Slept well: good bed.

Fine all day, but mostly gray, with beautiful streaky clouds. Worked at the window=outlines till 8.30. Breakfast. Post: letter from T. Cooper, with cards of visitors. ― Went on to the Sta. Croce. Funeral mass for Count Cavour: a very wonderfully beautiful as well as sad sight. Vast crowds ― & all feeling & well-behaved. Talked with many. Came away at 11 or 12. All the city is hung with “Italian” flags. ――

At 2 (having slept, & read Charles O’Malley,)1 ― called on the Levers. Mrs. L.’s account of the Somervilles ― Lady C. Fleming, Lady Walpole &c. &c. is refreshing.

Drew on bridges here & there. Table d’hôte ˇ[4.30]. Very vulgar English. ― At 5.30 went to S. Miniato, (or rather, S. Salvador.) but found I could get into the Villa S. Firenze, the real view of Turner.

It is very glorious, & I shall set to work at it thoroughly. Little half-blind boy ― Alessandro ― one of ten children, father dead. Mother & uncle, very nice people. ― Came home by 8.30 ― supper at 9.

Boles always troublesome. I doubt my ever getting well again ― quite well. But, as dearest Ann said, ― all is right ― whichever way it pleases God. ―

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

  1. Charles James Lever’s Charles O’Malley: The Irish Dragoon (1841). [↩]