October 2, 1784
Rowed up the river as far as the lock, the longest row I ever took.
Reflection on the folly of supporting oneself incapable of that which one has never properly attempted.
William Windham (1750-1810) (Link), Diary (published 1866).
William Windham portraits:
Sir Joshua Reynolds, above; Sir Thomas Lawrence, below.
Click on Thames lock map below to enlarge.
A very good thought (once I got the meaning of "supporting" here).
ReplyDeleteOff to London on Saturday. Strange doings in our office there. Will visit friends in Surrey, but no rowing on the Thames.
Hope all is well chez vous.
Funny always reading old things with long disused usages. Windham was an extraordinary man based on what I've read. I think this is a very good diary entry and uplifting thought. Imagine being painted by Reynolds and Lawrence. When you think of our current tradition of official portraiture, it's amazing the way the art emphasis has changed. I hope London's successful and also enjoyable. It's difficult to imagine it won't be, at least a little. We go in and out of super-stress, but now that Jane's a junior, I guess that is a bit more to be expected. Just read the entire Jack Reacher series of novels by Lee Child. Curtis
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