at http3_/_/www4pgdp4net ,illustration3 8,,got ,,it4 ,,bravo60 ,,an ,,autobiography ,,by ,,elizabeth ,,butler ,with ,illustrations from ,sketches by ,,the ,,author4 ,,constable ,,co4 ,,ltd4 ,,london ,,bombay ,,sydney #aibb ,,printed ,,in ,,great ,,britain ,,by ,,the ,,whitefriars ,,press1 ,,ltd41 ,,london ,,and ,,tonbridge4 ,to ,,my ,,children ,,foreword ,the memoirs of a great artist must inevitably evoke the interest and appreciation of the initiated4 ,but this book makes a wider appeal1 written as it is by a woman whose career1 apart from her art1 has been varied and adventurous1 who has travelled widely and associated1 not only with the masters of her own craft1 but with the great and eminent in many fields4 ,it is1 moreover1 the revelation of a personality apart1 at once feminine and virile1 endued with the force engendered by unswerving adherence to lofty aims4 ,in this age of insistent ugliness1 when the term 8realism0 is used to cloak every form of grossness and degeneracy1 it is a privilege to commune with one who speaks of her 8experiences of the world's loveliness0 and describes herself as 8full of interest in mankind40 ,these two phrases1 taken at random from the opening pages of 8,from ,sketch ,book and ,diary10 seem to me eminently characteristic of ,lady ,butler and her work4 ,she is a worshipper of ,beauty in its spiritual as well as its concrete form1 and all her life she has envisaged mankind in its nobler aspect4 ,at seven years old little ,elizabeth ,thompson was already drawing miniature battles1 at seventeen she was lamenting that as yet she had achieved nothing great1 and a very few years later the world was ringing with the fame of the painter of 8,the ,roll ,call40 ,through the accumulated interests of changeful years1 charged for her with intense joy and sorrow1 she has kept her valiant standard flying1 in her art as in her life remaining faithful to her belief in humanity1 using her power and insight for its uplifting4 ,not only has she depicted for us great events and strenuous action1 with a sureness all her own1 she has caught and materialised the qualities which inspire heroic deeds--courage1 endurance1 fidelity to a life's ideal even in the moment of death4 ,and all without shirking the dreadful details of the battlefield2 amid blood and grime and misery1 in loneliness and neglect1 in the desperate steadfastness of a lost cause1 her figures stand out true to themselves and to the highest traditions of their country4 ,during the recent world-upheaval ,lady ,butler devoted herself in characteristic fashion to the pursuance of her aims4 ,many of the subjects painted and exhibited during those terrible years still preached her gospel4 ,she worked1 moreover1 with a twofold motive4 ,widow of a great soldier1 she devoted the proceeds of her labours to her less fortunate sisters left impoverished1 and even destitute1 by the ,war4 8,l'artiste donne de soi10 said ,m4 ,paderewski once4 ,lady ,butler has always given generously of her best1 and perhaps this book of memories1 intimate and characteristic1 this record of wide interests and high endeavour1 full of picturesque incident and touched with delicate humour1 is as valuable a gift as any that she has yet bestowed4 ,m4 ,e4 ,,francis4 ,,contents ,,chap4 ,,page ,i4 ,,first ,,impressions #a ,,ii4 ,,early ,,youth #aj ,,iii4 ,,more ,,travel #ai ,,iv4 ,,in ,,the ,,art ,,schools #ch ,v4 ,,study ,,in ,,florence #ed ,,vi4 ,,rome #fi ,,vii4 ,,war4 ,,battle ,,paintings #if ,,viii4 8,,the ,,roll ,,call0 #aja ,,ix4 ,,echoes ,,of 8,,the ,,roll ,,call0 #aae ,x4 ,,more ,,work ,,and ,,play #acj ,,xi4 ,,to ,,florence ,,and ,,back #adg ,,xii4 ,,again ,,in ,,italy #aei ,,xiii4 ,a ,,soldier',s ,,wife #afg ,,xiv4 ,,queen ,,victoria #ahc ,,xv4 ,,official ,,life--,,the ,,east #aia ,,xvi4 ,,to ,,the ,,east #aif ,,xvii4 ,,more ,,of ,,the ,,east #baa ,,xviii4 ,,the ,,last ,,of ,,egypt #bbd ,,xix4 ,,aldershot #bcd ,,xx4 ,,italy ,,again #beb ,,xxi4 ,,the ,,dover ,,command #bfj ,,xxii4 ,,the ,,cape ,,and ,,devonport #bge ,,xxiii4 ,a ,,new ,,reign #bhd ,,xxiv4 ,,mostly ,a ,,roman ,,diary #caa ,,xxv4 ,,the ,,great ,,war #cbj ,,index #ccc ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations ,,page 8,,got ,,it1 ,,bravo60 ,frontispiece ,a ,,leaf ,,from ,a ,,very ,,early ,,sketch-,,book #ab ,,flying ,,shots ,,in ,,belgium ,,and ,,rhineland ,,in #ahfe #ai ,,in ,,florence ,,during ,,my ,,studies ,,in #ahfi #eh ,,the ,,last ,,of ,,the ,,riderless ,,horse-,,races1 ,,and ,a ,,wet ,,trudge ,,to ,,the ,,vatican ,,council #hj ,,crimean ,,ideas #ajc ,,practising ,,for 8,,quatre ,,bras0 #acj ,,one ,,of ,,the ,,balaclava ,,six ,,hundred #aea ,,in ,,western ,,ireland3 ,a 8,,jarvey0 ,,and 8,,biddy0 #agd ,,the ,,egyptian ,,camel ,,corps ,,and ,,the ,,bersaglieri #bcj ,,aldershot ,,man,,uvres3 ,,the ,,enemy ,,in ,,sight #bcd ,a ,,despatch ,,bearer1 ,,boer ,,war1 ,,and ,,the ,,horse ,,gunners #bhd ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,eve ,,of ,,the ,,great ,,war #cbc ,,the ,,shire ,,horses3 ,,wheelers ,,of ,a #dg4 ,a ,,hussar ,,scout ,,of #aiag #cbg ,a ,,postcard1 ,,found ,,on ,a ,,german ,,prisoner1 ,,with 8,,scotland ,,for ,,ever0 ,,turned ,,into ,,prussian ,,cavalry1 ,,typifying ,,the ,,victorious ,,onrush ,,of ,,the ,,german ,,army ,,in ,,the ,,new ,,year1 #aiae #ccb ,,an ,,autobiography ,,elizabeth ,,butler ,,my ,,friends3 ,you must write your memoirs4 ,i3 ,every one writes his or her memoirs nowadays4 ,rather a plethora1 don't you think8 ,an exceedingly difficult thing to do without too much of the ,ego4 ,,my ,,friends3 ,oh6 but yours has been such an interesting life1 so varied1 and you can bring in much outside yourself4 ,besides1 you have kept a diary1 you say1 ever since you were twelve1 and you have such an unusually long memory4 ,a pity to waste all that4 ,you simply must6 ,i3 ,very well1 but remember that ,i am writing while the world is still knocked off its balance by the ,great ,war1 and few minds will care to attune themselves to the ,victorian and ,edwardian stability of my time4 ,,my ,,friends3 ,there will come a reaction4 ,,chapter ,i ,,first ,,impressions ,i was born at the pretty 8,villa ,claremont10 just outside ,lausanne and overlooking ,lake ,leman4 ,i made a good start with the parents ,providence gave me4 ,my father1 cultured1 good1 patient1 after he left ,cambridge set out on the 8,grand ,tour10 and after his unsuccessful attempt to enter ,parliament devoted his leisure to my and my younger sister's education4 ,yes1 he began with our first strokes1 our 8pot-hooks and hangers10 our two-and-two make four2 nor did his tuition really cease till1 entering on matrimony1 we left the paternal roof4 ,he adopted1 in giving us our lessons1 the principle of 8a little and often10 so that we had two hours in the morning and no lessons in the afternoon1 only bits of history1 poetry1 the collect for the ,sunday and dialogues in divers languages to learn overnight by heart to be repeated to him next morning4 ,we had no regular holidays3 a day off occasionally1 especially when travelling2 and we travelled much4 ,he believed that intelligent travel was a great educator4 ,he brought us up tremendous ,english patriots1 but our deepest contentment lay in our ,italian life1 because we loved the sun--all of us4 ,so we oscillated between our ,ligurian ,riviera and the home counties of ,kent and ,surrey1 but were never long at a time in any resting place4 ,our father's daughter by his first wife had married1 at seventeen1 an ,italian officer whose family we met at ,nervi1 and she settled in ,italy1 becoming one of our attractions to the beloved ,land4 ,that officer later on joined ,garibaldi1 and was killed at the ,battle of the ,volturno4 ,she never left the country of her adoption1 and that bright lure for us remained4 ,although we were very strictly ruled during lessons1 we ran rather wild after1 and1 looking back1 ,i only wonder that no illness or accident ever befell us4 ,our dear ,swiss nurse was often scandalised at our escapades1 but our mother1 bright and beautiful1 loving music and landscape painting1 and practising both with an amateur's enthusiasm1 allowed us what she considered very salutary freedom after study4 ,still1 ,i don't think she would have liked some of our wild doings and our consortings with ,genoese peasant children and ,surrey ploughboys1 had she known of them4 ,but1 careful as she was of our physical and spiritual health1 she trusted us and thought us unique4 ,my memory goes back to the time when ,i was just able to walk and we dwelt in a typically ,english village near ,cheltenham4 ,i see myself pretending to mind two big cart-horses during hay-making1 while the fun of the rake and the pitchfork was engaging others not so interested in horses as ,i already was myself4 ,then ,i see the ,albergo1 with vine-covered porch1 at ,ruta1 on the 8saddle0 of ,porto ,fino1 that promontory which has been called the 8,queen of the ,mediterranean10 where we began our lessons1 and1 ,i may say1 our worship of ,italy4 ,then comes ,villa de' ,franchi for two exquisite years1 a little nearer ,genoa1 at ,sori1 a palazzo of rose-coloured plaster and white stucco1 with flights of stone steps through the vineyards right down to the sea4 ,that sea was a joy to me in all its moods4 ,we had our lessons in the balcony in the summer1 and our mother's piano sent bright melody out of the open windows of the drawing-room when she wasn't painting the mountains1 the sea1 the flowers4 ,she had the 8semi-grand0 piano brought out into the balcony one fullmoon night and played ,beethoven's 8,moonlight ,sonata0 under those silver beams1 while the sea1 her audience1 in its reflected glory1 murmured its applause4 ,often1 after the babes were in bed1 ,i cried my heart out when1 through the open windows1 ,i could hear my mother's light soprano drowned by the strong tenor of some ,italian friend in a duet1 during those musical evenings so dear to the music-loving children of the ,south4 ,it seemed typical of her extinction1 and ,i felt a rage against that tenor4 ,our dear nurse1 ,amlie1 would come to me with lemonade1 and mamma1 when apprised of the state of things1 would also come to the rescue1 her face1 still bright from the singing1 becoming sad and puckered4 ,a stay at ,edenbridge1 in ,kent1 found me very happy riding in big waggons during hay-making and hanging about the farm stables belonging to the house1 making friends with those splendid cart-horses which contrasted with the mules of ,genoa in so interesting a way4 ,how the cuckoos sang that summer2 a note never heard in ,italy4 ,i began writing verse about that time4 ,thus3 ,the gates of ,heaven open to the lovely season1 ,and all the meadows sweet they lie in peace4 ,we children loved the ,kentish beauty of our dear ,england4 ,poetry filtered into our two little hearts wherever we abode1 to blossom forth in my little large-eyed1 thoughtful sister in the process of time4 ,to ,nervi we went again1 taking ,switzerland on the way this time1 into ,italy by the ,simplon and the ,lago ,maggiore4 ,a nice couple of children we were sometimes6 ,at this same ,nervi1 one day1 we little girls found the village people celebrating a festa at ,sant' ,ilario1 high up on the foothills of the mountains behind our house4 ,we mixed in the crowd outside1 as the church emptied1 and armed ourselves with branches4 ,rounding up the children1 who were in swarms1 we gave chase4 ,down1 down1 through the zone of chestnut trees1 down through the olive woods1 down through the vineyards1 down to the little town the throng fled1 till1 landing them in the street1 we went home1 remarking on the evident superior power of the ,anglo-,saxon race over the ,latin4 ,as time went on my drawing-books began to show some promise1 so that my father gave me great historical subjects for treatment1 but warning me1 in that amused way he had1 that an artist must never get spoilt by celebrity1 keeping in mind the fluctuations of popularity4 ,i took all this seriously4 ,i think that1 having no boys to bring up1 he tried to put all the tuition suitable to both boys and girls into us4 ,one result was that as a child ,i had the ambition to be a writer as well as a painter4 ,we children were fanatically devoted to the worship of ,charlotte ,bront1 since our father had read us 8,jane ,eyre0 7with omissions74 ,rather strong meat for babes6 ,we began sending poetry and prose to divers periodicals and cut our teeth on rejected ,,mss4 ,we went back to ,genoa1 vi ,jersey 7as a little dtour67 ,poor old ,agostino1 our inevitable cook1 saw us as we drove from the station1 on our arrival1 through the ,via ,carlo ,felice4 ,worse luck1 for he had become too blind for his work4 ,in days gone by he had done very well and we had not the heart to cast him off4 ,he ran after our carriage1 kissing our hands as he capered sideways alongside1 at the peril of being run over4 ,so we were in for him again1 but it was the last time4 ,on our next visit a friend told us1 8,agostino is dead1 thank goodness60 ,he and our dear nurse1 ,amlie1 used to have the most desperate rows1 principally over religion1 he a devout ,catholic and she a ,protestant of the true ,swiss fibre4 ,they always ended by wrangling themselves at the highest pitch of their voices into papa's presence for judgment4 ,but he never gave it1 only begging them to be quiet4 ,she declared to ,agostino that if he got no wages at all he would still make a fortune out of us by his perquisites2 and1 indeed1 considering we left all purchases in his hands1 ,i don't think she exaggerated4 ,the war against ,austria had been won4 ,magenta1 ,solferino1 ,montebello--dear me1 how those names resounded6 ,one day as we were running along the road in our pinafores near the ,zerbino palace1 above ,genoa1 along came ,victor ,emmanuel in an open carriage looking very red and blotchy in the heat1 with big1 ungloved hands1 one of which he raised to his hat in saluting us little imps who were shouting 8,long live the ,king of ,italy60 in ,english with all our might4 ,we were only a little previous 767 ,then the next year came the ,garibaldi enthusiasm1 and we1 like all the children about us1 became highly exalted ,garibaldians4 ,i saw the ,liberator the day before he sailed from ,quarto for his historical landing in ,sicily1 at the ,villa ,spinola1 in the grounds of which we were1 on a visit at the ,english consul's4 ,he was sitting in a little arbour overlooking the sea1 talking to the gardener4 ,in the following autumn1 when his fame had increased a thousandfold1 ,i made a pen and ink memory sketch of him which my father told me to keep for future times4 ,i vividly remember1 though at the time not able to understand the extraordinary meaning of the words1 hearing one of ,garibaldi's adoring comrades 7one ,colonel ,vecchii7 a year or two later on exclaim to my father1 with hands raised to heaven1 8,garibaldi66 ,c'est le ,christ le revolver la main60 ,our life at old ,albaro was resumed1 and ,i recall the pleasant ,english colony at ,genoa in those days1 headed by the very popular consul1 8,monty0 ,brown1 and the nice ,church of ,england chaplain1 the ,rev4 ,alfred ,strettell4 ,ah6 those primitive picnics on ,porto ,fino1 when ,mr4 ,strettell and our father used to read aloud to the little company1 including our precocious selves1 ,shakespeare1 ,wordsworth1 ,keats1 ,tennyson1 under the vines and olives1 between whose branches1 far below the cultivated terraces which we chose for our repose1 appeared the deep blue waters of the ,sea of seas4 ,my early sketch books are full of incidents in ,genoese peasant life3 carnival revels in the streets1 so suited to the child's idea of fun2 charges of ,garibaldian cavalry on discomfited ,neapolitan troops 7the despised ,borbonici71 and waving of tricolours by bellicose patriots4 ,i was taken to the ,carlo ,felice ,theatre to see ,ristori in 8,maria ,stuarda10 and became overwhelmed with adoration of that mighty creature4 ,one night she came on the stage waving a great red1 white1 and green tricolour1 and recited to a delirious audience a fine patriotic poem to united ,italy ending in the words 8,e sii ,regina ,ancor60 ,i see her now in an immense crinoline4 ,a charming autumn sojourn on the lakes of ,orta and ,maggiore filled our young minds with beauty4 ,early autumn is the time for the ,italian lakes1 while the vintage is 8on0 and the golden ,indian corn is stored in the open loggias of the farms1 hanging in rich bunches in sun and luminous shade amongst the flower pots and all the homely odds and ends of these picturesque dwellings4 ,the following spring was clouded by our return to ,england and ,london in particularly cold and foggy weather1 dark with the ,london smoke1 and our temporary installation in a dismal abode hastily hired for us by our mother's father1 where we could be close to his pretty little dwelling at ,fulham4 ,my ,diary was begun there4 ,poor little 8,mimi0 7as ,i was called71 the pages descriptive of our leaving ,albaro at that time are spotted with the mementos of her tears4 ,the journey itself was a distraction1 for we returned by the long ,cornice ,route which then was followed by the ,malle ,poste and ,diligence1 the railway being only in course of construction4 ,it was very interesting to go in that fashion1 especially to me1 who loved the horses and watched the changing of our teams at the end of the 8stages0 with the intensest zest4 ,i made little sketches whenever halts allowed1 and1 as usual1 my irrepressible head was out of the ,diligence window most of the time4 ,the ,riviera is now known to everybody1 and very delightful in its way4 ,i have not long returned from a very pleasant visit there2 everything very luxurious and up-to-date1 but the local sentiment is lessened4 ,the reason is obvious1 and has been laboured enough4 ,one can still go off the beaten paths and find the true ,italy4 ,i have found one funny little sketch showing our ,malle ,poste stopping to pick up the mail bag at a village 7,san ,remo1 perhaps71 which bag is being handed out of a top window1 at night1 by the old postmistress4 ,the ,malle ,poste evidently went 8like the wind10 for ,i invariably show the horses at a gallop all along the route4 ,my misery at the view of our approach to ,london through that wilderness of slums that ushers us into the ,great ,metropolis is all chronicled1 and1 what with one thing and another1 the ,diary sinks for a while into despondency4 ,but not for long4 ,i cheer up soon4 ,in ,london ,i took in all the amusing details of the ,london streets1 so new to me1 coming from ,italy4 ,i seem1 by my entries in the ,diary1 to have been particularly diverted by the colour of those ,dundreary whiskers that the ,english 8swell0 of the period affected4 ,i constantly come upon 8,saw no end of red whiskers40 ,then ,i read1 8,mamma and ,i paid calls1 one on ,dickens 7sic7--out1 thank goodness40 ,charles ,dickens1 whom ,i dismiss in this offhand manner1 had been a close friend of my father's1 and it was he who introduced my father to the beautiful ,miss ,weller 7amusing coincidence in names67 at an amateur concert where she played4 ,the result was rapid4 ,my vivid memory can just recall ,charles ,dickens's laugh4 ,i never heard it echoed by any other man's till ,i heard ,lord ,wolseley's4 ,the volunteer movement was in full swing1 and ,i became even more enthusiastic over the citizen soldiers than ,i had been over the ,garibaldini4 ,then there are pages and pages filled with descriptions of the pictures at the ,royal ,academy2 of the ,zoological ,gardens1 describing nearly every bird1 beast1 reptile and fish4 ,laments over the fogs and the cold of that dreadful ,london ,april and ,may1 and untiring outbursts in verse of regret for my lost ,italy4 ,but ,i stuffed my sketch books with ,british volunteers in every conceivable uniform1 each corps dressed after its own taste4 ,there was a very short-lived corps called the ,six-foot ,guards6 ,i sent a design for a uniform to the ,illustrated ,london ,news1 which was returned with thanks4 ,i felt hurt4 ,grandpapa attached himself to the ,st4 ,george's ,rifles1 and went1 later on1 through storm and rain and sun in several sham fights4 ,well1 ,punch made fun of those good men and true1 but ,i have lived to know that the 8,territorials10 as they came to be called1 were destined in the following century to lend their strong arm in saving the nation4 ,we next had a breezy and refreshing experience of ,hastings and the joy of rides on the downs with the riding master4 ,london fog and smoke were blown off us by the briny breezes4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,,early ,,youth ,in ,december we migrated back to ,london1 and shortly before ,christmas our dear1 faithful nurse died4 ,that was ,alice's and my first sense of sorrow1 and1 even now1 ,i can't bear to go over those dreadful days4 ,our father told us we would never forgive ourselves if we did not take our last look at her4 ,he said we were very young for looking on death1 but 8go1 my children10 he said1 8it is right40 ,i cannot read those heartbroken words with which ,i fill page after page of my ,diary even now without tears4 ,she had at first intended to remain at home at ,lausanne when my parents were leaving for ,england1 shortly after my birth1 but as she was going ,i smiled at her from my cradle4 8,ah6 ,mademoiselle ,mimi1 ce sourire60 brought her back irresistibly1 and with us she remained to the end4 ,as we girls grew apace we had a ,parisian mistress to try and parisianise our ,swiss ,french and an ,italian master to try and tuscanise our ,genoese ,italian1 and every ,saturday a certain ,mr4 ,standish gave me two hours' drill in oil painting4 ,how grand ,i felt6 ,he gave me his own copies of ,landseer's horses' heads and dogs as models4 ,this wasn't very much1 but it was a beginning4 ,my lessons in the elementary class at the ,s4 ,kensington ,school of ,art are not worth mentioning4 ,the masters gave me hateful scrolls and patterns to copy1 and ,i relieved my feelings by ornamenting the margins of my drawing paper with angry scribblings of horses and soldiers in every variety of fury4 ,that did not last long4 ,this entry in the ,diary speaks for itself3-- 8,sunday1 ,march #afth1 #ahfb4--,we went to ,mr4 ,lane's house preparatory to going to see ,millais in his studio4 ,mr4 ,richard ,lane is an old friend of papa's4 ,the middle ,miss ,lane is a favourite model of ,millais' and very pretty4 ,we entered his studio1 which is hung with rich pre-,raphaelite tapestry and pre-,raphaelite everything4 ,the smell of cigar smoke prepared me for what was to come4 ,millais1 a tall1 strapping1 careless1 blunt1 frank1 young ,englishman1 was smoking with two villainous friends1 both with beards--red1 of course4 ,instead of coming to be introduced they sat looking at ,millais' graceful drawings calling them #8jolly' and #8stunning1' the creatures6 ,millais would be handsome but for his eyes1 which are too small1 and his hair is colourless and stands up in curls over his large head but not encroaching upon his splendid forehead4 ,he seems to know what a universal favourite he is40 ,i naturally did not record in this precious piece of writing a rather humiliating little detail4 ,i wanted the company to see that ,i was a bit of a judge of painting1 ahem6 ,in fact1 a painter myself1 and1 approaching very near to the wet picture of 8,the ,ransom0 7,i think71 ,i began to scrutinise4 ,mr4 ,lane took me gently1 but firmly1 by the shoulders and placed me in a distant chair4 ,had ,i been told by a seer that in #ahge--the year ,i painted 8,quatre ,bras0--this same ,millais1 after entertaining me at dinner in that very house1 would escort me down those very steps1 and1 in shaking hands1 was to say1 8,good night1 ,miss ,thompson1 ,i shall soon have the pleasure of congratulating you on your election to the ,academy1 an honour which you will t'oroughly deserve0--had ,i been told this6 ,our next halt was in the ,isle of ,wight1 at ,ventnor1 and then at ,bonchurch1 and our house was 8,the ,dell40 ,bonchurch was a beautiful dwelling-place4 ,but1 alas6 for what ,i may call the ,oxford primness of the society6 ,it took long to get ourselves attuned to it4 ,however1 we got to be fond of this society when the ice thawed4 ,the ,miss ,sewells were especially charming1 sisters of the then ,warden of ,new ,college4 ,each family took a pride in the beauty of its house and gardens1 the result being a rivalry in loveliness1 enriching ,bonchurch with flowers1 woods and ornamental waters that filled us with delight4 ,mamma had 8,the ,dell0 further beautified to come up to the high level of the others4 ,she made a little garden herself at the highest point of the grounds1 with grass steps1 bordered with tall white lilies1 and called it 8the ,celestial ,garden40 ,the cherry trees she planted up there for the use of the blackbirds came to nothing4 ,the water-colours she painted at 8,the ,dell0 are amongst her loveliest4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,leaf ,,from ,a ,,very ,,early ,,sketch-,,book4 ,ventnor was fond of dances1 ,at ,homes1 and diversions generally1 but ,i shall never forget my poor mother's initial trials at the musical parties where the conversation raged during her playing1 rising and sinking with the crescendos and diminuendos 7and this after the worship of her playing in ,italy671 and once she actually stopped dead in the middle of a ,mozart and silence reigned4 ,she then tried the catching 8,saltarello10 with the same result exactly4 8,the ,english appreciate painting with their ears and music with their eyes10 said ,benjamin ,west 7if ,i am not mistaken71 the ,american painter1 who became ,president of our ,royal ,academy4 ,this hard saying had much truth in it1 at least in his day4 ,even in ours they had to be told of the merits of a picture1 and the sight of a pianist crossing his hands when performing was the signal for exchanges of knowing smiles and nods amongst the audience1 who1 talking1 hadn't heard a note4 ,for vocal music1 however1 silence was the convention4 ,how we used inwardly to laugh when1 after a song piped by some timid damsel1 the music was handed round so that the words and music might be seen in black and white by the guests assembled4 ,i thankfully record the fact that as time went on my mother's playing seemed at last to command attention1 and it being whispered that silence was better suited to such music1 it became quite the thing to stop talking4 ,though ,bonchurch was inclined to a moderate ,high ,church tone1 its rector was of a pungent ,low-,churchism1 and he wrote us and the other girls who sang in his choir a very severe letter one day ordering us to discontinue turning to the east in the ,creed4 ,we all liked the much more genial and very beautiful services at ,holy ,trinity ,church1 midway to ,ventnor1 where we used to go for evensong4 ,the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,g41 of ,bonchurch1 gave us very long sermons in the mornings1 prophesying dismal and alarming things to come1 and we took refuge finally in the ,rev4 ,a4 ,l4 ,b4 ,peile's more heartening discourses4 ,the ,ventnor dances were thoroughly enjoyable1 and the croquet parties and the rides with friends1 and all the rest of it4 ,yes1 it was a nice life1 but the morning lessons never broke off4 ,no doubt we were precocious1 but we like to dwell on the fact of the shortness of our childhood and the consequent length of our youth4 ,i now and then come upon funny juvenile sketch books where ,i find my ,ventnor partners at these dances clashing with charges of ,garibaldian cavalry4 ,there they are1 the desirable ones and the undesirable2 the drawling 8heavy swell0 and the raw stripling2 the handsome and the ugly4 ,the girls1 too1 are there2 the flirt and the wallflower4 ,they all went in4 ,these festive ,ventnor doings were all very well1 but it became more and more borne in upon me that1 if ,i intended to be a 8great artist0 7oh6 seductive words71 my young 'teens were the right time for study4 8,very well1 then--attention6--miss60 ,no sooner did my father perceive that ,i meant business than he got me books on anatomy1 architecture1 costume1 arms and armour1 ,ruskin's inspiring writings1 and everything he thought the most appropriate for my training4 ,but ,i longed for regular training in some academy4 ,i chafed1 as my ,diaries show4 ,for some time yet ,i was to learn in this irregular way1 petitioning for real severe study till my dear parents satisfied me at last4 8,you will be entering into a tremendous ruck of painters1 though1 my child10 my father said one day1 with a shake of his head4 ,i answered1 8,i will single myself out of it40 ,so1 then1 the lovely 8,dell0 was given up1 and soon there began the happiest period of my girlhood--my life as an art student at ,south ,kensington2 not in the elementary class of unpleasant memory1 but in the 8antique0 and the 8life40 ,but our father wanted first to show us ,bruges and the ,rhine1 so we were off again on our travels in the summer4 ,two new countries for us girls1 hurrah6 and a little glimpse of a part of our own by the way4 ,i find an entry made at ,henley4 8,henley1 ,may #cast4--,before to-day ,i could not boast with justice of knowing more than a fraction of ,england6 ,this afternoon ,i saw her in one of her loveliest phases on a row to ,medmenham ,abbey4 ,skies of the most telling effects1 ever changing as we rowed on1 every reach we came to revealing fresh beauties of a kind so new to me4 ,the banks of long grass full of flowers1 the farmsteads gliding by1 the willows allowed to grow according to ,nature's intention into exquisitely graceful trees1 the garden lawns sloping to the water's edge as a delicious contrast to the predominating rural loveliness1 and then that unruffled river6 ,i have seen the ,thames6 ,at ,medmenham ,abbey we had tea1 and one of the most beautiful parts of the river and meadowland1 flowery to overflowing1 was seen before us through the arcades1 the sky just there being of the most delicious dappled warm greys1 and further on the storm clouds towered1 red in the low sun4 ,what pictures wherever you turn2 and turn and turn and turn we did1 until my eyes ached1 on our smooth row back4 ,the evening effects put the afternoon ones out of my head4 ,i imagined a score of pictures1 peopling the rich1 sweet banks with men and women of the olden time4 ,the skies received double glory and poetry from the perfectly motionless water1 which reflected all things as in a mirror--as if it wasn't enough to see that overwhelming beauty without seeing it doubled6 ,at last ,i could look no more at the effects nor hear the blackbirds and thrushes that sang all the way1 and1 to ,mamma's sympathetic amusement1 ,i covered my eyes and ears with a shawl4 ,alas6 for the artist1 there is no peace for him4 ,he cannot gaze and peacefully admire2 he frets because he cannot #8get the thing down' in paint4 ,having finished my row in that ,paradise1 let me also descend from the poetic heights1 and record the victory of the ,frenchman4 ,yes1 #8,gladiateur' has carried off the blue ribbon of the turf4 ,upon my word1 these ,frenchmen60 ,it was the first time a ,french horse had won the ,derby4 ,bruges was after my own heart4 ,medival without being mouldy1 kept bright and clean by loving restorations done with care and knowledge4 ,no beautiful old building allowed to crumble away or be demolished to make room for some dreary hideosity1 but kept whole and wholesome for modern use in all its own beauty4 ,would that the ,italians possessed that same spirit4 ,my ,diary records our daily walks through the beautiful1 bright streets with their curious signs named in ,flemish and ,french1 and the charm of a certain place planted with trees and surrounded by gabled houses4 ,above every building or tree1 go where you would1 you always saw rising up either the wondrous tower of the ,halle 7the ,beffroi71 dark against the bright sky1 or the beautiful red spire on the top of the enormous grey brick tower of ,notre ,dame1 a spire1 ,i should say1 unequalled in the world not only for its lovely shape and proportions1 but for its exquisite style and colour3 a delicious red for its upper part1 most refined and delicate1 with white lines across1 and as delicate a yellow lower down4 ,or else you had the grey tower of the cathedral1 plain and imposing1 made of small bricks like that of ,notre ,dame1 having a massive effect one would not expect from the material4 ,over the little river1 which runs nearly round the town1 are oft-recurring draw-bridges with ponderous grey gates1 flanked by two strong1 round1 tower-like wings4 ,most effective4 ,on this river glided barges pulled painfully by men1 who trudged along like animals4 ,i record with horror that one barge was pulled by a woman6 8,it was quite painful to see her bent forward doing an ,english horse's work1 with the band across her chest1 casting sullen upward glances at us as we passed1 and the perspiration running down her face4 ,from the river diverge canals into the town1 and nothing can describe the beauty of those water streets reflecting the picturesque houses whose bases those waters wash1 as at ,venice4 ,when it comes to seeing two towers of the ,halle1 two spires of ,notre ,dame1 two towers of the cathedral1 etc41 etc41 the duplicate slightly quivering downwards in the calm water6 ,here and there1 as we crossed some canal or other1 one special bit would come upon us and startle us with its beauty4 ,such combinations of gables and corner turrets and figures of saints and little water-side gardens with trees1 and always two or more of the towers and spires rising up1 hazy in the golden flood of the evening sun60 ,in our month at ,bruges ,i made the most of every hour4 ,it is one of the few towns one loves with a personal love4 ,i don't know what it looks like to-day1 after the blight of war that passed over ,belgium1 but ,i trust not much harm was done there4 ,how one trembled for the old beffroi1 which one heard was mined by the ,huns when they were in possession4 8,august #bdth4--,dear1 exquisite1 lovely1 sunny1 smiling ,bruges1 good-bye6 ,good-bye1 fair city of happy1 ever happy1 recollections4 ,bright1 gabled ,bruges1 we shall not look upon thy like again40 ,i will make extracts from my ,german ,diary1 as ,germany in those days was still a land of kindly people whom we liked much before they became spoilt by the ,prussianism only then beginning to assert itself over the civil population4 ,the ,rhine1 too1 was still unspoilt4 ,that part of ,germany was agricultural2 not yet industrialised out of its charm4 ,i also think these extracts1 though so crude and 8green10 may show young readers how we can enjoy travel by being interested in all we see4 ,i may become tiresome to older ones who have passed the ,golden ,gates1 and for some of whom ,rhine or ,nile or ,seine or ,loire has run somewhat dry4 ,illustration3 ,,flying ,,shots ,,in ,,belgium ,,and ,,rhineland ,,in _/#fe4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,,more ,,travel 8,alas6 for railway travellers one approach to a place is like another4 ,fancy arriving at ,cologne through ragged factory outskirts and being deposited under a glazed shed from which nothing but the railway objects can be seen6 ,we made a dash to the cathedral1 ,i on the way remarking the badly-dressed ,dppel heroes 767 with their cook's caps and tight trousers2 and oh dear6 the officers are of a very different mould here from what they are in ,belgium4 ,big-whiskered fellows with waists enough to make the ,belgians faint4 ,but ,i am trifling4 ,we went into the cathedral by a most glorious old portal covered with rich ,gothic mouldings4 ,happy am ,i to be able to say ,i have seen ,cologne ,cathedral4 ,now1 hurrah for the ,rhine6 that river ,i have so longed1 for years1 to see40 ,we don't seem to have cared much for ,bonn1 though ,i intensely enjoyed watching the swift river from the hotel garden and the ,seven ,mountains beyond4 ,the people1 too1 amused and interested me very much1 and the long porcelain pipe dangling from every male mouth gave me much matter for sketching4 ,my ,diary on board the ,germania3 8,koenigswinter at the foot of the ,dragenfels began that series of exquisite towns at the foot of ruined castles of which we have had more than a sufficient feast--that is1 to be able to do them all the justice which their excessive beauty calls loudly for4 ,we rounded the ,dragenfels and saw it #8frowning' more ,byronically than on the ,bonn side1 and altogether more impressive4 ,and soon began the vines in all their sweet abundance on the smiling hill slopes4 ,romantic ,rolandsec expanded on our right as we neared it1 and there stood the fragment of the ruined castle peering down1 as its builder is said to have done1 upon the ,convent amidst the trees on its island below4 ,and then how fine looked the ,seven ,mountains as we looked back upon them1 closing in the river as though it were a lake1 and away we sped from them and left them growing mistier1 and passed russet roofs and white-walled houses with black beams across1 and passed lovely ,unkel1 picturesque to the core1 bordering the water1 and containing a most delicious old church4 ,opposite rose curious hills1 wild and round1 half vine-clad1 half bare1 and so on to ,apollinarisberg on our right1 with its new four-pinnacled church on the hill1 above ,remagen and its old church below4 ,the last sight of the ,dragenfels was a very happy one1 in misty sunlight1 as it finally disappeared behind the near hills4 ,on1 on we went1 and passed the dark ,erpeler ,lei and the round1 blasted and dismal ruin of ,okenfels2 and ,ling1 with a cloud-capped mountain frowning over it4 ,as we glided by the fine restored chteau of ,argenfels and the village of ,hnningen the sky was red with the reflection of the sunset which we could not see1 and was reflected in the swirling river4 ,we did our ,rhine pretty conscientiously by going first aft1 then forward1 and then to starboard1 and then to port1 and glories were always before us1 look which way we would4 ,so the ,rhine has not been too much cried up1 say what you will1 ,messrs4 ,blas and ,bore4 ,the views were constantly interrupted by the heads of the lack-lustre people on board1 who1 just like the visitors at the ,r4,a41 hide the beauties they can't appreciate from those who long to see them4 ,but it soon began to grow dark4 8,as we glided by ,neuwied and stopped to take and discharge passengers a band was playing the #8,dppel ,march1' so called because the ,prussians played it before ,dppel4 ,they are so blatantly proud of having beaten the ,danes and getting ,schleswig-,holstein4 ,fireworks were spluttering1 and1 altogether1 a great deal of festivity was going on4 ,it was quite black on the afterdeck by this time1 minus lanterns4 ,to go below to the stuffy1 lighted cabin was not to be thought of1 so we walked up and down1 sometimes coming in contact with our fellow-man1 or1 rather1 woman1 for the men carried lights at the fore 7i4e41 at the ends of their cigars74 ,at last1 by the number of lights ahead1 we knew we were approaching ,coblenz4 ,we went to the 8,giant0 ,hotel1 close to the landing4 ,it was most tantalising to know that ,ehrenbreitstein was towering opposite1 invisible1 and that such masses of picturesqueness must be all around4 ,papa and ,i had supper in the ,speise-saal1 and then ,i gladly sought my couch1 in my sweet room which looked on the front1 after a very enjoyable day4 8,most glorious of glorious days6 ,the theory held so drearily by ,messrs4 ,blas and ,bore about the mist and rain of the ,rhine is knocked on the head4 ,we were off to ,bingen1 to my regret1 for it was hard to leave such a place as ,coblenz1 although greater beauties awaited us further up1 perhaps1 than we had yet seen4 ,but ,i must begin with the morning and record the glorious sight before us as we looked out of our windows4 ,strong ,ehrenbreitstein against the pearly1 hot1 morning sky1 the furrowed rock laid bare in many places1 and precipitous1 sun-tinted and shadow-stained2 the bright little town just opposite1 the hill behind thickly clothed in rich vines athwart which the sun shone deliciously4 ,the green of the river1 too1 was beautifully soft4 ,after breakfast we took that charming invention1 an open carriage1 and went up to the ,chartreuse1 the proper thing to do1 as this hill overlooks one of the views of the world4 ,we went first through part of the town1 by the large and rather ugly ,king's ,palace1 passing much picturesqueness4 ,the women have very pleasing headdresses about here of various patterns4 ,of course1 the place is full of soldiers and everything seems fortified4 ,on our ascent we passed great forts of immense strength1 hard nuts for the ,french to crack1 if they ever have the wickedness 7sic7 to put their pet notion of the ,rhine being ,france's boundary into execution4 ,what a view we had all the way up2 to our left1 the winding ,rhine disappearing in the distance into the gorge1 its beautiful valley smiling below1 and the vine-clad hills rising on either side1 with their exquisite surfaces4 ,purple shadows1 and golden vines1 and walnut trees1 that contrast which so often has enchanted my eyes on the ,genoese ,riviera1 the ,italian lakes1 and my own dear ,lake ,leman1 gladdened them once more4 ,and then the really clear sky 7no factory chimneys here7 and those intense white clouds casting shadows on the hills of lovely purple4 ,we went across the wide plateau on the top1 a magnificent exercise ground for the soldiers1 health itself1 and then we beheld1 winding below us in its sweet valley and by two picturesque villages1 the little ,moselle1 by no means #8blue1' as the song says1 but of a pinky brown and apparently very shallow4 ,we were at a great height1 and having got out of the carriage we stood on the very verge of a sheer precipice1 at the far-down base of which wound the high road4 ,sweet little ,moselle6 ,i was so loth to leave that view behind4 ,it really does seem such a shame to say so little of it4 ,the air up there was full of the scent of wild thyme1 and mountain flowers grew thick in that hot sun1 and the short mountain grass was brown4 8,we descended by another road and were taken right through the town to the old ,moselle bridge which crosses that river near its confluence with the green ,rhine4 ,what turreted corners1 what gable ends1 what exquisite ,david ,roberts #8bits' at every turn6 ,the bridge and its old gate were a picture in themselves1 and the view from the middle of the bridge of the walls1 the old buildings1 church towers and spires1 and boats and rafts moored below1 was the essence of the picturesque4 ,market women and pelotons of soldiers with glittering helmets and bayonets make excellent foreground groups4 ,how unlike nearly-deserted ,bruges is this busy1 thronged city6 ,oxen are as much used about here as horses1 and add much to the artist's joy4 ,but ,i must hurry on2 there is all the glorious ,rhine to ,bingen to ascend4 ,what a feast of beauty we have been partaking of since leaving ,failure ,bonn6 8,lots of people at #a o'clock table d'hte3 staring ,prooshan officers in #8wings' and whiskers1 more or less tightly clad1 talking loud and clattering their swords unnecessarily2 swarms of ,english and a great many honeymoon couples of all nations4 ,it was very hot when we left to dive into that glorious region we had seen from the ,chartreuse4 ,those were golden hours on board the ,lorelei4 ,but more #8spoons'2 more ,english2 more ,ya-ing natives and small boys always in the way1 and so we paddled away from beautiful ,coblenz1 and very fine did the #8,broadstone of ,honour' look as we left it gradually behind4 ,and now we began again the castles and the villages1 the former more numerous than below stream4 ,happy ,mr4 ,moriarty to possess such a castle as ,lahneck2 and then the beautiful town below1 and the gorgeous wooded steep hills and the beautiful tints on the water4 ,golden walnut trees on the banks and old church towers--such rich loveliness gliding by perpetually4 ,the towns are certainly half the battle2 they add immensely to the scene4 ,rhense was the oldest town we had yet seen1 and the old dark walls are crumbling down4 ,such bits of archways1 such corner bits1 such old age-tinted roofs6 ,i must not pass over ,marksburg1 the most perfect old castle on the ,rhine1 quite unaltered and not quite ruinous1 as it is garrisoned by a corps of ,invalides4 ,it therefore looks stronger and grander than the others4 ,below the cone which it crowns nestled the inevitable picturesque town 7,braubach7 upon the shore4 8,soon after passing this beautiful part we rounded another old village and church on our right1 for the river takes a great bend here4 ,of course1 new beauties appeared ahead as we swept round1 soft purple mountains1 one behind the other1 and hillsides golden with vines and walnut trees4 ,and then we came to ,boppart1 in the midst of the gorge1 one of the most enchanting old walled towns we had yet seen1 with a large water-cure establishment above it upon the orchard slopes of the hill4 ,then the old castle called #8,the ,mouse' drew our attention to the left again1 and then to the right appeared1 after we had passed the twin castles of ,sternberg and ,liebenstein1 or the #8,brothers1' the magnificent ruin of ,rheinfels above the town of ,st4 ,goar in the shadow of the steep hill4 ,how splendidly those blasted arches come out against the sunny sky6 ,then #8,the ,cat' appeared on our left1 supposed to be watching #8,the ,mouse' round the corner2 then1 with the last gleam of the sun upon it1 appeared the castle of #8,schnberg' after we had passed the ,lorelei rock1 tunnelled through by the railway1 and hills glowing in autumn tints4 ,sunset colour began to add new charm to mountains1 hills1 and river4 ,two guns were fired in this part of the gorge for the echo4 ,it rolled away like thunder very satisfactorily4 ,gutenfels on its rock was splendid in the sunset1 with the town of ,caub at its feet1 and the curious old tower called the ,pfalz in mid-stream1 where poor ,louis le ,dbonnaire came to die4 ,i can hardly individualise the towns and their over-looking castles that followed4 ,there was ,bacharach1 with its curious three-sided towers and church of ,st4 ,werner2 then more castles1 getting dimmer and dimmer in the deepening twilight4 ,the last was swallowed up in the night40 ,i need not dwell on ,bingen4 ,i see us1 happy wanderers1 dropping down to ,boppart1 to halt there for very fondly-remembered days at the water-cure of 8,marienberg10 which we made our habitation for want of an hotel4 ,being there ,i did the 8cure0 for nothing in particular1 but was none the worse for it4 ,at any rate it passed me as 8sound0 after the ordeal by water4 ,the ordeal was severe1 and so was the ,spartan food4 ,to any one who wasn't going through the water ordeal the ,spartan food ordeal seemed impossible4 ,but soon one got to like the whole thing and delight in the freshness of that life in the warm sunny weather4 ,we both accepted the 8,grape ,cure0 with unmixed feelings--#b lbs4 each of grapes a day2 and even the cold1 deep plate of sour milk 7dicke milch71 sprinkled with brown breadcrumbs1 and that kraut preserve which so dashed us at our first breakfast1 became rather fascinating4 ,we took our pre-breakfast walk on four glasses of cold water1 though1 to wet our appetites4 ,i see now1 in memory1 the swimming baths1 with the blue water rushing through them from the hills1 and feel the exhilaration of the six-in-the-morning plunge4 ,oh6 la jeunesse6 ,la joie de vivre6 ,they had dancing every ,thursday evening in what was the great vaulted refectory of the monks before that monastery was secularised4 ,one gala evening many people came in from outside4 ,the young ladies were in muslin frocks1 which they1 no doubt1 had washed themselves1 and the ballroom was redolent of soap4 ,the gentlemen went into the drawing-room after each dance and combed their blond hair and beards at the looking-glass over the mantelpiece1 having brought brush and comb with them4 ,the next morning ,i was very elaborately saluted by a man in a blouse1 driving oxen1 and ,i recognised in him one of my partners of the evening before who had worn the correct frac and white tie4 ,what a strange amalgamation of democracy and aristocracy we found in ,germany6 ,the ,diary tells of the music we had every evening till #aj o'clock and 8lights out40 ,my mother and one or two typical ,german musical geniuses--women patients--kept the piano in constant request1 and the evenings were really very bright and the tone so homely and kind4 ,kindness was the prevailing spirit which we noticed amongst the ,germans in those far-away days4 ,how they complimented us all on our halting ,german2 how the women admired our frocks1 especially the buttons6 ,i hope they didn't expect us to go into equal ecstasies over their own costumes4 ,we sang and were in great voice1 perhaps on account of the 8plunge baths10 or was it the 8sour milk08 ,a big ,saxon cavalry officer who was doing the cure for a kick from a horse and1 being in mufti1 had put off his 8jack-boot0 manners1 was full of enthusiasm about our voices4 ,he expressed himself in graceful pantomime after each of my songs by pointing to his ear and running his finger down to his heart1 for he spoke neither ,english nor ,french1 and worshipfully paid homage to ,mamma's pianoforte playing4 ,she played indeed superbly4 ,he was a big man4 ,we called him 8the ,athlete40 ,we had nicknames for all the patients4 ,there was 8the ,sauer-kraut10 there was the 8,flighty10 the funniest little shrivelled creature1 a truly wonderful musical genius1 who1 having heard me practising one morning1 flew to ,mamma1 telling her she had heard me go up to ,si and that ,i must make my name as a prima donna--no less4 ,that ,mendelssohn had proposed to her was a treasured memory4 ,her mother1 with true ,german pride of birth1 forbade the union4 ,there was a very great dame doing the cure1 the 8,incog10 who confided her card to ,mamma with an ,imperial embrace before leaving1 which revealed her as ,marie1 ,prinzessin zu ,hohenzollern ,hechingen4 ,then there was a most interesting and ugly duellist1 who a short time previously had killed a prince4 ,his wife wore blue spectacles1 having cried herself blind over the regrettable incident4 ,and so on1 and so on4 ,the vintage began1 and we visited many a vineyard on both banks of the rapid1 eddying river1 watching the peasants at their wholesome work in the mellowing sunlight4 ,whenever we bought grapes of these pleasant people1 they insisted on giving us extra bunches gratis in that old-fashioned way so prevalent in ,italy4 ,i record in the ,diary one classic-looking youth1 with the sunset gold behind his serious1 handsome face1 bent slightly over the vine he was picking1 on the hillside where we sat4 ,he seemed the personification of the sanctity of labour4 ,all this sounds very sentimental to us war-weary ones of the twentieth century1 but we need refreshment in the pleasures of memory2 memory of more secure times4 ,the ,diary says3-- 8,when we left ,boppart1 ,mamma and we two girls were half hidden in bouquets1 and our ,marienberg friends clustered at the railway carriage door and on the step--the #8,sauer-kraut1' the #8,flighty1' the #8,athlete' and all1 and1 as we started1 the salutations were repeated for the twentieth time1 the #8,athlete' taking a long sniff of my bouquet1 then quickly blocking his nose hard to keep the scent in1 after going through the pantomime of the ear1 the finger1 and the heart4 ,as ,papa said1 #8,one gets quite reconciled to the two-legged creature when meeting such people as these4' ,good-bye1 lovely ,boppart1 of ever sweet recollections60 ,we tarried at ,cologne on our way to ,england4 ,i see1 together with admiring and elaborate descriptions of the cathedral1 a note on the kindly manners of the ,germans1 so curiously at variance with the impression left on the present generation by the episodes of the late war4 ,at the table d'hte one evening the two guests who happened to sit opposite our parents1 on opening their champagne at dessert1 first insisted on filling the two glasses of their ,english vis--vis before proceeding to fill their own4 ,german manners then6 ,the military class kept1 however1 very much aloof1 and were very irritating to us with their wilfully offensive attitude4 ,that unfortunate spirit had already taken a further step forward after the conquest of ,schleswig-,holstein1 and was to go further still after the knock-down blow to ,austria2 then in #ahgj comes more arrogance1 and so on to its own undoing in our time4 8,aix la ,chapelle4--,good-bye1 ,cologne1 ever to remain bright by the remembrance of its cathedral and that museum containing pictures which have so inspired my mind4 ,and so good-bye1 dear1 familiar ,rhine2 not the ,rhine of the hurried tourist and his ,john ,murray ,red ,book1 but the glorious river about whose banks we have so often wandered at our leisure4 8,and now #8,vorwrts1 marsch6' ,northwards1 to the ,land of ,roast ,beef plus ,rinderpest4#a ,but first1 ,aachen4 ,ineffable poetry surrounds this evening of our arrival1 for from the three churches which stand out sharp against the bright moonlight sky in front of the hotel there peal forth many mellow bells1 filling my mind with that sort of sadness so familiar to me4 ,this is ,all ,hallows' ,eve4 8,november #ast4--,we saw the magnificent frescoes in the long1 low1 arched hall of the ,rathhaus1 which is being magnificently restored1 as is the case with all the fine things of the ,prussia we have seen4 ,we only just skimmed these great works of art1 for the horses were waiting in the pelting rain4444 ,the first four frescoes we saw were by ,rethel1 the first representing the finding of the body of ,charlemagne sitting in his tomb on his throne1 crowned and robed1 holding the ball and sceptre2 a very impressive subject1 treated with all its requisite poetry and feeling4 ,the next fresco represents in a forcible manner ,charlemagne ordering a ,saxon idol to be broken2 the third is a superb episode from the ,battle of ,cordova1 where ,charlemagne is wresting the standard from the ,infidel4 ,the horses are all blindfolded1 not to be frightened by the masks which the enemy had prepared to frighten them with4 ,the great white bulls which draw the chariot are magnificently conceived4 ,the fourth fresco represents the entry of the great emperor--whose face1 by the by1 lends itself well to the grand style of art--into ,pavia2 a superb composition1 as1 indeed1 they all are4 ,after painting this the artist lost his senses4 ,no doubt such efforts as these may have caused his mind to fail at last4 ,he had supplied the compositions for the other four frescoes which ,kehren has painted1 without the genius of the originator4 ,we were shown the narrow little old stone staircase up which all those many ,german emperors came to the hall4 ,i could almost fancy ,i saw an emperor's head coming bobbing up round the bend1 and a figure in ,imperial purple appear4 ,strange that such a steep little winding staircase should be the only approach to such a splendid hall4 ,the new staircase1 up which a different sort of monarch from the old ,german emperors came a few days ago1 in tight blue and silver uniform1 is indeed in keeping with the hall1 and should have been trodden by the emperors1 whereas this old cad of a king#b 7sic7 would get his due were he to descend the little old worn stair head foremost40 ,at ,brussels my entry runs3 8,november #crd4--,my birthday4 ,i feel too much buoyed up with the promise of doing something this year to feel as wretched as ,i might have felt at the thought of my precious #8teens dribbling away4 ,never say die2 never1 never1 never6 ,this birthday is ever to be marked by our visit to ,waterloo1 which has impressed me so deeply4 ,the day was most enjoyable1 but what an inexpressibly sad feeling was mixed with my pleasure2 what thoughts came crowding into my mind on that awful field1 smiling in the sunshine1 and how1 even now1 my whole mind is overshadowed with sadness as ,i think of those slaughtered legions1 dead half a century ago1 lying in heaps of mouldering bones under that undulating plain4 ,we had not driven far out of ,brussels when a fine old man with a long white beard1 and having a stout stick for scarcely-needed support1 and from whose waistcoat dangled a blue and red ribbon with a silver medal attached bearing the words #8,wellington' and #8,waterloo1' stopped the carriage and asked whether we were not going to the ,field and offering his services as guide1 which we readily accepted1 and he mounted the box4 ,this was ,sergeant-,major ,mundy of the #gth ,hussars1 who was twenty-seven when he fought on that memorable #ahth ,june1 #ahae4 ,in time we got into the old road1 that road which the ,british trod on their way to ,quatre ,bras1 ten miles beyond ,waterloo1 on the #afth4 ,we passed the forest of ,soignies1 which is fast being cleared1 and at no very distant period1 ,i suppose1 merely the name will remain4 ,what a road was this1 bearing a history of thousands of sad incidents6 ,we visited the church at ,waterloo where are the many tablets on the walls to the memory of ,british officers and men who died in the great fight4 ,touching inscriptions are on them4 ,an old woman of eighty-eight told us that she had tended the wounded after the battle4 ,is it possible6 ,there she was1 she who at thirty-eight had beheld those men just half a century ago6 ,it was overpowering to my young mind4 ,the old lady seems steadier than the serjeant-major1 eleven years her junior1 and wears a brown wig4 ,thanks to the old sergeant1 we had no bothering vendors of #8relics4' ,he says they have sold enough bullets to supply a dozen battles4 8,we then resumed our way1 now upon more historic ground than ever1 the field of the battle proper4 ,the ,lion ,mound soon appeared1 that much abused monument4 ,certainly1 as a monument to mark where the ,prince of ,orange was wounded in the left shoulder it is much to be censured1 particularly with that ,belgian lion on the top with its paw on ,belgium1 looking defiance towards ,france1 whose soldiers1 as the truthful old sergeant expressed himself1 #8could any day1 before breakfast1 come and make short work of the ,belgians' 7sic74 ,but ,i look upon this pyramid as marking the field of the fifteenth decisive battle of the world4 ,in a hundred years the original field may have been changed or built upon1 and then the mound will be more useful than ever as marking the centre of the battlefield that was4 ,to make it much ground has been cut away and the surface of one part of the field materially lowered4 ,on being shown the plan for this #8,lion ,mound1' ,wellington exclaimed1 #8,well1 if they make it1 ,i shall never come here again1' or something to that effect1 and1 as old ,mundy said1 #8the ,duke was not one to break his word1 and he never did come again4' ,do you know that1 ,sir ,edwin ,landseer1 who have it in the background of your picture of ,wellington revisiting the field8 ,we drove up to the little ,hotel du ,muse1 kept by the sergeant's daughter1 a dejected sort of person with a glib tongue and herself rather grey4 ,we just looked over ,sergeant ,cotton's museum1 a collection of the most pathetic old shakos and casques and blundering muskets1 with pans and flints1 belonging to friend and foe2 rusty bullets and cannon balls1 mouldering bits of accoutrements of men and horses1 evil-smelling bits of uniforms and even hair1 under glass cases2 skulls perforated with balls1 leg and arm bones in a heap in a wooden box2 extracts from newspapers of that sensational time1 most interesting2 rusty swords and breastplates2 medals and crosses1 etc41 etc41 a dismal collection of relics of the dead and gone4 ,those mouldy relics6 ,let us get out into the sunshine4 ,not until1 however1 the positive old soldier had marshalled us around him and explained to us1 map in hand1 the ground and the leading features of the battle he was going to show us4 8,we then went1 first1 a short way up the mound1 and the old warrior in our midst began his most interesting talk1 full of stirring and touching anecdotes4 ,what a story was that he was telling us1 with the scenes of that story before our eyes6 ,i1 all eagerness to learn from the lips of one who took part in the fight1 the story of that great victory of my country1 was always throughout that long day by the side of the old hussar1 and drank in the stirring narrative with avidity4 ,there lay before us the farm of ,la ,haie ,sainte--#8lerhigh saint' as he called it--restored to what it was before the battle1 where the gallant ,germans held out so bravely1 fighting only with the bayonet1 for when they came to load their firearms1 oh1 horror6 the ammunition was found to be too large for the muskets1 and was1 therefore1 useless4 ,there the great ,life ,guard charge took place1 there is the grave of the mighty ,shaw1 and on the skyline the several hedges and knolls that mark this and that1 and where ,napoleon took up his first position4 ,and there lies ,la ,belle ,alliance where ,wellington and ,blcher did not meet--oh1 ,mr4 ,maclise6--and a hundred other landmarks1 all pointed out by the notched stick of old ,mundy4 ,the stories attached to them were all clearly related to us4 ,after standing a long time on the mound until the man of discipline had quite done his regulation story1 with its stirring and amusing touches and its minute details1 we descended and set off on our way to ,hougoumont4 ,what a walk was that6 ,on that space raged most of the battle2 it was a walk through ghosts with agonised faces and distorted bodies1 crying noiselessly4 8,our guide stopped us very often as we reached certain spots of leading interest1 one of them--the most important of all--being the place where the last fearful tussle was made and the ,old ,guard broke and ran4 ,there was the field1 planted with turnips1 where our ,guards lay down1 and ,i could not believe that the seemingly insignificant little bank of the road1 which sloped down to it1 could have served to hide all those men until ,i went down and stooped1 and then ,i understood1 for only just the blades of the grass near me could ,i see against the sky4 ,our ,guards must indeed have seemed to start out of the ground to the bewildered ,french1 who were1 by the by1 just then deploying4 ,that dreadful ,v formed by our soldiers1 with its two sides and point pouring in volley after volley into the deploying ,imperial ,guard1 must have indeed been a #8staggerer1' and so ,napoleon's best soldiers turned tail1 yelling #8,sauve qui peut6' and ran down that now peaceful undulation on the other side of the road4 8,many another spot with its grim story attached did ,i gaze at1 and my thoughts became more and more overpowering4 ,and there stood a survivor before us1 relating this tale of a battle which1 to me1 seems to belong to the olden time4 ,but what made the deepest impression on my mind was the sergeant's pointing out to us the place where he lay all night after the battle1 wounded1 #8just a few yards from that hedge1 there4' ,i repeat this to myself often1 and always wonder4 ,we then left that historic rutted road and1 following a little path1 soon came1 after many more stoppages1 to the outer orchard of ,hougoumont4 ,victor ,hugo's thoughts upon this awful place came crowding into my mind also4 ,yet the place did look so sweet and happy3 the sun shining on the rich1 velvety grass1 chequered with the shade of the bare apple trees1 and the contented cows grazing on the grass which1 on the fearful day fifty years ago1 was not green between the heaps of dead and dying wretches4 8,ah6 the wall with the loopholes4 ,i knew all about it and hastened to look at it4 ,again all the wonderful stratagems and deeds of valour1 etc41 etc41 were related1 and ,i have learnt the importance1 not only of a little hedge1 but of the slightest depression on a battlefield4 ,riddled with shot is this old brick wall and the walls of the farm1 too4 ,oh6 this place of slaughter1 of burning1 of burying alive1 this place of concentrated horror6 ,it was there that ,i most felt the sickening terror of war1 and that ,i looked upon it from the dark side1 a thing ,i have seldom had so strong an impulse to do before4 ,the farm is peaceful again and the pigs and poultry grunt and cluck amongst the straw1 but there are ruins inside4 ,there's the door so bravely defended by that ,british officer and sergeant1 hanging on its hinges2 there's the well which served as a grave for living as well as dead1 where ,sergeant ,mundy was the last to fill his canteen2 and there's the little chapel which served as an oven to roast a lot of poor fellows who were pent up there by the fire raging outside4 ,we went into the terror-fraught inner orchard1 heard more interesting and saddening talk from the old soldier who says there is nothing so nice as fighting one's battles over again1 and then we went out and returned to the inn and dined4 ,after that we streamed after our mentor to the ,charleroi road1 just to glance at the left part of the field which the sergeant said he always liked going over the best4 #8,oh6' he said1 looking lovingly at his pet1 #8this was the strongest position1 except ,hougoumont4' ,it was in this region that ,wellington was moved to tears at the loss of so many of his friends as he rode off the field4 ,papa told me his memorable words on that occasion3 #8,a defeat is the only thing sadder than a victory4' ,what a scene of carnage it was6 ,we looked at poor ,gordon's monument and then got into our carriage and left that great1 immortal place1 with the sun shedding its last gleams upon it4 ,i feel virtuous in having written this much1 seeing what ,i have done since4 ,we drove back1 in the clear night1 ,i a wiser and a sadder girl40 ,about this same ,battle of ,waterloo4 ,before the ,great ,war it always loomed large to me1 as it were from the very summit of military history1 indeed of all history4 ,during the terrible years of the late ,war ,i thought my ,waterloo would diminish in grandeur by comparison1 and that the awful glamour so peculiar to it would be obliterated in the fumes of a later terror4 ,but no1 there it remains1 that lurid glamour glows around it as before1 and for the writer and for the painter its colour1 its great form1 its deep tones1 remain4 ,we see through its blood-red veil of smoke ,napoleon fall4 ,there never will be a fall like that again3 it is he who makes ,waterloo colossal4 ,,chapter ,,iv ,,in ,,the ,,art ,,schools ,after tarrying in ,brussels1 doing the galleries thoroughly1 we went to ,dover4 ,i had been anything but in love with the exuberant ,rubenses gathered together in one surfeited room1 but imbibed enthusiastic stimulus from some of the moderns4 ,i write3 8,oh6 that ,i had time to tell of my admiration of ,ambroise ,thomas' #8,judas ,iscariot1' of ,charles ,verlat's wonderful #8,siege of ,jerusalem by ,godfrey of ,bouillon1' with its strikingly terrible incidents1 given with wonderful vividness1 so free from coarseness2 of ,tshaggeny's #8,malle ,poste1' with its capital horses4 ,there was not much study to be done in the time1 but enthusiasm to be caught1 and ,i caught it40 ,at ,dover ,i find myself saying3 8,still at my drawing of the soldiers working at the new fort on the cliff1 just outside the castle1 which forms the background of the scene4 ,i am sending it to the ,illustrated ,london ,news40 ,then1 a few days later3 8,woe is me6 my drawing is returned with the usual apologies4 ,well1 never mind1 the world will hear of me yet40 ,and there1 above my 8diminished head10 right over ,no4 #b1 ,sydney ,villas1 our temporary resting-place1 stood that very castle1 biding its time when it should receive me as its official chtelaine1 and all through that art which ,i was so bent on4 ,at ,brompton ,i said 8good-bye0 to a year to me very bright and full of adventure2 a year rich in changes1 full of varied scenes and emotions4 ,i say3 8,enter1 #ahff1 bearing for me happy promise for my future1 for to-day ,i had the interview with ,mr4 ,burchett1 the ,headmaster of the ,south ,kensington ,school of ,art1 and everything proved satisfactory and sunny4 ,first1 ,papa and ,i trotted off to ,mr4 ,burchett's office and saw him1 a bearded1 velvet-skull-capped and cold-searching-eyed man4 ,after a little talk1 we galloped off home1 packed the drawings and the oil1 then1 ,mamma with us1 we returned1 and came into ,the ,presence once more4 ,the office being at the end of the passage of the male schools1 ,i could see1 and envy1 the students going about4 ,so the drawings were scrutinised by that ,eye1 and ,i must say ,i never expected things to go so well4 ,of course1 this austere1 rigid master is not one to say much1 but1 on the contrary1 to dwell upon the shortcomings and weaknesses2 to have no pity4 ,he looked longer at my soldiers at work at ,dover ,castle and some hands that ,i had done yesterday1 saying they showed much feeling4 ,he said he did not know whether ,i only wished to make my studies superficial1 but strongly advised me to become an artist4 ,i scarcely needed such advice1 ,i think1 but it was very gratifying4 ,i told him ,i wished for severe study1 and that ,i did not wish to begin at the wrong end4 ,we were a long time talking1 and he was very kind1 and told me off to the ,life ,school after preliminary work in the ,antique4 ,i join to-morrow4 ,i now really feel as though fairly launched4 ,ah6 they shall hear of me some day4 ,but1 believe me1 my ambition is of the right sort4 8,january #bnd4--,a very pleasant day for me4 ,at ten marched off1 with board1 paper1 chalk1 etc41 etc41 to the schools1 and signed my name and went through all the rest of the formalities1 and was put to do a huge eye in chalk4 ,i felt very raw indeed1 never having drawn from a cast before4 ,everything was strange to me4 ,i worked away until twenty minutes to two1 when ,i sped home to have my lunch4 ,five hours' work would be too long were ,i not to break the time by this charming spin home and back in the open air1 which makes me set to work again with redoubled energy and spirits sky-high4 ,a man comes round at a certain time to the rooms to see by the thermometer whether the temperature is according to rule1 which is a very excellent precaution2 #fe seems to be the fixed degree4 ,of course1 ,i did not make any friends to-day2 besides1 we sit far apart1 on our own hooks1 and not on forms4 ,much twining about of arms and darling-ing1 etc41 went on1 however1 but we all seem to work here so much more in earnest than over those dreary scrolls in the ,elementary4 ,one girl in our room was a capital hit1 short hair brushed back from a clever forehead and a double eyeglass on an out-thrust nose4 ,then there is a dear little pale girl1 with a pretty head and large eyes1 who is struggling with that tremendous #8,fighting ,gladiator4' ,she and he make a charming motif for a sketch4 ,but ,i am too intent on my work to notice much4 ,the skeleton behind me seems1 with outstretched arm1 to encourage me in my work1 and smiles 7we won't say grins7 upon me1 whilst behind him--it8--the corch man seems to be digging his grave1 for he is in the attitude of using a spade4 ,but enough for to-day4 ,i was very much excited all day afterwards4 ,and no wonder1 seeing that my prayer for a beginning of my real study has now been granted and that ,i am at length on the high road4 ,oh1 joy1 joy6 8,january #aeth4--,did very well at the schools4 ,upon my word1 ,i am getting on very smoothly4 ,i peeped into the ,life room for the first time whilst work was going on1 and beheld a splendid halberdier standing above the girls' heads and looking very uncomfortable4 ,he had a steel headpiece and his hands were crossed upon the hilt of his sword in front1 and his face1 excessively picturesque with its grizzly moustache1 was a tantalising sight for me6 8,january #afth4--,oh1 how ,i am getting on6 ,i can't bear to look at my old things4 ,was much encouraged by ,mr4 ,burchett1 who talked to me a good deal1 the mistress standing deferentially and smilingly by4 ,he said1 #8,ah6 you seem to get over your difficulties very well1' and said with what immense satisfaction ,i shall look back upon this work ,i'm doing4 ,altogether it was very encouraging1 and he said this last thing of mine was excellent4 ,he remarked that my early education in those matters had been neglected1 but ,i console myself with the thought that ,i have not wasted my time so utterly1 for all the travel ,i have had all my life has put crowds of ideas into my head1 and now ,i am learning how to bring those ideas to good account4 8,january #bdth4--,i shall soon have done the big head and shall soon reach a full-length statue1 and ,i shall go in for anatomy rather than give so much time to this shading which the students waste so much time over4 ,i don't believe in carrying it so far4 ,the little pale girl ,i like1 on the completion of her gladiator1 has been promoted to the ,life class4 ,a girl made friends with me1 a big grenadier of a girl1 who says she wants to know #8all about the joints and muscles' and seems a #8thoroughgoer' like myself40 ,this is how ,i write of dear ,miss ,vyvyan1 a fine1 rosy specimen of a well-bred ,english girl1 who became one of my dearest fellow students--and drew well4 ,in writing of me after ,i had come out in the art world1 she records this meeting in words all the more deserving of remembrance for being those of a voice that is still4 ,of my other fellow-students the ,diary will have more to say1 left to its own diction4 8,february #acth4--,it is very pleasant at the schools--oh1 charming6 ,in coming home at the end of my work ,i fell in with ,mr4 ,lane1 my friend in the truest sense of the word4 ,he was coming over to us4 ,his first inquiry was about me and my work4 ,he was very much disappointed that ,i was not in the ,life class1 fully expecting that ,i should be there1 seeing how highly ,mr4 ,burchett twice spoke of my drawings to ,mr4 ,lane1 and that ,i was quite ready for the ,life4 ,but1 of course1 ,mr4 ,b4 is desirous of putting me as much through the regular course as possible4 ,mr4 ,lane shares ,millais' opinion that #8the antique is all very well1 but that there is nothing like the living model1 and that they are too fond of black and white at the ,museum4' ,i was enrolled as a member of the ,sketching ,club this morning1 and have only a week to do #8,on the ,watch' in1 the title they have given us to illustrate4 ,only a week1 ,mimi8 ,that's an age to do a sketch in6 ,ah6 yes1 my dear1 but ,i shall have five hours in the schools every day except ,saturdays4 ,i have chosen for subject a freebooter in a morion and cloak upon a bony horse1 watching the plain below him as night comes on1 with his blunderbus ready cocked4 ,wind is blowing1 and makes the horse's mane and tail to stream out40 ,there follow pages and pages describing the daily doings at the schools3 the commotion amongst girls at the drawings ,i used to bring to show them of battle scenes2 the ,sketching ,club competitions1 and all the work and the play of an art school4 ,at last ,i was promoted to the ,life class4 8,march #aith4--,oh1 joyous day6 oh1 white6 oh1 snowy ,monday6 or should ,i say golden ,monday8 ,i entered the ,life this joyous morn1 and1 what's more1 acquitted myself there not only to my satisfaction 7for how could ,i be satisfied if the masters weren't871 but to ,mr4 ,denby's and the oil master's par excellence1 ,mr4 ,collinson's4 ,i own ,i was rather diffident1 feeling such a greenhorn in that room1 but ,i may joyfully say #8,so far1 so good1' and do my very best of bests1 and ,i can't fail to progress4 ,how willingly ,i would write down all the pleasant incidents that occur every day1 and those1 above all1 of to-day1 which make this delightful student life ,i am leading so bright and happy and amusing4 ,however1 ,i shall write down all that my spare moments will allow me4 ,little #8,pale ,face' took me in hand and got me a nice position quite near the sitter1 as ,i am only to do his head4 ,there was a good deal of struggling as the number of girls increased1 and late comers tried amicably to badger me out of my good position4 ,we waited more than half an hour for the sitter1 and beguiled the time as we are wont4 ,three semi-circles surround the sitter and his platform4 ,the inner and smaller circle is for us who do his head only1 and is formed by desks and low chairs2 the next is formed by small fixed easels1 and the outer one by the loose-easel brigade1 so there are lots of us at work4 ,at length the martyr issued from the curtained closet where ,messrs4 ,burchett1 ,denby and ,collinson had been helping the unhappy victim to make a lobster of his upper self with heavy plates of armour4 ,he became sadly modern below the waist1 for his nether part was not wanted4 ,to see ,mr4 ,denby pinning on the man's refractory ,puritan starched collar was rich4 ,the model is a small man1 perfectly clean shaven with a most picturesque face2 quite a study4 ,very finely-chiselled mouth1 with thin lips and well-marked chin and jaw4 ,the poor fellow was dreadfully nervous4 ,he was posed standing1 morion on head1 with a book in one hand1 the other raised as though he were discoursing to some fellow soldiers--may-be ,covenanters--in a camp4 ,i never saw a man in such agony as he evinced1 his nervousness seeming at times to overpower him1 and the weight of the armour and of the huge morion 7too big for him7 told upon him in a painfully evident manner4 ,he was1 consequently1 allowed frequent rests1 when down his trembling arm would clatter and the instrument of torture on his heated forehead come down with a great thump on the table4 ,mr4 ,denby was much pleased with my drawing in1 and ,mr4 ,collinson commended my carefulness4 ,this pleases me more than anything else1 for ,i know that carefulness is the most essential quality in a student4 8,march #bgth4--,mr4 ,burchett showed me how to proceed with the finishing of the face4 ,he liked the way ,i had done the morion1 which astonished me1 as ,i had done it all unaided4 ,i am now a friend of more girls than ,i can individualise1 and they seem all to like me4 #8,little ,pale ,face' is very charming with me indeed4 ,one girl told me a dream she had had of me1 and ,mrs4 ,c41 wife of the ,athenum art critic1 clapped me on the back very cordially40 ,i give these extracts just to launch the ,memoirs into that student life which was of such importance to me4 ,till the ,easter vacation ,i did all ,i could to retrieve what ,i considered a good deal of leeway in my art training4 ,there were ,sketching ,club competitions of intense effort on my part1 and how joyful ,i felt at such events as my illustrations to ,thackeray's 8,newcomes0 coming through marked 8,best0 by the judges4 8,may #ith4--,veni1 vidi1 vici6 ,my re-entry into the schools after the vacation has been a triumphal one1 for my #8,newcomes' have been returned #8,the ,best4' ,the girls were so glad to see me back4 ,i have chosen1 as there is not to be a model till next ,monday week1 a beautiful headpiece of elaborate design on whose surface the red drapery near it is reflected4 ,some time after lunch ,mrs4 ,c4 came running to me from the ,antique triumphantly waving a bunch of lilac above her head and crying out that my #8,newcomes' had won6 ,i jumped up1 overjoyed1 and went to see the sketches1 around which a crowd of students was buzzing4 ,mr4 ,denby1 who couldn't help knowing whose the #8,best' were1 gave me a nod of approbation4 ,i was very happy4 ,returning to ,fulham1 ,i told the glad tidings to ,papa1 ,mamma1 ,grandpapa and ,grandmamma as they each came in4 ,so this has been a charming day indeed40 ,page after page1 closely written1 describes the student life1 than which there cannot be a happier one for a boy or girl2 thorough searchings through the ,royal ,academy rooms for everything ,i could find for instruction1 admiration and criticism4 ,i joined a class in ,bolsover ,street for the study of the 8undraped0 female model1 and worked very hard there on alternate days4 ,this necessitated long omnibus rides to that dismal locality1 but ,i always managed to post myself near the omnibus door1 so as to study the horses in motion in the crowded streets from that coign of vantage4 ,i also joined a painting class in ,conduit ,street1 but that venture was not a success4 ,i went in about the same time for very thorough artistic anatomy at the schools4 ,i gave sketches to nearly all my fellow students--fights round standards1 cavalry charges1 thundering guns4 ,i wonder where they are all now6 ,i had always had a great liking for the representation of movement1 but at the same time a deep well of melancholy existed in my nature1 and caused me to draw from its depths some very sad subjects for my sketches and plans for future pictures4 ,how strange it seems that ,i should have been so impregnated1 if ,i may use the word1 with the warrior spirit in art1 seeing that we had had no soldiers in either my father's or mother's family6 ,my father had a deep admiration for the great captains of war1 but my mother detested war1 though respecting deeply the heroism of the soldier4 ,though she and ,i had much in common1 yet1 as regards the military idea1 we were somewhat far asunder2 my dear and devoted mother wished to see me lean towards other phases of art as well1 especially the religious phase1 and my ,italian studies in days to come very much inclined me to sacred subjects4 ,but as time went on circumstances conducted me to the genre militaire1 and there ,i have remained1 as regards my principal oil paintings1 with few exceptions4 ,my own reading of war--that mysteriously inevitable recurrence throughout the sorrowful history of our world--is that it calls forth the noblest and the basest impulses of human nature4 ,the painter should be careful to keep himself at a distance1 lest the ignoble and vile details under his eyes should blind him irretrievably to the noble things that rise beyond4 ,to see the mountain tops we must not approach the base1 where the foot-hills mask the summits4 ,wellington's answer to enthusiastic artists and writers seeking information concerning the details of his crowning victory was full of meaning3 8,the best thing you can do for the ,battle of ,waterloo is to leave it alone40 ,he had passed along the dreadful foot-hills which blocked his vision of the ,alps4 ,i worked hard at the schools and in the country throughout #ahfg1 and1 with many ups and downs1 progressed in the ,life class4 ,my fellow students were a great delight to me1 so enthusiastically did they watch my progress and foretell great things for me4 ,we formed a little club of four or five students--kindred spirits--for mutual help and all sorts of good deeds1 the badge being a red cross and the motto 8,thorough40 ,i remember a money-box into which we were1 by the rules1 to drop what coins we could spare for the ,poor4 ,we were to read a chapter of the ,new ,testament every day1 and a chapter of ,thomas ,kempis1 and all our works were to be signed with the red cross and the club monogram4 ,seeing this little sign in the corner of 8,the ,roll ,call0 over my name set one of those absurd stories circulating in the ,press with which the public was amused in #ahgd1 namely1 that ,i had been a ,red ,cross nurse in the ,crimea4 ,as a counterpoise to this more 8copy0 was obtained for the papers by paragraphs representing me as an infant prodigy1 which ,i thank my stars ,i was not6 ,one day in this year #ahfg ,i had1 with great trepidation1 asked ,mr4 ,burchett to accept two pen and ink illustrations ,i had made to ,morris's poem1 8,riding together40 ,great commotion amongst the students4 ,some preferred the drawing for the gay and happy first verse3 ,our spears stood bright and thick together1 ,straight out the banners streamed behind1 ,as we galloped on in the sunny weather1 ,with our faces turned towards the wind4 and others the tragic sequel3 ,they bound my blood-stained hands together1 ,they bound his corpse to nod by my side1 ,then on we rode in the bright ,march weather1 ,with clash of cymbal did we ride4 ,the ,diary says3 8,mr4 ,burchett1 surrounded by my dear fellow red crosses1 ,va41 ,b41 and ,vy41 talked about the drawings in a way which pleased me very much4 ,when he was gone1 ,va4 and ,b4 disappeared and soon reappeared1 ,va4 with a crown of leaves to crown me with and ,b4 with a comb and some paper on which to play #8,see the ,conquering ,hero comes' whilst ,va4 and ,vy4 should carry me along the great corridor in a dandy chair4 ,they had great trouble to crown me1 and then to get me to mount4 ,it was a most uncomfortable triumphal progress1 ,vy4 being nearly six foot and ,va4 rather short4 ,they just put me down in time1 for1 had we gone an inch further on1 we should have confronted ,miss ,truelock1#c who swooped round the corner4 ,i cannot describe the homage these three pay me1 ,va4's in particular--,vy4's is measured1 and not humble like ,va4's or radiantly enthusiastic like ,b4's4 ,i am glad that ,i stand proof against all this1 but it is hard to do so1 as ,i know it is so thoroughly sincere1 and that they say even more out of my hearing than to my face40 ,the ,sultan ,abdul ,aziz and the ,khedive ,ismail paid a visit to ,london that year4 ,we were in the midst of the festivities2 and such church-bell ringing1 fireworks1 musical uproar1 especially at the ,crystal ,palace1 where the 8,hallelujah10 8,moses in ,egypt10 and other ,biblical choruses vied with the cheering of the crowds in expressions of exultation1 seldom had ,london known4 ,this fills pages and pages of the ,diary4 ,as we looked on from ,willis and ,sotheran's shop window1 out of which all the books had been cleared for us1 in ,trafalgar ,square1 at the arrival of the 8,father of the ,faithful10 it seemed a strange thing for the bells of our churches to be pealing forth their joyous welcome4 ,but how vain all these political doings appear as time goes by6 ,what sort of reception would we give the present ,sultan ,i wonder8 ,we have even abolished ,khedives4 ,much more reasonable and sane was the mob's welcome to the ,belgian volunteers1 who were also ,england's guests that year4 ,we ,english were very courteous to the ,belgians4 ,papa took us to the great ,belgian ball1 where we appeared wearing red1 black1 and yellow sashes4 ,he offered to hold a ,belgian officer's sword for him while he 7the ,belgian7 waltzed me round the hall4 ,a silver medal was struck to commemorate this visit1 and every ,belgian was presented with this decoration4 ,on it were engraved the words 8,vive ,la ,belge40 ,no one could tell who the lady was4 ,this year saw my meek beginning in the showing of an oil picture 78,horses in ,sunshine07 at the ,women ,artists' ,exhibition1 and then followed a water colour1 8,bavarian ,artillery going into ,action10 at the ,dudley ,gallery--that delightful gallery which is now no more and which ,the ,times designated the 8nursery of young reputations40 ,i continued exhibiting water colours and black-and-whites for some years there4 ,i had the rare sensation of walking on air when my father1 meeting me on parting with ,tom ,taylor1 the critic of ,the ,times1 told me the latter had just come from the ,dudley's press view and seen my 8,bavarian ,artillery0 on its walls4 ,i had begun6 ,in the latter part of this year's work at ,south ,kensington ,mr4 ,burchett stirred us up by giving us 8time0 and 8memory0 drawing to do from the antique1 and many things which required quickness1 imagination and concentration1 all of which suited me well4 ,charcoal studies on tinted paper delighted me4 ,i was always at home in such things4 ,we often had 8time0 drawings to do on very rough paper1 using charcoal with the hog's hair paint brush4 ,what a good change from the dawdling chalk work formerly in vogue when ,i joined4 ,i had by this time painted my way in oils through many models1 male and female1 with all the ups and downs recorded elaborately1 the encouragements and depressions1 and the happy1 though slow1 progress in the management of the brush4 ,i had won a medal for two life-size female heads in oils1 and through all the ups and downs the devotion of my dear 8,red ,cross0 fellow students never fluctuated4 ,the year #ahfh saw me steadily working away at the ,schools and doing a great many drawings for sketching clubs and various competitions during this period1 till we were off once more to ,italy in ,october4 ,on ,march #aith of that year ,i wrote in the ,diary3 8,ruskin has invited himself to tea here on ,monday6660 ,then3 8,memorable ,monday4 ,on thee ,i was introduced to ,ruskin6 ,punctually at six came the great man4 ,if ,i had been disposed to be nervous with him1 his cold formal bow and closing of the eyes1 his somewhat supercilious under-lip and sensitive nostrils would not have put me at my ease4 ,but1 fortunately1 ,i felt quite normal--unlike ,mamma and ,alice1 the latter of whom had reason for quaking1 seeing that one of her young poems1 sent him by a friend1 had been scanned by that eye and pondered by that greatest of living minds4 8,he sat talking a little1 not commonplaces at all2 on the contrary1 he immediately began on great topics1 ,mamma and he coinciding all through1 particularly on the subject of modern ugliness1 railways1 factory chimneys1 backs of ,english houses1 sash windows1 etc41 etc4 ,then he directed his talk to me1 and we sat talking together about art1 of course1 and ,i showed him two life studies1 which he expressed himself as exceedingly pleased with in a very emphatic manner4 ,but here we went down to tea4 ,after tea ,i showed him my imaginative drawings1 which he criticised a good deal4 ,he said there was no reason why ,i should not become a great artist 7671 that ,i was #8destined to do great things4' ,but he remarked1 after this too kindly beginning1 that it was evident ,i had not studied enough from nature in those drawings1 the light and shade being incorrect and the relations of tones1 etc41 etc4 ,he told me to beware of sensational subjects1 as yet1 propos of the ,lancelot and ,guinevere drawing2 that such were dangerous1 leading me to think ,i had quite succeeded by virtue of the strength of my subject and to overlook the consideration of minor points4 ,he said1 #8,do fewer of these things1 but what you do do right and never mind the subject4' ,i did not like that2 my great idea is that an artist should choose a worthy subject and concentrate his attention on the chief point4 ,but ,ruskin is a lover of landscape art and loves to see every blade of grass in a foreground lovingly dwelt upon4 ,i cannot write down all he said as he and ,i leant over the piano where my drawings were4 ,but it was with my artillery water colour1 #8,the ,crest of the ,hill1' that he was most pleased4 ,he knelt down before it where it hung low down and held a candle before it the better to see it1 and exclaimed #8,wonderful6' two or three times1 and said it had #8immense power4' ,thank you1 ,dudley ,gallery1 for not hanging it where ,ruskin would never have seen it6 8,he listened to ,mamma's playing and ,alice's singing of ,mamma's #8,ave ,maria' with perfectly absorbed attention1 and seemed to enjoy the lovely sounds4 ,he had many kind things to say to ,alice about her poem1 saying that he knew she was forced to write it2 but was she always obliged to write so sadly8 ,then he spied out ,mamma's pictures1 and insisted on seeing lots of her water colours1 which ,i know he must have enjoyed more than my imaginative things1 seeing with what humble lovingness ,mamma paints her landscapes4 ,in fact1 we showed him our paces all the evening4 ,papa says he 7,p47 was like the circus man1 standing in the middle with the long whip1 touching us up as we were trotted out before the great man4 ,he seems1 by the by1 to have a great contempt for the modern ,french school1 as ,i expected40 ,daily records follow of steady work1 much more to the purpose than in the humdrum old days4 ,mr4 ,burchett continued the new system with increasing energy4 ,he seemed to have taken it up in our ,life class with real pleasure latterly4 ,in ,july the session ended1 and ,i was not to re-enter the schools till after my ,italian art training had brought me a long way forward4 ,,chapter ,v ,,study ,,in ,,florence ,italy once more6 ,again the old palazzo at ,albaro and the old friends surrounding us6 ,my work never relaxed1 for ,i set up a little studio and went in for life-size heads1 and got more and more facility with the brush4 ,the kindly peasants let me paint them1 and ,i victimised my obliging friends and had professional models out from ,genoa4 ,that was a very greatly enjoyed autumn1 winter and spring1 and the gaieties of the ,english ,colony1 the private theatricals1 the concerts at ,villa ,novello--all those things did me good4 ,the childish carnival revels had still power over me--yea1 more--though ,i was grown up1 and1 to tell the truth1 ,i got all the fun out of them that was possible within bounds4 8,the ,red ,cross ,sketch ,book10 which ,i filled with illustrations of our journey out and of life at ,genoa1 ,i dedicated to the club and sent to them when we left for ,florence4 ,we found ,genoa just as we had left it1 still the brilliantly picturesque city of the sea1 its populace brightly clad in their ,ligurian national dress1 the women still wearing the pezzotto1 and the men the red cap ,i loved2 the port all delightful with oriental character1 its shouting muleteers and facchini1 its fruit and flower sellers in the narrow streets and entrances to the palaces--all the old local colour4 ,alas6 ,i was there only the other day1 and found all the local charm had gone--modernised away6 ,when we left ,genoa in ,april my father tried to get a vetturino to take us as far as ,pisa by road on our way to ,florence1 for auld lang syne1 but ,antonio--he who used to drive us into ,genoa in the old days--said that was now impossible on account of the railway--8,non ci conviene1 signore60--but he would take us as far as ,spezzia4 ,so1 to our delight1 we were able once more to experience the pleasures of the road and avoid that truly horrible series of suffocating tunnels that tries us so much on that portion of the coastline4 ,at ,sestri ,levante ,i wrote3 8,i sit down at this pleasant hotel1 with the silent sea glimmering in the early night before me outside the open window1 to note down our journey thus far4 ,the day has been truly glorious1 the sea without even the thinnest rim of white along the coast1 and such exquisite combinations of clouds4 ,we left ,villa ,quartara at ten1 with ,madame ,vittorina and the servants in tears4 ,majolina comes with us2 she is such a good little maid4 ,we had three good horses1 but for the ,bracco ,pass we shall have an extra one4 ,there is no way of travelling like this1 in an open carriage2 it is so placid2 there is no hurrying to catch trains and struggling in crowds1 no waiting in dismal salles d'attente4 ,and then compare the entry into the towns by the high road and through the principal streets1 perhaps through a city gate1 the horse's hoofs clattering and the whip cracking so merrily and the people standing about in groups watching us pass1 to sneaking into a station1 one of which is just like the other1 which hasn't the slightest couleur locale about it1 and is sure to have unsightly surroundings4 8,away we went merrily1 ,i feeling very jolly4 ,the colour all along was ravishing1 as may be imagined1 seeing what a perfect day it was and that this is the loveliest season of the year4 ,we dined at dear old ,ruta1 where also the horses had a good rest and where ,i was able to sketch something down4 ,from ,ruta to ,sestri ,i rode by ,majolina on the box1 by far the best position of all1 and didn't ,i enjoy it6 ,the horses' bells jingled so cheerily and those three sturdy horses took us along so well4 ,rapallo and ,chiavari6 ,dear old friends1 what delicious picturesqueness they had1 what lovely approaches to them by roads bordered with trees6 ,the views were simply distracting4 ,sestri is a gem4 ,why don't water-colour painters come here in shoals8 ,what colouring the mountains had at sunset1 and ,i had only a pencil and wretched little sketch book4 8,spezzia1 ,april #bhth1 #ahfi4--;,a repetition of yesterday in point of weather4 ,i feel as though ,i had been steeped all day in some balmy liquid of gold1 purple1 and blue4 ,i have a ,titianesque feeling hovering about me produced by the style of landscape we have passed through and the faces of the people who are working in the patches of cultivation under the mulberries and vines1 and that intense1 deep blue sky with massive white clouds floating over it4 ,we exclaimed as much at the beauty of the women as at the purple of the mountains and the green of the budding mulberries and poplars4 ,and the men and boys2 what perfect types2 such fine figures and handsome faces1 such healthy colour6 ,we left the hotel at ,sestri1 with its avenue of orange trees in flower1 at ten o'clock1 and1 of course1 crossed the ,bracco to-day4 ,we dined at a little place called ,bogliasco1 in whose street1 under our windows1 handsome youths with bare legs and arms were playing at a game of ball which called forth fine action4 ,i did not know at first whether to look well at them all or sketch them down one by one1 but did both1 and ,i hope to make a regular drawing of the group from the sketch ,i took and from memory4 ,we stopped at the top of the hill1 from which is seen ,la ,spezzia lying below1 with its beautiful bay and the ,carara ,mountains beyond4 ,here ends our drive1 for to-morrow we take the train for ,florence4 8,florence1 ,april #bith4--,magnificent1 cloudless weather4 ,but1 oh6 what a wearisome journey we had1 the train crawling from one station to another and stopping at each such a time1 whilst we baked in the cushioned carriage and couldn't even have lovely things to look at1 surrounded by the usual railway eyesores4 ,we passed close by the ,pisan ,campo ,santo1 and had a very good view of the ,leaning ,tower and the ,duomo4 ,such hurrying and struggling at the ,pisa station to get into the train for ,florence1 having1 of course1 to carry all our small baggage ourselves4 ,railway travelling in ,italy is odious4 ,it was very lovely to see ,florence in the distance1 with those domes and towers ,i know so well by heart from pictures1 but we were very limp indeed1 the wearisome train having taken all our enthusiasm away4 ,everything as we arrived struck us as small1 and ,i am still so dazzled by the splendour of ,genoa that my eyes cannot1 as it were1 comprehend the brown1 grey and white tones of this quiet-coloured little city4 ,i must ,florentine myself as fast as ,i can4 ,this hotel is on the ,lung' ,arno1 and charming was it to look out of the windows in the lovely evening and see the river below and the dome of the ,carmine and tower of ,santo ,spirito against the clear sky with1 further off1 the hills with their convents 7alas6 empty now7 and clusters of cypresses4 ,no greater contrast to ,genoa could be than ,florence in every way4 ,oh6 may this city of the arts see me begin 7and finish7 my first regular picture4 ,april #cjth4--,i and ,papa strolled about the streets to get a general impression of #8,firenze la gentile1' and looked into the ,duomo1 which is indeed bare and sad-coloured inside except in its delicious painted windows over the altars1 the harmonious richness of which ,i should think could not be exceeded by any earthly means4 ,the outside is very gay and cheerful1 but some of the marble has browned itself into an appearance of wood4 ,oh6 dear ,giotto's ,tower1 could elegance go beyond this8 ,is not this an example of the complete savoir faire of those true-born artists of old8 ,and the #8,gates of ,paradise'6 ,the delight of seeing these from the street is great1 instead of in a museum4 ,but ,michael ,angelo's enthusiastic exclamation in their praise rather makes one smile1 for we know that it must have been in admiration of their purely technical beauties1 as the gates are by no means large and grand as gates1 and the bronze is rather dark for an entrance into ,paradise6 ,i reverently saluted the ,palazzo ,vecchio1 and am quite ready to get very much attached to the brown stone of ,florence in time4 8,villa ,lamporecchi1 ,may #ast4--,we two and ,papa had a good spell at the ,uffizi in the morning1 and in the afternoon we took possession of this pleasing house1 which is so cool and has far-spreading views1 one of ,florence from a terrace leading out of what ,i shall make my studio4 ,a garden and vineyards sloping down to the valley where ,brunelleschi's brown dome shows above the olives40 ,illustration3 ,,in ,,florence ,,during ,,my ,,studies ,,in _/#fi4 ,our mother did many lovely water colours1 one especially exquisite one of ,fiesole seen in a shimmering blue midsummer light4 ,that1 and one done on the ,lung' ,arno1 to which ,shelley's line 8,the purple noon's transparent might0 could justly be applied1 are treasured by me4 ,she understood sunshine and how to paint it4 8,may #crd4--,i already feel ,florence growing upon me4 ,i begin to understand the love ,english people of culture and taste get for this most interesting and gentle city4 ,the ground one treads on is all historic1 but it is in the artistic side of its history that ,i naturally feel the greatest interest1 and it is a delightful thing to go about those streets and be reminded at every turn of the great ,painters1 ,architects1 ,sculptors ,i have read so much of4 ,here a palace designed by ,raphael1 there a glorious row of windows carved by ,michael ,angelo1 there some exquisite ironwork wrought by some other born genius4 ,i think the style of architecture of the ,strozzi ,palace1 the ,ricardi1 and others1 is perfection in its way1 though at first1 with the brilliant whites1 yellows and pinks of ,genoa still in my eye1 ,i felt rather depressed by the uniform brown of the huge stones of which they are built4 ,no wonder ,i haunt the well-known gallery which runs over the ,ponte ,vecchio1 lined with the sketches1 studies1 and first thoughts of most of the great masters4 ,one delights almost more in these than in many of the finished pictures4 ,they bring one much more in contact1 as it were1 with the great dead1 and make one familiar with their methods of work4 ,one sees what little slips they made1 how they modified their first thoughts1 over and over again1 before finally fixing their choice4 ,very encouraging to the struggling beginner to see these evidences of their troubles6 8,i have never1 before ,i came here where so many of them have lived1 realised the old masters as our comrades2 ,i have never been so near them and felt them to be mortals exactly like ourselves4 ,this city and its environs are so little changed1 the greater part of them not at all1 since those grand old ,michael ,angelesque days that one feels brought quite close to the old painters1 seeing what they saw and walking on the very same old pavement as they walked on1 passing the houses where they lived1 and so forth40 ,i was at that time bent on achieving my first 8great picture10 to be taken from ,keats's poem 8,the ,pot of ,basil02 ,lorenzo riding to his death between the two brothers3 ,so the two brothers and their murdered man ,rode past fair ,florence1 but1 fortunately1 ,i resolved instead to put in further training before attacking such a canvas1 and ,i became the pupil of a very fine academic draughtsman1 though no great colourist1 ,giuseppe ,bellucci4 ,on alternate days to those spent in his studio ,i copied in careful pencil some of the exquisite figures in ,andrea del ,sarto's frescoes in the cloisters of the ,,ss4 ,annunziata4 ,the heat was so great that1 as it became more intense1 ,i had to be at ,bellucci's1 in the ,via ,santa ,reparata1 at eight o'clock instead of #h4cj1 getting there in the comparative cool of the morning1 after a salutary walk into ,florence1 accompanied by little ,majolina1 no signorina being at liberty to walk alone4 ,what heat6 ,the sound of the ceaseless hiss of the cicale gave one the impression of the country's undergoing the ordeal of being frizzled by the sun4 ,i record the appearance of my first fire-fly on the night of ,may #fth4 ,what more pleasing rest could one have1 after the heat and work of the day1 than by a stroll through the vineyards in the early night escorted by these little creatures with their golden lamps8 ,the cloisters were always cool1 and ,i enjoyed my lonely hours there1 but the ,bellucci studio became at last too much of a furnace4 ,my master had already several times suggested a rest1 mopping his brow1 when ,i also began to doze over my work at last1 and the model wouldn't keep his eyes open4 ,i record mine as 8rolling in my head40 ,i see in memory the blinding street outside1 and hear the fretful stamping of some tethered mule teased with the flies4 ,the very ,members of ,parliament in the ,palazzo ,vecchio had departed out of the impossible ,chamber1 and1 all things considered1 ,i allowed ,bellucci to persuade me to take a little month of rest--8un mesetto di riposo0--at home during part of ,july and ,august4 ,that little month of rest was very nice4 ,i did a water colour of the white oxen ploughing in our podere2 ,i helped 787 the contadini to cut the wheat with my sickle1 and sketched them while they went through the elaborate process of threshing1 enlivened with that rough innocent romping peculiar to young peasants1 which gave me delightful groups in movement4 ,i love and respect the ,italian peasant4 ,he has high ideas of religion1 simplicity of living1 honour4 ,i can't say ,i feel the same towards his betters 787 in the ,italian social scale4 ,the grapes ripened4 ,the scorched cicale became silent1 having1 as the country people declared1 returned to the earth whence they sprang4 ,the heat had passed even cicala pitch4 ,i went back to the studio when the 8little month0 had run out and the heat had sensibly cooled1 and worked very well there4 ,i find this record of a birthday expedition3 8,i suggested a visit to the convent of ,san ,salvi out at the ,porta alla ,croce1 where is to be seen ,andrea del ,sarto's #8,cenacolo4' ,this we did in the forenoon1 and in the afternoon visited ,careggi4 ,enough isn't said about ,andrea4 ,what volumes of praise have been written1 what endless talk goes on1 about ,raphael1 and how little do people seem to appreciate the quiet truth and soberness and subtlety of ,andrea4 ,this great fresco is very striking as one enters the vaulted whitewashed refectory and sees it facing the entrance at the further end4 ,the great point in this composition is the wonderful way in which this master has disposed the hands of all those figures as they sit at the long table4 ,in the row of heads ,andrea has revelled in his love of variety1 and each is stamped1 as usual1 with strong individuality4 ,this beautifully coloured fresco has impressed me with another great fact1 viz41 the wonderful value of bright yellow as well as white in a composition to light it up4 ,the second ,apostle on our ,saviour's left1 who is slightly leaning forward on his elbow and loosely clasping one hand in the other1 has his shoulders wrapped round with yellow drapery1 the horizontally disposed folds of which are the ne plus ultra of artistic arrangement4 ,there is something very realistic in these figures and their attitudes4 ,some people are down on me when they hear me going on about the rendering of individual character being the most admirable of artistic qualities4 8,at #c4cj we went for such a drive to ,careggi1 once ,lorenzo de' ,medici's villa--where1 indeed1 he died--and now belonging to ,mr4 ,sloane1 a #8bloated capitalist' of distant ,england4 ,the #8keepsake' beauty of the views thence was perfect4 ,a combination of garden kept in ,english order and lovely ,italian landscape is indeed a rich feast for the eye4 ,i was in ecstasies all along4 ,we made a great dtour on our return and reached home in the after-glow1 which cast a light on the houses as of a second sun4 8,october #ahth4--,went with ,papa and ,alice to see ,raphael's #8,last ,supper' at the ,egyptian ,museum1 long ago a convent4 ,it is not perfectly sure that ,raphael painted it1 but1 be that as it may1 its excellence is there1 evident to all true artists4 ,it seems to me1 considering that it is an early work1 that none but one of the first-class men could have painted it4 ,it offers a very instructive contrast with del ,sarto's at ,san ,salvi4 ,the latter immediately strikes the spectator with its effect1 and makes him exclaim with admiration at the very first moment--at least1 ,i am speaking for myself4 ,the former 7,raphael's7 grew upon me in an extraordinary way after ,i had come close up to it and dwelt long on the heads1 separately2 but on entering the room the rigidity and formality of the figures1 whose aureoles of solid metal are all on one level1 the want of connection of these figures one with the other1 and the uniform light over them all had an unprepossessing effect4 ,artistically considered this fresco is not to be mentioned with ,andrea's1 but then del ,sarto was a ripe and experienced artist when he painted the ,san ,salvi fresco1 whereas they conjecture ,raphael to have been only twenty-two when he painted this4 ,there is more spiritual feeling in ,raphael's1 more dignity and ideality altogether2 no doubt a higher conception1 and some feel more satisfied with it than with ,andrea's4 ,the refinement and melancholy look of ,st4 ,matthew is a thing to be thought of through life4 ,st4 ,andrew's face1 with the long1 double-peaked white beard1 is glorious1 and is a contrast to the other old man's head next to it1 ,st4 ,peter's1 which is of a harder kind1 but not less wonderful4 ,st4 ,bartholomew1 with his dark complexion and black beard1 is strongly marked from the others1 who are either fair or grey-headed4 ,the profile of ,st4 ,philip1 with a pointed white beard1 gave me great delight1 and ,i wish ,i could have been left an hour there to solitary contemplation4 ,st4 ,james ,major1 a beardless youth1 is a true ,perugino type1 a very familiar face4 ,judas is a miserable little figure1 smaller than the others1 though on the spectator's side of the table in the foreground4 ,he seems not to have been taken from life at all4 8,on one of the walls of the room are hung some little chalk studies of hands1 etc41 for the fresco1 most exquisitely drawn1 and seeming1 some of them1 better modelled than in the finished work2 notably ,st4 ,peter's hand which holds the knife4 ,is there no ,modern who can give us a #8,last ,supper' to rank with this1 ,andrea's and ,leonardo's80 ,this entry in my ,diary of student days leads my thoughts to poor ,leonardo da ,vinci4 ,a painter must sympathise with him through his recorded struggles to accomplish1 in his 8,cenacolo10 what may be called the almost superhuman achievement of worthily representing the ,saviour's face4 ,had he but been content to use the study which we see in the ,brera gallery6 ,but1 no6 he must try to do better at ,santa ,maria delle ,grazie--and fails4 ,how many sleepless nights and nerve-racking days he must have suffered during this supreme attempt1 ending in complete discouragement4 ,i think the ,brera study one of the very few satisfactory representations of the divine ,countenance left us in art4 ,to me it is supreme in its infinite pathos4 ,but it is always the way with the truly great geniuses2 they never feel that they have reached the heights they hoped to win4 ,ruskin tells us that ,albert ,drer1 on finishing one of his own works1 felt absolutely satisfied4 8,it could not be done better10 was the complacent ,german's verdict4 ,ruskin praises him for this1 because the verdict was true4 ,so it was1 as regarding a piece of mere handicraft4 ,but to return to the ,diary4 8,we went then to pay a call on ,michael ,angelo at his apartment in the ,via ,ghibellina4 ,i do not put it in those words as a silly joke1 but because it expresses the feeling ,i had at the moment4 ,to go to his house1 up his staircase to his flat1 and ring at his door produced in my mind a vivid impression that he was alive and1 living there1 would receive us in his drawing-room4 ,everything is well nigh as it was in his time1 but restored and made to look like new1 the place being far more as he saw it than if it were half ruinous and going to decay4 ,even the furniture is the same1 but new velveted and varnished4 ,it is a pretty apartment1 such as one can see any day in nice modern houses4 ,i touched his little slippers1 which are preserved1 together with his two walking sticks1 in a tiny cabinet where he used to write1 and where ,i wondered how he found space to stretch his legs4 ,the slippers are very small and of a peculiar1 rather ,eastern1 shape1 and very little worn4 ,altogether1 ,i could not realise the lapse of time between his date and ours4 ,the little sketches round the walls of the room1 which is furnished with yellow satin chairs and sofa1 are very admirable and free4 ,the ,titian hung here is a very splendid bit of colour4 ,this was a very impressive visit4 ,the bronze bust of ,m4 ,a4 by ,giovanni da ,bologna is magnificent2 it gives immense character1 and must be the image of the man40 ,on ,october #bast ,i bade good-bye to ,bellucci4 ,his system forbade praise for the pupil1 which was rather depressing1 but he relaxed sufficiently to tell my father at parting that ,i would do things 7,far delle cose7 and that ,i was untiring 7istancabile71 taking study seriously1 not like the others 7le altre74 ,with this ,i had to be content4 ,he had drilled me in drawing more severely than ,i could have been drilled in ,england4 ,for that purpose he had kept me a good deal to painting in monochrome1 so as to have my attention absorbed by the drawing and modelling and chiaroscuro of an object without the distraction of colour4 ,he also said to me ,i could now walk alone 7pu camminare da s71 and with this valedictory good-bye we parted4 ,being free1 ,i spent the remaining time at ,florence in visits to the churches and galleries with my father and sister1 seeing works ,i had not had time to study up till then4 8,october #bbnd4--,we first went to see the ,ghirlandajos at ,santa ,trinit1 which ,i had not yet seen4 ,they are fading1 as1 indeed1 most of the grand old frescoes are doing1 but the heads are full of character1 and the grand old costumes are still plainly visible4 ,from thence we went to the small cloister called dello ,scalzo1 where are the exquisite monochromes of ,andrea del ,sarto4 ,would that this cloister had been roofed in long ago1 for the weather has made sad havoc of these precious things4 ,being in monochrome and much washed out1 they have a faded look indeed2 but how the drawing tells6 ,what a master of anatomy was he1 and yet how unexaggerated1 how true3 he was content to limit himself to ,nature2 knew where to draw the line1 had1 in fact1 the reticence which ,michael ,angelo couldn't recognise2 could stop at the limit of truth and good taste through which the great sculptor burst with coarse violence4 ,there are some backs of legs in those frescoes which are simply perfect4 ,these works illustrate the events in the life of ,john the ,baptist4 ,here1 again1 how marvellous and admirable are all the hands1 not only in drawing1 but in action1 how touching the heads1 how grand and thoroughly artistic the draperies and the poses of the figures4 ,a splendid lesson in the management of drapery is1 especially1 the fresco to the right of the entrance1 the #8,vision of ,zacharias4' ,there are four figures1 two immediately in the foreground and at either extremity of the composition2 the two others1 seen between them1 further off4 ,the nearest ones are in draperies of the grandest and largest folds1 with such masses of light and dark1 of the most satisfying breadth2 and the two more distant ones have folds of a slightly more complex nature1 if such a word can be used with regard to such a thoroughly broadly treated work4 ,this gives such contrast and relief between the near and distant figures1 and the absence of the aid of colour makes the science of art all the more simply perceived4 ,most beautiful is the fresco representing the birth of ,st4 ,john1 though the lower part is quite lost4 ,what consummate drapery arrangements6 ,the nude figure vue de dos in the fresco of ,st4 ,john baptising his disciples is a masterly bit of drawing4 ,though the paint has fallen off many parts of these frescoes1 one can trace the drawing by the incision which was made on the wet plaster to mark all the outlines preparatory to beginning the painting40 ,these are but a few of my art student's impressions of this fondly-remembered ,florentine epoch1 which are recorded at great length in the ,diary for my own study4 ,and now away to ,rome6 ,,chapter ,,vi ,,rome ,that was a memorable journey to ,rome by ,perugia4 ,i have travelled more than once by that line1 and the more direct one as well1 since then1 and ,i feel as though ,i could never have enough of either1 though to be on the road again1 as we now can be by motor1 would be still greater bliss4 ,but the original journey took place so long ago that it has positively an old-world glamour about it1 and a certain roughness in the flavour1 so difficult to enjoy in these times of ,pulman cars and ,palace ,hotels1 which make all places taste so much alike4 ,the old towns on the foothills of the ,apennines drew me to the left1 and the great sunlit plains to the right1 of the carriage in an embarras de choix as we sped along4 ,cortona1 ,arezzo1 ,castiglione--,fiorentin--each little old city putting out its predecessor1 as it seemed to me1 as more perfect in its picturesque effect than the one last seen4 ,it was the story of the ,rhine castles and villages over again4 ,the ,lake of ,trasimene appeared on our right towards sundown1 a sheet of still water so tender in its tints and so lonely2 no town on its malaria-stricken banks2 a boat or two1 water-fowl among the rushes and1 as we proceeded1 the great1 magnified globe of the sun sinking behind the rim of the lake4 ,we were going deep into the ,umbrian ,hills1 deep into old ,italy2 the deeper the better4 ,we neared ,perugia1 where we passed the night1 before dark1 and saw the old brown city tinged faintly with the after-glow1 afar off on its hill4 ,a massive castle stood there in those days which ,i have not regretted since1 as it symbolised the old time of foreign tyranny4 ,it is gone now1 but how medival it looked1 frowning on the world that darkening evening4 ,hills stood behind the city in deep blue masses against a sky singularly red1 where a great planet was shining4 ,there was a ,perugino picture come to life for us6 ,even the little spindly trees tracing their slender branches on the red sky were in the true naf ,perugino spirit6 ,how pleased we were6 ,we rumbled in the four-horse station 'bus under two echoing gateways piercing the massive outer and inner city walls and along the silent streets1 lit with rare oil lamps4 ,not a gas jet1 aha6 ,but we were to feel still more deeply medival1 whether we liked it or not1 for on reaching the ,hotel de la ,poste we found it was full1 and had to wander off to seek what hostel could take us in through very dark1 ancient streets4 ,i will let the ,diary speak3 8,the facchino of the hotel conducted us to a place little better than a cabaret1 belonging1 no doubt1 to a chum4 ,i wouldn't have minded putting up there1 but ,mamma knew better1 and1 rewarding the woman of the cabaret with two francs1 much against her protestations1 we went off up the steep street again and made for the #8,corona1' a shade better1 close to the market place4 ,my bedroom was as though it had once been a dungeon1 so massive were the walls and deep the vaulting of the low ceiling4 ,we went to bed almost immediately after our dinner1 which was enlivened by the conversation of men who were eating at a neighbouring table1 all1 except a priest1 with their hats on4 ,one was very loquacious1 shouting politics4 ,he held forth about #8,il ,mastai1' as he called ,his ,holiness ,pope ,pius the ,ninth1 and flourished renegade ,padre ,giacinto in the priest's face1 the courteous and laconic priest's eyebrows remaining at high-water mark all the time4 ,the shouter went on to say that ,english was #8una lingua povera e meschina' 7#8,poor and mean'670 ,the next morning before leaving we saw all that time allowed us of ,perugia1 the bronze statue of ,pope ,julius ,,iii4 impressing me deeply4 ,indeed1 there is no statue more eloquent than this one4 ,alas6 the ,italians have removed it from its right place1 and when ,i revisited the city in #aijj ,i found the tram terminus in place of the ,pope4 8,october #bgth4--,after the morning's doings in sunshine the day became sad1 and from ,foligno1 where we had a long wait1 the story is but of rain and dusk and night4 ,we became more and more apathetic and bored1 though we were roused up at the frontier station1 where ,i saw the ,papal gendarmes and gave the alarm4 ,mamma went on her knees in the carriage and cried1 #8,viva ,il ,papa ,r6' ,we all joined in1 drinking his health in some very flat #8red grignolino' we had with us4 ,i became more and more excited as we neared the centre of the earth1 the capital of ,christendom1 the highest city in the world4 ,in the rainy darkness we ran into the ,roman station1 which might have been that of ,brighton for aught we could see4 ,i strained my eyes right and left for ,papal uniforms1 and was rewarded by ,zouaves and others1 and lots of ,french 7of the ,legion7 into the bargain4 ,then a long wait1 in the 'bus of the ,anglo-,american ,hotel1 for our luggage2 and at last we rattled over the pavement1 which1 with its cobble stones1 was a great contrast to the large flat flags of ,florence1 along very dark and gloomy streets4 ,an apartment all crimson damask was ready prepared for us1 which looked cheery and revived us4 8,october #bhth1 #ef1 ,via del ,babuino4--,the day began rather dismally--looking for apartments in the rain6 ,the coming of the cumenical ,council has greatly inflated the prices2 ,rome is crammed4 ,at last we took this attractive one for six months1 #8esposto a mezzogiorno4' ,facing due south1 fortunately4 8,the sun came out then1 and all things were bright and joyous as we rattled off in a little victoria to feast our eyes 7we two for the first time7 on ,st4 ,peter's4 ,papa1 knowing ,rome already1 knew what to do and how best to give us our first impressions4 ,an epoch in my life1 never to be forgotten1 a moment in my existence too solemn and beyond my power of writing to allow of my describing it6 ,i have seen ,st4 ,peter's4 ,no1 indeed1 no descriptions have ever given me an adequate idea of what ,i have just seen4 ,the sensation of seeing the real thing one has gazed at in pictures and photographs with longing is one of peculiar delight4 8,to find myself really on the ,ponte ,sant' ,angelo6 ,no dream this4 ,there is the huge castle and the angel with outstretched wings1 and there is ,st4 ,peter's in very truth4 ,the sight of it made the tears rise and my throat tighten1 so greatly was ,i overcome by that soul-moving sight4 ,the dome is perfect2 the whole1 with its great piazza and colonnade1 is perfect2 ,i am utterly overpowered and1 as to writing1 it is too inadequate1 and ,i do so merely because ,i must do my duty by this journal4 8,what a state ,i was in1 though exteriorly so quiet4 ,and all around us other beauties--the yellow ,tiber1 the old houses1 the great fortress-tomb--oh1 ,mimi1 the artist1 is not all the enthusiasm in you at full power8 ,we got out of the carriage at the bottom of the piazza and walked up to the basilica on foot4 ,the two familiar fountains--so familiar1 yet seen for the first time in reality--were sending up their spray in such magnificent abundance1 which the wind took and sent in cascade-like forms far out over the reflecting pavement4 ,the interior of ,st4 ,peter's1 which impresses different people in such various ways1 was a radiant revelation to me4 ,we had but a preliminary taste to-day4 ,we drove thence to the ,piazza del ,popolo1 and then had an entrancing walk on ,monte ,pincio4 ,we came down by the ,french ,academy1 with its row of clipped ilexes1 under which you see one of the most exquisite views of silvery ,rome1 ,st4 ,peter's in the middle4 ,we dipped down by the steps of the ,trinit1 where the models congregate1 flecking the wide grey steps with all the colours of the rainbow4 8,october #bith4--,papa would not let us linger in the ,colosseum too long1 for to-day he wanted us to have only a general idea of things4 ,those bits of distance seen through triumphal arches1 between old pillars1 through gaps in ancient walls1 how they please6 ,as we were climbing the ,palatine hill a ,black ,franciscan came up to us for alms1 and in return offered us his snuff-box1 out of which ,alice and ,i took a pinch1 and we went sneezing over the ruins4 ,on to the ,capitol1 and down thence homeward through streets full of priests1 monks and soldiers4 ,all the afternoon given to being tossed about1 with poor ,papa1 by the ,dogana from the railway station to the custom-house in the ,baths of ,diocletian1 and from there to the artist commissioned by the ,government to examine incoming works of art4 ,they would not let me have my box of studies1 calling them #8modern pictures' on which we must pay duty40 ,rome under the ,temporal ,power was so unlike ,rome1 capital of ,italy1 as we see it to-day1 that ,i think it just as well to draw largely from the ,diary1 which is crammed with descriptions of men and things belonging to the old order which can never be seen again4 ,i love to recall it all4 ,we were in ,rome just in time4 ,we left it in ,may and the ,italians entered it in ,september4 ,though ,i was not a ,catholic then1 and found delight in ,rome almost entirely as an artist1 the power and vitality of the ,church could not but impress me there4 8,october #cjth4--,this has been one of the most perfectly enjoyable days of my life4 ,papa and ,i drove to the ,vatican through that bright light air which gives one such energy4 ,the ,vatican6 ,what a place wherein to revel4 ,we climbed one of the mighty staircases guarded by the interesting ,papal ,guards1 halberd on shoulder1 until we got to the top loggia and went into the picture gallery1 ,i to enchant my eyes with the grandest pictures that men have conceived4 ,but ,i will not touch on them till ,i go there to study4 ,and so on from one glory to another4 ,we turned into ,st4 ,peter's and there strolled a long time4 ,before we went in1 and as we were standing at the bottom of the ,scala ,regia enjoying the clearness of the sunshine on the city1 we saw the gendarmes1 the ,zouaves and others standing at attention1 and1 looking back1 we saw the red1 black1 and yellow ,swiss running with operatic effect to seize their halberds1 and ,cardinal ,antonelli came down to get into his carriage1 almost stumbling over me1 who didn't know he was so near4 ,before he got into his great old-fashioned coach1 harnessed to those heavy black horses with the trailing scarlet traces1 a picturesque incident occurred4 ,a girl-faced young priest tremulously accosted the ,cardinal1 hat in hand1 no doubt begging some favour of the great man4 ,the ,cardinal spoke a little time to him with grand kindness1 and then the priest fell on one knee1 kissed the ,cardinal's ring1 and got up blushing pink all over his beautiful young face1 and passed on1 gracefully and modestly1 as he had done the rest4 ,then off rattled the carriage1 the ,zouaves presented arms1 salutes were made1 hats lifted1 and ,antonelli was gone4 8,in ,st4 ,peter's were crowds of priests in different colours1 forming masses of black1 purple1 and scarlet of great beauty4 ,two ,oriental bishops were making the round1 one1 a ,dominican1 having with him a sort of ,malay for a chaplain in turban and robe4 ,two others had ,chinamen with pigtails in attendance1 these two emaciated prelates bearing signs of recent torture endured in ,china1 living martyrs out of ,florentine frescoes4 ,yonder comes a bearded ,oriental with mild1 beautiful face1 and following him a scarlet-clad ,german with yellow hair1 projecting ears1 coarse mouth1 and spectacles over his little eyes2 and then a sharp-visaged ,jesuit1 or a spiritual1 wan ,franciscan and a burly ,roman secular4 ,no end of types4 ,one very young ,italian monk had the face of a saint1 all ready made for a fresco4 ,i looked at him in unspeakable admiration as he stood looking up at some inscription1 probably translating it in his own mind4 ,on our way home1 to crown all1 we met the ,pope4 ,his outrider in cocked hat and feathers came clattering along the narrow street in advance1 then a red-and-gold coach1 black prancing horses--all shadowy to me1 as ,i was intent only on catching a view of the ,holy ,father4 ,we got out of the carriage1 as in duty bound1 and bent the knee like the rest as he passed by4 ,i saw his profile well1 with that well-known smile on his kind face4 ,as we looked after the carriages and horsemen the effect was touching of the people kneeling in masses along the way4 ,the sight of ,italian men kneeling is novel to me in the extreme4 8,october #cast4--,i went first1 with ,mamma and ,alice1 to ,st4 ,peter's1 where ,i studied types1 attitudes and costumes4 ,the sight of a ,zouave officer kneeling1 booted and spurred1 his sword by his side1 and his face shaded with his hand1 is indeed striking1 and one knows all those have enrolled themselves for a sacred cause they have at heart--higher even than for love of any particular country4 ,the difference of types among these ,zouaves is most interesting4 ,the ,belgian and ,dutch decidedly predominate4 ,papa and ,i went thence for a fascinating stroll of many hours1 finding it hard to turn back4 ,we went up to ,sant' ,onofrio and then round by the great ,farnese ,palace4 ,the view from ,sant' ,onofrio over ,rome is--well1 my language is utterly annihilated here4 ,how invigorated ,i felt1 and not a bit tired40 ,i have never been able to call up enthusiasm over the ,pantheon1 low-lying1 black and pagan in every line4 ,why does ,byron lash himself into calling it 8,pride of ,rome08 ,for the same reason1 ,i suppose1 that he laments and sighs over the disappearance of ,dodona's 8aged grove and oracle divine40 ,as if any one cares6 ,the view of ,rome from ,monte ,mario1 being the view1 should have a place here as we saw it one of those richly-coloured days4 8,november #crd4--,my birthday1 marked by the customary birthday expedition1 this time to ,monte ,mario4 ,nothing could be more splendid than looked the ,capital of the ,world as it lay below us when we reached the top of that commanding height4 ,the ,campagna lay beyond it1 ending in that direction with the ,sabine and ,alban ,mountains1 the furthest all white with snow4 ,buildings1 cypresses1 pines1 formed foreground groups to the silver city as they only can do to such perfection in these parts4 ,in another direction we could see the ,campagna with its straight horizon like a calm rosy-brown sea meeting the limpid sky4 ,we drove a long way on the high road across the ,campagna ,florence-wards4 ,no high walls as in the ,florentine drives were here to shut out the views1 which unfolded themselves on all sides as we trotted on4 ,we got out of the carriage on the ,campagna and strolled about on the brown grass1 enjoying the sweet free breeze and the great sweep of country stretching away to the luminous horizon towards the sun1 and to the lilac mountains in the other direction4 ,these mountains became tender pink as we went ,romewards1 and when the city again appeared it was in a richly-coloured light1 the ,campagna beyond in warm shadow from large chocolate-coloured clouds which were rising heaped up into the sky4 ,a superb effect40 ,here follow many days chiefly given up to studio hunting and 8property0 seeking for my work1 soon to be set up4 ,models there were in plenty1 of course1 as ,rome was then still the artists' headquarters4 ,how things have changed6 ,i began with a ciociara spinning with a distaff in the well-known and very much used-up costume1 just for practice1 and another peasant girl4 ,then ,i painted1 at my dear mother's earnest desire1 8,the ,magnificat0--,mary's visit to ,elizabeth--and on off days my father and ,i 8did0 all the pictures contained in various palaces1 the ,vatican1 and the ,villa ,borghese1 filling pages and pages of notes in the old ,diary4 ,i felt the value of every day in ,rome4 ,many people might think ,i ought not to have worked so much in a studio1 but ,i think ,i divided the time well4 ,i felt ,i must keep my hand in1 and practise with the brush1 though how often ,i was tempted to join the others on some fascinating ramble may be imagined4 ,soon1 however1 the rains of a ,roman ,december set in1 and ,rome became very wet indeed4 ,our father read us ,roman history every evening when there were no visitors4 ,we had a good many1 our mother and her music and brightness soon attracting all that was nice in the ,english and ,american colonies4 ,dear old ,mr4 ,severn1 he in whose arms ,keats died1 often took tea with us 7we kept our way of having dinner early and tea in the evening71 and there was an antiquarian who took interest in nothing whatever except the old ,roman walls1 and he used to come and hold forth about the 8,agger of ,servius ,tullius0 till my head went round4 ,he kept his own on1 it seemed to me1 by pressing his hand on the bald top of it as he explained to us about that bit of 8agger0 which he had discovered1 and the herring-bone brick of which it was built4 ,often as ,i have revisited ,rome1 ,i cannot become enthusiastic over the discovery of some old ,roman sewer1 or bit of hot-water pipe1 or horrible stone basin with a hole in the bottom for draining off the blood of sacrificial oxen4 ,i always long to get back into the sunshine and fresh air from the mouldy depths of ,pagan ,rome when ,i get caught in a party to whom the antiquarian enthusiasts like to hold forth below the surface of the earth4 ,alice listens1 deferential and controlled1 while ,i fidget1 supporting myself on my umbrella1 with such a face6 ,here is a little bit of ,papal ,rome impossible to-day3 8,november #bith4--,in the course of our long ramble after my work ,papa and ,i1 in the soft evening1 came upon a scene which ,i shall not forget1 made by a young priest preaching to a little crowd in the street before the side door of ,santa ,maria ,sopra ,minerva1 a ,rembrandtesque effect being produced by the two lamps held by a priest at either side of the platform on which the preacher stood4 ,one of these held the large crucifix to which the preacher turned at times1 with gestures of rapture such as only an ,italian could use in so natural a way4 ,to see him1 lighted from below1 in his black habit and hear his impassioned voice6 ,all the men were bareheaded1 and such as passed by took their hats off4 ,penetrating as the priest's voice was1 it was now and then quite drowned by the street noises1 especially the rattling of wheels on the rough stones40 ,the days that follow are filled with my work on 8,the ,visitation10 with few intervals of sight-seeing4 ,then comes the great ecclesiastical event to be marked in history1 which brought all the world to ,rome4 8,opening of the cumenical ,council1 ,december #hth4--,a memorable day1 this6 ,we got up by candlelight1 as at a quarter past seven we were to drive to ,st4 ,peter's4 ,the dreary raining dawn was announced1 just as it broke1 by the heavy cannon of ,castel ,sant' ,angelo1 the flash of which was reflected in the blue-grey sky long before the sound reached us1 and the cannon on the ,aventine echoed those of the ,castel4 ,how dreary it felt1 yet how imposing for any one who has got into the right feeling about this solemn event4 ,on our way we overtook scores of priests on foot1 trying to walk clear of the puddles in those thin1 buckled shoes of theirs4 ,it must have been trying for the old ones4 ,there were bishops amongst them1 too poor to afford a cab4 ,we have seen them day after day thus going to the ,vatican meetings4 ,one great blessing the rain brought3 it kept hundreds of people from coming to the church1 and thus saved many crushings to death1 for it is terrible to contemplate1 seeing what a crowd there actually was1 what it might have been had the building been crammed4 ,entrance and egress were both at one end of the church4 ,that thought must console me for the terrible toning down and darkening of what1 otherwise1 would have been a great pageant4 ,so many thousands of wet feet brought something like a lake half way up the floor2 so slippery was it that1 had the crowd swayed in a panic1 it wouldn't have been very nice4 8,papa and ,i insinuated ourselves into the hedge of people kept back by ,zouaves and ,palatine ,guards1 as we came opposite the statue of ,st4 ,peter1 and ,i eventually got fixed three rows back from the soldiers1 and was lucky to get in so far4 ,i was jammed between a monk and a short youth of the #8horsey' kind4 ,the atmosphere in that warm1 wet crowd was trying4 ,i could see into the ,council ,hall opposite4 ,illustration3 ,,roman ,,impressions ,,in #ahgj4 ,,the ,,last ,,of ,,the ,,riderless ,,horse-,,races1 ,,and ,a ,,wet ,,trudge ,,to ,,the ,,vatican ,,council4 8,the passage kept clear for the great procession was very wide4 ,on the other side ,i could see rows of ,english and ,american girls and elderly females in the best places1 as usual1 right to the front1 as bold as brass1 and didn't they eye the bishops over through their pince-nez6 ,we must have been waiting two hours before the procession entered the church4 ,i ought to have mentioned that the sacred dark bronze statue of ,st4 ,peter was robed in gorgeous golden vestments with a splendid triple crown on its head1 making it look like a black ,pope1 and very life-like from where ,i saw it4 ,it seemed very strange4 8,at last there was a buzz as people perceived the slowly-moving silhouette of the procession as it passed along in a far-off gallery1 veiled from us by pink curtains1 against the light and very high up1 over the entrance4 ,we could see the prelates had all vested by the outlines of the mitres and the high-shouldered look of the figures in stiff copes4 ,as the procession entered the church the #8,veni ,creator' swelled up majestically and floated through the immense space4 ,the effect of the procession to me was nil2 all ,i could do was to catch a glimpse of each bishop as he passed between the bobbing heads of the men in front of me4 ,all the ,european and ,united ,states ,bishops were in white and silver1 but now and then there passed ,oriental ,patriarchs in rich vestments1 their picturesque dark faces 7two were quite brown7 telling so strikingly amongst the pale or rosy ,europeans4 ,each had his solemn secretary1 with imperturbable ,eastern face1 bearing his jewelled crown1 something in shape like the dome of a mosque4 ,one ,oriental wore a jewel on his dusky forehead1 another a black cowl over his head1 shading his keen1 dark face1 the coarse cowl contrasting in a startling way with the delicate splendour of the gold and pink and amber vestments worn over the rough monk's habit4 ,still1 all this could not be imposing to me1 having to squint and crane as ,i did1 seldom being able to see with both eyes at once4 ,i could at intervals see the silvery prelates1 most of them with snowy heads1 and the dark ,easterns mount into their seats in the ,council ,chamber1 our ,archbishop ,manning amongst them4 ,i had a quite good glimpse of ,cardinal ,bonaparte1 very like the great ,napoleon4 ,of the ,pope ,i saw nothing4 ,he was closely surrounded1 as he walked past1 by the high-helmeted ,noble ,guard1 and1 of course1 at that supreme moment every one in front of me strove to get a better sight of him4 ,then ,papa and ,i gladly struggled our way out of the great crowd and went to seek ,mamma1 who1 very wisely1 had not attempted to get a place1 but was meekly sitting on the steps of a confessional in a quiet chapel4 ,mamma then went home1 and we went into the crowd again to try and see the ,council from a point opposite4 ,we saw it pretty well1 the two white banks of mitred bishops on each side and1 far back1 the little red ,pope in the middle4 ,mass was being sung1 all ,gregorian1 but it was faintly heard from our great distance4 8,no council business was being done to-day2 it was only the ,mass to open the meeting4 ,the crowd was most interesting4 ,surely every nation was represented in it4 ,an officer of the #dbnd ,highlanders had an excellent effect4 ,what shall ,i do in ,london1 with its dead level of monotony8 ,oh6 dear1 oh6 dear4 ,i was quite loth to go home4 ,and so the council is opened4 ,god speed60 ,the ,ghetto was in existence in those days1 so ,i have even experienced the sight of that4 ,very horrible1 packed with 8red-haired1 blear-eyed creatures1 with loose lips and long1 baggy noses40 ,thus ,i describe them in this warren1 during our drive one day4 ,what a 8sventramento0 that must have been when the ,italians cleared away and cleaned up all that congested horror4 ,wide1 wind-swept spaces and a shining1 though hideous1 synagogue met my astonished gaze when next ,i went there and couldn't find the ,ghetto4 ,at the end of the year ,la ,signorina ,elizabetta ,thompson had to apply to his ,eminenza ,riverendissima ,cardinal ,berardi1 ,minister of ,public ,works1 to announce her intention of sending the 8,magnificat0 to the ,pope's international exhibition4 ,at that picture ,i worked hard1 my mother being my model for ,our ,lady1 and an old ciociara from the ,trinit steps for ,st4 ,elizabeth4 ,how it rained that ,december6 ,but we had radiant sunshine in between the days when the streets were all running with red-brown rivulets1 through which the horses splashed as if fording a stream4 8,january #beth1 #ahgj4--;,i finished my #8,magnificat' to-day4 ,yet ought ,i to say ,i ceased to paint at it1 for #8finish' suggests something far beyond what this picture is4 ,well1 ,i shall enjoy being on the loose now4 ,to stroll about ,rome after having passed through a picture is perfect enjoyment4 ,i should feel very uncomfortable at the present time if ,i had1 up till now1 done nothing but lionise4 ,i have no hope of my picture being accepted now1 but still it is pleasant to think that ,i have worked hard4 8,february #crd4--,i took my picture to the ,calcografia place1 as warned to do4 ,there1 in dusty horror1 it awaits the selecting committee's review1 which takes place to-morrow4 ,mamma and ,i held it manfully in the little open carriage to keep it from tumbling out1 our arms stretched to their utmost4 ,lots of men were shuffling about in that dusty place with pictures of all sizes4 ,but1 oh6 what a scene of horror was that collection of daubs4 ,oh6 mercy on us4 8,february #eth4--,my #8,magnificat' is accepted4 ,first1 off goes ,mamma with ,celestina to the ,calcografia to learn the fate of the picture1 and bring it back triumphant1 she and the maid holding it steady in the little open carriage4 ,soon after1 off we go to the ,palazzo ,poli to see nice ,mr4 ,severn1 who says he is so proud of me1 and will do all he can to help me in art matters1 to see whether he could make the exhibition people hang my picture well1 as we were told the artists had to see to that themselves if they wanted it well done4 ,i1 for my part1 would leave it to them and rather shirk a place on the line1 for my picture is depressingly unsatisfactory to me1 but ,mamma1 for whom ,i have painted it1 loves it1 and wants it well placed #8so that the ,pope may see it'6 ,from thence off we go to the abode of the ,minister of ,commerce1 ,cardinal ,b41 for my pass4 ,we were there told1 to our dismay1 that we could not take the picture ourselves to the exhibition1 as it was held in the cloisters of ,sta4 ,maria degli ,angeli1 and no permission had yet been given to admit women before the opening4 ,but ,i knew that between ,papa and ,mr4 ,severn the picture would be seen to inside the cloistered walls4 ,after lunch1 off goes ,papa with my pass1 we following in the little open carriage as before1 holding the old picture before us with straining arms and knitted brows1 very much jolted and bumped4 ,we are stopped at the cloisters1 and told to drive out again1 and there we pull up1 our faces turned in the opposite direction4 ,the hood of the carriage suddenly collapses1 and we are revealed1 unable to let go the picture1 with the soldiers collected about the place grinning4 ,papa arrives1 and he and two facchini come to the rescue1 and then disappear with the picture amongst the forbidden regions enclosed in the gloomy ruins of ,diocletian's ,baths4 ,papa1 on returning home1 told me how charmed old ,severn1 who was there1 was with the picture1 and even ,podesti1 the judge1 after some criticisms1 and in no way ready to give it a good place1 said to ,severn he had expected the signorina's picture to be rubbish 7porcheria74 ,i suppose because it was a woman's work4 ,he retracted1 and said he would like to see me4 8,february #adth4--,i began another picture to-day1 after all my resolutions to the contrary1 the subject1 two ,roman shepherds playing at #8,morra'1 sitting on a fallen pillar1 a third contadino1 in a cloak1 looking on4 ,i posed my first model1 putting a light background to him1 the effect being capital1 he coming rich and dusky against it4 ,he soon understood ,i wanted energy thrown into the action4 ,i shall delight in this subject1 because the hands figure so conspicuously in the game4 8,february #aeth4--,i went up alone to the ,trinit to choose the other young man for my #8,morra1' and1 after a little inspection of the group of lolling ,romagnoli1 gave the apple to one with a finely-cut profile and black hair1 the other models1 male and female1 clustering round to hear1 and many bystanders and the ,zouave sentry1 hard by1 looking on40 ,on one evening in this eventful ,roman period ,i had the opportunity of seeing the famous race of the riderless horses 7the barberi71 which closed the ,carnival doings4 ,the impression remains with me quite vividly to this day4 ,the colour1 the movement2 the fast-deepening twilight2 the historic associations of that vast ,piazza del ,popolo1 where ,i see the great obelisk retaining1 on its upper part1 the last flush from the west2 the impetuous waters of the fountains at its base in cool shadow2 ,st4 ,peter's dome away to the left--this is the setting4 ,then ,i hear the clatter of the dragoon's horses as the detachment forms up for clearing the course4 ,the stands1 at the foot of the obelisk1 are full1 some of the crowd in carnival costume and with masks4 ,a sharp word of command rings out in the chilly air4 ,away go the dragoons1 down the narrow ,corso and back1 at full gallop1 splitting the surging crowd with theatrical effect4 ,the line is clear4 ,now comes the moment of expectancy6 ,at that unique starting post1 the obelisk upon which ,moses in ,egypt may have looked as upon an interesting monument of antiquity in pre-,exodus days1 there appear eleven highly-nervous barbs1 tricked out with plumes and painted with white spots and stripes4 ,the convicts who lead them in 7each man1 one may say1 carrying his life in his hand7 are trying1 with iron grip1 to keep their horses quiet1 for the spiked balls and other irritants are now unfastened and dangling loose from the horses' backs4 ,but one terrified beast comes on 8kicking against the pricks0 already4 ,the whole pack become wild4 ,the more they plunge1 the more the balls bang and prick4 ,one furious creature1 wrenching itself free1 whirls round in the wrong direction4 ,but there is no time to lose2 the restraining rope must be cut4 ,a gun booms2 there is a shout and clapping of hands4 ,ten of the horses1 with heads down1 get off in a bunch1 shooting straight as arrows for the ,corso2 the eleventh slips on the cobbles1 rolls over and1 recovering itself1 tears after its pals1 straining every nerve4 ,i hear a voice shout 8,e capace di vincere60 78,he is fit to win607 and in an instant the lot are engulfed in that dark1 narrow street1 the squibs on their backs going off like pistol shots1 and the crackling bits of metallic tinsel1 getting detached1 fly back in a shower of light4 ,the sparks from the iron heels splash out in red fire through the dusk4 ,the course is just one mile--the whole length of the straight street4 ,at the winning post a great sheet is stretched across the way1 through which some of the horses burst1 to be captured some days afterwards while roaming about the open spaces of the ,campagna4 ,it is the dense crowd1 forming two walls along the course1 that forces the horses to keep the centre4 ,this was the last of the barberi4 ,they were more frightened than hurt1 yet ,i am not sorry that these races have been abolished4 ,here follow records of expeditions in weather of spring freshness--to catacombs1 along the ,via ,appia1 to the wild ,campagna1 and all the delights of that ,roman time when the lark inspires the poet4 ,i got on well with my 8,morra0 picture1 which wasn't bad1 and which has a niche in my art career1 because it turned out to be the first picture ,i sold1 which joyful event happened in ,london4 8,march #beth4--,a brilliant day1 full of colour4 ,this is a great feast1 the ,annunciation1 and ,i gave up work to see the ,pope come in grand procession to the ,church of the ,minerva with his ,cross ,bearer on a white mule1 and all the cardinals1 bishops1 ambassadors and officials in carriages of antique magnificence1 a spectacle of great pomp1 and nowhere else to be seen4 ,we did it in this wise4 ,at nine we drove to the ,minerva1 the sun very brilliant and the air very cold1 and soon posted ourselves on the steps of the church in the midst of a tight crowd1 ,i quite helpless in a knot of ,french soldiers of the ,legion1 who chaffed each other good-humouredly over my head4 ,the piazza1 in the midst of which rises the funny little obelisk on the elephant's back1 swarmed with people1 black being quite the exception in that motley crowd4 ,zouaves and the ,legion formed a square to keep the piazza open1 and dragoons pranced officiously about1 as is their wont4 ,every balcony was thronged with gay ladies and full-dressed officers 7some most gallant and smart ,austrians were at a window near us71 and crimson cloth and brocade flapped from every window1 here in powerful sunshine1 there in effective shadow4 ,some dark1 ,florentine-coloured houses opposite1 mostly in shade1 as they were between us and the sun1 had a strong effect against the bright sky1 their crimson cloths and gaily dressed ladies relieving their dark masses1 and their beautiful roofs and chimneys making a lovely sky line4 8,presently the gilt and painted coaches of the cardinals began to arrive1 huge1 high-swung vehicles drawn by very fat black horses dressed out with gold and crimson trappings1 but the servants and coachmen1 in spite of their extra full get-up1 having that inimitable shabby-genteel appearance which belongs exclusively to them4 ,the ,prior of the ,dominicans1 to which order this church belongs1 stood outside the archway through which the ,pope and all went into the church after alighting from their coaches4 ,he was there to welcome them1 and1 oh6 the number of bows he must have made1 and his mouth must have ached again with all those wide smiles4 ,near him also stood the ,noble ,guards and all the general officers1 plastered over with orders2 and all these1 too1 saluted and salaamed as each ecclesiastical bigwig grandly and courteously swept by under the archway1 glowing in his scarlet and shining in his purple4 ,the carriages pulled up at the spot of all others best suited to us4 ,everything was filled with light1 the cardinals glowing like rubies inside their coaches1 even their faces all aglow with the red reflections thrown up from their ardent robes4 ,but there presently came a sight which ,i could hardly stand2 it was eloquent of the olden time and filled the mind with a strange feeling of awe and solemnity1 as though long ages had rolled back and by a miracle the dead time had been revived and shown to us for a brief and precious moment4 ,on a sleek white mule came a prelate1 all in pure lilac1 his grey head bare to the sunshine and carrying in his right hand the gold and jewelled ,cross4 ,the trappings of the mule were black and gold1 a large black1 square cloth thrown over its back in the medival fashion4 ,the ,cross1 which was large and must have weighed considerably1 was very conspicuous4 ,the beauty of the colour of mule and rider1 the black and gold housings of that white beast1 the lilac of the rider's robes1 and the tender glory of the embossed ,cross--how these things enchant me6 ,an attendant took the ,cross as the priest dismounted4 ,then a flourish of modern ,zouave bugles and a sharp roll of the drum intruded the forgotten present day on our notice1 and soon on came the gallant gendarmerie and dragoons1 and then the coach of ,his ,holiness1 seeming to bubble over with molten gold in the sunshine4 ,its six black horses ambled fatly along1 all but the wheelers trailing their long1 red traces almost on the ground1 as seems to be the ecclesiastical fashion in harness 7only the wheelers really pull71 and guided by bedizened postillions in wigs decidedly like those worn by ,english ,q4,c4's4 ,flowers were showered down on this coach from the windows1 and much cheering rang in the fresh1 clear air4 ,i see now in my mind's eye the out-thrust chins and long1 bare necks of a clump of enthusiastic ,zouaves shouting with all their hearts under the ,pope's carriage windows in divers tongues4 ,but the ,english #8,long live the ,pope ,king1' though given with a will1 did not travel as far as the open #8,viva il ,papa ,r' or #8,vive le ,pape ,roi4' ,i put in my ,british #8,hurrah6' as did ,papa1 splendidly1 just as three old and very fat cardinals had painfully got down from ,his ,holiness's high coach and he himself had begun to emerge4 ,we could see him quite well in the coach1 because the sides were more glass than gilding1 and very assiduously did the kind-looking old man bless the people right and left as he drove up4 ,he had on his head1 not the skull cap ,i have hitherto seen him in1 which allows his silver locks to be seen1 but the old-lady-like headgear so familiar to me from pictures1 notably several portraits of ,leo ,x4 at ,florence1 which covers the ears and is bound with ermine4 ,it makes the lower part of the face look very large1 and is not becoming4 ,after getting down he stood a long time receiving homage from many grandees1 and smiled and beamed with kindness on everybody4 ,then we all bundled into the church1 but as every one there was standing on1 instead of sitting on1 the chairs1 we could see nothing of the ceremonies4 ,we struggled out1 after listening a little to the singing1 and ,papa and ,i strolled delightedly to ,st4 ,peter's1 on whose great piazza we awaited the return of the procession4 ,it was very beautiful1 winding along towards us1 with my white mule and all1 over that vast space40 ,remember1 ,reader1 that these things can never more be seen1 and that is why ,i give these extracts in extenso4 ,merely as history they are precious4 ,how we would like to have some word pictures of ,rome in the seventeenth1 sixteenth and fifteenth centuries1 but we don't get them4 ,the chronicles tell us of magnificence1 numbers1 illustrious people1 dress1 and so forth2 but1 somehow1 we would like something more intimate and descriptive of local colour--effects of weather1 etc4--to help us to realise life as it was in the olden time4 ,i think in this age of ugliness we prize the picturesque and the artistic all the more for their rarer charm4 ,after 8,morra0 ,i did a life-size oil study of the head of the celebrated model1 ,francesco1 which was a great advance in freedom of brush work4 ,but the walks were not abandoned1 and many a delightful round we made with our father1 who was very happy in ,rome4 ,the ,colosseum was rich in flowers and trees1 which clothed with colour its hideous stages of seats4 ,the same abundant foliage beautified the brickwork of ,caracalla's ,baths1 but those beautiful veils were1 unfortunately1 slowly helping further to demolish the ruins1 and had to be all cleared away later on4 ,i have several times managed to wander over those eerie ruins in later years by full moon1 but ,i have never again enjoyed the awe-inspiring sensation produced by the first visit1 when those trees waved and sighed1 and the owls hooted1 as in ,byron's time4 ,and then the loneliness of the ,colosseum was more impressive1 and helped one to detach oneself in thought from the present day more easily4 ,now the town is creeping out that way4 8,april #crd4--,our goal was ,santa ,croce to-day1 beyond the ,lateran1 for there the ,pope was to come to bless the #8,agnus ,dei4' ,this ceremony takes place only once in seven years4 ,everything was en petite tenue1 the quietest carriages1 the seediest servants1 but oh6 how glorious it all was in that fervent sunlight4 ,we stood outside the church1 ,i greatly enjoying the amusing crowd1 full of such varied types4 ,the effect of the ,pope's two carriages and the horsemen coming trotting along the straight1 long road from ,st4 ,john's to this church1 the luminous dust rising in clouds in the wind1 was very pretty4 ,the shouting and cheering and waving of handkerchiefs were quite frantic1 more hearty even than at the ,minerva4 ,people seemed to feel more easy and jolly here1 with no grandeur to awe them4 ,his ,holiness looked much more spry than when ,i last saw him4 ,we lost poor little ,mamma and1 in despair1 returned without her1 and she didn't turn up till #g o'clock60 ,the ,roman ,diary of #ahgj must end with the last ,easter ,benediction given under the temporal power1 ,urbi et ,orbi4 8,easter ,sunday1 ,april #agth4--,what a day1 brimming over with rich eye-feasts1 with pomp and splendour6 ,what can the eye see nowadays to come anywhere near what ,i saw to-day1 except on this anniversary here in unique ,rome8 ,of course1 all the world knows that the splendour of this great ceremony outshines that of any other here or in the whole world4 ,mamma and ,i reserved ourselves for the benediction alone1 so did not start for ,st4 ,peter's till ten o'clock1 and got there long before the troops4 ,on getting out of the carriage we strolled leisurely to the steps leading up to the church1 where we took up our stand1 enjoying the delicious sunshine and fresh1 clear air1 and also the interesting people that were gradually filling the piazza1 amongst whom were pilgrims with long staves1 many being ,neapolitans1 the women in new costumes of the brightest dyes and with snowy tovaglie artistically folded4 ,some of these women carried the family luggage on their heads1 this luggage being great bundles wrapped in rugs of red1 black1 and yellow stripes1 some with the big coloured umbrella passed through and cleverly balanced4 ,all these people had trudged on foot all the way4 ,their shoes hung at their waists1 and also their water flasks4 ,as the troops came pouring in we were requested by the sappers to range ourselves and not to encroach beyond the bottom step4 ,here was a position to see from6 ,we watched the different corps forming to the stirring bugle and trumpet sounds1 the officers mounting their horses1 all splendid in velvet housings1 the officers in the fullest of full dress4 ,there was no pushing in the crowd1 and we were as comfortable as possible4 ,but there was a scene to our left1 up on the terrace that runs along the upper part of the piazza and is part of the ,vatican1 which was worth to me all the rest2 it was1 pictorially1 the most beautiful sight of all4 ,along this terrace1 the balustrade of which was hung with mellow old faded tapestry1 and bears those dark-toned1 effective statues standing out so well against the blue sky1 were collected in a long line1 ,i should say1 nearly all the bishops who are gathered here in ,rome for the ,council1 in their white and silver vestments1 and wearing their snowy mitres1 a few dark-dressed ladies in veils and an officer in bright colour here and there supporting most artistically those long masses of white4 ,above the heads of this assembly stretched the long white awning1 through which the strong sun sent a glowing shade1 and above that the clear sky1 with the ,papal white and yellow flags and standards in great quantities fluttering in the breeze6 ,my delighted eyes kept wandering up to that terrace away from the coarser military picturesqueness in front4 ,up there was a real bit of the olden time4 ,there was a feeling as of lilies about those white-robed pontiffs4 ,at last a sign from a little balcony high up on the faade was given1 and all the troops sprang to attention1 and then the gentle-faced old ,pope glided into view there1 borne on his chair and wearing the triple crown4 ,clang go the rifles and sabres in a general salute1 and a few #8evvivas' burst from the crowd1 which are immediately suppressed by a general #8sh-sh-sh1' and amidst a most imposing silence1 the silence of a great multitude1 the ,pope begins to read from a crimson book held before him with the voice of a strong young man4 ,curiously enough1 in this stillness all the horses began to neigh1 but their voices could not drown the single one of ,pio ,nono4 ,after the reading the ,pope rose1 and down went1 on their knees1 the mass of people and soldiers1 #8like one man1' and the old ,pope pressed his hands together a moment and then flung open his arms upwards with an action full of electrifying fervour as he pronounced the grand words of the blessing which rang out1 it seemed1 to the ends of the ,earth4 8,in the evening we saw the famous illumination of the dome of ,st4 ,peter's from the ,pincian4 ,the wind rather spoiled the first or silver one1 but the next1 the golden1 was a grand sight1 beginning with the cross at the top and running down in streams over the dome4 ,as ,i looked1 ,i heard a funny bit of ,latin from an ,english tourist1 who asked a priest #8,quis est illuminatio1 olio o gas8' #8,olio1 olio1' answered the priest good-naturedly40 ,and so our ,papal ,rome on ,may #bnd1 #ahgj1 retreated into my very appreciative memory1 and we returned for a few days to ,florence1 and thence to ,padua and ,venice and ,verona on our way to ,england through the ,tyrol and ,bavaria4 ,what a downward slope in art it is from ,italy into ,germany6 ,we girls felt a great irritation at the change1 and were too recalcitrant to attend to the ,german sights properly4 ,but ,i filled the ,diary with very searching notes of the wonderful things ,i saw in ,venice1 thanks to ,veronese1 ,titian1 ,tintoretto1 ,palma ,vecchio and others1 who filled me with all that an artist can desire in the way of colour4 ,i was anxious to improve my weak point1 and here was a lesson6 ,it is curious1 however1 to watch through the succeeding years how ,i was gradually inducted by circumstances into that line of painting which is so far removed from what inspired me just then4 ,it was the ,franco-,german ,war and a return to the ,isle of ,wight that sent me back on the military road with ever diminishing digressions4 ,well1 perhaps my father's fear1 which ,i have already mentioned in my early #8teens1 that ,i was joining in a 8tremendous ruck0 in taking the field would have been justified had ,i not taken up a line of painting almost non-exploited by ,english artists4 ,the statement of a ,french art critic when writing of one of my war pictures1 8,l',angleterre n'a gure qu'un peintre militaire1 c'est une femme10 shows the position4 ,i wish ,i could have another life here below to share the joys of those who paint what ,i studied in ,italy1 if only for the love of such work1 though ,i am very certain ,i should be quite indistinguishable in that 8ruck40 ,,chapter ,,vii ,,war4 ,,battle ,,paintings ,padua ,i greatly enjoyed--its academic quiet1 its ,shakespearean atmosphere2 and still more did ,shakespearean ,verona enchant me4 ,i had a good study of the modern ,french school at the ,paris ,salon1 and on getting back to ,london rejoined the ,south ,kensington schools till the end of the summer session4 ,then a studio and practice from the living model4 ,in ,july we were all absorbed in the great ,franco-,german ,war1 declared in the middle of that month4 ,it seems so absurd to us to-day that we should have been pro-,german in ,england4 ,this little entry in the ,diary shows how ,bismarck's dishonest manuvres had hoodwinked the world4 8,france will fight1 so ,prussia must1 and all for nothing but jealousy--a pretty spectacle60 ,we all believed it was ,france that was the guilty party4 ,i call to mind how some one came running upstairs to find me and1 subsiding on the top step with ,the ,times in her hand1 announced the surrender of ,mac,mahon's army and the ,emperor4 ,i wrote 8the ,germans are pro-di-gious60 and ,i have lived to see them prostrate4 ,such is history4 ,i was asked1 as the war developed1 if ,i had been inspired by it1 and this caused me to turn my attention pictorially that way4 ,once ,i began on that line ,i went at a gallop1 in water-colour at first1 and many a subject did ,i send to the 8,dudley ,gallery0 and to ,manchester1 all the drawings selling quickly1 but ,i never relaxed that serious practice in oil painting which was my solid foundation4 ,i sent the poor 8,magnificat0 to the ,royal ,academy in the spring of #ahga4 ,it was rejected1 and returned to me with a large hole in it4 ,that summer1 which we spent at well-loved ,henley-on-,thames1 was marred by the awful doings of the ,commune in ,paris4 ,the ,times had a stereotyped heading for a long time3 8,the ,destruction of ,paris40 ,what horrible suspense there was while we feared the destruction of the ,louvre and ,notre ,dame4 ,i see in the ,diary3 8,may #bhth1 #ahga4--,oh6 that to-morrow's papers may bring a decided contradiction of the oft-repeated report that the great ,louvre pictures are lost and that ,notre ,dame no longer stands intact4 ,as yet all is confusion and dismay1 and one clings1 therefore1 to the hope that little by little we may hear that some fragments1 at least1 may be spared to bereaved humanity and that all that beauty is not annihilated40 ,in ,august1 #ahga1 we were off again4 ,from ,london back to ,ventnor6 ,there ,i kept my hand in by painting in oils life-sized portraits of friends and relations and some ,italian ecclesiastical subjects1 such as young ,franciscan monks1 disciples of him who loved the birds1 feeding their doves in a cloister2 an old friar teaching schoolboys1 al fresco1 outside a church1 as ,i had seen one doing in ,rome4 ,for this friar ,i commandeered our landlord as a model1 for he had just the white beard and portly figure ,i required4 ,yet he was one of the most furibond dissenters ,i ever met--a ,congregationalist--but very obliging4 ,also a candlelight effect in the ,church of ,san ,pietro in ,vincoli1 in ,rome2 a large altar-piece for our little ,church of ,st4 ,wilfrid1 and so on1 a mixture of the ecclesiastical and the military4 ,the dances1 theatricals1 croquet parties1 rides--all the old ways were linked up again at ,ventnor1 and ,i have a very bright memory of our second dwelling there and reunion with our old friends4 ,in the spring of #ahgb ,i sent one of the many ,roman subjects ,i was painting to the ,academy1 a water-colour of a ,papal ,zouave saluting two bishops in a ,roman street4 ,it was rejected1 but this time without a hole4 ,this year was full of promise1 and ,i very nearly reached the top of my long hill climb1 for in it ,i began what proved to be my first ,academy picture4 ,what proved of great importance to me1 this year of #ahgb1 was my introduction1 if ,i may put it so1 to the ,british ,army6 ,i then saw the ,british soldier as ,i never had had the opportunity of seeing him before4 ,my father took me to see something of the autumn manuvres near ,southampton4 ,subjects for water-colour drawings appeared in abundance to my delighted observation4 ,one of the generals who was to be an umpire at these manuvres1 ,sir ,f4 ,c41 had become greatly interested in me1 as a mutual friend had described my battle scenes to him1 and said he would speak about me to ,sir ,charles ,staveley1 one of the commanders in the impending 8war10 so that ,i might have facilities for seeing the interesting movements4 ,he hoped that1 if ,i saw the manuvres1 ,i would 8give the ,british soldiers a turn10 which ,i did with alacrity4 ,i sent some of the sketches to ,manchester and to my old friend the 8,dudley40 ,one of them1 8,soldiers ,watering ,horses10 found a purchaser in a ,mr4 ,galloway1 of ,manchester1 who asked through an agent if ,i would paint him an oil picture4 ,i said 8,yes10 and in time painted him 8,the ,roll ,call40 ,meanwhile1 in the spring of #ahgc1 ,i sent my first really large war picture in oils to the ,academy4 ,it was accepted1 but 8skyed10 well noticed in the ,press and1 to my great delight1 sold4 ,the subject was1 of course1 from the war which was still uppermost in our thoughts3 a wounded ,french colonel 7for whom my father sat71 riding a spent horse1 and a young subaltern of ,cuirassiers1 walking alongside 7studied from a young ,irish officer friend71 8missing0 after one of the ,french defeats1 making their way over a forlorn landscape4 ,the ,cameron ,highlanders were quartered at ,parkhurst1 near ,ventnor1 about this time1 and ,i was able to make a good many sketches of these splendid troops1 so essentially pictorial4 ,i have ever since then liked to make ,highlanders subjects for my brush4 ,in this same year of #ahgc my sister and ,i1 now both belonging to the old faith1 whither our mother had preceded us1 joined the first pilgrimage to leave the shores of ,england since the ,reformation4 ,i had arranged with the ,graphic to make pen-and-ink sketches of the pilgrimage1 which was arousing an extraordinary amount of public interest4 ,our goal was the primitive little town of ,paray-le-,monial1 deep in the heart of ,france1 where ,margaret ,mary ,alacoque received our ,lord's message4 ,i cannot convey to my readers who are not 8of us0 the fresh and exultant impressions we received on that visit4 ,there was a mixture of religious and national patriotism in our minds which produced feelings of the purest happiness4 ,the steamer that took us ,english pilgrims from ,newhaven to ,dieppe on ,september #bnd flew the standard of the ,sacred ,heart at the main and the ,union ,jack at the peak1 seeming thus to symbolise the whole character of the enterprise4 ,those ,graphic sketches proved a very great burden to me4 ,nowadays one of the pilgrims would have done all by 8snapshots40 ,i tried to sketch as ,i walked in the processions at ,paray and to sing the hymn at the same time4 ,there was hardly a moment's rest for us1 except for a few intervals of sleep4 ,the long ceremonies and prescribed devotions1 the processions1 the stirring hymns and the journey there and back1 all crowded into a week from start to finish1 called for all one's strength4 ,but how joyfully given6 ,i can never forget the hearty1 well-mannered welcome the ,french gave us1 lay and clerical4 ,the place itself was lovely and the weather kind4 ,it is good to have had such an experience as this in our weary world4 ,the ,bishop of ,salford1 the future ,cardinal ,vaughan1 led us1 and our clergy mustered in great force4 ,the dear ,french people never showed so well as during their welcome of us4 ,it suited their courteous and hospitable natures4 ,most of our hosts were peasants and owners of little picturesque shops in this jewel of a little town4 ,we two were billeted at a shoemaker's4 ,the urbanity of the ,french clergy in receiving our own may be imagined4 ,i love to think back on the truly beautiful sights and sounds of ,paray1 with the dominant note of the church bells vibrating over all4 ,they gave us a graceful send-off1 pleased to have the assurance of our approval of our reception4 ,many compliments on our solide pit1 with regrets as to their own 8lgret10 and so forth4 8,vive l',angleterre60 8,vive la ,france60 8,adieu60 ,,chapter ,,viii 8,,the ,,roll ,,call0 ,i had quite a large number of commissions for military water-colours to get through on my return home1 and an oil of ,french artillery on the march to paint1 in my little glass studio under ,st4 ,boniface ,down4 ,but after my not inconsiderable success with 8,missing0 at the ,academy1 ,i became more and more convinced that a ,london studio must be my destiny for the coming winter4 ,of course1 my father demurred4 ,he couldn't bear to part with me4 ,still1 it must be done1 and to ,london ,i went1 with his sad consent4 ,i had long been turning 8,the ,roll ,call0 in my mind4 ,my father shook his head2 the ,crimea was 8forgotten40 ,my mother rather shivered at the idea of the snow4 ,it was no use2 they saw ,i was bent on that subject4 ,my dear mother and our devoted family doctor in ,london 7,dr4 ,pollard#d71 who would do anything in his power to help me1 between them got me the studio1 ,no4 #gf1 ,fulham ,road1 where ,i painted the picture which brought me such utterly unexpected celebrity4 ,mr4 ,burchett1 still headmaster at ,south ,kensington1 was delighted to see me with all the necessary facilities for carrying out my work1 and he sent me the best models in ,london1 nearly all ex-soldiers4 ,one in particular1 who had been in the ,crimea1 was invaluable4 ,he stood for the sergeant who calls the roll4 ,i engaged my models for five hours each day1 but often asked them to give me an extra half-hour4 ,towards the end1 as always happens1 ,i had to put on pressure1 and had them for six hours4 ,my preliminary expeditions for the old uniforms of the ,crimean epoch were directed by my kind ,dr4 ,pollard1 who rooted about ,chelsea back streets to find what ,i required among the ,jews4 ,one1 ,mr4 ,abrahams1 found me a good customer4 ,i say in my ,diary3 8,dr4 ,pollard and ,i had a delightful time at ,mr4 ,abrahams' dingy little pawnshop in a hideous ,chelsea slum1 and1 indeed1 ,i enjoyed it far more than ,i should have enjoyed the same length of time at a ,west ,end milliner's4 ,i got nearly all the old accoutrements ,i had so much longed for1 and in the evening my ,jew turned up at ,dr4 ,pollard's after a long tramp in the city for more accoutrements1 helmets1 coatees1 haversacks1 etc41 and ,i sallied forth with the #8,ole ,clo6' in the rain to my boarding house under our mutual umbrella1 and he under his great bag as well4 ,we chatted about the trade #8chemin faisant4'0 ,illustration3 ,,crimean ,,ideas4 ,i called ,saturday1 ,december #acth1 #ahgc1 a 8red-letter day10 for ,i then began my picture at the ,london studio4 ,having made a little water-colour sketch previously1 very carefully1 of every attitude of the figures1 ,i had none of those alterations to make in the course of my work which waste so much time4 ,each figure was drawn in first without the great coat1 my models posing in a tight 8shell jacket10 so as to get the figure well drawn first4 ,how easily then could the thick1 less shapely great coat be painted on the well-secured foundation4 ,no matter how its heavy folds1 the cross-belts1 haversacks1 water-bottles1 and everything else broke the lines1 they were there1 safe and sound1 underneath4 ,an artist remarked1 8,what an absurdly easy picture60 ,yes1 no doubt it was1 but it was all the more so owing to the care taken at the beginning4 ,this may be useful to young painters1 though1 really1 it seems to me just now that sound drawing is at a discount4 ,it will come by its own again4 ,some people might say ,i was too anxious to be correct in minor military details1 but ,i feared making the least mistake in these technical matters1 and gave myself some unnecessary trouble4 ,for instance1 on one of my last days at the picture ,i became anxious as to the correct letters that should appear stamped on the ,guards' haversacks4 ,i sought professional advice4 ,dr4 ,pollard sent me the beery old ,crimean pensioner who used to stand at the ,museum gate wearing a gold-laced hat1 to answer my urgent inquiry as to this matter4 ,up comes the puffing old gentleman1 redolent of rum4 ,i1 full of expectation1 ask him the question3 8,what should the letters be80 8,b4 ,o460 he roars out--8,board of ,ordnance60 ,then1 after a congested stare1 he calls out1 correcting himself1 8,w4 ,d4--,war ,deportment60 8,oh60 ,i say1 faintly1 8,war ,department2 thank you40 ,then he mixes up the two together and roars1 8,w4 ,o460 ,and that was all ,i got4 ,he mopped his rubicund face and1 to my relief1 stumped away down my stairs4 ,another ,crimean hero came to tell me whether ,i was right in having put a grenade on the pouches4 8,well1 miss1 the natural hinference would be that it was a grenade1 but it was something like my #8and40 ,desperation6 ,i got the thing 8like his hand0 just in time to put it in before 8,the ,roll ,call0 left--a brass badge lent me by the ,war ,office--and obliterated the much more effective grenade4 ,on ,march #bith and #cjth1 #ahgd1 came my first 8,studio ,sunday0 and ,monday1 and on the ,tuesday the poor old 8,roll ,call0 was sent in4 ,i watched the men take it down my narrow stairs and said 8,au revoir10 for ,i was disappointed with it1 and apprehensive of its rejection and speedy return4 ,so it always is with artists4 ,we never feel we have fulfilled our hopes4 ,the two show days were very tiring4 ,somehow the studio1 after church time on the ,sunday1 was crowded4 ,good ,dr4 ,pollard hired a 8,buttons0 for me1 to open the door1 and busied himself with the people1 and enjoyed it4 ,so did ,i1 though so tired4 ,it was 8the thing0 in those days to make the round of the studios on the eve of 8sending-in day40 ,mr4 ,galloway's agent came1 and1 to my intense relief1 told me the picture went far beyond his expectations4 ,he had been nervous about it1 as it was through him the owner had bought it1 without ever seeing it4 ,on receiving the agent's report1 ,mr4 ,galloway sent me a cheque at once--#abf--;being more than the hundred agreed to4 ,the copyright was mine4 ,the days that followed felt quite strange4 ,not a dab with a brush1 and my time my own4 ,it was the end of ,lent1 and then ,easter brought such church ceremonial as our poor little ,ventnor ,st4 ,wilfrid's could not aspire to4 ,a little more ,diary3 8,saturday1 ,april #aath4--,a charming morning1 for ,dr4 ,pollard had a fine piece of news to tell me4 ,first1 ,elmore1 ,r4,a41 had burst out to him yesterday about my picture at the ,academy1 saying that all the ,academicians are in quite a commotion about it1 and ,elmore wants to make my acquaintance very much4 ,he told ,dr4 ,p4 ,i might get #ejj for #8,the ,roll ,call'6 ,i little expected to have such early and gratifying news of the picture which ,i sent in with such forebodings4 ,after ,dr4 ,p4 had delivered this broadside of ,elmore's compliments he brought the following battery of heavy guns to bear upon me which compelled me to sink into a chair4 ,it is a note from ,herbert1 ,r4,a41 in answer to a few lines which kind ,father ,bagshawe had volunteered to write to him1 as a friend1 to ask him1 as one of the ,selecting ,committee1 just simply to let me know1 as soon as convenient1 whether my picture was accepted or rejected4 ,the note is as follows3 #8,,dear ,,miss ,,thompson1--,i have just received a note from ,father ,bagshawe of the ,oratory in which he wished me to address a few lines to you on the subject of your picture in the ,r4,a4 ,to tell the truth ,i desired to do so a day or two since but did not for two reasons3 the first being that as a custom the doings of the ,r4,a4 are for a time kept secret2 the second that ,i felt ,i was a stranger to you and you would hear what ,i wished to say from some friend--but ,father ,bagshawe's note1 and the decision being over1 ,i may tell you with what pleasure ,i greeted the picture and the painter of it when it came before us for judgment4 ,it was simply this3 ,i was so struck by the excellent work in it that ,i proposed we should lift our hats and give it and you1 though1 as ,i thought1 unknown to me1 a round of huzzahs1 which was generally done4 ,you now know my feeling with regard to your work1 and may be sure that ,i shall do everything as one of the hangers that it shall be perfectly seen on our walls4 ,i am tired and hurried1 and ask you to excuse this very hasty note1 but accept my hearty congratulations1 and ,believe me to be1 dear ,miss ,thompson1 ,most faithfully yours1 ,j4 ,r4 ,,herbert4' ,i trotted off at once to show ,father ,bagshawe the note1 and then left for home with my brilliant news40 ,while at home at ,ventnor ,i received from many sources most extraordinary rumours of the stir the picture was making in ,london amongst those who were behind the scenes4 ,how it was 8the talk of the clubs0 and spoken of as the 8coming picture of the year10 8the hit of the season10 and all that kind of thing4 ,friends wrote to me to give me this pleasant news from different quarters4 ,ventnor society rejoiced most kindly4 ,i went to ,london to what ,i call in the ,diary 8the scene of my possible triumphs10 having taken rooms at a boarding house4 ,i had better let the ,diary speak3 8#8,varnishing ,day1' ,tuesday1 ,april #bhth4--,my real feelings as1 laden like last year1 with palette1 brushes and paint box1 ,i ascended the great staircase1 all alone1 though meeting and being overtaken by hurrying men similarly equipped to myself1 were not happy ones4 ,before reaching the top stairs ,i sighed to myself1 #8,after all your working extra hours through the winter1 what has it been for8 ,that you may have a cause of mortification in having an unsatisfactory picture on the ,academy walls for people to stare at4' ,i tried to feel indifferent1 but had not to make the effort for long1 for ,i soon espied my dark battalion in ,room ,,ii4 on the line1 with a knot of artists before it4 ,then began my ovation 767 7which1 meaning a second-class triumph1 is not quite the word74 ,i never expected anything so perfectly satisfactory and so like the realisation of a castle in the air as the events of this day4 ,it would be impossible to say all that was said to me by the swells4 ,millais1 ,r4,a41 talked and talked1 so did ,calderon1 ,r4,a41 and ,val ,prinsep1 asking me questions as to where ,i studied1 and praising this figure and that4 ,herbert1 ,r4,a41 hung about me all day1 and introduced me to his two sons4 ,du ,maurier told me how highly ,tom ,taylor had spoken to him of the picture4 ,mr4 ,s41 our ,roman friend1 cleaned the picture for me beautifully1 insisting on doing so lest ,i should spoil my new velveteen frock4 ,at lunchtime ,i returned to the boarding house to fetch a sketch of a better ,russian helmet ,i had done at ,ventnor1 to replace the bad one ,i had been obliged to put in the foreground from a ,prussian one for want of a better4 ,i sent a gleeful telegram home to say the picture was on the line4 ,i could hardly do the little helmet alterations necessary1 so crowded was ,i by congratulating and questioning artists and starers4 ,i by no means disliked it all4 ,delightful is it to be an object of interest to so many people4 ,i am sure ,i cannot have looked very glum that day4 ,in the most distant rooms people steered towards me to felicitate me most cordially4 #8,only send as good a picture next year' was ,millais' answer to my expressed hope that next year ,i should do better4 ,this was after overhearing ,mr4 ,c4 tell me ,i might be elected ,a4,r4,a4 if ,i kept up to the mark next year4 ,o',neil1 ,r4,a41 seemed rather to deprecate all the applause ,i had to-day and1 shaking his head1 warned me of the dangers of sudden popularity4 ,i know all about that1 ,i think4 8,thursday1 ,april #cjth4--,the ,royalties' private view4 ,the ,prince of ,wales wants #8,the ,roll ,call4' ,it is not mine to let him have1 and ,galloway won't give it up4 8,friday1 ,may #ast4--,the to-me-glorious private view of #ahgd4 ,i insert here my letter to ,papa about it3 #8,,dearest ----1 ,i feel as though ,i were undertaking a really difficult work in attempting to describe to you the events of this most memorable day4 ,i don't suppose ,i ever can have another such day1 because1 however great my future successes may be1 they can never partake of the character of this one4 ,it is my first great success4 ,as ,tom ,taylor told me to-day1 ,i have suddenly burst into fame1 and this first time can never come again4 ,it has a character peculiar to all first things and to them alone4 ,you know that 8the lite of ,london society0 goes to the ,private ,view4 ,well1 the greater part of the lite have been presented to me this day1 all with the same hearty words of congratulation on their lips and the same warm shake of the hand ready to follow the introductory bow4 ,i was not at all disconcerted by all these bigwigs4 ,the ,duke of ,westminster invited me to come and see the pictures at ,grosvenor ,house1 and the old ,duchess of ,beaufort was so delighted with 8,the ,roll ,call0 that she asked me to tell her the history of each soldier1 which ,i did1 the knot of people which1 by the bye1 is always before the picture swelling into a little crowd to see me and1 if possible1 catch what ,i was saying4 ,galloway's tall figure was almost a fixture near the painting4 ,that poor man1 he was sadly distracted about this ,prince of ,wales affair1 but the last ,i heard from him was that he couldn't part with it4 ,some one at the ,academy offered him #a1jjj for it1 and ,t4 ,agnew told him he would give him anything he asked1 but he refused those offers without a moment's hesitation4 ,he has telegraphed to his wife at ,manchester1 as he says women can decide so much better than men on the spur of the moment4 ,the ,prince gives him till the dinner to-morrow to make up his mind4 ,the ,duchess of ,beaufort introduced ,lord ,raglan's daughters to me1 who were pleased with the interest ,i took in their father4 ,old ,kinglake was also introduced1 and we had a comparatively long talk in that huge assembly where you are perpetually interrupted in your conversation by fresh arrivals of friends or new introductions4 ,do you remember joking with me1 when ,i was a child1 about the exaggerations of popularity8 ,how strange it felt to-day to be realizing1 in actual experience1 what you warned me of1 in fun1 when looking at my drawings4 ,you need not be afraid that ,i shall forget4 ,what ,i do feel is great pleasure at having 8arrived10 at last4 ,the great banker ,bunbury has invited me and a friend to the ball at the ,goldsmiths' ,hall on ,wednesday night4 ,he is one of the wardens4 ,oh6 if you could only come up in time to take me4 ,col4 ,lloyd ,lindsay1 of ,alma fame1 and his wife were wild to have 8,the ,roll ,call40 ,she shyly told me she had cried before the picture4 ,but1 for enthusiasm1 ,william ,agnew beat them all4 ,he came up to be introduced1 and spoke in such expressions of admiration that his voice positively shook1 and he said that1 having missed purchasing this work1 he would feel 8proud and happy0 if ,i would paint him one1 the time1 subject and price1 whatever it might be1 being left entirely to me4 ,sir ,richard ,airey1 the man who wrote the fatally misconstrued order on his holster and handed it to ,nolan on the #beth ,october1 #ahed1 was very cordial1 and showed that he took a keen pleasure in the picture4 ,i told him ,i valued a ,crimean man's praise more than anybody else's1 and ,i repeated the observation later to old ,sir ,william ,codrington under similar circumstances1 and to other ,crimean officers4 ,one of them1 whose father was killed at the assault on the ,redan1 pressed me very hard to consent to paint him two ,crimean subjects1 but ,i cannot promise anything more till ,i have worked out my already too numerous commissions1 old ones1 at the horrible old prices4 ,sir ,henry ,thompson1 a great surgeon1 ,i understand1 was very polite1 and introduced his little daughter who paints4 ,lady ,salisbury had a long chat with me and showed a great intelligence on art matters4 ,many others were introduced1 or ,i to them1 but most of them exist as ghosts in my memory4 ,i have forgotten some of their names and1 as some only wrote their addresses on my catalogue1 ,i don't know who is who4 ,the others gave me their cards1 so that is all right4 ,horsley1 ,r4,a41 is such a genial1 hearty sort of man4 ,he says he shouldn't wonder if my name was mentioned in the ,royal speeches at the dinner4 ,lady ,somebody introduced me to ,miss ,florence ,nightingale's sister1 who wanted to know if there was any possibility of my 8most kindly0 letting the picture be taken1 at the close of the exhibition1 to her poor sister to see4 ,miss ,nightingale1 you know1 is now bedridden4 ,now ,i must stop4 ,more to-morrow4444' ,i remember how on the following ,sunday my good friend ,dr4 ,pollard1 who lived close to my boarding house1 waylaid me on my way to mass at the ,oratory1 and from his front garden called me in stentorian tones1 waving the ,observer over his head4 ,on crossing over ,i learnt of the speeches of the ,prince of ,wales and the ,duke of ,cambridge at the ,academy banquet the evening before1 in which most surprising words were uttered about me and the picture4 8,monday1 ,may #dth4--,the opening day of the ,royal ,academy4 ,a dense crowd before my grenadiers4 ,i fear that fully half of that crowd have been sent there by the royal speeches on ,saturday4 ,i may say that ,i awoke this morning and found myself famous4 ,great fun at the ,academy1 where were some of my dear fellow students rejoicing in the fulfilment of their prophecies in the old days4 ,overwhelmed with congratulations on all sides2 and as to the papers1 it is impossible to copy their magnificent critiques1 from ,the ,times downwards4 8,wednesday1 ,may #fth4--,the ,queen had my picture abstracted from the ,r4,a4 last night to gaze at1 at ,buckingham ,palace6 ,it is now1 of course1 in its place again4 ,went with ,papa to the brilliant ,goldsmiths' ,ball1 where ,i danced4 ,i was a bit of a lion there1 or shall ,i say lioness8 ,sir ,william ,ferguson was introduced to me2 and he1 in his turn1 introduced his daughter and drank to my further success at the supper4 ,sir ,f4 ,chapman also was presented1 and expressed his astonishment at the accuracy of the military details in my picture4 ,he is a ,crimean man4 ,the ,king of the ,goldsmiths was brought up to me to express his thanks at my #8honouring' their ball with my presence4 ,the engravers are already at me to buy the copyright1 but my dear counsellor and friend1 ,seymour ,haden1 says ,i am to accept nothing short of #a1jjj1 and get still more if ,i can6 8,may #ajth4--,the ,dowager ,lady ,westmoreland1 who is about #hj1 and who has lost pleasure in seeing new faces1 when she heard of my ,crimean picture1 expressed a great wish to see me1 and to-day ,i went to dine at her house1 meeting there the present earl and countess1 an old ,waterloo lord1 and ,henry ,weigall and his wife1 ,lady ,rose4 ,the dear old lady was so sweet4 ,she was the ,duke of ,wellington's favourite niece1 and his ,grace's portraits deck the walls of more than one room4 ,her pleasure was in talking of the ,florence of the old pre-,austrian days1 where she lived sixteen years1 but my great pleasure was talking with the earl and the ,waterloo lord1 who were most loquacious4 ,lord ,westmoreland was on ,lord ,raglan's staff in the ,crimea4 8,may #aath4--,received cheque for the #8,san ,pietro in ,vincoli' and #8,children of ,st4 ,francis4' ,my popularity has levered those two poor little pictures off4 ,messrs4 ,dickinson ,co4 have bought my copyright for #a1bjj6660 ,there follows a good deal in the ,diary concerning the trouble with ,mr4 ,galloway1 who made hard conditions regarding his ceding 8,the ,roll ,call0 to the ,queen1 who wished to have it4 ,he felt he was bound to let it go to his ,sovereign1 but only on condition that ,i should paint him my next ,academy picture for the same price as he had given for the one he was ceding1 and that the ,queen should sign with her own hand six of the artist's proofs when the engraving of her picture came out4 ,i had set my heart on painting the #bhth ,regiment in square receiving the last charge of the ,french ,cuirassiers at ,quatre ,bras1 but as that picture would necessitate far more work than 8,the ,roll ,call10 ,i could not paint it for that little #abf--so very puny now6 ,so ,i most reluctantly suggested a subject ,i had long had in petto1 8,the ,dawn of ,sedan10 ,french ,cuirassiers watching by their horses in the historic fog of that fateful morning--a very simple composition4 ,to cut a very long story short1 he finally consented to have 8,quatre ,bras0 at my own price1 #a1abf1 the copyright remaining his4 ,all this talk went on for a long time1 and meanwhile1 all through the ,london society doings1 ,i made oil studies of all the grey horses for 8,sedan40 ,the ,general ,omnibus ,company sent me all shades of grey percherons for this purpose4 ,i also made life-size oil studies of hands for 8,quatre ,bras10 where hands were to be very strong points1 gripping 8,brown ,besses40 ,so ,i took time by the forelock for either subject4 ,i was very fortunate in having the help of wise business heads to grapple with the business part of my work1 for ,i have not been favoured that way myself4 ,there is no mention in the ,diary of the policeman who1 a few days after the opening of the ,academy1 had to be posted1 poor hot man1 in my corner to keep the crowd from too closely approaching the picture and to ask the people to 8move on40 ,that policeman was there instead of the brass bar which1 as a child1 ,i had pleased myself by imagining in front of one of my works1 la ,frith's 8,derby ,day40 ,the ,r4,a4's told me the bar created so much jealousy1 when used1 that it had been decided never to use it again4 ,but ,i think a live policeman quite as much calculated to produce the undesirable result4 ,i learnt later that his services were quite as necessary for the protection of two lovely little pictures of ,leighton's1 past which the people scraped to get at mine1 they being1 unfortunately1 hung at right angles to mine in its corner4 ,what an unfortunate arrangement of the hangers6 ,horsley told me that they went every evening after the closing1 with a lantern1 to see if the two gems had been scratched4 ,they were never seen4 ,i wonder if ,leighton had any feelings of dislike towards 8that girl40 ,she who in her #8teens records her prostrations of worship before his earlier works1 ere he became so coldly classical4 ,it is a curious condition of the mind between gratitude for the appreciation of one's work by those who know1 and the uncomfortable sense of an exaggerated popularity with the crowd4 ,the exaggeration is unavoidable1 and1 no doubt1 passes1 but the fact that counts is the power of touching the people's heart1 an 8organ0 which remains the same through all the changing fashions in art4 ,i remember an argument ,i once had with ,alma ,tadema on this matter of touching the heart4 ,he laughed at me1 and didn't believe in it at all4 8,tuesday1 ,may #abth4--,mr4 ,charles ,manning and his wife have been so very nice to me1 and this morning ,mrs4 ,m4 bore me off to be presented to ,his ,grace of ,westminster1 with whom ,i had a long interview4 ,what a face6 all spirit and no flesh4 ,after that1 to the ,school of ,art ,needlework to meet ,lady ,marion ,alford and other ,catholic ladies4 ,i ordered there a pretty screen for my studio on the strength of my #a1bjj6 ,thence ,i proceeded on a round of calls1 going first to the ,desanges1 where ,i lunched4 ,there they told me the ,prince of ,wales was coming at four o'clock to see the ,ashanti picture ,desanges is just finishing4 ,they begged me to come back a little before then1 so as to be ready to be presented when the moment should arrive4 ,i returned accordingly1 and found the place crowded with people who had come to see the picture4 ,as soon as ,h4,r4,h4 was announced1 all the people were sent below to the drawing-room and kept under hatches until ,royalty should take its departure2 but ,i alone was to remain in the back studio1 to be handy4 ,all this was much against my will1 as ,i hate being thrust forward4 ,but1 as it turned out1 there was no thrusting forward on this occasion1 and all was very nice and natural4 ,the ,prince soon came in to where ,i was1 ,mr4 ,desanges saying #8,here she is' in answer to a question4 ,his first remark to me was1 of course1 about the picture1 saying he had hoped to be its possessor1 etc41 etc41 and he asked me how ,i had got the correct details for the uniforms1 and so on1 having quite a little chat4 ,he spoke very frankly1 and has a most clear1 audible voice40 ,of course1 the photographers began bothering4 ,the idea of my portraits being published in the shop windows was repugnant to me4 ,nowadays one is snapshotted whether one likes it or not1 but it wasn't so bad in those days2 one's own consent was asked1 at any rate4 ,i refused4 ,however1 it had to come to that at last4 ,my grandfather simply walked into the shop of the first people that had asked me1 in ,regent ,street1 and calmly made the appointment4 ,i was so cross on being dragged there that the result was as ,i expected--a rather harassed and coerced young woman1 and the worst of it was that this particular photograph was the one most widely published4 ,indeed1 one of my ,aunts1 passing along a street in ,chelsea1 was astonished to see her rueful niece on a costermonger's barrow amongst some bananas6 ,,chapter ,,ix ,,echoes ,,of 8,,the ,,roll ,,call0 ,on ,may #adth ,i lunched at ,lady ,raglan's4 ,kinglake was there to meet me1 and we talked ,crimea4 ,i had read and re-read his much too prolix history1 which ,i thought overburdened with detail1 giving one an impression of the two ,balaclava charges as lasting hours rather than minutes4 ,but ,i had learnt much that was of the utmost value from this very superabundance of detail4 ,then on the next day ,i rose early1 and was off by seven with the ,horsleys to ,aldershot at the invitation of ,sir ,hope ,grant1 of ,indian celebrity1 commanding1 who travelled down with us4 8,lady ,grant received us at the house1 where we found a nice breakfast1 and where ,i got dried1 being drenched by a torrential downpour4 ,would that it had continued longer1 if only to lay the hideous sand in the ,long ,valley1 which made the field day something very like a fiasco4 ,i tried to sketch1 but my book was nearly blown out of my hand1 my umbrella was turned inside out and my arms benumbed by the cold4 ,m41 most luckily1 was on the field1 and ,mrs4 ,horsley and ,i were soon comfortably ensconced in his hansom cab and trying to feel more comfortable and jolly4 ,when the sham fight began we had to keep shifting our standpoint1 and ,mrs4 ,h4 and ,i had repeatedly to jump out of the hansom1 as we were threatened by an upset every minute over those sandhills4 ,as to the two charges of cavalry1 which ,sir ,hope had on purpose for me1 ,i could hardly see them1 what with the dust storms half swallowing them up in dense dun-coloured sheets and my eyes being full of sand4 ,however1 ,i made the most of the situation1 and hope ,i have got some good hints4 ,i ought to have so much of this sort of thing1 and hope to now1 with all those #8friends in court6' ,when the march past began ,sir ,hope sent to ask me if ,i would like to stand by his charger at the saluting base1 which ,i did1 and saw1 of course1 beautifully4 ,i felt extraordinarily situated1 standing there1 half liking and half not liking the situation1 with an enormous mounted staff of utterly unknown1 gorgeous officers curvetting and jingling behind me and the general4 ,as one regiment passed1 marching1 as ,i thought1 just as splendidly as the others1 ,i heard ,sir ,hope snap at them #8,very bad1 very bad4 ,don't1 don't6' ,and ,i felt for them so much1 trusting they didn't see me or mind my having heard40 ,three days later1 at a charming lunch at ,lady ,herbert's1 ,i met her son1 ,lord ,pembroke1 and ,dr4 ,kingsley1 ,charles's brother--8,the ,earl and the ,doctor40 ,it was interesting to see the originals of the title they gave their book4 ,the next day people came to the ,academy to find1 in place of 8,the ,roll ,call10 a placard--8,this picture has been temporarily removed by command of ,her ,majesty40 ,she had it taken to ,windsor to look at before her departure for ,scotland1 and to show to the ,czar1 who was on a visit4 ,calderon1 the ,r4,a41 whom ,i met that evening1 told me the ,academy had never been receiving so many daily shillings before1 and that it ought to present me with a diamond necklace4 ,and so forth1 and so forth--all noted in the faithful ,diary1 wherein many extravagances of the moment in my regard are safely tucked away4 ,two days later ,i see3 8,may #bjth4--,the ,woolwich review was quite glorious4 ,i went with ,lady ,herbert1 the ,lane ,foxes1 ,lord ,denbigh and ,capt4 ,slade4 ,we posted there and back with two jolly greys and a postboy in a sky-blue jacket4 ,this was quite after my own heart4 ,lord ,denbigh talked art and war all the way1 interesting me beyond expression4 ,we were in the forefront of everything on arrival1 next the ,saluting ,point1 round which were grouped the most brilliant sons of ,mars ,i ever saw gathered together1 and of various nations4 ,the ,czar ,alexander ,,ii4 headed these1 flanked by my two friends1 the ,prince of ,wales and the ,duke of ,cambridge4 ,the artillery manuvres were effective1 and ,i sketched as much as ,i could1 getting up on the box1 ,lord ,denbigh holding my parasol over my head1 as the sun was strong4 ,i suppose people like spoiling me just now1 or trying to40 ,then1 two days later1 ,i note that ,i dined at ,lady ,rose ,weigall's1 my left-hand neighbour at table the ,archbishop of ,york1 ,dr4 ,thomson1 who took in the hostess4 ,he and ,i seem to have talked an immense deal about all sorts of things4 ,he confided to me that his private opinion was that the ,irish ,church should never have been disestablished4 ,in the course of further conversation ,i thought it better to let him know ,i was a ,catholic by a passing remark4 ,i said ,i thought the ,neapolitans did not make such solid ,catholics as the ,english4 ,he stared1 none too pleased6 ,the next night ,i met at the ,westmorelands'1 at dinner1 ,lord ,george ,paget1 ,colonel ,kingscote1 and ,henry ,weigall1 my host of the previous evening4 ,lord ,george was drawn out during dinner about ,balaclava1 and ,i listened to his loud cavalry soldier's talk with the keenest interest4 ,he protested that we were making him say too much1 but we were insatiable4 ,lord ,george was a man ,i had tried to picture2 he was almost the last to ride back from the light cavalry charge4 ,his manner and speech were soldatesque1 his expressions requiring at times a 8saving your presence0 to the ladies1 as a prefix4 ,for me time flew in listening to this interesting ,balaclava hero1 and it was very late when ,i made up my mind to go1 a wiser but by no means a sadder girl4 ,at a dinner at ,lady ,georgiana ,fullerton's my sister and ,i met ,aubrey de ,vere1 who delighted ,alice with his conversation4 ,the general company1 however1 seem to have chiefly amused themselves with the long and1 on the whole1 silly controversy which was appearing in ,the ,times regarding the sequence of the horse's steps as he walks4 ,it began by my horse's walk in 8,the ,roll ,call0 having been criticised by those who held to the old conventional idea4 ,how many hours ,i had moved alongside horses to see for myself exactly how a horse puts his feet down in the walk6 ,i had told many people to go down on all fours themselves and walk1 noting the sequence with their own hands and knees1 which was sure to be correct instinctively4 ,at this same dinner ,lady ,lothian told me she had followed my advice1 and the idea of that sedate grande dame1 with grey hair combed under a white lace cap1 pacing round her room on all fours ,i thought delightful4 ,since those days ,i have been vindicated by the snap-shot4 ,i find many ,diary pages chiefly devoted to preparations for 8,quatre ,bras0 and the doing of several pen-and-ink reminiscences of what ,i had seen at ,woolwich and ,aldershot1 and exhibited at the 8,dudley40 ,some were bought by the picture dealer ,gambart1 and some by ,agnew4 ,one of those pen-and-inks was the 8,halt60--those ,scots ,greys ,i only half saw through the dust storm at ,aldershot pulling up in the midst of a tremendous charge1 very close to us4 ,gambart had come to my studio to see if he could get anything1 and when ,i told him of this 8,halt60 which ,i had just sent to the 8,dudley10 he there and then wrote me a cheque for it1 without seeing it4 ,when he went there to claim it1 behold6 it had already been sold1 before the opening4 ,he was very angry1 and threatened law against the 8,dudley0 for what he called 8skimming0 the show before the public got a chance4 ,but the possessor was1 like ,mr4 ,galloway1 a ,maanchester maan1 and these are very firm on what they call 8our rights40 ,it was no use4 ,i had to make ,gambart a compensation drawing4 ,this introduces ,mr4 ,whitehead1 for whom ,i was to paint 8,balaclava40 ,he had the 8,halt60 tight4 ,on ,corpus ,christi ,day that year ,alice and ,i1 having received our invitations from the ,bishop of ,salford1 of happy pilgrimage memory1 to join in the services and procession in honour of the ,blessed ,sacrament at the ,missionary ,college1 ,mill ,hill1 we went thither that glorious midsummer day4 ,at page #abg of the ,diary ,i have put down certain sentiments about the practice of the ,catholic faith in ,england1 and ,i express a longing to see the ,host carried through ,english fields4 ,i little thought in one year to see my hope realised2 yet so it was at ,mill ,hill4 ,after vespers in the little church1 the procession was formed1 and ,i shall long remember the choristers1 in their purple cassocks1 passing along a field of golden buttercups and the white and gold banners at the head of the procession floating out against a typical ,english sky as their bearers passed over a little hillock which commands a lovely view of the rich landscape4 ,the bishop bore the ,host1 and six favoured men held the canopy4 ,franciscan nuns in the procession sang the hymns4 ,the early days of that ,july had their pleasant festivities1 such as a dinner1 with ,alice1 at ,lady ,londonderry's 7she who was our mother's godmother on the occasion of her reception into the ,catholic ,church7 and the ,academy soire1 where ,mrs4 ,tait invited me and ,dr4 ,pollard to a large garden party at ,lambeth ,palace4 ,there ,i note3 8,the ,royalties were in full force1 the ,waleses1 as ,i have heard the ,prince and ,princess called1 and many others4 ,it was amusing and very pleasant in the gardens1 though provokingly windy4 ,i had a curiously uncomfortable and oppressed feeling1 though1 in that headquarters of the--what shall ,i call it8--,opposition8 ,the ,archbishop and ,mrs4 ,archbishop1 particularly ,mrs41 rather appalled me4 ,but dear ,dr4 ,pollard1 that stout ,protestant1 must have been very gratified40 ,on ,july #dth ,colonel ,browne1 ,c4,b41 ,r4,e41 who took the keenest interest in my 8,quatre ,bras10 and did all in his power to help me with the military part of it1 had a day at ,chatham for me4 ,he1 ,mrs4 ,b4 and daughters called for me in the morning1 and we set forth for ,chatham1 where some #cjj men of the ,royal ,engineers were awaiting us on the 8,lines40 ,colonel ,browne had ordered them beforehand1 and had them in full dress1 with knapsacks1 as ,i desired4 ,they first formed the old-fashioned four-deep square for me1 and not only that1 but the beautiful parade dressing was broken and accident by my directions1 so as to have a little more the appearance of the real thing4 ,they fired in sections1 too1 as ,i wished1 but1 unfortunately1 the wind was so strong that the smoke was whisked away in a twinkling1 and what ,i chiefly wished to study was unobtainable1 i4e41 masses of men seen through smoke4 ,after they had fired away all their ammunition1 the whole body of men were drawn up in line1 and1 the rear rank having been distanced from the front rank1 ,i1 attended by ,colonel ,browne and a sergeant1 walked down them both1 slowly1 picking out here and there a man ,i thought would do for a 8,quatre ,bras0 model 7beardless71 and the sergeant took down the name of each man as ,i pointed him out very unobtrusively1 ,colonel ,browne promising to have these men up at ,brompton1 quartered there for the time ,i wanted them4 ,so ,i write3 8,i shall not want for soldierly faces1 what with those sappers and the ,scots ,fusilier ,guards1 of whom ,i am sure ,i can have the pick1 through ,colonel ,hepburn's courtesy4 ,after this interesting #8choosing a model' was ended1 we all repaired to ,colonel ,galway's quarters1 where we lunched4 ,after that ,i went to the guard-room to see the men ,i had chosen in the morning1 so as to write down their personal descriptions in my book4 ,each man was marched in by the sergeant and stood at attention with every vestige of expression discharged from his countenance whilst ,i wrote down his personal peculiarities4 ,i had chosen eight out of the #cjj in the morning1 but only five were brought now by the sergeant1 as ,i had managed to pitch upon three bad characters out of the eight1 and these could not be sent me4 ,we spent the rest of the day very pleasantly listening to the band1 going over the museum1 etc4 ,i ought to see as much of military life as possible1 and ,i must go down to ,aldershot as often as ,i can4 8,july #afth4--,mamma and ,i went to ,henley-on-,thames in search of a rye field for my #8,quatre ,bras4' ,eagerly ,i looked at the harvest fields as we sped to our goal to see how advanced they were4 ,we had a great difficulty in finding any rye at ,henley1 it having all been cut1 except a little patch which we at length discovered by the direction of a farmer4 ,i bought a piece of it1 and then immediately trampled it down with the aid of a lot of children4 ,mamma and ,i then went to work1 but1 oh6 horror1 my oil brushes were missing4 ,i had left them in the chaise1 which had returned to ,henley4 ,so ,mamma went frantically to work with two slimy water-colour brushes to get down tints whilst ,i drew down forms in pencil4 ,we laughed a good deal and worked on into the darkness1 two regular #8,pre-,raphaelite ,brethren1' to all appearances1 bending over a patch of trampled rye40 ,i seem to have felt to the utmost the exhilaration produced by the following episode4 ,let the young ,diary speak3 8,the grand and glorious ,lord ,mayor's banquet to the stars of literature and art came off to-day1 ,july #bast1 and it was to me such a delightful thing that ,i felt all the time in a pleasant sort of dream4 ,i was mentioned in two speeches1 ,lord ,houghton's 7#8,monckton ,milnes'7 and ,sir ,francis ,grant's1 ,p4,r4,a4 ,as the ,president spoke of me1 he said his eye rested with pleasure on me at that moment6 ,papa came with me4 ,above all the display of civic splendour one felt the dominant spirit of hospitality in that ever-to-me-delightful ,mansion ,house4 ,it was a unique thing because such aristocrats as were there were those of merit and genius4 ,the few lords were only there because they represented literature1 being authors4 ,patti was there4 ,she wished to have a talk with me1 and went through little ,italian dramatic compliments1 like ,neilson4 ,old ,cruikshank was a strange-looking old man1 a wonder to me as the illustrator of #8,oliver ,twist' and others of ,dickens's works--a unique genius4 ,he said many nice things about me to ,papa4 ,i wished the evening could have lasted a week40 ,the next entries are connected with the 8,quatre ,bras0 cartoon3 8,dreadful misgivings about a vital point4 ,i have made my front rank men sitting on their heels in the kneeling position4 ,not so the drill book4 ,after my model went1 most luckily came ,colonel ,browne4 ,shakes his head at the attitudes4 ,will telegraph to ,chatham about the heel and let me know in the morning4 8,july #bcrd4--,colonel ,browne came1 and with him a smart sergeant-major1 instructor of musketry4 ,alas6 this man and telegram from ,chatham dead against me4 ,sergeant says the men at ,chatham must have been sitting on their heels to rest and steady themselves4 ,he showed me the exact position when at the #8ready' to receive cavalry4 ,to my delight ,i may have him to-morrow as a model1 but it is no end of a bore1 this wasted time40 8,july #bdth4--,the musketry instructor1 contrary to my sad expectations1 was by no means the automaton one expects a soldier to be1 but a thoroughly intelligent model1 and his attitudes combined perfect drill-book correctness with great life and action4 ,he was splendid4 ,i can feel certain of everything being right in the attitudes1 and will have no misgivings4 ,it is extraordinary what a well-studied position that kneeling to resist cavalry is4 ,i dread to think what blunders ,i might have committed4 ,no civilian would have detected them1 but the military would have been down upon me4 ,i feel1 of course1 rather fettered at having to observe rules so strict and imperative concerning the poses of my figures1 which1 ,i hope1 will have much action4 ,i have to combine the drill book and the fierce fray6 ,i told an artist the other day1 very seriously1 that ,i wished to show what an ,english square looks like viewed quite close at the end of two hours' action1 when about to receive a last charge4 ,a cool speech1 seeing ,i have never seen the thing6 ,and yet ,i seem to have seen it--the hot1 blackened faces1 the set teeth or gasping mouths1 the bloodshot eyes and the mocking laughter1 the stern1 cool1 calculating look here and there2 the unimpressionable1 dogged stare6 ,oh6 that ,i could put on canvas what ,i have in my mind6 8,july #beth4--,a glorious day at ,chatham1 where again the ,engineers were put through field exercises1 and ,i studied them with all my faculties4 ,i got splendid hints to-day4 ,went with ,colonel ,browne and ,papa4 8,july #bhth4--,my dear musketry instructor for a few more attitudes4 ,he has put me through the process of loading the #8,brown ,bess'--a flint-lock--so that ,i shall have my soldiers handling their arms properly4 ,galloway has sold the copyright of this picture to ,messrs4 ,dickenson for #b1jjj6 ,they must have faith in my doing it well40 ,on ,august #aath ,i see ,i took a much-needed holiday at home1 at ,ventnor2 and1 as ,i say1 8gave myself up to fresh air1 exercise1 a little out-of-door painting1 and ,napier's #8,peninsular ,war1' in six volumes40 ,shortly before ,i left for home ,i received from ,queen ,victoria a very splendid bracelet set with pearls and a large emerald4 ,my mother and good friend ,dr4 ,pollard were with me in the studio when the messenger brought it1 and we formed a jubilant trio4 ,it was pleasant to be amongst my old ,ventnor friends who had known me since ,i was little more than a child4 ,but on ,september #ajth ,i had to bid them and the old place goodbye1 and on ,september #aath ,i re-entered my beloved studio4 8,september #abth4--,an eventful day1 for my #8,quatre ,bras' canvas was tackled4 ,the sergeant-major and ,colonel ,browne arrived4 ,the latter1 good man1 has had the whole ,waterloo uniform made for me at the ,government clothing factory at ,pimlico4 ,it has been made to fit the sergeant-major1 who put on the whole thing for me to see4 ,we had a dress rehearsal1 and very delighted ,i was4 ,they have even had the coat dyed the old #8brick-dust' red and made of the baize cloth of those days6 ,times are changed for me4 ,it will be my fault if the picture is a fiasco40 ,during the painting of 8,quatre ,bras0 ,i was elected a member of the ,royal ,institute of ,painters in ,water ,colour1 and ,i contributed to the ,winter ,exhibition that large sketch of a sowar of the #ajth ,bengal ,lancers which ,i called 8,missed60 and which the ,graphic bought and published in colours4 ,this reproduction sold to such an extent that the ,graphic must have been pleased6 ,the sowar at 8tent-pegging0 has missed his peg and pulls at his horse at full gallop4 ,i had never seen tent-pegging at that time1 but ,i did this from description1 by an ,anglo-,indian officer of the #ajth1 who put the thing vividly before me4 ,how many1 many tent-peggings ,i have seen since1 and what a number of subjects they have given me for my brush and pencil6 ,those captivating and pictorial movements of men and horses are inexhaustible in their variety4 ,i had more models sent to me than ,i could put into the big picture--,guardsmen1 ,engineers and ,policemen--the latter being useful as1 in those days1 the police did not wear the moustache1 and ,i had difficulty in finding heads suitable for the ,waterloo time4 ,not a head in the picture is repeated4 ,i had a welcome opportunity of showing varieties of types such as gave me so much pleasure in the old ,florentine days when ,i enjoyed the ,andrea del ,sartos1 ,masaccios1 ,francia ,bigios1 and other works so full of characteristic heads4 ,on ,november #gth my sister and ,i went for a weekend to ,birmingham1 where the people who had bought 8,the ,roll ,call0 copyright were exhibiting that picture4 ,they particularly wished me to go4 ,we were very agreeably entertained at ,birmingham1 where ,i was curious to meet the buyer of my first picture sold1 that 8,morra0 which ,i painted in ,rome4 ,unfortunately ,i inquired everywhere for 8,mr4 ,glass10 and had to leave ,birmingham without seeing him and the early work4 ,no one had heard of him6 ,his name was ,chance1 the great ,birmingham glass manufacturer4 8,november #bgth4--,in the morning off with ,dr4 ,pollard to ,sanger's ,circus1 where arrangements had been made for me to see two horses go through their performances of lying down1 floundering on the ground1 and rearing for my #8,quatre ,bras' foreground horses4 ,it was a funny experience behind the scenes1 and ,i sketched as ,i followed the horses in their movements over the arena with many members of the troupe looking on1 the young ladies with their hair in curl-papers against the evening's performance4 ,i am now ripe to go to ,paris40 ,so to ,paris ,i went1 with my father4 ,we were guests of my father's old friends1 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,talmadge1 ,boulevard ,haussmann1 and a complete change of scene it was4 ,it gave my work the desired fillip and the fresh impulse of emulation1 for we visited the best studios1 where ,i met my most admired ,french painters4 ,the ,paris ,diary says3 8,december #crd4--,our first lion was ,bonnat in his studio4 ,a little man1 strong and wiry2 ,i didn't care for his pictures4 ,his colouring is dreadful4 ,what good light those ,parisians get while we are muddling in our smoky art centre4 ,we next went to ,grme1 and it was an epoch in my life when ,i saw him4 ,he was at work but did not mind being interrupted4 ,he is a much smaller man than ,i expected1 with wide open1 quick black eyes1 yet with deep lids1 the eyes opening wide only when he talks4 ,he talked a great deal and knew me by name and #8l',appel1' which he politely said he heard was #8digne' of the celebrity it had gained4 ,we went to see an exhibition of horrors--,carolus ,duran's productions1 now on view at the ,cercle ,artistique4 ,the talk is all about this man1 just now the vogue4 ,he illustrates a very disagreeable present phase of ,french ,art4 ,at ,goupil's we saw ,de ,neuville's #8,combat on the ,roof of a ,house1' and ,i feasted my eyes on some pickings from the most celebrated artists of the ,continent4 ,i am having a great treat and a great lesson4 8,december #dth4--,had a supposed great opportunity in being invited to join a party of very mondaines ,parisiennes to go over the ,grand ,opera1 which is just being finished4 ,oh1 the chatter of those women in the carriage going there6 ,they vied with each other in frivolous outpourings which continued all the time we explored that dreadful building4 ,it is a pile of ostentation which oppressed me by the extravagant display of gilding1 marbles and bronze1 and silver1 and mosaic1 and brocade1 heaped up over each other in a gorged kind of way4 ,how truly weary ,i felt2 and the bedizened dressing-rooms of the actresses and danseuses were the last straw4 ,ugh6 and all really tasteless40 ,however1 ,i recovered from the ,grand ,opera1 and really enjoyed the lively dinners where conversation was not limited to couples1 but flowed with great sprit across the table and round and round4 ,still1 in time1 my sleep suffered1 for ,i seemed to hear those voices in the night4 ,how graceful were the ,french equivalents to the compliments ,i received in ,london4 ,they thought ,i would like to know that the fame of 8l',appel0 had reached ,paris1 and so ,i did4 ,we visited ,detaille's beautiful studio4 ,he was my greatest admiration at that time4 ,also ,henriette ,browne's and others1 and1 of course1 the ,luxembourg1 so ,i drew much profit from my little visit4 ,but what a change ,i saw in the army6 ,i who could remember the ,empire of my childhood1 with its endless variety of uniforms1 its buglings1 and drummings1 and trumpetings2 its chic and glitter and swagger3 #ahgj was over it all now4 ,well1 never mind1 ,i have lived to see it in the 8bleu d'horizon0 of a new and glorious day4 ,my ,paris ,diary winds up with3 8,december #adth4--,papa and ,i returned home from our ,paris visit4 ,my eye has been very much sharpened1 and very severe was that organ as it rested on my #8,quatre ,bras' for the first time since a fortnight ago4 ,ye ,gods6 what a deal ,i have to do to that picture before it will be fit to look at6 ,i continue to receive droll letters and poems 7674 ,one ,i must quote the opening line of3 #8,go on1 go on1 thou glorious girl6' ,very cheering40 ,,chapter ,x ,,more ,,work ,,and ,,play ,so ,i worked steadily at the big picture1 finding the red coats very trying4 ,what would ,i have thought1 when studying at ,florence1 if ,i had been told to paint a mass of men in one colour1 and that 8brick-dust08 ,however1 my ,aldershot observations had been of immense value in showing me how the ,british red coat becomes blackish-purple here1 pale salmon colour there1 and so forth1 under the influence of the weather and wear and tear4 ,i have all the days noted down1 with the amount of work done1 for future guidance1 and lamentations over the fogs of that winter of #ahgd-e4 ,i gave nicknames in the ,diary to the figures in my picture1 which ,i was amused to find1 later on1 was also the habit of ,meissonier2 one of my figures ,i called the 8,gamin0 and he1 too1 actually had a 8,gamin40 ,those fogs retarded my work cruelly1 and towards the end ,i had to begin at the studio at #i4cj instead of #aj1 and work on till very late4 ,the porter at ,no4 #gf told me mine was the first fire to be lit in the morning of all in ,the ,avenue4 ,illustration3 ,,practising ,,for 8,,quatre ,,bras40 ,one day the ,horse ,guards1 directed by their surgeon1 had a magnificent black charger thrown down in the riding school at ,knightsbridge 7on deep sawdust7 for me to see1 and get hints from1 for the fallen horse in my foreground4 ,the riding master strapped up one of the furious animal's forelegs and then let him go4 ,what a commotion before he fell6 ,how he plunged and snorted in clouds of dust till the final plunge1 when the riding master and a trooper threw themselves on him to keep him down while ,i made a frantic sketch4 8,what must it be10 ,i ask1 8when a horse is wounded in battle1 if this painless proceeding can put him into such a state80 ,the spring of #ahge was full of experiences for me4 ,i note that 8at the ,horse ,guards' riding school a charger was again #8put down' for me1 but more gently this time1 and without the risk1 as the riding master said1 of breaking the horse's neck1 as last time4 ,i was favoured with a charge1 two troopers riding full tilt at me and pulling up at within two yards of where ,i stood1 covering me with the sawdust4 ,i stood it bravely the second time1 but the first ,i got out of the way4 ,with #8,quatre ,bras' in my head1 ,i tried to fancy myself one of my young fellows being charged1 but ,i fear my expression was much too feminine and pacific40 ,march #bbnd gave me a long day's tussle with the grey1 bounding horse shot in mid-career4 ,i say3 8,this is a teaser4 ,i was tired out and faint when ,i got home40 ,if that was a black day1 the next was a white one3 8,the sculptor1 ,boehm1 came in1 and gave me the very hints ,i wanted to complete my bounding horse4 ,galloway also came4 ,he says #8,quatre ,bras' beats #8,the ,roll ,call' into a cocked hat6 ,he gave me #ejj on account4 ,oh6 the nice and strange feeling of easiness of mind and slackening of speed2 it is beginning to refresh me at last1 and my seven months' task is nearly accomplished40 ,another visitor was the ,duke of ,cambridge1 who1 it appears1 gave each soldier in my square a long scrutiny and showed how well he understood the points4 ,on 8,studio ,monday0 the crowds came1 so that ,i could do very little in the morning4 ,the novelty1 which amused me at first1 had worn off1 and ,i was vexed that such numbers arrived1 and tried to put in a touch here and there whenever ,i could4 ,millais' visit1 however1 ,i record as 8nice1 for he was most sincerely pleased with the picture1 going over it with great gusto4 ,it is the drawing1 character1 and expression he most dwells on1 which is a comfort4 ,but ,i must now try to improve my tone1 ,i know4 ,and what about #8quality'8 ,to-day1 ,sending-in ,day1 ,mrs4 ,millais came1 and told me what her husband had been saying4 ,he considers me1 she said1 an even stronger artist than ,rosa ,bonheur1 and is greatly pleased with my drawing4 ,that 7the #8drawing'7 pleased me more than anything4 ,but ,i think it is a pity to make comparisons between artists4 ,i may be equal to ,rosa ,bonheur in power1 but how widely apart lie our courses6 ,i was so put out in the morning1 when ,i arrived early to get a little painting1 to find the wretched photographers in possession4 ,i showed my vexation most unmistakably1 and at last bundled the men out4 ,they were working for ,messrs4 ,dickinson4 ,so much of my time had been taken from me that ,i was actually dabbing at the picture when the men came to take it away2 ,i dabbing in front and they tapping at the nails behind4 ,how disagreeable60 ,after doing a water colour of a ,scots ,grey orderly for the 8,institute10 which ,agnew bought1 ,i was free at last to take my holiday4 ,so my ,mother and ,i were off to ,canterbury to be present at the opening of ,st4 ,thomas's ,church there4 8,april #aath1 ,canterbury4--,to ,mass in the wretched barn over a stable wherein a hen1 having laid an egg1 cackled all through the service4 ,and this has been our only church since the mission was first begun six years ago1 up till now1 in the city of the great ,english ,martyr4 ,but this state of things comes to an end on ,tuesday40 ,this opening of ,st4 ,thomas's ,church was the first public act of ,cardinal ,manning as ,cardinal1 and it went off most successfully4 ,there were rows of ,bishops and ,canons and ,monsignori and mitred ,abbots1 and monks and secular priests1 all beautifully disposed in the ,sanctuary4 ,the sun shone nearly the whole time on the ,cardinal as he sat on his throne4 ,after ,mass came the luncheon at which much cheering and laughter were indulged in4 ,later on ,benediction1 and a visit to the ,cathedral4 ,i rather winced when a group of men went down on their knees and kissed the place where the blood of ,st4 ,thomas ,becket is supposed to still stain the flags4 ,the ,anglican verger stared and did not understand4 ,on ,varnishing ,day at the ,academy ,i was evidently not enchanted with the position of my picture4 8,it is in what is called #8the ,black ,hole'--the only dark room1 the light of which looks quite blue by contrast with the golden sun-glow in the others4 ,however1 the artists seemed to think it a most enviable position4 ,the big picture is conspicuous1 forming the centre of the line on that wall4 ,one academician told me that on account of the rush there would be to see it they felt they must put it there4 ,this #8,lecture ,room' ,i don't think was originally meant for pictures and acts on the principle of a lobster pot4 ,you may go round and round the galleries and never find your way into it6 ,i had the gratification of being told by ,r4,a4 after ,r4,a4 that my picture was in some respects an advance on last year's1 and ,i was much congratulated on having done what was generally believed more than doubtful--that is1 sending any important picture this year with the load and responsibility of my #8almost overwhelming success1' as they called it1 of last year on my mind4 ,and that ,i should send such a difficult one1 with so much more in it than the other1 they all consider #8very plucky4' ,i was not very happy myself1 although ,i know #8,quatre ,bras' to be to #8,the ,roll ,call' as a mountain to a hill4 ,however1 it was all very gratifying1 and ,i stayed there to the end4 ,my picture was crowded1 and ,i could see how it was being pulled to pieces and unmercifully criticised4 ,i returned to the studio1 where ,i found a champagne lunch spread and a family gathering awaiting me1 all anxiety as to the position of my magnum opus4 ,after that hilarious meal ,i sped back to the fascination of ,burlington ,house4 ,i don't think1 though1 that ,mamma will ever forgive the ,r4,a4's for the #8,black ,hole4' 8,april #cjth4--,the private view1 to which ,papa and ,i went4 ,it is very seldom that an #8outsider' gets invited1 but they make a pet of me at the ,academy4 ,again this day contrasted very soberly with the dazzling ,p4,v4 of #8#gd4 ,there were fewer great guns1 and ,i was not torn to pieces to be introduced here1 there1 and everywhere1 most of the people being the same as last year1 and knowing me already4 ,the same furore cannot be repeated2 the first time1 as ,i said1 can never be a second4 ,papa and ,i and lots of others lunched over the way at the ,penders' in ,arlington ,street1 our hosts of last night1 and it was all very friendly and nice1 and we returned in a body to the ,r4,a4 afterwards4 ,i was surprised1 at the big #8,at ,home' last night1 to find myself a centre again1 and people all so anxious to hear my answers to their questions4 ,last year ,i felt all this more keenly1 as it had all the fascination of novelty4 ,this year just the faintest atom of zest is gone4 8,may #crd4--,to the ,academy on this1 the opening day4 ,a dense1 surging multitude before my picture4 ,the whole place was crowded so that before #8,quatre ,bras' the jammed people numbered in dozens and the picture was most completely and satisfactorily rendered invisible4 ,it was chaos1 for there was no policeman1 as last year1 to make people move one way4 ,they clashed in front of that canvas and1 in struggling to wriggle out1 lunged right against it4 ,dear little ,mamma1 who was there nearly all the time of our visit1 told me this1 for ,i could not stay there as1 to my regret1 ,i find ,i get recognised 7,i suppose from my latest photos1 which are more like me than the first horror7 and the report soon spreads that ,i am present4 ,so ,i wander about in other rooms4 ,i don't know why ,i feel so irritated at starers4 ,one can have a little too much popularity4 ,not one single thing in this world is without its drawbacks4 ,i see ,i am in for minute and severe criticism in the papers1 which actually give me their first notices of the ,r4,a4 ,the ,telegraph gives me its entire article4 ,the ,times leads off with me because it says #8,quatre ,bras' will be the picture the public will want to hear about most4 ,it seems to be discussed from every point of view in a way not usual with battle pieces4 ,but that is as it should be1 for ,i hope my military pictures will have moral and artistic qualities not generally thought necessary to military genre4 8,may #dth4--,all of us and friends to the ,academy1 where we had a lively lunch1 ,mamma nearly all the time in #8my crowd1' half delighted with the success and half terrified at the danger the picture was in from the eagerness of the curious multitude4 ,i just furtively glanced between the people1 and could only see a head of a soldier at a time4 ,a nice notion the public must have of the tout ensemble of my production60 ,i was afloat on the ,london season again1 sometimes with my father1 or with ,dr4 ,pollard4 ,my dear mother did not now go out in the evenings1 being too fatigued from her most regrettable sleeplessness4 ,there was a dinner or ,at ,home nearly every day1 and occasionally a dance or a ball4 ,at one of the latter my partner informed me that ,miss ,thompson was to be there that evening4 ,all this was fun for the time4 ,at a crowded afternoon ,at ,home at the ,campanas'1 where all the singers from the opera were herded1 and nearly cracked the too-narrow walls of those tiny rooms by the concussion of the sound issuing from their wonderful throats1 ,i met ,salvini4 8,having his #8,otello1' which we saw the other night1 fresh in my mind1 ,i tried to enthuse about it to him1 but became so tongue-tied with nervousness that ,i could only feebly say #8,quasi1 quasi piangevo6' #8,o6 non bisogna piangere1' poor ,salvini kindly answered4 ,to tell him ,i nearly cried6 ,to tell the truth1 ,i was much too painfully impressed by the terrific realism of the murder of ,desdemona and of ,othello's suicide to cry4 ,i have been told that1 when ,othello is chasing ,desdemona round the room and finally catches her for the murder1 women in the audience have been known to cry out #8,don't6' ,and ,i told him ,i nearly cried6 ,ugh60 ,after this ,i went to ,great ,marlow for fresh air with my mother1 and worked up an oil picture of a scout of the #crd ,dragoon ,guards whom ,i saw at ,aldershot1 getting the landscape at ,marlow4 ,it has since been engraved4 ,by the middle of ,june ,i was at work in the studio once more4 ,the evenings brought their diversions4 ,under ,mrs4 ,owen ,lewis's chaperonage ,i went to ,lady ,petre's ,at ,home one evening1 where #fjj guests were assembled 8to meet ,h4,e4 the ,cardinal40#e ,i record that 8,i enjoyed it very much1 though people did nothing but talk at the top of their voices as they wriggled about in the dense crowd which they helped to swell4 ,they say it is a characteristic of these ,catholic parties that the talk is so loud1 as everybody knows everybody intimately6 ,i met many people ,i knew1 and my dear chaperon introduced lots of people to me4 ,i had a longish talk with ,h4,e41 who scolded me1 half seriously1 for not having come to see him4 ,i was aware of an extra interest in me in those orthodox rooms1 and was much amused at an enthusiastic woman asking1 repeatedly1 whether ,i was there4 ,these fleeting experiences instruct one as they fly4 ,now ,i know what it feels like to be #8the fashion4'0 ,other festivities have their record3 8,i went to a very nice garden party at the house of the great engineer1 ,mr4 ,fowler1 where the usual sort of thing concerning me went on--introductions of #8grateful' people in large numbers who1 most of them1 poured out their heartfelt767 feelings about me and my work4 ,i can stand a surprising amount of this1 and am by no means blase yet4 ,mr4 ,fowler has a very choice collection of modern pictures1 which ,i much enjoyed40 ,again3 8,the dinner at the ,millais' was nice1 but its great attraction was ,heilbuth's being there1 one of my greatest admirations as regards his particular line--characteristic scenes of ,roman ecclesiastical life such as ,i so much enjoyed in ,rome4 ,i told ,millais ,i had had ,heilbuth's photograph in my album for years4 #8,do you hear that1 ,heilbuth8' he shouted4 ,to my disgust he was portioned off to some one else to go in to dinner1 but ,i had de ,nittis1 a very clever ,neapolitan artist1 and1 what with him and ,heilbuth and ,hall and ,tissot1 we talked more ,french and ,italian than ,english that evening4 ,millais was so genial and cordial1 and in seeing me into the carriage he hinted very broadly that ,i was soon to have what ,i #8most t'oroughly deserved'--that is1 my election as ,a4,r4,a4 ,he pronounced the #8th' like that1 and with great emphasis4 ,was that the ,jersey touch80 ,in ,july ,i saw de ,neuville's remarkable 8,street ,combat10 which made a deep impression on me4 ,i went also to see the field day at ,aldershot1 a great success1 with splendid weather4 ,after the 8battle10 ,captain ,cardew took us over several camps1 and showed us the stables and many things which interested me greatly and gave me many ideas4 ,the entry for ,july #agth says3 8,arranging the composition for my #8,balaclava' in the morning1 and at #a4cj came my dear hussar1#f who has sat on his fiery chestnut for me already1 on a fine bay1 for my left-hand horse in the new picture4 ,i have been leading such a life amongst the jarring accounts of the ,crimean men ,i have had in my studio to consult4 ,some contradict each other flatly4 ,when ,col4 ,c4 saw my rough charcoal sketch on the wall1 he said no dress caps were worn in that charge1 and coolly rubbed them off1 and with a piece of charcoal put mean little forage caps on all the heads 7on the wrong side1 too671 and contentedly marched out of the door4 ,in comes an old #agth ,lancer sergeant1 and ,i tell him what has been done to my cartoon4 #8,well1 miss1' says he1 #8all ,i can tell you is that my dress cap went into the charge and my dress cap came out of it6' ,on went the dress caps again and up went my spirits1 so dashed by ,col4 ,c4 ,to my delight this lancer veteran has kept his very uniform--somewhat moth-eaten1 but the real original1 and he will lend it to me4 ,i can get the splendid headdress of the #agth1 the #8,death or ,glory ,boys1' of that period at a military tailor's40 ,the ,lord ,mayor's splendid banquet to the ,royal ,academicians and distinguished 8outsiders0 was in many respects a repetition of the last but with the difference that the assembly was almost entirely composed of artists4 8,i went with ,papa1 and ,i must say1 as my name was shouted out and we passed through the lane of people to where the ,lord ,mayor and ,lady ,mayoress were standing to receive their guests1 ,i felt a momentary stroke of nervousness1 for people were standing there to see who was arriving1 and every eye was upon me4 ,i was mentioned in three or four speeches4 ,the ,lord ,mayor1 looking at me1 said that he was honoured to have amongst his guests ,miss ,thompson 7cheers71 and ,major ,knollys brought in #8,the ,roll ,call' and #8,quatre ,bras' amidst clamour1 while ,sir ,henry ,cole's allusion to my possible election as an ,a4,r4,a4 was equally well received4 ,i felt very glad as ,i sat there and heard my present work cheered2 for in that hall1 last year1 ,i had still the great ordeal to go through of painting1 and painting successfully1 my next picture1 and that was now a fait accompli40 ,a rainy ,july sadly hindered me from seeing as much as ,i had hoped to see of the ,aldershot manuvres4 ,on one lovely day1 however1 ,papa and ,i went down in the special train with the ,prince of ,wales1 the ,duke of ,cambridge1 and all the 8cocked hats40 ,in our compartment was ,lord ,dufferin1 who1 on hearing my name1 asked to be introduced and proved a most charming companion1 and what he said about 8,quatre ,bras0 was nice4 ,he was only in ,england on a short furlough from ,canada1 and did not see my 8,roll ,call40 8,at the station at ,farnborough the picturesqueness began with the gay groups of the escort1 and other soldiers and general officers1 all in war trim1 moving about in the sunshine1 while in the background slowly passed1 heavily laden1 the ,army on the march to the scene of action4 ,papa and ,i and ,major ,bethune took a carriage and slowly followed the march1 ,i standing up to see all ,i could4 8,we were soon overtaken by the brilliant staff1 and saluted as it flashed past by many of its gallant members1 including the dashing ,baron de ,grancey in his sky blue ,chasseurs d',afrique uniform4 ,poor ,lord ,dufferin in civilian dress--frock coat and tall hat--had to ride a rough-trotting troop horse1 as his own horse never turned up at the station4 ,a trooper was ordered to dismount1 and the elegant ,lord ,dufferin took his place in the black sheepskin saddle4 ,he did all with perfect grace1 and ,i see him now1 as he passed our carriage1 lift his hat with a smiling bow1 as though he was riding the smoothest of ,arabs4 ,the country was lovely4 ,all the heather out and the fir woods aromatic4 ,in one village regiments were standing in the streets1 others defiling into woods and all sorts of artillery1 ambulance1 and engineer waggons lumbering along with a dull roll very suggestive of real war4 ,at this village the two ,army ,corps separated to become enemies1 the one distinguished from the other by the men of one side wearing broad white bands round their headdresses4 ,this gave the wearers a rather savage look which ,i much enjoyed4 ,it made their already brown faces look still grimmer4 ,of course1 our driver took the wrong road and we saw nothing of the actual battle1 but distant puffs of smoke4 ,however1 ,i saw all the march back to ,aldershot1 and really1 what with the full ambulances1 the men lying exhausted 7sic7 by the roadside1 or limping along1 and the cheers and songs of the dirty1 begrimed troops1 it was not so unlike war4 ,at the ,north ,camp ,sir ,henry de ,bathe was introduced1 and ,papa and ,i stood by him as the troops came in40 ,a day or two later ,i was in the ,long ,valley where the most splendid military spectacle was given us1 some #bb1jjj being paraded in the glorious sunshine and effective cloud shadows in one of the most striking landscapes ,i have seen in ,england4 8,it was very instructive to me10 ,i write1 8to see the difference in the appearance of the men to-day from that which they presented on ,thursday4 ,their very faces seemed different2 clean1 open and good-looking1 whereas on ,thursday ,i wondered that ,british soldiers could look as they did4 ,the infantry in particular1 on that day1 seemed changed2 they looked almost savage1 so distorted were their faces with powder and dirt and deep lines caused by the glare of the sun4 ,i was well within the limits when ,i painted my #bhth in square4 ,i suppose it would not have done to be realistic to the fullest extent4 ,the lunch at the ,welsh ,fusiliers' mess in a tent ,i thought very nice4 ,papa came down for the day4 ,it is very good of him4 ,i don't think he approves of my being so much on my own hook4 ,but things can't help being rather abnormal40 ,here follows another fresh air holiday at my grandparents' at ,worthing 7where ,i rode with my grandfather71 finishing up with a visit which ,i shall always remember with pleasure--,i ought to say gratitude--not only for its own sake1 but for all the enjoyment it obtained for me in ,italy4 ,that ,august ,i was a guest of the ,higford-,burrs at ,aldermaston ,court1 an ,elizabethan house standing in a big ,berkshire park4 8,i arrived just as the company were finishing dinner4 ,i was welcomed with open arms4 ,mrs4 ,higford-,burr embraced me1 although ,i have only seen her twice before1 and ,i was made to sit down at table in my travelling dress1 positively declining to recall dishes1 hating a fuss as ,i do4 ,the dessert was pleasant because every one made me feel at home1 especially ,mrs4 ,janet ,ross1 daughter of the ,lady ,duff ,gordon whose writings had made me long to see the ,nile in my childhood4 ,there are five lakes in the ,park1 and one part is a heather-covered ,common1 of which ,i have made eight oil sketches on my little panels1 so that ,i have had the pleasure of working hard and enjoying the society of most delightful people4 ,there were always other guests at dinner besides the house party1 and the average number who sat down was eighteen4 ,besides ,mrs4 ,ross were ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,layard1 he the ,nineveh explorer1 and now ,ambassador at ,madrid1 the ,poynters1 ,r4,a41 the ,misses ,duff ,gordon1 and others1 in the house4 ,mrs4 ,burr with her great tact allowed me to absent myself between breakfast and tea1 taking my sandwiches and paints with me to the moor40 ,days at ,worthing followed1 where my mother and ,i painted all day on the ,downs1 ,i with my 8,balaclava0 in view1 which required a valley and low hills4 ,my mother's help was of great value1 as ,i had not had much time to practise landscape up to then4 ,then came my visit1 with ,alice1 to ,newcastle1 where 8,quatre ,bras0 was being exhibited1 to be followed by our visit at ,mrs4 ,ross's ,villa near ,florence1 whither she had invited us when at ,aldermaston1 to see the ftes in honour of ,michael ,angelo4 8,we left for ,newcastle by the #8,flying ,scotchman' from ,king's ,cross at #aj a4m41 and had a flying shot at ,peterborough and ,york ,cathedrals1 and a fine flying view of ,durham4 ,newcastle impressed us very much as we thundered over the iron bridge across the ,tyne and looked down on the smoke-shrouded1 red-roofed city belching forth black and brown smoke and jets of white steam in all directions4 ,it rises in fine masses up from the turbid flood of the dark river1 and has a lurid grandeur quite novel to us4 ,i could not help admiring it1 though1 as it were1 under protest1 for it seems to me something like a sin to obscure the light of ,heaven when it is not necessary4 ,the laws for consuming factory smoke are quite disregarded here4 ,mrs4 ,mawson1 representing the firm at whose gallery #8,quatre ,bras' is being exhibited1 was awaiting our arrival1 and was to be our hostess4 ,we were honoured and fted in the way of the warm-hearted ,north4 ,nothing could have been more successful than our visit in its way4 ,these ,northerners are most hospitable1 and we are delighted with them4 ,they have quite a cachet of their own1 so cultured and well read on the top of their intense commercialism--far more responsive in conversation than many society people ,i know #8down ,south4' ,we had a day at ,durham under ,mrs4 ,mawson's wing1 visiting that finest of all ,english ,cathedrals 7to my mind71 and the ,bishop's palace1 etc4 ,we rested at the ,dean's1 where1 of course1 ,i was asked for my autograph4 ,i already find how interested the people are about here1 more even than in other parts where ,i have been4 ,durham is a place ,i loved before ,i saw it4 ,the way that grand mass of ,norman architecture rises abruptly from the woods that slope sheer down to the calm river is a unique thing4 ,of course1 the smoky atmosphere makes architectural ornament look shallow by dimming the deep shadows of carvings1 etc4--a great pity4 ,on our return we took another lion en passant--my picture at ,newcastle1 and most delighted ,i was to find it so well lighted4 ,i may say ,i have never seen it properly before1 because it never looked so well in my studio1 and as to the ,black ,hole----6 ,what people they are up here for shaking hands6 ,when some one is brought up to me the introducer puts it in this way3 #8,mr4 ,so-and-,so wishes very much to have the honour of shaking hands with you1 ,miss ,thompson4' ,there is a straight-forward ring in their speech which ,i like40 ,we were up one morning at #d4cj to be off to ,scotland for the day4 ,at ,berwick the rainy weather lifted and we were delighted by the look of the old ,border town on its promontory by the broad and shining ,tweed4 ,passing over the long bridge1 which has such a fine effect spanning the river1 we were pleased to find ourselves in a country new to us4 ,edinburgh struck us very much1 for we had never quite believed in it1 and thought it was 8all the brag of the ,scotch10 but we were converted4 ,it is so like a fine old ,continental city--nothing reminds one of ,england1 and yet there is a ,scotchiness about it which gives it a sentiment of its own4 ,our towns are1 as a rule1 so poorly situated1 but ,edinburgh has the advantage of being built on steep hills and of being back-grounded by great crags which give it a most majestic look4 ,the grey colour of the city is fine1 and the houses1 nearly all gabled and very tall1 are exceedingly picturesque1 and none have those vile1 black1 wriggling chimney pots which disfigure what sky lines our towns may have4 ,i was delighted to see so many women with white caps and tartan shawls and the children barefoot2 picturesque horse harness2 plenty of kilted soldiers4 ,we did all the lions1 including the garrison fortress where the ,cameron ,highlanders were1 and where ,colonel ,miller1 of ,parkhurst memory1 came out1 very pleased to speak to me and escort us about4 ,he had the water colour ,i gave him of his charger1 done at ,parkhurst in the old ,ventnor days4 ,our return to ,newcastle was made in glorious sunshine1 and we greedily devoured the peculiarly sweet and remote-looking scenes we passed through4 ,i shall long remember ,newcastle at sunset on that evening1 ,then1 ,i will say1 the smoke looked grand4 ,they asked me to look at my picture by gas light4 ,the sixpenny crowd was there1 the men touching their caps as ,i passed4 ,in the street they formed a lane for me to pass to the carriage4 8,what nice people60 ,i exclaim in the ,diary4 ,all the morning of our departure ,i was employed in sitting for my photograph1 looking at productions of local artists and calling on the ,bishop and the ,protestant ,vicar4 ,one man had carved a chair which was to be dedicated to me4 ,i was quaintly enthroned on it4 ,all this was done on our way to the station1 where we lunched under dozens of eyes1 and on the platform a crowd was assembled4 ,i read3 8,several local dignitaries were introduced and #8shook hands1' as also the #8,gentlemen of the local ,press4' ,as ,i said a few words to each the crowd saw me over the barriers1 which made me get quite hot and ,i was rather glad when the train drew up and we could get into our carriage4 ,the farewell handshakings at the door may be imagined4 ,we left in a cloud of waving handkerchiefs and hats4 ,i don't know that ,i respond sufficiently to all this4 ,frankly1 my picture being made so much of pleases me most satisfactorily1 but the personal part of the tribute makes me curiously uncomfortable when coming in this way40 ,ruskin wrote a pamphlet on that year's ,academy in which he told the world that he had approached 8,quatre ,bras0 with 8iniquitous prejudice0 as being the work of a woman4 ,he had always held that no woman could paint1 and he accounted for my work being what he found it as being that of an ,amazon4 ,i was very pleased to see myself in the character of an ,amazon4 ,,chapter ,,xi ,,to ,,florence ,,and ,,back ,we started on our most delightful journey to ,florence early in ,september of that year to assist at the ,michael ,angelo ftes as the guests of dear ,mrs4 ,janet ,ross and the ,marchese della ,stufa1 who1 with ,mr4 ,ross1 inhabited in the summer the delicious old villa of ,castagnolo1 at ,lastra a ,signa1 six miles on the ,pisan side of my beloved ,florence4 ,of course1 ,i give page after page in the ,diary to our journey across ,italy under the ,alps and the ,apennines4 ,to the modern motorist it must all sound slow1 though we did travel by rail6 ,above all the lovely things we saw on our way by the ,turin-,bologna line1 ,i think ,parma1 rising from the banks of a shallow river1 glowing in sunshine and palpitating jewel-like shade1 holds pride of place for noontide beauty4 ,after ,modena came the deeper loveliness of the afternoon1 and then ,bologna1 mellowed by the rosy tints of early evening4 ,then the sunset and then the tender moon4 ,by moonlight we crossed the ,apennines1 and to the sound of the droning summer beetle--an extraordinarily penetrating sound1 which ,i declared makes itself heard above the railway noises1 we descended into the ,garden of ,italy1 slowly1 under powerful brakes4 ,at ten we reached ,florence1 and in the crowd on the platform a tall1 distinguished-looking man bowed to me4 8,miss ,thompson80 8,yes40 ,it was the ,marchese1 and lo6 behind him1 who should there be but my old master1 ,bellucci4 ,what a warm welcome they gave us4 ,of course1 our luggage had stuck at the douane at ,modane1 and was telegraphed for4 ,no help for it2 we must do without it for a day or two4 ,we got into the carriage which was awaiting us1 and the ,marchese into his little pony trap1 and off we went flying for a mysterious1 dream-like drive in misty moonlight1 we in front and our host behind1 jingle-jingling merrily with the pleasant monotony of his lion-maned little pony's canter4 ,we could not believe the drive was a real one4 ,it was too much joy to be at ,florence--too good to be true4 ,but how tired we were6 ,at last we drove up to the great towered villa1 an old-fashioned ,florentine ancestral place1 which has been the home of the ,della ,stufas for generations1 and there1 in the great doorway1 stood ,mrs4 ,ross1 welcoming us most cordially to 8,castagnolo40 ,we passed through frescoed rooms and passages1 dimly lighted with oil lamps of genuine old ,tuscan patterns1 and were delighted with our bedrooms--enormous1 brick-paved and airy4 ,there we made a show of tidying ourselves1 and went down to a fruit-decked supper1 though hardly able to sit up for sleep4 ,how kind they were to us6 ,we felt quite at home at once4 8,september #abth4--,after ,mass at the picturesque little chapel which1 with the vicario's dwelling1 abuts on the fattoria wing of the villa1 we drove into ,florence with ,mrs4 ,ross and the ,marchese1 whom we find the typical ,italian patrician of the high school4 ,we were rigged out in ,mrs4 ,ross's frocks1 which didn't fit us at all4 ,but what was to be done8 ,provoking girls6 ,it was a dear1 hot1 dusty1 dazzling old ,florentine drive1 bless it6 and we were very pleased4 ,florence was en fte and all imbandierata and hung with the usual coloured draperies1 and all joyous with church bells and military bands4 ,the concert in honour of ,michael ,angelo 7the ftes began to-day7 was held in the ,palazzo ,vecchio1 and very excellent music they gave us1 the audience bursting out in applause before some of the best pieces were quite finished in that refreshingly spontaneous way ,italians have4 ,after the concert we loitered about the piazza looking at the ever-moving and chattering crowd in the deep1 transparent shade and dazzling sunshine4 ,it was a glorious sight1 with the white statues of the fountain rising into the sunlight against houses hung mostly with very beautiful yellow draperies4 ,i stood at the top of the steps of the ,loggia de' ,lanzi1 and1 resting my book on the pedestal of one of the lions1 ,i made a rough sketch of the scene1 keeping the ,graphic engagement in view4 ,i subsequently took another of the ,michael ,angelo procession passing the ,ponte alle ,grazie on its way from ,santa ,croce to the new #8,piazzale ,michel ,angelo1' which they have made since we were here before1 on the height of ,san ,miniato4 ,it was a pretty procession on account of the rich banners4 ,a day full of charming sights and melodious sounds40 ,the great doings of the last day of the ftes were the illuminations in the moonlit evening4 ,they were artistically done1 and we had a feast of them1 taking a long1 slow drive to the piazzale by the new zigzag4 ,michael ,angelo was remembered at every turn1 and the places he fortified were especially marked out by lovely lights1 all more or less soft and glowing4 ,not a vile gas jet to be seen anywhere4 ,the city was not illuminated1 nor was anything1 with few exceptions1 save the lines of the great man's fortifications4 ,the old white banner of ,florence1 with the ,giglio1 floated above the tricolour on the heights which ,michael ,angelo defended in person4 ,the effect1 especially on the church of ,san ,miniato1 of golden lamps making all the surfaces aglow1 as if the walls were transparent1 and of the green-blue moonlight above1 was a thing as lovely as can be seen on this earth4 ,it was a thoroughly ,italian festival4 ,we were charmed with the people2 no pushing in the crowds1 which enjoyed themselves very much4 ,they made way for us when they saw we were foreigners4 ,we stayed at ,castagnolo nearly all through the vintage1 pressed from one week to another to linger1 though ,i made many attempts to go on account of beginning my 8,balaclava40 ,the fascination of ,castagnolo was intense1 and we had certainly a happy experience4 ,i sketched hard every day in the garden1 the vineyards1 and the old courtyard where the most picturesque vintage incidents occurred1 with the white oxen1 the wine pressing1 and the bare-legged1 merry contadini1 all in an atmosphere scented with the fermenting grapes4 ,everything in the ,cortile was dyed with the wine in the making4 ,i loved to lean over the great vats and inhale that wholesome effluence1 listening to the low sea-like murmur of the fermentation4 ,on the days when we helped to pick the grapes on the hillside 7and 8helping ourselves0 at the same time7 we had collazione there1 a little picnic1 with the indispensable guitar and post-prandial cigarette4 ,every one made the most of this blessed time1 as such moments should be made the most of when they are given us1 ,i think4 ,young ,italians often dined at the villa1 and the evenings were spent in singing stornelli and rispetti until midnight to the guitar1 every one of these young fellows having a nice voice4 ,they were merry1 pleasant creatures4 ,illustration3 ,,one ,,of ,,the ,,balaklava ,,six-,,hundred4 ,nothing but the stern necessity of returning to work could have kept me from seeing the vintage out4 ,we left most regretfully on ,october #dth1 taking ,genoa and our dear step-sister on the way4 ,even as it was our lingering in ,italy made me too late1 as things turned out1 for the ,academy6 ,october #aith has this entry3 8,began my #8,balaclava' cartoon to-day4 ,marked all the positions of the men and horses4 ,my trip to ,italy and the glorious and happy and healthy life ,i have led there1 and the utter change of scene and occupation1 have done me priceless good1 and at last ,i feel like going at this picture con amore4 ,i was in hopes this happy result would be obtained40 8,balaclava0 was painted for ,mr4 ,whitehead1 of ,manchester4 ,i had owed him a picture from the time ,i exhibited 8,missing40 ,it was to be the same size1 and for the same price as that work1 and ,i was in honour bound to fulfil my contract6 ,so ,i again brought forward the 8,dawn of ,sedan10 although my prices were now so enlarged that #hj had become quite out of proportion1 even for a simple subject like that4 ,however1 after long parleys1 and on account of ,mr4 ,whitehead's repudiation of the ,sedan subject1 it was agreed that 8,balaclava0 should be his1 at the new scale altogether4 ,the ,fine ,art ,society 7late ,dickenson ,co47 gave ,mr4 ,whitehead #c1jjj for the copyright1 and engaged the great ,stacpoole1 as before1 to execute the engraving4 ,i was very sorry that the picture was not ready for ,sending-in ,day at the ,academy4 ,no doubt the fuss that was made about it1 and my having begun a month too late1 put me off2 but1 be that as it may1 ,i was a good deal disturbed towards the end1 and had to exhibit 8,balaclava0 at the private gallery of the purchasers of the copyright in ,bond ,street4 ,this gave me more time to finish4 ,i had my own ,private ,view on ,april #bjth1 #ahgf3 8,the picture is disappointing to me4 ,in vain ,i call to mind all the things that judges of art have said about this being the best thing ,i have yet painted4 ,can one never be happy when the work is done8 ,this day was only for our friends and was no test4 ,still1 there was what may be called a sensation4 ,virginia ,gabriel1 the composer1 was led out of the room by her husband in tears6 ,one officer who had been through the charge told a friend he would never have come if he had known how like the real thing it was4 ,curiously enough1 another said that after the stress of ,inkermann a soldier had come up to his horse and leant his face against it exactly as ,i have the man doing to the left of my picture4 8,april #bbnd4--,an enormous number of people at the ,society's ,private ,view and some of the morning papers blossoming out in the most beautiful notices1 ever so long1 and ,i getting a little reassured40 ,a day later3 8,went to lunch at ,mrs4 ,mitchell's1 who invited me at the ,private ,view1 next door to ,lady ,raglan's1 her great friend4 ,two distinguished officers were there to meet me1 and we had a pleasant chat40 ,and this is all ,i say6 ,one of the two was ,major ,w4 ,f4 ,butler1 author of 8,the ,great ,lone ,land40 ,the ,london season went by full of society doings4 ,our mother had long been 8,at ,home0 on ,wednesdays1 and much good music was heard at 8,the ,boltons10 ,south ,kensington4 ,ruskin came to see us there4 ,he and our mother were often of the same way of thinking on many subjects1 and ,i remember seeing him gently clapping his hands at many points she made4 ,he was displeased with me on one occasion when1 on his asking me which of the ,italian masters ,i had especially studied1 ,i named ,andrea del ,sarto4 8,come into the corner and let me scold you10 were his disconcerting words4 ,why8 ,of course1 ,i was crestfallen1 but1 all the same1 ,i wondered what could be the matter with ,andrea's 8,cenacolo0 at ,san ,salvi1 or his frescoes at the ,,ss4 ,annunziata1 or his 8,madonna with ,st4 ,francis and ,st4 ,john10 in the ,tribune of the ,uffizi4 ,the figure of the ,st4 ,john is1 to me1 one of the most adorable things in art4 ,that gentle1 manly face2 that dignified pose2 the exquisite modelling of the hand1 and the harmonious colours of the drapery--what could be the matter with such work8 ,i remember1 at one of the artistic ,london 8,at ,homes10 ,frith1 ,r4,a41 coming up to me with a long face to say1 if ,i did not send to the ,academy1 ,i should lose my chance of election4 ,but ,i think the difficulties of electing a woman were great1 and much discussion must have been the consequence amongst the ,r4,a4's4 ,however1 as it turned out1 in #ahgi ,i lost my election by two votes only6 ,since then ,i think the door has been closed1 and wisely4 ,i returned to the studio on ,may #ahth1 for ,i could not lay down the brush for any amount of society doings4 ,besides1 ,i soon had to make preparations for 8,inkermann40 8,saturday1 ,june #ajth4--,saw ,genl4 ,darby-,griffith1 to get information about ,inkermann4 ,i returned just in time to dress for the delightful ,lord ,mayor's ,banquet to the ,representatives of ,art at the ,mansion ,house1 a place of delightful recollections for me4 ,neither this year's nor last year's banquet quite came up to the one of #8,the ,roll ,call' year in point of numbers and excitement1 but it was most delightful and interesting to be in that great gathering of artists and hear oneself gracefully alluded to in ,the ,lord ,mayor's speech and others4 ,marcus ,stone sat on my left1 and we had really a thoroughly good conversation all through dinner such as ,i have seldom embarked on1 and ,i found1 when ,i tried it1 that ,i could talk pretty well4 ,he is a fine fellow1 and simple-minded and genuine4 ,my vis--vis was ,alma ,tadema1 with his remarkable-looking wife1 like a lady out of one of his own pictures2 and many well-known heads wagged all around me4 ,after dinner and the speeches1 ,du ,maurier1 of ,punch1 suggested to the ,lord ,mayor that we should get up a quadrille1 which was instantly done1 and the friskier spirits amongst us had a nice dance4 ,du ,maurier was my partner2 and on my left ,i had ,john ,tenniel1 so that ,i may be said to have been supported by ,punch both at the beginning and end of dinner1 this being ,du ,maurier's simple and obvious joke1 vide the post-turtle indulgence peculiar to civic banquets4 ,after a waltz we laggards at last took our departure in the best spirits40 ,i remember that in ,june we went to a most memorable ,high ,mass1 to wit1 the first to be celebrated in the ,old ,saxon ,church of ,st4 ,etheldreda since the days of the ,reformation4 ,this church was the second place of ,christian worship erected in ,london1 if not in ,england1 in the old ,saxon times4 ,we were much impressed as the ,gregorian ,mass sounded once more in the grey-stoned crypt4 ,the upper church was not to be ready for years4 ,those old grey stones woke up that morning which had so long been smothered in the ,london clay4 ,here follow too many descriptions in the ,diary of dances1 dinners and other functions4 ,they are superfluous4 ,there were1 however1 some ,tableaux ,vivants at an interesting house--,mrs4 ,bishop's1 a very intellectual woman1 much appreciated in society in general1 and ,catholic society in particular--which may be recorded in this very personal narrative1 for ,i had a funny hand in a single-figure tableau which showed the dazed #aath ,hussar who figures in the foreground of my 8,balaclava40 ,the man who stood for him in the tableau had been my model for the picture1 but to this day ,i feel the irritation caused me by that man4 ,in the picture ,i have him with his busby pushed back1 as it certainly would and should have been1 off his heated brow4 ,but1 while ,i was posing him for the tableau1 every time ,i looked away he rammed it down at the becoming 8smart0 angle4 ,i got quite cross1 and insisted on the necessary push back4 ,the wretch pretended to obey1 but1 just before the curtain rose1 rammed the busby down again1 and utterly destroyed the meaning of that figure6 ,we didn't want a representation of ,mr4 ,so-and-so in the becoming uniform of a hussar1 but my battered trooper4 ,the thing fell very flat4 ,but tableaux1 to my mind1 are a mistake1 in many ways4 ,i often mention my pleasure in meeting ,lord and ,lady ,denbigh1 for they were people after my own heart4 ,lady ,denbigh was one of those women one always looks at with a smile2 she was so simpatica and true and unworldly4 ,july #ahth is noted as 8a memorable day for ,alice1 for she and ,i spent the afternoon at ,tennyson's6 ,i say #8for ,alice' because1 as regards myself1 the event was not so delightful as a day at ,aldershot4 ,tennyson has indeed managed to shut himself off from the haunts of men1 for1 arrived at ,haslemere1 a primitive little village1 we had a six-mile drive up1 up1 over a wild moor and through three gates leading to narrow1 rutty lanes before we dipped down to the big ,gothic1 lonely house overlooking a vast plain1 with ,leith ,hill in the distance4 ,tennyson had invited us through ,aubrey de ,vere1 the poet1 and very apprehensive we were1 and nervous1 as we neared the abode of a man reported to be such a bear to strangers4 ,we first saw ,mrs4 ,tennyson1 a gentle1 invalid lady lying on her back on a sofa4 ,after some time the poet sent down word to ask us to come up to his sanctum1 where he received us with a rather hard stare1 his clay pipe and long1 black1 straggling hair being quite what ,i expected4 ,he got up with a little difficulty1 and when we had sat down--he1 we two and his most deferential son--he asked which was the painter and which was the poet4 ,after our answer1 which struck me as funny1 as though we ought to have said1 with a bob1 #8,please1 sir1 ,i'm the painter1' and #8,please1 sir1 ,i'm the poet1' he made a few commonplace remarks about my pictures in a most sepulchral bass voice4 ,but he and ,alice1 in whom he was more interested1 naturally1 did most of the talking2 there was not much of that1 though1 for he evidently prefers to answer a remark by a long look1 and perhaps a slightly sneering smile1 and then an averted head4 ,all this is not awe-inspiring1 and looks rather put on4 ,we ceased to be frightened4 8,there is no grandeur about ,tennyson1 no melancholy abstraction2 and1 if ,i had made a demi-god of him1 his personality would have much disappointed me4 ,some of his poetry is so truly great that his manner seems below it4 ,the pauses in the conversation were long and frequent1 and he did not always seem to take in the meaning of a remark1 so that ,i was relieved when1 after a good deal of staring and smiling at ,alice in a way rather trying to the patience1 he acceded to her request and read us #8,the ,passing of ,arthur4' ,he was so long in finding the place1 when his son at last found him a copy of the book which suited him1 and the tone he read in so deep and monotonous1 that ,i was much bored and longed for the hour of our departure4 ,he was vexed with ,alice for choosing that poem1 which he seemed to think less of than of his later works1 and he took the poor child to task in a few words meant to be caustic1 though they made us smile4 ,but the ice was melting4 ,he seemed amused at us and we gratefully began to laugh at some quaint phrases he levelled at us4 ,then he dropped the awe-inspiring tone1 and took us all over the grounds and gave us each a rose4 ,he pitched into us for our dresses which were too fashionable and tight to please him4 ,he pinned ,alice against a pillar of the entrance to the house on our re-entry from the garden to watch my back as ,i walked on with his son1 pointing the walking-stick of scorn at my skirt1 the trimming of which particularly roused his ire4 ,altogether ,i felt a great relief when we said goodbye to our curious host with whom it was so difficult to carry on conversation1 and to know whether he liked us or not4 ,away1 over the windy1 twilight heath behind the little ponies--away1 away60 ,at the beginning of ,august ,i began my studies for 8,the ,return from ,inkermann40 ,the foreground ,i got at ,worthing2 and ,i had another visit to ,aldershot and many further conversations with ,inkermann survivors--officers of distinction4 ,i am bound to say that these often contradicted each other1 and the rough sketches ,i made after each interview had to be re-arranged over and over again4 ,i read ,dr4 ,russell's account 7,the ,times correspondent7 and sometimes ,i returned to my own conception1 finding it on the whole the most likely to be true4 ,i laugh even now at the recollection of two elderly sabreurs1 one of them a ,general in the ,indian ,army1 who had a hot discussion in my studio1 propos of my 8,balaclava10 about the best use of the sabre4 ,the ,indian1 who was for slashing1 twirled his umbrella so briskly1 to illustrate his own theory1 that ,i feared for the picture which stood close by his sword arm4 ,the opposition umbrella illustrated 8the point0 theory4 ,having finally clearly fixed the whole composition of 8,inkermann10 in sepia on tinted paper the size of the future picture ,i closed the studio on ,august #beth and turned my face once more to ,italy4 ,,chapter ,,xii ,,again ,,in ,,italy ,my sister and ,i tarried at ,genoa on our way to ,castagnolo where we were to have again the joys of a ,tuscan vintage4 ,but between ,genoa and ,florence lay our well-loved ,porto ,fino and1 having an invitation from our old friend ,monty ,brown1 the ,english ,consul and his young wife1 to stay at their castello there1 we spent a week at that ,eden4 ,we were alone for part of the time and thoroughly relished the situation1 with only old ,caterina1 the cook1 and the dog1 8,bismarck10 as company4 ,two ,marianas in a moated grange1 with a difference4 8,he0 came not1 and so allowed us to clasp to our hearts our chief delights--the sky1 the sea1 the olives and the joyous vines4 ,in those early days many of the deep windows had no glass1 and one night1 when a staggering ,mediterranean thunderstorm crashed down upon us1 we really didn't like it and hid the knives under the table at dinner4 ,caterina was saying her ,rosary very loud in the kitchen4 ,as we went up the winding stairs to bed ,i carried the lamp1 and was full of talk1 when a gust of wind blew the lamp out1 and ,alice laughed at my complete silence1 more eloquent than any words of alarm4 ,we had every evening to expel curious specimens of the lizard tribe that had come in1 and turn over our pillows1 remembering the habits of the scorpion4 ,but that storm was the only one1 and as to the sea1 which three-parts enveloped our little ,promontory1 its blue utterly baffled my poor paints4 ,but paint ,i did1 on those little panels that we owe to ,fortuny1 so nicely fitting into the box he invented4 ,there was a little cape1 crowned with a shrine to ,our ,lady--8the ,madonnetta0 it was called--where ,i used to go daily to inhale the ozone off the sea which thundered down below amongst the brown 8pudding-stone0 rocks1 at the base of a sheer precipice4 ,the 8sounding deep40 ,oh1 the freshness1 the health1 the joy of that haunt of mine6 ,our walks were perilous sometimes1 the paths which almost overhung the deep foaming sea being slippery with the sheddings of the pines4 ,at the 8nasty bits0 we had to hold on by shrubs and twigs1 and haul ourselves along by these always aromatic supports4 ,admirable is the industry of the peasants all over ,italy4 ,here on the extreme point of ,porto ,fino wherever there was a tiny 8pocket0 of clay1 a cabbage or two or a vine with its black clusters of grapes toppling over the abyss found foot-hold4 ,we came one day upon a pretty girl on the very verge of destruction1 8holding on by her eyelids10 gathering figs with a hooked stick1 a demure pussy keeping her company by dozing calmly on a branch of the fig tree4 ,the walls built to support these handfuls of clay on the face of the rock are a puzzle to me4 ,where did the men stand to build them8 ,it makes me giddy to think of it4 ,paragi1 the lovely rival of ,monty's robber stronghold1 belonged to his brother1 and a fairer thing ,i never saw than ,fred's loggia with the slender white marble columns1 between which one saw the coast trending away to ,la ,spezzia4 ,but 8goodbye10 ,porto ,fino6 ,on our way to ,castagnolo1 at lovely ,lastre a ,signa1 we paused at ,pisa for a night4 8,pisa is a bald ,florence1 if ,i may say so2 beautiful1 but so empty and lifeless4 ,there are houses there quite peculiar1 however1 to ,pisa1 most interesting for their local style4 ,very broad in effect are those flat blank surfaces without mouldings4 ,the frescoes on them1 alas6 are now merely very beautiful blotches and stains of colour4 ,we had ample time for a good survey of the ,duomo1 ,baptistery1 ,camposanto and ,leaning ,tower1 all vividly remembered from when ,i saw them as a little child4 ,but ,i get very tired by sight-seeing and don't enjoy it much4 ,what ,i like is to sit by the hour in a place1 sketching or meditating4 ,besides1 ,i had been kept nearly all night awake at the ,albergo ,minerva by railway whistles1 ducks1 parrots1 cats1 dogs1 cocks and hens1 so that ,i was only at half power and ,i slept most of the way to ,signa4 8,at the station a carriage fitted1 for the heat1 with cool-looking brown holland curtains was awaiting us on the chance of our coming1 and we were soon greeted at dear ,castagnolo by ,mrs4 ,ross4 ,very good of her to show so much happy welcome seeing we had been expected the evening before1 not to say for many days1 and only our luggage had turned up6 ,the ,marchese1 who had to go into ,florence this morning for the day1 had gone down to meet us last evening1 and returned with the disconcerting announcement that1 whereas we had arrived last year without our luggage1 this year the luggage had arrived without us4 #8,i bauli sono giunti ma le bambine--,ch6'0 ,here follows the record of the same delights as those of the year before4 ,we had been long expected1 and ,mrs4 ,ross told me that the peaches had been kept back for us in a most tantalising way by the padrone1 and that everything was threatening over-ripeness by our delay4 ,the light-hearted life was in full force4 ,there were great numbers of doves and pigeons at ,castagnolo which shared in the general hilarity1 swirling in the sunshine and swooping down on the grain scattered for them with little cries of pleasure4 ,i don't know whether ,i should find a socialistic blight appearing here and there1 if ,i returned to those haunts of my youth1 over that patriarchal life1 but it seemed to me that the relations between the padrone and his splendid contadini showed how suitable the system obtaining in ,tuscany was then4 ,the labourers were the fanciulli 7the children7 of the master1 and without the least approach to servility these men stood up to him in all the pride of their own station4 ,but what deference they showed to him6 ,always the uncovered head and the respectful and dignified attitude when spoken to or speaking4 ,i mustn't forget the frank smile and the pleasant white teeth4 ,it was a smiling life2 every one caught the smiling habit4 ,oh1 that we could keep it up through a ,london winter6 ,and to a ,london winter we returned1 for my friends in ,england were getting fidgety about 8,inkermann40 ,one more extract1 however1 from the ,castagnolo ,diary must find a place before the veil is drawn4 ,the ,marchese took us to ,siena for two days4 8,september #bith4--,we got up by candlelight at #e a4m4 and had a fresh drive in the phaeton to the station1 whence we took train to the fascinating ,etruscan city1 whose very name is magic4 ,the weather1 as a matter of course1 was splendid1 and ,siena dwells in my mind all tender brown-gold in a flood of sunshine4 ,small as the city is1 and hard as we worked for those two days1 we could only see a portion of its treasures4 ,the result of my observation in the churches and picture galleries shows me that the art there1 as regards painting1 is very inferior2 and1 indeed1 after ,florence1 with its most exquisite examples of painting and drawing1 these works of art are not taking4 ,i suppose ,florence has spoilt me4 ,here and there one picks out a plum1 such as the #8,svenimento of ,st4 ,catherine' in ,san ,domenico1 by ,sodoma1 the only thing by him that ,i could look at with pleasure2 also1 of course1 the famous ,perugino in ,sant' ,agostino1 which ,i beheld with delight1 and a lovely gem of a ,holy ,family by ,palma ,vecchio in the ,academy--such a jewel of ,venetian colour4 8,the frescoes1 however1 in the sacristy of the cathedral are things apart1 and such as ,i have never seen anywhere else1 for the very dry air of ,siena has preserved them since ,pinturicchio's time quite intact1 and there one sees1 as one can see nowhere else1 ancient frescoes as they were when freshly painted4 ,and very different they are from one's notions of old frescoes2 certainly not so pleasing if looked at as bits of colour staining old walls in mellow broken tints1 but intensely interesting and beautiful as pictures4 ,here one sees what frescoes were meant to be3 deep in colour1 exceedingly forcible1 with positive illusion in linear and arial perspective1 the latter being most unexpected and surprising4 ,one's usual notion of frescoes is that they must be flat and airless1 and modern artists who go in for fresco decorative art paint accordingly1 judging from the faded examples of what were once evidently such as one sees here--forcible pictures4 8,certainly these wall spaces1 looking like apertures through which one sees crowds of figures and gorgeous halls or airy landscapes1 do not please the eye when looking at the room as a room4 ,one would prefer to feel the solidity of the walls2 but taking each fresco and looking at it for its own sake only1 one feels the keenest pleasure4 ,they are magnificent pictures1 full of individual character and realistic action1 unsurpassable by any modern4 8,i cannot attempt to put into words my impression of the cathedral itself4 ,certainly1 ,i never felt the beauty of a church more4 ,it being ,st4 ,michael's ,day1 we heard ,mass in the midst of our wanderings1 and we were much struck by the devotion of the people1 the men especially--very unlike what we saw in ,genoa4 ,in the afternoon we had a glorious drive through a perfect pre-,raphaelite landscape to ,belcaro1 a fortress-villa about six miles outside ,siena1 every turn in the road giving us a new aspect of the golden-brown city behind us on its steep hill4 ,perhaps the most beautiful view of ,siena is from near ,belcaro1 where you get the dark pine trees in the immediate foreground4 ,the owner of the villa took us all over it1 the ,marchese gushing outrageously to him about the beauties of the dreadful frescoes on walls and ceilings1 painted by the man himself4 ,we had been warned1 ,alice and ,i1 to express our admiration1 but ,i regret to say we had our hearts so scooped out of us on seeing those things in the midst of such true loveliness that we couldn't say a thing1 but only murmured4 ,so the poor ,marchese had to do triple-distilled gush to serve for three1 and said everything was #8portentoso4' 8,in the evening we all three went out again and1 in the bright moonlight1 strolled about the streets1 the piazza1 and round the cathedral1 which shone in the full light which fell upon it4 ,the deep sky was throbbing with stars1 and all the essence of an ,italian ,september moonlight night was there4 ,oh1 sweet1 restful ,siena dream6 ,like a dream1 and yet such a precious reality1 to be gratefully kept in memory to the end40 ,back at ,castagnolo on ,october #ast4 8,went for my solita passeggiata up to the hill of lavender and dwarf oak and other mountain shrubs1 where ,i made a study of an oak bush on the only wet day we have had1 for my #8,inkermann' foreground4 ,mrs4 ,ross1 a fearless rider1 went on with the breaking in of the ,arab colt #8,pasci' to-day4 ,old ,maso1 one of the habitus of the villa1 whooped and screamed every time the colt bucked or reared1 and he waddled away as fast as he could1 groaning in terror1 only to creep back again to venture another look4 ,and he had been an officer in the army6 ,i have secured some water-colour sketches of the vintage for the #8,institute' and knocked off another panel or two1 and sketched ,mrs4 ,ross in her ,turkish dress1 so ,i have not been idle40 ,janet ,ross seemed to have assimilated the sunshine of ,egypt and ,italy into her buoyant nature1 and to see the vigour with which she conducted the vintage at ,castagnolo acted as a tonic on us all2 so did the deep contralto voice and the guitar1 and the racy talk4 ,we left on ,october #adth1 on a golden day1 with the thermometer at #ij degrees in the shade1 to return to the icy smoke-twilight of ,london1 where we groped1 as the ,diary says1 in sealskins and ulsters4 ,castagnolo has our thanks4 ,how could we have had the fulness of ,italian delights which our kind hosts afforded us in some pension or hotel in ,florence8 ,and what hospitality theirs was6 ,we tried to sing some of the 8,stornelli0 in the hansom that took us home from ,victoria ,station4 ,one of our favourites1 8,m'affaccio alla finestra e vedo ,stelle10 had to be modified1 as we looked through the glass of the cab1 into 8,ma non vedo ,stelle10 sung in the minor1 for nothing but the murk of a foggy night was there4 ,what but the stern necessity of beginning 8,inkermann0 could have brought me back8 ,my dear sister cannot have rejoiced1 and may have wished to tarry1 but when did she ever 8put a spoke in my wheel08 ,,chapter ,,xiii ,a ,,soldier',s ,,wife ,though the ,london winter was gloomy1 on the whole1 and ,i was handicapped in the middle of my work by a cold which retarded the picture so much that1 to my deep disappointment1 ,i had again to miss the ,academy1 the brightest spring of my life followed1 for on ,march #crd ,i was engaged to be married to the author of 8,the ,great ,lone ,land40 ,it may not be out of place to give a little sketch of our rather romantic meeting4 ,when the newly-promoted ,major ,butler was lying at ,netley ,hospital1 just beginning to recover from the ,ashanti fever that had nearly killed him at the close of that campaign1 his sister ,frances used to read to him the papers1 and they thus learnt together how1 at the ,royal ,academy banquet of that spring1 the ,prince of ,wales and the ,duke of ,cambridge had spoken as they did of ,miss ,elizabeth ,thompson4 ,as paper after paper spoke of me and of my work1 he said one day to his sister1 in utter fun under his slowly reviving spirits1 8,i wonder if ,miss ,thompson would marry me80 ,two years after that he met me for the first time1 and yet another year was to go by before the ,fates said 8,now60 ,when 8,inkermann0 was carted off to ,bond ,street on ,april #aith1 what a relief and delight it was to tell the model 8,time is up40 8,mamma and ,i danced about the studio when the picture was gone1 revelling in our freedom to make as much dust as we liked1 when hitherto one had had to be so careful about dust40 ,we always did this on such occasions4 ,the ,fine ,art ,society1 at whose galleries in ,bond ,street the picture was exhibited1 bought it and the copyright together4 ,no doubt for some the subject of this work is too sad1 but my dominant feeling in painting it was that which ,wellington gave expression to in those memorable words on leaving the field of battle at ,waterloo3 8,there is nothing sadder than a victory1 except a defeat40 ,it shows the remnants of the ,guards and the #bjth ,regiment and odds and ends of infantry returning in the grey of a ,november evening from the 8,soldiers' ,battle10 most of the men very weary4 ,the ,a4,d4,c4 on horseback ,i painted from a fine young soldier1 ,rupert ,carrington1 who kindly gave me a sitting4 ,his mother1 ,lady ,carrington1 sent me as a wedding present a medal taken from a dead ,russian on the field of ,inkermann1 set in a gold bracelet1 which is one of my treasures1 her name and mine engraved on it4 8,april #bjth4--,the first ,private ,view of #8,inkermann4' ,i was there a short time1 and was quite happy at the look of my picture4 ,the other three are in the same gallery1 and very popular the whole exhibition seems to be4 ,they have even got my #ahgc venture1 #8,missing1' by itself upstairs1 and remarkably well it looks1 too4 ,the crowd was dense and ,i left the good people wriggling in a cloud of dust40 ,june #aath of that year1 #ahgg1 was my wedding day4 ,cardinal ,manning married us in the ,church of the ,servite ,fathers2 our guests were chiefly that gallant group of soldiers who1 with my husband1 had won the ,ashanti ,war1 ,sir ,garnet ,wolseley1 ,redvers ,buller and their comrades4 ,my 8,red ,cross0 fellow students of old ,south ,kensington days gave me the very touching surprise of strewing our path down the church1 as we came out1 with flowers4 ,i had not known they were there4 ,and now a new country opened out for my admiration and delight in days so long before the dreadful cloud had fallen on it under which ,i am now writing these ,recollections--so long1 so long before4 ,it looks like another world to me now4 ,one might say ,i had had already a sufficiently large share of the earth's beauties to enjoy1 yet here opened out an utterly new and unique experience--,ireland4 ,our wedding tour was chiefly devoted to the ,wild ,west1 with a pause at ,glencar1 in ,kerry4 ,i have tried in happier political times to convey to my readers in another place#g my impression of that ,western country--its freshness1 its wild beauty1 its entrancing poetry1 and that sadness which1 like the minor key in music1 is the most appealing quality in poetry4 ,that note is utterly absent from the poetry of ,italy2 there all is in the major1 like its national music1 so that my mind received1 with strange delight1 a new sensation1 surprising1 heart-stirring1 appealing4 ,my husband had given me the choice of a local for the wedding tour between ,ireland and the ,crimea4 ,how could ,i hesitate8 ,my first married picture was the one ,i made studies for in ,glencar--8#8,listed for the ,connaught ,rangers40 ,i had splendid models for the two ,irish recruits who are being marched out of the glen by a recruiting sergeant1 followed by the 8decoy0 private and two drummer boys of that regiment1 the old #hhth1 with the yellow facings of that time4 ,the men were cousins1 ,foley by name1 and wore their national dress1 the jacket with the long1 white homespun sleeves and the picturesque black hat which ,i fear is little worn now1 and is largely replaced by that quite cosmopolitan peaked cap ,i loathe4 ,the deep richness of those typical ,irish days of cloud and sunshine had so enchanted me that ,i was determined to try and represent the effect in this picture1 which was a departure from my former ones1 the landscape occupying an equal share with the figures1 and the civilian peasant dress forming the centre of interest4 ,its black1 white and brown colouring1 the four red coats and the bright brass of the drum1 gave me an enjoyable combination with the blue and red-purple of the mountains in the background1 and the sunlight on the middle distance of the stony ,kerry bog-land4 ,here was that variety as to local colour denied me in the other works4 ,it was a joy to realise this subject4 ,the picture was for ,mr4 ,whitehead1 the owner of 8,balaclava40 ,the opening day of my introduction to the ,wild ,west was on a ,sunday in that ,june3 8,from ,limerick ,junction to ,glencar4 ,i had my first experience of an ,irish ,mass1 and my impression is deepening every day that ,ireland is as much a foreign country to ,england as is ,france or ,italy4 ,the congregation was all new to me4 ,the peasant element had quite a cachet of its own1 though in a way an exact equivalent to the ,tuscan--the rough-looking men in homespun coats in a crowd inside and outside of the church1 the women in national dress2 the constabulary1 equivalent to the gendarmes1 in full dress1 mixing with the people and yet not of them4 ,this ,limerick ,junction was the nucleus of the ,fenian nebula4 ,in this terrible ,tipperary the stalwart constabulary1 whom ,i greatly admire1 have a grave significance4 ,i have never seen finer men than those1 and they are of a type new to me4 ,how ,i enjoy new types1 new countries1 new customs6 ,the girls1 looking so nice in their ,bruges-like hoods1 are very fresh and comely4 8,we left at noon for the goal of our expedition1 and ,i think ,i may say that ,i never had a more memorable little journey4 ,the distant mountains ,i had looked at in the morning took clearer forms and colours by degrees1 and the charm of the ,irish bogs with their rich black and purple peat-earth1 and bright1 reedy grass1 and teeming wild flowers1 developed themselves to my delighted eyes as the train whirled us southwards4 ,at ,killarney we took a carriage and set off on my favourite mode of travel1 soon entering upon tracts of that wild nature ,i was most anxious to experience4 ,the evening was deepening1 and in its solemn tones ,i saw for the first time the ,wild ,west ,land1 whose aspect gradually grew wilder and more strange as we neared the mysterious mountains that rose ahead of us4 ,i was content4 ,i was beginning to taste the salt of the ,wilds4 ,what human habitations there are are so like the stone heaps that lie over the face of the land that they are scarcely distinguishable from them2 but my #8contentment' was much dashed by the sight of the dwellers in this poor land which yields them so little4 ,very strange1 wild figures came to the black doors to watch us pass1 with1 in some cases1 half-witted looks4 8,the mighty #8,carran ,thual1' one of the mountain group which rises out of ,glencar and dominates the whole land of ,kerry1 was on fire with blazing heather1 its peaks sending up a glorious column of smoke which spread out at the top for miles and miles1 and changed its delicate smoke tints every minute as the sun sank lower4 ,as we reached the rocky pass that took us by the remote ,lough ,acoose that sun had gone down behind an opposite mountain1 and the blazing heather glowed brighter as the twilight deepened1 and circles of fire played weirdly on the mountain side4 ,our glen gave the #8,saxon bride' its grandest illumination on her arrival4 ,wild1 strange birds rose from the bracken as we passed1 and flew strongly away over lake and mountain torrent1 and the little black ,kerry cattle all watched us go by with ears pricked and heads inquiringly raised4 ,the last stage of the journey had a brilliant finale4 ,a herd of young horses was in our way in the narrow road1 and the creatures careered before us1 unable or too stupid to turn aside into the ditches by the roadside to let us through4 ,we could not head them1 and for fully a mile did those shaggy1 wild things caper and jump ahead1 their manes flying out wildly1 with the glow from the west shining through them4 ,some imbecile cows soon joined them in the stampede1 for no imaginable reason1 unless they enjoyed the fright of being pursued1 and the ungainly progress of those recruits was a sight to behold--tails in the air and horns in the dust4 ,with this escort we entered ,glencar40 ,nothing that ,i have seen in my travels since that golden time has in the least dimmed my recollections of that ,glencar existence2 nor could anything jar against a thing so unique4 ,i have fully recorded in my former book how we made different excursions1 always on ponies1 every day1 not returning till the evening4 ,what impressed me most during these rides was the depth and richness of the ,irish landscape colouring4 ,the moisture of the ocean air brings out all its glossy depth4 ,even without the help of actual sunshine1 so essential to the landscape beauty of ,italy1 the local colour is powerful4 ,in describing to me the same deep colouring in ,scotland ,millais used the simile of the wet pebble4 ,take a grey1 dry pebble on the seashore and dip it in the water4 ,it will show many lovely tints4 ,our inn was in the centre of the glen1 delightfully rough1 and impregnated with that scent of turf smoke which has ever since been to me the subtlest and most touching reminder of those days4 ,yet with that roughness there was in the primitive little inn a very pleasant provision of such sustenance as old campaigners and fishermen know how to establish in the haunts they visit4 ,the coast of ,clare came next in our journey1 where the ,atlantic hurls itself full tilt at the iron cliffs1 and the west wind1 which ,i learnt to love1 comes1 without once touching land since it left the coast of ,labrador1 to fill one with a sense of salt and freshness and health as it rushes into one's lungs from off the foam4 ,i was interested in making comparisons between that sea and the other 8sounding deep0 that washes the rocks of ,porto ,fino as ,i looked down on the thundering waves below the cliffs of ,moher4 ,here was the simplest and severest colouring--dark green1 almost amounting to black2 light green1 cold and pure2 foam so pure that its whiteness had over it a rosy tinge1 merely by contrast with the green of the waves1 and that was all2 whereas the sea around ,porto ,fino baffles both painter and word-painter with its infinite variety of blues1 purples1 and greens4 ,these are contrasts that ,i delight in4 ,how the west wind rushed at us1 full of spray6 ,how the ocean roared6 ,it was a revel of wind where we stood at the very edge of those sheer cliffs4 ,across their black faces sea birds incessantly circled and wheeled1 crying with a shrill clamour4 ,that and the booming of the waves many fathoms below1 as they leap into the immense caverns1 were the only sounds that pierced the wind4 ,the black rocks had ledges of greyer rock1 and along these ledges1 tier above tier1 sat myriads of white-headed gulls1 their white heads looking like illumination lamps on the faces of titanic buildings4 ,the ,isles of ,arran and the mountains of ,connemara spread out before us on the ocean1 which sparkled in one place with the gold beams of the faint1 spray-shrouded sun4 ,then good-bye to ,erin for the present on ,july #aeth and the establishment of ourselves in ,london till our return to the ,land that held a magnet for us on ,september #bast4 ,there we paid a visit to the ,knight of ,kerry1 at ,valentia ,island4 ,what a delightful home6 ,the size of the fuchsia trees told of the mild climate2 the scenery was of the remotest and freshest1 most pleasing to the senses1 and the ever-welcome scent of turf smoke would not be denied in the big house where the sods glowed in the great fireplaces4 ,my surprise1 when strolling on one of the innocent little strands by the sea1 was great at seeing the ,atlantic cable emerging1 quite simply1 from the water between the pebbles1 as though it was nothing in particular4 ,following it1 we reached a very up-to-date building1 so out of keeping with the primitive scene1 filled with busy clerks transmitting goodness knows what cosmopolitan corruption from the ,new ,world to the ,old1 and vice vers4 ,illustration3 ,in ,western ,ireland4 ,a 8,jarvey0 and 8,biddy40 ,i would not have missed the ,valentia pig for anything4 ,a taller1 leaner1 gaunter specimen has not his match anywhere1 not even in the little black hog of ,monte ,cassino1 whose salient hips are so unexpected4 ,there is something particularly arresting in a pig with visible hips4#h ,all the animals in the west seemed to me free-and-easy creatures that live with the peasants as members of the family1 having a much better time than the humans4 ,they frisk irresponsibly in and out of the cabins--no 8by your leave0 or 8with your leave0--and1 altogether1 enjoy life to the top of their own highest level4 ,the poorer the people1 the greater appears the contrast caused by this inverted state of things4 ,the next time we left ,england was to go in the opposite direction--to the ,pyrenees4 ,rapid travel is fast levelling down the different countries1 and a carriage journey through the ,pyrenean country is a bygone pleasure4 ,we have to go to ,thibet or the ,great ,wall of ,china for our trips if we want to write anything original about our travels4 ,a flight by air to the ,north ,pole would1 at first1 prove very readable and novel1 if well described4 ,this1 however1 does not take from the pleasure of going over the inner circle in memory4 ,in the year #ahgh we could still find much that was new and refreshing in a tour through the south of ,france6 ,some friends of mine went up to ,khartoum from ,cairo not long ago1 with return tickets1 by rail1 and all they could say was that the journey was so dusty that they had to draw the blinds of their compartment and play bridge all the way4 ,poor dears1 how arid6 ,this little tour of ours was well advised4 ,the loss of our firstborn1 ,mary ,patricia1 brought our first sorrow with it1 and we went to ,lourdes and made a wide dtour from there through the ,pyrenees to ,switzerland4 ,there is nothing like travel for restoring the aching mind to usefulness4 ,but1 undoubtedly1 the send-off from ,lourdes gave me the initial impetus towards recovery of which1 though ,i say little1 ,i am very sensible4 ,we drove to ,st4 ,sauveur after our visit to the ,grotto where such striking cures have happened1 and each day brought more fully back to me that zest for natural beauty which has been with me such an invigorator4 ,st4 ,sauveur was bracing and beautiful1 but too full of invalids4 ,it was rather saddening to see them around the ,hontalade ,sulphur ,springs4 ,at ,lourdes they were clustering round the cascade that flows from the ,grotto where the statue of ,our ,lady stands1 exactly reproducing the figure as seen by the little ,shepherdess4 ,poor humanity1 reaching out hopeful arms in its pain1 here for physical help1 there for spiritual4 ,the ,gave rushes through both ,lourdes and ,st4 ,sauveur1 with a very sharp noise in the rocky gorge of the latter1 too harsh to be a soothing sound4 ,i looked forward to getting yet another experience of vetturino travel which ,i had never thought could be enjoyed again1 and which proved to be still possible4 ,the journey was a success1 and1 besides the beauty of that very majestic mountain scenery1 the little incidents of the road were picturesque4 ,our driver was proud to tell us he was known as 8,l'ancien chien des ,pyrnes10 and a characteristic 8old dog0 he was1 one-eyed and weatherbeaten1 wearing the national blue bret and very voluble in local patois4 ,his horses' bells jingled in the old familiar way of my childhood2 two absurd little dogs of his accompanied us all the way who1 in the noonday heat1 sat in the wayside streams for a moment to cool1 and emerged little dripping rags4 ,the first day's ascent was over the ,pass of the ,tourmalet1 the second over that of the ,col d',aspin1 and the third and final climb was that of the ,col de ,peyresourde4 ,then ,bagnres de ,luchon appeared deep down in the valley where our drive came to an end4 ,what would we have seen of the ,pyrenees if we had burrowed in tunnels under those ,cols8 ,luchon was not embellished by the invalids there1 whose principal ailment amongst the female patients was evidently a condition of embonpoint so remarkable that the suggestion of overfeeding could not possibly be ignored4 ,we had refreshing 8ascensions0 on horseback2 a wide view of ,spain from ,super-,bagnre1 wherein the backbone of the ,pyrenees1 with the savage 8,maladetta10 rising supreme1 #aa1jjj feet above sea level1 has its origin4 ,many very pleasant excursions we had besides4 ,i tried a hurried sketch of one of these views from the saddle1 the only precious chance ,i had1 but a little ,frenchman in tourist helmet and blue veil 7and such boots and spurs671 who was riding in our direction with a party1 threw himself off his pony into my foreground and1 hoping to be included in the view which he was pretending to admire1 posed there1 right in my way1 his comrades calling him in vain to rejoin them4 ,on leaving ,luchon we journeyed vi ,toulouse to ,cette1 following the course of the ,garonne1 which famous river we had seen in its little muddy infancy near ,arreau and in its culminating grandeur at ,bordeaux4 ,toulouse looked majestic1 a fair city as ,i remember it4 ,there ,i was interested to see that famous canal which carries on the traffic from the great river to the ,mediterranean4 ,a noteworthy feature in the landscape as we journeyed on to ,cette in the dreary1 dun-coloured gloaming was the medival city of ,carcassonne4 ,to come suddenly upon a complete restoration to life of an old-world city1 full of towers and wrapped in its unbroken walls1 gives one a strange sensation4 ,one seems to be suddenly deposited in the heart of the ,middle ,ages4 ,that dark evening there was something indescribably gloomy in the aspect of that cinder-coloured mass against an ashen sky1 and set on a hill high above the fields cultivated in prim rows and patches1 looking like a town in the background of some hunting scene1 so often shown in old tapestry4 ,all was darkening before an approaching storm4 ,in writing of it at the time ,i was not aware that we owed this most precious old city to ,viollet-le-,duc1 who has restored it stone by stone4 ,cette looked so bleared and blind the next morning in a sea mist that ,i have preserved a dejected impression of those low shores1 grey tamarisks1 and lagunes1 and waste places1 seen as though in a dismal dream4 ,i was coaxed back to cheerfulness by the sunshine of ,nismes1 where we spent several hours1 on our way to our halt for the night1 strolling in the warm-tinted ,roman ruins1 and ,i finally relaxed in the delight of our arriving once more at one of my most beloved cities1 splendid ,avignon4 ,good travelling4 ,this closed the day4 ,under my parents' rgime1 and chiefly on account of my mother1 who hated night travel1 and on account of our general easy-going ways1 we gave nearly a fortnight to reach ,genoa from ,england1 with pauses here and there4 ,my redundant ,diary carries me on now1 like the rapid ,rhone itself1 to my native ,lake ,leman4 ,i see it now as ,i saw it that day1 ,august #hth1 #ahgh--;a blue opal4 ,there is always something sacred about a place in which one came into the world4 ,we visited 8,claremont10 a lovely dwelling overlooking the lake1 and facing the snowy ridges of the ,dents du ,midi4 ,looking at that house 8all my mother came into my eyes0 as ,i thought of her that ,november night1 long ago1 and of our dear1 faithful nurse whom ,i captured there to our service till death1 with a smile6 ,and now for the dear old ,rhine once more4 ,we got to ,ble next day1 and very scenic the old town looked on our arrival in the evening4 ,on either side of the swift-flowing river the gabled houses were full of lights1 which were reflected in the water1 all looking red-gold by contrast with the green-gold of the moon4 ,on ,august #ajth from ,ble to ,heidelberg1 the rose-coloured city of the great ,tun6 ,other tuns are also shown1 not quite so capacious2 but what swilling they suggest on the part of the old electors1 who gathered all that hock in tithes6 ,i was mortified when trying to impress my husband with the charms of the ,rhine as we dropped down to ,cologne4 ,my early ,diary tells of my enchantment on that fondly-remembered river4 ,but1 alas6 this time the weather was rainy and ugly all the way1 and as we came to the best part1 the romantic ,gorge1 he shut himself up in a deck cabin1 out of which ,i could not entice him4 ,i suspect the natives on board drove him in there rather than his resentment at the 8come down0 from the glowing descriptions one reads in travel books4 ,these natives were a most irritating foreground to the blurred views4 ,all day long1 and into the night1 meals were perpetually breaking out all over the deck and1 do what one could1 the feeding of those ,teutons obtruded itself on one's attention ad nauseam4 ,i have a sketch1 taken sub rosa1 of an obese and terrible frau1 seated behind her rather smart officer husband at one of the little tables4 ,she had emptied her capacious mug of beer1 and was asking him for more1 to which demand he was paying no attention4 ,but 8,gustav6 ,gustav60 she persisted1 poking him in the back with her empty tankard4 ,the 8,gustav60 and the prods were getting too much to be ignored by the long-suffering back1 and she got her refill4 ,what ,general ,gordon calls the 8,german visage0 in contrast with the 8,italian countenance0 never appeared so surprisingly ugly as it did to us that day on the crowded deck of the ,queen of ,prussia4 ,my ,diary says3 8,at ,mayence1 ,will and ,i1 always on the look-out for soldiers1 had a good opportunity of seeing ,german infantry1 as we stopped here a long time and two line battalions crossed the bridge near us4 ,from the deck of the steamer the men looked big enough1 but when ,will ran on shore and overhauled them to have a nearer look1 ,i could gauge their height by his six-foot-two4 ,he showed a clear head and shoulders above their pickelhauben4 ,they were short1 chiefly by reason of the stumpy legs1 which carry a long back--a very unbeautiful arrangement40 ,the next day we had a rather dull start from ,cologne along a dismal stretch of river as far as ,dsseldorf4 ,killing time at ,dsseldorf is not lively4 ,at the caf where we had tea two young subalterns of hussars came gaily in to have their coffee1 and1 just as they were sitting down with a cavalry swagger1 there came in a major of some other corps1 and the two immediately got up1 saluted1 and left the room4 ,here was discipline6 ,on our returning to the steamer ,will found an epauletted disciple of ,bismarck in my place at supper4 ,he told the epauletted one of his mistake1 much to the latter's manifest astonishment1 who didn't move4 ,i suppose there came something into the ,british soldier's eye1 but1 anyway1 the sabre-rattler eventually got up and went elsewhere3 things felt electric4 ,august #adth found us nearly all day on board the boat4 8,a very interesting day1 showing me a phase of ,rhine scenery familiar to me in ,dutch pictures by the score1 but never seen by me till then in reality4 ,the strong wind blew from the sea and tossed the green-yellow river into tumultuous waves1 over which came bounding the blunt-bowed craft from ,holland1 taking merchandise up stream1 and differing in no way from the boats beloved of the old ,dutch masters4 ,on either side of the river were low banks waving with rushes1 and beyond stretched sunken marshy meadows1 and here and there quaint little towns glided by with windmills whirring1 and clusters of ships' masts appearing above the grey willows and sedges4 ,dordrecht formed a perfect picture la ,rembrandt1 with a host of windmills on the skyline1 telling dark against the brightness1 at the confluence of the ,maes and ,rhine4 ,here ,cuyp was born1 the painter of sunlit cows4 ,rotterdam pleased us greatly1 and we strolled about in the evening1 coming upon the statue of ,erasmus1 which ,i place amongst the most admirable statues ,i have seen4 ,rotterdam possesses in rich abundance the peculiar charm of a seaport4 ,a place of this kind has for me a very strong attraction4 ,the varied shipping1 the bustle on land and water1 the colour1 the noise1 the mixture of human types1 the bustle of men and animals2 all these things have always filled me with pleasure at a great seaport40 ,a visit to ,holland 78the dustless0 land1 as my husband called it truly71 a revel amongst the ,amsterdam galleries1 then ,antwerp1 where we embarked for ,harwich1 closed our trip4 ,invigorated and restored1 ,i set to work on an #h-;foot canvas1 whereon ,i painted a subject which had been in my mind since childhood4 ,,chapter ,,xiv ,,queen ,,victoria ,it must have been at ,villa de' ,franchi that my father related to me a tragedy which had profoundly moved ,england in the year #ahdb1 and he laughingly encouraged me to paint it when ,i should be grown up4 ,the ,diary says3 8,we are now at war with poor ,shere ,ali1 and this new ,afghan ,war revived for me the idea of the tragedy of #8#db1 namely1 ,dr4 ,brydon reaching ,jellalabad1 weary and fainting1 on his dying horse1 the sole survivor1 as was then thought1 from our disaster in the ,cabul passes4444 ,here ,i am1 on #ast ,march1 #ahgi1 not doing badly with the picture4 ,i think it is well painted1 and ,i hope poetical4 ,but ,i have had the darkest winter ,i can remember1 and lost nearly all ,january by the succession of fogs which have accompanied this long frost4 ,will sailed under orders for the ,cape last ,friday1 ,february #bhth4 ,our terrible defeat at ,isandula has caused the greatest commotion here1 and regiments are being poured out of ,england to ,zululand in a fleet of transports2 and now staff officers are being selected for posts of great responsibility out there1 and amongst these is ,colonel ,butler1 ,a4,a4,g4 to ,general ,clifford4 8,march #afth1 #ahgi4--;,i am beginning to show my picture4 ,scarcely anything is talked of still but the fighting in ,zululand and the incapacity of that poor unfortunate ,lord ,chelmsford1 whom ,government keeps telling they will continue to trust in his supreme post of ,commander-in-,chief1 though he would evidently be thankful to be relieved of an anxiety which his nervous temperament and susceptible nature must make unbearable4 ,what magnificent subjects for pictures the #8,defence of ,rorke's ,drift' will furnish4 ,when we get full details ,i shall be much tempted to paint some episode of that courageous achievement which has shed balm on the aching wound of ,isandula4 ,but the temptation will have to be very strong to make me break my rule of not painting contemporary subjects4 ,i like to mature my themes4 8,studio ,sunday4 ,at last1 at last6 ,after three years of disappointment another ,academy ,studio ,show has come1 and that very brightly and successfully4 ,i have called the ,afghan picture #8,the ,remnants of an ,army4' ,i had the ,irish picture to show also1 by permission of ,whitehead1 #8',listed for the ,connaught ,rangers4' ,from one till six to-day people poured in4 ,my studio was got up quite charmingly with curtains and screens1 and with wild beast skins disposed on the floor1 and my arms and armour furbished up4 ,the two pictures came out well1 and both appeared to #8take4' ,however1 not much value can be attached to to-day's praises to my face4 ,but ,i must not let ,elmore's 7,r4,a47 tribute to the #8,remnants of an ,army' go unrecorded4 #8,it is impossible to look at that man's face unmoved1' and his eyes were positively dimmed6 ,i have heard it said that no one was ever known to shed tears before a picture4 ,on reading a book1 on hearing music1 yes1 but not on seeing a painting4 ,well6 that is not true1 as ,i have proved more than once4 ,i can't resist telling here of a pathetic man who came to me to say1 #8,i had a wet eye when ,i saw your picture6' ,he had one eye brown and the other blue1 and ,i almost asked1 #8,which1 the brown or the blue8' ,it is often so difficult to know what to answer appreciatively to enthusiastic and unexpected praise6 8,varnishing ,day4 ,a long and cheery day in those rooms of happy memory at ,burlington ,house4 ,both my pictures are well hung and look well1 and congratulations flowed in40 ,a few days later3 8,alice and ,i to the ,private ,view at that fascinating ,burlington ,house1 so fascinating when one's works are well placed6 ,the ,press is treating me very well4 ,no subsidised puffs here1 so ,i enjoy these critiques4 ,the ,academy has received me back with open arms1 and the members are very nice to me1 some of them expressing their hope that ,i am pleased with the positions of my pictures1 and several of them speaking quite openly about their determination to vote for me at the next election40 ,the ,fine ,art ,society bought the ,afghan subject of which they published a very faithful engraving1 and it is now at the ,tate ,gallery4 ,it is a comfort to me to know that nearly all my principal works are either in the keeping of my ,sovereign or in public galleries1 and not changing hands among private collectors4 ,i spent much of a cool1 if rainy1 summer at ,edenbridge1 in ,kent1 taking a rose bower of a cottage there1 my parents with me4 ,there we heard in the papers the dreadful news of the ,prince ,imperial's death4 ,then followed a hasty line from my husband1 written in a fury of indignation from ,natal1 at the sacrifice of 8the last of the ,napoleons40 ,when he returned at long last from the deplorable ,zulu ,war1 followed by the ,sekukuni ,campaign1 the poor ,empress ,eugnie sent for him to ,camden ,place1 and during a long and most painful interview she asked for all details1 her tears flowing all the time1 and in her open way letting all her sorrow loose in paroxysms of grief4 ,he had managed the funeral and embarkation at ,durban4 ,the pall was covered with artificial violets which he had asked the nuns there to make1 at high pressure1 and he subsequently described to me the impressive sight of the cortge as it wound down the hill to the port off ,durban1 in the afternoon sunshine4 ,at little ,edenbridge ,i was busy making studies of any grey horses ,i could find1 as ,i had already begun my charge of the ,scots ,greys at ,waterloo at my studio4 ,that charge ,i called 8,scotland for ,ever10 and ,i owe the subject to an impulse ,i received that season from the ,private ,view at the ,grosvenor ,gallery1 now extinct4 ,the ,grosvenor was the home of the 8sthetes0 of the period1 whose sometimes unwholesome productions preceded those of our modern 8,impressionists40 ,i felt myself getting more and more annoyed while perambulating those rooms1 and to such a point of exasperation was ,i impelled that ,i fairly fled and1 breathing the honest air of ,bond ,street1 took a hansom to my studio4 ,there ,i pinned a #g-;foot sheet of brown paper on an old canvas and1 with a piece of charcoal and a piece of white chalk1 flung the charge of 8,the ,greys0 upon it4 ,dr4 ,pollard1 who still looked in during my husband's absences as he used to do in my maiden days to see that all was well with me1 found me in a surprising mood4 ,on returning from my villeggiatura in ,kent with my parents ,i took up again the painting of this charge1 and one day the ,keeper of the ,queen's ,privy ,purse1 ,sir ,henry ,ponsonby1 called at the studio to ask me if ,i would paint a picture for ,her ,majesty1 the subject to be taken from a war of her own reign4 ,of course1 ,i said 8,yes10 and gladly welcomed the honour1 but being a slow worker1 ,i saw that 8,scotland for ,ever60 must be put aside if the ,queen's picture was to be ready for the next ,academy4 ,every one was still hurrahing over the defence of 8,rorke's ,drift0 in ,zululand as though it had been a second ,waterloo4 ,my friends 7not my parents7 urged and urged4 ,i demurred1 because it was against my principles to paint a conflict4 ,in the 8,greys0 the enemy was not shown1 here our men would have to be represented at grips with the foe4 ,no1 ,i put that subject aside and proposed one that ,i felt and saw in my mind's eye most vividly4 ,i proposed this to the ,queen--the finding of the dead ,prince ,imperial and the bearing of his body from the scene of his heroic death on the lances of the #agth ,lancers4 ,her ,majesty sent me word that she approved1 to my great relief4 ,i began planning that most impressive composition4 ,then ,i got a message to say the ,queen thought it better not to paint the subject4 ,what was to be done8 ,the ,crimea was exhausted4 ,afghanistan8 ,but ,i was compelled by clamour to choose the popular ,rorke's ,drift2 so1 characteristically1 when ,i yielded ,i threw all my energies into the undertaking4 ,when the #bdth ,regiment1 now the ,south ,wales ,borderers1 who in that fight saved ,natal1 came home1 some of the principal heroes were first summoned to ,windsor and then sent on to me1 and as soon as ,i could get down to ,portsmouth1 where the #bdth were quartered1 ,i undertook to make all the studies from life necessary for the big picture there4 ,nothing that the officers of that regiment and the staff could possibly do to help me was neglected4 ,they even had a representation of the fight acted by the men who took part in it1 dressed in the uniforms they wore on that awful night4 ,of course1 the result was that ,i reproduced the event as nearly to the life as possible1 but from the soldier's point of view--,i may say the private's point of view--not mine1 as the principal witnesses were from the ranks4 ,to be as true to facts as possible ,i purposely withdrew my own view of the thing4 ,what caused the great difficulty ,i had to grapple with was the fact that the whole mass of those fighting figures was illuminated by firelight from the burning hospital4 ,firelight transforms colours in an extraordinary way which you hardly realise till you have to reproduce the thing in paint4 ,the ,zulus were a great difficulty4 ,i had them in the composition in dark masses1 rather swallowed up in the shade1 but for one salient figure grasping a soldier's bayonet to twist it off the rifle1 as was done by many of those heroic savages4 ,my excellent ,dr4 ,pollard got me a sort of ,zulu as model from a show in ,london4 ,it was unfortunate that a fog came down the day he was brought to my studio1 so that at one time ,i could see nothing of my dusky savage but the whites of his eyes and his teeth4 ,i hope ,i may never have to go through such troubles again6 ,when the picture was in its pale1 shallow1 early stage1 the ,queen1 who was deeply interested in its progress1 wished to see it1 and me4 ,so to ,windsor ,i took it4 ,the ,ponsonbys escorted me to the ,great ,gallery1 where ,i beheld my production1 looking its palest1 meanest1 and flattest1 installed on an easel1 with two lords bending over it--one of them ,lord ,beaconsfield4 ,exeunt the two lords1 right1 through a dark side door4 ,enter the ,queen1 left4 ,prince ,leopold1 ,duchess of ,argyll1 ,princess ,beatrice and others grouped round the easel1 centre4 ,the ,queen came up to me and placed her plump little hand in mine after ,i had curtseyed1 and ,i was counselled to give ,her ,majesty the description of every figure4 ,she spoke very kindly in a very deep1 guttural voice1 and showed so much emotion that ,i thought her all too kind1 shrinking now and then as ,i spoke of the wounds1 etc4 ,she told me how she had found my husband lying at ,netley ,hospital after ,ashanti1 apparently near his end1 and spoke with warmth of his services in that campaign4 ,she did not leave us until ,i had explained every figure1 even the most distant4 ,she knew all by name1 for ,i had managed to show1 in that scuffle1 all the ,v4,c4's and other conspicuous actors in the drama1 the survivors having already been presented to her4 ,majors ,chard and ,bromhead were sufficiently recognisable in the centre1 for ,i had had them both for their portraits4 ,the ,academicians put 8,the ,defence of ,rorke's ,drift0 in the ,lecture ,room of unhappy 8,quatre ,bras0 memory1 no doubt for the same reason they gave in the case of that picture4 ,yes1 there was a great crush before it1 but ,i was not satisfied as to its effect in that poor light4 ,it is now with 8,the ,roll ,call0 at ,st4 ,james's ,palace4 ,i learnt later how very1 very pleased the ,queen was with her commission1 and that one day at ,windsor1 wishing to show it to some friends1 the twilight deepening1 she showed so much appreciation that she took a pair of candlesticks and held them up at the full stretch of her arms to light the picture4 ,i like to see in my mind's eye that ,rembrandtesque effect1 with the principal figure in the group our ,queen4 ,she wanted me to paint her two other subjects1 but1 somehow1 that never came off4 ,,chapter ,,xv ,,official ,,life--,,the ,,east ,in #ahhj my husband was offered the post of ,adjutant-,general at ,plymouth1 and thither we went in time1 with the pretty little infant ,elizabeth ,frances1 who came to fill the place of the sister who was gone4 ,there three more of our children were born4 ,i took up 8,scotland for ,ever60 again1 and in the bright light of our house on the ,hoe1 with never a brown fog to hinder me1 and with any amount of grey army horses as models1 ,i finished that work4 ,it was exhibited alone4 ,it is quite unnecessary to burden my readers with the reason of this4 ,i was very sorry1 as ,i expected rather a bright effect with all those white and grey galloping hippogriffes bounding out of the ,academy walls4 ,there was a law suit in question1 and there let the matter rest4 ,messrs4 ,hildesheimer bought the copyright from me1 and the picture ,i sold1 later on1 to a private purchaser1 who has presented it to the city of ,leeds4 ,by a happy chance ,i had a supply of very brilliant ,spanish white 7blanco de plata7 for those horses1 and though ,i have ever since used the finest blanc d'argent1 made in ,paris1 ,i don't think the ,spanish white has a rival4 ,perhaps its maker took the secret with her to the ,elysian ,fields4 ,it was an old widow of ,seville4 ,on ,may #aath of that year our beloved father died1 comforted with the heartening rites of the ,church4 ,he had been received not long before the end4 ,life at 8pleasant ,plymouth0 was very interesting in its way1 and the charm of the ,west ,country found in me the heartiest appreciation4 ,but the climate is relaxing1 and conducive to lotus eating4 ,one seems to live in a mental ,devonshire cream of pleasant days spent in excursions on land and water1 trips up the many lovely rivers1 or across the beautiful ,sound to various picnic rendezvous on the coast4 ,there was much festivity3 balls in the winter and long excursions in summer1 frequently to the wilds of ,dartmoor4 ,particularly pleasant were the receptions at ,government ,house under the auspices of the ,pakenhams--perfect hosts--and at the ,admiralty1 with its very distinguished host and hostess1 ,sir ,houston and ,lady ,stewart4 ,over ,dartmoor there spread the charm of the unbounded hospitality of the ,mortimer ,colliers1 who lived on the verge of the moor1 and this was a thing ever to be fondly remembered4 ,no pleasanter house could offer one a welcome than 8,foxhams10 and how hearty a welcome that always was6 ,riding was our principal pleasure4 ,i never spent more enjoyable days in the saddle elsewhere4 ,my husband and ,i had a riding tour through ,cornwall--just the thing ,i liked most4 ,but he was from time to time called away4 ,to ,egypt in #ahhb1 for ,tel-el-,kebir2 twice to ,canada1 the second time on ,government business2 and in #ahhd to the great ,gordon ,relief ,expedition1 that terrible tragedy1 made possible by the maddening delays at home4 ,i illustrated the book he wrote#i on that colossal enterprise1 so wantonly turned into failure from quite feasible success4 ,my next picture was on a smaller scale than its predecessors1 and was exhibited at the ,academy in #ahhb4 ,the ,boer ,war1 with its terrible ,majuba ,hill disaster1 had attracted all our sorrowful attention the year before to ,south ,africa1 and ,i chose the attack on ,laing's ,nek for my subject4 ,the two ,eton boys whom ,i show1 ,elwes and ,monck1 went forward 7,elwes to his death7 with the cry of 8,floreat ,etona60 and ,i gave the picture those words for its title4 ,yet another ,lord ,mayor's ,banquet at the ,mansion ,house1 in honour of the ,royal ,academicians1 saw me late in #ahha a guest once more in those gilded halls1 this time by my husband's side4 ,he responded for the ,army1 and joined ,arts and ,arms in a bright little speech1 composed impromptu4 8,we were a highly honoured couple10 ,i read in the ,diary1 8and very glad that we came up4 ,we must have sat at that festive board over three hours4 ,the music all through was exceedingly good and1 indeed1 so was the fare4 ,the homely tone of civic hospitality is so characteristic1 dressed as it is with gold and silver magnificence1 rivalling that of ,royalty itself6 ,one of the waiters tried to press me to have a second helping of whitebait by whispering in my ear the seductive words1 #8,devilled1 ma'am4' ,it was a fiery edition of the former recipe4 ,i resisted40 ,the departure of my husband with ,lord ,wolseley 7then ,sir ,garnet7 and ,staff for ,egypt on ,august #eth1 #ahhb1 to suppress poor old ,arabi and his 8rebels0 was the most trying to me of all the many partings1 because of its dramatic setting4 ,one bears up well on a crowded railway platform1 but when it comes to watching a ship putting off to sea1 as ,i did that time at ,liverpool1 to the sound of farewell cheering and 8,auld ,lang ,syne10 one would sooner read of its pathos than suffer it in person4 ,soldiers' wives in war time have to feel the sickening sensation on waking some morning when news of a fight is expected of saying to themselves1 8,i may be a widow40 ,not only have ,i gone through that1 but have had a second period of trial with two sons under fire in the ,world ,war4 ,i gave a long period of my precious time to making preparations for a large picture representing ,wolseley and his ,staff reaching the bridge across the canal at the close of the battle of ,tel-el-,kebir1 followed by his ,staff1 wherein figured my husband4 ,the latter had not been very enthusiastic about the subject4 ,to beat those poor fellaheen soldiers was not a matter for exultation1 he said2 and he told me that the capture of ,arabi's earthworks had been like 8going through brown paper40 ,he thought the theme unworthy1 and hoped ,i would drop the idea4 ,but ,i wouldn't2 and1 seeing me bent on it1 he did all he could to help me to realise the scene ,i had chosen4 ,lord ,wolseley gave me a fidgety sitting at their house in ,london1 his wife trying to keep him quiet on her knee like a good boy4 ,i had crowds of ,highlanders to represent1 and went in for the minutest rendering of the equipment then in use4 ,well1 ,i never was so long over a work4 ,depend upon it1 if you do not 8see0 the thing vividly before you begin1 but have to build it up as you go along1 the picture will not be one of your best4 ,nor was this one6 ,it was exhibited in the ,academy of #ahhe1 and had a moderate success4 ,it was well engraved4 ,in the ,september of #ahhd my husband left for the ,gordon ,expedition1 having finished his work of getting boats ready for the cataracts1 boats to carry the whole ,army4 ,in the following ,june he came home on leave1 well in health1 in spite of rending wear and tear1 but deeply hurt at the failure of what might have been one of the greatest campaigns in modern history4 ,how he had urged and urged1 and fumed at the delays6 ,he told me the campaign was lost three times over4 ,gordon was simply sacrificed to ineptitude in high quarters at home4 ,in this connection1 ,i ask1 can praise be too great for the ,british rank and file who did their best in this unparalleled effort8 ,you saw ,lifeguardsmen plying their oars in the boats1 oars they had never handled before this call2 marines mounted on camels--more than 8horse-marines10 as a camel in his movements is five horses rolled into one2 everything he was called upon to do the ,british soldier did to the best of his capacity4 ,we spent most of my husband's precious leave in ,glencar4 ,what better haven to come to from the feverish toil on river and in desert1 ending in bitter disappointment8 ,we went to ,court functions1 also4 ,how these functions amused me1 and how ,i revelled in their colour1 in their variety of types brought together1 all these guests in national uniform or costume4 ,and ,i must be allowed to add how proud ,i was of my six-foot-two soldier in all his splendour4 ,the ,queen's aide-de-camp uniform1 which he wore at the time of which ,i am writing1 till he was promoted major-general1 was particularly well designed1 both for 8dress0 and 8undress40 ,i frankly own ,i loved these ,court receptions4 ,no1 ,i was never bored by them1 ,i am thankful to say2 and ,i don't believe any woman is who has the luck to go there1 whatever she may say4 ,,chapter ,,xvi ,,to ,,the ,,east ,i followed my husband to ,egypt1 where he had returned1 in command at ,wady ,halfa on the expiration of his leave1 on ,november #adth1 #ahhe4 ,i went with our eldest little boy and girl4 ,a new experience for me--the ,east6 ,one of my longings in childhood was to see the ,east4 ,there it was for me4 ,cairo in #ahhe still retained much of its ,oriental aspect in the ,european quarter4 7,i don't suppose the old1 true ,cairo will ever change47 ,i was just in time4 ,the ,shepheard's ,hotel of that day had a terrace in front of it where we used to sit and watch the life of the street below1 an occupation very pleasing to myself4 ,the building was overrun with a wealth of flowering creepers of all sorts of loveliness1 and surrounded with a garden4 ,when next we visited ,cairo the creepers were being torn down1 and the terrace demolished4 ,then a huge hotel was run up in avaricious haste to reap the next season's harvest from the thronging visitors1 and now stands flush with the street to echo the trams4 ,it is difficult for me now to revive in memory the exquisite surprise ,i felt when first ,i saw the life of the ,east4 ,i could hardly believe the thing was real1 everyday life4 ,though ,i have often returned to ,egypt since1 that first-time feeling never was renewed1 though my enjoyment of ,oriental beauty and picturesqueness never1 ,i am glad to say1 faded in the least4 ,oh1 you who enjoy the zest of life1 be thankful that you possess it6 ,it is a thing not to be acquired1 but to be born with4 ,i think artists keep it the longest1 for it enters the heart by the eye4 ,the long letters ,i wrote to my mother on the spot and at the moment ,i incorporated later in the little book already referred to4 ,oh1 the pleasures of memory1 streaked with sadness though they must be1 and with ugly things of all kinds1 too6 ,still1 how intensely precious a possession they are when weeded4 ,to me1 after ,italy and1 of course1 the ,holy ,land1 give me the ,nile4 ,i and the children remained in ,cairo till ,i got my husband's message from the front that the way was clear enough for our journey as far as ,luxor4 ,there ,i and the children remained until the fight at ,giniss was won and all danger was over further up stream4 ,at ,luxor began the most enjoyable of all modes of travel--by houseboat4 ,the dahabiyeh ,fostat was sent down from ,wady ,halfa to take us up to ,assouan1 where my husband awaited us4 ,we had reached ,luxor from ,cairo by the commonplace post boat4 ,the ,assouan ,dam was1 of course1 not in existence1 and our dahabiyeh had to be hauled in the old way through the first cataract1 while we transferred ourselves to another dahabiyeh moored off the now submerged island of ,phil4 ,this cut-and-dried chronicle includes one of the most enchanting experiences of my life4 ,above ,phil we entered ,nubia1 before whose intensified colouring the lower desert pales4 ,time being very precious to my husband1 our slow1 dreamy sailing houseboat had to be towed by a little steamer for the rest of the way to ,wady ,halfa1 where we lived till the heat of ,march warned us that ,i and the children must prudently go into northern coolness4 ,and to ,plymouth we returned1 leaving the ,general to drag out the burning summer at ,wady ,halfa in such heat as ,i never had had to suffer4 ,while at ,halfa ,i made many sketches in oil for my picture1 8,a ,desert ,grave10 out in the desert across the river4 ,it is very trying painting in the desert on account of the wind1 which blows the sand perpetually into your eyes4 ,with that and the glare1 ,i took two inflamed eyes back with me to ,europe4 ,the picture should have been more poetical than it turned out to be1 and ,i wish ,i could repaint it now4 ,it was well placed at the ,academy4 ,the ,upper ,nile had these graves of ,british officers and men all along its banks during that terrible toll taken in the course of the ,gordon ,expedition and after1 some in single loneliness1 far apart1 and some in twos and threes4 ,these graves had to be made exactly in the same way as those of the enemy1 lest a cross or some other ,christian mark should invite desecration4 ,the ,world ,war has thrown a dreadful cloud between us and those old war days1 but the cloud in time will spread out thinner and let us look through to those past times4 ,my next experience was ,brittany4 ,thither we went for a rest1 and to give the children the habit of talking ,french4 ,at ,dinan1 in an old farmhouse1 we ruralised amidst orchards and amongst the ,breton peasantry4 ,very nice and quiet and healthy4 ,there our youngest boy was born1 ,martin ,william1 who was immediately inscribed on the army books as liable for service in the ,french ,army if he reached the age of eighteen on ,french soil4 ,during that part of our stay at ,dinan ,i painted the #bdth ,dragoons1 who were stationed there1 leaving the town by the old ,porte ,st4 ,malo for the front1 a great crowd of people seeing them off4 ,i had mounted dragoons and peasants for the asking as models4 ,my husband was knighted--,k4,c4,b4--in this interval1 at ,windsor4 ,we went to live in ,ireland from ,dinan1 in #ahhh1 under the ,wicklow ,mountains1 where the children continued their healthy country life in its fulness4 ,the picture ,i had painted of the departing dragoons went to the ,academy in #ahhi1 and in #ahij ,i exhibited 8,an ,eviction in ,ireland10 which ,lord ,salisbury was pleased to be facetious about in his speech at the banquet1 remarking on the 8breezy beauty0 of the landscape1 which almost made him wish he could take part in an eviction himself4 ,how like a ,cecil6 ,the #8eighties had seen our ,government do some dreadful things in the way of evictions in ,ireland4 ,being at ,glendalough at the end of that decade1 and hearing one day that an eviction was to take place some nine miles distant from where we were staying for my husband's shooting1 ,i got an outside car and drove off to the scene1 armed with my paints4 ,i met the police returning from their distasteful 8job10 armed to the teeth and very flushed4 ,on getting there ,i found the ruins of the cabin smouldering1 the ground quite hot under my feet1 and ,i set up my easel there4 ,the evicted woman came to search amongst the ashes of her home to try and find some of her belongings intact4 ,she was very philosophical1 and did not rise to the level of my indignation as an ardent ,english sympathiser4 ,however1 ,i studied her well1 and on returning home at ,delgany ,i set up the big picture which commemorates a typical eviction in the black #8eighties4 ,i seldom can say ,i am pleased with my work when done1 but ,i am complacent about this picture2 it has the true ,irish atmosphere1 and ,i was glad to turn out that landscape successfully which ,i had made all my studies for1 on the spot1 at ,glendalough4 ,what storms of wind and rain1 and what dazzling sunbursts ,i struggled in1 one day the paints being blown out of my box and nearly whirled into the lake far below my mountain perch6 ,my canvas1 acting like a sail1 once nearly sent me down there too4 ,i did not see this picture at all at the ,academy1 but ,i am very certain it cannot have been very 8popular0 in ,england4 ,before it was finished my husband was appointed to the command at ,alexandria1 and as soon as ,i had packed off the 8,eviction10 ,i followed1 on ,march #bdth1 and saw again the fascinating ,east4 ,my journey took me vi ,venice1 where the ,p4 ,o4 boat ,hydaspes was waiting4 ,can any journey to ,egypt be more charming than this one1 right across ,italy8 ,oh6 you who do not think a journey a mere means of getting to your destination as quickly as possible1 say1 if you have taken the ,milan-,verona-,padua line1 is there anything in all ,italy to surpass that burst on the view of the ,lago di ,garda after you emerge from the ,lonato tunnel8 ,on a blue day1 say in spring8 ,if you have not gone that way yet1 ,i beg you to be on the look-out on your left when you do go4 ,this wonderful surprise is suddenly revealed1 and almost as quickly lost4 ,waste not a second4 ,i put up at the 8,angleterre0 at ,venice1 on the ,riva1 because from there one sees the lagunes and glimpses of the open sea beyond1 and the air is open and fresh4 8,march #bhth4--,took gondola for the big ,p4 ,o4 ,s4,s4 which is to be my home for the next six days4 ,i at once saw the ship was one of their smartest boats1 and all looked very festive on board4 ,luncheon was served immediately after my arrival1 and ,i found a bright company thereat assembled1 with ,sir ,henry and ,lady ,layard at their head2 some come to see friends off and others to go on4 ,we amalgamated very pleasantly1 and great was the waving of handkerchiefs as we slowly steamed past the ,dogana and the ,riva1 our returning friends having gone on shore in gondolas whose sable sides were hidden in brilliant draperies4 ,the sashes of the gondoliers' liveries flashed in coloured silks and gold fringes2 the sea sparkled4 ,i rejoiced4 ,the ,montalba girls gave us a salvo of pocket handkerchiefs from their balcony on the ,giudecca4 ,what a gay scene6 ,lady ,layard1 on leaving1 introduced ,mrs4 ,h4 ,m41 who was to join her husband at ,brindisi for a long trip in the big liner from ,england1 and ,i was very happy at the prospect of her pleasant and intellectual companionship thus far40 ,and so we passed out into the early night on the dim ,adriatic1 after a sunset farewell to ,venice1 which remains to me as one of the tenderest visions of the past4 ,that voyage to ,alexandria is more enjoyable1 given fair weather1 than most voyages1 because one is hardly ever out of sight of land1 and such classic land1 too6 ,the ,ionian ,islands1 8,morea's ,hills10 ,candia4 ,but what a pleasure it is to see on the day before the arrival the signs that the landing is near at hand4 ,the ,general in ,command will be waiting at sunrise on the landing stage1 perhaps the light catching the gold lace on his cap1 appearing above the turbans of the native crowd4 ,of course every one who has been to ,egypt knows the feeling of disappointment at the first sight of its shores1 low-lying and fringed with those incongruous windmills which the ,great ,napoleon vainly planted there to teach the natives how better to make flour4 ,in vain4 ,and so were his wheelbarrows4 ,the natives preferred carrying the mud in their hands4 ,and the city1 how it fails to give you the ,oriental impression you are longing for1 with its pseudo-,italian architecture1 its hard paved streets1 and dusty boulevards and squares4 ,government ,house on the ,boulevard de ,ramleh was comfortable1 roomy and airy1 but ,i missed the imagined garden and palm trees of the ,cairo official residence4 8,april #crd4--,we have a view of ,cleopatra's ,tomb 7so called7 to the right1 jutting out into the intensely blue sea1 but the other arm of the bay 7the old ,roman harbour7 to our left1 covered with native houses and minarets1 is partly hidden by an abomination which hurts me to exasperation1 one of those amorphous buildings of tenth-rate ,italian vulgarity and dreariness which are being run up here in such quantities1 and rears its gaunt expanse close behind this house4 ,to cap this erection it has received the title of #8,bombay ,castle4' ,never mind1 ,i shall soon1 in my happy way1 cease to notice what ,i don't like to see1 and shall enjoy all that is left here of the original ,east and its fascinating barbaric beauty4 ,will took me for a most interesting drive1 first to ,ras-el-,tin1 during which we threaded a conglomeration of ,east and ,west which was bewildering4 ,there were nightmarish ,italian #8palazzi' loaded with cheap1 bluntly-moulded stucco2 glaring streets1 cafs1 dusty gardens1 over-dressed ,jewish and ,levantine women driving about in exaggerated hats1 frocks and figures2 and there also appeared the dark narrow bazaars and original streets1 the latticed windows1 the finely-coloured robes of the natives1 the weird goats1 the wolfish dogs1 straying about in all directions4 ,mounds of rubbish everywhere2 some only the leavings of newly-built houses1 some the remains of the bombardment's havoc1 others the dust of a once beautiful city whose loveliness in old ,roman times must have been supreme4 8,only here and there was ,i reminded of the charm of ,cairo--a tree by a yellow wall1 a group of natives eating sugar cane1 a water-seller with his tinkling brass cups and a rose behind his ear1 and so on4 ,we then had a really enjoyable drive along the ,mahmoudieh ,canal1 which was balm to my mind and eyes4 ,all along the placid water on the opposite bank ran ,arab villages with their accompaniments of palms1 buffaloes1 goats1 water jars1 native men and women in scriptural robes2 water wheels2 square-shaped1 almost window-less mud dwellings1 so appropriate under that intense light4 ,on our bank were the remnants of ,pashadom in the shape of gimcrack palaces closed and let go to ruin1 on account of fashion having betaken itself to the suburb of ,ramleh4 ,these dwellings were1 however1 so hidden in deep tropical gardens of great and rich beauty that they did not offend4 8,beyond the ,arab villages on the other bank appeared ,lake ,mareotis1 and there was a poetical feeling about all that region4 ,it was so strange to have on one side of a narrow band of water old ,egypt and the life of the ,east going on just as it has been for ages past1 and on the other the ephemeral tokens of the sham and fleeting life of to-day1 and this all the way along a drive of some two miles4 ,this is the fashionable drive1 and to see young ,egypt on horseback1 and old ,jewry in carriages1 passing and repassing up and down this cosmopolitan ,rotten ,row is decidedly trying4 ,my admired friends1 the running syces1 though1 redeem the thing to me4 ,their dress is one of the most perfect in shape1 colour and material ever devised4 ,the air was rich with the scent of strange flowers1 some of which billowed over entrance gates in magnificent purple masses40 ,i must be excused for having shown irritation in my ,diary at starting4 ,i soon adapted myself to the entourage1 and ,i hope ,i 8did my manners0 as became my official responsibilities4 ,i liked the ,greeks best of all--nay1 ,i got very fond of these handsome1 sunny people4 ,it was a curiously cosmopolitan society1 and ,i1 who am never good at remembering the little feuds that are always simmering in this kind of mixed company1 must have sometimes made mistakes4 ,i heard a ,greek woman1 who had dined with us the previous evening1 informing her friends in a voice fraught with meaning1 0,imaginez1 hier au soir chez le ,gnral ,monsieur ,gariopulo a donn le bras ,madame ,buzzato60 ,the recipients of this information were filled with mirth4 ,what had ,i done in pairing off these two for the procession to dinner8 ,the ,british were entrenched at ,ramleh4 ,the little stations on the railway there gave me quite a turn at first sight4 ,one was 8,bulkley10 the next 8,fleming10 then 8,sydney ,o4 ,schutz10 and finally ,san ,stefano at railhead1 and a casino with a corrugated iron roof under that scorching sun4 ,oh1 that ,i should see such a thing in ,egypt6 ,cheek by jowl with the little villas one saw weird ,bedouin tents and wild ,arabs and their animals1 carrying on their existence as if the ,briton had never come there4 ,the incongruities of ,alexandria became to me positively enjoyable2 and the desert air1 as ever1 was life-giving4 ,my little ,syrian horse1 8,minnow10 carried me many a mile alongside my husband's charger1 over that pleasant desert sand4 ,but an occasional khamseen wind gave me a taste of the disagreeable phase of ,egyptian weather4 ,i name1 with the vivid recollection of the khamseen's irritating qualities1 the experience of paying calls 7in a nice toilette7 under its suffocating puffs4 ,and how the flies swarm2 how they settle in black masses on the sweetmeats sold in the streets1 and hang in tassels from the native children's eyes4 ,oh1 yes1 there is a seamy side to all things1 but it isn't my way to turn it up more than is necessary4 ,here may follow a bit of ,diary3 8,may #bbnd4--,we had a memorable picnic at ,rosetta to-day1 with thirty of the ,english colony4 ,i had long wished to visit this ancient city1 brick-built and half deserted1 a once opulent place1 but now mournful in its decay4 ,i longed to see old ,nile once more4 ,we chartered a special train and left ,moharram ,bey ,station at #h a4m4 ,i was much pleased with the seaside desert and the effects of mirage over ,aboukir ,bay4 ,the ancient town of ,edkou struck me very much4 ,it was built of the small brown ,rosetta brick1 and was placed on a hill1 giving it a different aspect from the usual ,arab pale-walled villages which are usually built on level ground4 ,it had thus a peculiar character4 ,shortly before reaching ,rosetta the land becomes richly cultivated4 ,there is a subtle beauty about the cultivated regions of this fascinating land of ,egypt which ,i feel very much4 ,it is the beauty of abundance and richness as well as of vivid colour4 8,at ,rosetta dense crowds of natives awaited us and some police were detailed to escort us through the town4 ,i heard some of the women of our party wishing they could pick the blue tiles off the minarets1 but for my part ,i prefer them under their lovely sky and sunshine1 rather than ornamenting mantelpieces in a ,kensington fog4 ,a little musharabieh lattice is still left here in the windows and has not yet been taken to grace the ,british drawing-rooms of ,ramleh4 ,we strolled about the bazaars and into the old ramshackle mosques1 and1 altogether1 exhausted the sights4 ,everywhere in ,rosetta you see beautiful little ,corinthian marble columns incorporated with the ,arab buildings1 and supporting the ceilings and pulpits of the mosques4 ,they are daubed over with red plaster4 ,very often a rich ,corinthian capital is used as a base to a pillar by being turned upside down1 so that the shaft1 crowned with its own capital1 possesses two--one at each end--an arrangement evidently satisfactory to the barbarian ,arabs who succeeded the classic builders of the old city4 ,almost every angle of a house has a ,greek column acting as corner stone4 ,but the brown brickwork is very dismal1 and but for the vivid colours of the people's dresses the monotony of tone would be displeasing4 ,this is ,bairam1 and the people during the three days' feast succeeding the dismal ,ramadan ,fast are in their most radiant dresses1 and revelry and feasting are going on everywhere4 ,such a mass of moving colour as was the market place of ,rosetta to-day these eyes1 that have seen so much1 never looked upon before4 8,at last1 when we had climbed into enough mosques and poked about into houses1 and through all the bazaars 7the fish bazaar was trying71 we went down to the landing stage and took boat for the trysting place1 about a mile up the broad1 wind-lashed ,nile4 ,will and the ,bishop of ,clifton1 sole remaining straggler from the late pilgrimage to the ,holy ,land1 and half our party had gone on before us2 and1 after a quick sail along the palm-fringed bank1 we arrived at the pretty landing place chosen for our picnic4 ,we found a tent pitched and the servants busy laying the cloth under a dense sycamore1 close to an old mosque whose onion-shaped dome and ,arab minaret gave me great pleasure as we came in sight of them4 ,i was impatient to make a sketch4 ,i lost no time1 and went off and established myself in a palm grove with my water colours4 ,the usual ,egyptian drawbacks1 however1 were there--flies1 and puffs of sand blown into one's eyes and powdering one's paints4 ,on the ,mahmoudieh ,canal ,i am exempt from the sand nuisance1 and nothing can be pleasanter than my experience there1 sitting in an open carriage with the hood up1 and not a soul to bother me4 8,our return to ,rosetta was lively4 ,as we were then going against the wind1 we had to be towed from the shore1 and it was very interesting to watch the agility of our crew dodging in and out of the boats moored under the bank and deftly disengaging the tow-rope from the spars and rigging of these vessels4 ,a tall ,circassian effendi of police cantered on his little ,arab along the bank to see that all went well with us4 ,the other half of our party chose to sail and progress by laborious tacking from one side of the wide river to the other1 and arrived long after we did4 ,we all met at the house of the ,syrian postmaster1 where he and his pretty little wife received us with native politeness1 and gave us coffee and sweets4 ,our return journey was most pleasant1 and we got to ,alexandria at #h p4m4 ,twelve charming hours4 8,may #bdth4--,the ,queen's birthday4 ,trooping of the colour at #e p4m4 on the ,moharrem ,bey ,ground4 ,most successful4 ,will1 mounted on a powerful chestnut1 did look a commanding figure as he raised his plumed helmet and led the ringing cheers for the ,queen which brought the pretty ceremony to a close4 ,the sun was near setting behind the height of ,komeldik1 and lit up the roses in the men's helmets and garlanded round the standard4 ,in the evening a dull and solemn dinner to the heads of departments and their wives4 ,a difficult function4 ,we had the band of the ,suffolks playing outside the windows1 which were wide open on the sea4 ,i went out sketching in the morning1 very early4 ,i should have been at my post all day on such an occasion1 ,i confess4 ,will said ,i was like ,nero1 fiddling while ,rome was burning4 8,may #bith4--,the ,mediterranean ,fleet is here4 ,great interchange of cards1 firing of salutes1 etc41 etc4 ,all very ceremonious1 but productive of picturesqueness and colour and effect1 so ,i like it very much4 ,the ,khedive ,tewfik1 too1 has arrived1 with the ,khediviah1 for the hot season from ,cairo4 ,will1 of course1 had to be present at the station this morning for the reception of our puppet1 and it was not nice to see the ,union ,jack down in the dust as the guard of honour of the ,suffolks gave the salute4 ,our dinner to-night was to the admiral and officers of the newly-arrived ,british squadron4 8,june #bnd4--,to the ,khediviah's first reception at the harem of the ,ras-el-,tin ,palace4 ,i had two ,englishwomen to present1 rather an unmanageable pair1 as seniority appeared to be claimed erroneously at the last moment by the junior4 ,this reception has become a most dull affair now that ,oriental ways are done away with4 ,dancing girls no longer amuse the guests1 nor handmaidens cater to them with sweetmeats during the audience1 and there is nothing left but absolute emptiness4 ,the ,vice-,reine sits1 in ,european dress1 on a divan at the end of a vast hall1 and the visitors sit in a semi-circle before her on hard ,european chairs reflected in a polished parquet1 speaking to each other in whispers and furtively sipping coffee4 ,she addresses a few remarks to those nearest her1 and the pauses are articulated by the click of the ever-moving fans of the assembly4 ,the ladies-in-waiting and girl slaves move about in a mooning way in the funniest frocks1 supposed to be ,european1 but some of them absolutely frumpish4 ,melancholy eunuchs of the bluest black1 in glossy frock coats1 rise and bow as one passes along the passages to or from the presence1 and it is a relief to get out through the jealously-walled garden into the outer world4 8,i find it difficult to converse in a harem1 being so bad at small talk4 ,i upset the ,vice-,reine's equanimity by telling her 7which was quite true7 that ,i had heard she was taking lessons in painting4 #8,moi1 madame866 ,oh6 je n'aurais pas le courage6' ,it was as bad as when ,i told her1 in ,cairo1 how much ,i liked poking about the bazaars4 #8,vous allez dans les bazaars1 madame866' ,so ,i relapsed into talking of illnesses1 which subject ,i have always found touches the proper note in a harem4 ,they say the ,vice-,reine delights in these audiences1 as they are amongst the great events of her days4 ,she is a beautiful woman1 a ,circassian1 and of lovely whiteness4 8,finished the delicate sketch of the loveliest bit of the canal1 where the pink minaret and the black cypress are4 ,i wish ,i could do just one more reach of that lovely waterway before ,i leave6 ,there is a particular group of oleanders nodding with heavy pink blossom by the water's edge against a soft blurred background of tamarisk1 where women and girls in dark blue1 brilliant orange1 and rose-coloured robes come down to fetch water in their amphor4 ,there is another reach lined for the whole length of the picture with tall waving canebrakes1 above whose tender green tops appears the delicate distance of the lagoons of ,mareotis2 there is--but ah6 each bend of that canal reveals fresh beauties1 and often as ,will has driven me there1 ,i am as eager as ever to miss no point in the lovely sequence4 8,june #adth4--,all my days now ,i am sketching more continuously1 as the arduous work of paying calls has relaxed greatly4 ,this evening we drove again far beyond ,ramleh on the old route followed by ,napoleon to reach ,aboukir1 and ,i finished the sketch there40 ,and so on1 till my departure a few days later4 ,i had wisely left my oils at home at ,delgany1 and thus got together a much larger number of subjects1 the handier medium of water-colour being better suited to the official life ,i had to attend to4 ,,chapter ,,xvii ,,more ,,of ,,the ,,east ,my return voyage was made on board the ,messageries boat to ,marseilles4 ,this gave me the ,straits of ,messina as well as those of ,bonifacio4 ,on passing ,ajaccio ,i don't think a single ,french passenger gave a thought to ,napoleon4 ,i was intent on taking in every detail of that place1 as far as ,i could see it through a morning mist4 ,corsica looked very grand1 crowned with great snow-capped mountains4 ,i lost no time in getting home to the children1 and passed the rest of the summer in the green loveliness of ,ireland1 returning to ,egypt1 in the following ,october1 vi ,venice again4 ,every soldier's wife knows what it is to be torn in two between the husband far away abroad and the children one must leave at home4 ,the trial is great1 no doubt of it4 ,then there is this perplexity3 whether it would be well to take one of the children with one and risk the dangers of the journey and the climate at the other end4 ,parents pay heavily for our far-flung ,empire6 ,on the morning of my departure from ,venice ,i woke to the call of the sunbeams pouring into my room1 and1 behold1 as ,i went to the window1 the dome of the 8,salute0 taking the salute1 as we say in the ,army1 of the sunrise6 ,and the ,dogana's gilded globe responding1 too4 ,joy6 our start at least will be calm4 ,till midday ,i had ,venice to myself1 and ,i could stroll about the ,piazza and little streets1 and recollect myself in peaceful meditation in ,st4 ,mark's4 ,what delicate loveliness is that of ,venice6 ,those russet reds and creamy whites and tender yellows1 and here and there bits of deep indigo blue to give emphasis to the colour scheme4 ,and that tender opalesque sky1 and the gilded statues on domes and towers1 and the rich mosaics twinkling in the hazy light6 ,these things make one feel a love for ,venice which is full of gratitude for so beautiful a thing4 ,at #ab4cj ,i took gondola and was rowed to my old friend the ,hydaspes lying in the ,giudecca1 and was just in time to sit down to a truly ,hydaspian luncheon1 which was crowded4 ,to my indescribable relief the captain told me ,i should have a cabin all to myself as last time4 ,at two o'clock we cast off1 and that effective passage all along the front of the city was again made which so impressed me the preceding spring2 and then we turned off seawards1 winding through the channel marked out by those white posts with black heads which1 even in their humble way1 are so harmonious in tone and are beloved by painters1 carrying out as they do the whole artistic scheme4 ,every fishing boat we met or overtook gave one a study of harmonies4 ,now it was an orange sail with a red upper corner in soft sunlight against the flat blue-purple of the distant mountains and the vivid green of the ,lido2 now1 composing with a line of rosy1 snowy mountain tops that lay like massive clouds on the horizon1 would rise a pale cool grey-white sail1 well in the foreground1 with its upper part tinted a soft mouse-grey and its lower border deep terra-cotta red4 ,the sea1 pale blue2 the sky thinly veiled with clouds of a rosy dove-grey4 ,nowhere does one see such delicacy of colouring as here4 ,then the market boats looked well1 full of vegetables1 whose cool green came just where it should for the completion of the colour study4 ,to think that the ,local ,board1 or whatever those modern vulgarians are called1 of ,venice are advocating the complete suppression of those coloured sails1 to be replaced by plain white ones all round4 ,hands off1 mascalzoni6 ,all this enchantment gradually faded away in the mists of evening and of distance1 and we were soon well out to sea4 8,sunday4--,at #i a4m4 ,brindisi in bright1 low sunshine10 says the ,diary4 8,to ,missa ,cantata2 much pleasant strolling4 ,what animation all day with the loading and unloading1 the coming and going of passengers1 the cries and laughter of the population thronging the quays6 ,the ,britannia from ,london was already in1 and ,i watched the transfer of my heavy luggage from her to the ,hydaspes with a hawk's eye4 ,i had a genuine compliment on landing paid to my accent4 ,those pests1 the little beggar boys1 who hang on to the ,english and can't be shaken off1 attacked me at first till ,i turned on them and shouted1 #8,via1 birrrrichini6' ,one of them pulled the others away3 #8,come away1 don't you see she is not ,english6' ,the ,italians still think ,gl' ,inglesi are all millionaires and made of scudi4 8,november #abth4--,what indescribable joy this afternoon to see the crew busy with the preparations for our arrival to-morrow morning6 8,november #acth4--,of course ,i began to get ready at #c a4m4 and peer out of the porthole on the waste of starlit waters as ,i felt the ship stopping off the distant lighthouse4 ,we lay to a long time waiting for the dawn before proceeding to enter the harbour4 ,the sun rose behind the city just as we turned into the port4 ,i looked towards the distant landing stage4 ,half a mile off1 with my wonderful sight1 ,i saw ,will1 though the sun was right in my eyes4 ,i knew him not only by his height1 but by the shining gold band round his cap4 ,we were a long time coming in and swinging round alongside1 and1 before the gangway was well down1 ,will sprang on to it and1 in spite of the warning shouts of the sailors1 was the first to board the ,hydaspes40 ,i was back in ,egypt2 to be there once more was bliss4 ,the now brimming ,mahmoudieh saw me haunting it again2 the predominating red of the flowering trees and creepers that ,i noted before had made place for enchanting variations of yellow1 and all the vegetation had deepened4 ,the heat was great at first4 ,i was particularly struck by the enhanced beauty of the date palms1 whose golden and deep purple fruit now hung in clusters under the graceful branches4 ,but all too soon came a good deal of rain1 to my indignation4 ,rain in ,egypt6 ,the natives say we have brought it with us4 ,i never saw any in ,cairo nor upstream4 ,the ,governor of the city had invited us to make use of a little dahabiyeh1 the ,rose1 for a cruise on the ,lower ,nile1 and on ,november #bjth we started4 ,my husband had already welcomed on their arrival1 in a worthy manner1 the officers of the ,french fleet1 with whom he was in perfect sympathy2 but my ,diary records the happy necessity for our departure by the scheduled time on board the ,rose on that very ,november #bjth4 ,that morning the ,german squadron arrived and the thunder of its guns gave us an unintentional send-off6 ,they were duly honoured1 of course1 but the ,general himself was away4 ,it was a nine days' cruise to the mouth of the ,nile and back4 ,quite a different reading of the ,nile from the one ,i have recorded in my letters to my mother1 and reproduced in 8,from ,sketch ,book and ,diary40 ,very few tourists or even serious travellers have come so far down1 so that one is less afraid of being forestalled by abler writers in recording one's impressions there4 ,it was pretty to see the big ,turkish flag fluttering at our helm1 and a beautifully disproportionate pennon streaming in crimson magnificence from the point of the little vessel's curved felucca spar4 ,but our first days were damping3 8,november #bbnd4--,oh1 the rain6 ,alas6 that ,i should know ,egypt under such deluges1 and see in this land the deepest1 ugliest mud in the world4 ,we had to moor off the residence of the ,bey1 to whom this dahabiyeh belongs1 last night1 as we wished to pay him our respects and tender him our thanks this morning4 ,he made us stay to luncheon1 and a very excellent ,arab repast it was4 ,i got on well with him as he spoke excellent ,french1 but his mother6 ,oh6 it was heavy1 as she could only talk ,turkish1 and my translated remarks didn't even get a smile out of her4 ,i must say the ,mohammedan women are deadly4 8,we proceeded on our voyage very late in the day1 on account of this visit which common civility made necessary4 ,the weather brightened up at sunset and nothing more weird have ,i ever seen than the mud villages1 cemeteries1 lonely tombs1 goats1 buffaloes and wild human beings that loomed on the banks as we glided by1 brown and black against that sky full of racing clouds that seemed red-hot from the great fiery globe that had just sunk below the palm-fringed horizon4 ,these canal banks might give many people the horrors4 ,i certainly think them in this weather the most uncanny bits of manipulated nature ,i have ever seen4 ,i was fortunate in getting down in colour such a telling thing1 a goatherd in a ,bedouin's burnous1 which was wildly flapping in the hot wind against the red glow in the west1 driving a herd of those goats ,i find so effective1 with their long1 pendant ears1 and kids skipping in impish gambols in front4 #8,apocalyptic' apparition1 caught1 as we left it astern1 in that portentous gloaming6 ,i shall make something of this4 ,as to the inhabitants of those regions1 to contemplate their life is too depressing4 ,as darkness comes on you see them creeping into their unlighted mud hovels like their animals4 ,on the ,upper ,nile1 at least1 the fellaheen have glorious air1 the sun1 the clean1 dry sand1 but here in that mud----6 8,november #bcrd4--,no more rain4 ,at ,atfeh we left the canal at last1 by a lock1 and ,i gave a sigh of relief and contentment1 for we were on the broad bosom of ,old ,nile4 ,after a delay at this mud town to buy provisions we pushed out into the current and with eight immensely long #8sweeps' 7the wind was against sailing7 we made a good run to ,rosetta1 on whose mud bank we thumped by the light of a pale moon4 ,the rhythmic sound of those splashing oars and of the chant of the oarsmen in the minor key1 with barbaric #8intervals' unknown to our music1 continued to echo in my ears--it all seemed wild and strange and haunting4 8,november #bdth4--,began this morning a sketch of ,rosetta to finish on our return from rounding up our outward voyage at the western mouth of the great river where we saw it emerge into a very desolate1 grey ,mediterranean4 ,i may now say ,i have a very good idea of the mighty river for upward of a thousand miles of its course--a good bit further1 both below and above stream1 than the authoress of #8,a ,thousand ,miles up the ,nile' knew it1 whom in my early days ,i longed to emulate and1 if possible1 surpass6 ,an old-fashioned book1 now1 ,i suppose1 but all the more interesting for that4 ,furling sail1 for the wind had been fair to-day1 we turned and were towed back to ,fort ,st4 ,julian1 where we moored for the night4 8,november #beth4--,after a nice little sketch of the ,fort ,st4 ,julian1 celebrated in ,napoleonic annals1 we started off1 and reached ,rosetta in good time1 so that ,i was able most satisfactorily to finish my large water-colour of the place4 ,i was rather bothered where ,i sat at the water's edge by the small boys and a very persistent pelican1 which kept flying from the river into the fish market and returning with stolen fish1 to souse them in the water before filling its pouch1 in time to avoid capture by the pursuing brats4 8,november #bfth4--,from ,rosetta we glided pleasantly to ,metubis1 one of the many shining cities1 as seen from afar1 that become heaps of squalid dwellings when viewed at close quarters4 ,but the minarets of those phantom cities remain erect in all their beauty1 and this city in particular was transfigured by the most magnificent sunset ,i have ever seen1 even here40 ,the wild town of ,syndioor was our mooring place for the next night1 and at sunrise we were off homewards4 ,syndioor and the opposite city of ,deyrout were veiled in a soft mist1 out of which rose their tall minarets in stately beauty1 radiant in the level light4 ,the effect on the mind of these ruined places1 once magnificent centres of commerce and luxury1 is quite extraordinary4 ,they are now1 all of them1 derelicts4 ,and so in time we slipped back into the canal1 landing under the oleanders of our starting place4 ,the crew kissed hands1 the reis made his obeisance1 and we returned to the hard stones and rattle of the ,boulevard de ,ramleh1 refreshed4 ,the ,germans were gone4 ,balls1 picnics1 gymkhanas and dinners were varied by intervals of water-colour sketching in the desert4 ,one picnic1 out at ,mex1 to the west of ,alexandria1 was distinguished by a great camel ride we all had on the soft-paced1 mouse-coloured mounts of the ,camel ,corps1 the ,englishwomen looking so nice in their well-cut riding habits1 sitting easily on their tall steeds4 ,i managed to secure several sketches that day of the men and camels of the corps1 and have one sketch of ourselves starting for our turn in the desert4 ,our ponies took us back home4 ,the sort of day ,i liked4 ,as ,i record1 the completeness of my enjoyment was caused by my having been able to put some useful work in1 as usual4 ,i had a ,camel ,corps picture in petto at this time4 8,february #acth1 #ahia4--,we had the ,duke of ,cambridge to luncheon4 ,he arrived yesterday on board the ,surprise from ,malta1 and ,will1 of course1 received him officially1 but not royally1 as he is travelling incog41 and he came here to tea4 ,to-day we had a large party to meet him1 and a very genial luncheon it was1 not to say rollicking4 ,the day was exquisite1 and out of the open windows the sea sparkled1 blue and calm4 ,h4,r4,h4 seemed to me rather feeble1 but in the best of humours2 a wonderful old man to come to ,egypt for the first time at seventy-two1 braving this burning sun and with such a high colour to begin with6 ,one felt as though one was talking to ,george ,,iii4 to hear the #8,what1 what1 what8 ,who1 who1 who8 ,why1 why1 why8' ,col4 ,lane1 one of his suite1 said he had never seen him in better spirits4 ,i was gratified at his praise of our cook--very loud praise1 literally1 as he is not only rather deaf himself1 but speaks to people as though they also were a #8little hard of hearing4' #8,very good cook1 my dear' 7to me74 #8,very good cook1 ,butler' 7across the table to ,will74 #8,very good cook1 eh1 ,sykes8' 7very loud to ,christopher ,sykes1 further off74 #8,you are a gourmet1 you know better about these things than ,i do1 eh8' ,c4 ,s43 #8,i ought to have learnt something about it at ,gloucester ,house1 sir6' ,h4,r4,h4 7to me73 #8,your health1 my dear4' #8,butler1 your very good health6' ,aside to me3 #8,what's the ,consul's name8' ,i3 #8,sir ,charles ,cookson4' #8,sir ,charles1 your health6' ,when ,i hand the salt to ,h4,r4,h4 he stops my hand3 #8,i wouldn't quarrel with her for the world1 ,butler4' ,and so the feast goes on1 our august guest plying me with questions about the relationship and antecedents of every one at the table2 about the manners and customs of the populace of ,alexandria2 the state of commerce2 the climate4 ,i answer to the best of my ability with the most unsatisfactory information4 ,he started at four for ,cairo1 leaving a most kindly impression on my memory4 ,the last of the old ,georgian type6 #8,your mutton was good1 my dear2 not at all goaty1' were his valedictory words40 ,mutton is goaty in ,egypt unless well selected4 ,i advise travellers to confine themselves to the good poultry1 and to leave meat alone4 ,what ,i would have done without our dear1 good old ,magro1 the major domo who did my housekeeping out there1 ,i dread to think4 ,his name1 denoting a lean habit of body1 was a misnomer1 for he was rotund4 ,a good1 honest ,maltese1 his devotion to 8,sair ,william0 was really touching4 ,i was only as the moon is to the sun1 and to serve the sun he would1 ,i am convinced1 have risked his life4 ,i came in for his devotion to myself by reason of my reflected glory4 ,one morning he came hurtling towards me1 through the rooms1 waving aloft what at first looked like a red republican flag1 but it proved to be a sirloin or other portion of bovine anatomy which he had had the luck to purchase in the market 7good beef being so rare74 8,look1 miladi1 you will not often meet such beef walking in the street60 ,he laid it out for my admiration4 ,this is the way he used to ask me for the daily orders3 8,what will miladi command for dinner80 8,cutlets80 7patting his ribs72 8a loin80 7indications of lumbago72 8or a leg80 7advancing that limb72 8or1 for a delicate entre1 brains80 7laying a finger on his perspiring forehead74 8,oh1 for goodness' sake1 ,magro1 not brains60 ,when the day's work was done he would retire to what we called the 8,ah6-poor-me-room0--his boudoir--where1 repeating aloud those words so dear to his nationality1 he would take up his cigar4 ,government gave him #bej a year for all this expenditure of zeal4 ,while on the subject of ,oriental housekeeping1 ,i must record the following4 ,our predecessors of a former time had what to me would have been an experience difficult to recover from4 ,they were giving a large ,christmas dinner1 and the cook1 proud of the pudding he had mastered the intricacies of1 insisted on bringing it in himself1 all ablaze4 ,it was only a few steps from the kitchen to the dining-room4 ,holding the great dish well up before him1 he unfortunately set fire to his beard1 and the effect of his dusky face approaching in the subdued light of the door1 illuminated in that way by blue flames1 must have been satanic4 8,march #adth4--,lord ,charles ,beresford1 who has relieved the other ship with the ,undaunted1 invited us all to luncheon on board1 but ,will and ,i could not stay to luncheon as we had guests2 nevertheless1 we had a very interesting morning on board4 ,on arriving at the ,marina we found ,lady ,charles1 ,lady ,edmund ,talbot1 ,colonel ,kitchener1#aj whose light1 rather tiger-like eyes in that sunburnt face slightly frightened me1 and others waiting to go with us to the ,undaunted in the ship's barge and a steam launch4 ,lord ,charles received us with his usual sailor-like welcome1 and we had a tremendous inspection of the ship1 one of our latest experiments in naval machinery--a belted cruiser4 ,she will probably cruise to the bottom if ever the real test comes4 ,a torpedo was fired for us1 but it gambolled away like a porpoise1 ending by plunging into a mudbank4 ,i wish they would diverge their direction like that in war1 detestable inventions6 8,april #ast1 #ahia4--;,i am now quite in the full swing of ,egyptian enjoyment4 ,no more ,egyptian rain6 ,excellent accounts from home1 and my intention of going back is rendered unnecessary4 ,how thankful ,i am1 on the eve of our departure for ,palestine1 for the #8all well' from home60 ,my entries in the ,diary during that unique journey1 and my letters to my mother1 are published in my book1 8,letters from the ,holy ,land40 ,i illustrated it with the water colours ,i made during our pilgrimage1 and ,i was most delighted to find the little book had an utterly unexpected success4 ,it was nice to find myself among the writers6 ,to have ridden through this land from end to end is to have experienced a pleasure such as no other part of the earth can give us4 ,had ,i had no more joy in store for me1 that would have been enough4 ,as the railway was not opened till the following year the mind was not disturbed1 and could concentrate on the scenes before it with all the recollection it required4 ,i called our progress 8riding through the ,bible40 ,many a local allusion in both ,testaments1 which had seemed vague or difficult to appreciate before1 opened out1 so to say1 before one's happy vision1 and gave a substance1 a vitality to the ,scripture narrative which produced a satisfaction delightful to experience4 ,perhaps the strongest longing in my childhood's mind had been to do this journey4 ,to do it as we did1 just our two selves1 and in the fresh spring weather1 was a happy circumstance4 ,as ,i look back to that time which we spent amidst the scenes of ,our ,lord's revealed life on earth1 no portion of it produces such a sense of mental peace as does the night of our arrival on the shores of the ,sea of ,galilee4 ,there there were no crowds1 no distractions1 not a thing to jar on the mind4 ,before and around one1 as one sat on the pebbly strand1 appeared the very outlines of the hills ,his eyes had rested on1 and far from modern life encroaching on one's sensitiveness1 the cities that lined those sacred shores in ,his time had disappeared like one of the fleeting cloud shadows which the moon was casting all along their ruined sites4 ,his words came back with a poignant force1 8,woe unto thee1 ,chorazin6 ,woe unto thee1 ,bethsaida6444 and thou1 ,capernaum1 which art exalted unto heaven44440 ,where were they8 ,and the high waves raced foaming and breaking on the shingle1 blown by a strong though mild wind that came across from the dark cliffs of the country of the ,gadarenes4 ,one seemed to feel ,his approach where ,he had so often walked4 ,one can hardly speak of the awe which that feeling brought to the mind4 ,he was quite near6 ,undoubtedly the effect of a journey through the ,holy ,land does permanently impress itself upon one's life4 ,it is a tremendous experience to be brought thus face to face with the ,gospel narrative4 ,we returned to the modern world on ,may #ast4 ,this time ,i left ,alexandria in company with my husband on ,june #crd1 and on landing at ,venice we at once went on to ,verona1 where he was anxious to visit the battlefield of ,arcole4 ,,chapter ,,xviii ,,the ,,last ,,of ,,egypt ,here at ,verona was ,italy in her richest dress1 her abundant and varied crops filling the landscape1 one might say1 to overflowing2 not a space of soil left untilled1 and1 all the way along our road to ,san ,bonifacio for ,arcole1 the snow-capped ,alps were shimmering in the blue atmosphere on one hand1 and a great teeming plain stretched away to the horizon on the other4 ,i noticed the fine physique of the peasantry1 and their nice ways4 ,every peasant man we met on the road raised his hat to us as we passed4 ,at ,san ,bonifacio we got out of the carriage and1 turning to the right1 we walked to ,arcole1 becoming exclusively ,napoleonic on reaching the famous marsh4 ,history says that a soldier saved ,napoleon from drowning early in the battle by pulling him out of the water in that marsh1 8by the hair60 ,i pondered this bald statement1 and came to the conclusion that the thing must have happened in this wise4 ,young ,bonaparte in those early days wore his hair very long1 and gathered up into a queue4 ,had he been close-cropped1 as his later experience in ,egypt compelled him to be1 the history of the world might have been very different4 ,as ,i looked into the water from the famous little bridge1 ,i saw the place where the young conqueror slipped and plunged in4 ,the soldier must have caught hold of the pigtail1 and with the good grip it afforded him pulled his drowning general out4 ,between the little bridge and the spot where he sank ,napoleon raised the obelisk which we see to-day4 ,thus do ,i like to realise interesting events in history4 ,our driver on the way back became a dreadful bore1 for ever turning on the box to chatter4 ,first he informed us that ,arcole was called after ,hercules1 8a very strong man0 7great thumping of biceps to illustrate his meaning71 which we knew before4 ,then1 when within sight of the battlefield of ,custozza1 where our dear ,italians got such a 8dusting0 from the ,austrians1 he informed us that he had been in the battle1 and that the ,italians had blasted the enemy4 8,li abbiamo fulminati40 8,oh1 shut up1 do6 ,basta1 caro60 ,our afternoon stroll all over ,verona merged into a moonlight one which takes first rank in my ,italian chronicles4 ,the effect of a roaring ,alpine torrent 7for such is the ,adige at this season of melting snows7 rushing and swirling through the heart of that ancient city1 between embankments bordered with domed churches1 with towers and palaces1 ,i found quite unique4 ,mysterious1 too1 it all felt in the lights and profound shades of the moonlight4 ,above rose the hills with very striking serrated outlines1 crowned with fortresses4 ,the rest of the summer saw me at home at ,delgany4 ,i must say the 8,green ,isle0 for summer1 following ,egypt for winter1 makes a very pleasant combination4 ,my husband had returned to ,alexandria on ,august #bcrd1 and ,i and a wee child followed in ,november4 ,i had half accomplished my next ,academy picture at home1 and ,i took it out to finish in ,egypt--8,halt on a ,forced ,march3 ,retreat to ,corunna40 ,a study of an artillery team this time1 giving the look of the spent horses1 8lean unto war40 ,it was very well placed at the ,academy in the fresh first room1 and well received1 but it was too sad a subject1 perhaps1 so ,i have it still4 ,there were no half-starved horses in all ,wicklow1 ,i am happy to say1 look where ,i would for models4 ,i had well-to-do ones to get tone and colour from1 but ,i bided my time4 ,in ,egypt ,i had plenty of choice1 and had ,i not been able to put the finishing touches to my team there1 the picture would never have been so strong--an instance of my favourite definition when ,i am asked1 8,what is the secret of success80 8,seize opportunities40 ,so on ,december #ajth1 #ahia1 ,i1 with the little child ,i had safely brought out with me1 landed once more at ,alexandria4 ,the big charger and the grey ,syrian pony had now a black donkey alongside for the desert rides1 which were the chief pleasure of our life out there4 ,but the winter grew sad4 ,on ,january #gth1 #ahib1 the ,khedive ,tewfik died rather mysteriously1 it was said1 but his death was announced as the result of that plague we call the 8flu10 which reached even to the ,east4 ,just eight days later poor ,albert ,victor1 ,duke of ,clarence1 fell a victim to it1 and in the same way died ,cardinal ,manning4 ,also some of our own friends at ,alexandria went down4 ,and yet never was there more brilliant weather1 so softly brilliant that one could hardly realise the presence of danger4 ,all the balls and other festivities were stopped1 of course4 ,i had ample time to finish my 8,halt on a ,forced ,march0 in this long interval1 so boring and depressing to ,alexandrian society4 ,soon things returned to pleasantly normal conditions1 however1 and being free from the studio on sending my picture off1 ,i went in whole-heartedly for the amenities of my official position4 ,the ,private ,view at the far-away ,royal ,academy was in my mind on the occasion of my giving away the prizes at some athletic sports1 for ,i knew it was just then in full blast1 ,april #bith1 #ahib4 ,i knew my quiet picture could not make anything of a stir1 and ,i chaffed myself by suggesting that the 8three cheers and one cheer more0 proposed by the ,english consul at the end of the prize-giving1 which rent the sunset air in that dusty plain in my honour1 should be all ,i ought to expect4 ,it would be a little too much to receive applause in two quarters of the globe at the same moment1 allowing for difference of time6 ,i call upon my ,diary again3 8,may #ahth4--,we joined a picnic in the very palm grove through which the ,turks fled from the ,french pursuit under ,bonaparte to find death in the surf of ,aboukir ,bay4 ,we were shaded by clumps of pomegranate trees in flower as well as by the waving1 rustling palms1 and a cool wind blew round us most pleasantly1 while the white and grey donkeys that brought us rested in groups1 their drivers and the villagers squatting about them in those unconsciously graceful attitudes ,i love to jot down in my sketch book4 ,the moving shadows of the palm branches on the sand always capture my observation2 no other tree shadows produce that effect of ever-interlacing forms4 ,far away in the radiant light lay the region where the terrible naval battle took place later1 to our credit4 ,altogether our party was surrounded by frightful reminiscences1 in the midst of which the picnic went its usual picnicky way4 ,we rode back to ,alexandria by the light of the stars4 8,may #bcrd4--,a wonderful day1 full of colour1 movement and interest4 ,young ,abbas ,,ii41 the new ,khedive1 was received here on his arrival from ,cairo1 the whole population1 swelled by strange wild ,asiatics from distant parts1 filling the streets and squares through which he was to pass4 ,will1 of course1 had to receive him at the station4 ,the crowd alone was a pleasure to look at4 ,the ,khedive seemed a squat young man with a round pink and white painted face4 ,they say he loves not the ,english4 ,what ,i enjoyed above all was the drive we took soon after1 all the length of the line of reception1 to ,ras-el-,tin4 ,oh1 those narrow streets of the old quarter1 filled with numberless varieties of ,oriental costumes4 ,now and then the crowd was threaded by troops1 some on horseback1 some perched on camels1 and1 to give the finishing touch of variety1 the native fire brigade went by1 wearing the brass helmets of their ,london confrres1 very surprising headgear bonneting their black and brown faces40 ,i1 with the little child1 left for home on ,june #gth1 vi ,genoa1 well provided with a good stock of studies of camels and ,camel ,corps troopers4 ,these were for my #h-;foot picture1 destined for the next ,academy4 ,many a camel had ,i stalked about the ,ramleh desert to watch its mannerisms in movement4 ,i got quite to revel in camels4 ,usually that interesting beast is made utterly uninteresting in pictures1 whereas if you know him personally he is full of surprises and one never gets to the end of him4 ,the voyage to my dear old ,genoa was full of beautiful sights1 with one exception4 ,i don't know what old ,naples was like--,i know it was frightfully dirty--but ,i saw it modernised into a very horrid town1 a smudge of ugliness on one of the ideal beauties of the world4 ,it gave me a shock on beholding it as we entered the harbour1 and so ,i leave the town itself severely alone1 with its new1 barrack-like buildings looking gaunt and gritty in the burning ,june sunshine4 ,the cloisters of the ,certosa at ,sant' ,elmo are very beautiful1 and ,i much enjoyed the church and the splendid 8,descent from the ,cross0 of ,spagnoletto4 ,there was just time for a dash up there before leaving at #ab noon4 ,as we steamed out towards ,ischia ,i got the oft-painted 7and1 alas6 oleographed7 view of ,vesuvius across the whole extent of the bay from off ,posilipo4 ,certainly nowhere on earth can a fairer scene be beheld1 and greater grace of coast and mountain outline4 ,then the fair scene melted away into the tender haze of the ,june afternoon--blue and tender grey1 the volcanic islands one by one disappeared and the day of my first sight of the ,bay of ,naples closed4 ,june #abth was a most memorable day1 a day of deepest1 sweetest1 and saddest impressions and memories for me4 ,in the afternoon ,i made ready for our approach to that part of the world where the brightest years of my childhood were spent--the ,gulf of ,genoa4 ,in order not to lose one moment away from the contemplation of what we were approaching1 ,i packed up all our things before three o'clock1 did all the fin de voyage paying and tipping1 and then1 my mind free for concentration1 ,i stationed myself at the starboard bulwark1 binocular in hand4 ,at long last ,i saw in the haze of the lovely afternoon a shadowy outline of rocky mountain which my heart1 rather than my eyes1 told me was ,porto ,fino1 for never had ,i seen it before from out at sea1 at that angle4 ,but ,i knew where to look for it1 and while to the other passengers we seemed still out of sight of land ,i saw the shadowy form4 ,then little by little the whole coast grew out of the haze and ,i saw again1 one after the other1 the houses we lived in from ,ruta to ,albaro4 ,with the powerful glass ,i had ,i could see ,villa de' ,franchi and its sundial1 and see how many windows were open or shut at ,villa ,quartara as we passed ,albaro1 and see the old1 well-loved pine tree and cypress avenue of the latter palazzo4 8,the sight of ,genoa in the lurid sunset glow1 with its steep1 conical mountains behind it1 crowned with forts1 half shrouded in dark grey clouds1 was very impressive4 #8,la ,superba' looked her proudest thus seen full face from the sea1 seated on her rocky throne4 ,by the by1 when will people give up translating #8superba' by #8superb'8 ,it is rather trying4 #8,genoa the ,superb'6 ,ugh60 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,egyptian ,,camel-,,corps ,,and ,,the ,,bersaglieri4 ,i worked away well in the pleasant seclusion of ,delgany1 at my #h-;foot canvas whereon ,i carried very far forward my 8,review of the ,native ,camel ,corps at ,cairo40 ,i had already a water-colour drawing of this subject1 which ,i had made while the scene was fresh in my mind's eye4 ,i had been indebted to the then ,general commanding at ,cairo for the facilities afforded me to see1 at close quarters1 a charge of the native ,camel ,corps1 which impressed me indelibly4 ,i had driven out of ,cairo to the desert1 where the manuvres were taking place1 and1 getting out of the carriage opposite the saluting base1 ,i placed myself in front of the advancing squadrons1 so timing things that ,i got well clear at the right moment4 ,i wanted as much of a full-face view as possible4 ,the attitudes of the men1 wielding their whips1 the movements of the camels1 the whole rush of the thing gave me such a sensation of advancing force that1 as soon as the 8,halt60 was sounded1 and the #cjj animals had flung themselves on their knees with the roar and snarl peculiar to those creatures when required to exert themselves1 ,i hastened back to ,shepheard's and marked down the salient points4 ,the men were of all shades1 from fellaheen yellow to the bluest black of ,nubia1 and it was a striking moment when they all leapt off their saddles 7as the camels collapsed71 panting1 and beginning to re-set their disordered accoutrements4 ,in those days the saddles were covered with red morocco leather1 with fringed strips that flew out in the wind1 adding1 for the artist1 a welcome aid to the representation of motion4 ,now1 of course1 that precious bit of colour is gone1 and the necessity for khaki invisibility reaches even to the camel saddle1 which is now a stiff and unattractive dun-coloured object4 ,for my last and most brilliant visit to ,egypt ,i took out our eldest little girl1 and a very enjoyable trip we had1 vi ,genoa4 ,of course1 ,i took out the picture to finish it on its native sands4 ,i had the richest choice of military camels1 arms and accoutrements1 and a native trooper or two1 as models1 but only for studies4 ,i was careful to have no posed model to paint from in the studio1 otherwise good-bye to movement4 ,these graceful ,orientals become the stupidest1 stiff lay figures the moment you ask them to pose as models4 ,besides1 the sincere ,mohammedans refuse to be painted at all4 ,i have never used a ,kodak myself1 finding snapshots of little value1 but quick sketches done unbeknown to the sketchee and a good memory serve much better4 ,the picture1 ,i grieve to say1 was hung not very kindly at the ,academy1 but at the ,paris ,salon it was received with all the appreciation ,i could desire4 ,what pleased me particularly in this last sojourn in ,egypt was our visit to ,cairo1 where ,i was so happy during my first experience1 when ,i described my sensations as being comparable to swimming in ,oriental colour1 light1 and picturesqueness4 ,the only thing that jarred was the tyranny of ,cairo society1 which compelled one to appear at the diversions1 whether one liked it or not4 ,nevertheless1 ,i gained a very thorough knowledge of the wondrously beautiful mosques1 having the advantage of the guidance of one who knew them all intimately--,dean ,butcher4 ,it was a true pleasure to have him as cicerone1 and ,i am grateful to him for his most kindly giving up his time for little ,c4 and me4 ,my husband had long ago been acquainted with every nook and corner of ,cairo1 but ,dean ,butcher had made a special study of these mosques1 and ,i think he was pleased with the way we took in the fascinating information he gave me and the child4 ,it's a far cry from ,cairo to ,aldershot6 ,on ,november #ast1 #ahic1 my husband's command of the #bnd ,infantry ,brigade began there4 ,much as ,i loved ,egypt1 it was a great delight for me to know that the parting from the children was not to be repeated4 ,i had had ,egypt to my heart's content4 ,after returning home from ,egypt1 at ,delgany1 on ,june #agth1 #ahic1 ,i set up my next big picture1 8,the ,rveil in the ,bivouac of the ,scots ,greys on the ,morning of ,waterloo--,early ,dawn40 ,i was able to make all my twilight studies at home1 all out of doors2 not a thing painted in the studio4 ,i pressed many people into my service as models1 and ,i think ,i got the light on their fine ,irish faces very true to nature4 ,i even caught an ,irish dragoon home on leave in the village1 whose splendid profile ,i saw at once would be very telling4 ,,chapter ,,xix ,,aldershot ,and now our ,irish home under the glorious ,wicklow ,mountains broke up1 and ,i was to become acquainted with life in the great ,english camp4 ,the huts for officers were still standing at that time1 wooden bungalows of the quaintest fashion1 all the more pleasing to me for being unlike ordinary houses4 ,the old court-martial hut became my studio1 four skylights having been placed in it1 and ,i was quite happy there4 ,i worked hard at 8,the ,rveil10 and finished it in that unconventional workshop4 ,to say that ,aldershot society was brilliant would be very wide of the mark4 ,how could it be8 ,but to us there was a very great attraction close by1 at ,farnborough4 ,there lived a woman who was and ever will be a very remarkable figure in history1 the ,empress ,eugnie4 ,she hadn't forgotten my husband's connection with her beloved son's tragic story out in ,south ,africa1 nor her interview with him at ,camden ,place1 and his management of the ,prince's funeral at ,durban4 ,we often took tea with her on ,sundays during our ,aldershot period1 her 8,at ,home0 day for intimate friends and relatives1 at the big house on the hill4 ,she became very fond of talking politics with ,sair ,william1 and always in ,english1 and she used to sit in that confidential way foreign politicians have1 expressive of the whispered divulgence of tremendous secrets and of occult plots and plans in various parts of the world4 ,she talked incessantly with him1 but was a bad listener2 and if a subject came up in conversation which did not interest her1 a sharp snap or two of her fan would soon bring things to a stop4 ,illustration3 ,,aldershot ,,man,,uvres4 ,,the ,,enemy ,,in ,,sight4 ,entries from the ,aldershot ,diary3 8,january #ith1 #ahid4--,we went to the memorial service at the ,empress's church in commemoration of the death of ,napoleon ,,iii4 ,after ,mass we went down to the crypt1 where another short service was chanted and the tombs of the ,emperor and ,prince ,imperial were incensed4 ,between the two lies the one awaiting the pathetic widow who was kneeling there shrouded with black1 a motionless1 solitary figure1 for whom one felt a very deep respect4 8,march #adth4--,delightful dinner at ,government ,house1 where the ,duke and ,duchess of ,connaught proved most cheery host and hostess4 ,he took me to dinner1 and we talked other than banalities4 ,all the other generals' wives and the generals and heads of departments were there to the number of twenty-two4 8,march #beth4--,to a brilliant dinner at ,government ,house to meet the ,duke of ,cambridge4 ,good old ,george was in splendid form1 and asked me if ,i remembered the lunch we gave him at ,alexandria4 ,it was a most cheery evening4 ,we sat down about twenty-eight1 of whom only six were ladies4 ,grenfell1 our old friend of ,genoese days1 and ,evelyn ,wood were there4 8,may #agth4--,a glorious day for the ,queen's ,review1 which was certainly a dazzling spectacle4 ,dear old ,queen1 it is many a long year since she reviewed the ,aldershot ,division2 nor would she have come but that her son is now in supreme command here4 ,old people say it was like old times1 only that she has shrunk into a tinier woman than ever she was1 and by the side of the towering ,duchess of ,coburg in that spacious carriage she looked indeed tiny1 and nearly extinguished under a large grey sunshade4 ,a good place was reserved for my little carriage close to the ,royal ,enclosure1 and ,i enjoyed the congenial scene to the utmost4 ,was ,i not in my element8 ,the review took place on ,laffan's ,plain1 a glorious sweep of intense green turf which ,i often take little ,martin to for our morning walk1 and no ,aldershot dust annoyed us4 ,i was very proud of the general commanding the #bnd ,brigade riding past the saluting base at the head of his troops on that mighty charger1 #8,heart of ,oak1' that fine golden bay1 set off to the utmost advantage by the ceremonial saddle-cloth and housings of blue and gold4 ,that general gives the salute with a very free sweep of the sword arm4 ,the march past took a long time4 ,as to the crowd of officers behind the ,queen's carriage1 my eyes positively ached with the sight of all that scarlet and gold4 ,i must say this scarlet is pushed too far to my mind4 ,it must have now reached the highest pitch of dyeing powers4 ,it was a duller tone at ,waterloo2 and certainly still more artistic when ,cromwell first ordered his men to wear it4 ,but ,i may be wrong1 and it is certainly very splendid4 ,the ,duke of ,cambridge and ,prince of ,wales were on huge black chargers1 and wore field marshals' uniforms4 ,it was pretty to see the ,duke of ,connaught--who1 at the head of his staff1 in front of the division drawn up in line1 had sat awaiting the ,queen's arrival--canter up to his mother and salute her as her carriage drove into the enclosure4 ,then he cantered back to his place1 a very graceful rider1 and the review began4 ,i managed to do good work at #8,the ,rveil' in forenoon4 ,what a contrast and rest to the eyes that picture is after such glittering spectacles as to-day's4 ,war versus ,parade6 ,it was pathetic to see the ,queen to-day with her soldiers4 ,she cannot pass them in review many more times4 8,the ,empress ,eugnie has returned1 and we had a long interview with her the other day at her beautiful home at ,farnborough4 ,she is by no means the wreck and shadow some people are pleased to describe her as being1 but has the remains of a certain masculine power which ,i suppose was very masterful in the great old days of her splendour4 ,she is not too tall1 and has a fine1 upright figure4 ,she lives apparently altogether in the memory of her son1 and is surrounded by his portraits and relics1 including drawings showing him making his heroic stand1 alone1 forsaken1 against the savage enemy4 ,i feel1 as an ,englishwoman1 very uneasy and remorseful while listening to that poor mother1 with her tearful eyes1 as she speaks of her dead boy1 who need not have been sacrificed4 ,there is no trace in her words of anger or reproach or contempt1 only most appealing grief4 ,she has one window in the hall full to a height of many feet of the tall grass which grows on the spot where her treasured son was done to death by seventeen assegai wounds1 all received full in front4 ,i remember his taking us over some artillery stables1 ,i think1 at ,woolwich once4 ,he had a charming face4 ,the ,empress rightly described to us the quality of the blue of his eyes--#8the blue sky seen in water4' 8,we often go to her beautiful church these fine summer days4 ,her only infirmity appears to be her rheumatism1 which necessitates some one giving her his arm to ascend or descend the sanctuary steps when she goes to or comes from her prie-,dieu to the right of the altar4 ,sometimes it is ,m4 ,franceschini ,pietri1 sometimes it is the faithful old servant ,uhlmann who performs this duty4 8,august #acth4--,we have had the ,queen down again for another review in splendid 7,queen's7 weather4 ,the night before the review ,her ,majesty gave a dinner at the ,pavilion to her generals1 and for the first time in her life sat down at table with them4 ,will gave me a most interesting account4 ,in the night there was a great military tattoo1 which ,i witnessed with ,c4 from ,general ,utterson's grounds4 ,very effective1 if a little too spun out4 ,will and the others were standing about the ,queen's and the ,empress ,eugnie's carriages all the time1 in the grass soaked with the heavy night dew1 and felt all rather blue and bored4 ,in the ,queen's carriage all was glum1 while the ,empress with her party chatted helpfully in hers to fill up the time4 ,it was pitch dark but for the torches carried by long lines of troops in the distance4 8,to-day was made memorable by the review held of our brilliant little division by the ,german ,emperor on ,laffan's ,plain1 in perfect weather4 ,he wore the uniform of our ,royal ,dragoons1 of which regiment he is honorary colonel1 and rode a bay horse as finely trained as a circus horse 7and rather suggestive of one1 as are his others1 too1 that are here71 with the curb reins passing somewhere towards the rider's knees1 which supply the place of the left hand1 half the size of the right and apparently almost powerless4 ,the poor fellow's shoulders are padded1 too1 and one sees a hiatus between the false1 square shoulder and the real one1 which is very sloping4 ,but the general appearance was gallant1 and the young man seemed full of gaiety and martial spirit4 ,he took the salute1 of course1 and was a striking figure under the ,union ,jack which waved over his ,british helmet4 ,then followed a little episode which1 if rather theatrical1 was enlivening1 and a pretty surprise4 ,as the ,royal ,dragoons' turn came to pass the saluting base the ,kaiser drew his sword and1 darting away from his post1 placed himself at the head of his ,british regiment1 the ,duke of ,connaught replacing him at the flagstaff pro tem4 ,the ,kaiser couldn't salute himself1 of course1 so saluted the ,duke1 and1 when the ,dragoons were clear1 back he came at a circus canter to resume his post and continue to receive the salute of the passing legions1 as before4 ,we all clapped him for this graceful compliment4 ,it was smartly done4 ,the detachment 7seventy-five in number7 had been sent over from ,dublin on purpose for this little display4 ,in the evening ,will dined at ,government ,house in a nest of ,germans1 who seemed afraid to sit well upon their chairs in the august presence of their ,emperor1 and sat on the very edge4 ,one particularly corpulent general was very nearly slipping off4 ,i went to the evening reception1 no wives being asked to the dinner1 as the dining-room is so small and the ,german suite so voluminous4 8,i was at once presented to ,h4,i4,m41 who talked to me1 like a good boy1 about my painting and about the army1 which he said he greatly admired for its appearance4 ,he is just now a keen ,anglo-maniac 7sic76 ,we shall have him dressing one of his regiments in kilts next4 ,he is not at all as hard-looking as ,i expected1 but not at all healthy4 ,his face1 seen near1 is unwholesome in its colour and texture1 and the eyes have that boiled look which suggests a want of clarity in the system1 it seems to me4 ,he is nice and natural in his manner and in the expression of his face1 with light brown moustache brushed up on his cheeks4 ,he wore the mess dress of the ,royal ,dragoons1 and his right hand was twinkling with very #8loud' rings on every finger1 coiled serpents with jewelled eyes4 8,august #adth4--,a glorious sham fight in the ,long ,valley and heights for the ,kaiser4 ,i shall always remember his appearance as1 at the head of a large and brilliant staff of ,germans and ,english1 he came suddenly galloping up to the mound where ,i was standing with the children1 riding1 this time1 a white horse and wearing his silver ,english ,dragoon helmet without the plume4 ,he seemed joyous as his eye took in the lovely landscape and he sat some minutes looking down on the scene1 gesticulating as he brightly spoke to the deferential pickelhauben that bent down around him4 ,he then dashed off down the hill and crested another1 with1 if you please1 ,c4 on her father's huge grey second charger careering after the gallant band1 and escaping for an anxious 7to me7 half-hour from my surveillance4 ,the child looked like a fly on that enormous animal which overtopped the crowd of staff horses4 ,adieu to the old gunpowder smoke4 ,it has cleared away for ever4 ,one sees too much nowadays1 and that mystery of effect1 so awful and so grand1 caused by the lurid smoke1 is gone4 ,how much writers and painters owe to the old black powder of the days gone by6 8,september #bcrd4--,had a delightful evening1 for we dined with the ,empress ,eugnie4 ,i seemed to be basking in the #8,napoleonic ,idea' as ,i sat at that table and saw my glass engraved with the ,imperial #8,n1' and was aware of the historical portraits of the ,bonaparte ,era that hung round the room4 ,the ,empress was full of bright conversation and chaff2 and ,i find1 as ,i see her oftener1 that she has plenty of humour and enjoys a joke greatly4 ,we didn't go in arm in arm1 men and women1 but ,sa ,majest signed to me and another woman to go in on either side of her4 ,she called to ,will to come and sit on her right4 ,i was very happy and in my element4 ,oh6 how the mind feels relieved and expanded in that atmosphere4 ,we had music after dinner1 and ,i had long talks on ,egypt with the ,empress1 whose recollections of that bright land are particularly brilliant1 she having been there during the jubilant ceremonies in connection with the opening of the ,suez ,canal4 ,one year before the great calamities to her and her husband6 ,she told me that just for a freak she walked several times in and out between the two pillars on the ,piazzetta at ,venice1 that time1 to brave ,fate1 who1 it was said1 punished those who dared to do this4 #8,then les vnements followed1' she added4 ,well might she say that life is an up and down existence4 ,she waved her hand up and down1 very high and very low1 as she said it1 with a very weary sigh4 ,her face is often very beautiful2 those eyes drooping at the outer corners look particularly lovely as they are bent downwards1 and her white hair is arranged most gracefully4 ,she is always in black4 8,will has accepted the extension of his command here to my great pleasure2 the chief charm to us in this place is the neighbourhood of the ,empress4 ,that makes ,farnborough unique4 ,not only is she so interesting1 but now and then there are visitors at her house whose very names are sonorous memories4 ,the other day as we came into her presence she went up to ,will and asked him to let ,prince ,murat1 ,ney 7,prince de la ,moscowa7 and ,massna 7duc de ,rivoli71 see some of the regiments in his brigade at their barracks4 ,when the inspection was over these three illustrious ,names came to lunch with us1 and ,i sat between ,murat and ,massna1 with le ,brave des ,braves opposite4 ,what's in a name8 ,everything1 sometimes4 ,i thought myself a very favoured creature last ,sunday as ,i sat by ,eugnie at her tea table and she sprinkled my muffin with salt out of her little muffineer4 ,i am glad to know she likes me and she is very fond of ,will4 ,one ,sunday she and ,i and the ,marquise de ,gallifet were sitting together1 and the ,empress was talking to the latter about #8,the ,roll ,call1' pronouncing the name in ,english1 but ,madame1 who looked somewhat stony and unsympathetic1 could not pronounce the name when the ,empress asked her to1 and made a very funny thing out of it4 ,the ,empress tried to teach her1 making fun of her attempts which became more and more comic1 combined with her frigid expression4 ,at last the ,empress turned to me and asked me to show how it ought to be said in the proper way2 but1 as she had just given me an enormous chocolate cream1 ,i was for the moment unable to pronounce anything with this thing in my cheek1 and she went into fits of laughter as ,i made several attempts to say the unfortunate name4 ,so it was never pronounced1 and ,madame la ,marquise looked on as though she thought we were both rather childish1 which made the ,empress laugh the more4 ,the least thing1 if it is at all comical1 sends her into one of her laughing fits which are very catching--except by ,gallifets4 8,talking of camel riding 7and they say she rode like a ,bedouin in the desert7 ,i sent her into another fit which brought the tears to her eyes by saying ,i always forgot #8quel bout de mon chameau se lve le premier' at starting4 ,but she sent me into one of my own particular fits the other day4 ,i was telling her1 in answer to her enquiry as to insuring pictures on sending them by sea1 that ,i thought only their total loss would be paid for1 and what the artist considered an injury of a grave nature amounting to total loss might not be so considered by the insurance company4 #8,and if1' she said1 #8you have a portrait and a hole is made right through one of the eyes8' ,here she slowly closed her left eye and looked at me stolidly with the right1 to represent the injured effigy1 #8would you not get compensation8' ,the one-eyed portrait continued to look at me out of the forlorn single eye with every vestige of expression gone1 and ,i laughed so much that ,i begged her to become herself again1 but she wouldn't1 for a long time4 8,there has been a great deal of pheasant shooting1 particularly at the ,de ,worms' at ,henley ,park1 where a chef at #ejj a year has made that hospitable house very attractive2 but there has been one shoot at ,farnboro' made memorable by ,franceschini ,pietri distinguishing himself with his erratic gunnery4 ,suddenly he was seen on a shutter1 screaming1 as the servants bore him to the house4 ,every one thought he was wounded1 but it turned out he was sure he had hit somebody else1 which happily wasn't true4 ,people are shy of having him1 after that1 at their shoots1 especially ,baron de ,worms1 who showed me how he accoutred himself by padding and goggles1 one day1 bullet-proof against that excitable little southerner1 who was a member of the party at ,henley ,park40 ,after one of the ,empress's dinners at ,farnboro' ,hill1 a small dinner of intimate friends1 we had fun over a lottery which she had arranged1 making everything go off in the most sprightly ,french way4 ,what easy1 pleasant society it was6 ,one admired the courage which put on this brightness1 though all knew that the dead weight on the poor heart was there1 so that others should not feel depressed4 ,even with these kind semblances of cheeriness no one could be unmindful of the abiding sorrow in that woman's face4 8,january #ith1 #ahie4--,the anniversary of the ,emperor ,napoleon's death come round again4 ,there was quite a little stir during the service in the church4 ,the catafalque1 heaped up with flowers1 was surrounded with scores of lighted tapers as it lay before the altar4 ,a young priest1 in a laced cotta1 went up to it to set a leaf or flower or something in its place1 when instantly one of his lace sleeves blazed4 ,almost simultaneously the ,general1 in full uniform1 springing up the altar steps without the smallest click of his sword1 was at the priest's side1 beating out the fire4 ,not another soul in that crowded place had seen anything4 ,that was like ,will6 ,we laid wreaths on the tombs in the crypt40 ,an entry in ,march of that year records good progress with 8,the ,dawn of ,waterloo10 and mentions that we had the honour of receiving the ,empress ,frederick and her hosts1 the ,connaughts1 and their suites1 who came to see the picture4 ,i found the ,empress still more like her mother than when ,i first saw her1 when she and the ,crown ,prince ,frederick dined at the ,goschens'--a memorable dinner1 when the fine1 serious-looking and bearded ,frederick told my husband he would desire nothing better for his sons than that they should follow in his footsteps4 ,the ,empress was beaming--that is exactly the word--and a few minutes after coming into the drawing-room she showed that she was anxious to get on to the studio1 to save the light4 ,so out we sallied1 walking two and two1 a formidable procession1 and we were nearly half an hour in the little court-martial hut4 ,they all had tea with us afterwards1 quite filling the tiny drawing-room4 ,the ,empress was very small1 and as she talked to me1 looking up into my face1 ,i thought her the most taking little woman ,i ever saw4 ,she had what ,i call the 8,victoria charm10 which all her sisters shared with her--absolutely unstudied1 homely1 and exceedingly friendly4 ,at least it so appeared to me in a high degree in her that day4 ,but what a sorrow she had had to bear6 ,the picture was taken to the ,club ,house1 there to be shown for three days to the division before ,sending-in ,day4 ,the idea was ,will's1 but ,i got the thanks--undeserved1 as ,i had been reluctant to brave the dust on the wet paint4 ,crowds went to see it1 from the generals down to the traditional last drummer4 ,i thought the ,academicians were again unkind in the placing of my picture1 and a trip to ,paris was all the more welcome as a diversion1 for there ,i was able to seek consolation in the treat of a plunge into the best art in the 8,city of ,light40 ,one interesting day in ,may found us at ,malmaison1 the country house of ,napoleon and ,josephine4 ,there is always something mournful in a house no longer tenanted which once echoed the talk1 the laughter1 the comings and goings1 the pleasant and arresting sounds of voices that are long silent4 ,but this house1 of all houses6 ,it was absolutely stripped of everything but ,napoleon's billiard table1 and the worm-eaten bookshelves in his little musty study the only 8fixtures0 left4 ,the ceilings we found in holes2 that garden1 once so much admired and enjoyed1 choked with dusty nettles4 ,we went into every room--the one where poor derelict ,josephine died2 the guests' bedrooms2 the dining-room where ,napoleon took his hurried meals2 the library where he studied2 the billiard-room1 where he himself often took part in a game surrounded by 8fair women and brave men0 in the glitter of gorgeous uniforms and radiant toilettes4 ,one lends one's mind's ear to the daily and nightly sounds outside--the clatter of horses' hoofs as the staff ride in and out of the courtyards with momentous despatches2 the sharp words of command2 the announcement of urgent arrivals demanding instant hearing4 ,we found our minds revelling in suchlike imaginings4 ,the chapel1 the coach-houses1 the great iron gates were all there1 but seen as in a dream4 ,we were back at ,aldershot on ,may #cjth4 8,the ,queen's ,ball1 at ,buckingham ,palace1 brilliant as ever4 ,the ,shahzada1 the ,ameer of ,afghanistan's son1 was the guest of the evening1 as it is our policy just now to do him particular honour1 after having made his father #8sit up4' ,a pale1 wretched-looking ,oriental1 bored to tears6 ,the usual delightful medley of men of every nationality1 civilised and semi-civilised1 was there in full splendour1 but the rush of that crowd for the supper-room1 in the wake of royalty1 was most unseemly4 ,every one got jammed1 and it was most unpleasant to have steel cartridge boxes and sword hilts sticking into one's bare arms in the pressure4 ,i think there was something wrong this time with the doors4 ,i was much complimented that night on my #8,dawn of ,waterloo1' but that was an inadequate salve to my wounded feelings4 8,june #aeth4--,a great review here in honour of the young ,shahzada1 who is being so highly honoured this season4 ,i don't think ,i ever saw such a large staff as surrounded that pallid princeling as he rode on to the field4 ,the whole thing was a long affair1 and our bored visitor refreshed himself occasionally with consolatory snuff4 ,the whole of the cavalry finished up1 as usual1 with a charge #8stem on1' and as the formidable onrush neared the weedy youth he began to turn his horse round1 possibly suspecting deep-laid treachery40 ,my husband and ,i were present when ,cardinals ,vaughan and ,logue laid the foundation stone of ,westminster ,cathedral4 ,the luncheon that followed was enlivened by some excellent speeches1 especially ,cardinal ,logue's1 whose rich brogue rolled out some well-turned phrases4 ,a week later we were at dinner at ,farnborough ,hill4 8,there was a large house-party1 including ,princes ,victor and ,louis ,napoleon1 the elder a taciturn1 shy1 dark man about thirty-three1 and the younger an alert1 intelligent officer of thirty-one1 who is a colonel in the ,russian cavalry1 and is the hope and darling of the ,bonapartists4 ,i call him ,napoleon ,,iv4 ,victor went in with the ,empress to dinner and ,louis with me1 but on taking our seats the two brothers exchanged places1 so that ,i sat on ,victor's right4 ,i had an uphill task to talk with the studious1 silent ,victor1 and found my right-hand neighbour much more pleasant company1 ,sir ,mackenzie ,wallace4 ,i had not caught his name and his accent was so perfect and his idioms and turns of speech so irreproachable that ,i never questioned his being a ,frenchman4 ,away we went in the liveliest manner with our ,french till suddenly we lapsed into ,english1 why ,i don't know4 ,this gave the ,empress her chance4 ,she began chuckling behind her toothpick and asked me in ,french if he had a good accent in speaking ,english4 #8,yes1 madame1 very good6' #8,ah8 really good8' 7chuckle74 #8,really good1 madame4' #8,ah1 that is well' 7chuckle74 ,i saw in ,will's face ,i was being chaffed and guessed the truth4 ,much laughter1 especially from ,louis4 ,he told ,will1 across the ,empress1 that he had seen an engraving of #8,scotland for ,ever' in a shop window in ,moscow1 and had presented it to the mess of his own cavalry regiment1 the ,czar being now colonel of the ,scots ,greys1 and that he little expected so soon to meet the painter of that picture4 ,the dinner was very bright and sparkling1 so unlike a purely ,english one4 ,how gratefully ,will and ,i conformed to the spirit of the thing4 ,his ,irish heart beats in harmony with it4 ,i didn't quite recover from my faux pas at table1 and1 on our taking leave1 brought everything into line once more by wishing ,prince ,louis #8,felicissima ,sera6' in a way denoting a bewilderment of mind amidst such a confusion of tongues4 ,i left amidst applause4 8,july #hth4--,there was a sham fight on the ,fox ,hills to-day to which the two ,french princes went4 ,will mounted ,victor on steady #8,roly ,poly1' and sent ,h4 on #8,heart of ,oak' to attend on ,his ,imperial ,highness throughout the day4 ,louis was mounted by the ,duke4 ,my ,general loves to honour a ,napoleon1 so1 when he was riding home with ,louis after the fight1 and the ,guards were preparing to give the ,general the usual salute1 he begged the ,imperial ,colonel to take the salute himself4 #8,but1 ,general1 ,i am not even in uniform6' answered ,louis4 #8,one of your name1 sir1 is always in uniform1' was the ready reply4 ,so ,louis took it4 ,on his way back to the ,empress he stopped at our hut1 and after a glass of iced claret cup on this grilling day1 he looked at my sketches1 and at the little oil picture ,i am painting for ,miss ,s4--#8,right ,wheel6'--the ,scots ,greys at manuvres4 ,i wonder if he has it in him to make a bid for the ,french ,throne6 8,july #abth4--,the ,queen came down to-day1 and there was a very fine display of the picked athletes of the army at the new gymnasium in the afternoon1 before ,her ,majesty1 who did not leave her carriage4 ,she looked pleased and in great good humour4 ,she gave a dinner to her generals in the evening at the ,pavilion as she did last year4 ,will sat near her1 and she kept nodding and smiling to him at intervals as he carried on a lively conversation with ,princesses ,louise and ,beatrice4 ,her ,majesty expanded into full contentment when nine pipers1 supplied by the three ,highland ,regiments of the ,division1 entered the room at the close of dinner in full blast4 ,they tell me that each regiment jealously adhered to its own key for its skirls1 or whatever the right word is1 and so in three different keys did the pibrochs bray1 but this detail was not particularly noticeable in the general hurly-burly4 ,the ,queen stood it well1 though in that confined space it must have tried her nerves4 ,give me the bagpipes on the mountain side or in the desert1 where ,i have heard them and loved them4 8,july #acth4--,at a very fine review for the ,queen1 who brought her usual weather with her4 ,she looked well pleased1 especially with the stirring light cavalry charge at the close1 when ,brabazon pulled up his line at full charging pace within about #ab yards 7it seemed to me7 of the royal carriage4 ,really1 for a moment1 ,i thought1 as the dark mass of men and horses rolled towards us1 that he had forgotten all about #8,halt6' ,it was a tremendous tour de force1 and a bit of swagger on the part of this dashing hussar4 ,that group of the ,queen in her carriage1 with the four white horses and scarlet coated servants2 the ,prince of ,wales and the rest of the glittering ,staff2 ,prince ,victor ,napoleon in civilian dress1 his heavy face shaded by his tall black hat as he uneasily sat his excited horse2 the other carriages resplendent in red and gold2 the ,empress's more sober equipage full of ,french lgantes1 and the wave of dark hussars bursting in a cloud of dust almost in amongst the group1 all the leaders of the charging squadrons with sabres flung up and heads thrown back--what a sight to please me6 ,i feel a physical sensation of refreshment on such occasions4 ,what discipline and training this performance showed6 ,had one horse got out of hand he might have flopped right into the ,queen's lap4 ,i saw one of the squadron leaders give a little shiver when all was over4 ,on getting home ,i was doing something to the bearskins of my ,scots ,greys in #8,right ,wheel1' showing the way the wind blew the hair back1 as ,i had just seen it at the review1 while fresh in my mind1 when a servant came to tell me ,princess ,louise was at the ,hut4 ,i had got into my painting dress with sleeves turned up for coolness4 ,i ran in1 changed in half a minute1 and had a nice interview1 the ,duchess of ,connaught being there also1 and we had one of those #8shoppy' art talks which the ,duchess of ,argyll likes4 8,august #afth4--,my #8,at ,home' day was made memorable by the appearance of the ,empress ,eugnie1 who brought a remedy for little ,eileen's cold4 ,it was a plaster1 which she showed me how to use4 ,i cannot say how touched we were by this act1 so thoughtful and kind--that poor childless widow6 ,she seems to have a particularly tender feeling for ,eileen1 indeed ,mdlle4 d',allonville has told me so40 ,the rest of the ,aldershot ,diary is filled with military activities up to the date of the expiration of my husband's time there1 and his appointment to the command of the ,south ,eastern ,district with ,dover ,castle as our home4 ,but between the two commands came an interlude filled with a tour through some parts of ,italy ,i had not seen before1 and a visit to the ,villa ,cyrnos at ,cap ,martin1 whither the ,empress had invited us4 ,,chapter ,,xx ,,italy ,,again ,in ,january1 #ahif1 we left ,aldershot on a raw foggy day1 with the usual winter brown-paper sky1 the essence of dreariness1 on leave for the land ,i love best4 ,at ,turin our train for ,genoa was filled with poor young soldiers off to ,abyssinia1 the ,italian ,government having followed our example in the policy of 8expansion02 with what success was soon seen4 ,an ,italian told us that 8good coffee0 was to be had from there1 amongst other desirable commodities4 ,so the poor young conscripts were being sent to fetch the good coffee1 etc4 ,they were singing in a chorus of tenor voices as they went1 after affectionately kissing the comrades who had come to see them off4 ,at sunrise we arrived at ,naples1 ,vesuvius looking like a great amethyst1 transparent in the golden haze from the sun which rose just behind it4 ,i must say the ,neapolitan population struck me as very wretched2 the men were no better than the poor creatures one might see in ,whitechapel any day1 and dressed1 like them1 in shoddy clothing4 ,the poor skeleton mules and horses were covered with picturesque brass-mounted harness instead of flesh1 and ,i saw no red-sashed1 brown-limbed lazzaroni such as were supposed to dance tarantelle on the shore4 ,certainly there is not much dancing and singing in their hungry-looking descendants4 ,january #agth was a memorable day1 spent at ,pompeii4 ,one must see the place for oneself4 ,familiar with it though you may be through books and paintings1 ,pompeii takes you by surprise4 ,the suddenness of that entrance into the ,city of the ,dead is a surprise to a newcomer1 such as ,i was4 ,to come into the city at once by the 8,street of ,tombs10 which carries you steeply upwards into the interior--no turnstiles at the gate1 no ticket collectors1 no leave-your-umbrella-at-the-door2 this natural way of entering gave me a strange sensation as if ,i were walking into the past4 ,the present day was non-existent4 ,though we were three and a half hours circulating about those theatres1 baths1 villas1 shops1 through the narrow streets1 with their deep ruts and stepping stones1 ,i was so absorbed in the fascination of realising the life of those days that ,i never needed to rest for a moment1 and the day had grown very hot4 ,one rather drags oneself through a museum1 but we were here under the sky1 and ,vesuvius1 the author of this destruction1 was there in very truth1 looking down on us as we wandered through the remnants of his victim4 ,as to beauty of colour there is here a great feast for the painter4 ,what could surpass1 on a day like that1 the simple beauty of those positive reds and yellows and blues of walls and pillars in that light1 back-grounded by the tender blue of mountains delicately crested with the white of their snows8 ,the positive strong foreground colours emphasised by the delicacy of the background6 ,the absolute silence of the place was impressive and very welcome4 ,the ,diary had better 8carry on0 here3 8,sunday1 ,january #aith4--,to ,capri and ,sorrento on our way to ,amalfi4 ,there is a string of names6 ,i feel ,i can't pronounce them to myself with adequate relish4 ,to ,mass at #h1 and then at #i by steamer to ,capri1 touching at ,sorrento on our way4 ,three hours' passage over a very dark blue sea1 which was flecked with foam off ,castellamare4 ,capri is all ,i expected1 a mass of orange and lemon groves in its lower part1 with wonderful crags soaring abruptly1 in places1 out of the clear green water4 ,tiberius's villa is perched on the edge of a fearful precipice that has memories connected with his cruelties which one tries to smother4 ,indeed1 all around one1 in those scenes of ,nature's loveliness1 the detestable doings of man against man are but too persistently obtruding themselves on the mind which is seeking only restful pleasure4 8,we were driven to the ,hotel ,quisisana 7#8,here one gets well'71 very high up on a steep ridge1 where the village is1 and were sorry to find our pleasure marred by being set down to djeuner with as repulsive a company of ,teutons as one could see4 ,the perspective of those feeding faces1 along the edge of the table1 tried me horribly4 ,they say the ,germans are outnumbering the ,british as tourists in ,italy now4 ,nowhere do their loud voices and rude manners jar upon our sensibility so painfully as in ,italy4 ,the ,frau next to me actually sniffed at four bottles out of the cruet in succession1 poking them into her nose before she satisfied herself that she had found the right sauce for her chop6 ,what's to be done with such people8 8,we had not much time to give to the lovely island1 for the little steamer had to take us to ,sorrento at two o'clock4 ,we put up there at the ,hotel ,tramontano1 and had a stroll at sunset1 with views of the coast and ,vesuvius that spread out beyond the reach of my well-meaning1 but inadequate1 pen4 ,i can't help the impulse of recording the things of beauty ,i have seen4 ,it is owing to a wish to preserve such precious things in my memory1 to waste nothing of them1 and to record my gratitude as well40 ,at ,amalfi came the culmination to our long series of experiences of the ,neapolitan ,riviera4 ,the names of ,amalfi1 ,ravello1 ,salerno and ,pstum will be with me to the end1 in a halo of enchantment4 ,on returning to ,naples1 of course1 we paid our respects to ,vesuvius4 ,our climb to the highest point allowable of the erupting cone was not at all enchanting1 and left my mind in a most perturbed condition4 ,there was much food for meditation when our visit was over1 but at the time one had only leisure to receive impressions1 and very disconcerting impressions at that4 ,a keen north wind blew the fumes from the crater straight down my throat as ,i panted upwards through the sulphur1 ankle deep1 and ,i could only think of my discomfort and probable collapse4 ,i disdained a litter4 ,i perceived several fat ,germans in litters4 ,an even deeper impression was made on my mind than that produced by the eruption proper on our coming1 after much staggering over cold lava1 near a great1 crawling river of liquid fire oozing out of the mountain's side4 ,above our heads the great maw of the crater was throwing up bursts of rock fragments with rumblings and growls from the cruel monster4 ,i wonder when that wild beast will make its next pounce8 ,and down there1 far1 far below1 in the plain lay little ,pompeii1 its poor1 tiny1 insignificant victim6 ,yes1 for a thoughtful climber there was more than the sulphurous north wind to make him pause4 ,the little funicular railway had brought us up to the foot of the cone1 crunching laboriously over the shoulder of the mountain1 and ,i could not but think--8,if the chain broke80 ,at one point the open truck seemed to dangle over space4 ,we were sitting with our faces turned towards the sea and away from the cone1 and 7were we never to be rid of them87 two corpulent ,teutons faced us1 hideously conspicuous1 as having apparently nothing but blue air behind them4 ,there was no horizon at all to the sea1 the pale haze merging sea and sky into one4 ,then1 when we alighted1 we found ourselves in a restaurant with ,messrs4 ,cook ,co4's waiters running about4 ,certainly it was no time for meditating or moralising in that medley of the prehistoric and the fin de sicle4 ,i found ,rome very much changed after the lapse of all those years since ,i was there with our family during the last months of the ,temporal ,power4 ,i shall never forget the shock ,i felt when1 to lead off1 on our arrival1 ,i conducted my husband to the great balustrade on the ,pincian overlooking the city1 promising him my favourite view4 ,it was a truly striking one in the far-off days1 and quite beautiful4 ,instead of the reposeful vineyards of the area facing us beyond the ,tiber1 fitting middle distance between us and ,st4 ,peter's1 gaunt buildings bordering wide1 straight1 staring streets glistening with tramlines seemed to jeer at me in vulgar triumph1 and ,i am not sure that ,i did not shed tears in private when we got back to our hotel4 ,one fact1 however1 brought a sense of mental expansion as ,i surveyed that view1 which should have made amends for the sensitive contraction of my artist's mind4 ,that great basilica yonder was mine now6 ,a return to ,rome had another touch of sadness for me4 ,our father had been so happy there in introducing his girls to the city he loved4 ,he seemed now to be ever by my side as the well-remembered haunts that were left unchanged were seen again4 ,leo ,,xiii4 was now ,pope4 ,on one particular occasion in the ,sistine ,chapel1 at ,mass1 ,i was struck by the extraordinary effect of his white1 utterly ethereal face and fragile figure as he stood at the altar1 relieved against the background of ,michael ,angelo's exceedingly muscular 8,last ,judgment40 ,and1 now1 what of this 8,last ,judgment08 ,the action of our ,lord1 splendidly rendered as giving the powerful realisation of the push which that heavy arm is giving in menace to the condemned souls towards the ,abyss on ,his left 7,i had almost said the shove671 is realistic and strong4 ,but what a gross conception6 ,our modern minds cannot be impressed by this fleshly rendering of such a subject1 a rendering suitable to the coarser fibre of the ,middle ,ages4 ,i could positively hate this fresco1 were ,i not lured1 as a painter1 to admire its technical power4 ,our visit to the ,empress at ,cap ,martin followed1 on our way home to ,aldershot4 ,she received us with her usual genial grace4 ,the place1 of course1 ideal1 and the typical blue weather4 ,we were made very much at home4 ,madame le ,breton told me ,i was to wear a table d'hte frock at dinner1 and ,pietri told ,sir ,william a black tie to the evening suit was the order of the day4 8,february #acth4--,the ,villa ,cyrnos is in a wood of stone pines1 overhanging the sea on a promontory between ,mentone and ,monte ,carlo4 ,it is in the ,french ,riviera style1 all very white--no ,italian fresco colouring4 ,plentiful striped awnings to keep off the intense sunlight4 ,cool marble rooms1 polished parquets1 flowers in masses--a sense of grateful freshness with reminders of the heat outside in the dancing reflections from the sea4 ,indeed1 this is a charming retreat4 ,madame d',arcos and her sister1 ,mrs4 ,vaughan1 were there1 who having just arrived from ,england1 were full of accounts of the arrival of the remains of ,prince ,henry of ,battenberg from ,ashanti1 and the funeral1 at which ,madame d',arcos had represented the ,empress4 ,the different episodes were minutely described by her of this1 the last act of the latest tragedy in our ,royal ,family4 ,she had a sympathetic listener in the poor ,empress4 8,february #adth4--,a sunny day marred1 to me1 by a visit to ,monte ,carlo1 where the gambling is in fullest activity4 ,the ,empress wanted us all to go for a little cruise in a yacht1 but though the sea was calm enough ,i preferred terra firma1 and her ladies drove me to ,monte ,carlo4 ,hateful place6 ,the lovely mountains were radiant in the low sunshine of that afternoon and the sea sparkling with light1 but a crowd of overdressed riff-raff was circulating about the casino and pigeon-shooting place1 from which came the ceaseless crack of the cowardly1 unsportsmanlike guns4 ,i record1 with loathing1 one fellow ,i saw who came on the green1 protected from the gentle air by a fur-lined coat which his valet took charge of while his master maimed his allotted number of clipped victims1 and carefully replaced as soon as all the birds were down4 ,a black dog ran out to fetch each fluttering thing as it fell4 ,i was glad to see this hero was not an ,englishman4 ,inside the casino the people were massed round the gaming tables1 the hard light from the circular openings above each table bringing into relief the ugly lines of their perspiring faces4 ,the atmosphere was dusty and stifling1 and the hands of these horribly absorbed people were black with clawing in their gains across the grimy green baize4 ,i drank in the pure1 cool air of the sunset loveliness outside when ,i got free1 with a very certain persuasion that ,i would never pay a second visit1 except under polite compulsion1 to the gambling palace of ,monte ,carlo4 8,february #aeth4--,the ,empress took us quite a long walk to see the corps of the #8,alpins' at the ,mentone barracks and back by the rocky paths along the shore4 ,she is very active1 and is looking beautiful4 8,sunday1 ,february #afth4--,all of us to ,mass at the little ,mentone church4 ,the dear ,empress gave me a little holy picture during the service and said1 #8,i want you to keep this4' ,there is at times something very touching about her40 ,i sent a small picture this year to the 8,new ,gallery10 instead of the ,academy1 feeling still the effects of their unkindness in placing 8,the ,dawn of ,waterloo0 where they did the preceding year4 ,,chapter ,,xxi ,,the ,,dover ,,command ,and now ,dover ,castle rises into prominence above the horizon as ,i travel onward4 ,my husband was offered ,colchester or ,dover4 ,he left the choice to me4 ,how could there be a doubt in my mind8 ,the ,castle was the very ideal1 to me1 of a residence4 ,here was ,history1 picturesqueness1 a wide view of the silver sea1 and the line of the ,french coast to free the mind of insularity4 ,so to ,dover we went1 children1 furniture1 horses1 servants1 dogs and all1 from the ,aldershot bungalow4 ,as usual1 ,i was spared by ,sir ,william all the trouble of the move1 and while ,i was comfortably harboured by my ever kind and hospitable friends1 the ,sweetmans1 in ,queen's ,gate1 my husband was managing all the tiresome work of the move4 ,it was a pleasure to give dances at the ,constables' ,tower1 and the dinners were like feasts in the feudal times under that vaulted ceiling of the ,banqueting ,hall4 ,our boys' bedroom in the older part of this ,constables' ,tower had witnessed the death of ,king ,stephen1 and a winding staircase conducted the unappreciative ,london servants by a rope to their remote domiciles4 ,the modernised part held the drawing-rooms1 morning-room1 library1 and chief bedrooms1 while in the garden1 walled round by the ramparts1 stood the tower whence ,queen ,mary is said to have gazed upon her lost ,calais4 ,my studio had a balcony which overhung the moat and drawbridge4 ,what could ,i have better than that8 ,no wonder ,i accomplished a creditable picture there1 for ,i had many advantages4 ,i place 8,steady1 the ,drums and ,fifes60 amongst those of my works with which ,i am the least dissatisfied4 ,the ,academy treated me well this time1 and gave the picture a place of honour4 ,these drummer-boys of the old #egth ,regiment1 now the ,middlesex1 are waiting1 under fire1 for the order to sound the advance1 at the ,battle of ,albuera4 ,that order was long delayed1 and they and the regiment had to bear the supreme test of endurance1 the keeping motionless under fire4 ,a difficult subject1 excellent for literature1 very trying for painting4 ,i had had the vision of those drummer-boys for many years before my mind's eye1 and it is a very obvious fact that what you see strongly in that way means a successful realisation in paint4 ,circumstances were favourable at ,dover4 ,the ,gordon ,boys' ,home there gave me a variety of models in its well-drilled lads1 and my own boys were sufficiently grown to be of great use1 though1 for obvious reasons1 ,i could not include their dear faces in so painful a scene4 ,the yellow coatees1 too1 were a tremendous relief to me after that red which is so hard to manage4 ,i remember asking ,detaille if he ever thought of giving our army a turn4 8,i would like to10 he said1 8but the red frightens us40 ,the bandsmen of the ,peninsular ,war days wore coatees of the colour of the regimental facings4 ,after long and patient researches ,i found out this fact1 and the facings of the #egth1 being canary yellow1 ,i had an unexpected treat4 ,i remember how the ,duke of ,york#aa at an ,aldershot dinner had characteristically caught up this fact with great interest when ,i told him all about my preparations for this picture4 ,i am glad to know this work belongs to the old #egth1 the 8,die ,hards10 who won that title at ,albuera4 8,die hard1 men1 die hard60 was their colonel's order on that tremendous day4 ,many interesting events punctuated our official life at ,dover3 8,august #aeth1 #ahif4--;,great doings to-day4 ,we had a busy time of it4 ,lord ,salisbury was installed ,lord ,warden in the place of ,lord ,dufferin4 ,will had the direction1 not only of the military part of the ceremonies but of the social 7in conjunction with me71 as far as the ,constables' ,tower was concerned4 ,everything went well4 ,lord and ,lady ,salisbury drove in a carriage and four from ,walmer up to our ,tower1 and1 while the procession was forming outside to escort them down to the town1 they rested in our drawing-room for about half an hour1 and ,lord ,dufferin also came in4 8,i had to converse with these exalted personages whilst officers in full uniform and women in full toilettes came and went with clatter of sabre and rustle of silk4 ,to fill up the rather trying half-hour and being expected to devote my attention chiefly to the new ,lord ,warden1 ,i bethought myself of conducting him to a window which gave a bird's-eye view of the smoky little town below4 ,i moralised1 la ,ruskin1 on the ugliness of the coal smoke which was smudging that view in particular1 and spoiling ,england in general4 ,on reconducting the weighty ,salisbury to a rather fragile settee ,i morally and very nearly physically knocked him over by this felicitous remark3 #8,well1 ,i have the consolation of knowing that the coalfields of ,england are finite6' #8,what8' he shouted1 with a bound which nearly broke the back of that settee4 ,i don't think he said anything more to me that day4 ,of course1 ,i meant that smokeless methods would have to be discovered for working our industries1 but ,i left that unsaid1 feeling very small4 ,it is my misfortune that ,i have not the knack of small talk1 so useful to official people1 and that ,i am obliged to propel myself into conversation by pronouncements of that kind4 ,shall ,i ever forget the catastrophe at the ,l----s' dinner at ,aldershot1 when ,i announced1 during a pause in the general conversation1 to an old gentleman who had taken me in1 and whose name ,i hadn't caught1 that there was one word ,i would inscribe on the tombstone of the ,irish nation1 and that word was--,whisky4 ,the old gentleman was ,john ,jameson4 8,but to return to to-day's doings4 ,i had to consign to ,c41#ab as my deputy1 the head of the table for such of the people as were remaining at the ,castle for luncheon as ,i myself had to appear at that function at the ,town ,hall4 ,the procession1 military1 civil and civic--especially civic--started at #ab for the #8,court of ,shepway1' where much antique ceremonial took place4 ,when they all reached the ,town ,hall after that1 ,lord ,salisbury first unveiled a full-length portrait of the outgoing ,lord ,warden1 at the entrance to the ,banqueting ,hall1 and complimented him on so excellent a likeness with a genial pat on the back4 ,we were all in good humour which increased as we filed in to luncheon and continued to increase during that civic feast1 enlivened by a band4 ,trumpets sounded before each speech1 and the sharp clapping of hands called1 ,i think1 #8,kentish ,fire1' gave a local touch which was pleasingly original4 ,i am glad1 always1 to find the county spirit still so strong in ,england1 and nowhere is it stronger than in ,kent4 ,it must work well in war with the county regiments4 8,i am afraid ,lady ,salisbury must have got rather knocked out of time coming to the ,castle1 by all the saluting1 trumpeting and general prancing of the guard of honour4 ,she was nervous crossing our drawbridge with four #8jumpy' horses which she told me had never been with troops before6 ,altogether ,i don't think this was a day to suit her at all4 ,i heard the postillion riding the near leader shout back to the coachman on the box as they started homeward from our door1 #8,put on both brakes hard6' ,away went the open carriage which had very low sides and no hood1 and ,lord ,salisbury1 being very wide1 rather bulged over the side4 ,wearing a military cape1 lent him by my ,general1 the day turning chilly1 he had a rather top-heavy appearance1 and we only breathed freely when that ticklish drawbridge1 and the very steep drop of the hill beyond it1 were passed4 ,so now let them rest at ,walmer4 ,will will do all he can to secure peace for them there40 ,on ,august #bjth ,i went to poor ,sir ,john ,millais' funeral in ,st4 ,paul's4 ,the ceremony was touching to me when ,i thought of the kind1 enthusiastic friend of my early days and his hearty encouragement and praise4 ,they had placed his palette and a sheaf of his brushes on the coffin4 ,lord ,wolseley1 ,irving1 the actor1 ,holman ,hunt and ,lord ,rosebery were the pall-bearers4 ,the ceremony struck me as gloomy after being accustomed to ,catholic ritual1 and the undertaker element was too pronounced1 but the music was exquisite4 ,so good-bye to a truly great and sincere artist4 ,what a successful life he had1 rounded by so terribly painful a death6 ,one of the most interesting of the ,dover episodes was our hiring of 8,broome ,hall0 for the ,south-,eastern ,district manuvres in the following ,september4 ,the ,castle was too far away for working them from there1 so this fine old ,elizabethan mansion1 being in the very centre of the theatre of 8war10 became our headquarters4 ,there we entertained ,lord ,wolseley and his staff as the house-party4 ,other warriors and many civilians whose lovely country houses were dotted about that beautiful ,kentish region came in from outside each day1 and for four days what felt to me like a roaring kind of hospitality went on which proved an astonishing feat of housekeeping on my part4 ,true1 ,i was liberally helped1 but to this day ,i marvel that things went so successfully4 ,everything had to be brought from the ,castle--servants in an omnibus1 batterie de cuisine1 plate1 linen and all sorts of necessary things1 in military waggons1 for the house had not been inhabited for a long while4 ,all the food was sent out from ,dover fresh every day1 by road--no village near4 ,the house had been palatially furnished in the old days1 but its glory was much faded and so ancestral was it that it possessed a ghost4 ,a pathetic interest attaches to 8,broome0 to-day1 and ,i should not know it again in its renovated beauty4 ,lord ,kitchener restored it to more than its pristine lustre1 ,i am told4 ,the morning start each day of all these generals 7,sir ,evelyn ,wood was one of them7 from the front door for the 8battle0 was a pleasing sight for me1 with the strong cavalry escort following4 ,after the gallant cavalcade had got clear ,i would follow in the little victoria with friends1 hoping in my innermost heart that ,i was leaving everything well in hand behind me for the hungry 8,cocked ,hats0 on their return4 ,on ,march #cjth1 #ahig1 ,i had a glimpse of ,gladstone4 ,we were on the pier to receive a ,royalty1 and the 8,grand ,old ,man0 was also on board the ,calais boat4 ,he was the last to land and was accompanied by his wife4 ,he came up the gangway with some difficulty1 and struck me as very much aged1 with his face showing signs of pain4 ,i had not seen him since he sat beside me at a dinner at the ,ripons' in #ahhj1 when his keen eye had rather overawed me4 ,he was now eighty-eight6 ,the crowd cheered him well1 but the old couple were past that sort of thing1 and only anxious to seek their rest at 8,betteshanger10 a few miles distant1 whither ,lord ,northbourne's carriage whirled them away from public view4 ,and now comes the ,diamond ,jubilee of ,queen ,victoria4 ,i think my fresh impressions written down at the time should be inserted here as ,i find them4 ,too much national sorrow and suffering brought to us by the ,great ,war1 and too many changes have since blurred that bright picture to allow of posthumous enthusiasm for its chronicling to-day4 ,were ,i to tone down that picture to the appearance it has to me at the present time it would hardly be worth showing4 8,june #bbnd1 #ahig4--;,jubilee ,day4 ,i never expected to be so touched by what ,i have seen of these pageants and rejoicings1 and to feel so much personal affection for the ,queen as ,i have done through this wonderful week4 ,thinking of other nations1 we cannot help being impressed with the way in which the ,english have comported themselves on this occasion--the unanimity of the crowds2 the willingness of every one concerned2 all resulting in those huge pageants passing off without a single jar4 ,my place was in the courtyard of the ,horse ,guards2 ,will's place was on his big grey before ,st4 ,paul's1 at ,queen ,anne's statue1 to keep an eye on things4 ,i had an effective view of the procession making the bend from ,whitehall into the courtyard1 and out by the archway into the parade ground4 ,this gave me time to enjoy the varied types of all those nationalities whose warriors represented them1 as they filed past at close quarters4 ,but we had five hours of waiting4 ,these hours were well filled up for me1 so continually interested in watching the movements of the troops as they took up their positions for receiving the procession and saluting the ,queen4 ,i think in the way of perfect dress and of superfine1 thoroughbred horseflesh1 ,lord ,lonsdale's troop of ,cumberland ,hussars was as memorable a group as any that day4 ,they wore the #8sling jacket1' only known to me in pictures and old prints of the pre-,crimean days1 and to see these gallant-looking crimson pelisses in reality was quite a delightful surprise4 8,the sun burst through the clouds just as the guns announced to us that the ,queen had started from ,buckingham ,palace on her great round by ,st4 ,paul's at #aa4ae4 ,so we waited1 waited4 ,presently some one called out1 #8,here's ,captain ,ames1' and1 knowing he was the leader1 we nimbly ran up to our seats4 ,it seemed hardly credible that the journey to ,st4 ,paul's and the ceremony there1 and the journey homewards could have occupied so comparatively brief an interval4 ,i think the part of the procession which most delighted me was the cohort of ,indian cavalry1 and then the gorgeous bunch of thirty-six princes1 each in his national dress or uniform4 ,these rode in triplets4 ,you saw a blue-coated ,prussian riding with a ,montenegrin on one side and an ,italian bonneted by the absurd general's helmet now in vogue on the other4 ,then came another triplet of a ,persian1 whose breast was a galaxy of diamonds flashing in the sun1 an ,austrian with fur pelisse and busby 7poor man1 in that heat71 and the brother of the ,khedive1 wearing the familiar tarboosh1 riding a little white ,arab4 ,then followed an ,english ,admiral in the person of the ,duke of ,york1 a ,japanese mannikin on his right1 and a huge ,russian on his left1 and so on1 and so on--types and dresses from all the quarters of the globe in close proximity1 so that one could compare them at a glance4 ,the dignified ,indian cavalry were superb as to dress and puggarees1 but the faces were stolid1 very unlike the keen1 clean-cut ,arab types which so charmed me in ,egypt and ,palestine4 ,there certainly were too many carriages filled with small ,germans4 ,then came the colonial escort to the ,queen's carriage4 ,as they came on and passed before us ,i do not exaggerate when ,i say that there seemed to pass over them an ever-deepening cloud-shadow1 as it were1 from the white ,canadians riding in front1 through ever-deepening shades of brown down to the blackest of negroes1 who rode last4 ,what an epitome of our ,colonial ,empire6 ,then1 finally1 before the supreme moment1 came ,lord ,wolseley1 the immediate forerunner of the ,royal carriage4 ,he looked well and gallant and youthful4 ,then round the curve into the courtyard the eight cream-coloured horses in rich gala harness of ,garter-blue and gold6 ,so quick was the pace that ,i dared not dwell too long on their beauty for ,i was too absorbed in the ,queen during that precious minute4 ,there she was1 the centre of all this6 ,a little woman1 seated by herself 7,i had not time to see who sat facing her7 with an expressionless pink face1 preoccupied in settling her bonnet1 which had got a little crooked1 as though nothing unusual was going on1 and that was the last ,i saw of her as she passed under the dark archway1 facing homeward4 8,june #bfth4--,off from ,dover at #b a4m4 for ,southampton1 by way of ,london1 to see the culminating glory of the ,jubilee--the greatest naval review ever witnessed4 ,at eight we left ,waterloo in one of the #8specials' that took holders of invitation cards for the various ocean liners that had been chartered for the occasion4 ,our ship was the ,p4 and ,o4 ,paramatta1 and very pleased ,i was on beholding her vast proportions1 for ,i feared qualms on any smaller vessel4 ,there were meetings on board with friends and a great luncheon1 and general good humour and complacency at being ,britons4 ,the day cleared up at #aj4cj1 and only a slight haze thinly veiled the mighty host of the ,channel ,fleet as we slowly steamed towards it along the ,solent4 ,gradually the sun shone fully out and the day settled into steady brilliance4 8,well1 ,i have been so inflated with national pride since beholding our naval power this day that if ,i don't get a prick of some sort ,i shall go off like a balloon4 ,let us be exultant just for a week6 ,we won't think of the ugly look of ,india just now and all the nasty warnings of the bumptious ,kaiser and the rest of it4 ,we can't while looking at ,britannia ruling the waves1 as we are doing to-day4 ,five miles of ships of war five lines deep6 ,when all these ships fired each twenty-one guns by divisions as the ,prince of ,wales steamed up and down the lines1 and the crews of each vessel in turn gave such cheers as only ,jack ,tar can give1 it was not the moment to threaten us with anything4 ,i shall never forget the aspect of this fleet of ours1 black hulls and yellow funnels and #8fighting tops' stretching to east and west as far as the eye could reach and beyond1 the mellow sunlight full upon them and the slowly-rolling clouds of smoke that wrapped them round with mystery as their countless guns thundered the salute6 ,myriads of flags fluttered in the breeze1 the sea sparkled1 and in and out of those motionless battleships all manner of steam and sailing craft moved incessantly1 deepening by the contrast of their hurry the sense one had of the majestic power contained in those reposing monsters4444 ,every one is saying1 #8,and to think that not a single ship has been recalled from abroad to make up this display6' ,we are all very pleased1 and have the good old ,nelson feeling about us40 ,on ,june #bhth the ,queen held her ,jubilee ,garden ,party in the ,buckingham ,palace grounds4 ,there we looked our last on her4 ,i took four of the children1 in ,august1 to ,bruges1 that old city so much enjoyed by me in my early years4 ,i was charmed to see how carefully all the old houses had been preserved1 and1 indeed1 ,i noticed that a few of them1 vulgarly modernised then1 were now restored to their original beauty4 ,how well the ,belgians understand these things6 ,seventeen years after this date the eldest of the two schoolboys ,i had with me was to ride through that same old ,bruges as ,a4,d4,c4 to the general commanding 8,the ,immortal #gth ,division10 which1 retiring before the ,german hordes1 was to turn and help to rend them at ,ypres4 ,in #ahih ,i exhibited a smaller picture than usual--8,the ,morrow of ,talavera10 which was very kindly placed at the ,academy--and ,i began a large ,crimean subject1 8,the ,colours10 for the succeeding year4 ,i had some fine models at ,dover for this picture4 ,in making the studies for it ,i had an interesting experience4 ,i wanted to show the colour party of the ,scots ,guards advancing up the hill of the ,alma in their full parade dress--the last time ,british troops wore it in action--,lieutenant ,lloyd ,lindsay carrying the ,queen's colour4 ,it was then he won the ,v4,c4 ,lord ,wantage 7that same ,lloyd ,lindsay71 now an old man1 but full of energy1 when he heard of my project1 conducted me to the ,guards' ,chapel in ,london1 and there and then had the old1 dusty1 moth-eaten ,alma colours taken down from their place on the walls1 and held the ,queen's colour once more in his hand for me to see4 ,i made careful studies at the chapel1 and restored the fresh tints which he told me they had on that far-away day1 when ,i came to put them into the picture4 ,i was in ,south ,africa when the ,academy opened in the following spring4 ,on ,september #aath1 #ahih1 we received the terrible news of the assassination of the ,empress of ,austria4 ,i had seen her every ,sunday and feast day at our little ,ventnor church1 at ,mass1 during her residence at ,steep ,hill ,castle4 ,she had the tiniest waist ,i ever saw--indeed1 no woman could have lived with a tinier one4 ,she was beautiful1 but so frigid in her manner2 she seemed made of stone1 yet she rode splendidly to hounds--altogether an enigma4 ,october #bgth1 #ahih1 ,i thoroughly enjoyed4 ,it was a day after my own heart--picturesque1 historical1 stirring1 amusing4 ,sir ,herbert ,kitchener1 the ,sirdar par excellence1 was received at ,dover on his arrival from the captured ,khartoum with all the prestige of his new-won honours shining around him4 ,my husband had decided that the regulation military honours 8to be accorded to distinguished persons0 were applicable to the man who was coming1 and so a guard of honour 7,highlanders7 with the regimental colour was drawn up at the pier head1 the regimental officers in red and the staff in blue4 ,the crowd on the upper part of the pier was immense and densely packed all along the parapet1 and the ,lower ,pier1 reserved for special people1 was crowded1 too4 ,it was a calm1 grey1 yet bright day1 and the absence of wind made things pleasant4 ,great gathering of ,cocked ,hats at the entrance gates1 and we all walked to the landing stage4 ,there was a dense smudge of black smoke on the horizon4 ,i knew that meant ,kitchener4 ,keeping my eye on that smudge1 ,i took but a distracted part in the small talk and frequent introductions of distinguished persons come from afar to welcome the man of the hour1 8the ,avenger of ,gordon40 ,i was conducted to the head of the landing steps1 together with such of the staff as were not to go on board the boat with the ,general4 ,then the smudge got hidden behind the pier end1 but ,i could see the ever-increasing swish and swirl of the water on the starboard side of the hidden steamer1 and soon she swept alongside2 a few vague cheers began1 no one in the crowd knowing the ,sirdar by sight4 ,when1 however1 the ,general went on board and shook hands1 this proclaimed at once where the man was1 and cheer upon cheer thundered out4 ,i have never1 before or since1 seen such spontaneous enthusiasm in ,england4 ,after a little talk 7my husband and he were long together on the ,nile7 and after the delivery of letters 7one from the ,queen7 and telegrams1 during which the hurrahs went on in a great roar and multitudinous pocket handkerchiefs fluttered in a long perspective1 the big1 solid1 stolid1 sunburnt ,briton stepped on ,english soil once more4 ,while shaking hands with me he seemed astonished and amused at all that was going on and1 looking over my head at the masses of people above1 he lifted his hat1 and thenceforth kept it in his hand as he was escorted to the ,lord ,warden ,hotel4 ,he had asked his ,a4,d4,c41 on first catching sight of the reception awaiting him1 8,what is all this about80 ,then there was an ,address at the hotel to which he listened with an ox-like patience1 and after that the enormous company of invited guests went to lunch4 ,in his speech my husband paid the ,sirdar the compliment of saying that the traditional ,field ,marshal's baton would be found in his trunk when the customs officers opened it at ,victoria4 ,kitchener spoke so low ,i could not hear him4 ,had he been less immovable one could have plainly seen how utterly he hated having to make a speech4 ,his travelling dress looked most interestingly incongruous amidst the rich uniforms and the glossy frock-coats as he stood up to say what he had to say4 ,as we all bulged out of the hotel door the cheers began again from the crowds4 ,i took care to look at the people that day1 and ,i was struck by their unanimity4 ,all ranks were there1 and yet on every face1 well bred or unwashed1 ,i saw the same identical expression--one of broad1 laughing delight4 ,such were my impressions1 which ,i noted down1 as usual1 at the moment1 and ,i have lived to see that remarkable man work out his life1 and end it with a tragedy that will hold its place in history2 my husband's prophecy1 put in those playful words at ,dover1 fulfilled2 a threatening disaster to the ,empire turned into victory with the aid of that extraordinary mind and physical endurance2 and the burning fire of that personality quenched1 untimely1 in the icy depths of a northern sea4 ,,chapter ,,xxii ,,the ,,cape ,,and ,,devonport ,on ,november #abth1 #ahih1 my husband sailed for ,south ,africa1 there to take up the military command1 and to act as ,high ,commissioner in place of ,sir ,alfred ,milner1 home on leave4 ,his staff at ,dover loved him4 ,their send-off brought tears to his eyes4 ,i1 ,c4 and the ,a4,d4,c4 saw him off from ,southampton1 to rejoin him in the process of time at the ,cape4 ,we little knew what a dark period in his life awaited him out there1 brought about by the malice of those in power there and at home4 ,it is too sacred and too painful a subject for me to record it here further than ,i have done4 ,the facts will be found in his 8,autobiography40 ,i left ,england on ,february #ahth1 #ahii1 with three of the children1 leaving the two eldest boys at college4 ,it was a very painful leave-taking at the ,waterloo ,station4 ,my mother was there and all the dear ones1 whom ,i did not expect to see again for two or three years--my mother perhaps ever again4 ,yet in a few months we were back there6 ,my theory that one should try and not fret about the future1 which is an absolutely unknown quantity1 proved justified4 ,i have chronicled our voyage out in my former little book1 and described one night at ,madeira--a night of enchantment under the moon4 ,i need not go over the days on the 8blue water0 again1 nor our strange life beyond the ,equator1 where1 though ,i was filled with admiration for the beauty of our surroundings1 ,i never felt the happiness which ,italy1 ,egypt or ,palestine had given me4 ,very absurd1 no doubt1 and sentimental1 but my love of the old haunts made me feel resentful of the topsy-turvy state of things ,i found down there4 ,the crescent moon on what 7to me7 was the wrong side of the sunset1 the hot north wind1 the cold blast from the south1 the shadows all inverted--no1 ,i did not enjoy this contradiction to my well-beloved traditions4 ,there was1 besides1 a local melancholy in that strange beauty ,i cannot describe4 ,all this may be put down to sentimentality1 but a very real melancholy attaches to ,south ,africa in my mind in connection with my husband1 who suffered there for his honesty and devotion to the honour of the ,empire he served4 ,the authorities accepted his resignation of the ,cape command which he tendered for fear of embarrassing the ,government1 and he accepted the command of the ,western ,district in its place1 which meant ,devonport4 ,so on ,august #bbnd we all embarked for ,home4 ,there we found the campaign of calumny1 originated in ,south ,africa against ,sir ,william1 in its acutest phase4 ,the ,press was letting loose all the poison with which it was being supplied1 and ,i consequently went through1 at first1 the bitter pain of daily trying to intercept the vilest anonymous letters1 many of them beer-stained missives couched in ill-spelt language from the slums4 ,not all the reparation offered to my husband later on--the bestowal of the ,grand ,cross of the ,bath1 his election to the dignity of ,privy ,councillor1 his selection as the safest judge to investigate the ,south ,african war stores scandals1 not to name other acts conveying the amende honorable--ever healed the wound4 ,his offence had been a frank admission of sympathy for a people tenacious of their independence and1 knowing the ,boers as he did1 he knew what their resistance would mean in case of attack4 ,he was appalled at the prospect of a war1 not against an army but against a people1 involving the farm-burnings and all the horrors which our armies would have to resort to4 ,he would fain have seen violence avoided and diplomacy used instead1 knowing1 as he did1 that the old intransigent ,dopper element would die out in time1 and the new generation of ,boers1 many of whom were educated at our universities1 intermarrying with the ,english1 as they were already doing1 would have brought about that very union of the two races within the ,empire which has been reached to-day through all that suffering4 ,in case1 however1 war should be decided on he employed the utmost vigour allowed to official language to warn those in power of the necessity for enormous forces in order to ensure success4 ,some of his despatches were suppressed4 ,the idea at ,headquarters was an easy march to ,pretoria4 ,what ,i have alluded to as the malice which prompted the campaign of calumny had caused the report to be spread that our initial defeats were owing to his wilful neglect in not warning the directing powers of the gravity of their undertaking4 ,the chief interest ,i found in our new appointment was caused by the frequent arrivals of foreign men-of-war1 whose captains were received officially and socially1 and there were admirals1 too1 when squadrons came4 ,it was interesting and amusing4 ,lord and ,lady ,charles ,scott were at the ,admiralty and1 later1 ,sir ,edward ,seymour1 during our appointment4 ,the foreign sailors prevented the official functions from becoming monotonous1 and we got a certain amount of pleasure out of this ,devonport phase of our experiences4 ,i carried my painting 8through thick and thin10 and did well1 on the whole1 at the ,academy4 ,i had the 8consuming zeal0--a very necessary possession4 ,one year it was a big tent-pegging picture 7,i don't know where its purchaser is now71 which was well lighted at ,burlington ,house4 ,then a ,boer ,war subject1 8,within ,sound of the ,guns0--well placed2 followed by an ,afghan subject1 8,rescue of ,wounded10 which to my great pleasure was given an excellent place in the ,salle d',honneur4 ,i also accomplished other smaller works and exhibited a great number of water colours4 ,it is a medium ,i like much4 ,i also prepared for the ,press my 8,letters from the ,holy ,land0 there which ,i have already mentioned4 ,my publishers1 ,messrs4 ,a4 and ,c4 ,black1 reproduced the water-colour illustrations very faithfully4 ,our ,french sailor guests were always bright1 so were the ,italians1 but the ,japanese were very heavy in hand1 and conversation was uphill work4 ,it was mainly carried on by repeated smiles and nods on their part4 ,when their big ships came in on one occasion the ,admiralty gave them the first dinner1 of course1 and at the end the bandmaster had the happy thought of giving a few bars out of ,arthur ,sullivan's 8,mikado0 before the ,emperor's health was drunk1 the ,national ,air not being in his repertory4 ,some one asked the ,jap admiral if he recognised it4 8,ah6 no1 no1 no60 came the usual smiling and nodding answer4 ,at the ,port ,admirals' ,i was to learn that in the navy you mustn't stand up for our ,sovereign's health1 by order of ,william ,,iv4 ,this resulted one evening in our sitting for 8,the ,king0 and standing up for 8,the ,kaiser40 ,there were the ,german admiral and officers present4 ,i thought that very unfortunate4#ac ,well1 ,devonport in summer was very delightful1 but ,devonport in winter had long periods of fog and gloom4 ,i had the blessing of another trip to ,italy1 this time with our eldest daughter1 starting on a dark wintry day in early ,march1 #aijj4 ,sir ,william's work prevented his coming with us4 ,vi ,genoa to ,rome lay our happy way4 ,of course1 it wasn't the ,rome ,i first knew1 but the shock ,i received when revisiting it four years before this present visit had already introduced me into the new order1 and ,i now knew what to see1 enjoy1 and avoid4 ,there were several new things to enjoy3 above all1 the ,forum1 now all open to the sky6 ,in the dear old days that space was a rather dreary expanse of waste land where some poor old paupers were to be daily seen1 leisurely labouring under the delusion that they were excavating4 ,they grubbed up the tufts of grass and scraped the dust with pocket-knives1 and the treasures below remained comfortably tucked away from public view4 ,then the much-abused ,embankment4 ,the dignified sweep of its lines leads the eye up1 as it follows the flow of the stream1 to the dignity of ,st4 ,peter's1 whereas1 formerly1 in its place1 unbeautiful masses of mouldering houses tottered over the ,tiber and gave that long-suffering river the reflections of their drainpipes4 ,then1 the two end arches of that most estimable ,ponte ,sant' ,angelo are now cleared of the old mud which blocked them up malodorously and docked the lovely thing of its symmetry4 ,then1 finally1 ,rome is clean6 ,we had the good fortune to be present at two very striking ,papal functions1 striking as bringing together ,catholics from a wide-flung circle embracing some remote nationalities unknown by sight to me4 ,the first was the ,pope's ,benediction in ,st4 ,peter's on ,march #ahth4 ,we were standing altogether about three hours in the crowd at the ,tomb1 well placed for seeing the ,holy ,father4 ,he was taken round the vast basilica in his sedia gestatoria1 and blessed a wildly cheering crowd4 ,i never saw a human being so like a spirit as ,leo ,,xiii4 ,he looked as white as his mitre as he leant forward and stretched his arm out in benediction from side to side1 borne high above the helmets of the ,noble ,guard4 ,one heard cheers in all languages1 and a curious effect was produced by the whirling handkerchiefs1 which made a white haze above the dark crowd4 ,i have often heard secular monarchs cheered1 and that very heartily1 but for a ,pope it seems that more than ordinary loyalty prompts the cheerers4 ,the people seem to give out their whole being in their voices and gestures4 ,the ,diary says3 8,i am glad ,i have seen that old man's face and his look1 as though it came to us from beyond the grave4 ,at times the cheers went up to the highest pitch of both men's and women's voices4 ,a strange sound to hear in a church40 ,a spring day spent at the well-known ,hadrian's ,villa1 under ,tivoli1 is not to be allowed to pass without a grateful record4 ,it is a most exquisite place of old ruins1 cypresses1 olives and1 at this time1 flowering peach trees1 violets and anemones4 ,it is an enchanting site for a country house4 ,hadrian chose well4 ,from there you see the delicately-pencilled dome of ,st4 ,peter's on the rim of the horizon to the west1 and behind you1 to the north1 rise the steep foot-hills of the mountains1 some crowned with old cities4 ,the ruins of the villa are all minus the lovely outer coating which used to hide the brickwork1 and poor ,hadrian would have felt very woeful had he foreseen that all the white loveliness of his villa was to come to this4 ,but as bits of warm colour and lovely surface those brick spaces take the sun and shadow beautifully between the dark masses of the cypresses and feathery grey cloudiness of the olives4 ,nowhere is the 8touch and go0 nature of life more strikingly put before the mind than in dead ,rome1 where so much magnificence in stone and marble and mosaic and bronze has fallen into lumps of crumbling brick4 ,on ,march #bfth we attended the ,papal ,benediction in the ,sistine ,chapel1 which is a remarkable thing to see4 ,it was a memorable morning4 ,the floor of the chapel was packed with pilgrims1 some of them rough men and women from remote regions of the north-east1 whose outlandish costumes were especially remarkable for the heavy ,cossack boots1 reaching to the knee1 worn by both sexes4 ,one wondered how these people journeyed to ,rome4 ,what a gathering of the faithful we looked down on from our gallery6 ,the same ecstatic cheering we had heard in ,st4 ,peter's announced the entrance of ,leo ,,xiii4 ,there he was1 the holy creature1 blessing right and left with that thin alabaster hand1 half covered with a white mitten4 ,with all their hoarse barbaric cheering1 ,i noticed how those peasants1 who had so particularly attracted me1 remembered to bend their heads and most devoutly make the sign of the cross as he passed4 ,they almost monopolised my study of the motley crowd1 but ,i was aware of the many nationalities present1 and the same enthusiasm came from them all4 ,at such times a great consolation eases the mind1 saddened1 as it often is1 by the general atmosphere of declining faith in which one has to live one's ordinary life in the world4 ,after the ,mass came the presentation of the pilgrims at the altar steps4 ,the ,pope had kind words for all1 bending down to hear and to speak to them1 and often stroking the men's heads4 ,one huge ,muscovite peasant knelt long at his feet1 and the ,pope kept patting the rough man's cheek and speaking to him and blessing him over and over again4 ,at the sight of this a wild 8hourah60 broke from his fellow villagers4 ,where in the world was their village8 ,in the mists of remoteness1 but here in heart1 unmistakably4 ,following the swarthy giant three sandy-haired ,german students1 carrying their plumed caps in their hands and girt with rapiers1 presented some college documents to receive the ,papal benediction1 and a great many men and women knelt and passed on1 but the ,pope seemed in no way fatigued4 ,as he was borne out again he waved us an upward blessing with his white and most friendly countenance turned up to us4 ,our ,roman wanderings included a visit to the ,holy ,father's ,vatican gardens1 which are part of the little temporal kingdom a ,pope still possesses1 and to his tiny 8country house0 therein1 where he goes for change of air767 in the summer1 about two stonethrows from the ,vatican4 ,i note3 8,there are well-trimmed vineyards there2 there are pet birds and beasts in a little #8zoological gardens'2 there is the arbour where he has his meals on hot days2 and1 finally1 we were conducted to his little villa bedroom from whose window one of the finest views of ,rome is seen1 dominated by the ,quirinal1 within 7let us hope7 shaking hands distance40 ,we heard the 8,miserere0 at ,st4 ,peter's on ,good ,friday--very impressive1 that twilight service in the apse of the great basilica6 ,the unaccompanied voices of boys sounded in sweetest music--one hardly knew whence it came--and the air seemed to thrill with the thin angelic sound in the waning light as one by one the candles at the altar were put out4 ,at the last ,psalm the last light was extinguished1 and the vast crowd with its wan faces remained lighted only by the faint glimmer that came down from the pale sky through the high windows4 ,then good-bye to ,rome4 ,we left for ,perugia on ,april #bbnd4 ,i certainly ought to be grateful for having had yet another reception by my ,umbrian ,hills6 ,and such a reception that ,april afternoon1 with the low sun gilding everything into fullest beauty6 ,i did my best to secure that moment in miserably inadequate paint from the hotel window immediately on arrival4 ,better than nothing4 ,but no more of ,perugia1 nor of dear old ,florence on our way to academic ,padua2 no more of ,verona4 ,i have much yet to record on getting home1 and after6 ,,chapter ,,xxiii ,a ,,new ,,reign ,sir ,william was asked by ,lord ,wolseley to take up the ,aldershot command in the absence of ,sir ,redvers ,buller1 who was struggling very desperately to retrieve our fortunes in the ,boer ,war2 so to ,aldershot we went from ,devonport1 where my husband's command ran concurrently4 ,how intensely ,england had hoped for the turning of the tide when ,buller was given the tremendous task of directing our armies6 ,we forget the horrors the nation went through in those days because the late ,war has made us pass through the same apprehensions multiplied by millions1 but there the fact remains in our history that we nearly suffered a terrible catastrophe at the time of which ,i am writing4 ,buller1 on leaving for the ,cape1 had said to my husband how fervently he wished he possessed his gift of imagination1 and1 indeed1 that is a very precious gift to a commander4 ,this truly awful state of things--our terrible losses1 and the temporary lowering of our military prestige 7thank heaven1 so gloriously recovered and enhanced in the ,world ,war67--were the answer to the repeated assertion made1 when we were at the ,cape1 by those who ought to have known1 that 8the ,boers won't fight40 ,how this used to enrage my husband1 whose 8gift of imagination0 made him see so clearly the danger ahead4 ,well1 all this is of the long ago1 and1 as ,i have already noted1 it is better to say little now2 but the sense of injustice lives6 ,illustration3 ,a ,,despatch-,,bearer1 ,,boer ,,war1 ,,and ,,the ,,horse-,,gunners4 ,buller had a great reception at ,aldershot on his return from ,south ,africa4 ,i never saw a more radiantly happy face on a woman than poor ,lady ,audrey's1 who had been in a state of most tense anxiety during her dear ,redvers' absence4 ,as the train steamed into the station the band struck up 8,see the ,conquering ,hero comes60 ,the horses of his carriage were unharnessed1 and the triumphal car was drawn by a team of firemen to ,government ,house4 ,at the entrance gate a group of school children sang 8,home1 sweet ,home02 my husband hauled down his flag and ,buller's was run up1 and so that episode closed4 ,we had inhabited a suburban-looking villa on the road to ,farnborough during the absence of ,sir ,redvers1 not wishing to disturb the anxious watcher at ,government ,house1 and very often we saw the ,empress1 just as in the old days4 ,she told us the dear ,queen was very ill1 far worse than the world was allowed to know4 ,my husband had always said the war would kill her1 for she had taken our losses cruelly to heart1 and so it happened on ,january #bbnd1 #aija4 ,the resumed ,devonport ,diary says3 8,a day ever to be marked in ,english history as a day of mourning4 ,our ,queen is dead4 ,at dinner ,s4 brought us the news that she passed away at #f4cj this afternoon4 ,we were prepared for it1 but it seems like a dream4 ,to us who have been born and have lived all our lives under her sovereignty it is difficult to realise that she is gone4 8,january #bcrd1 #aija4--;,a dull gloomy day1 punctuated by #ha minute guns1 which began booming at noon4 ,all the royal standards and flags hanging half-mast in the fog1 on land and afloat4 8,january #bdth4--,at noon-day all standards and flags were run up to the masthead1 and a quick thunder of guns proclaimed the accession of ,edward ,,vii4 ,at the end the band on board the guardship ,nile struck up #8,god ,save the ,king4' ,the flags will all be lowered again until the day after ,queen ,victoria is laid to rest4 ,edward ,,vii46 ,how strange it sounds1 and how events and changes are rolling down upon us every hour now4 ,albert ,edward will be a greater man as ,edward ,,vii4 8,february #eth4--,the ,queen was buried to-day beside her husband at ,frogmore4 ,it is inexpressibly touching to think of them side by side again4 ,model wife and mother1 how many of your women subjects have strayed away1 of late1 from those virtues which you were true to to the last6 8,february #afth4--,there is great indignation amongst us ,catholics at ,edward ,,vii4 having been called upon to take the oath at the opening of ,parliament which savours so much of the darkest days of #8,no ,popery' bigotry4 ,i think it might have been modified by this time1 and the lies about #8idolatry' and the #8worship' of the ,virgin ,mary eliminated4 ,could not the ,king have had strength of mind enough to refuse to insult his ,catholic subjects8 ,i know he must have deeply disliked to pronounce those words4 8,august #fth4--,again the flags to-day are at half-mast1 and so is the royal standard1 and this time1 on the men-of-war1 it is the ,german flag6 ,the ,empress ,frederick died yesterday40 ,i never mentioned at the time of our visit to the ,connaughts at ,bagshot1 when we were first at ,aldershot1 a touching incident concerning her4 ,sir ,william sat next to her at dinner1 and1 propos of a really fine still-life picture painted by her1 which hung over the dining-room door in the hall1 he asked her whether she still kept up her painting4 8,no10 she said1 8,i have cried myself blind60 ,what with one ,empress crying as though her heart would break in speaking to him that time at ,camden ,place and this ,empress telling him she had cried herself blind----6 ,the illness and death of the ,kaiser ,frederick must have been a period of great anguish4 ,during this summer ,i was very busy with my picture of the 8#ajth ,bengal ,lancers at ,tent ,pegging10 a subject requiring much sunshine study1 which ,i have already mentioned4 ,in ,september1 ,lord ,roberts--8the miniature ,field ,marshal10 as ,i call him in the ,diary--came down on inspection1 and great were the doings in his honour4 8,how will this little figure stand in history8 ,will's well-planned defence against a night attack from the sea came off very well this dark still night1 though the navy were nearly an hour late4 ,there was too much waiting1 but when1 at last1 the enemy torpedo boats and destroyers appeared1 the whole ,sound was bordered with such a zone of fire that1 had it been real war1 not a rivet of the invader's flotilla would have been left in possession of its hold4 #8,bobs' must have been gratified at to-night's display1 which he reviewed from ,stonehouse4 8,our ,roberts dinner was of twenty-two covers1 and the only women were ,lady ,charles ,scott1 myself and ,c4 ,a guard of honour was at the front door1 and presented arms as the ,field ,marshal arrived1 the band playing4 ,he certainly is diminutive4 ,a nice face1 soldierlike1 and a natural manner4 ,with him that too jocose ,evelyn ,wood and others4 #8,bobs1' of course1 took me in to dinner1 and1 on my left1 ,lord ,charles ,scott took in ,c4 ,will took in ,lady ,charles4 ,the others--,lord ,mount ,edgcumbe1 ,h4,s4,h4 ,prince ,louis of ,battenberg 7in command of the ,implacable71 ,admiral ,jackson1 and so forth--subsided into their places according to seniority4 ,every man in blue or red except one rifleman4 ,soft music during dinner and two bars of the ,national ,anthem before the still unfamiliar #8,the ,king1 ,god bless him6' at dessert4 ,will still feels a little--,i don't know how to express it--of the mental hesitation before changing #8the ,queen' which he felt so strongly at first4 ,he was very truly attached to her4 ,i was back in the drawing-room in good time to receive the crowd1 who came in a continuous flow1 all with an expectant smile1 to pay homage to the ,lion4 ,i don't think ,i forgot anybody's name 7coached by the ,a4,d4,c47 in all those introductions1 but that item of my duties is a thing ,i dread4 ,i never saw people in such good humour at any social function before4 ,we certainly do love to honour our soldiers4 ,but1 all the time1 things are not going too well with us in the war6 8,september #adth4--,again the flags half-mast6 ,now it is the #8,stars and ,stripes4' ,poor ,president ,mc,kinley succumbed to-day to his horrible wound4 ,the surgeons wouldn't let him die for a long while1 though he asked them to4 ,they did their best4 8,march #gth1 #aijb4--;,and now for the royal visit1 the principal occasion for which is the launching of the great battleship the ,queen1 by ,queen ,alexandra4 ,will was responsible for all matters ashore1 as the admiral was for those afloat4 ,lady ,charles and ,i had to be on the platform at ,north ,road to receive ,their ,majesties1 the only other women there being ,lady ,morley and the ,plymouth ,mayor's daughter1 bearing a bouquet for presentation4 ,the royal train had an engine decorated in front of its funnel with an enormous gilt crown1 and ,i was pleased1 as it majestically glided into the station1 to see that it is possible even in railway prose to have a little dash of poetry4 ,the band struck up1 the guard of honour presented arms with a clang4 ,first1 out sprang lacqueys carrying bags and wraps who scurried to the royal carriages waiting outside1 and out sprang various admirals and diplomats in hot haste1 all with rather anxious faces veneered with smiles4 ,and then1 leisurely1 the ever lovely and self-possessed ,queen and her kindly and kingly consort1 wearing1 over his full-dress admiral's uniform1 a caped overcoat4 ,salutes1 bows1 curtseys1 smiles1 handshakes4 ,will presents the great silver ,key of the ,citadel1 which ,charles ,,ii4 had made for locking the ,great ,gate against the refractory people4 ,edward ,,vii4 touches it and the ,general ,commanding returns it to the ,r4,a4 officer1 who has charge of it4 ,we all kiss the ,king's hand as seeing him for the first time to speak to since his accession4 ,the ,queen withdraws her hand quickly before any officer can salute it in like manner1 which looks a little ungracious4 ,whilst the ,general and ,admiral are introducing their respective staffs to the ,king1 the ,queen has a little chat with me and asks after my painting and so forth4 ,she is very fond of that water colour ,i did for her album at ,dover of a trooper of her #8own' #aith ,hussars at tent-pegging4 ,lady ,charles and ,i did not join in the procession through the ,three ,towns to the dockyard1 but hastened home to avoid the crowd4 8,in the evening we dined with ,their ,majesties on board the royal yacht over part of which floating palace ,c4 and ,i had been conducted in the morning4 ,whatever the yacht's sailing value may be she certainly cuts out the ,kaiser's ,hohenzollern in her internal splendour4 ,when it comes to washstand tops of onyx and alabaster2 and carpets of unfathomable depth of pile1 and hangings in bedrooms of every shade of delicate colour1 #8toning1' as the milliners say1 with each particular set of furniture2 and the most elaborately beautiful arrangements for lighting and warming electrically1 and so on1 and so on--one rather wonders why so much luxury was piled on luxury in this new yacht which the ,king1 ,i am told1 does not like on the high seas4 ,her lines are not as graceful as those of the old ,victoria and ,albert1 and it is said she #8rolls awful'6 8,well1 to dinner6 ,as we drove up to the yacht1 which is moored right opposite the ,port ,admiral's house and is the habitation of the ,king and ,queen during their sojourn here1 we saw her outlined against the pitch black sky by coloured electric lamps1 which was pretty4 ,equerries1 secretaries and ,miss ,knollys received us at the top of the gangway1 and the ladies of the ,queen soon filed into the ante-chamber 7or cabin7 where they and we1 the guests1 awaited ,their ,majesties4 ,full uniform was ordered for the men1 and we ladies were requested to come in #8high1 thin dresses1' as1 it appears1 is the etiquette on board royal yachts4 ,there were the ,admiral and ,lady ,charles1 the ,duke and ,duchess of ,buccleugh1 ,lord and ,lady ,st4 ,germans1 ,lord ,walter ,kerr1 ,lord ,mount ,edgcumbe 7#8the ,hearl1' as he is known to ,plymothians71 the ,bishop of ,exeter1 ,lady ,lytton and others up to about thirty-six in number4 ,the ,king1 still dressed as an admiral1 and the ,queen in a charming black and white semi-transparent frock1 with many ropes of pearls1 soon came in1 and1 the curtseying over1 we filed into the great dining saloon brilliantly lighted and splendid4 ,the ,king led in his daughter1 ,princess ,victoria4 ,buccleugh led in the ,queen1 and so on4 ,how unlike the painfully solemn1 whispered dinners of dear old ,queen ,victoria was this banquet4 ,we shouted of necessity1 as the band played all the time4 ,the ,king and ,queen seem to me to have acquired an expanded dignity since they have come to the ,throne4 ,will and ,i could not do justice to the dinner as it was ,friday1 but that didn't matter4 ,after the sweets the head servant 7what ,goliaths in red liveries they all are67 handed the ,king a snuff box6 ,i was so fascinated by the sight of the descendant of the ,georges engaged in the very ,georgian act of taking a pinch that my eyes were riveted on him4 ,i love history and am always trying to revive the past in imagination4 ,it is true that #8a cat may look at a ,king1' but then ,i am not a cat 7at least ,i hope not74 ,i only trust ,his ,majesty didn't mind1 but he certainly saw me6 8,after dinner we women went down with the ,queen to her boudoir1 where an ,egyptian-looking servant wearing a tarboosh handed us coffee of surpassing aroma1 and ,her ,majesty showed us her beloved little ,japanese dog and some of the pretty things about the room4 ,she then asked us to see her bedroom 7which ,i had already seen that morning7 and the little dog's basket where he sleeps near her bed4 ,she is still extremely beautiful4 ,her figure is youthful and shapely1 and all her movements are queenly4 ,the ,king had quite a long talk with ,will about this dreadful ,boer ,war which is causing us all so much anxiety1 after we went up again4 ,he then came over to me1 and after a few commonplaces he came nearer and in a confidential tone began about ,will4 ,i think he is fond of him4 ,what he said was kind1 and ,i knew he wanted me to repeat his sympathetic words to my husband afterwards4 ,he spoke of him as a #8splendid soldier4' ,i know he had in his mind the painful trial ,will had gone through4 ,it was late when ,their ,majesties bade us good-night4 8,march #hth4--,the great day of the launch of ,h4,m4,s4 ,queen4 ,i wonder if the hearts of the sailors beat anxiously to-day at all6 ,a quieter1 more unemotional-looking set of men than those naval bigwigs could nowhere be seen in the world4 ,but1 first of all1 there was the medal-giving at the ,r4,n4 ,barracks1 where ,ladies ,poore and ,charles ,scott1 ,mrs4 ,jackson and myself had to receive the ,king and ,queen by the side of our respective husbands on a raised das in the centre of the huge parade ground4 ,it was very cold1 and the ,queen told me she envied me my fur-lined coat4 ,will said ,i missed an opportunity of making a pendant to ,sir ,walter ,raleigh6 ,the function was very long1 for the ,king had to give a medal to each one of the three hundred bluejackets and marines who passed before him in single file4 ,at the launching place we all assembled on a great platform1 and there in front of us stood the huge hull of the battleship1 the ram projecting over the little table on which the ,queen was to cut the ropes4 ,that red-painted ram was garlanded with flowers1 and the bottle hung from the garland1 completely hidden under a covering of roses4 ,it contained red ,australian wine1 a very sensible change from the ,french champagne of former times4 ,down below an immense crowd of workmen waited1 some of them right under the ship1 and all round1 in the different stands1 were dense masses of people4 ,we were soon joined by three ,german naval grandees and two ,japanese leprechauns1 one an admiral1 a toadlike-looking creature in a uniform entirely copied from ours4 ,our new allies are not handsome4 ,then came the ,bishop of ,exeter1 in robes and cap and with a peaked beard1 a living ,holbein in the dress of ,cranmer4 ,how could ,i1 a painter1 not delight in that figure8 ,i told a friend that bishop had no business to be alive1 but ought to be a painting by ,holbein1 on panel4 ,what does she do but whisk off straight to him and ,mrs4 ,bishop and tell them6 ,our privileged group kept swelling with additions of officers in full glory and smart women in lovely frocks1 and bouquets were brought in1 and everything was to me perfectly charming4 ,monarchy calls much beauty into existence4 ,long may it endure6 8,at last there was a stir2 the monarchs came up the inclined approach and the band struck up4 ,they took their places facing the ship's bows1 and ,cranmer on panel by ,holbein blessed the ship in as nearly a ,catholic way as was possible1 with the sign of the cross left out4 ,a subordinate held his crozier before him4 ,a hymn had previously been sung and a psalm1 followed by the ,lord's ,prayer4 ,then came the #8christening' 7strange word71 a picturesque ,pagan ceremony4 ,the ,queen brightened up after the last #8,amen' and1 nearing the table1 reached over to the flower-decked bottle2 then1 stepping back1 swung it from her against the monstrous ram1 saying1 #8,god bless this ship and all that sail in her4' ,i heard a little crack1 and only a few red drops trickled down4 ,this wouldn't do1 for she immediately seized the bottle again and1 stepping well back this time and holding the bottle as high over her head as the ropes would allow1 flung it with such violence that it smashed all to pieces and the red wine gushed over her hands and sleeves and poured out its last drops on the table4 ,a great cheer rang out at this1 and the ,king laughingly seemed to say to her1 #8,you did it this time with a vengeance6' ,she flushed up1 looking as though she enjoyed the fun4 ,then came the great moment of the cutting by the ,queen of the little ropes that held the monster bound as by silken threads4 ,six good taps with the mallet1 severing the six strands across a #8turtle back' in the centre of the table1 and away flew the two ropes down amongst the cheering crowd of workmen and1 automatically1 down came the two last supports on either side of the yet impassive hull4 ,still impassive--not a hair's breadth of movement6 ,a painful pause4 ,some men below were pumping the hydraulic apparatus for all they were worth4 ,i kept my eye on the nose of the ram1 gauging it by some object behind4 ,firm as a rock6 ,at last a tiny movement1 no more than the starting of a snail across a cabbage leaf4 #8,she's off6' ,a hurricane of cheers1 and with the most admirable and dignified acceleration of speed the great ship1 seeming to come into life1 glided down the slips and1 ploughing through the parting and surging waters1 floated off far into the ,hamoaze to the strains of #8,rule ,britannia4' ,queen ,alexandra1 in her elation1 made motions with her arms as though she was shoving the ship off herself4 ,scarcely had the battleship ,queen passed into the water than the blocks displaced by her passage were rolled back1 still hot as it were from the friction1 into the position they had occupied before she moved1 and the ,king1 stepping forward1 turned a little electric handle at the table1 and lo6 the keel plate of the ,edward ,,vii4 slowly moved forward and stopped in its position on the blocks as the germ of the new battleship4 ,the ,king1 in a loud voice1 proclaimed that the keel plate of the ,edward ,,vii4 was #8well and truly laid1' and a great cheer arose and #8,god ,save the ,king1' and all was over4 ,a new battleship was born4#ad ,we met ,their ,majesties at the ,port ,admiral's at tea1 and ,will dined with them1 together with some of his staff4 8,march #ajth4--,saw ,their ,majesties off4 ,i wonder if they were getting tired of seeing always the same set of faces and smiles8 ,i am going to present ,c4 at ,court on the #adth1 and my function twin1 ,lady ,charles1 is going there1 too1 so ,i shall feel it will be a case of #8,here we are again1' when ,i meet the royal eye that night4 ,in the evening the news of ,methuen's defeat and capture by ,delarey4 ,to think this horror was going on the day we received the ,king and ,queen at ,north ,road ,station6 8,march #adth4--,the ,king's ,court was much better arranged than formerly1 as we had only to make two curtseys--nothing more--instead of having to run the gauntlet of a long row of princes and princesses who were abreast of ,queen ,victoria 7or her representative71 and who used to inspect one from head to foot4 ,these were now grouped behind the monarchs1 and formed a rich1 subdued background to the two regal figures on their thrones4 7,what a blessing to the aforesaid princes and princesses to be spared the necessity of passing all those nervous women in review1 and by daylight1 too67 ,altogether the music and the generally more festive character of the function struck one as a great and happy improvement on the old dispensation4 ,the ,king and ,queen didn't exactly say1 #8,how do you do again8' as ,i appeared1 but looked it as ,i met their smiling eyes4 ,this is the first ,court of the ,king's reign4 8,march #bgth4--,cecil ,rhodes died yesterday4 ,i am glad ,i saw him at the ,cape4 ,one morning just at sunrise ,i and the children were driving to ,mass during the mission and1 as we passed over the railway line1 we saw people riding down from #8,grootschuur4' ,the foremost horseman was ,cecil ,rhodes1 looking very big and with a wide red face4 ,he gave me a searching look or stare as if trying to make out who ,i was in the shade of the carriage hood4 ,so ,i saw his face well4 8,april #crd4--,will and ,i are invited by the ,king and ,queen to see them crowned at ,westminster4 ,i am to wear #8court dress with plumes but without train4' ,but what if the nightmare war still is dragging on in ,june8 ,the time is getting short6 ,we hear the ,king is getting anxious4 ,lord ,wolseley's trip to the ,cape 7for his health67 is supposed to have really to do with bringing about peace4 ,but #8'ware politics' for me4 ,they are not in my line4 ,what a wet blanket would be spread as a pall over all the purple canopies in ,westminster ,abbey if war was still brooding over us all6 ,imagine news of a new ,methuen disaster on the morning of ,june #bfth60 ,on ,varnishing ,day that spring at the ,royal ,academy ,i found that my tent-pegging picture could not look to greater advantage1 but it was in the last room1 where the public looks with 8lack-lustre eyes10 being tired4 ,on ,june #bast ,i left to attend the ,coronation of ,edward ,,vii41 spending two days at ,dick's monastery at ,downside on the way1 high up in the ,mendip ,hills4 ,i note3 8,i had a bright little room at the guest house just outside the precincts4 ,that night the full moon1 that emblem of serenity1 rose opposite my window1 and ,i felt as though lifted up above that world into which ,i was about to plunge for my participation in the pomp of the ,coronation in a few hours4 ,it is inexpressibly touching to me to see my son where he is4 ,a hard probation1 for the ,benedictine test is long and severe1 as indeed the test is1 necessarily1 throughout the ,religious ,orders4 8,june #bdth4--,memorable day6 ,i was passing along ,buckingham ,palace ,road at #ab4cj when ,i saw a poster3 #8,coronation ,postponed'6 ,groups of people were buying up the papers4 ,of course1 no one believed the news at first1 and people were rather amusedly perplexed4 ,no one had heard that the ,king was ill4 ,on getting to ,piccadilly ,i saw the official posters and the explanation4 ,an operation just performed6 and only yesterday ,knollys telling the world there was #8not a word of truth in the alarming rumours of the ,king's health4' ,i and ,mrs4 ,c4 went to a dismal afternoon concert at #b4cj to which we were pledged1 and which the promoters were in two minds about postponing1 and we left in the middle to stroll about the crowded streets and watch the effect of the disastrous news4 ,there was something very dramatic in the scene in front of the palace--the huge crowd waiting and watching1 the royal standard drooping on the roof 7not half-mast yet871 and the sense of brooding sorrow over the great building1 which held the1 perhaps1 dying ,king4 ,what a change in two or three hours6 8,june #bfth4--,this was to have been the ,coronation ,day4 ,general dismantling4 ,those dead laurel wreaths still lying in the gutters are said to be the same that were used at the funeral of ,king ,humbert4 ,what a weird thought6 ,the crowds are thinning1 but still1 at night1 they gaze at the little clumps of illuminations which some people exhibit1 as the ,king is going on well4 #8,vivat ,rex' flares in great brilliancy here and there4 ,the words have a deeper meaning than usual4 ,may he live6 8,june #bgth4--,this was to have been the day of the royal procession4 ,where is that rose-colour-lined coach ,i so looked forward to8 ,lying idle in its cover4 ,every one is moralising4 ,even the clubmen1 ,will tells me1 are furbishing up little religious platitudes and texts2 many are curiously superstitious1 which is strange40 ,on our return home ,i was very busy in the studio4 ,there was much galloping and trotting of horses up and down in the ,government ,house grounds for my studies of movement for my next ,academy picture 7dealing with ,boer ,war yeomanry7 and others4 8,august #ith4--,king ,edward ,,vii4 was crowned to-day4 ,at about #ab4dj the guns firing in the ,sound and batteries announced that1 at last1 the ,coronation was consummated4 ,we were asked to the ceremony1 but could not go up this time40 ,a little tour in ,france1 with my husband and our two girls1 made in ,september1 #aijb1 gave us sunny days in ,anjou on the ,loire4 ,the majestic rivers of ,france are her chief attraction for the painter1 and to us ,english ,turner's charm is inseparably blended with their slowly flowing waters4 ,we were visitors at a chteau at ,savonnires1 near ,angers1 for most of the time1 and our hosts took care that we should miss none of the lovely things around their domain4 ,the ,german 8,ocean ,greyhounds0 of the ,hamburg-,amerika line used to call at ,plymouth in those days1 huge1 three-funnel monsters which1 ,i think1 we have since appropriated1 and one of these1 the ,augusta ,marie1 bore us off to ,cherbourg in all the pride of her gorgeous saloons1 flower-decked tables1 band1 and extraordinary bombastic oleographs from allegorical pictures by the ,kaiser ,william ,,ii4 ,as we boarded her the band played 8,god ,save the ,king10 the captain receiving ,sir ,william with finished regulation attention1 and hardly had the great twin engines swung the ship into the ,sound to receive her passengers1 than with another swing forward1 which made the masts wriggle to their very tops1 she was off4 ,it was the 8,marseillaise0 as we reached ,france4 ,that band played us nearly the whole way over4 ,a really pretty idea1 this1 of playing the national air of each country where the ship touched4 ,it was vintage time at ,savonnires1 which was a ,french 8,castagnolo10 a most delightful translation into ,french of that ,italian patriarchal home4 ,there were stone terraces garlanded with vines bearing--not the big black grapes of ,tuscany1 but small yellow ones of surpassing sugariness4 ,we were in a typical and beautiful bit of ,france1 peaceful1 plenteous1 and full of dignity4 ,they lead the simple life here such as ,i love1 which is not to be found in the big ,english country houses1 as far as ,i know4 ,i was truly pleased at the sight of the peasantry at ,mass on the ,sunday4 ,the women in particular had that dignity which is so marked in their class1 and the white lace coifs they wore had many varieties of shape1 all most beautiful1 and were very soignes and neatly worn4 ,not an untidy woman or girl amongst these daughters of the soil4 ,i was anxious to see 8,angers la ,noire10 where we stayed on our way from ,savonnires to ,amboise4 ,but the black slate houses which gave it that name are being turned into white stone ones1 and so its grim characteristic is passing away4 ,give me character1 good or bad2 characterless things are odious4 ,i don't suppose a more perfect old ,angevin town exists than ,amboise4 ,it fulfilled all ,i required and expected of it4 ,how ,turner understood these towns on the broad1 majestic ,loire6 ,he occasionally exaggerated1 but his exaggerations were always in the right direction1 emphasising thus the dominant beauties of each place and their local sentiment4 ,which recalls the deep charm of the rivers of ,france more subtly to the mind1 ,turner's series or an album of photographs8 ,turner's mind saw more truly than the camera4 ,the castle of ,amboise is superb and its creamy white stone a glory4 ,then came ,blois1 with a quite different reading of a castle1 where plenty of colour and gilding and ,gothic richness gave the character--not so restful to eye and mind as ,amboise4 ,through both the chteaux we were marshalled along by a guide4 ,i would sooner learn less of a place1 by myself1 than be told all by a tiresome man in a cicerone's livery4 ,plenty of horrors were supplied us at both places1 vitiating my otherwise simple pleasure as a painter in the sight of so much beauty4 ,we returned to ,plymouth ,sound on a lovely day1 and there our blue launch1 with that bright brass funnel ,i had so long agitated for1 was awaiting us1 and we landed at the steps of ,mount ,wise as though we had merely been for a trip to ,penlee ,point4 ,i found my picture of the yeomanry cantering through a 8spruit0 in the ,boer ,war1 8,within ,sound of the ,guns10 admirably placed this time at ,burlington ,house1 in the spring of #aijc4 ,i had greatly improved in tone by this time4 ,millais' remark once upon a time1 8,she draws better than any of us1 but ,i wish her tone was better10 had sunk deep4 ,on ,july #adth1 #aijc1 the ,princess ,henry of ,battenberg 7as the title was then71 with a suite of six1 paid us a visit of two days at ,government ,house1 and we had1 of course1 a big reception1 which was inevitable4 ,our guest hated the ordeal of all those presentations1 being very retiring1 and ,i sympathised4 ,i heard her murmur to her lady1 ,miss ,bulteel1 8,i shall die10 as the first arrival was announced4 ,and there she had to stand till ,i and the ,a4,d4,c4 had finished terrifying her with about #bej people in succession4 ,what a tax royalty has to pay6 ,there was the laying of a foundation stone1 a trip in the launch up the ,tamar1 and something to be done each day1 but with as many rests as we could squeeze in for our very simpatica princess4 ,the drive through the streets of ,plymouth showed me what the crowd looks like from royalty's point of view as ,i sat by her side in the carriage4 ,i remarked to her what bad teeth the people had4 8,they are nothing to those in the north10 the poor dear said4 ,how often royalty has to run that gauntlet of an unlovely and cheering crowd6 ,i was now to go through the great ordeal of witnessing our dear ,dick's#ae taking his vows4 ,this was on ,september #dth1 #aijc1 at ,belmont ,minster1 ,hereford4 ,on ,july #ajth1 #aijd1 a ,german squadron of eighteen men-of-war came thundering into the ,sound1 and on the #abth we assembled a ,garden ,party of about three hundred guests to give the three admirals and their officers a very proper welcome4 ,eighteen beautiful ships1 but all untried4 ,i lunched on board the flagship1 the ,kaiser ,wilhelm ,,ii41 on the previous day1 and anything to equal the dandified 8get up0 of that war vessel could not be found afloat4 ,wherever there was an excuse for a gold ,imperial crown1 there it was1 relieved by the spotless whiteness of its surroundings4 ,the fair-haired bluejackets were extremely clean and comely1 but struck me as being drilled too much like soldiers1 and wanting the natural manner of our men4 ,the impression on my mind at the time was that immense care and pains had been taken to show off these brand-new ships and to rival ours1 but that they were not a bit like their models4 ,the ,general dined in state on board that evening4 ,oh6 the veneer of politeness shown to us these days2 the bowings1 the clicking of heels1 the well-drilled salutes2 and all the time we were joking amongst ourselves about the certainty we had that they were taking soundings of our great harbour4 ,as usual1 they were allowed to do just as they liked there4 ,it is a tremendous thought to me that ,i have lived to hear of the surrender of ,germany's entire navy4 ,how often in those days we allowed ourselves to imagine a modern possible ,trafalgar1 but such a cataclysm as this was outside the bounds of any one's imagination4 ,i devoted a great deal of my time to getting up a 8one-man-show10 my first of many1 composed of water colours1 and in accomplishing the ,afghan picture ,i have already mentioned as being so much honoured by the ,hanging ,committee at the ,academy in the spring of #aijd4 ,my husband's command of the ,western ,district terminated on ,january #cast1 #aije1 and with it his career in the army1 as he had reached the retiring age4 ,the ,liberal ,party was very keen on having him as an ,m4,p41 representing ,east ,leeds4 ,i am glad the idea did not materialise4 ,i know what would have happened4 ,he would have set out full of honest and worthy enthusiasm to serve the ,patria4 ,then1 little by little1 he would have found what political life really is1 and thrown the thing up in disgust4 ,an old story4 ,non ,patria sed ,party6 ,so utterly outside my own life had politics been that ,i had an amused sensation when ,i saw the ,parliamentary world opening before me1 like a gulf6 8,january #cast1 #aije4--,will is to stand for ,east ,leeds4 ,it is all very sudden4 ,liberals so eager that he has almost been 7courteously7 hustled into the great enterprise4 ,herbert ,gladstone1 ,campbell-,bannerman and other leaders have written almost irresistible letters to him1 pleading4 ,when he goes to the election at ,leeds he is to be #8put to no expense whatever1' and they are confident of a #8handsome majority4' ,we shall see6 ,besides all this he is given a most momentous commission at the ,war ,office to investigate certain ugly-looking matters connected with the ,boer ,war stores scandal that require clearing up4 ,i am glad they have done him the #8poetical justice' of selecting him for this4 8,february #acth4--,we went to a very brilliant and 7to me7 novel gathering at the ,campbell-,bannermans'4 ,all the leaders of the ,liberal ,party there1 an interesting if not very noble study4 ,all so cordial to ,will4 ,tremendous crush1 but nice when we got down to the more airy tea room4 ,the snatches of conversation ,i got in the general hubbub all sounded somewhat #8shoppy4' ,winston ,churchill1 a ruddy young man1 with a roguish twinkle in his eye1 ,herbert ,gladstone and his lovely wife1 our bluff1 rosy host and other #8leaders' were very interesting1 and we met many friends1 all on the #8congratulate4' ,all these ,m4,p4's seem to relish their life4 ,i suppose it has a great fascination1 this working to get your side in1 as at a football match40 ,the general election in course of time swept over ,england and brought in the ,liberal ,party with an overwhelming majority4 ,my husband did not stand for ,east ,leeds4 ,he had to abandon the idea1 as a ,catholic1 on account of the religious difficulties connected with the ,education ,act4 ,our life in the glorious west of ,ireland1 which followed our retirement from ,devonport1 has been so fully described by this pen of mine in 8,from ,sketch-book and ,diary0 that ,i give but a slight sketch of it here4 ,those were days when one could give one's whole heart1 so to speak1 to ,erin1 before the dreadful cloud had fallen on her which1 as ,i write1 has lent her her present forbidding gloom4 ,that will pass1 please ,god6 ,to come straight through from ,london and its noise and superfluous fuss and turmoil into the absolute peace and purity of ,county ,mayo in perfect summer weather was such a relief to mind and body that one felt it as an emancipation4 ,health1 good sleep1 enjoyment of pure air and noble scenery2 kindly1 unsophisticated peasantry--all these things were there1 and the flocks and herds and the sea birds4 ,in the midst of all that appealing poetry1 so peculiar to ,ireland1 ,i had a funny object lesson of a prosaic kind at romantic ,mulranny1 on ,clewe ,bay4 ,in the little station ,i saw a big heap in sackcloth lying on the platform--8,hog-product from ,chicago0--and the country able to 8cure0 the matchless ,irish pig6 ,i went on to get some darning wool in the hamlet--8,made in ,england0--and all those sheep around us6 ,outside the shop door a horse had the usual big nose-bag--0,made in ,austria06 ,all these things1 with a little energy1 should have come out of the place itself1 surely8 ,i thought to encourage native industry1 when found1 by ordering woollen hose at the convent school4 ,no two stockings of the same pair were of equal length4 ,the bay was rich in fish1 and one day came a little fleet of fishing boats--from ,france6 ,there was ,ireland to-day in a nutshell4 ,what of to-morrow8 ,is this really ,ireland's heavy sleep before the dawn8 ,i have seen some of the most impressive beauties of our world1 but never have ,i been more impressed than by the solemn grandeur of the mountain across ,clewe ,bay they call ,croagh ,patrick1 as we saw it on the evening of our arrival at ,mulranny4 ,the last flush of the after-glow lingered on its dark slopes and the red planet ,mars flamed above its cone1 all this solemn beauty reflected in the sleeping waters4 ,at ,mulranny ,i spent nearly all my days making studies of sheep and landscape for the next picture ,i sent to the ,academy--8,a ,cistercian ,shepherd40 ,this gave me a period of the most exquisitely reposeful work4 ,the building up of this picture was in itself an idyll4 ,but the public didn't want idylls from me at all4 8,give us soldiers and horses1 but pastoral idylls--no60 ,people had a slightly reproachful tone in their comments after seeing my poor pastoral on the ,academy walls4 ,some one said1 8,how are the mighty fallen60 ,we made our home in the heart of ,tipperary1 under the ,galtee ,mountains4 ,it seemed time for us to seek a dignified repose1 8the world forgetting1 by the world forgot10 but we did not succeed in our intention4 ,in #aijf my husband went on a great round of observation through ,cape ,colony and the 7former7 ,boer ,republics on a literary mission4 ,i and ,e4 went off to ,italy1 meanwhile2 ,rome as our goal4 ,there ,i had the great pleasure of the companionship of my sister1 and it may be imagined with what feelings we re-trod the old haunts in and about that city together4 8,april #ith1 #aijf4--,we had a charming stroll through the ,villa d',este gardens1 where the oldest1 hoariest cypresses are to be seen1 and fountains and water conduits of graceful and fantastic shape1 wherever one turns1 all gushing with impetuous waters4 ,the architects of these gardens revelled in their fanciful designs and sported with the responsive flood4 ,cascades spout in all directions from the rocks on which ,tivoli is built4 ,we had djeuner under a pergola at the inn right over one of these waterfalls1 where1 far below us1 birds flew to and fro in the mist of the spray4 ,nature and art have joined in play at ,tivoli4 ,i always have had a healthy dislike of burrowing in tombs and catacombs4 ,the sepulchral1 bat-scented air of such places in ,egypt--the land1 of all others1 of limpid air and sunshine and dryness--is not in any way attractive to me1 and ,i greatly dislike diving into the ,roman catacombs out of the sunny ,appian ,way4 ,on former occasions ,i went through them all1 so this time ,i kept above ground4 ,i learnt all that the catacombs teach in my early years1 and am not likely to lose that tremendous impression4 8,april #ajth4--,a true ,campagna day1 as ,italianised as ,i could make it4 ,we had a frugal colazione under the pergola of an ,appian ,way-side inn1 watched by half a dozen hungry cats1 that unattractive1 wild1 malignant kind of cat peculiar to ,italy4 ,the girl who waited on us drew our white wine in a decanter from what looked like a well in the garden4 ,it had1 apparently1 not #8been cool'd a long age in that deep-delved earth1' but it did very well4 ,i was perfectly happy4 ,this old-fashioned al fresco entertainment had the local colour which ,i look for when ,i travel and which is getting rarer year by year4 ,our ,colosseum moonlight was more weird than ever4 ,at eleven we had our moon4 ,it was a large1 battered1 woeful1 waning old moon1 that looked in at us through the broken arch4 ,an opportune owl1 which had been screeching like a cat in the shade1 flitted across its sloping disc just at the supreme moment40 ,to receive ,holy ,communion at the hands of the ,holy ,father is a privilege for which we should be very thankful4 ,it was mine and ,e4's on ,easter morning that year1 at his private ,mass in the ,sistine ,chapel4 ,there ,i saw ,pius ,x4 for the first time4 ,goodness and compassion shine from that sad and gentle face4 ,it is the general custom to kiss the #8,fisherman's ring' on the ,pope's hand before receiving1 but ,pius ,x4 very markedly prevents this4 ,one can understand6 ,our audience with the ,holy ,father took place on the eve of our departure4 ,there was a never-absent look with him of what ,i may call the submissive sense of a too-heavy burden of responsibility4 ,no photographs convey the right impression of this ,pope4 ,he was very pale1 very spiritual1 very kind and a little weary2 most gentle and touching in his manner4 ,the ,world ,war at its outset broke that tender heart4 ,i sent him my 8,letters from the ,holy ,land10 for which ,i received very urbane thanks from one of the cardinals4 ,i don't think the ,holy ,father knows a single word of ,english1 and ,i wonder what he made of it4 ,as to our tour homeward1 taking ,florence and ,venice on the way1 ,i think we will take that as read4 ,i revel in the ,diary in all the dear old ,italian details1 marred only by the change ,i noticed in ,venice as regards her broken silence4 ,the hurry of modern life has invaded even the 8silent city10 and there is too much electric glare in the lighting now1 at night1 for the old enjoyment of her moonlights4 ,it annoyed me to see the moon looking quite shabby above the incandescent globes on the ,riva4 ,from ,venice to the ,dublin ,castle season is a big jump4 ,we had an average of twenty-one balls in six weeks in each of the two seasons #aijg--aijh4 ,little did ,i think that it would be quite an unmixed pleasure to me to do chaperon for some five hours at a stretch2 but so it turned out4 ,it all depends what sort of daughter you have on the scene6 ,the ,aberdeens were then in power4 ,lady ,aberdeen was untiring in her endeavours to trace and combat the dire disease which seemed to fasten on the ,irish in an especial manner4 ,she went about lecturing to the people with a tuberculosis 8caravan40 ,she brought it to ,cashel1 and my husband made the opening speech at her exhibition there4 ,but her addresses came to nothing4 ,the lungs exhibited in the 8caravan0 in spirits of wine appealed in vain4 ,she actually asked the people that day to go back to their discarded oatmeal 8stir-about06 ,they prefer their stewed tea and their artificially whitened1 so-called bread1 with the resultant loss of their teeth4 ,my experiences at the different ,dublin horse shows were sociable and pleasant4 ,there you see the finest horses and the most beautiful women in the world1 and ,dublin gives you that hospitality which is the most admirable quality in the ,irish nature4 ,sir ,william spent the remaining days of his life in trying1 by addresses to the people in different parts of the country1 to quicken their sense of the necessity for industry1 sobriety1 and a more serious view of existence4 ,they did not seem to like it1 and he was apparently only beating the air4 ,i remember one particularly strong appeal he made in ,meath at a huge open-air meeting4 ,i thought to myself that such warnings1 given in his vivid and friendly ,irish style1 touched with humour to leaven the severity1 would have impressed his hearers4 ,the applause disappointed me4 ,well1 he did his best to the very last for the country and the people he loved4 ,he had vainly longed all his life for ,home ,rule within the ,empire4 ,was this1 then1 all that was wanting8 ,i recall in this connection an episode which was eloquent of the hearty appreciation of his worth1 quite irrespective of politics4 ,at a banquet given in ,dublin to welcome ,lord and ,lady ,granard1 after their marriage1 he was called upon to respond for 8the ,guests40 ,for fully one minute the cheers were so persistent when he rose that he had to wait before his opening words could be heard4 ,the company were nearly all ,unionists4 ,after all the misunderstandings connected with ,sir ,william's association with the ,boer ,war and its antecedents had been righted at last1 these words of a distinguished general at ,headquarters were spoken3 8,butler stands a head and shoulders above us all40 ,the year #aiaj is one which in our family remains for ever sacred4 ,my dear mother died on ,march #acth4 ,on ,june #gth a very brave soldier1 who feared none but ,god1 was called to his reward4 ,here my ,diary stops for nearly a year4#af ,,chapter ,,xxiv ,,mostly ,a ,,roman ,,diary ,palm ,sunday1 #aiaa1 found me in ,rome1 on the eve of my son's ordination as priest4 ,one of those extraordinary occurrences which have happened in my life took place that day4 ,four of us joined at the appointed place and hour3 ,i and ,eileen from ,ireland 7,dick1 already in ,rome7 and ,patrick1 just landed1 in the nick of time1 from ,india6 ,we three met at the foot of the ,aventine and went up to ,sant' ,anselmo1 where we knew we should see the other one during the ,palm ,sunday ,mass1 though not to speak to till after the long service was ended4 ,he intoned the ,gospel as deacon1 and when his deep voice reached us in the gallery we looked at each other with a smile4 ,none of us had seen him for a more or less long time4 8,holy ,saturday4 ,the great day4 ,dick assumed the chasuble1 and is officially known now as ,father ,urban1 though #8,dick' he will ever remain with us4 ,the weather was ,romanly brilliant1 but ,i was anxious1 knowing that these young deacons were to be on their knees in the great ,lateran ,church1 fasting1 from #g a4m4 ,we three waited a long time in the piazza of the ,lateran for the pealing of the bells which should announce the beginning of the ,easter time1 and which was to be the signal for our entry into the great basilica at #i4ae4 ,we had places in two balconies1 right over the altar4 ,below us stood about forty deacons1 with our particular one in their midst1 each holding his folded chasuble across his arms ready for the vesting4 ,the sight of these young fellows1 in their white and gold deacons' vestments1 was very touching4 ,each one was called up by name in turn1 and ascended the altar steps1 where sat the consecrating bishop1 who looked more like a spirit than a mere human creature4 ,when ,urbano ,butler 7pronounced ,boutler1 of course1 by the ,italian voice7 was called1 how we craned forward6 ,to me the whole thing was poignant4 ,what those boys give up6 7#8,well1' answers a voice1 #8they give up the world1 and a good thing too6'7 8,we went1 when the ceremony was completed1 into a side chapel to receive the newly-made young priests' first blessing4 ,these young fellows ran out of the sacristy towards the crowd of expectant parents and friends1 their newly-acquired chasubles flying behind them as they ran1 with outstretched hands1 for the kisses of that kneeling crowd that awaited them4 ,what a sight6 ,can any one paint it and do it justice8 ,old and young1 gentlefolk and peasants1 smiling through tears1 kissing the young hands that blessed them4 ,dick came to his mother first1 then to his soldier brother1 then to his sister1 and ,i saw him lifting an aged prelate to his feet after blessing him4 ,strangers knelt to him and to the others1 and ,i saw1 in its perfection1 what is meant by #8laughing for joy' on those young and holy faces4 ,there was one exception4 ,a poor young ,irish boy1 somehow1 had no relative to bless--no one--he seemed left out in his corner1 and he was crying4 ,perhaps his mother was #8beyond the beyond' in far ,connemara8 ,i heard of this afterwards4 ,had ,i seen him1 ,i would certainly have asked his blessing too4 ,so it is--always some shadow1 even here4 8,as soon as we could get hold of ,dick1 in his plain habit1 we hurried him to a little trattoria across the piazza1 where his dear friend and chum1 ,john ,collins1#ag treated him to a good cup of chocolate to break his long fast40 ,it was quite a necessary anti-climax for me when we and our friends all met again at the hotel and sat down1 to the number of fifteen1 to a bright luncheon ,i gave in honour of the day4 ,a very celebrated ,english cardinal honoured me with his presence there4 8,easter ,sunday4--,patrick1 ,eileen and ,i received ,holy ,communion in the crypt of ,sant' ,anselmo from ,dick's hands at his first ,mass4 ,these few words contain the culmination of all4 8,april #agth4--,in the afternoon we were all off1 piloted by ,dick1 to the celebrated ,benedictine monastery of ,monte ,cassino1 a long way down towards ,naples1 to spend a few days1 ,patrick as guest within the precincts1 and ,e4 and ,i lodging at the guest-house1 which forms part of the monastic farm1 poised on the edge of a great precipice4 ,the sheer rock plunges down to the base of the mountain whereon stands the wonderful monastery4 ,it is something to see a great domed church on the top of such a mountain1 and a building of such vast proportions1 containing one of the greatest libraries in the world4 ,a mule path was all the monks intended for communication between the two worlds1 but now a great carriage road takes us up by an easy zigzag4 8,april #ahth4--,every hour of our visit to ,monte ,cassino must be lived4 ,i made a sketch of the monastery and the abyss into which one peers from that great height1 with angry red clouds gathering over the tops of the snowy mountains4 ,but my sketches are too didactic2 and1 indeed1 who but ,turner could convey to the beholder the awful spirit of that scene8 ,the tempest sent us in and we had the experience of a good thunderstorm amidst those severe mountains that have the appearance of a petrified chaos4 ,last night ,e4 woke up to find the room full of a surprising blue light1 which at first she took to be the dawn because1 through the open windows1 she heard the whole land thrilling with the song of birds4 ,but such a blue light for dawn8 ,she got up to see4 ,the light was that of the full moon and the birds were nightingales4 8,i was enchanted to see the beautiful dress of the peasant women here4 ,their white tovaglie are looped back in a more graceful line than the ,roman4 ,the queerest little thin black hogs1 like poor relations of the tall1 pink ,valentia variety which ,i have already signalised1 browse on the steep ascent to this great stronghold1 and everything still looks wild1 in spite of the carriage road4 ,i should have preferred coming up here on a mule4 ,our suppers at the guest-house were ,spartan4 ,rather dismal1 having to pump conversation with the ,italian guests at this festive767 board4 ,our intellectual food1 however1 was rich4 ,the abbot and his monks did the honours of far-famed ,monte ,cassino for us with the kindest attention1 showing very markedly their satisfaction in possessing ,brother ,urban1 whose father's name they held in great esteem40 ,on ,april #bbnd we had the long-expected audience with ,pio ,decimo4 ,it was only semi-private and there were crowds1 including eleven ,english naval officers1 to be presented4 ,i had my little speech ready1 but when we came into the ,pope's presence we found him standing instead of restfully seated1 and he looked so fatigued and so aged since ,i last saw him that ,i knew ,i must keep him listening as short a time as possible4 ,first ,i presented 8,mio figlio primogenito1 ufficiale20 then 8mio figlio ,benedettino0 and then 8mia figlia40 ,he spoke a little while to ,dick in ,latin1 and then we knelt and received his blessing and departed1 to see him no more4 ,it is a great thing to have seen ,leo ,,xiii4 and ,pius ,x41 as ,i have had the opportunity of seeing them4 ,both have left a deep impression on modern life1 especially the former1 who was a great statesman4 ,to see the fragile scabbard of the flesh one wondered how the keen sword of the spirit could be held at all within it4 ,it was his diplomatic tact that smoothed away many of the difficulties that obtruded themselves between the ,vatican and the ,quirinal1 and that tact kept the ,papacy on good terms with ,france and her ,republic1 to which he called on all ,french ,catholics to give their support4 ,it was he who forced 8the man of blood and iron0 to relax the ferocious laws against the ,church in ,germany1 and to allow the evicted bishops to return to their ,sees4 ,diplomatic relations with ,germany were renewed1 and the ,church's laws regarding marriage and education had to be re-admitted by the ,government4 ,even the dark 8,orthodox0 intolerance of ,russia bent sufficiently to his influence to allow of the establishment of ,catholic episcopal ,sees in that country1 and the cessation of the imprisonment of priests4 ,the episcopate in ,scotland1 too1 was restored4 ,we owe to him that spread of ,catholicism in the ,united ,states which has long been such a surprise to the onlooker4 ,then there are his great encyclicals on the ,social ,question1 setting forth the ,christian teaching on the relations between capital and labour2 establishing the social movement on ,christian lines4 ,how clearly he saw the threat of a great ,european war at no very distant date from his time unless armaments were reduced4 ,that refined mind inclined him to the advancement of the cause of the ,arts and of learning4 ,students thank him for opening the ,vatican archives to them1 which he did with the words1 8,the ,church has nothing to fear from the publication of the ,truth40 ,his is the ,vatican observatory--one of the most famous in the world4 ,it makes one smile to remember his remarks on the then young ,kaiser ,william ,,ii41 who seems to have struck the ,holy ,father as somewhat bumptious on the occasion of his historic visit4 8,that young man10 as he called him1 evidently impressed the ,pope as one having much to learn4 ,what a contrast ,pius ,x4 presents to his predecessor6 ,the son of a postman at ,rieti1 a little town in ,venetia4 ,i remember when a deputation of young men came to pay him their respects at the ,vatican1 arriving on their bicycles1 that he told them how much he would have liked a bike himself when1 as a bare-legged boy1 he had to trudge every day seven miles to school and back4 ,needless to say1 he had no diplomatic or political training1 but he led the truly simple life1 very saintly and apostolic4 ,he devoted his energies chiefly to the purely pastoral side of his office4 ,we are grateful to him for his reform of ,church music 7and it needed it in ,italy674 ,he was very emphatic in urging frequent communion and early communion for children4 ,his condemnation of 8modernism0 is fresh in all our minds1 and we are glad he removed the prohibition on ,catholics from standing for the ,italian ,parliament1 thereby allowing them to obtain influential positions in public life4 ,he took a firm stand with regard to the advancing encroachment of the ,french ,government on the liberties of the ,church in his day4 ,his policy is being amply justified under our very eyes4 ,we joined the big garden party1 after the ,papal audience1 at the ,british ,embassy4 ,a great crush in that lovely remnant of the once glorious1 far-spreading gardens ,i can remember1 nearly all turned to-day into deadly streets on which a gridiron of tram lines has been screwed down4 ,prince ,arthur of ,connaught brought in the ,queen-,mother1 ,margherita1 to the lawn where the dancing took place4 ,the ,rennell-,rodd children as little fairies were pretty and danced charmingly1 but ,i felt for the professional dancer who1 poor thing1 was not in her first youth1 and unkindly dealt with by the searching daylight4 ,to have to caper airily on that grass was no joke4 ,it was heavy going for her and made me melancholy1 in conjunction with my memories of the old ,ludovisi gardens and the vanished pines4 ,on ,october #bfth my youngest daughter1 ,eileen1 was married to ,lord ,gormanston1 at the ,brompton ,oratory1 the church so loved by our mother1 and where ,i was received4 ,our dear ,dick married them4 ,i had the reception in ,lowndes ,square in the beautiful house lent by a friend4 ,ireland has many historic ancestral dwellings1 and one of these became my daughter's new home in ,meath4 ,shakespeare's 8cloud-capp'd towers0 seemed not so much the 8baseless fabric0 of the poet's vision when ,i saw1 one day1 the low-lying trail of a bright ,irish mist brush the high tops of the towers of ,gormanston4 ,a thing of visions1 too1 is realised there in a cloister carved so solidly out of the dense foliage of the yew that never monastic cloister of stone gave a more restful 8contiguity of shade40 ,i spent the winter of #aiaa--ab in ,london1 and worked hard at water colours1 of which ,i was able to exhibit a goodly number at a 8one-man show0 in the spring4 ,the ,king lent my good old 8,roll ,call10 and the whole thing was a success4 ,i showed many landscapes there as well as military subjects2 many ,italian and ,egyptian drawings made during my travels1 and scenes in ,ireland4 ,these exhibitions in a well-lighted gallery are pleasant1 and the private view day a social rendezvous for one's friends4 ,through my sister1 with whom ,i revisited ,rome early in #aiac1 ,i had the pleasure of knowing many ,americans there4 ,how refreshing they are1 and responsive 7,i don't mean the mere tourist671 whereas my dear compatriots are very heavy in hand sometimes4 ,american women are particularly well read and cultivated and full of life4 ,they don't travel in ,europe for nothing4 ,i have had some dull experiences in the ,english world when embarking1 at our solemn ,british dinners1 on cosmopolitan subjects for conversation4 ,what was ,i to say to a man who1 having lately returned from ,florence1 gave it as his opinion that it was only 8a second-rate ,cheltenham08 ,i tried that unlucky ,florentine subject on another4 ,he3 8,florence8 ,oh1 yes1 ,i liked that--that--minaret thing by the side of the--the--er----8 ,i3 8,the ,duomo80 ,he3 8,oh1 yes1 the ,duomo40 ,i 7in gloomy despair73 8,do you mean ,giotto's ,tower80 ,collapse of our conversation4 ,very probably ,i bade my last farewell to ,st4 ,peter's that year4 ,i had more than once bidden a provisional 8good-bye0 at sundown on leaving ,rome to that dome which ,i always loved to see against the western glory from the familiar terrace on ,monte ,pincio1 only to return1 on a further visit1 and see it again with the old1 fresh feeling of thankfulness4 ,my initial enthusiasm1 crudely chronicled as it is in my early ,diary on first coming in sight of ,st4 ,peter's1 was a young artist's emotion1 but to the maturer mind what a miracle that ,sermon in ,stone reveals6 ,the tomb of one ,simon1 no better1 before his call1 than any ordinary fisherman one may see to-day on our coasts--and now8 8,,tu ,,es ,,petrus44440 ,,chapter ,,xxv ,,the ,,great ,,war ,i was very busy with oil brush and water-colour brush during the summer of #aiac1 and the succeeding winter1 in ,ireland1 accomplishing a large oil1 8,the ,cuirassier's ,last ,reveil1 ,morning of ,waterloo10 and a number of drawings1 all of that inexhaustible battle1 for my next 8one-man show0 held on its centenary1 #aiae4 ,i left no stone unturned to get true studies of dawn twilight for that reveil1 and ,i got them4 ,at the pretty house of my friends1 the ,egerton ,castles1 on a steep ,surrey hill1 ,i had my chance4 ,the house faced the east4 ,it was midsummer2 an alarm clock roused me each morning at #b4cj4 ,i had modelled a little grey horse and a man1 and set them up on my balcony1 facing in the right direction1 and there ,i waited1 with palette spread1 for the dawn4 ,time was short2 the first ray of sunrise would spoil all1 so ,i could only dab down the tones1 anyhow2 but they were all-important dabs1 and made the big picture run without a hitch4 ,nothing delays a picture more than the searching for the true relations of tone without sufficient data4 ,but this is a truism4 ,the ,waterloo water colours were most interesting to work out4 ,i had any amount of books for reference1 records of old uniforms to get from contemporary paintings2 and ,i utilised the many studies of horses ,i had made for years1 chiefly on the chance of their coming in useful some day4 ,the result was the best 8show0 ,i had yet had at the ,leicester ,galleries4 ,but ere that exhibition opened1 the ,world ,war burst upon us6 ,first my soldier son went off1 and then the ,benedictine donned khaki1 as chaplain to the forces4 ,he went1 one may say1 from the cloister to the cannon4 ,i had to pass through the ordeal which became the lot of so many mothers of sons throughout the ,empire4 8,lyndhurst1 ,new ,forest1 ,september #bbnd1 #aiad4--;,i must keep up the old ,diary during this most eventful time1 when the biggest war the world has ever been stricken with is raging4 ,to think that ,i have lived to see it6 ,it was always said a war would be too terrible now to run the risk of1 and that nations would fear too much to hazard such a peril4 ,lo6 here we are pouring soldiers into the great jaws of death in hundreds of thousands1 and sending poor human flesh and blood to face the new #8scientific' warfare--the same flesh and blood and nervous system of the days of bows and arrows4 ,patrick is off as ,a4,d4,c4 to ,general ,capper1 commanding the #gth ,division4 ,martin1 who was the first to be ordered to the front1 attached to the #bnd ,royal ,irish1 has been transferred to the wireless military station at ,valentia4 ,that regiment has been utterly shattered in the ,mons retreat1 so ,i have reason to be thankful for the change4 ,i am here1 at ,patrick's suggestion1 that ,i may see an army under war conditions and have priceless opportunities of studying #8the real thing4' ,the #gth ,division#ah is now nearly complete1 and by ,october #crd should be on the sea4 ,i arrived at ,southampton to-day1 and my good old son in his new ,staff uniform was at the station ready to motor me up to ,lyndhurst where the ,staff are1 and all the division1 under canvas4 ,i was very proud of the red tabs on ,patrick's collar1 meaning so much4 ,i saw at once1 on arriving1 the difference between this and my ,aldershot impressions4 ,this is war1 and there is no doubt the bearing of the men is different4 ,they were always smart1 always cheery1 but not like this4 ,there is a quiet seriousness quite new to me4 ,they are going to look death straight in the face4 8,september #bcrd4--,i had a most striking lesson in the appearance of men after a very long march1 plus that look which is quite absent on peace manuvres1 however hot and trying the conditions4 ,what surprises and telling #8bits' one sees which could never be imagined with such a convincing power4 ,a team of eight mammoth shire horses drawing a great gun is a sight never to be forgotten2 shapely1 superb cart horses with coats as satiny as any thoroughbred's1 in polished artillery harness1 with the mild eyes of their breed--,i must do that amongst many most real subjects4 ,but ,i see the ,german shells ploughing through these teams of willing beasts4 ,they will suffer terribly4 8,september #beth4--,getting hotter every day and not a cloud4 ,i brought this weather with me4 ,patrick waits on me whenever he is off duty for an hour or so1 and it is a charming experience to have him riding by the side of the carriage to direct the driver and explain to me every necessary detail4 ,the place swarms with troops for ever in movement1 and the roll of guns and drums1 and the notes of the cheery pipes and fifes go on all day4 ,the ,gordons have arrived4 ,illustration3 ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,eve ,,of ,,the ,,great ,,war4 8,september #bfth4--,signs of pressure4 ,they may now be off any hour4 ,the ammunition has all arrived1 and there wants but one battery of artillery to complete the division4 ,general ,capper won't wait much longer and will be off without it if it delays and make up a battery en route somehow4 ,it is sad to see so many mere boys arriving at the hotel fresh from ,sandhurst4 ,they are given companies to command1 captains being killed1 wounded or missing in such numbers4 ,as to ,patrick's regiment1 the old ,royal ,irish seem to have been so shattered that they are all hors de combat for the present4 8,september #bgth4--,what a precious ,sunday this has been6 ,first1 ,patrick accompanied me to ,mass1 said by ,father ,bernard ,vaughan1 in a secluded part of the camp1 where the heather had not been ploughed up by men1 horses and guns1 as elsewhere1 and where the altar was erected in a wooded glen4 ,the ,grenadier and ,scots ,guards were all on their knees as we arrived1 and the bright green and gold vestments of the priest were relieved very vividly in the sunshine against the darker green background of the forest beyond4 ,quite a little crowd of stalwart guardsmen received ,holy ,communion1 and two of them were sheltering with their careful hands the candles from the soft warm breeze1 one at each end of the altar4 ,we sit out in the leafy garden of the hotel and have tea there1 we parents and relatives1 with our boys by us at all spare moments4 ,to-day1 being ,sunday1 there have been extra crowds of relatives and friends who have motored over from afar4 ,there is pathos here1 very real pathos4 ,how many of these husbands and sons and brothers ,i see sitting close to their dear ones1 for the last time1 perhaps6 ,who knows8 ,the voices are low and quiet--very quiet4 ,patrick and ,i were photographed together by ,m4 ,e4 ,these little snapshots will be precious4 ,we were nearly all day together to-day as there was a rest4 ,all this quiet time here our brave soldiers are being shattered on the banks of the ,aisne4 ,just now must be a tremendously important period of the fighting4 ,we may get great news to-morrow4 ,many names ,i know beginning to appear in the casualty lists4 8,september #bhth1 #aiad4--;,had a good motor run with the ,r4's right through the field of #8battle' in the midst of the great forest--a rolling height covered with heather and bracken4 ,our soldiers certainly have learnt1 at last1 how to take cover4 ,one can easily realise how it is that the proportion of officers killed is so high4 ,kneeling or standing up to give directions they are very conspicuous1 whereas of the men one catches only a glimpse of their presence now and then through a tell-tale knapsack or the round top of a cap in the bracken2 yet the ground is packed with men--quite uncanny4 ,the ,gordons were a beautiful sight as they sprang up to reach a fresh position4 ,i noticed how the breeze1 as they ran1 blew the khaki aprons aside and the revealed tartan kilts gave a welcome bit of colour and touched up the drab most effectively4 ,one #8gay ,gordon' sergeant told us1 #8,we are a grand diveesion1 all old warriors1 and when we get out #8twill make a deeference4'0 ,the most impressive episode to me of that well-remembered day was when ,patrick took me up to the high ground at sunset and we looked down on the camp4 ,the mellow1 very red sun was setting and the white moon was already well up over the camp1 which looked mysterious1 lightly veiled by the thin grey wood-smoke of the fires4 ,thousands of troops were massed or moving1 shadowy1 far away2 others in the middle distance received the blood-red glow on the men's faces with an extraordinary effect4 ,they showed as ruddy1 vaporous lines of colour over the scarcely perceptible tones of the dusky uniforms4 ,horses stood up dark on the sky-line4 ,the bugles sounded the 8,retreat02 these doomed legions1 shadow-like1 moved to and fro4 ,it was the prologue to a great tragedy4 8,september #cjth4--,there was a field day of the whole of one brigade4 ,the regiments in it are #8,the ,queen's1' the ,welsh ,fusiliers1 ,staffords1 and ,warwicks1 with the monstrous #dg guns drawn by my well-loved mighty mammoths4 ,the guns are made impossible to the artist of modern war by being daubed in blue and red blotches which make them absolutely formless and1 of course1 no glint of light on the hidden metal is seen4 ,still1 there is much that is very striking1 though the colour1 the sparkle1 the gallant plumage1 the glinting of gold and silver1 have given way to universal grimness4 ,after all1 why dress up grim war in all that splendour8 ,my idea of war subjects has always been anti-sparkle4 8,as ,i sat in the motor in the centre of the far-flung #8battle1' in a hollow road1 lo6 the ,headquarter ,staff came along1 a gallant group1 la ,meissonier1 ,patrick1 on his skittish brown mare #8,dawn1' riding behind the ,general1 who rode a big black 7very effective71 with the chief of the ,staff nearly alongside4 ,the escort consisted of a strong detachment of the fine ,northumberland ,hussars1 mounted on their own hunters4 ,they are to be the bodyguard of the ,general at the ,front4 ,several drivers of the artillery are men who were wounded at ,mons and elsewhere1 and1 being well again1 are returning with this division to the ,front4 ,all the horses here are superb4 ,poor beasts1 poor beasts6 ,one daily1 hourly1 reminds oneself that the very dittoes of these men and animals are suffering1 fighting1 dying over there in ,france4 ,kitchener tells our ,general that the #gth ,division will #8probably arrive after the first phase is over1' which looks as though he fully expects the favourable and early end of the present one4 8,october #bnd4--,the whole division was out to-day4 ,i was motored into the very thick of the operations on the high lands1 and watched the men entrenching themselves1 a thing ,i had never yet seen4 ,most picturesque and telling4 ,and the murderous guns were being embedded in the yellow earth and covered with heather against aeroplanes1 especially1 and their wheels masked with horse blankets4 ,there they lay1 black1 hump-backed objects1 with just their mouths protruding1 and as each gun section finished their work with the pick and shovel1 they lay flat down to hide themselves4 ,how war is waged now6 ,great news allowed to be published to-day in the papers4 ,the ,indian ,army has arrived1 and is now at the ,front6 ,it landed long ago at ,marseilles1 but how well the secret has been kept6 ,how mighty are the events daily occurring4 ,late in the afternoon ,i saw the ,northumberland ,hussars1 on a high ridge1 practising the sword exercise6 ,with the idea that the sword was obsolete 7engendered by the ,boer ,war experience71 no yeomanry has1 of late1 been armed with sabres1 but1 seeing what use our ,scots ,greys1 ,lancers1 ,dragoon ,guards and ,hussars have lately been making of the steel1 ,general ,capper has insisted on these1 his own yeomen1 being thus armed4 ,i felt stirred with the pathos of this sight--men learning how to use a new arm on the eve of battle4 ,they were mounted and drawn up in a long1 two-deep line on that brown heath1 with a heavy bank of dark clouds like mine in #8,scotland for ,ever6' behind their heads--a fine subject4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,shire ,,horses3 ,,wheelers ,,of ,a #dg1 ,a ,,hussar ,,scout ,,of #aiag4 8,who will look at my #8,waterloos' now8 ,i have but one more of that series to do4 ,then ,i shall stop and turn all my attention and energy to this stupendous war4 ,i shall call up my ,indian sowars again1 but not at play this time4 8,october #crd4--,sketched ,patrick's three beautiful chargers' heads in water colour4 ,still the word #8,go6' is suspended over our heads4 8,october #dth4--,the word #8,go6' has just sounded4 ,in ten minutes ,patrick had to run and get his handbag1 great coat and sword and be off with his ,general to ,london4 ,they pass through here to-morrow on their way to embark4 8,october #eth1 #aiad4--;,i was down at seven1 and as they did not finally leave till #h4ae ,i had a golden half-hour's respite4 ,then came the parting44440 ,i left ,lyndhurst at once4 ,it will ever remain with me in a halo of physical and spiritual sunshine seen through a mist of sadness4 ,on ,november #bnd1 #aiad1 my son ,patrick was severely wounded during the terrible1 prolonged first ,battle of ,ypres1 and was sent home to be nursed back to health and fighting power at ,guy's ,hospital1 where ,i saw him4 ,he told me that as he lay on the field his ,general and ,staff passed by1 and all the ,general said was1 8,hullo1 ,butler6 is that you8 ,good-bye60#ai ,general ,capper was as brave a soldier as ever lived1 but1 ,i think1 too fond for a ,general of being1 as he said he wished to be1 in the vanguard4 ,thus he met his death 7riding on horseback1 ,i understand7 at ,loos4 ,patrick's brother ,a4,d4,c41 ,captain ,isaac1 whom ,i daily used to see at ,lyndhurst1 was killed early in the ,war4 ,the poor fellow1 to calm my apprehensions regarding my own son1 had tried to assure me that1 as ,a4,d4,c41 he would be as safe as in ,piccadilly4 ,towards the end of #aiad ,london had become intensely interesting in its tragic aspect1 and so very unlike itself4 ,soldiers of all ranks formed the majority of the male population4 ,in fact1 wherever ,i looked now there was some new sight of absorbing interest1 telling me we were at war1 and such a war6 ,bands were playing at recruiting stations2 flags of all the ,allies fluttered in the breeze in gaudy bunches2 8pom-pom0 guns began to appear1 pointing skywards from their platforms in the parks1 awaiting 8,taubes0 or 8,zeppelins40 ,i went daily to watch the recruits drilling in the parks--such strangely varied types of men they were1 and most of them appearing the veriest civilians1 from top to toe4 ,yet these very shop-boys had come forward to offer their all for ,england1 and the good fellows bowed to the terrible1 shouting drill-sergeants as never they had bowed to any man before4 ,what enraged me was the giggling of the shop-girls who looked on--a far harder ordeal for the boys even than the yells of the sergeants4 ,one of the squads in the ,green ,park was supremely interesting to me one day1 in 7,i am bound to say7 a semi-comic way4 ,these recruits were members and associates of the ,royal ,academy4 ,they were mostly somewhat podgy1 others somewhat bald4 ,when resting1 having piled arms1 they played leap-frog1 which was very funny1 and showed how light-heartedly my brothers of the brush were going to meet the ,boche4 ,of the maimed and blind men one met at every turn ,i can scarcely write4 ,i find that when ,i am most deeply moved my pen lags too far behind my brush4 ,on getting home to ,ireland ,i set to work upon a series of khaki water colours of the ,war for my next 8one-man show10 which opened with most satisfactory clat in ,may1 #aiag4 ,one of the principal subjects was done under the impulse of a great indignation1 for ,nurse ,cavell had been executed4 ,i called the drawing 8,the ,avengers40 ,also ,i exhibited at the ,academy1 at the same time1 8,the ,charge of the ,dorset ,yeomanry at ,agagia1 ,egypt40 ,this was a large oil painting1 commissioned by ,colonel ,goodden and presented by him to his county of ,dorset4 ,that charge of the ,british yeomen the year before had sealed the fate of the combined ,turks and ,senussi1 who had contemplated an attack on ,egypt4 ,one of the most difficult things in painting a war subject is the having to introduce1 as often happens1 portraits of particular characters in the drama4 ,their own mothers would not know the men in the heat1 dust1 and excitement of a charge1 or with the haggard pallor on them of a night watch4 ,in the ,dorset charge all the officers were portraits1 and ,i brought as many in as possible without too much disobeying the 8distance0 regulation4 ,the ,enemy 7of the ,senussi tribe7 wore flowing burnouses1 which helped the movement1 but at their machine guns ,i1 rather reluctantly1 had to place the necessary ,turkish officers4 ,i had studies for those figures and for the desert1 which ,i had made long ago in the ,east4 ,it is well to keep one's sketches2 they often come in very useful4 ,the previous year1 #aiaf1 had been a hard one4 ,our struggles in the ,war1 the ,sinn ,fein rebellion in ,dublin1 and one dreadful day in that year when the first report of the ,battle of ,jutland was published--these were great trials4 ,i certainly would not like to go through another phase like that4 ,but ,i was hard at work in the studio at home in ,tipperary1 and this kept my mind in a healthy condition1 as always1 through trouble4 ,let all who have congenial work to do bless their stars6 ,on ,july #cast my second son1 the chaplain1 had a narrow escape4 ,it was at the great ,battle of ,flanders1 where we seem to have made a good beginning at last4 ,father ,knapp and ,dick were tending the wounded and dying under a rain of shells1 when the old priest told ,dick to go and get a few minutes' rest4 ,on returning to his sorrowful work ,dick met the fine old ,carmelite as he was borne on a stretcher1 dying of a shell that had exploded just where my son had been standing a few minutes before4 ,i see in the ,diary3 8,december #aath1 #aiag4--,to-day our army is to make its formal entry into ,jerusalem4 ,i can scarcely write for excitement4 ,how vividly ,i see it all1 knowing every yard of that holy ground6 ,dick writes from before ,cambrai that1 if he had to go through another such day as that of the #cjth ,november last1 he would go mad with grief4 ,he lost all his dearest friends in the ,grenadier ,guards1 and he says ,england little knows how near she was to a great disaster when the enemy surprised us on that terrible ,friday40 ,men who have gone through the horrors of war say little about them1 but ,i have learnt many strange things from rare remarks here and there4 ,to show how human life becomes of no account as the fighting grows1 here is an instance4 ,a soldier was executed at dawn one day for 8cowardice40 ,an officer who had acted at the court-martial met a private of the same regiment as the dead man's that day1 who remarked to his officer that all he could say about his dead 8pal0 was that he had seen him perform an act of bravery three times which would have deserved the ,v4,c4 8,my good man10 said the officer1 8why didn't you come forward at the trial and say this80 8,well1 ,i didn't think of it1 sir40 ,after all1 to die one way or another had become quite immaterial4 ,one of the most important of my water colours at the second khaki exhibition1 held in ,london in ,may1 #aiai1 was of the memorable charge of the ,warwick and ,worcester ,yeomanry at ,huj1 near ,jerusalem1 which charge outshone the old ,balaclava one we love to remember1 and which differed from the ,crimean exploit in that we not only captured all the enemy guns1 but held them4 ,i had had all details--ground plans1 description of the weather on that memorable day1 position of the sun1 etc41 etc4--supplied me by an eye-witness who had a singularly quick eye and precise perception4#bj ,i called it 8,jerusalem delivered10 for that charge opened the gates of the ,holy ,city to us4 8,the ,canadian ,bombers on ,vimy ,ridge0 was another of the more conspicuous subjects1 and this one went to ,canada4 ,but ,i must look back a little3 8,monday1 ,november #aath1 #aiah4--;,armistice ,day6 ,i have been fortunate in seeing ,london on this day of days4 ,i arrived at ,victoria into a ,london of laughter1 flags1 joy-rides on every conceivable and inconceivable vehicle4 ,i had hints on the way to ,london by eruptions of ,union ,jacks growing thicker and thicker along the railway1 but ,i could not let myself believe that it was the end of all our long-drawn-out trial that ,i would find on arrival4 ,but so it was4 ,i went alone for a good stroll through ,oxford ,street1 ,bond ,street1 and ,piccadilly4 ,people meeting1 though strangers1 were smiling at each other4 ,i smiled to strange faces that were smiling at me4 ,what a novel sensation6 ,the streets were thronged with the true happiness in the people's eyes1 and there was no 8mafficking0 no horse-play1 but such fun4 ,the matter was too great for rowdyism and drunkenness4 ,the crowd was allowed to do just as it pleased for once1 yet ,i saw no accidents4 ,the police just looked on1 and would have beamed also1 ,i am sure1 if they had not been on duty4 ,they had1 apparently1 thrown the reins on the public's neck4 ,i saw some sad faces1 but1 of course1 such as these kept mostly away40 ,in deepest gratitude ,i felt ,i could be amongst the smilers that day1 for both my own sons1 who faced death to the very end in so many of the theatres of war to which our armies were sent1 had survived4 ,the boat that took me back to ,ireland eventually had no protecting airship serpentining above us4 ,we could breathe freely now6 ,illustration3 ,a ,,post-,,card1 ,,found ,,on ,a ,,german ,,prisoner1 ,,with 8,,scotland ,,for ,,ever0 ,,turned ,,into ,,prussian ,,cavalry1 ,,typifying ,,the ,,victorious ,,on-,,rush ,,of ,,the ,,german ,,army ,,in ,,the ,,new ,,year1 #aiae4 ,,index ,abbas ,,ii41 ,khedive1 #bbh4 ,aberdeen1 ,marchioness of1 #cjh4 ,agostino 7cook71 #e4 ,aix-la-,chapelle1 ,germany1 #bi4 ,albaro1 ,italy1 #f1 #ed1 #bcj4 ,aldershot1 review at1 #bcf4 ,alexandra1 ,queen1 launches ,queen1 #bhh seq4 ,alexandria1 ,egypt1 #bjb seq4 ,alma ,tadema1 ,sir ,l41 #aed4 ,amalfi1 ,italy1 #bee4 ,amboise1 ,france1 #cjj4 ,amlie 7nurse71 #b1 #c1 #e1 #aj4 8,an ,eviction in ,ireland10 #aii4 ,angers1 ,france1 #cjj4 ,antonelli1 ,cardinal1 #gd4 ,arcole1 ,italy1 #bbd4 ,armistice ,day1 #aiah1 #ccb4 ,atfeh1 ,egypt1 #baf4 ,avignon1 ,france1 #agh4 ,bagshawe1 ,father1 #aje4 8,balaclava10 composition1 #ach2 copyright sold1 #aea2 exhibited1 #aeb4 ,ble1 ,switzerland1 #agi4 ,barberi races1 #he4 ,beatrice1 ,princess1 #cja4 ,bellucci1 ,giuseppe1 #fj1 #ff1 #adh4 ,beresford1 ,lord ,charles1 #bba4 ,birmingham1 #abf4 ,blois1 ,france1 #cjj4 ,bonchurch1 ,isle of ,wight1 #ab4 ,bonn1 ,germany1 #ai4 ,boppart1 ,germany1 #bd4 ,broome ,hall1 ,kent1 #bfe4 ,browne1 ,colonel1 #abj4 ,bruges1 ,belgium1 #af1 #bgj4 ,brussels1 ,belgium1 #ca4 ,buller1 ,sir ,redvers1 #bhd4 ,burchett1 ,mr41 #ci1 #da1 #db1 #dd1 #dh1 #ej1 #aja4 ,butcher1 ,dean1 #bcb4 ,butler1 ,elizabeth1 ,lady1 birth and education1 #a2 visits to ,italy1 #c1 #ed seq41 #adg seq41 #aei seq41 #beb seq41 #bgi seq41 #cjf1 #caa seq42 taste for drawing1 #d2 early sketches1 #g2 commences ,diary1 #g2 artistic training1 #aj1 #ad1 #ci seq41 #fj seq41 #gg2 ,german experiences1 #ai seq41 #agi seq42 visits ,waterloo1 #ca2 taste for military subjects1 #df2 early exhibits1 #ej2 sells water-colours1 #if2 first military drawings1 #ih2 conversion to ,catholicism1 #ii2 first ,academy picture1 #ii2 photographs1 #aad2 at ,lord ,mayor's banquets1 #abb1 #aci1 #aec1 #aic2 present from ,queen ,victoria1 #abe2 visits ,paris1 #abg seq42 proposed election as ,r4,a41 #aec2 marriage1 #afh1 ,irish experiences1 #afi seq41 #aii1 #cjd2 tour in ,pyrenees1 #age2 paints 8,rorke's ,drift0 for ,queen ,victoria1 #ahg seq42 life at ,plymouth1 #aia2 ,tel-el-,kebir picture1 #aid2 residence in ,egypt1 #aif1 #bjb seq42 in ,brittany1 #aih2 paints #bdth ,dragoons1 #aii2 tour in ,palestine1 #bba2 ,aldershot life1 #bcd seq42 residence at ,dover1 #bfj2 in ,south ,africa1 #bge2 at ,devonport1 #bgg2 tour in ,france1 #bih2 8one-man0 shows1 #cjc1 #cah1 #cba1 #cbi1 #cca4 ----1 ,martin1 #cba4 ----1 ,patrick1 #cba seq4 ----1 ,richard 7,urban71 at ,downside1 #big2 enters ,benedictine ,order1 #cjb2 ordained as priest1 #caa2 presented to ,pius ,x41 #cae2 as army chaplain1 #cba2 war experiences1 #ccj4 ,butler1 ,general ,sir ,william1 marriage1 #afh2 ,german tour1 #agi seq42 ,zulu ,war1 #ahc2 friendship with ,empress ,eugnie1 #ahe1 #bda1 #beg2 at ,plymouth1 #aia2 at ,lord ,mayor's banquet1 #aic2 ,egyptian campaign 7#ahhb71 #aic2 ,gordon expedition1 #aid2 ,wady ,halfa command1 #aif2 receives ,k4,c4,b41 #aii2 ,alexandria command1 #bjj2 ,aldershot command1 #bcd1 #bhd2 ,dover command1 #bfj2 ,south ,african command1 #bge2 attacks on1 #bgf2 ,devonport command1 #bgg2 tour in ,france1 #bih2 asked to stand for ,parliament1 #cjc2 on ,royal ,commission1 #cjc2 speeches in ,ireland1 #cji2 death1 #caj4 ,,cairo1 ,egypt1 #aif4 ,cambridge1 ,duke of1 #aca1 #bah1 #bce4 8,canadian ,bombers on ,vimy ,ridge10 #cca4 ,canterbury1 opening of church in1 #acb4 ,cap ,martin1 ,france1 #bea1 #beg4 ,capper1 ,general1 #cbg4 ,capri1 ,italy1 #bed4 ,carcassonne1 ,france1 #agh4 ,castagnolo1 ,italy1 #afa4 ,cette1 ,france1 #agg4 ,chapman1 ,sir ,f41 #aaj4 8,charge of the ,dorset ,yeomanry at ,agagia1 ,egypt10 #cbi4 ,chatham1 ,kent1 #abj4 8,cistercian ,shepherd10 #cje4 ,coblenz1 ,germany1 #ba4 ,collier1 ,mortimer1 #aib4 ,cologne1 ,germany1 #ai4 ,connaught1 ,duke of1 #bce4 ,corpus ,christi procession1 #aai4 ,cruikshank1 ,george1 #abc4 8,cuirassier's ,last ,rveil1 ,morning of ,waterloo10 #cbj4 ,d',,arcos1 ,madame1 #beh4 8,dawn of ,sedan10 #aaa4 8,dawn of ,waterloo10 #bdd4 8,defence of ,rorke's ,drift10 #ahg seq4 ,delgany1 ,ireland1 #aii1 #bbe4 ,denbigh1 ,earl of1 #aag4 8,desert ,grave10 #aih4 ,devonport1 #bgg4 ,deyrout1 ,egypt1 #bag4 ,diamond ,jubilee1 #ahig1 #bff4 ,dickens1 ,charles1 #i4 ,dinan1 ,france1 #aih4 ,dordrecht1 ,holland1 #aha4 ,dover1 ,kent1 #ch1 #bfj4 ,du ,maurier1 ,george1 #ajg1 #aed4 ,dufferin1 ,marquis of1 #adj4 ,durham1 #add4 ,dsseldorf1 ,germany1 #ahj4 ,,edenbridge1 ,kent1 #d1 #ahe4 ,edinburgh1 #ade4 ,edkou1 ,egypt1 #bje4 ,edward ,,vii41 ,king 7formerly ,albert ,edward1 ,prince of ,wales71 approves of 8,roll ,call10 #aac2 accession1 #bhf2 at launch of ,queen1 #bhi seq42 lays keel of battleship1 #bie2 postponed coronation1 #big4 ,edward ,,vii4 7battleship71 #bie4 ,elizabeth1 ,empress of ,austria1 #bga4 ,eugnie1 ,empress1 interview with ,general ,butler1 #ahe2 friendship with the ,butlers1 #bcd1 #bea2 devotion to her son1 #bcg2 recollections of ,egypt1 #bda2 at ,cap ,martin1 #beg4 ,,farnborough1 ,hants41 #bce4 ,ferguson1 ,sir ,william1 #aaj4 8,floreat ,etona60 #aic4 ,florence1 ,italy1 #eg seq41 #adg seq41 #afa4 ,fort ,st4 ,julian1 ,egypt1 #bag4 ,frederick1 ,emperor1 #bde4 ----1 ,empress4 ,see ,victoria1 ,empress ,frederick4 ,,gabriel1 ,virginia1 #aeb4 ,gallifet1 ,marquise de1 #bdb4 ,galloway1 ,mr41 #aaa1 #aca4 ,garibaldi1 ,giuseppe1 #f4 ,gave1 ,river1 #agf4 ,genoa1 ,italy1 #e1 #ed1 #bcj4 ,george ,v41 ,king1 #bfa4 ,gladstone1 ,w4 ,e41 #bff4 ,glendalough1 ,ireland1 #aii4 ,gormanston1 ,viscountess 7formerly ,miss ,eileen ,butler71 #cag4 ,gormanston1 ,ireland1 #cah4 ,grant1 ,sir ,hope1 #aae1 #aaf4 ,graphic1 #ii1 #abe4 ,,haden1 ,seymour1 #aaj4 ,hadrian's ,villa1 ,rome1 #bhj4 8,halt60 #aai4 8,halt on a ,forced ,march3 ,retreat to ,corunna10 #bbe4 ,hastings1 ,sussex1 #i4 ,heidelberg1 ,germany1 #agi4 ,henley-on-,thames1 #ae1 #ig4 ,henry of ,battenberg1 ,princess4 ,see ,beatrice1 ,princess4 ,herbert1 ,j4 ,r41 #aje4 ,,imperial1 ,prince4 ,see ,napoleon1 ,prince ,imperial4 8,jerusalem ,delivered10 #cca4 ,,kitchener1 ,lord1 #bba1 #bgb seq4 ,koenigswinter1 ,germany1 #ai4 ,,lane1 ,richard1 #aa1 #db4 ,le ,breton1 ,madame1 #beg4 ,leman1 ,lake 7,lake of ,geneva71 #agi4 ,leo ,,xiii41 ,pope1 #beg1 #bhj1 #bha1 #cae4 ,letters from the ,holy ,land1 #bgh4 8#8,listed for the ,connaught ,rangers10 #afi1 #ahd4 ,lothian1 ,marchioness of1 #aah4 ,louis ,napoleon1 ,prince1 #bdg4 ,louise1 ,princess1 ,duchess of ,argyll1 #bej4 ,lourdes1 ,france1 #agf4 ,luchon1 ,bagnres de1 ,france1 #agg4 ,luxor1 ,egypt1 #aig4 ,lyndhurst1 ,hants41 #cba4 ,,mckinley1 ,william1 #bhh4 8,magnificat10 #hc1 #ig4 ,magro 7cook71 #bai4 ,mahmoudich ,canal1 ,egypt1 #bjg4 ,malmaison1 ,france1 #bde4 ,manning1 ,cardinal1 #aac1 #acc1 #acg4 ,mareotis1 ,lake1 #bjc4 ,mayence1 ,germany1 #ahj4 ,medmenham ,abbey1 #ae4 ,metubis1 ,egypt1 #bag4 ,meynell1 ,mrs41 #aj1 #ea1 #gi1 #ii1 #aai1 #aee4 ,millais1 ,sir ,j4 ,e41 #aa1 #ajf1 #ajg1 #acb1 #ach1 #bfd4 8,missed60 #abe4 8,missing10 #afh4 ,missionary ,college1 ,mill ,hill1 #aai4 ,monte ,carlo1 #beh4 ,monte ,cassino1 ,monastery1 #cac4 8,morrow of ,talavera10 #bga4 ,mulranny1 ,ireland1 #cje4 ,mundy1 ,sergeant-,major1 #ca4 ,,naples1 ,italy1 #bbi1 #beb4 ,napoleon1 ,prince ,imperial1 #ahe1 #bcg4 ,naval ,review1 #ahig1 #bfi4 ,nervi1 ,italy1 #b1 #d4 ,newcastle-on-,tyne1 #adc4 ,newcomes1 illustrations to1 #de4 ,nmes1 ,france1 #agh4 ,,cumenical ,,council1 opening of1 #gi4 ,,paget1 ,lord ,george1 #aah4 ,paray-le-,monial1 pilgrimage to1 #ii4 ,patti1 ,adelina1 #abc4 ,perugia1 ,italy1 #gj1 #bhc4 ,pietri1 ,franceschini1 #bdc1 #beg4 ,pisa1 ,italy1 #afa4 ,pius ,,ix41 ,pope1 #gf1 #hb1 #ij1 #ib1 #id4 ---- ,x41 ,pope1 #cjg1 #cad1 #caf4 ,podesti1 ,signor1 #he4 ,pollard1 ,dr41 #aja1 #ajb1 #ajd1 #abj1 #ahf4 ,pompeii1 ,italy1 #bec4 ,porto ,fino1 ,italy1 #aei1 #bcj4 0,,quatre ,,bras10 studies for1 #aab1 #acj2 models for1 #abj2 copyright sold1 #abd2 correctness of uniforms1 #abe2 where hung1 #acc2 success of1 #ace2 ,ruskin's approval1 #adf4 ,queen1 launching of1 #bhh seq4 ,,ramleh1 ,egypt1 #bjd4 ,ras-el-,tin1 ,egypt1 #bbh4 8,remnants of an ,army10 #ahd4 8,rescue of ,wounded10 #bgh4 8,return from ,inkermann10 preparations for1 #aec1 #aeg1 #afe2 exhibited1 #afh4 8,rveil in the ,bivouac of the ,scots ,greys on the ,morning of ,waterloo10 #bcb4 8,review of the ,native ,camel ,corps at ,cairo10 #bcj4 ,rhodes1 ,cecil1 #bif4 ,riding ,together1 illustrations to1 #dh4 8,right ,wheel10 #bej4 ,ristori1 ,adelaide1 #g4 ,roberts1 ,earl1 #bhg4 8,roll ,call10 models for1 #aja2 methods of work1 #ajb2 attention to details in1 #ajc2 success of1 #ajd2 private view1 #ajg2 sale of copyright1 #aaa2 bought by ,queen ,victoria1 #aaa2 taken to ,windsor1 #aaf2 question of horse's steps in1 #aah4 ,rome1 ,lady ,butler's visits to1 #ga seq41 #bef1 #bgi1 #cjf1 #caa seq4 ,rosetta1 ,egypt1 #bje1 #baf4 ,ross1 ,mrs4 ,janet1 #adh1 #afa1 #afe4 ,rotterdam1 ,holland1 #aha4 ,ruskin1 ,john1 #ea1 #adf1 #aec4 ,ruta1 ,italy1 #c1 #bcj4 ,,st4 ,,etheldreda',s ,church1 ,london1 ,high ,mass in1 #aed4 ,st4 ,peter's1 ,rome1 functions in1 #ge1 #bhj1 #bhc4 ,st4 ,sauveur1 ,france1 #agf4 ,salisbury1 ,marquis of1 #aii1 #bfb seq4 ,salvini1 ,tommaso1 #acf4 ,savennires1 ,france1 #bii4 8,scotland for ,ever10 #ahf1 #ahg1 #aia4 ,sestri ,levante1 ,italy1 #ef4 ,severn1 ,joseph1 #gh1 #hd1 #ajg4 ,shahzada of ,afghanistan1 #bdf4 ,siena1 ,italy1 #afb4 ,sistine ,chapel1 ,rome1 #bha1 #cjg4 ,sori1 ,italy1 #c4 ,sorrento1 ,italy1 #bed4 ,south ,kensington ,art ,school1 #aj4 8,steady1 the ,drums and ,fifes60 #bfa4 ,stone1 ,marcus1 #aed4 ,strettell1 ,rev4 ,alfred1 #f4 ,stufa1 ,marchese delle1 #adg1 #afa4 ,super-,bagnre1 ,france1 #agg4 ,syndioor1 ,egypt1 #bag4 ,,tennyson1 ,alfred1 ,lord1 #aee seq4 8,tenth ,bengal ,lancers at ,tent-pegging10 #bgh1 #bhg1 #big4 ,tewfik1 ,khedive1 #bjh1 #bbf4 8,the ,avengers10 #bci4 8,the ,colours10 #bga4 ,thompson1 ,miss ,alice4 ,see ,meynell1 ,mrs4 ----1 ,miss ,elizabeth4 ,see ,butler1 ,elizabeth1 ,lady4 ----1 ,mr4 ,t4 ,j41 #a1 #b1 #ad1 #di1 #hd1 #aia4 ----1 ,mrs4 ,t4 ,j41 #b1 #c1 #i1 #ab1 #ea1 #eh1 #hc1 #hd1 #adc1 #caj4 ,thomson1 ,dr41 ,archbishop of ,york1 #aag4 ,toulouse1 ,france1 #agg4 ,,valentia ,island1 #agd4 ,vatican ,gardens1 ,rome1 #bhb4 ,vecchii1 ,colonel1 #f4 ,venice1 ,italy1 #bjj1 #baa1 #cjh4 ,ventnor1 ,isle of ,wight1 #ab1 #ig4 ,verona1 ,italy1 #bbd4 ,vesuvius1 ,mount1 ascent of1 #bee4 ,victor ,emmanuel1 ,king of ,italy1 #f4 ,victor ,napoleon1 ,prince1 #bdg4 ,victoria1 ,queen1 buys 8,roll ,call10 #aaa2 commissions 8,rorke's ,drift10 #ahg2 reviews troops at ,aldershot1 #bce1 #bej2 death1 #bhe4 ----1 ,empress ,frederick1 #bdd1 #bhf4 ,vyvyan1 ,miss1 #db4 ,,wady ,halfa1 ,egypt1 #aig4 ,wallace1 ,sir ,d4 ,mackenzie1 #bdh4 ,waterloo1 field of1 #ca4 ,wellington1 ,duke of1 #cc4 ,westmoreland1 ,countess of1 #aaj4 ,william ,,ii41 ,german ,emperor1 #bch4 8,within ,sound of the ,guns10 #bgh1 #cja4 ,wolseley1 ,viscount1 #aid1 #bfe4 ,woolwich1 review at1 #aag4 ,,printed ,,in ,,great ,,britain ,,by ,,the ,,whitefriars ,,press ,,ltd4 ,,london ,,and ,,tonbridge4 ,since ,i closed these ,memoirs my sister1 ,alice ,meynell1 has passed away4 ,i feel that it is not out of place to record here the fact of her desire that ,i should reduce the mention of her name throughout the book4 ,in the original text it had figured much oftener alongside of my own4 ,her wish to keep her personality always retired prevailed upon me to delete many an allusion to her which would have graced the text1 greatly to its advantage4 ,,eliz,,th4 ,,butler4 #cast ,december1 #aibb4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,the cattle plague was raging in ,england4 #b ,william ,i41 afterwards ,german ,emperor4 #c ,the severe ,lady ,superintendent4 #d ,whose son1 ,mr4 ,alfred ,pollard1 ,c4,b41 became the head of the ,british ,museum ,printed ,book ,department4 #e ,manning4 #f ,poor young ,inman1 who was killed at the fight of ,laing's ,nek1 ,s4 ,africa4 #g 8,from ,sketch-,book and ,diary10 ,a4 ,c4 ,black4 #h ,i have just been told by an ,irishman that the ,valentia breed are trained for racing6 #i 8,the ,campaign of the ,cataracts40 #aj ,the late ,lord ,kitchener4 #aa ,now ,king ,george ,v4 #ab ,our eldest daughter ,elizabeth1 now ,mrs4 ,kingscote4 #ac ,some one has explained to me1 with what authority ,i cannot tell1 that 8,the ,sailor ,king0 gave this order to his officers with ,royal tact1 being well aware that they could no more stand1 at that period of the dinner1 than he could himself4 ,so we sit4 #ad ,to die during the ,world ,war4--,e4 ,b41 #aiba4 #ae ,our second son4 #af ,my daughter1 ,lady ,gormanston1 who completed and edited her father's autobiography1 has recorded in the ,after-word the circumstances of his passing4 #ag ,since dead4 #ah ,only a few survivors of the original division which ,i saw are left4 7#aiaf47 #ai ,in his little book1 8,a ,galloper at ,ypres0 7,fisher ,unwin71 my son gives a clear account of his own experience of that battle4 #bj ,colonel the ,hon4 ,richard ,preston1 whose book1 8,the ,desert ,mounted ,corps10 is a masterpiece4 99 99 99 99 99 ,typographical error corrected by the etext transcriber3 ,italian friend in a duett ,italian friend in a duet pg #c