Tuesday May 24th 1814: I spent the day fooling, dancing, and trying to parody Madame de Staël’s style without success. She says a great many commonplaces in a roundabout, flash, antithetical style – but to imitate her one must be too serious to be capable of raising a laugh.
I taught myself to waltz this day.
— John Cam Hobhouse writes on his diary on May 24 1814.
pastnow 