[Rarebooks] FS: 1817-1819 travel diary of a Bostonian -- approximately 350+ pages, with tipped-in maps, laid-in early visas & passports,

[Ezra Tishman]

Ezra from Aardvark offers this bound handwritten travel diary which Bostonian Mr. George Phillips Parker (1793-1856) , husband
to Harriet Walker Parker (d. 3 Sep. 1821) kept, on a grand European tour begun in the summer of 1817. Parker later became active in the temperance movement,
and in fact, his portrait in sillhouette by Auguste Edouart, in 1844 (along with David Osgood, a noted advocate of homeopathy) hangs in the National Portrait Gallery.

The journal opens with a sort of dedication page wherein Parker notes the birth of his daughter Lydia Boardman Parker, born Nov. 11, 1820: Lydia Boardman Parker
born Nov. 11, 1820, “Sabra’s 1/2 past 6’o’clock; baptised by Rev. Doc. Jarvis, innoculated with hive pock & it took well…"

Just nine months later, Parker’s wife (Lydia’s mother) Harriet Walker Parker became ill with typhus on August 9th, 1821 and died September 3 of that same year. George
Parker was 27 years old and his child Lydia, less than a year. Parker continues: “Harriet Walker Parker my dear wife left me with a heavenly smile on her countenance,
after being sick…with typhus fever, attended by Dr. Warden of Shattuck…and was carried to St. Paul’s church and there laid in John Parker’s tomb (my father) on the 4th, where
I wish to be put with mny child Lydia. That when the great day shall come we might attend that Divine Judge for whose mercy we shall always pray…Dr. Jarvis read service and on the next 
Sunday preached an appropriate discourse…” (red wax seal at bottom, mostly worn away).

Hardcover measures 10.14” x 7 7/8”. Black, tooled leather boards triple ruled in blind with framed dentelle border in elaborate gilt floral and feather pattern. One brass clasp. 
Lovely nonpareil marbling to endpapers. , having been once-mended with, yes, alas, gray duct tape, whose residue to left edge of front board and right one-third of spine,
await cleaning. Gilt lettering to front and spine.  Gilt, floral dentelles to edges of both front. Front board detached
and seems to comprise, roughly 300+ double-sided leaves, with approximately 50 lines of cursive text per page. 

At the front is affixed a Langlois 1816 map of France with inset map of Holland. Also, tipped- or laid-in
are a number of European maps, documents of introduction, passport and visa documents, (each stamped by sundry countries and principalities, and notated numerous times),
mounted illustrations, etc.  The diary appears to have been written largely in one hand, but with short segments in another,
suggesting more than one copyist. Many little notes, lists, receipts, on good laid paper laid or pasted-in. (Eg. “Rec’d 7 pilasters …flacons essence De rose, le 27 Febrier 1818…”)
Below this, a Cure for Cholera, written out.  (“Clear fine glue good to fine cyder…” Parker also sent back certain “souvenirs": “Sent this day March 28, 1818, by Penguin in the “handy of the supercargo to John, the following: 1) Coins of Tivoli; 2) Medal of Emp. Francis; 3) "1 square peice of marble”; 4) …"

Several curious segments appear to copy word for word, cipher-by-cipher, pages from then-current books on country-by-country economics, relative monies, relative currency strengths, exchange
calculations, etc. Also present is possible evidence of Mr. Parker having been paid for such information, but this is merely bookseller conjecture.  Without waxing fantastic, could this man have been
a spy of sorts? He was a well-placed Bostonian whose family apparently had some influential contacts.

Other segments speak of his meeting (s) with astronomer, mathematician and musician William Herschel, his audience with (I believe) the Pope, his experience of great art, sites, theatre, etc. 
etc.

At times the pages of the diary appears to be bound in an odd and unsequential manner. At one point, in another hand, is written, in pencil: “See page backs for continuance of journal."

Sample entries: 

“…Dr. Sir Wm. Hershel…I think these few pages well devoted to my children who may wish to know something of this great astronomer and for whom I feel much respect — as he was very attentive and kind to me as well as his daughter. The illustrious individual with whose life I present you who, destined to honor their country and their age, have at their outset had to surmount all the obstaclesa which an adverse fortune presents to the first efforts of genius. He opened new paths in a sublime science; he saw stars whose existence was previously unknown and extended the bounds of the visible heavens. Supported by the liberality of a powerful monarch he devoted. his life to

“A poor girl in rags crept to us with some little old coins foundin. one of the fields. Having ranged about for some hour outside of the walls on a part of the ruins of an amphitheater ofwhich here are scarcely
sufficient to be termed a ruin, we prepared to go. A small brook runs outsideof the wall. From these templesis a beautiful view of the bay and sea, which is about five miles distant….the distance from Naples is 54 miles. We were much amazed with playing Neapolitan cards. Reached Salerno where we slept. and I lost much blood during the night from fleas. Here the beggars beset us of all kinds, on their hands, without eyes, etc. One put himself on his hands as if a cripple but afterwards jumped up and ran off with much haste…The number of beggars who have lost their eyes is very great, from what reason I cannot tell.I saw six or seven persons digging out a house. They work very slow, with an ox attached to a cart and a yoke on his neck which appears to me a foolish way as it galls the neck, but the people asre extremely lazy and stupid. Our driver was so barbarous to his child of about ten years old that we were about to whip him. Tied him on to the horse and. made him ride postillion all the way. The Italians seldom strike their equals…”

“Dined this day with Mr. and Mrs. Midd at 1/2 past 6. This was a company of English nobility. Lady Douglas, her ugly daughter, two lords, one Sir Wm. Gell who had travelled in Turkey, an English Captaain…I expected some conversation adapted to their grade, but it was a true pattern of them as in their own country. A jealousy of islanders mixed with vulgarity and abuse. The noble lady genteely washed her eye of glass in her tubmbler to oble the company. One observed two or three times that the ice punch a la Romaine, was like the best of shaving lather. One said us apretty speech that a certain lady had her teeth put in with a wire. I was very much disgusted with their low style of conversation. Mrs. M. is very beautiful and came in the evening appearing with much grace and dignity. She does not with to be thought as American. In the eve had a conversation but as nobody is introduced I retired to read some papers. February 28: Engaged in packing up having engaged a ___to carry us to Rome for seventy dollars, finding one meal and lodgings. 

“Mr. Dan Parker will send me the French paper called “Journal of Paris” with bulletin of Commerce."

Parker’s daughter, an orpaned infant orphaned but two years after the conclusion of Parker’s travels/diary, went on to marry John Turner Welles Sargent, son of painter Henry Sargent
PHOTOS:     https://www.dropbox.com/sh/jwa8s5l15um3io1/AABtMa29Rt-40kTtGMhs3Z4Ka?dl=0 <https://www.dropbox.com/sh/jwa8s5l15um3io1/AABtMa29Rt-40kTtGMhs3Z4Ka?dl=0>

																																				$2850 (Reciprocal Trade Terms Granted)


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