Apr 1819: Mary Russell Mitford's Notebook of 1819 to 1823

Thursday 1

At home--Frederick Slade called--went to Reading--saw a great many people--called at the Brookes Tuppens & Newberys. Read Undine & Dr. King's Anecdotes of his own Times.

April 1st Subscription for half a year to Havell's Library. So good of my own dear Drum --1819

Friday 2

At home--Heard from Miss James. Went violetting with the Pets, got quantities--wrote to Mrs. Newbery--Read the Eclectic & British Critic Reviews & Horace Walpole's letters.

Saturday 3

At home--walked with Granny and the Pets--heard from Mrs. Newbery--read Horace Walpole's delightful Letters to Mr. Cole & Tom Crib's Memorial to Congress--Dear Drum came home sick from Reading.

Sunday 4

At home--Dear Drum quite well again--Heard from Sir W. Elford. Mr. & Mrs. Newbery called--wrote to Mrs. Newbery & Miss Eliza Webb.

Monday 5

Went to Pinge Wood with Lucy & the Pets--Read Horace Walpole's letters to Mr. Cole--Delightful--& Dr. Clarke's Travels .

Tuesday 6

At home--heard from Mrs. Rowden--Read Beppo & Mr. Roger's Human Life--& Dr. Clarke's Travels in Sweden & Norway.

Wednesday 7

At home--went to Reading--saw Miss Brooke & many people--had a note from Mrs. Tuppen--read Dr. Clarke's Travels & Holcroft's Memoirs.

Thursday 8

At home--wrote to Sir William Elford--walked with dear Drum & the pets--read Holcroft's Memoirs which are very entertaining.

Friday 9

At home--Went to Wokingham with dear Drum--dined at the Webbs & called on the Wheelers--came home at night. A pleasant day.

Lines from Lord Byron's Parisina which exactly resemble the flower of the wood sorrel (1819) Those lids o'er which the violetpurplevein Wandering, leaves a tender stain Shining through the smoothest white

Stanza X, lines 30-32: Those lids--o'er which the violet vein / Wandering, leaves a tender stain, / Shining through the smoothest white / That e'er did softest kiss invite--

Tuesday 13

At home all day--Drum went to Wokingham & attended Mr. Palmer's grand procession to Reading--sopping wet all the morning--read Memoirs of Condé--stupid enough.

Wednesday 14

At home--Papa not well enough to take me to Reading--went to Pinge wood with Lucy. Got a great quantity of flowers. violets almost over.

Thursday 15

At home--Drum & Granny went to Reading to call on Lady M. Palmer--read Whistlecraft's National Poem & Cary's Dante. Whistlecraft very good.

Friday 16

At home-- sate sat waiting for Lady M. Palmer dressed quite fine--tiresome woman did not come--wrote to Mrs. Rowden & read Cary's Dante.

Saturday 17

At home--waited again for that tiresome woman who never came--heard from Mrs. Hofland & Mary Webb--wrote to Mrs. Hofland & finished my letter to Mrs.Rowden--read Hazlitt's lectures on the Comic Writers--famous.

Sunday 18

At home--waited again in vain for Lady M. P.--Heard from Miss James & Mrs. Rowden--read Cary's Dante & Hazlitt's Lectures on the Comic Writers.

Monday 19

At home all day--wrote to Miss James & to Miss Webb.

The name of Napoleone occurs in the notes to Dante as that of one of his 1819--I find from the same authority that Romian or Romeo signify Palmer. 1819.

Tuesday 20

At home--went to Pinge wood--Poor dear Mossy got a sad fall & was very ill--wrote to Miss James--still expected that tiresome woman.

Wednesday 21

At home--poor dear Mossy very ill in the Morning but better in the Afternoon--Still expected that tiresome Lady Mad. who did not come.

Thursday 22

Henry Fielding, 1707.

At home--waited again for that shocking plague Lady M. P. who never came--Dear Mossy much better almost well. Read Horrace Walpole's Letters to Mr. Montague.

Friday 23

SHAKESPEARE, 1564.

At home--waited again for my Lady, Deuce take her--read Horace Walpole's delightful letters & Rose's Letters from the North of Italy--very good though vulgar.

Saturday 24

Oliver Cromwell, 1599.

At home--waited again for that shocking torment Lady M. P.--never came--read Rose's letters from the North of Italy--& finished my letters to Miss James & Mrs. Rowden.

Sunday 25

At home--waited again

For Lady Madaline Palmer

--dined early--dear Drum went to the fields by Burghfield Bridge to get me Field Tulips--God bless him, dear lamb. Wrote to Miss Nooth &--Had Miranda to tea. Great lamb.

Monday 26

At home--Dear Drum went to London--I had & had had for two days a very bad cough--read The Quakers & Campbell's English Poets.

Tuesday 27

At home--rather better--dear Granny very good to me--heard from Sir William--wrote to him & dear Drum--read Mr. Campbell's Specimens of the English Poets. Like it very much.

Wednesday 28

At home--rather better. Heard from dear Drum--wrote to him--poor Mrs. Budd of Bedford now dead in childbirth--Went cowslipping in the meadows with dear Granny, Lucy & the pets--all very amiable.

Thursday 29

At home--much the same--Heard from dear Drum--Went to Pinge wood with dear Granny, Lucy & the Pets. Dear Drum came home at night.

Friday 30

At home--better--heard from Miss James--walked round the place with dear Drum--read a Walk through Switzerland--liked it pretty well.

1819

1820

1821

Apr 1819