Great Lady's Diary - The Historical Fiction

6 th September 1820   Today I must spend a moment to relax and reflect. I am in a state of soul that constantly reminds me of where I am. A city like Rome leaves a glow on minds and weave a long thread of the past and tradition until now... Today we were visited by an unusual guest in our villa - the famous Canaletto, an Italian painter, and a smart man. I have already seen his works at the Royal Castle. My brother appreciates him very much. Now he is passing through Rome, he rushes to Venice, to his family. He stays with us and it is genuinely nice. My brother's court painter is almost a family! I will spend some time talking with him, and that is great. Artist and such a smart human! Today we talked about the Greek texts of the early Christians. He was reading it some time ago. He said he would bring me some translations. Unfortunately, I do not know Ancient Greek... But I would like to know these texts. I heard that these texts are pretty. Almost like love stories, some...

5 th September 1820   Today we are going back to England as I promised. I am talk about storytelling… I have always imagined you, my dear diary, as such a student who sit under my feet who listens to me patiently and with written delight on their physiognomy… Maybe it is like my husband’s… Very handsome man… However, it is important that the horse did not destroy his face. It is important and he is doing well. I think he may figure out something again tomorrow… For real, it would not surprise me. He is such a restless kind of man… We have enough of fait divers, do not we? It is time to get to the point. Today I would like to focus on Shakespeare for the last time. Well, as I mentioned before, I fought for his chair like a lion. And here is how it was... Stratford. Shakespeare's little country. Before we got there, we went to few places from our map. I remember, e.g., Stonehenge, where I took moss and a piece of stone; The Crescent in Bath - a fashionable and beautifu...

4 th September 1820   Today I will describe in few words latest walk around Rome and tomorrow I am going back to England, Scotland, and Shakespeare. But not only. A poet glorified a street called Campo de’Fiori* lately so I had to go there with my family today. It is Sunday so we also went to Vatican, but I will talk about it later. I do not know how many fountains I saw today. It all was amazing and wonderful but only one reflect in my mind now… We also had a good weather today. It was not too hot. I raced upstairs the Spanish Steps few times and this dress I wore today I absolutely deserve trophy. Wise me. What you would not do for children… Whereas William wanted to see aqueducts and thermal baths. He could not marvel enough. At the end we reached by the river Tiber. Totally different feelings than by our native one. Like a dream, like a different epoque. Ah! My husband also explored those famous Roman roads today. All roads lead to Rome. Yes, yeah, true. He also wors...

3 rd September 1820 Today I must write around current adventures. Well, William felt good enough to wish to see Colosseum today. So, we went there. Large, romantic, eternal, and poetical building. But also full of buckets of blood, red sand, because it was favourite Romanians’ joy – to watch death. It was their beloved circus. Occasion of fun always awaited. There is nothing like watching how bodies of slaves and Christians are being torn apart. Delight for them, barbarity for me... My poor little brothers and sisters… It happened often that elder men and women ended their lives under paws in places like this. I think I can still hear this cheep of crowds; crunch of bones and the smell of blood will be stuck in the air forever. This stain will never be cleaned by humanity. Also, those scenes when similar people had to fight with each other and only one could win… Only to make crowds happy… I see it all here. What hits me the most is the cross put on necks of pagans. Under Nero p...

2 nd September 1820   Can fiction (or drama) be a student’s book about history? That is what I am thinking about tonight. It is late. William fell asleep, stopped groaning. I would stroke those blond hair, but I do not want to wake him up. Flames dance on his face pretty. He is no longer suffering, he fell asleep. And new day will raise tomorrow, maybe his body will not feel any pain anymore. Oh, he bite his moustache… Like he knows that I write and think of him… Coming back to first sentence of this note… I have read King Lear by William Shakespeare today, and a little bit of his Chronicles . I really like this English writer. Maybe my William is his new incarnation… Maybe that is Romeo who never died… Anyway, I really like Mary Stuart’s story. I would love to say something about it someday… But I am not in mood today… Or maybe today… After one moment of reflection… Yes, I like Shakespeare and the Queen of Scots, not England, my namesake. Mary was a tragic personality, e...

1 st September 1820   I have not written for few days, but I had my reasons… William fell of the horse, he has got injured unmercifully. I had to ease his suffering for last few days. My poor man. Listen how it happened. Beautiful Italian land. Warm and beautiful. We went for a ride around the suburbs of Rome. We reached one of tops of seven hills. The view on Roma Aeterna (Eternal City) was breath-taking. That is when my lover fell off horse. I do not know how. I swear, it had to be a romp of gods… For touching the sky... Now when you know that higher power plays with us sometimes, let me come back to sweet memories. I remember that we travelled through whole English isle. Few words about Newport today. It was a place reminding me paintings I used to see at rich people’s houses but this one was a live panorama. Water was pretty shining with sun reflection, like it was a bracelet made of gold and diamonds. We travelled by a lame boat. Island was our goal. It was wobblin...

29 th August 1820 I have found an incredible treasure today – relics of Francesco and Laura… I had to buy it. J’aime (I love) Sonnets to Laura by Petrarch… I had to buy it. Even when its value is only sentimental. Besides, languages are very systemic (well, every langues is nothing but system), while I met a human today whom I could not understand. No treasure of the world would make me understand. Was he speaking Italian or French? Je ne sais pas… (I do not know…) Example of real hate to conventions, I guess. But also, so… mean? L’ignorance? I love gardens. When I remind myself those English gardens… I was truly delighted. I made few sketches. I will have to take home with me few of those trends. Gardens at Stowe probably made a mark on my brain the best… Huge it was. The must-see place. It was one of first spots we visited just after we arrived in England. Trip from Gdansk was also fascinating. I did not feel so terrible on seas… Two weeks of constant movements… But views al...