Ralph Waldo Emerson -- 30 maart 1832

March 30.
I am your debtor, Sir James Mackintosh, for your Ethics, and yet, masterly book asit is, highly as I esteem the first account of the Conscience that has ever been given, yet is it at last only an outline, nor can suffice to my full satisfaction. . . .


Omnis Aristippum docuit color et status et res.
Horace.

"Be not almighty, let me say,
Against, but for me."
Herbert.

An ingenious and pleasing account of human nature is Hartley's successive passions as expounded by Mackintosh. Each becomes the parent of a new and higher passion, and itself dies. If the scheme of Necessity must be admitted, then let that doctrine also be the antidote, the gradual glorification of man. . . . Very costly scaffoldings are pulled down when the more costly building is finished. And God has his scaffoldings. The Jewish Law answered its temporary purpose and was then set aside. Christianity is completing its purpose as an aid to educate man. And evil is a scaffolding on which universal good is reared. God shall be all in all. . . .


MOORE TO CRABBE OF CAMPBELL

" True bard ! and simple, as the race
Of heaven-born poets ever are,
When, stooping from their starry place.
They 're children, near, though gods afar."

[suum cuique]

The world is an academy to the scholar, a butt to the satirist, a church to the devotee, " the scaffold of the divine vengeance " to the Calvinist, good society to the ashionist, a market to the merchant, a conquest to Alexander.

"No one can guess what kind of vision belongs to the fly. There are probably 25,000 hexagonal lenses or menisci on its surface, or the same number of distinct visual organs, as some comparative anatomists would lead us to believe."
Abernethy, Lectures.

"DEUS ANIMA BRUTORUM"


Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) was een Amerikaans essayist en dichter en een van de invloedrijkste denkers van zijn tijd. Hij hield vrijwel zijn gehele leven een dagboek bij.

Sir Walter Scott -- 28 maart 1826

March 28.— We have now been in solitude for some time—myself nearly totally so, excepting at meals, or on a call as yesterday from Henry and William Scott of Harden. One is tempted to ask himself, knocking at the door of his own heart, Do you love this extreme loneliness? I can answer conscientiously, I do. The love of solitude was with me a passion of early youth; when in my teens, I used to fly from company to indulge in visions and airy castles of my own, the disposal of ideal wealth, and the exercise of imaginary power. This feeling prevailed even till I was eighteen, when love and ambition awakening with other passions threw me more into society, from which I have, however, at times withdrawn myself, and have been always even glad to do so. I have risen from a feast satiated; and unless it be one or two persons of very strong intellect, or whose spirits and good-humour amuse me, I wish neither to see the high, the low, nor the middling class of society. This is a feeling without the least tinge of misanthropy, which I always consider as a kind of blasphemy of a shocking description. If God bears with the very worst of us, we may surely endure each other. If thrown into society, I always have, and always will endeavour to bring pleasure with me, at least to show willingness to please. But for all this "I had rather live alone," and I wish my appointment, so convenient otherwise, did not require my going to Edinburgh. But this must be, and in my little lodging I will be lonely enough. 

Had a very kind letter from Croker disowning the least idea of personal attack in his answer to Malachi.

Reading at intervals a novel called Granby; one of that very difficult class which aspires to describe the actual current of society, whose colours are so evanescent that it is difficult to fix them on the canvas. It is well written, but over-laboured—too much attempt to put the reader exactly up to the thoughts and sentiments of the parties. The women do this better: Edgeworth, Ferrier, Austen have all had their portraits of real society, far superior to anything man, vain man, has produced of the like nature.

Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) was een Schots dichter en schrijver, vooral bekend door zijn historische romans, zoals Ivanhoe. Van 1825 tot 1832 hield hij een dagboek bij.

Samuel Pepys -- 27 maart 1668

Friday 27 March 1668

Up, and walked to the waterside, and thence to White Hall to the Duke of York’s chamber, where he being ready he went to a Committee of Tangier, where I first understand that my Lord Sandwich is, in his coming back from Spayne, to step over thither, to see in what condition the place is, which I am glad of, hoping that he will be able to do some good there, for the good of the place, which is so much out of order. Thence to walk a little in Westminster Hall, where the Parliament I find sitting, but spoke with nobody to let me know what they are doing, nor did I enquire. Thence to the Swan and drank, and did baiser Frank, and so down by water back again, and to the Exchange a turn or two, only to show myself, and then home to dinner, where my wife and I had a small squabble, but I first this day tried the effect of my silence and not provoking her when she is in an ill humour, and do find it very good, for it prevents its coming to that height on both sides which used to exceed what was fit between us. So she become calm by and by and fond, and so took coach, and she to the mercer’s to buy some lace, while I to White Hall, but did nothing, but then to Westminster Hall and took a turn, and so to Mrs. Martin’s, and there did sit a little and talk and drink, and did hazer con her, and so took coach and called my wife at Unthanke’s, and so up and down to the Nursery, where they did not act, then to the New Cockpit, and there missed, and then to Hide Parke, where many coaches, but the dust so great, that it was troublesome, and so by night home, where to my chamber and finished my pricking out of my song for Mr. Harris (“It is decreed”), and so a little supper, being very sleepy and weary since last night, and so by to o’clock to bed and slept well all night. This day, at noon, comes Mr. Pelling to me, and shews me the stone cut lately out of Sir Thomas Adams’ (the old comely Alderman’s) body, which is very large indeed, bigger I think than my fist, and weighs above twenty-five ounces and, which is very miraculous, he never in all his life had any fit of it, but lived to a great age without pain, and died at last of something else, without any sense of this in all his life. This day Creed at White Hall in discourse told me what information he hath had, from very good hands, of the cowardice and ill-government of Sir Jer. Smith and Sir Thomas Allen, and the repute they have both of them abroad in the Streights, from their deportment when they did at several times command there; and that, above all Englishmen that ever were there, there never was any man that behaved himself like poor Charles Wager, whom the very Moores do mention, with teares sometimes.


De Brit Samuel Pepys (1633–1703) was een hoge ambtenaar en parlementslid, wijd en zijd beroemd vanwege zijn dagboeken.

John Franklin -- 26 maart 1820

March 26.

The boisterous weather continued through the night and it was not before six this morning that the wind became apparently moderate and the snow ceased. Two of the Canadians were immediately sent off with letters to the gentlemen at Fort Chipewyan. After breakfast we also started but our Indian friend, having a great indisposition to move in such weather, remained by the fire. We soon quitted the river and, after crossing a portage, a small lake and a point of land, came to the borders of the Mammawee Lake. We then found our error as to the strength of the wind, and that the gale still blew violently and there was so much drifting of the snow as to cover the distant objects by which our course could be directed. We fortunately got a glimpse through this cloud of a cluster of islands in the direction of the houses, and decided on walking towards them; but in doing this we suffered very much from the cold and were obliged to halt under the shelter of them and await the arrival of our Indian guide. He conducted us between these islands, over a small lake, and by a swampy river into the Athabasca Lake, from whence the establishments were visible. At four P.M. we had the pleasure of arriving at Fort Chipewyan and of being received by Messrs. Keith and Black, the partners of the North-West Company in charge, in the most kind and hospitable manner. Thus terminated a winter's journey of eight hundred and fifty-seven miles, in the progress of which there was a great intermixture of agreeable and disagreeable circumstances. Could the amount of each be balanced I suspect the latter would much preponderate; and amongst these the initiation into walking in snowshoes must be considered as prominent. The suffering it occasions can be but faintly imagined by a person who thinks upon the inconvenience of marching with a weight of between two and three pounds constantly attached to galled feet and swelled ankles. Perseverance and practice only will enable the novice to surmount this pain.

The next evil is the being constantly exposed to witness the wanton and unnecessary cruelty of the men to their dogs, especially those of the Canadians who beat them unmercifully and habitually vent on them the most dreadful and disgusting imprecations. There are other inconveniences which, though keenly felt during the day's journey, are speedily forgotten when stretched out in the encampment before a large fire, you enjoy the social mirth of your companions who usually pass the evening in recounting their former feats in travelling. At this time the Canadians are always cheerful and merry and the only bar to their comfort arises from the frequent interruption occasioned by the dogs who are constantly prowling about the circle and snatching at every kind of food that happens to be within their reach. These useful animals are a comfort to them afterwards by the warmth they impart when lying down by their side or feet as they usually do. But the greatest gratifications a traveller in these regions enjoys are derived from the hospitable welcome he receives at every trading post, however poor the means of the host may be; and from being disrobed even for a short time of the trappings of a voyager and experiencing the pleasures of cleanness.

The following are the estimated distances in statute miles which Mr. Back and I had travelled since our departure from Cumberland:

From Cumberland House to Carlton House: 263.
From Carlton House to Isle a la Crosse: 230.
From Isle a la Crosse to north side of the Methye Portage: 124.
From the Methye Portage to Fort Chipewyan: 240.

Total: 857 miles.


Sir John Franklin (1786-1847) was een Britse marineofficier en ontdekkingsreiziger, die drie grote reizen naar het Noordpoolgebied maakte. Het verslag van de eerste reis is te vinden in The Journey to the Polar Sea.

Egbert Alting -- 25 maart 1570

Saterdach 25 Martii Paeschavent 1570.
Hef ft der syndicus Westendorp sijn rapport den erb. Raed inbracht, als
dat noch geen geldt voerhandts, dan dat em grote vertroestinge mundtlick gescheen, te sullen binnenkorts komen, off dat de weeckleninge up andere oert
ende plaets verordnet solde worden; hef ft oeck een besloten brief f an den heer
lieutenant vertoent, als wesende enige commissie der renten ende schulden belangende up der geproscribeerden goederen etc.
B. ende R. laten weten ende verbieden, dat gheen harbergeers noch ander borger offt ingesetenen sullen enige soldaten setten, binnen hueses tho drincken, dan sullen hoer aliene bij tapmaten ende haelekannen de bieren voertan moegen verkopen ende affhaelen laten, telcker reysen bij 5 marcken tho broecke.


Egbert Alting (1533-1594) was eerste secretaris van de stad Groningen in de tweede helft van de 16e eeuw. Zijn dagboek is een belangrijke bron voor de geschiedenis van Groningen, omdat het laat zien hoe de politieke verhoudingen binnen het stadsbestuur lagen.

Erich Mühsam -- 24 maart 1912

München, Sonntag, d. 24. März 1912.

Der 13te Todestag meiner Mutter, woran ich wieder erst erinnert wurde, nachdem ich das Datum hierhergeschrieben habe.

In der Schweizer Angelegenheit ist mir ein Gespräch mit Scheidegger eingefallen. Er erzählte mir von der Schießerei in der Polizeikaserne und erklärte dabei, daß nur Russen aktiv dabei beteiligt gewesen seien. Ich werde mein Zeugnis dafür zur Verfügung stellen, auch dafür, daß Scheideggers Geistigkeit schon immer verdächtig gewesen ist.

Gestern saß ich den ganzen Nachmittag im Café. Um 5 Uhr sollte die Stöckl hinkommen. Um ½ 7 Uhr kam sie. Ich machte sie mit Meyrink bekannt, von dem sie Sachen vortragen will, nachher saßen wir noch mit dem Ehepaar Etzel beisammen. Um 8 Uhr war ich mit Frl. Dr. Gellért verabredet, der Freundin Grossmanns, die von mir anarchistische Schriften namhaft gemacht wünschte. Sie erschien. Eine etwas korpulente, rassige Jüdin, Ärztin. Sie bestellte mir den Gruß eines „gelben Dominos“ aus dem Fasching. Ich schrieb mir die Adresse auf, eine Baronesse von Esebeck, die ich nun schriftlich aufgefordert habe, sich bei mir zu melden. Gegen 9 Uhr brach ich mit der Doktorin auf und sie kam auf meine Anregung noch zu mir hinauf. Ich weiß nicht, was über mich kam. Ich spürte plötzlich erotische Wallungen. Sie sträubte sich in einer Form, daß ich toll wurde. Natürlich siegte ich. Ein unglaublich leidenschaftliches Weib, fanatisch sinnlich, und, wie ich fürchte, jetzt rasend verliebt in mich. Erst gegen ½ 12 Uhr verließen wir das Haus, ich begleitete sie heim und fuhr dann in die Torggelstube, wo ich um Lotte herum die beiden Strichs, Cronos, Kalser, Hörschelmann, Alva und Frisch versammelt fand. Wir alle gingen später in den Bunten Vogel, wo sich jetzt mit Morax’ und Emmys Mitwirkung ein reguläres Cabaret entwickelt. Ganz zum Schluß kam noch die Stöckl mit Dr. Duggen angefahren. Ich muß sie um ½ 4 Uhr abholen, da wir bei Etzels die Vorlesung eines Dramas von einem Herrn Arem anhören sollen.

„Bubi“ habe ich gelesen. Drei ungeheuer lustige Akte. Eine ausgezeichnete Satire auf die Deutsch-französischen Marokko-Verhandlungen. Meyrinks Einfälle und Roda Rodas Witz ergeben eine brillante Mischung. Wenn die Zensur das Stück durchläßt, scheint mir ein großer Erfolg sicher.


Erich Mühsam (1878-1934) was een Duitse dichter, anarchist en activist tegen het nationaalsocialisme. Hij werd in 1934 in een concentratiekamp vermoord. Zijn vrouw heeft er na zeer veel tegenspoed en tegenwerking voor gezorgd dat een gedeelte van zijn gedichten, dagboeken en andere geschriften gepubliceerd werden.

James Cook -- 23 maart 1769

Thursday, 23rd. Fresh gales and Squally, with rain, the first part; remainder fresh Gales and Cloudy. P.M. saw some Men-of-War Birds, and Egg Birds, and in the Morning saw more Egg Birds and Tropic Birds. The Man-of-War and Tropic Birds are pretty well known, but the Egg Bird (as it is called in the Dolphin's Journal) requires some discription to know it by that Name. It is a small slender Bird of the Gull kind, and all white, and not much unlike the small white Gulls we have in England, only not so big.* (* Terns.) There are also Birds in Newfoundland called Stearings that are of the same shape and Bigness, only they are of a Greyish Colour. These Birds were called by the Dolphin Egg Birds on account of their being like those known by that name by Sailors in the Gulph of Florida; neither they nor the Man-of-War Birds are ever reckoned to go very far from Land. Wind North by West to West by North: course North 13 degrees West; distance 49 miles; latitude 24 degrees 43 minutes South, longitude 130 degrees 8 minutes West.



James Cook (1728-1779) was een Britse zeevaarder en cartograaf, die bekend werd vanwege zijn drie ontdekkingstochten naar de Grote Oceaan. Tijdens zijn reizen hield hij scheepsjournalen bij.