Thursday, October 10, 1833

 

1833

October

Thursday 10

5 55/..

12 25/..

Very fine – F 57° at 6 3/4 –

Breakfast at 7 – Lady Harriet came at 7 20/.. – She and I and Eugénie off at 8 in calêche – Good road – Dead flat – No wood – Light, poor, sandy land – Almost all in grass to Roskilde, the ancient capital of Denmark, but now a nice neat village-like little town – Nice little Inn – 4 Danish miles from Copenhagen – Had stopt 1/2 way at 9 37/.. to 10 50/.. to bait the horses – At Roskilde at 11 25/.. – Lady Harriet took warm rum and water –

In the Cathedral at 11 55/.. for 1 1/4 hour – Fine, old, gothic very neatly kept, whitewashed, plafond painted (on the plaster a running pattern) church – handsome carved pulpit and fine organ and handsome piece of old oak painted and gilded carving over the altar – The life and death of Xst [Christ] – 

Some very handsome marble sculpted royal tombs and below the six little coffins of the present king’s children – 1 born before the time another 4 hours old, and one about a year old – none but the tombs of royalty and some few of the old noble families here – 

A new chapel (royal) in the Corinthian Greek style, tho’ very handsome in itself, not in keeping with the rest of the church – A granite pillar there (said to be from Italy) evidently formed by plastering 2 short ones end to end together – on this column the height of Christian 1 marked equal to 3 Danish Ells and 10 inches and under this Peter the Great of Russia marked about 3 1/2 English inches shorter – the Church 140 Danish Ells long and 41 Ells high –

Off from Roskilde at 1 25/.. – Still good road – woods and mounds and the fiord in sight, much cattle and less barren looking country to Ryegaard (Madame de Rosenkrantz (widow of the minister of foreign affairs) at 3 12/.. – Tall fine looking elderly lady née princess .    .   .   of Petersburg – 

Came up to dress almost immediately.  Dinner at 4 10/.. – 4 dishes of dessert (3 fruit 1 preserved ginger) and the soup – Then that (the soup) removed and hashed piqué filet de boeuf in a large round dish with small turnips, potatoes, carrots and cauliflowers round the edge, handed round – Then fish boiled with purple sauce, then cut up roast chicken then plain boiled artichokes – Then a gateau – Then dessert, just before it vin doux in small glasses –  Port and red wine, French, on the table – Coffee immediately – Tea about 9 – Supper (a tray with fruit wine, a little of the dinner gateau, and a platter of one row cold meat, one ditto Bologna sausage, one ditto anchovies on white bread toast –

All the ladies, Madame de Rosenkrantz, her niece, Miss de Rosenkrantz, and a 1/2 Italian and 1/2 Dane, and Lady Harriet had their work – Sat talking – of Russia – different people etc.  Madame R- very attentive, and Ladylike and modestly agreeable –Came upstairs at 10 1/2 – 

A little awkwardness about shaking hands, but Madame de Rosenkrantz and I did at last.  I cannot make out if she likes me, but fancy not.   Dullish evening Very fine day – F 52° now at 10 50/.. – To tell the truth a very stupid evening --

 

WYAS Finding Number  SH:7/ML/E/16/0121