/4 at which hour Fahrenheit 52 1/2° and fine night — fine day till
about 2 — then rain more or less for near a couple of hours — fine evening —
Wednesday 20
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Fahrenheit 50 1/2° and fine morning at 7 1/2 — out at 8 1/4 — walked to the Muette gate. read Le Temps — home at 10 1/2 —
Monsieur Pelletier had been here a few minutes — Lesson 21 from 10 3/4 to 12 3/4 with the interruption of taking
1/2 my breakfast in the middle of my lesson having begun today with the blowpipe and being tired of blowing — Tried
par le chalumeau plomb sulfuse, cuivre pyriteux,, and fer oxidulé, with borax — the 1st the only
one that quite answered with me according to all the indications given by Berzelius — took the remainder of my
breakfast — asleep from 1 3/4 to 3 — then a Monsieur Chevalier came (who had come once before and not seen me) came
begging — very well dressed largeish man — ended by giving him a franc — he begged hard for something to buy bread — said
he would be content with a pièce de 20 sols — dressed — at my desk at 4 — from then to 6 1/4 read from page 148 to
231. ‘De la femme’ par Virey — Dinner at 6 20/.. — read the paper — Madame Descantes for an hour came at 8 10/.. — ordering
about 1 thing or other Two new gowns etc. sent for Madame Hagemann who came and staid about an hour — does not like
the dress I saw and liked yesterday at Madame Decante’s, and meant to have got for Miss Vere — so determined not have it —
Coffee at 9 20/.. just after Madame de Hagemann went — she could not stay tonight — note (at dinner) from Monsieur Nérée
Boubée inclosing prospectus (got one yesterday at the college de France Cuvier’s lecture) of his course of lectures —
Note afterwards from Lady Granville of invitation for Friday — read from page 128 to 254 Virey, de la femme —
Came to my room at 11 20/.. — Fahrenheit 54° at 11 1/2 and fine night — fine day — unluckily opened volume 1.
Virey — histoire du genre humain and sat up till 2 1/4 reading from page 171 to page 290, and skimming from page 290 to 335 —
Sat half hour in my washing closet examining clitoris ~
Thursday 21
8 3/4
12 50/..
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Madame Calès, ci devant Mademoiselle Delacroix, staymaker from 8 50/.. to 9 25/.. — Then half hour cutting toe
nails Read Le Temps — Incurred cross but very gently last night night in trying to enlarge
and in titillating the clitoris ~ began to dress at 10 40/.. — (Fahrenheit 50 1/2° and very rainy morning at 10 1/4 —)
breakfast at 11 50/.. in 1/2 hour — 1/2 hour’s nap about 2 — woman with barège things after 3 — bought 96 francs’ worth
for presents — from 11 50/.. to 6 5/.. except the just named interruptions (dinner at 6 10/.. — read the paper — came to my room at 8 10/..) and from 8 10/..
to 9 35/.. read page 254 to 424 end of Virey, de la femme — coffee at 9 40/.. — Cutting open books — Came to my room at 11 10/.. at
which hour Fahrenheit 54° and fine night — very rainy morning till between 11 and 12, afterwards fine day — Letter this morning from IN- [Isabella Norcliffe]
(Croft) still wishing for the ivory and gold buckles — thinks I might send one in a letter — Got her parcel the 8th day
after it was sent off from here — stays quite right, but all the pots were almond paste — begs me as usual to write the day after
receiving her letter or in a day or 2, and direct to Croft — Half hour at clitoris
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