Rose at 6. Morning cold & gray & damp:  Have to reclose the window. ― Penned out, & drew till 9. ― Walked in those beautiful woods till 9.30.

Breakfast ― Sir R. proposed a walk. Some to church. Sir R.B. ― I, & W. Howard ― went out: the white Pony ― Pearl, ― old Brighton the dog &c. &c. Walking thro’ the park, & then to Heriot park, the place of ― Jervoise ― the same cub wh. married M.K., & went with me from Milan to Florence in 1837. ― Pretty walks. Thence to Hashwood. Lunch. ― Afterwards we went out again ― with Wally & Gussy ― to the Gardens &c. Apopletic fury ― &c. ……

Walk alone with Sir R.: ― who is very amicable & pleasant. είπε ότι τωρα λεγει Χαρτια δινα, δια τον Βασιλεα των Ελλενων ― απο την Σονερνηοιν μας.1 ―

Pines & squirrels: ― Halls, & Greek, &c. &c. ―

Drew again from 5 to 6.30. Dressed & dinner. Particularly pleasant dinner ― converse &c. W. Howard on India &c. Sir R. is wondrous queer in some things ― & his reading of the Bible & his talk of Genesis too absurd. ―

I sang “too late” to please Gussie ― & after we talked. Queer little Charly Abraham.

Perhaps this is one of the pleasantest of Hackwood days. ―

X4

[Transcribed by Marco Graziosi from Houghton Library, Harvard University, MS Eng. 797.3.]

  1. He said that now [that a Constitution was made?], by the King of the Greeks ― []. [↩]