Thursday, March 18, 1830

1830

March

Thursday 18

7 5/..

12 5/..

Dawdling over 1 thing or other till 9 – Bad cold that came on yesterday and a little sore throat last night.  Not worse this morning – Cut open Volume 4, French Edition Hallam’s Moyen Age – Breakfast at 9 50/.. in 20 minutes – at 10 1/2.

Went to Madame Galvani, taking Volume 4 Hallam, meaning to read aloud and have a regular lesson – Found her in a warm bath – ordered the carriage at 1, and sat talking of one thing or other till that time – no reading – Said I would go every Wednesday and Thursday till the commencement of M. Flourens’s lectures – Today to be counted my 1st lesson. 

Lady Craven, to whom she goes every day, rue de Rivoli, hotel Dovilier, going to Italy in 2 months – Madame Galvani’s yearly expenses, living as she does now, 2400/. –

Asked what she thought of my idea of taking a little apartment away from my apartment, rue Godot – She said I might have the apartment below her – Said it was too far from the Jardin du Roi – Never hinted at my having already got an apartment there –

It is in the character of the French, the very highest, to gain something from everything they buy for you

The Countesse de Noailles would make no scruple. Speaking of Madame de Habant, said she was ‘très hautaine’ –

M. de Flahaut gained what he had (30000/. a year) from la reine Hortense who settled that upon him – his mother Madame de . . . . . on seeing the attachment of Hortense, told her son he was trop joli garçon, too handsome and la reine trop laide for him not to make his fortune before things went farther – M. de Flahaut one of the most remarkable persons under Napier –

Somehow mentioned the Comtesse de Bourke (I seemed as if I knew nothing about her not even as M. de Hagemann’s friend) as a Neapolitan cuisinière – M. de Bourke married her – He was ambassador at Copenhagen and left her very rich – She 400,000/. a year –

Charles (Comte) Mornay now at Brighton.  Spent his fortune of perhaps 25000/. a year and is now entretence by Mademoiselle Mars – Everybody knows it – He is received everywhere, and considered a first rate man of fashion – i.e. recherché.  It was Madame de Flahaut wished him to marry her sister, to whom her father (offended at her marrying M. de Flahaut) left all he could –

I stood over Madame G[alvani] quarter hour while she was naked in the bath.  Saw her breast, but the water had the rest.  Then saw Nannette rub her back with pâte d'amandes and wash it with a sponge before she left the bath, she lying on her stomach.  I then saw all her back and backside – fine made woman.  This was her manner of washing herself.  I had before seen her rub and wash her bosom with a little sponge.  She came to the fire in sheets? In which she and Nannette dried her so well that I saw nothing.  Then put on her night shift and caftan and sat down to breakfast –

My aunt came to fetch me – Left Madame Galvani – at 1 5/.. drove to my little apartment, rue du Jardin des Plantes – Went up to it, and took George to look at the fountain there and see if the floors were mis en coulour – Another coat yet to come – Then, after being there some minutes (61 steps high), drove to the bois de Boulogne – My usual way to the village of Boulogne, thence all along the wall of the bois by Longchamp, and Bagatelle to the Neuilly gate, thence to the porte Maillot and home (asleep almost all the way) at 4 50/.. –

Dressed – Wrote all but the 1st 2 lines of today – Dinner at 6 10/.. Read the paper, partly aloud – Came to my room at 8 20.. – Reading volume 1 Magendie – Coffee at 9 25/.. – Came back to my room at 10 1/4, at which hour, Fahrenheit 53°.  Fair but streets wet – Fine day, but rather rain-threatening clouds about all the day –

Reading till 11 1/4 – During today have read from page 8 to 56 Volume 1, Magendie – I shall read this work again and again.

 [Marginal note] On sending George to inquire it, seems Mr. Wright left Paris the day before yesterday –


WYAS Finding Numbers SH:7/ML/E/13/0013 and SH:7/ML/E/13/0014

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