I am quite ashamed of dwelling so often on my own affairs,
but as I know you wish it, I shall briefly inform you of my
situation. I do not mean to employ much of this sheet of paper
on the subject, but refer you to the before-mentioned long
letter for clear information. It happened a few days before we
left England, that Sir H.’s valet declined going with him, and
in the short space of time allowed by circumstances another
could not be got. Sir H. told me he was very sorry, but that,
if I would do such things as were absolutely necessary for him
until he got to Paris, he should there get another. I murmured,
but agreed. At Paris he could not get one. No Englishmen were
there, and no Frenchman fit for the place could talk English
to me. At Lyons he could not get one; at Montpellier he could
not get one; nor at Genoa, nor at Florence, nor at Rome, nor
in all Italy; and I believe at last he did not wish to get one:
and we are just the same now as we were when he left England.
This of course throws things into my duty which it was not
my agreement, and is not my wish, to perform, but which are,
if I remain with Sir H., unavoidable. These, it is true, are
very few; for having been accustomed in early years to do for
himself, he continues to do so at present, and he leaves very
little for a valet to perform; and as he knows that it is not
pleasing to me, and that I do not consider myself as obliged
to do them, he is always as careful as possible to keep those
things from me which he knows would be disagreeable. But Lady
Davy is of another humour. She likes to show her authority,
and at first I found her extremely earnest in mortifying me.
This occasioned quarrels between us, at each of which I gained
ground, and she lost it; for the frequency made me care nothing
about them, and weakened her authority, and after each she
behaved in a milder manner. Sir H. has also taken care to get
servants of the country, ycleped _lacquais de place_, to do
everything she can want, and now I am somewhat comfortable;
indeed, at this moment I am perfectly at liberty, for Sir H.
has gone to Naples to search for a house or lodging to which we
may follow him, and I have nothing to do but see Rome, write my
journal, and learn Italian.
But I will leave such an unprofitable subject, and tell you
what I know of our intended route. For the last few weeks
it has been very undecided, and at this moment there is no
knowing which way we shall turn. Sir H. intended to see Greece
and Turkey this summer, and arrangements were half made for
the voyage; but he has just learned that a quarantine must be
performed on the road there, and to do this he has an utter
aversion, and that alone will perhaps break up the journey.
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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