Monday, March 8, 1830

1830

March

Monday 8

7

12 20/..

Fahrenheit 38° at 7 10/.. a.m. –

At my desk at 7 55/..  Wrote 3 pages to Miss MacLean –

Ask for court calendar with almanack and last edition Withering’s Botany –

‘I should have liked the case of surgical instruments very much, but I fear you would have some difficulty about it at the Calais Customhouse, unless you have some gentleman with you who could pass the thing as his own, and offered it at once to pay whatever duty required, or put it openly at the top of his portmanteau – The fact is, cutlery is contraband, except such as is for the private use of the traveler, though I brought over dinner knives etc. without the least difficulty – Think about this for me, quite sure that I shall be satisfied whatever you do –

I have some friends here who would be delighted with an English case of instruments – It would contain scalpels, bistouries, hammer, chisel, saw, scissors, etc. . . . and would not take up much room – But I do not mean to pother you above all bearance, so do just as you like -- . . . .

But can you – will you bring me a couple of papers of pins ------------------------------------| that length? I had rather have the pins than the red sealing wax I asked Vere to ask you for’ –

Then mention my being just going to write to Miss McKenzie.  What shall I write? rather difficult to know what – I wish you were at my elbow’ . . . . . . .

Stupidish sort of letter – but 3 pages full –

Then wrote 1 1/2 pages to Mr. Briggs and 3 pages of 1/2 sheet to Miss McKenzie – Both which sent in too into my aunt to read –

Then letter from Mariana,  3 pages, the ends and under the seal –

Dressed at 12 1/2 –

Sent off my letter to ‘Mr. James Briggs, Horton Street, Halifax, Yorkshire, Angleterre’ –

Wish to buy all the old road adjoining to my land at Hardcastle’s, and the angle of Mr. Wilkinson’s land cut off by the junction of the 2 new roads, if his price is at all reasonable –

To buy the hay and manure at Lower place –

Want a respectable, good tenant – In no hurry to let – To fix the rent at what it is at present – If an allowance to be made, can settle about this when a likely tenant offers –

To tell Mr. Hoyland 4 1/2 per cent too much – 4 per cent quite enough according to times – I shall not be satisfied if the interest is higher –

Then wrote 1/4 sheet note full to Miss Hobart, a note of nothing, and nihil ex nihilo fit –

‘I have neither thought nor heard anything of late worth remembering, if it be not the remark made by Cuvier the other day, that it was, as it were, the toss up of a straw, that we were all Christians now, instead of Mahometans !  Had Charles Martel lost, instead of gained the Battle of Tours, the Triumph of the Crescent might have been universal, and all our Macs, and De s, and Aps, and Os, and Fitzes, might have sunk into Ebn al this or Ebn al that, ad infinitum –

The lecture there is crowded to excess every Tuesday and Saturday, and it would interest, and perhaps surprise you to hear how much we are indebted for the revival of learning to a people whom we have now almost forgotten, or affect to despise –

My interest about the South of Spain has been considerably awakened by Cuvier; and you may hear from me from there before I make up my mind to settle for life’ –

Mention the Poores’ talking of going to Bayonne on their way to the Pyrennees – ‘I have sent for your  History of the Jews, and Withering’s Botany –

Tell me, when you are at the Lodge, at what hour you generally walk, and I shall think of you – I might think what you are thinking, but that, you know, is always impossible –

Buona notte!

Always affectionately yours,

A L-

Had said before, ‘I hope dear good Lady Stuart is better’ –

Then wrote note to the Vicomte de Noé –

‘My dear Sir,

I have sent you the book you were so good as promise to take for me, and which I hope you will not find too large – There is a sealed note enclosed which you will, of course, have no scruple in cutting open, should customs house necessity require it –

Though I am not yet personally acquainted with Miss MacKenzie, I have mentioned you as a friend of mine, and can almost feel assured that, if her long and particular acquaintance with Italy can enable her to give you any useful hints, she will be happy to do so –

I very sincerely wish you a prosperous journey, and hope you will derive from it all the pleasure and all the edification your most sanguine wishes can desire –

I meant to have called for your sister today to go to the Bois de Boulogne, but the people have been longer than I expected in putting on new wheels –

Very truly yours,

A Lister,’ dated at the top ‘Monday evening, 8 March 1830 –

My note or letter filling 3 pages of a 1/2 sheet

‘Monday 8 March 1830

My dear Miss Mackenzie –

I am particularly desired by Miss MacLean to send you Mr. Long’s book, which I am happy to have an opportunity of doing by my friend, Vicomte de Noé, a very gentlemanly, well informed person, who is just setting off on a tour through Italy, Sicily, etc. etc.

I trust you will excuse my taking the liberty of addressing you as if I had already had the pleasure of making your acquaintance – I really cannot feel quite a stranger towards one of whom I have heard so much –

I do assure you, it was a very great disappointment to me to find from my aunt on my return home in October last, that you had been some time in Paris, and were only gone a very few days before my return – But I will not despair of being more fortunate in future,  though I fear there is no chance of your being here again soon, or even perhaps so near as Geneva; as I am aware how particularly the climate of Italy is conducive to your health –

I shall be anxious to hear that you receive the book safe, knowing how highly Miss McLean thinks of it, and how desirous she is for you to have it – She is still confident as ever of Mr. Long’s success, but I am afraid, is not a sufficiently good example of it herself to bring over all her friends to her own sanguine opinions –

I am expecting her here in the course of next month, when I trust she will find the change of air, and our, generally speaking, beautiful spring weather of service to her –

I am, my dear Miss MacKenzie,

Very truly yours,

A Lister, Rue Godot de Mauroy, No. 39’ –

Read over and folded my letters – Enclosed that to the Honorable Miss MacKenzie to the care of Messers Cotterell and Company, Vittoria, Naples’ in a sealed envelope in the book, which sealed up in a sheet of white paper, directed, according to Miss MacLean – ‘The Honorable Frances MacKenzie, to the care of Messers Cotterell’ as before . . .

The parcel, directed Monsieur le Vicomte de Noé, Rue de l’Université, No. 5’ – Enclosed my letter in envelope to ‘Miss Maclean, 12 New Street Dorset Square’, and this with my little 1/4 sheet letter in envelope to Miss Hobart, Honorable Lady Stuart’s, Whitehall’ –

The carriage came back at 4 from D’Aldringen’s, having had all new wheels put on –

Went out at 4 50/.. In passing, left my packet to Miss Hobart enclosing letter to Miss MacLean at the Embassy, and then drove to the Comte de Noé’s and left the parcel (vide line 8 above) for the Vicomte with note for him and letter to Miss MacKenzie, and drove to the Luxembourg Garden – Walked there 1/2 hour – In returning, bought note paper at Wallerand’s –

Home at 6 1/4 – Dinner at 6 20/.. –

Read, partly aloud, the whole of the newspaper – Came to my room at 8 20/.. – Wrote the whole of this page – Coffee at 9 1/4 – Came to my room at 10 50/.. –

My letter from Mariana (vide line 15 of today) gives good account of herself –

She seriously hopes to be able to come to us next winter –

Consults me as to what to do with little Mariana –

It seems Lady Eastnor had called again, probably obviously to get her to subscribe to a ball given in behalf of some poor Spaniard – and Mariana took 2 tickets and paid a sovereign or double price – All well, but it seems Mariana Ladyshiped her up and the vulgarity of this struck me forcibly and disagreeably.  Thought I, this has stamped π [Mariana] with Lady E –

Lord and Lady Hopetoun at Leamington – Lady Hopetoun recognised Mariana –

Mariana seems to have made a nice walking acquaintance of a Miss Cameron of Lochiel, her mother, the honorable Mrs. Cameron, is daughter to Sir Ralph Abercromby – After his death, his widow was made a baroness in her own right – They are nice sort of people’ –

Coffee at 9 25/60 after writing so far of today – Staid talking to my aunt about her going to Shibden when our lease of this apartment is expired – It seems now as if she may probably go –

Came to my room at 10 50/.., at which hour, Fahrenheit 42°.  Very fine day – Very fine moonlight night –

Siding the drawers of my bureau, etc. till 11 35/.. –

 

WYAS Finding Numbers SH:7/ML/E/13/0008 and SH:7/ML/E/13/0009