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25 October 1890 — Villa Pisani, Vescovana | |
Saturday. 25th October [1890]. Breakfast in our rooms. Lunched at 11.30. D. Antonio, Henry & Ruth made an expedition to Lendinara a little town not far off where there are 3 churches & a picture by Sebo del Piombo. The birthplace of Mario a conspirator with Mazzini & Garibaldi married to an English woman Jesse White. His widow still lives at Lendinara. I remained with the Countess & we took a drive to 2 of the farms at the second there is a sick oxen and she made him some flour broth, had him covered with a blanket & gave directions for his treatment. The Countess talked to me much about her father for whom she has a great affection & reverence & went on to talk of his connection with Byron. She said “Father used to say he was one of the nicest & most charming of men & always misunderstood– What drew them so much together was their devotion to their sisters. My father had a great admiration for my aunt Cornelia in early life before her changing of her religion to Romanism made a barrier between them. Byron had the same for his sister & on this point these understood each other. My father used to say that one of the great sorrows in his life was that his house was burnt at Constantinople & all the documents he had to prove this were destroyed. I think also that the griefs he had also was that he felt he had made a mistake in Byrons last illness. He had been called in as consulting Dr & had councilled bleeding & not recognised the illness to be pernicious fever– I once said to him “I suppose Ld B. died of brain fever” to wh my father said—I fear it was pernicious fever—but I did not think so at the time & I persuaded him to be bled to wh he was greatly opposed. So that his devotion to his friend had also been the cause of his bitterness. He was devoted to his sister & his daughter—& always spoke of his wife with the greatest respect. Poor father—he was so good & had so many sorrows.” It was bitterly cold & we were glad of our tea when we got in. I read aloud to Henry before dinner. | |
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