Friday 22 November 1839
Fine morning Fahrenheit 57 1/2 on the table in my bedroom at 9 1/4 - breakfast
Over before Mr. de Richter came at 9 55/60 - had brought nothing for botany - was obliged to go to the university - merely came to converse a little - and having brought the dictionary yesterday to be paid and to have our answer about the man servant - I said the latter would not suit us as he could neither speak English nor French - paid him 25/- for the dictionary and gave him back the 2 volumes belonging to the university - and asked him to get us the Voyage dans la Russie Meridionale by Demidoff and Co. - this he said was very cheap - only -/46 per number - he will perhaps bring the work tomorrow - and then we will give him back the university copy - It was evident he wished to back out of the botanical lessons - the Russian lessons have been done with a week or 2 ago - I said much obliged &c. &c. - could not possibly allow him to have so wasted his time for nothing - oh! no! he would not hear of this - I should be civil to him in London - yes! with great pleasure - but I did not live in London - and he must allow me when he came again to make him some recompense for his time
Then sat talking to Ann about servants &c. till 12 3/4
Out drove to the boulevard as usual - walked from 12 55 /60 to 2 10/60 - 4 turns - fine and not cold - latterly a few ladies and gentries - my toe that I rubbed the skin off on Wednesday morning, rubbing against rheumatic, ratting smarting and sticking to my stocking - put on lint smeared with tallow candle
And had just sat down at my writing table when Countess Alexandra Panin called at 2 1/2 for about 1/2 hour - the old Countess Panin had left her cards the day before yesterday I think it was - asked if we had received them - no! what ought we to do to be quite right? she would let us know - mentioned that we had received Madame Apraxine's cards - had thought of sending this evening to ask if Countess Alexandra Panin would be at home - somehow, she made no answer therefore we think no more of it - paid her for the bonnets she was so good as get for us, and which we brought away with us the last time we were chez elle, this day week 15th instant, - very civil regretted not seeing Count Panin on Tuesday
Had just come in and was dressing - Ann and I sat talking then entered the 2 payments made this morning and wrote so far of today till now 4 3/4
Mr. Camidge this morning sent us four newspapers, St. James's Chronicle, beginning with September 10 to 12 vide page 1 column 6 vide Recommendation of 'The Life of Archbishop Cranmer.' by the reverend Charles Webb Le Bas. in 2 small volumes octodecimo - much elegance and power of style and much honesty and truthfulness - 'a real view of Cranmer just as he was' ... a full acknowledgment of the errors and mistakes of Cranmer' - but a 'truly great and good man' - from 4 3/4 to dinner at 6 in about 3/4 hour
And afterwards Ann and I walked about for 3/4 hour all the rest of the evening till 11 55/60 (when had Grotza) reading over the 3 papers up to 14, 17, and 19 September last - in the 1st. of these the whole correspondence published by the Marquis of Hastings respecting his sister Lady Flora - an interesting notice of the Departure of the 2 ships on the Antarctic expedition
Fine day Fahrenheit 63 1/2 on my bedroom table now at 12 1/2 tonight and Reaumur -3 1/2 = Fahrenheit 25 1/2 outside.
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