Diary of Marie Bashkirtseff
CZENUKFR

Monday, 8 December 1873

In two days.

*Dans deux jours.*

"May he be happy!"

"Pourvu qu'il soit heureux !"

I have had the habit these past days of beginning the journal with "in two days, etc." -- I write it the evening before.

J'ai l'habitude ces derniers jours de commencer le journal par "dans deux jours etc", je l'écris la veille.

I cannot -- no, never in my life... never in the world shall I be able to say what I felt on reading the Galignani, that fatal newspaper, source of all my unhappy tribulations. The article is entitled -- The marriage of the duke of Hamilton. ^["The marriage of the duke of Hamilton" -- in English in the original, as the article headline.]

Je ne puis, non jamais de ma vie... jamais au monde je ne pourrai dire ce que j'ai senti en lisant le "Galignani", journal fatal, source de toutes mes tribulations malheureuses. L'article est intitulé - The marriage of the duke of Hamilton.

HAMILTON.---The Glasgow Herald states that arrangements are now nearly completed for the befitting celebration of the marriage, on Wednesday next, of the Duke of Hamilton to Lady Mary Montagu, eldest daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Manchester

HAMILTON.---The Glasgow Herald states that arrangements are now nearly completed for the befitting celebration of the marriage, on Wednesday next, of the Duke of Hamilton to Lady Mary Montagu, eldest daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Manchester

The ceremony takes place in Kimbolton Church, Huntingdonshire, and on the previous evening a ball will be given at Kimbolton Castle, which for upwards of three centuries has been the chief seat of the family with which the Premier Peer of Scotland is about to be allied. The event will be marked by great rejoicings on his grace's extensive estates in the Middle Ward of Lanarkshire, Arran, Kinneil, etc. The principal festivities will take place at Hamilton, where on Tuesday night, in the "Town-ball," an assembly will be held, to which, we believe, about 600 invitations will be issued, comprising the leading families in the county. The mineral and agricultural tenantry on the Hamilton and Kinneil estates will be entertained to a grand banquet in the Riding School of Hamilton Palace on Wednesday afternoon, and a similar entertainment will at "little" Arran, to be given to his grace's employes. The Chatelherault cannot have been reinquinted for the occasion of the marriage, and a salute will be fired immediately on the completion of the nuptial ceremony. In the evening, there will be a display of fireworks; bonfires will be lit on the heights at Chatelherault and Dechmont; besides other outward indications of the general rejoicing.

The ceremony takes place in Kimbolton Church, Huntingdonshire, and on the previous evening a ball will be given at Kimbolton Castle, which for upwards of three centuries has been the chief seat of the family with which the Premier Peer of Scotland is about to be allied. The event will be marked by great rejoicings on his grace's extensive estates in the Middle Ward of Lanarkshire, Arran, Kinneil, etc. The principal festivities will take place at Hamilton, where on Tuesday night, in the "Town-ball," an assembly will be held, to which, we believe, about 600 invitations will be issued, comprising the leading families in the county. The mineral and agricultural tenantry on the Hamilton and Kinneil estates will be entertained to a grand banquet in the Riding School of Hamilton Palace on Wednesday afternoon, and a similar entertainment will at "little" Arran, to be given to his grace's employés. The Chatelherault cannot have been reinquinted for the occasion of the marriage, and a salute will be fired immediately on the completion of the nuptial ceremony. In the evening, there will be a display of fireworks; bonfires will be lit on the heights at Chatelherault and Dechmont; besides other outward indications of the general rejoicing.

The Queen's Own Yeomanry Cavalry, the mineral and agricultural tenantry, the officials and workmen on Hamilton and Kinneil estates, and servants in the palace and in Arran have subscribed handsomely for wedding gifts to Lady Mary. The employes' present consists of a magnificent inkstand of chased design, costing, it is stated, close on £200.

The Queen's Own Yeomanry Cavalry, the mineral and agricultural tenantry, the officials and workmen on Hamilton and Kinneil estates, and servants in the palace and in Arran have subscribed handsomely for wedding gifts to Lady Mary. The employés' present consists of a magnificent inkstand of chased design, costing, it is stated, close on £200.

Over £2,000 has been subscribed by the tenantry of Lanarkshire on the estates of the duke for the purpose of presenting Lady Mary Montagu with a diamond bracelet on the occasion of her marriage to their noble landlord. ^[The newspaper article from the Glasgow Herald, reprinted in Galignani's Messenger, is in English in the original.]

Over £2,000 has been subscribed by the tenantry of Lanarkshire on the estates of the duke for the purpose of presenting Lady Mary Montagu with a diamond bracelet on the occasion of her marriage to their noble landlord.

They describe all the pomps being prepared. They have fired the cannons of Chatelherault, and the moment the nuptial ceremony is over, "a salute will be fired." Balls, ceremonies, His Grace's employes will present gifts to Lady Mary (I do not know why this "Lady Mary," all by itself, suffocates me) and a thousand other arrangements -- magnificent, solemn, imposing, suffocating, and terrible. A real event, which would leave me breathless even if it did not concern the Duke of Hamilton. I am always very ecstatic and overwrought when I hear or read descriptions of any ceremony or solemnity; one can therefore -- no, one cannot imagine what I became on reading this accursed newspaper.

On décrit toutes les pompes qui se préparent. On a tiré les canons de Chatelherault et au moment où la cérémonie nuptiale sera terminée "a salute will be fired" Des bals, des cérémonies, His Grace's employés présenteront des cadeaux à lady Mary (je ne ne sais pourquoi ce "lady Mary" tout seul, me suffoque) et mille autres arrangements magnifiques, solennels, imposants, suffoquants et terribles. Un vrai événement, qui me rendrait essoufflée si même il ne s'agissait pas du duc de Hamilton. Je suis toujours très extasiée et énervée lorsque j'entends ou je lis des descriptions de quelque cérémonie, solennité, on peut donc, non on ne peut pas s'imaginer ce que je suis devenue en lisant ce maudit journal.