Edward Lear's Diaries

Coldish ― gray ― not raining. ― Went to church. ― To Shakespeare’s to see his φοτογραφς¹ ― home ― & made  Αλφαϐετς² till 2½.  Then walked with F.L. & Beechey the dog ― thro’ Ποταμὸ to Govino, & all the Curcumely road ― the wild lichen & moss-covered olives so beautiful, to Afra, & so to Alipu, & to the χωρίον³ at 6½. ― (Chimariote people on the road ― their queer lingo ― & begging ―

ἔν ὄϐολο ― νά ζήση!⁴ ― may you live!)

Dined at L.’s ― but wearied myself with talk, & when after dinner, in that cold room, he took a good cigar himself from a box at the other end, but offered me none ― & when cafe came ¾ of an hour after, I grew black & silent, & went away at 9½.

X13 X14

[Transcribed by Marco Graziosi from Houghton Library, Harvard University, MS Eng. 797.3. Previously published in Lear 1988, 119.]

1. Photographs. [↩]
2. Alphabets. [↩]
3. Village. [↩]
4. “One obol ― for life’s sake” (Lear 1988, 127). [↩]