Diary of Annie Adams Fields

Monday August 1st Edgar Flower came early to see us. We had already gone to the birth-place but soon joined us at the brewery. Called upon his brother’s wife promised to dine with them at two. Went to see the church records the school and all memorials of Shakspeare we could find. Found...

Tuesday August 2d Drove very early to Charlecote. Walked through the fine old park and saw the deer feeding. Drove thence to Warwick. Saw St. Mary’s church and Beauchamp Chapel built in 1437. Splendid mausoleum in brass to the founder. There is a confessional here much more ancient. A most...

Wednesday August 3d At Leamington. A sweet town. More European than any English town we have seen. There was music last night in the Garden, Archery Games, dancing &c—all in the open air. We walked about or sat under the trees enjoying to our hearts content. Heard something of the old time...

Thursday 4th Walked through Leamington and sat upon the top of the fine hill overlooking the fields and valleys beyond. At ½ past 3 took train to Banbury. A queer old place. Well kept but expensive inn of great antiquity. Took a carriage & two horses, the afternoon being most lovely to Compton...

Friday 5th August. Came to Oxford at 9 a.m. Charles Reade or Dr Reade as he is called here had engaged rooms for us and arranged that we should live with him in Magdalen College. Rested a while then came Jamie with our good kind friend the Dr. to take us all about. We saw the College Gardens,...

Saturday August 6th Breakfasted in college at ½ past 9 and after started for a walk through the cloisters, libraries, &c. There is a quaint strange beauty about a cloistered walk wh. carries the mind back, more than most old things to the times in which they were built. One of the cloisters has...

Sunday—breakfasted at 10. Talked until 12. R. quite worships Victor Hugo, thinks Angelo one of his chef d’œuvres. Could not think why he always left him so sad. Left him at 12 to write and read at home.

Monday 8th at 9 o’clk turned our backs upon Oxford. Charles Reade left orders with our excellent landlady that she must take nothing from us and there was no appeal from such kindness. We would gladly have stayed longer. In an hour and 30 minutes we found ourselves in the great stormy London...

Tuesday 9th Raining. Jamie out, overwhelmed with affairs. I write and read busily setting our house in order a little for the continent. The emperor makes his entry next Sunday at the head of 80,000 troops. We hope to be in Paris.

Wednesday. Raining. Jamie took me with him as he went out. Stopped at J. W. Parker’s. Could not see him, the poor man is run down with business responsibilities. Read a little, while waiting in the new series of Friends in Council. Full of delightful things. Afterward went to the National...

Thursday 11th of August. Jamie and I walked in the sunset light to Westminster Abbey. The glorious old place looked finer than ever in the golden gleams.

Friday the 12th Breakfasted at 10 in the little parlor of Dessin’s Hotel. We were served by old Charles who has been head waiter and most reliable servant here for 40 years. He speaks English very well & his manners are most graceful and unexceptionable. Jamie said “Charles, when is your...

Saturday 13th Walked about Ghent and saw all manner of picturesque people places & things. The Beguinage interested us especially. It is a city for the nuns. There are at present 1700 sisters. They do great good in Ghent and it seems to me almost the only spark of true Christianity left in the...

Sunday 14th Bruxelles. Glorious city. In the Place opposite our windows stands the spirited statue of Godfrey de Bouillon and magnificent edifices abound on every side. Jamie and I walked in the Park into the fine old Cathedral of Saint Gudula into the market place &c. Went to a noble old hall...

Monday August 15th A Catholic festival day. The bells were ringing at 5 o’clk and the people already flocking to the mass. All day long it continued, ladies in silk, and peasants in wooden shoes slowly going up the massive stone steps and losing themselves among the arches of the Cathedral. We...

Tuesday August 16th To Aix. Left Brussels at 11 A.M. for Aix La Chapelle. Dined at Bromel’s that night. Fine hotel. Magnificent dinner &c. A pretty court-yard also full of flowers. Left at 6 o’clk in the train the next morning for Cologne not however without walking through the interesting...

Wednesday August 17th Arrived at Cologne at ½ past 8. Drove at once to the Cathedral. It is in a sadly unfinished condition but is already a marvel of beauty. Trees are growing from the old portion while new stones are from time to time laid upon the new. I think they will never finish it....

Thursday August 18th The morning was cool, the dust laid and air refreshed by a shower. Drove to see the castle of Steinfels [sic, for Stolzenfels], a place of great antiquity, lately repaired by the King of Prussia to receive Queen Victoria in 1846. I mounted the hill on a donkey and then we...

Friday August 19th We were so sorry as we awaked at Bingen to hear the winds furiously whistling up and down the galleries. We felt sure it was not the day for a charming excursion over the vine-covered hills to the castle of Rheinstein which we had planned. So they told us also at the hotel. We...

Saturday. 20th At Wiesbaden. Jamie arose at 6 to drink the water but hearing the Homberg springs were more beneficial took those instead and found them excellent. Delightful music played while the people went to drink and I could hear it while dressing. It was warm and I threw the windows open...

Monday 22d Left W. in the freshness of the morning for Frankfort. The journey was picturesque and interesting. It was still early when we reached Frankfort. Found home letters and answered them, then without delay drove to see Luther’s house. On our way we passed through the Judengasse which...

Tuesday 23d Left Frankfort early for Heidelberg. Arrived soon after 1. Found a charming room at the Prinz Carl looked down upon most benignantly by the dear old castle. And what a castle it is! It always was most beautiful we thought whatever the light was under which we saw it last. The...

Wednesday 24th Left Heidelberg about mid-day for Baden-Baden. Jamie read Hyperion to me in the morning and I began “Hermann & Dorothea” in the after-noon. Had a little talk with Mr Trübner’s brother. Night when we came to Baden.

Thursday 25th Waked early to find Baden all that has been said of it. The river was just below our windows separating us from the promenade and the noble hills above. It was a very warm morning almost too warm to move we thought but the cool clean breakfast-room, refreshing fruit and music...