Describes a visit from Charles Damoreau's older brother, William Brown. Transcription: 22. Thursday. Bit of a walk to George Clarke ?s, he still out of town; also to Sam [Gunn] ?s in the evening, Mrs Heath being there. I saw her husband also, meeting him at omnibi-starting point. 23. Friday. In-doors and matagrabolized, trying to draw, write, read and effecting naught but the latter. Wrote to Hannah [Bennett]. 24. Saturday. Stroll London bridge-wards, the streets slushy and filthy, the thaw loosening the ice flakes on the Thames, so that they were drifting lazily downwards with the tide, and
Describes a visit from Charles Damoreau's older brother, William Brown. Transcription: 22. Thursday. Bit of a walk to George Clarke ?s, he still out of town; also to Sam [Gunn] ?s in the evening, Mrs Heath being there. I saw her husband also, meeting him at omnibi-starting point. 23. Friday. In-doors and matagrabolized, trying to draw, write, read and effecting naught but the latter. Wrote to Hannah [Bennett]. 24. Saturday. Stroll London bridge-wards, the streets slushy and filthy, the thaw loosening the ice flakes on the Thames, so that they were drifting lazily downwards with the tide, and the noisome river appeared dirtier than I ever recollect to have beheld it. Ere I started Mr John Jackson called. One of most unamiable varieties of Englishmen is he, and could I recollect all [Matthew] Whitelaws detail of him, the character would be worthy of a page. He over-eats himself frightfully, he is (of course always ill,) always taking physic, he is a tyrant over all dependants, is a ?ǣdeacon ? and affects sectarianism, is hated by his kinsfolk, and has taste and ability in his profession. He is always swallowing tea, would send boys out of his shop for saveloys, rail at them if they were not from a particular shop, say they were made of soldiers coats &c. He is a portly man, with a bald retreating forehead, glib withal. / This evening I had another visitor, Mr [William] Brown, (Charley Damoreau ?s elder brother.) He has bidden me to tea-drinking next week. I ?m not prepossesed by the man, at present. He talked very fluently, now about the state of things in the Crimea, ? rampantly against Aristocracy, saying that Aberteen ought to die a hundred deaths, that ?the people should present themselves in a mass at the Palace ? &c &c and the like bosh; then about the ?dear Duchess of Sutherland, her loss of her son would kill her ? she ?d never survive it, ? and to such shop-keeper-souled twaddle. I really think he ?d Title: Thomas Butler Gunn Diaries: Volume 7, page 29,
Size: 1832px × 2728px
Photo credit: © The Picture Art Collection / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords:
