#small price to pay for steph and duke

[thatstheproblemwithnapkinman]

the official uk dc instagram account, a robin truther when the rest of dc forgets half of them exist

[wasalwaysagreatpickle]

Sunday 18 February 1827

6 3/4

12 5/60

My bowels pretty well – I seem to have got over my bilious attack – Colder than ever this morning – finished dressing – done at 8 1/2 – then got my clothes ready for the wash, and write the washing bills ready to put the numbers and prices tonight – which took me 1/2 hour – then did last week’s summary and at my accounts (calculating 1 thing or other) till 11 20/60 – then breakfast – 

I think I can pay all but my private expenses for two hundred franks a week? – 

In my weekly housekeeping account has never been so little as last week – and it might have been 7/. less well enough – nothing like these weekly summaries, and constantly looking over one’s account – wrote the last 4 lines, and went in to read prayers at 11 35/60 - read the prayers and sermon 12 bp. [Sandford] – and came back to my room at 12 40/60 – 

Read over my letters written yesterday to Mr and Mrs D- [Duffin] mention my aunt’s being marvellously recovered [nobody] as happy is she ever was in her life, and as Dr Tupper observed, may live these dozen years, but cannot bear travelling. I see no prospect of her bearing to return [more] present end of our remaining here’; yet if she continues as well as is now, I can leave her quite well for a few weeks per summer, and shall try the D- [Duffin’s] hospitality – count upon being in England if not next summer, next summer 12 month – in the meantime ‘I much wish Mr Jonathan Gray to send me his account’ – of course he will take care of the probate copy of my uncles will – got the rough draft of my own signed and witnessed at Lawton – 

Our apartment ‘a little too high up’ but ‘the picture of comfort’ when we got into it – we should have preferred a 2nd – it is the floor generally preferred – people think nothing of 60 steps – mention the situation and its [malice] – say I have ordered 25 dozen excellent Burgundy ‘of the best vintage there has been for long, 1822’ – ask the D- [Duffin’s] to come and help us off with it – and say I will try to give Mr D- [Duffin] some good claret, his favourite wine – have no spare room – nobody has here – but will get them lodged somewhere near – never minded the exports of war – ‘though our apartment is furnished for us, et cetera of one set or other have cost us a hundred pounds’ – ‘on comparing the prices with Mariana, she says, ‘I think all household goods are higher priced with you, than here - …. their linen would have cost you 1/2 what it has done in France’ – there is no saving in English – frequented foreign capitals, but by reducing establishments, and living abroad like little people, instead of although – like great ones’ – say I did not visit at all – 

Mention not having been quite well since my arrival – having ‘suffered from what I never suffered before, indigestion’ – seem better for my late bilious attack – ‘our wood and charcoal will cost us about £80 a year 4 constant fires’ … ‘How is Eliza Raine’ – will see Mr Marsh said to winters low the next time I go to England – Have anxiously expected hearing from Steph – have made all allowances – so well satisfied with the effect of his medicines, will now excuse him if he does not write at all – my rememberances to him and Mrs Henry Stephen Belcombe, the Bests, Mrs Anne and Miss Gage, the Yorkes and Cromptons – 

P.2 (to Mr D- [Duffin]) contains great part of the quotations from the pamphlet (vide p.111) observing ‘the above passage bear some striking an analogy to the corresponding sentiments expressed by our able minister; they are, therefore, so doubtedly interesting for the [pen] of a foreigner, and so curious as an illustration either of the borrowing of opinions, or of the sameness of opinions upon the momentous subject in great and original minds, that I made no apology for thus filling my paper …..there is plenty to talk of, I think of here, without war – these are altogether eventful times – that one line, ‘fera triompher la raison universelle ….. will make me reason universally triumph over all superstitions politcial and religious’, contains the secret of our national incompatibility with all the [apostolics] of our day – Here may be the soil, and here the seed ahead sown, of future discord; but I think the time of harvest is not come as yet; and a few more summers may have passed us by, ere that ‘war of opinion’ commence, whose end no human foresight can foresee – surely it is impossible for an Englishman to live here, and not reflect, - and to reflect without being thankful that he is what he is, a subject of the happiest, and perhaps the best, and most perfect government that was ever yet vouchsafed to man – our croakers may croak as they please – send them to this next happiest country to our own, and let them bear with their ears, and see with their eyes, and understand with their understandings if they have any, and surely, they will return home, and be satisfied. I mean not to complain of France; it is a good an pleasant land; I am resident and comfortable here; but take it all in all, there is no place like England’ - …… ‘but the climate is delightful; one is happy by the mere influence of the air; and, as I sauntered the other morning before breakfast in the Bois de Boulogne, I could not help saying to myself, we have no air like this in England’ – ask him to wafer his next letter – 

Wrote the last 21 lines of the last p. and so far of this which took me till 1 50/60 – from 2 to 5 1/2 read over Mrs James Dalton’s last letter; and wrote her 3pp; small and close and the ends and under the seal – mention our apartment as ‘all we wanted; but we [soar] for it; and you certainly would have no occasion to say, ‘Friend go up higher’ – ask if she is ‘turned radical reformer, and determined to abolish all places whatsoever’ that she will not let me remain ‘purveyor general of jujubes’ – beg to ‘keep my appointment for life’ – ‘my memory towards my friends is better than many of them seem to imagine – so think continental air bad for it; so think it cannot live without letter writing; - so think one thing some another – I recognised Marianne’s handwriting in the direction of your letter – she never sends her love to me – give mine to her, and tell her, ‘caelum non animum mutant qui trans mare currunt’ – hope to see them at the Rectory one of these days – fancy Isabella not well – uneasy about her ‘should I be able to cross the water for 2 or 3 weeks next summer, perhaps she will return with me’ – 

‘I have not been quite well since our arrival here (in Paris), and am still listless and lethargic’ – do not visit at all – have not been once to the theatres this winter – do not like to leave my aunt in an evening – ‘I have not yet made an attempt to get into any literary society’ not therefore seen Mr Bankes – should I meet with him will think of Mrs James D- [Dalton] should like to know him – 5000 English here, instead of the 1500 last winter – the [comte/count] de Montlosiers works have produced a strong sensation – the duch d’angoulême said to have gone on her knees to prevail upon the King not to dismiss the 3 members of the academy – the duke d’angoulême said to have prevailed the dissolution of the whole academy and the creation of new peers among the [groups] being against cramming the press low down the peoples [thoughts] whether they will or not – 

Mention the excess cold – Diligence horses covered with a sheet of icicles – ‘I was particularly struck by this the other day’ (last time but I went to Madame Irlande) ‘having never before seen 5 dark bay horses so completely metamorphosised into as many white [bears]’ –

Distress here among the lower classes – no trade, and bankrupts every day – Mrs L- [Lawton’s] remark on the dearness of our linen good [brief] and [neat] at 6 1/2 pence a lb and veal at 9 pence – with this exception, we found all eatables [dearer] than in our [dear] [past] part of Yorkshire, at home ��� House rent enormous – our wood and charcoal will cost us about or upwards of £80 a year for only 4 constant fires during the winter, and bedroom fires very occasionally – Live from hand to mouth - …. ‘no spare rooms – no store – rooms – one markets every day – They have a proverb here ‘(Madame Sené told it me just before we came here), ‘Les provisions ruinent ‘les maisons’ – True, if, as they say, all French servants are thieves – But the climate is delightful – we have everything in the world we want – we have made ourselves at home, and are really very comfortable – I wish you could come, and see…..Believe me, my regard for old friends cannot die away; and absence will be the last enemy that prevails against it – my heart is in its old place, and will not budge for time and distance – Trust me, I am no forgetter of my friends and am, and always shall be very truly and affectionately yours A L – [Anne Lister]’ 

From 5 1/2 to dinner danced about a little – washed my hands – sat musing – Dinner at 6 5/60 – in the drawing room at 8 – slept – came to my room at 9 40/60 – 1/2 hour over the washing bills – then wrote the last 22 1/2 lines of the last page and so far of this which took till 10 50/60 – very fine day – hard frost –

Sat ten minutes on the pot and had a little motion – 

I think the raisenet de Bourgogne does my bowels good –

Very hard frost, coldest morning. 

Fahrenheit 13˚ at 7 a.m. 15 at 8 a.m.  27 at 12 3/4 p.m. 26 at 6 p.m. 25 at 10 p.m.