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13 February 1899 — Rome | |
Monday. 13th February [1899]. Wrote & finished Life of Erasmus. At 12 I took Mme de Bülow in a cab to the Consulta to lunch with the Canevaros, a kind of official performance. Met Don Carlo D’adda—Count Brandolin, Donna Laura Gropallo, Braga the Violinist & Composer, Passerini (Secy) Malvano (Permanent Secy) Signor Leonardi also secy private to Canevaro. We were 12 at table. Maria Cozzi was not allowed to be present as it wd have made us 13 at table so she only appeared afterwards. At 2 I went back to the hotel & sat quiet till 4 when I went to Pal. Teano to Mme d’Anta’s day & found a children’s dance going on– Met there Lady Vivian & her family. The girls danced so Louie Vivian & I slipped away & went for a quiet tea at Miss Wilson’s rooms & then returned to the d’Antas for a short time. Louie called for me at 8 & we went to dine at the Austrian Embassy. Met there the Prime Minister Palloux & his wife, the Canevaros, the Greek Minister Condouriotis, son of the man who was Min. at Consple in our time. Amongst others there was a Turkish secy called Panzeiris who had been ADC to the Sultan during our stay—& we renewed acquaintance & he spoke with much enthusiasm of Henry of whom he had seen a great deal– He reminded me of many episodes of that time– He said, truly, how powerful Henry was at Consple & how he had saved the Turkish Empire & kept up the influence of England there. He presented his American wife to me—a good sort of woman I thought. It is long since I had such a pleasant evening. It warmed my heart to fine one person who had so appreciated Henry– Braga is a funny looking old man & we made great friends & he promises to come & see me on Sunday next. He was bubbling over with fun & kept making a kind of bird like whistle in his throat to amuse us. He spoke of music & musicians—copiously of Patti with whom he had been very intimate during her first marriage. He says she was “une bonne femme, mais il liu manque completement le seus morale.” He told us how she sang his (Braga’s) Serenade to Torti’s accompaniment all out of tune—& then declared Torti had been wrong—at which Braga said—No you were wrong & I ought to know as the composer “c’est moi” & he slapped himself on the breast. He has a clever bullet head & quite white hair & short beard—& a twinkling eye. He gesticulates violently. He is from the Abruzzi & has all the outward characteristics of the Southern Italian. | |
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