Agenoria, who confirmed all the statement of Capt. G. as far as he was competent. I saw the penknife belonging to Capt. G. with which the 3 men were butchered. I saw sticking to the blade – horrible, horrible! – a piece of human flesh, a relic of their cannibal meal!
Barclay Fox
1930
At the table directly opposite us was a rather attractive young couple. Probably a wedding-trip, for the table is covered with flowers. The young man was reading Les Caves du Vatican. This is the first time I have ever happened to meet someone actually reading me. Occasionally he turned toward me and when I was not looking at him, I felt him staring at me. Most likely he recognized me. Lacretelle kept telling me: ‘Go ahead! Tell him who you are. Sign his book for him. . . .’ In order to do this I should have had to be more certain that he liked the book, in which he remained absorbed even during the meal. But suddenly I saw him take a little knife out of his pocket. . . . Lacretelle was seized with uncontrollable laughter on seeing him slash Les Caves du Vatican. Was he doing so out of exasperation? For a moment I thought so. But no: carefully he cut the binding threads, took out the first few sheets, and handed a whole part of the book that he had already read to his young wife, who immediately plunged into her reading.
André Gide
1932
Read today that Corot, Degas, Manet, Cézanne were all ‘paternal parasites’ as regards money – if I can do my share in the Scottish Renaissance perhaps I’ll justify my parasitism yet. Up to yourself, my boy, it’s up to yourself.
William Soutar
1953
On Wednesday we lunched with the PM at Barnie Baruch’s. Winston Churchill seems to have shrunk a lot and was very deaf in his left ear, which unfortunately was the side I was on, so conversation was a little difficult. But mentally he was extremely alert, and he had a charming old-world courtliness; he was dressed impeccably in a black suit. His skin is as pink and fresh and unwrinkled as a baby’s and he poured some champagne from his glass over the Virginia ham, and dipped the end of his cigar in his brandy. He made a little speech to the Mayor of New York, a slippery ice-creamer from near Palermo called Impelliteri, making a pun which the Mayor failed to see.
Cynthia Gladwyn
1958
Jim Egan began at the World Telegram as a messenger boy and now works in our production department. Today he told me an amusing story. In 1940, when Franklin Roosevelt and Wendell Wilkie were vying for the presidency, Jim was sent on an errand to the Herald Tribune. He wore a huge Roosevelt button on his shirt. Going up in the elevator he was seen by Mrs. Helen Rogers Reid, who owned the Trib. Glaring at the Roosevelt button she snapped: ‘Why are you wearing that thing?’
‘Why not?’
‘Well don’t you know this is a Republican newspaper?’
‘So what?’
‘You’re fired!’
‘You can’t fire me.’
‘Why not?’
‘Because I don’t work here.’
Edward Robb Ellis
1977
It may be a little late in the day to start making New Year resolutions, but mine are none the less serious for that. I shall write them down to remind myself:
1. To make some money.
2. To think seriously about getting married – possibly to Jane, but ideally to someone with money.
3. To find somewhere else to live. I am getting too old for this type of flat life.
4. To move freely in society. I am always reading in the diaries of the famous how they dined here and lunched there; sat next to this person at table and met that one at the theatre. I see no reason why I should not do the same. My problem is that my life is too often taken up with domestic trivialities, and I allow my time to be wasted by people of little worth and influence. I shall take steps to break out of this little world in which I have become trapped in recent months, and give far freer rein to my personality and talents.
Christopher Matthew (Diary of a Somebody)
10 January
1824
Called on Miss Lamb. I looked over [Charles] Lamb’s library in part. He has the finest collection of shabby books I ever saw. Such a number of first-rate works of genius, but filthy copies, which a delicate man would really hesitate touching, is, I think, nowhere to be found.
Henry Crabb Robinson
1872
This morning at prayers the pretty housemaid Elizabeth with the beautiful large soft eyes was reading aloud in Luke i how Zacharias saw a vision in the Temple, but for the word ‘vision’ she substituted ‘venison’.
Rev. Francis Kilvert
1914
To one of these new night-clubs, Murray’s in Bleak Street. Here were numerous people dancing the tango and the maxixe with jealous precision; the latter is rather a graceful dance, but, as to the former, the old lady in the current anecdote was not far wrong – ‘I whip my dog when he does that.’
Not that these people seemed to get any physical fun out of the thing, as they were all grimly preoccupied with trying to tread it out according to the rules. It’s an amusing place, though, and we sat there till three; there are an amazing lot of all-but-beautiful women in the London stage, and demimonde, just now, and some who are quite – e.g., Sari Petrass, who is a lovely little creature, and looks like a duchess. Two years ago, I suppose, London was without any sort of place of this kind, and now there are about half a dozen flourishing like the greenest bay-trees; an excellent thing.
Sir Alan ‘Tommy’ Lascelles
1920 [Berlin]
To-day the Peace Treaty was ratified at Paris; the War is over. A terrible era begins for Europe, like the gathering of clouds before a storm, and it will end in an explosion probably still more terrible than that of the World War. In Germany there are all the signs of a continuing growth of nationalism.
Count Harry Kessler
1946
At the fashionable, carefree Carcano – Ednam wedding reception I remarked to Emerald [Cunard] how quickly London had recovered from the war and how quickly normal life had resumed. ‘After all,’ I said, pointing to the crowded room, ‘this is what we have been fighting for.’ ‘What,’ said Emerald, ‘are they all Poles?’
‘Chips’ Channon
1953
[With] the young duke of Kent and his sisters, taken to see a famous illusionist in a London music hall. The number ends with some nudity, and the nanny doesn’t know what to do. As they
