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21 February 1899 — Rome | |
Tuesday. 21st [February 1899]. Well again. Ersilia Canevaro called for me soon after 10 & we went for a walk together in the Villa Medicis on the Pincio. It was a lovely morning a mist over Rome & the distant campagna & shining through it the bright sun & a brilliant blue sky overhead. We were left to wander at will in the gardens. One would never know one was in the midst of a great city—especially on the side of the Villa Borghese with its stone pines. I accompanied Ersilia to her own abode & then walked back to the hotel & wrote to Pen Browning. I had a long letter by the early post from Fannie refusing to accede to his conditions, nor can I blame her– He wants to make her say he is quite blameless. I have begged him to come & see me at Venice as soon as I return there. I walked to Piazza Paganica by 1 & lunched with Donna Laura Minghetti. We had a long talk on our religious belief & I found we agreed perfectly. Hatred of priests & their dogmas—& a great horror of any man putting himself between oneself & God. It is incredible that the simple religion taught by Christ should have become so twisted & perverted by man– We took a drive in the Campagna & it was lovely. The distance hazy & soft & every moment one had views such as the old masters loved to paint as the backgrounds in their pictures. She left me at my hotel at 4 & I did not go out again. At 5.30 Princess Aristarchi came to see me– She is still exiled from Consple & says her possessions have all been seized & sold there in her absence. She looked old & not very tidy & clean. She had an ugly oriental looking daughter with her. She kindly invited me to go to tea with her on Saty which I promised to do very unwillingly. Dined with Mme de Bülow at the restaurant room. | |
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