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30 October 1885 — Bologna | |
Friday. 30th October [1885]. At 10 Henry & I started to walk to the Picture gallery but losing our way & being misdirected we got there after the Gregorys who started after us in a cab. We stayed there all the morning & met the Max Müller family—also Mr Waterfield, Mrs Rate’s brother in law. Returned to the hotel to get our best gloves & then drove off to the Porta Mamola whence we walked up to Mezzaratta to lunch with the Minghettis. The Max Müllers came also to lunch there & we found Mme Marliani staying there. At lunch there was a great deal of interesting talk—& Max Müller told us a very amusing story upon the Japanese in their search for a religion. He said that one day at Oxford the servant came to say that a Japanese gentleman wished to see him. He had him immediately shown in & it proved to be the Japanese Minister a most enlightened man who had resided some years in America– He excused himself for intruding & said that he wished very much to consult the professor on the question of which was the best religion to be adopted in Japan. He said he being an educated man had no need of a religion of course, but for the people who were ignorant one was necessary—he had only ½ hour to spare & so he begged the professor briefly to give him an idea of the religion he would recommend– To save time he would say that the Christian religion was out of the question as it was really the religion of the Petrolists but any other would probably suit. The professor told the Japanese minister in brief terms that considering all things he thought that their present religion Buddhism was quite good eno’ provided the Japanese followed it strictly & the half hour having elapsed the Minister thanked him & withdrew. This story came in à propos of Henry’s having declared that the Japanese parliament had named a commission to enquire into the best religion to choose for the country! After luncheon we all except Henry & Mrs Minghetti went off for a walk up the hill to a villa lately bought by the proprietor of Brun’s hotel where there was a magnificent view. We came back to Mezzaratta to rejoin Henry & taking leave of the Minghettis walked down the hill to the gate of the town where we got into a tram which took us to the Piazza. I went back to the hotel & Henry & the Gregorys went to see churches & pictures & returned abt 5. We had some tea—& read & worked till 7 when we dined at the restaurant. Henry & I taught Lady Gregory cribbage in the eveng. | |
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