Tuesday, June 1.—Drawing lesson. Read Livy. Walk by the Tiber. Spend the evening with Miss Curran.
Wednesday, June 2.—See Mr. Vogel’s pictures. William becomes very ill in the evening.
Thursday, June 3.—William is very ill, but gets better towards the evening. Miss Curran calls.
Mary took this opportunity of begging her friend to write for her to Mrs. Gisborne, telling her of the inevitable delay in their journey.
Rome, Thursday, 3d June 1819.
Dear Mrs. Gisborne—Mary tells me to write for her, for she is very unwell, and also afflicted. Our poor little William is at present very ill, and it will be impossible to quit Rome so soon as we intended. She begs you, therefore, to forward the letters here, and still to look for a servant for her, as she certainly intends coming to Pisa. She will write to you a day or two before we set out.
William has a complaint of the stomach; but fortunately he is attended by Mr. Bell, who is reckoned even in London one of the first English surgeons.
I know you will be glad to hear that both Mary and Mr. Shelley would be well in health were it not for the dreadful anxiety they now suffer.
Emelia Curran.
Two days after, Mary herself wrote a few lines to Mrs. Gisborne.