Saturday, May 9, 1289

1829

May

Saturday 9

5 1/4

1 5/60

Breakfast at 6 25/60 –

Off at 6 3/4 – There in 48 minutes (our clocks 10 minutes too soon, so there in time) – Found about 40 ladies there, so could not get a good place – Stood up – There was a hissing for me to sit down again, which, of course, I did, but could not see over the ladies bonnets, so not much better for the specimens shewn by way of illustration – Lecture lasted 1 5/60 hour –

Then went to the administration, and sat there reading M. Laugier’s lecture for this morning (neuvième leçon), having before spoken to the manipulator to let me have a seat close to M. Laugier –

At the lecture room at 9 1/4 and got the best seat – Offered the man 5 francs – He said oh! no! he could not take it – An insult to offer it, but he would take care I should have the seat – I might give the money to the garçon if I pleased, which, of course, I did, apologizing for having offered it to M. le Manipulator for I know not what else to call him – The Lecture began at 9 20/60 and lasted 1 10/60 – Heard very well – Like the chemistry better than the botany – It suits me better –

Both M. Desfontaines and M. Laugier gave notice that the Cours de Botanique Rurale de M. Adrien de Jussieu would commence tomorrow at 10 ‘à la porte du bois qui termine la grande route de Passy, près la Maison de la Muette à l’entrée de la grande avenue de Boulogne. L’herborization dusera jusqu’à une heure, L’autres herborizations auront lieu successivement le Dimanche de chaque semaine; et à la fin de chacune, on indiquera le canton des environs de Paris où devra se faire la suivante, ainsi que sa durée, le lieu et l’heure du rendez-vous’ –

The chemical lecture over, returned to the administration and asked for M. Royer to inquire when the natural history and geological lectures would begin – Surprised to find he had expected to hear from me about the apartment, No. 5 rue Madame – On my explaining that , on seeing him last, I had given a final answer declining it, adding that it was certainly final if he had no note to the contrary from me before 12 at noon the next day, he remembered this , and said he would give the answer, stating the real reason (my aunt would be too far from church and from her English friends) – Thus, it seems, the hurry I was to be in on account of the paire de France, was humbug; and M. Royer is a little disappointed not to have us take the apartment.  3500 francs would have been a fine rent for the proprietor – I would not give it – This alone would be objection enough –

In returning, inquired at No. 32 rue de Rivoli if M. Bankes (the reverend John, the James Daltons’ friend) was at home – No, not yet come back from England –

Got home in 55 minutes at 11 3/4 – Wrote the above of today – Then, leaning back in my chair, had a little nap –

M. Desfontaines spoke of parasites de droite à gauche as growing contra solem. vide Merat’s Botany p. 15. Dextrorsum. Speaking of the glands of plants being to sécrétes des liqueurs particulières (vide Merat, pages 26 and 27.) une espèce de sucur, ‘c’est à la presence de cette liqueur, quelquefois âcre et corrosive, qu’ilfaut attribuer le sentiment douloureux qu’on éprouve par la piqûre des Orties, (nettles) qui séchérs, piquant encore, mais alors leurs blessures n’excitent aucume douleur, parce qu’il n’y a plus de matière dans les glandes.’ – The little drops of dew as one fancies seen on plants in a morning, not dew, but this secretion d’une liqueur particulière (Mérat, page 27.).

Vide Mérat, page 28 ‘La fraxinelle’ (this not mentioned by Desfontaines) est couverte de glandes qui ‘sécrètent un gar inflammable:  aussi son atmosphère d’enflamme-t-elle quelquefois le soir par l’approche d’une bougie allumée’ –

Vide page 5, neuvième Leçon (Laugier).  Cause of feux follets, ignes fatui, from gaz hydrògène perphosphoré qui ‘a la singulière propriéte de l’enflammer seul au contact de l’air – When animal is decomposing, when ‘ses élémens se dissocient; l’un d’eux, l’hydrogène, emporte avec lui, en se dégageant, une quantité de phosphore suffisante pour lui donner la faculté d’s’enflammer au contact de l’air’ –

Had just finished writing the above of today at 2 1/4 – Then wrote notices of this morning lectures in my little book of memoranda of Lectures till 2 1/2 –

Then making out or rather writing out travelling account pages till 4 1/2, when Madame Séné [came], and though my aunt sent for me saying Madame Séné was in a hurry, she staid talking an hour – Told her I feared my aunt could not bear the noise of a premier in the rue Neuve Saint. Augustin, and that we must therefore give up thought of their apartment there – That we could not stay here (on account principally of the petit escalier), but that our plans were not at all fixed – We might return to England or not – But had not as yet mentioned this to the servants, and therefore begged Madame Séné not to name it – In treaty for an apartment, or at least thought of one at present, the only one I had seen to suit us, but knew not as yet what we should do about it (meant that in the rue Saint Florentin), but did not say were it was  –

From 5 1/2 to 5 55/60, again at my travelling account as also after dinner from 8 to 9 –

Dressed.  Dinner at 6 5/-60 – Monsieur and Mademoiselle Séné came at 9 –  Coffee immediately and tea après – The Sénés set out on their travels in 10 days or a fortnight to Switzerland, and nobody knows where – Much talk about this, as to what routes they would be pleased with etc.  They staid talking till 11 20/60, my aunt having gone off at or before 11 –

Mr. Séné said he let his country house to Mr. Hopp ?, the great Dutch bachelor banker and merchant (ætatis about 30), the richest particulier perhaps in Europe –

Mr. Séné behaved very handsomely about this apartment – To leave when we liked, or stay as long as we liked – To suit our own convenience entirely – but, if we staid, the rent to be lowered as much as we wished – Mr. Séné left this entirely to me – Said he behaved so handsomely, we were much obliged to him, and, as I might travel, spend next winter in Italy, I would think whether to leave my aunt (if she staid in Paris) in this apartment or not – 

As to the lowering of the rent, I would consult someone of my friends – I felt delicate about it – Some handsome speeches on both sides – M. Séné begging we do exactly as suited us best – He did not care for 20 napoléons less rent – It was but he should lower the rent – Now that we had been here so long, we had amply paid him for all the little expenses he been at [sic], and he did not wish for more than the apartment was worth – Rosalie the bonne, would be left behind to take care of things – He should order not to have the apartment shewn, as he would not have it let in his absence, being very particular whom he took into the house –

We parted very good friends – Said I should be glad to meet them in Italy etc. etc.

Came to my room the instant they went (at 11 20/60) and wrote the last 23 1/2 lines of today till 11 3/4 –

Very fine day –

While Cameron did my hair and afterwards till 12 1/2, read Laugier’s 10th lecture in readiness for Tuesday –

WYAS Finding Numbers SH:7/ML/E/12/0018 and SH:7/ML/E/12/0019