Thursday, May 14, 1829

1829

May

Thursday 14

5 1/4

11 55/60 

Breakfast at 6 25/60, having waited 1/4 hour for it –

A x cross last night thinking of π [Mariana].

No motion this morning, for the first time since my arrival.  I had just written this remark when I felt as if I could do a little and tried and succeeded –

Off at 6 55/60 (our clock 1/4 too soon) – I think I was there in 50 minutes – Tried the 3 doors into where the ladies sit – All locked – Went into the gallery – There at 7 35/60 by the Lecture room clock – I must have tried the 1st door just as the lecture was beginning, yet was too late – Sat 1/4 hour in the gallery, but having unluckily got near one of the open doors, found it disagreeable, besides, though I heard tolerably well, I was too distant from M. Desfontaines, and he was merely recapitulating the last lecture about the épiderme, tissue cellulaire, etc., vide Mérat page 29 et seq. (20 ladies there), so I came away –

Finding that there would be no chemical lecture till Tuesday next (Laugier ill), came away (Brongniart’s mineralogical are Mondays, Wednesday, and Friday at 9 a.m.) and got home at 9 –

Lolled on my sofa – Read the whole of Galignani’s Messenger in 50 minutes, then reading Mérat’s botany to make up for the lecture I had lost –

Then from 10 20/60 at my desk, still reading Mérat to as far as page 84, and then wrote the above of today, and had just done at 11 55/60 –

Then sat down to wrote out the translation made Thursday night 7th instante mense for Madame  Galvani – Made several alterations – Puzzled long, and nodded often – Never so stupid – Not till after 3 that I had written out the whole and done a little more, being roused by a letter from Mariana soon after 2, which I am now going to indulge myself by reading.

3 pages and the ends, and 2 lines under the seal – Dated Sunday 3rd and Wednesday 6th instante mense, Thursday 7th, Friday 8th, and Saturday 9th instante mense to give daily accounts of Charles, who had been thrown from his horse and very narrowly escaped with his life on Monday week the 4th instante mense.

‘He was riding near the Red Bull when a coach meeting him made his horse shy.  He turned it round when the animal bolted and brought him against the leaders, and threw him with the back of his head against the splinter bar. The driver had strength and presence of mind to check his horses, the suddenness of which brought them all 4 down, and this alone saved the wheels from going over his head. 

He was taken up for dead and brought home insensible – Medical assistance was quickly procured, when a bad wound from which branched six other cuts was found at the back of the head, 1/2 an inch lower and it must have been a fracture – The right leg which has before been hurt is severely contused and he is quite unable to move it, I fear this will prove a serious part of the accident, we have already put on 74 leeches, and taken blood from the arm, by this means fever is kept off, and at present he is doing better than could possibly have been expected –

I have a little bed at his side. Lou sat up last night (Tuesday week), Watson will do so tonight, and tomorrow it will be my turn –

It was very soon over the country that he was killed, or at best could not recover.  We had all the tenants here in a very short space of time, and indeed all the country around have called or sent to inquire after him.  It has indeed been a most narrow escape.

I am thankful that I happened not to be at home when he was brought in’ (She was gone to Congleton) for Watson says it was a dreadful sight, and people rushed into the house calling out that he was killed – The poor little squire heard of it in the road and was so affected that he lost the use of his limbs, and they were obliged to bring him in a chaise from the Lawton Arms – He is sadly distressed about it, and every now and then cries bitterly saying he is sure if anything happens to his brother it will kill him, for he can never get over it –

In truth it has been a great shock to us all, but we are pretty well again’ –

Charles was bled again in the arm on Thursday night and lost 18 ounces.  ‘It is it is extraordinary that he has no pain in the head, to him the knee is the great evil –

On Saturday 9th, Charles is going on comfortably this morning and has had a quiet night, they seem to think him now out of danger’

Mariana got my letter Friday the 8th.  Nothing else very particular in the letter.

She seems to fancy me impatient with George, he being ‘very worthy’ ‘There is much in him necessary to you which may redeem his gaucheries.’ ‘In the most beauteous and splendid fortune, there are many cares and proper allays, and if you had the finest house Paris can afford, the 1st society, and the best appointed servants, and in fact all the style your heart seems so anxiously to desire, still there be something to cause a sigh, therefore lose not your charity or your patience’ (meaning to and with George’s gaucheries). ‘Get rid of your annoyances if you can, and begin by changing your apartment’ ….

Vide page 1. In answer to my letter received Friday 8th, she observes on the last end of her paper ‘I am glad you are amusing yourself – Get a better apartment and a thorough lady’s maid, give up, for a time, books for men and be as happy as you can.  You like the world, and the world will like you, and you have now a good opportunity of making your way as you would best like’ – How little she knows the truth of the difficulty of making one’s way as a person like would wish.  I have no better, or not much better, opportunity than before I, even of travelling and getting out of the way for the present.  With my aunt and my present fortune, not much can be done –

Madame Galvani came at 3 3/4 and staid till 5 35/60 – Agreeable as usual –

Miss Hobart called her back to give her best regards to me – Mentioned my being so taken with her intelligence in knowing how to order dinner on our journey.  She said she liked me much. Madame Galvani thinks she must be unhappy.  Her eyes often filled with tears, which Madame Galvani seemed not to notice and desired me not to do so.  She told Madame Galvani her education had been much neglected.  

Madame Galvani said I was not at all femme, perhaps nobody knew me better than she did.

Mrs. Barlow, she saw, was quite jealous. 

The other day when I asked her to look at the apartment, Madame de Rosny’s, paid by government for picking up all she can of information – Madame la baronne du Hamlin? is paid 150,000 francs a year by government for picking up from different people all the information she can – She gives great parties and receives strangers of distinction – Many French people know it and will not go – But strangers do not know it –

Madame Cantes charged 10 francs an ell too much for the broad blonde and 3 francs at least too much for that at 15/. per ell –

Madame Galvani named to me an apartment likely to suit us, rue de Bourbon No. 9, with cour and jardin – about 1800 francs perhaps per annum – a great inconvenience in the apartment rue Saint Florentin – The walls etc. not painted but done in distemper – Soon dirtied and cannot be cleaned – The stairs rudes – The apartment high in consequence of the rooms of the premier being so lofty –

Read her my translation, which she said was passable,  though scarcely a sentence remained uncorrected –

From 5 40/60 to 6 1/4 wrote so far of this page of today – Dinner at 6 1/4 – Came to my room at 7 1/2 – Changed my dress – Read a little here and there, and translated a few lines from the School for Scandal into French and dozed over it –

Coffee at 9 25/60 – Came to my room at 10 25/60 – Then till 11 1/4, read Merat’s botany to page 98 –

Very fine day – Very warm – Fahrenheit 70° hung out of my window at 6 p.m. –

Rheumatism in the small of my left arm for some days past, even before I left London – Felt it 1st on getting home after dining at Lady Stuart’s, and this hot weather makes it even more painful –

WYAS Finding Number SH:7/ML/E/12/0022