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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Passages From the English Notebooks, Volume 2 + +Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne + + +Release Date: April, 2005 [EBook #7877] +This file was first posted on May 29, 2003 +Last Updated: April 3, 2013 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PASSAGES *** + + + + +Produced by Tapio Riikonen and David Widger + + + + + +</pre> + <div style="height: 8em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h1> + PASSAGES FROM THE ENGLISH NOTE-BOOKS, VOLUME II + </h1> + <p> + <br /> + </p> + <h2> + By Nathaniel Hawthorne + </h2> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <h3> + LONDON.—MILTON-CLUB DINNER. + </h3> + <p> + April 4th, 1856.—On Tuesday I went to No. 14 Ludgate Hill, to dine + with Bennoch at the Milton Club; a club recently founded for dissenters, + nonconformists, and people whose ideas, religious or political, are not + precisely in train with the establishment in church and state. I was shown + into a large reading-room, well provided with periodicals and newspapers, + and found two or three persons there; but Bennoch had not yet arrived. In + a few moments, a tall gentleman with white hair came in,—a fine and + intelligent-looking man, whom I guessed to be one of those who were to + meet me. He walked about, glancing at the periodicals; and soon entered + Mr. Tupper, and, without seeing me, exchanged warm greetings with the + white-haired gentleman. "I suppose," began Mr. Tupper, "you have come to + meet—" Now, conscious that my name was going to be spoken, and not + knowing but the excellent Mr. Tupper might say something which he would + not, quite like me to overhear, I advanced at once, with outstretched + hand, and saluted him. He expressed great joy at the recognition, and + immediately introduced me to Mr. Hall. + </p> + <p> + The dining-room was pretty large and lofty, and there were sixteen guests + at table, most of them authors, or people connected with the press; so + that the party represented a great deal of the working intellect of London + at this present day and moment,—the men whose plays, whose songs, + whose articles, are just now in vogue. Mr. Tom Taylor was one of the very + few whose writings I had known anything about. He is a tall, slender, dark + young man, not English-looking, and wearing colored spectacles, so that I + should readily have taken him for an American literary man. I did not have + much opportunity of talking with him, nor with anybody else, except Dr. + ———, who seemed a shrewd, sensible man, with a certain + slight acerbity of thought. Mr. Herbert Ingram, recently elected member of + Parliament, was likewise present, and sat on Bennoch's left. + </p> + <p> + It was a very good dinner, with an abundance of wine, which Bennoch sent + round faster than was for the next day's comfort of his guests. It is + singular that I should thus far have quite forgotten W——— + H————, whose books I know better than those of any + other person there. He is a white-headed, stout, firm-looking, and rather + wrinkled-faced old gentleman, whose temper, I should imagine, was not the + very sweetest in the world. There is all abruptness, a kind of + sub-acidity, if not bitterness, in his address; he seemed not to be, in + short, so genial as I should have anticipated from his books. + </p> + <p> + As soon as the cloth was removed, Bennoch, without rising from his chair, + made a speech in honor of his eminent and distinguished guest, which + illustrious person happened to be sitting in the selfsame chair that I + myself occupied. I have no recollection of what he said, nor of what I + said in reply, but I remember that both of us were cheered and applauded + much more than the occasion deserved. Then followed about fifty other + speeches; for every single individual at table was called up (as Tupper + said, "toasted and roasted"), and, for my part, I was done entirely brown + (to continue T——-'s figure). Everybody said something kind, + not a word or idea of which can I find in my memory. Certainly, if I never + get any more praise in my life, I have had enough of it for once. I made + another little bit of a speech, too, in response to something that was + said in reference to the present difficulties between England and America, + and ended, as a proof that I deemed war impossible, with drinking success + to the British army, and calling on Lieutenant Shaw, of the Aldershott + Camp, to reply. I am afraid I must have said something very wrong, for the + applause was vociferous, and I could hear the gentlemen whispering about + the table, "Good!" "Good!" "Yes, he is a fine fellow,"—and other + such ill-earned praises; and I took shame to myself, and held my tongue + (publicly) the rest of the evening. But in such cases something must be + allowed to the excitement of the moment, and to the effect of kindness and + goodwill, so broadly and warmly displayed; and even a sincere man must not + be held to speak as if he were under oath. + </p> + <p> + We separated, in a blessed state of contentment with one another, at about + eleven; and (lest I should starve before morning) I went with Mr. D——— + to take supper at his house in Park Lane. Mr. D——— is a + pale young gentleman, of American aspect, being a West-Indian by birth. He + is one of the principal writers of editorials for the Times. We were + accompanied in the carriage by another gentleman, Mr. M———, + who is connected with the management of the same paper. He wrote the + letters from Scutari, which drew so much attention to the state of the + hospitals. Mr. D——— is the husband of the former Miss + ———, the actress, and when we reached his house, we + found that she had just come home from the theatre, and was taking off her + stage-dress. Anon she came down to the drawing-room,—a seemingly + good, simple, and intelligent lady, not at all pretty, and, I should + think, older than her husband. She was very kind to me, and told me that + she had read one of my books—The House of the Seven Gables—thirteen + years ago; which I thought remarkable, because I did not write it till + eight or nine years afterwards. + </p> + <p> + The principal talk during supper (which consisted of Welsh-rabbit and + biscuits, with champagne and sodawater) was about the Times, and the two + contributors expressed vast admiration of Mr. ———, who + has the chief editorial management of the paper. It is odd to find how + little we outsiders know of men who really exercise a vast influence on + affairs, for this Mr. ——— is certainly of far more + importance in the world than a minister of state. He writes nothing + himself; but the character of the Times seems to depend upon his + intuitive, unerring judgment; and if ever he is absent from his post, even + for a day or two, they say that the paper immediately shows it. In reply + to my questions, they appeared to acknowledge that he was a man of + expediency, but of a very high expediency, and that he gave the public the + very best principles which it was capable of receiving. Perhaps it may be + so: the Times's articles are certainly not written in so high a moral vein + as might be wished; but what they lack in height they gain in breadth. + Every sensible man in England finds his own best common-sense there; and, + in effect, I think its influence is wholesome. + </p> + <p> + Apropos of public speaking, Dr. ——— said that Sir Lytton + Bulwer asked him (I think the anecdote was personal to himself) whether he + felt his heart beat when he was going to speak. "Yes." "Does your voice + frighten you?" "Yes." "Do all your ideas forsake you?" "Yes." "Do you wish + the floor to open and swallow you?" "Yes." "Why, then, you'll make an + orator!" Dr. ——— told of Canning, too, how once, before + rising to speak in the House of Commons, he bade his friend feel his + pulse, which was throbbing terrifically. "I know I shall make one of my + best speeches," said Canning, "because I'm in such an awful funk!" + President Pierce, who has a great deal of oratorical power, is subject to + a similar horror and reluctance. + </p> + <h3> + REFORM-CLUB DINNER. + </h3> + <p> + April 5th.—On Thursday, at eight o'clock, I went to the Reform Club, + to dine with Dr. ———. The waiter admitted me into a + great basement hall, with a tessellated or mosaic or somehow figured floor + of stone, and lighted from a dome of lofty height. In a few minutes Dr. + ——— appeared, and showed me about the edifice, which is + very noble and of a substantial magnificence that was most satisfactory to + behold,—no wood-work imitating better materials, but pillars and + balustrades of marble, and everything what it purports to be. The + reading-room is very large, and luxuriously comfortable, and contains an + admirable library: there are rooms and conveniences for every possible + purpose; and whatever material for enjoyment a bachelor may need, or ought + to have, he can surely find it here, and on such reasonable terms that a + small income will do as much for him as a far greater one on any other + system. + </p> + <p> + In a colonnade, on the first floor, surrounding the great basement hall, + there are portraits of distinguished reformers, and black niches for + others yet to come. Joseph Hume, I believe, is destined to fill one of + these blanks; but I remarked that the larger part of the portraits, + already hung up, are of men of high rank,—the Duke of Sussex, for + instance; Lord Durham, Lord Grey; and, indeed, I remember no commoner. In + one room, I saw on the wall the fac-simile, so common in the United + States, of our Declaration of Independence. + </p> + <p> + Descending again to the basement hall, an elderly gentleman came in, and + was warmly welcomed by Dr. ———. He was a very short man, + but with breadth enough, and a back excessively bent,—bowed almost + to deformity; very gray hair, and a face and expression of remarkable + briskness and intelligence. His profile came out pretty boldly, and his + eyes had the prominence that indicates, I believe, volubility of speech, + nor did he fail to talk from the instant of his appearance; and in the + tone of his voice, and in his glance, and in the whole man, there was + something racy,—a flavor of the humorist. His step was that of an + aged man, and he put his stick down very decidedly at every footfall; + though as he afterwards told me that he was only fifty-two, he need not + yet have been infirm. But perhaps he has had the gout; his feet, however, + are by no means swollen, but unusually small. Dr. ——— + introduced him as Mr. Douglas Jerrold, and we went into the coffee-room to + dine. + </p> + <p> + The coffee-room occupies one whole side of the edifice, and is provided + with a great many tables, calculated for three or four persons to dine at; + and we sat down at one of these, and Dr. ——— ordered + some mulligatawny soup, and a bottle of white French wine. The waiters in + the coffee-room are very numerous, and most of them dressed in the livery + of the Club, comprising plush breeches and white-silk stockings; for these + English Reformers do not seem to include Republican simplicity of manners + in their system. Neither, perhaps, is it anywise essential. + </p> + <p> + After the soup, we had turbot, and by and by a bottle of Chateau Margaux, + very delectable; and then some lambs' feet, delicately done, and some + cutlets of I know not what peculiar type; and finally a ptarmigan, which + is of the same race of birds as the grouse, but feeds high up towards the + summits of the Scotch mountains. Then some cheese, and a bottle of + Chambertin. It was a very pleasant dinner, and my companions were both + very agreeable men; both taking a shrewd, satirical, yet not ill-natured, + view of life and people, and as for Mr. Douglas Jerrold, he often reminded + me of E—— C———, in the richer veins of the + latter, both by his face and expression, and by a tincture of something at + once wise and humorously absurd in what he said. But I think he has a + kinder, more genial, wholesomer nature than E——, and under a + very thin crust of outward acerbity I grew sensible of a very warm heart, + and even of much simplicity of character in this man, born in London, and + accustomed always to London life. + </p> + <p> + I wish I had any faculty whatever of remembering what people say; but, + though I appreciate anything good at the moment, it never stays in my + memory; nor do I think, in fact, that anything definite, rounded, pointed, + separable, and transferable from the general lump of conversation was said + by anybody. I recollect that they laughed at Mr. ———, + and at his shedding a tear into a Scottish river, on occasion of some + literary festival. . . . They spoke approvingly of Bulwer, as valuing his + literary position, and holding himself one of the brotherhood of authors; + and not so approvingly of Charles Dickens, who, born a plebeian, aspires + to aristocratic society. But I said that it was easy to condescend, and + that Bulwer knew he could not put off his rank, and that he would have all + the advantages of it in spite of his authorship. We talked about the + position of men of letters in England, and they said that the aristocracy + hated and despised and feared them; and I asked why it was that literary + men, having really so much power in their hands, were content to live + unrecognized in the State. + </p> + <p> + Douglas Jerrold talked of Thackeray and his success in America, and said + that he himself purposed going and had been invited thither to lecture. I + asked him whether it was pleasant to a writer of plays to see them + performed; and he said it was intolerable, the presentation of the + author's idea being so imperfect; and Dr. ——— observed + that it was excruciating to hear one of his own songs sung. Jerrold spoke + of the Duke of Devonshire with great warmth, as a true, honest, simple, + most kind-hearted man, from whom he himself had received great courtesies + and kindnesses (not, as I understood, in the way of patronage or essential + favors); and I (Heaven forgive me!) queried within myself whether this + English reforming author would have been quite so sensible of the Duke's + excellence if his Grace had not been a duke. But indeed, a nobleman, who + is at the same time a true and whole-hearted man, feeling his brotherhood + with men, does really deserve some credit for it. + </p> + <p> + In the course of the evening, Jerrold spoke with high appreciation of + Emerson; and of Longfellow, whose Hiawatha he considered a wonderful + performance; and of Lowell, whose Fable for Critics he especially admired. + I mentioned Thoreau, and proposed to send his works to Dr. ———, + who, being connected with the Illustrated News, and otherwise a writer, + might be inclined to draw attention to then. Douglas Jerrold asked why he + should not have them too. I hesitated a little, but as he pressed me, and + would have an answer, I said that I did not feel quite so sure of his + kindly judgment on Thoreau's books; and it so chanced that I used the word + "acrid" for lack of a better, in endeavoring to express my idea of + Jerrold's way of looking at men and books. It was not quite what I meant; + but, in fact, he often is acrid, and has written pages and volumes of + acridity, though, no doubt, with an honest purpose, and from a manly + disgust at the cant and humbug of the world. Jerrold said no more, and I + went on talking with Dr. ———; but, in a minute or two, I + became aware that something had gone wrong, and, looking at Douglas + Jerrold, there was an expression of pain and emotion on his face. By this + time a second bottle of Burgundy had been opened (Clos Vougeot, the best + the Club could produce, and far richer than the Chambertin), and that warm + and potent wine may have had something to do with the depth and vivacity + of Mr. Jerrold's feelings. But he was indeed greatly hurt by that little + word "acrid." "He knew," he said, "that the world considered him a sour, + bitter, ill-natured man; but that such a man as I should have the sane + opinion was almost more than he could bear." As he spoke, he threw out his + arms, sank back in his seat, and I was really a little apprehensive of his + actual dissolution into tears. Hereupon I spoke, as was good need, and + though, as usual, I have forgotten everything I said, I am quite sure it + was to the purpose, and went to this good fellow's heart, as it came + warmly from my own. I do remember saying that I felt him to be as genial + as the glass of Burgundy which I held in my hand; and I think that touched + the very right spot; for he smiled, and said he was afraid the Burgundy + was better than he, but yet he was comforted. Dr. ——— + said that he likewise had a reputation for bitterness; and I assured him, + if I might venture to join myself to the brotherhood of two such men, that + I was considered a very ill-natured person by many people in my own + country. Douglas Jerrold said he was glad of it. + </p> + <p> + We were now in sweetest harmony, and Jerrold spoke more than it would + become me to repeat in praise of my own books, which he said he admired, + and he found the man more admirable than his books! I hope so, certainly. + </p> + <p> + We now went to the Haymarket Theatre, where Douglas Jerrold is on the free + list; and after seeing a ballet by some Spanish dancers, we separated, and + betook ourselves to our several homes. I like Douglas Jerrold very much. + </p> + <p> + April 8th.—On Saturday evening, at ten o'clock, I went to a + supper-party at Mr. D———'s, and there met five or six + people,—Mr. Faed, a young and distinguished artist; Dr. Eliotson, a + dark, sombre, taciturn, powerful-looking man, with coal-black hair, and a + beard as black, fringing round his face; Mr. Charles Reade, author of + Christie Johnstone and other novels, and many plays,—a tall man, + more than thirty, fair-haired, and of agreeable talk and demeanor. + </p> + <p> + On April 6th, I went to the Waterloo station, and there meeting Bennoch + and Dr. ———, took the rail for Woking, where we found + Mr. Hall's carriage waiting to convey us to Addlestone, about five miles + off. On arriving we found that Mr. and Mrs. Hall had not yet returned from + church. Their place is an exceedingly pretty one, and arranged in very + good taste. The house is not large; but is filled, in every room, with + fine engravings, statuettes, ingenious prettinesses or beautifulnesses in + the way of flower-stands, cabinets, and things that seem to have bloomed + naturally out of the characters of its occupants. There is a conservatory + connected with the drawing-room, and enriched with lovely plants, one of + which has a certain interest as being the plant on which Coleridge's eyes + were fixed when he died. This conservatory is likewise beautified with + several very fine casts of statues by modern sculptors, among which was + the Greek Slave of Powers, which my English friends criticised as being + too thin and meagre; but I defended it as in accordance with American + ideas of feminine beauty. From the conservatory we passed into the garden, + but did not minutely examine it, knowing that Mr. Hall would wish to lead + us through it in person. So, in the mean time, we took a walk in the + neighborhood, over stiles and along by-paths, for two or three miles, till + we reached the old village of Chertsey. In one of its streets stands an + ancient house, gabled, and with the second story projecting over the + first, and bearing an inscription to the purport that the poet Cowley had + once resided, and, I think, died there. Thence we passed on till we + reached a bridge over the Thames, which at this point, about twenty-five + miles from London, is a narrow river, but looks clean and pure, and + unconscious what abominations the city sewers will pour into it anon. We + were caught in two or three showers in the course of our walk; but got + back to Firfield without being very much wetted. + </p> + <p> + Our host and hostess had by this time returned from church, and Mrs. Hall + came frankly and heartily to the door to greet us, scolding us (kindly) + for having got wet. . . . I liked her simple, easy, gentle, quiet manners, + and I liked her husband too. + </p> + <p> + He has a wide and quick sympathy, and expresses it freely. . . . The world + is the better for him. + </p> + <p> + The shower being now over, we went out upon the beautiful lawn before his + house, where there were a good many trees of various kinds, many of which + have been set out by persons of great or small distinction, and are + labelled with their names. Thomas Moore's name was appended to one; Maria + Edgeworth's to another; likewise Fredrika Bremer's, Jenny Lind's; also + Grace Greenwood's, and I know not whose besides. This is really a pleasant + method of enriching one's grounds with memorials of friends, nor is there + any harm in making a shrubbery of celebrities. Three holes were already + dug, and three new trees lay ready to be planted, and for me there was a + sumach to plant,—a tree I never liked; but Mr. Hall said that they + had tried to dig up a hawthorn, but found it clung too fast to the soil. + So, since better might not be, and telling Mr. Hall that I supposed I + should have a right to hang myself on this tree whenever I chose, I seized + a spade, and speedily shovelled in a great deal of dirt; and there stands + my sumach, an object of interest to posterity! Bennoch also and Dr. + ——— set out their trees, and indeed, it was in some + sense a joint affair, for the rest of the party held up each tree, while + its godfather shovelled in the earth; but, after all, the gardener had + more to do with it than we. After this important business was over, Mr. + Hall led us about his rounds, which are very nicely planned and ordered; + and all this he has bought, and built, and laid out, from the profits of + his own and his wife's literary exertions. + </p> + <p> + We dined early, and had a very pleasant dinner, and, after the cloth was + removed, Mr. Hall was graciously pleased to drink my health, following it + with a long tribute to my genius. I answered briefly; and one half of my + short speech was in all probability very foolish. . . . + </p> + <p> + After the ladies (there were three, one being a girl of seventeen, with + rich auburn hair, the adopted daughter of the Halls) had retired, Dr. + ——— having been toasted himself, proposed Mrs. Hall's + health. + </p> + <p> + I did not have a great deal of conversation with Mrs. Hall; but enough to + make me think her a genuine and good woman, unspoilt by a literary career, + and retaining more sentiment than even most girls keep beyond seventeen. + She told me that it had been the dream of her life to see Longfellow and + myself! . . . . Her dream is half accomplished now, and, as they say + Longfellow is coming over this summer, the remainder may soon be rounded + out. On taking leave, our kind hosts presented me with some beautiful + flowers, and with three volumes of a work, by themselves, on Ireland; and + Dr. ——— was favored also with some flowers, and a plant + in a pot, and Bennoch too had his hands full, . . . . and we went on our + way rejoicing. + </p> + <p> + [Here follows an account of the Lord Mayor's dinner, taken mostly for Our + Old Home; but I think I will copy this more exact description of the lady + mentioned in "Civic Banquets."—ED.] + </p> + <p> + . . . . My eyes were mostly drawn to a young lady, who sat nearly opposite + me, across the table. She was, I suppose, dark, and yet not dark, but + rather seemed to be of pure white marble, yet not white; but the purest + and finest complexion, without a shade of color in it, yet anything but + sallow or sickly. Her hair was a wonderful deep raven-black, black as + night, black as death; not raven-black, for that has a shiny gloss, and + hers had not, but it was hair never to be painted nor described,—wonderful + hair, Jewish hair. Her nose had a beautiful outline, though I could see + that it was Jewish too; and that, and all her features, were so fine that + sculpture seemed a despicable art beside her, and certainly my pen is good + for nothing. If any likeness could be given, however; it must be by + sculpture, not painting. She was slender and youthful, and yet had a + stately and cold, though soft and womanly grace; and, looking at her, I + saw what were the wives of the old patriarchs in their maiden or + early-married days,—what Judith was, for, womanly as she looked, I + doubt, not she could have slain a man in a just cause,—what + Bathsheba was, only she seemed to have no sin in her,— perhaps what + Eve was, though one could hardly think her weak enough to eat the apple. . + . . Whether owing to distinctness of race, my sense that she was a Jewess, + or whatever else, I felt a sort of repugnance, simultaneously with my + perception that she was an admirable creature. + </p> + <h3> + THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. + </h3> + <p> + At ten o'clock the next day [after the Lord Mayor's dinner] I went to + lunch with Bennoch, and afterwards accompanied him to one of the + government offices in Downing Street. He went thither, not on official + business, but on a matter connected with a monument to Miss Mitford, in + which Mr. Harness, a clergyman and some sort of a government clerk, is + interested. I gathered from this conversation that there is no great + enthusiasm about the monumental affair among the British public. It + surprised me to hear allusions indicating that Miss Mitford was not the + invariably amiable person that her writings would suggest; but the whole + drift of what they said tended, nevertheless, towards the idea that she + was an excellent and generous person, loved most by those who knew her + best. + </p> + <p> + From Downing Street we crossed over and entered Westminster Hall, and + passed through it, and up the flight of steps at its farthest end, and + along the avenue of statues, into the vestibule of the House of Commons. + It was now somewhat past five, and we stood at the inner entrance of the + House, to see the members pass in, Bennoch pointing out to me the + distinguished ones. I was not much impressed with the appearance of the + members generally; they seemed to me rather shabbier than English + gentlemen usually, and I saw or fancied in many of them a certain + self-importance, as they passed into the interior, betokening them to be + very full of their dignity. Some of them looked more American—more + like American politicians—than most Englishmen do. There was now and + then a gray-headed country gentleman, the very type of stupidity; and two + or three city members came up and spoke to Bennoch, and showed themselves + quite as dull, in their aldermanic way, as the country squires. . . . + Bennoch pointed out Lord John Russell, a small, very short, elderly + gentleman, in a brown coat, and so large a hat—not large of brim, + but large like a peck-measure—that I saw really no face beneath it. + By and by came a rather tall, slender person, in a black frock-coat, + buttoned up, and black pantaloons, taking long steps, but I thought rather + feebly or listlessly. His shoulders were round, or else he had a habitual + stoop in them. He had a prominent nose, a thin face, and a sallow, very + sallow complexion; . . . . and had I seen him in America I should have + taken him for a hard-worked editor of a newspaper, weary and worn with + night-labor and want of exercise,—aged before his time. It was + Disraeli, and I never saw any other Englishman look in the least like him; + though, in America, his appearance would not attract notice as being + unusual. I do not remember any other noteworthy person whom we saw enter; + in fact, the House had already been some time in session, and most of the + members were in their places. + </p> + <p> + We were to dine at the Refectory of the House with the new member for + Boston; and, meanwhile, Bennoch obtained admittance for us into the + Speaker's gallery, where we had a view of the members, and could hear what + was going on. A Mr. Muntz was speaking on the Income Tax, and he was + followed by Sir George Cornewall Lewis and others; but it was all very + uninteresting, without the slightest animation or attempt at oratory,—which, + indeed, would have been quite out of place. We saw Lord Palmerston; but at + too great a distance to distinguish anything but a gray head. The House + had daylight in it when we entered, and for some time afterwards; but, by + and by, the roof, which I had taken to be a solid and opaque ceiling, + suddenly brightened, and showed itself to be transparent; a vast expanse + of tinted and figured glass, through which came down a great, mild + radiance on the members below. + </p> + <p> + The character of the debate, however, did not grow more luminous or + vivacious; so we went down into the vestibule, and there waited for Mr. + ———, who soon came and led us into the Refectory. It was + very much like the coffee-room of a club. The strict rule forbids the + entrance of any but members of Parliament; but it seems to be winked at, + although there is another room, opening beyond this, where the law of + seclusion is strictly enforced. + </p> + <p> + The dinner was good, not remarkably so, but good enough,—a soup, + some turbot or salmon, cutlets, and I know not what else, and claret, + sherry, and port; for, as Mr. ——— said, "he did not wish + to be stingy." Mr. ——— is a self-made man, and a strong + instance of the difference between the Englishman and the American, when + self-made, and without early education. He is no more a gentleman now than + when he began life, —not a whit more refined, either outwardly or + inwardly; while the American would have been, after the same experience, + not distinguishable outwardly, and perhaps as refined within, as nine + tenths of the gentlemen born, in the House of Commons. And, besides, an + American comes naturally to any distinctions to which success in life may + bring him; he takes them as if they were his proper inheritance, and in no + wise to be wondered at. Mr. ———, on the other hand, took + evidently a childish delight in his position, and felt a childish wonder + in having arrived at it; nor did it seem real to him, after all. . . . + </p> + <p> + We again saw Disraeli, who has risen from the people by modes perhaps + somewhat like those of Mr. ———. He came and stood near + our table, looking at the bill of fare, and then sat down on the opposite + side of the room with another gentleman, and ate his dinner. The story of + his marriage does him much credit; and indeed I am inclined to like + Disraeli, as a man who has made his own place good among a hostile + aristocracy, and leads instead of following them. + </p> + <p> + From the House of Commons we went to Albert Smith's exhibition, or + lecture, of the ascent of Mont Blanc, to which Bennoch had orders. It was + very amusing, and in some degree instructive. We remained in the saloon at + the conclusion of the lecture; and when the audience had dispersed, Mr. + Albert Smith made his appearance. . . . + </p> + <p> + Nothing of moment happened the next day, at least, not till two o'clock, + when I went with Mr. Bowman to Birch's eating-house (it is not Birch's + now, but this was the name of the original founder, who became an + alderman, and has long been dead) for a basin of turtle-soup. It was very + rich, very good, better than we had at the Lord Mayor's, and the best I + ever ate. + </p> + <p> + In the evening, Mr. J. B. Davis, formerly our Secretary of Legation, + called to take us to dine at Mr. ———'s in Camden Town. + Mr. ——— calls his residence Vermont House; but it hardly + has a claim to any separate title, being one of the centre houses of a + block. I forget whether I mentioned his calling on me. He is a Vermonter, + a graduate of Yale College, who has been here several years, and has + established a sort of book brokerage, buying libraries for those who want + them, and rare works and editions for American collectors. His business + naturally brings him into relations with literary people; and he is + himself a kindly and pleasant man. On our arrival we found Mr. D——— + and one of his sisters already there; and soon came a Mr. Peabody, who, if + I mistake not, is one of the Salem Peabodys, and has some connection with + the present eminent London Mr. Peabody. At any rate, he is a very + sensible, well-instructed, and widely and long travelled man. Mr. Tom + Taylor was also expected; but, owing to some accident or mistake, he did + not come for above an hour, all which time our host waited. . . . But Mr. + Tom Taylor, a wit, a satirist, and a famous diner out, is too formidable + and too valuable a personage to be treated cavalierly. + </p> + <p> + In the interim Mr. ——— showed us some rare old books, + which he has in his private collection, a black-letter edition of Chaucer, + and other specimens of the early English printers; and I was impressed, as + I have often been, with the idea that we have made few, if any, + improvements in the art of printing, though we have greatly facilitated + the modes of it. He showed us Dryden's translation of Virgil, with Dr. + Johnson's autograph in it and a large collection of Bibles, of all dates,—church + Bibles, family Bibles of the common translation, and older ones. He says + he has written or is writing a history of the Bible (as a printed work, I + presume). Many of these Bibles had, no doubt, been in actual and daily use + from generation to generation; but they were now all splendidly bound, and + were likewise very clean and smooth,—in fact, every leaf had been + cleansed by a delicate process, a part of which consisted in soaking the + whole book in a tub of water, during several days. Mr. ——— + is likewise rich in manuscripts, having a Spanish document with the + signature of the son of Columbus; a whole little volume in Franklin's + handwriting, being the first specimen of it; and the original manuscripts + of many of the songs of Burns. Among these I saw "Auld Lang Syne," and + "Bruce's Address to his Army." We amused ourselves with these matters as + long as we could; but at last, as there was to be a party in the evening, + dinner could no longer be put off; so we took our seats at table, and + immediately afterwards Mr. Taylor made his appearance with his wife and + another lady. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Taylor is reckoned a brilliant conversationist; but I suppose he + requires somebody to draw him out and assist him; for I could hear nothing + that I thought very remarkable on this occasion. He is not a kind of man + whom I can talk with, or greatly help to talk; so, though I sat next to + him, nothing came of it. He told me some stories of his life in the + Temple,—little funny incidents, that he afterwards wrought into his + dramas; in short, a sensible, active-minded, clearly perceptive man, with + a humorous way of showing up men and matters. . . . I wish I could know + exactly what the English style good conversation. Probably it is something + like plum-pudding,—as heavy, but seldom so rich. + </p> + <p> + After dinner Mr. Tom Taylor and Mr. D———, with their + respective ladies, took their leave; but when we returned to the + drawing-room, we found it thronged with a good many people. Mr. S. C. Hall + was there with his wife, whom I was glad to see again, for this was the + third time of meeting her, and, in this whirl of new acquaintances, I felt + quite as if she were an old friend. Mr. William Howitt was also there, and + introduced me to his wife,—a very natural, kind, and pleasant lady; + and she presented me to one or two daughters. Mr. Marston, the dramatist, + was also introduced to me; and Mr. Helps, a thin, scholarly, cold sort of + a man. Dr. Mackay and his wife were there, too; and a certain Mr. Jones, a + sculptor,—a jolly, large, elderly person, with a twinkle in his eye. + Also a Mr. Godwin, who impressed me as quite a superior person, + gentlemanly, cultivated, a man of sensibility; but it is quite impossible + to take a clear imprint from any one character, where so many are stamped + upon one's notice at once. This Mr. Godwin, as we were discussing + Thackeray, said that he is most beautifully tender and devoted to his + wife, whenever she can be sensible of his attentions. He says that + Thackeray, in his real self, is a sweet, sad man. I grew weary of so many + people, especially of the ladies, who were rather superfluous in their + oblations, quite stifling me, indeed, with the incense that they burnt + under my nose. So far as I could judge, they had all been invited there to + see me. It is ungracious, even hoggish, not to be gratified with the + interest they expressed in me; but then it is really a bore, and one does + not know what to do or say. I felt like the hippopotamus, or— to use + a more modest illustration—like some strange insect imprisoned under + a tumbler, with a dozen eyes watching whatever I did. By and by, Mr. + Jones, the sculptor, relieved me by standing up against the mantel-piece, + and telling an Irish story, not to two or three auditors, but to the whole + drawing-room, all attentive as to a set exhibition. It was very funny. + </p> + <p> + The next day after this I went with Mr. Bowman to call on our minister, + and found that he, and four of the ladies of his family, with his son, had + gone to the Queen's Drawing-room. We lunched at the Wellington; and spent + an hour or more in looking out of the window of that establishment at the + carriages, with their pompous coachmen and footmen, driving to and from + the Palace of St. James, and at the Horse Guards, with their bright + cuirasses, stationed along the street. . . . Then I took the rail for + Liverpool. . . . While I was still at breakfast at the Waterloo, J——- + came in, ruddy-cheeked, smiling, very glad to see me, and looking, I + thought, a good deal taller than when I left him. And so ended my London + excursion, which has certainly been rich in incident and character, though + my account of it be but meagre. + </p> + <h3> + SCOTLAND.—GLASGOW. + </h3> + <p> + May 10th.—Last Friday, May 2d, I took the rail, with Mr. Bowman, + from the Lime Street station, for Glasgow. There was nothing of much + interest along the road, except that, when we got beyond Penrith, we saw + snow on the tops of some of the hills. Twilight came on as we were + entering Scotland; and I have only a recollection of bleak and bare hills + and villages dimly seen, until, nearing Glasgow, we saw the red blaze of + furnace-lights at frequent iron-founderies. We put up at the Queen's + Hotel, where we arrived about ten o'clock; a better hotel than I have + anywhere found in England,—new, well arranged, and with brisk + attendance. + </p> + <p> + In the morning I rambled largely about Glasgow, and found it to be chiefly + a modern-built city, with streets mostly wide and regular, and handsome + houses and public edifices of a dark gray stone. In front of our hotel, in + an enclosed green space, stands a tall column surmounted by a statue of + Sir Walter Scott,—a good statue, I should think, as conveying the + air and personal aspect of the man. There is a bronze equestrian statue of + the Queen in one of the streets, and one or two more equestrian or other + statues of eminent persons. I passed through the Trongate and the + Gallow-Gate, and visited the Salt-Market, and saw the steeple of the + Tolbooth, all of which Scott has made interesting; and I went through the + gate of the University, and penetrated into its enclosed courts, round + which the College edifices are built. They are not Gothic, but of the age, + I suppose, of James I.,—with odd-looking, conical-roofed towers, and + here and there the bust of a benefactor in niches round the courts, and + heavy stone staircases ascending from the pavement, outside the buildings, + all of dark gray granite, cold, hard, and venerable. The University stands + in High Street, in a dense part of the town, and a very old and shabby + part, too. I think the poorer classes of Glasgow excel even those in + Liverpool in the bad eminence of filth, uncombed and unwashed children, + drunkenness, disorderly deportment, evil smell, and all that makes city + poverty disgusting. In my opinion, however, they are a better-looking + people than the English (and this is true of all classes), more + intelligent of aspect, with more regular features. I looked for the high + cheek-bones, which have been attributed, as a characteristic feature, to + the Scotch, but could not find them. What most distinguishes them front + the English is the regularity of the nose, which is straight, or sometimes + a little curved inward; whereas the English nose has no law whatever, but + disports itself in all manner of irregularity. I very soon learned to + recognize the Scotch face, and when not too Scotch, it is a handsome one. + </p> + <p> + In another part of the High Street, up a pretty steep slope, and on one + side of a public green, near an edifice which I think is a medical + college, stands St. Mungo's Cathedral. It is hardly of cathedral + dimensions, though a large and fine old church. The price of a ticket of + admittance is twopence; so small that it might be as well to make the + entrance free. The interior is in excellent repair, with the nave and side + aisles, and clustered pillars, and intersecting arches, that belong to all + these old churches; and a few monuments along the walls. I was going away + without seeing any more than this; but the verger, a friendly old + gentleman, with a hearty Scotch way of speaking, told me that the crypts + were what chiefly interested strangers; and so he guided me down into the + foundation-story of the church, where there is an intricacy and + entanglement of immensely massive and heavy arches, supporting the + structure above. The view through these arches, among the great shafts of + the columns, was very striking. In the central part is a monument; a + recumbent figure, if I remember rightly, but it is not known whom it + commemorates. There is also a monument to a Scotch prelate, which seems to + have been purposely defaced, probably in Covenant times. These intricate + arches were the locality of one of the scenes in "Rob Roy," when Rob gives + Frank Osbaldistone some message or warning, and then escapes from him into + the obscurity behind. In one corner is St. Mungo's well, secured with a + wooden cover; but I should not care to drink water that comes from among + so many old graves. + </p> + <p> + After viewing the cathedral, I got back to the hotel just in time to go + from thence to the steamer wharf, and take passage up the Clyde. There was + nothing very interesting in this little voyage. We passed many small iron + steamers, and some large ones; and green fields along the river-shores, + villas, villages, and all such suburban objects; neither am I quite sure + of the name of the place we landed at, though I think it was Bowling. Here + we took the railway for Balloch; and the only place or thing I remember + during this transit was a huge bluff or crag, rising abruptly from a + river-side, and looking, in connection with its vicinity to the Highlands, + just such a site as would be taken for the foundation of a castle. On + inquiry it turned out that this abrupt and double-headed hill (for it has + two summits, with a cleft between) is the site of Dumbarton Castle, for + ages one of the strongest fortresses in Scotland, and still kept up as a + garrisoned place. At the distance and point of view at which we passed it, + the castle made no show. + </p> + <p> + Arriving at Balloch, we found it a small village, with no marked features, + and a hotel, where we got some lunch, and then we took a stroll over the + bridge across the Levers, while waiting for the steamer to take us up Loch + Lomond. It was a beautiful afternoon, warm and sunny; and after walking + about a mile, we had a fine view of Loch Lomond, and of the mountains + around and beyond it,—Ben Lomond among the rest. It is vain, at a + week's distance, to try to remember the shapes of mountains; so I shall + attempt no description of them, and content myself with saying that they + did not quite come up to my anticipations. In due time we returned to our + hotel, and found in the coffee-room a tall, white-haired, venerable + gentleman, and a pleasant-looking young lady, his daughter. They had been + eating lunch, and the young lady helped her father on with his outside + garment, and his comforter, and gave him his stick, just as any other + daughter might do,—all of which I mention because he was a nobleman; + and, moreover, had engaged all the post-horses at the inn, so that we + could not continue our travels by land, along the side of Loch Lomond, as + we had first intended. At four o'clock the railway train arrived again, + with a very moderate number of passengers, who (and we among them) + immediately embarked on board a neat little steamer which was waiting for + us. + </p> + <p> + The day was bright and cloudless; but there was a strong, cold breeze + blowing down the lake, so that it was impossible, without vast discomfort, + to stand in the bow of the steamer and look at the scenery. I looked at + it, indeed, along the sides, as we passed, and on our track behind; and no + doubt it was very fine; but from all the experience I have had, I do not + think scenery can be well seen from the water. At any rate, the shores of + Loch Lomond have faded completely out of my memory; nor can I conceive + that they really were very striking. At a year's interval, I can recollect + the cluster of hills around the head of Lake Windermere; at twenty years' + interval, I remember the shores of Lake Champlain; but of the shores of + this Scottish lake I remember nothing except some oddly shaped rocks, + called "The Cobbler and his Daughter," on a mountain-top, just before we + landed. But, indeed, we had very imperfect glimpses of the hills along the + latter part of the course, because the wind had grown so very cold that we + took shelter below, and merely peeped at Loch Lomond's sublimities from + the cabin-windows. + </p> + <p> + The whole voyage up Loch Lomond is, I think, about thirty-two miles; but + we landed at a place called Tarbet, much short of the ultimate point. + There is here a large hotel; but we passed it, and walked onward a mile or + two to Arroquhar, a secluded glen among the hills, where is a new hotel, + built in the old manor-house style, and occupying the site of what was + once a castle of the chief of the MacFarlanes. Over the portal is a stone + taken from the former house, bearing the date 1697. There is a little lake + near the house, and the hills shut in the whole visible scene so closely + that there appears no outlet nor communication with the external world; + but in reality this little lake is connected with Loch Long, and Loch Long + is an arm of the sea; so that there is water communication between + Arroquhar and Glasgow. We found this a very beautiful place; and being + quite sheltered from all winds that blew, we strolled about late into the + prolonged twilight, and admired the outlines of the surrounding hills, and + fancied resemblances to various objects in the shapes of the crags against + the evening sky. The sun had not set till nearly, if not quite, eight + o'clock; and before the daylight had quite gone, the northern lights + streamed out, and I do not think that there was much darkness over the + glen of Arroquhar that night. At all events, before the darkness came, we + withdrew into the coffee-room. + </p> + <p> + We had excellent beds and sleeping-rooms in this new hotel, and I remember + nothing more till morning, when we were astir betimes, and had some chops + for breakfast. Then our host, Mr. Macregor, who is also the host of our + hotel at Glasgow, and has many of the characteristics of an American + landlord, claiming to be a gentleman and the equal of his guests, took us + in a drosky, and drove us to the shore of Loch Lomond, at a point about + four miles from Arroquhar. The lake is here a mile and a half wide, and it + was our object to cross to Inversnaid, on the opposite shore; so first we + waved a handkerchief, and then kindled some straw on the beach, in order + to attract the notice of the ferryman at Inversnaid. It was half an hour + before our signals and shoutings resulted in the putting off of a boat, + with two oarsmen, who made the transit pretty speedily; and thus we got + across Loch Lomond. At Inversnaid there is a small hotel, and over the + rock on which it stands a little waterfall tumbles into the lake,—a + very little one, though I believe it is reckoned among the other + picturesque features of the scene. + </p> + <p> + We were now in Rob Roy's country, and at the distance of a mile or so, + along the shore of the lake, is Rob Roy's cave, where he and his followers + are supposed to have made their abode in troublous times. While lunch was + getting ready, we again took the boat, and went thither. Landing beneath a + precipitous, though not very lofty crag, we clambered up a rude pathway, + and came to the mouth of the cave, which is nothing but a fissure or + fissures among some great rocks that have tumbled confusedly together. + There is hardly anywhere space enough for half a dozen persons to crowd + themselves together, nor room to stand upright. On the whole, it is no + cave at all, but only a crevice; and, in the deepest and darkest part, you + can look up and see the sky. It may have sheltered Rob Roy for a night, + and might partially shelter any Christian during a shower. + </p> + <p> + Returning to the hotel, we started in a drosky (I do not know whether this + is the right name of the vehicle, or whether it has a right name, but it + is a carriage in which four persons sit back to back, two before and two + behind) for Aberfoyle. The mountain-side ascends very steeply from the inn + door, and, not to damp the horse's courage in the outset, we went up on + foot. The guide-book says that the prospect from the summit of the ascent + is very fine; but I really believe we forgot to turn round and look at it. + All through our drive, however, we had mountain views in plenty, + especially of great Ben Lomond, with his snow-covered head, round which, + since our entrance into the Highlands, we had been making a circuit. + Nothing can possibly be drearier than the mountains at this season; bare, + barren, and bleak, with black patches of withered heath variegating the + dead brown of the herbage on their sides; and as regards trees the hills + are perfectly naked. There were no frightful precipices, no boldly + picturesque features, along our road; but high, weary slopes, showing + miles and miles of heavy solitude, with here and there a highland hut, + built of stone and thatched; and, in one place, an old gray, ruinous + fortress, a station of the English troops after the rebellion of 1715; and + once or twice a village of hills, the inhabitants of which, old and young, + ran to their doors to stare at us. For several miles after we left + Inversnaid, the mountain-stream which makes the waterfall brawled along + the roadside. All the hills are sheep-pastures, and I never saw such wild, + rough, ragged-looking creatures as the sheep, with their black faces and + tattered wool. The little lambs were very numerous, poor things, coming so + early in the season into this inclement region; and it was laughable to + see how invariably, when startled by our approach, they scampered to their + mothers, and immediately began to suck. It would seem as if they sought a + draught from the maternal udder, wherewith to fortify and encourage their + poor little hearts; but I suppose their instinct merely drove them close + to their dams, and, being there, they took advantage of their opportunity. + These sheep must lead a hard life during the winter; for they are never + fed nor sheltered. + </p> + <p> + The day was sunless, and very uncomfortably cold; and we were not sorry to + walk whenever the steepness of the road gave us cause. I do not remember + what o'clock it was, but not far into the afternoon, when we reached the + Baillie Nicol-Jarvie Inn at Aberfoyle; a scene which is much more + interesting in the pages of Rob Roy than we found it in reality. Here we + got into a sort of cart, and set out, over another hill-path, as dreary as + or drearier than the last, for the Trosachs. On our way, we saw Ben Venue, + and a good many other famous Bens, and two or three lochs; and when we + reached the Trosachs, we should probably have been very much enraptured if + our eyes had not already been weary with other mountain shapes. But, in + truth, I doubt if anybody ever does really see a mountain, who goes for + the set and sole purpose of seeing it. Nature will not let herself be seen + in such cases. You must patiently bide her time; and by and by, at some + unforeseen moment, she will quietly and suddenly unveil herself, and for a + brief space allow you to look right into the heart of her mystery. But if + you call out to her peremptorily, "Nature! unveil yourself this very + moment!" she only draws her veil the closer; and you may look with all + your eyes, and imagine that you see all that she can show, and yet see + nothing. Thus, I saw a wild and confused assemblage of heights, crags, + precipices, which they call the Trosachs, but I saw them calmly and + coldly, and was glad when the drosky was ready to take us on to Callender. + The hotel at the Trosachs, by the by, is a very splendid one, in the form + of an old feudal castle, with towers and turrets. All among these wild + hills there is set preparation for enraptured visitants; and it seems + strange that the savage features do not subside of their own accord, and + that there should still be cold winds and snow on the top of Ben Lomond, + and rocks and heather, and ragged sheep, now that there are so many + avenues by which the commonplace world is sluiced in among the Highlands. + I think that this fashion of the picturesque will pass away. + </p> + <p> + We drove along the shore of Lake Vennachar, and onward to Callender, which + I believe is either the first point in the Lowlands or the last in the + Highlands. It is a large village on the river Teith. We stopped here to + dine, and were some time in getting any warmth into our benumbed bodies; + for, as I said before, it was a very cold day. Looking from the window of + the hotel, I saw a young man in Highland dress, with bare thighs, marching + through the village street towards the Lowlands, with a martial and + elastic step, as if he were going forth to conquer and occupy the world. I + suppose he was a soldier who had been absent on leave, returning to the + garrison at Stirling. I pitied his poor thighs, though he certainly did + not look uncomfortable. + </p> + <p> + After dinner, as dusk was coming on and we had still a long drive before + us (eighteen miles, I believe), we took a close carriage and two horses, + and set off for Stirling. The twilight was too obscure to show many things + along the road, and by the time we drove into Stirling we could but dimly + see the houses in the long street in which stood our hotel. There was a + good fire in the coffee-room, which looked like a drawing-room in a large + old-fashioned mansion, and was hung round with engravings of the portraits + of the county members, and a master of fox-hounds, and other pictures. We + made ourselves comfortable with some tea, and retired early. + </p> + <p> + In the morning we were stirring betimes, and found Stirling to be a pretty + large town, of rather ancient aspect, with many gray stone houses, the + gables of which are notched on either side, like a flight of stairs. The + town stands on the slope of a hill, at the summit of which, crowning a + long ascent, up which the paved street reaches all the way to its gate, is + Stirling Castle. Of course we went thither, and found free entrance, + although the castle is garrisoned by five or six hundred men, among whom + are barelegged Highlanders (I must say that this costume is very fine and + becoming, though their thighs did look blue and frost-bitten) and also + some soldiers of other Scotch regiments, with tartan trousers. Almost + immediately on passing the gate, we found an old artillery-man, who + undertook to show us round the castle. Only a small portion of it seems to + be of great antiquity. The principal edifice within the castle wall is a + palace, that was either built or renewed by James VI.; and it is + ornamented with strange old statues, one of which is his own. The old + Scottish Parliament House is also here. The most ancient part of the + castle is the tower, where one of the Earls of Douglas was stabbed by a + king, and afterwards thrown out of the window. In reading this story, one + imagines a lofty turret, and the dead man tumbling headlong from a great + height; but, in reality, the window is not more than fifteen or twenty + feet from the garden into which he fell. This part of the castle was + burned last autumn; but is now under repair, and the wall of the tower is + still stanch and strong. We went up into the chamber where the murder took + place, and looked through the historic window. + </p> + <p> + Then we mounted the castle wall, where it broods over a precipice of many + hundred feet perpendicular, looking down upon a level plain below, and + forth upon a landscape, every foot of which is richly studded with + historic events. There is a small peep-hole in the wall, which Queen Mary + is said to have been in the habit of looking through. It is a most + splendid view; in the distance, the blue Highlands, with a variety of + mountain outlines that I could have studied unweariably; and in another + direction, beginning almost at the foot of the Castle Hill, were the Links + of Forth, where, over a plain of miles in extent the river meandered, and + circled about, and returned upon itself again and again and again, as if + knotted into a silver chain, which it was difficult to imagine to be all + one stream. The history of Scotland might be read from this castle wall, + as on a book of mighty page; for here, within the compass of a few miles, + we see the field where Wallace won the battle of Stirling, and likewise + the battle-field of Bannockburn, and that of Falkirk, and Sheriffmuir, and + I know not how many besides. + </p> + <p> + Around the Castle Hill there is a walk, with seats for old and infirm + persons, at points sheltered from the wind. We followed it downward, and I + think we passed over the site where the games used to be held, and where, + this morning, some of the soldiers of the garrison were going through + their exercises. I ought to have mentioned, that, passing through the + inner gateway of the castle, we saw the round tower, and glanced into the + dungeon, where the Roderic Dhu of Scott's poem was left to die. It is one + of the two round towers, between which the portcullis rose and fell. + </p> + <h3> + EDINBURGH.—THE PALACE OF HOLYROOD. + </h3> + <p> + At eleven o'clock we took the rail for Edinburgh, and I remember nothing + more, except that the cultivation and verdure of the country were very + agreeable, after our experience of Highland barrenness and desolation, + until we found the train passing close at the base of the rugged crag of + Edinburgh Castle. We established ourselves at Queen's Hotel, in Prince's + Street, and then went out to view the city. The monument to Sir Walter + Scott—a rather fantastic and not very impressive affair, I thought— + stands almost directly in front of a hotel. We went along Prince's Street, + and thence, by what turns I know not, to the Palace of Holyrood, which + stands on a low and sheltered site, and is a venerable edifice. Arthur's + Seat rises behind it,—a high hill, with a plain between. As we drew + near the Palace, Mr. Bowman, who has been here before, pointed out the + windows of Queen Mary's apartments, in a circular tower on the left of the + gateway. On entering the enclosed quadrangle, we bought tickets for + sixpence each, admitting us to all parts of the Palace that are shown to + visitors; and first we went into a noble hall or gallery, a long and + stately room, hung with pictures of ancient Scottish kings; and though the + pictures were none of them authentic, they, at least, answer an excellent + purpose in the way of upholstery. It was here that the young Pretender + gave the ball which makes one of the scenes in Waverley. + </p> + <p> + Thence we passed into the old historic rooms of the Palace,—Darnley's + and Queen Mary's apartments, which everybody has seen and described. They + are very dreary and shabby-looking rooms, with bare floors, and here and + there a piece of tapestry, faded into a neutral tint; and carved and + ornamented ceilings, looking shabbier than plain whitewash. We saw Queen + Mary's old bedstead, low, with four tall posts,—and her + looking-glass, which she brought with her from France, and which has often + reflected the beauty that set everybody mad,—and some needlework and + other womanly matters of hers; and we went into the little closet where + she was having such a cosey supper-party with two or three friends, when + the conspirators broke in, and stabbed Rizzio before her face. We saw, + too, the blood-stain at the threshold of the door in the next room, + opening upon the stairs. The body of Rizzio was flung down here, and the + attendant told us that it lay in that spot all night. The blood-stain + covers a large space,—much larger than I supposed,—and it + gives the impression that there must have been a great pool and sop of + blood on all the spot covered by Rizzio's body, staining the floor deeply + enough never to be washed out. It is now of a dark brown hue; and I do not + see why it may not be the genuine, veritable stain. The floor, + thereabouts, appears not to have been scrubbed much; for I touched it with + my finger, and found it slightly rough; but it is strange that the many + footsteps should not have smoothed it, in three hundred years. + </p> + <p> + One of the articles shown us in Queen Mary's apartments was the + breastplate supposed to have been worn by Lord Ruthven at the murder, a + heavy plate of iron, and doubtless a very uncomfortable waistcoat. + </p> + <h3> + HOLYROOD ABBEY. + </h3> + <p> + From the Palace, we passed into the contiguous ruin of Holyrood Abbey; + which is roofless, although the front, and some broken columns along the + nave, and fragments of architecture here and there, afford hints of a + magnificent Gothic church in bygone times. It deserved to be magnificent; + for here have been stately ceremonials, marriages of kings, coronations, + investitures, before the high altar, which has now been overthrown or + crumbled away; and the floor—so far as there is any floor —consists + of tombstones of the old Scottish nobility. There are likewise monuments, + bearing the names of illustrious Scotch families; and inscriptions, in the + Scotch dialect, on the walls. + </p> + <p> + In one of the front towers,—the only remaining one, indeed,—we + saw the marble tomb of a nobleman, Lord Belhaven, who is represented + reclining on the top,—with a bruised nose, of course. Except in + Westminster Abbey, I do not remember ever to have seen an old monumental + statue with the nose entire. In all political or religious outbreaks, the + mob's first impulse is to hit the illustrious dead on their noses. + </p> + <p> + At the other end of the Abbey, near the high altar, is the vault where the + old Scottish kings used to be buried; but, looking in through the window, + I saw only a vacant space,—no skull, nor bone, nor the least + fragment of a coffin. In fact, I believe the royal dead were turned out of + their last home, on occasion of the Revolutionary movements, at the + accession of William III. + </p> + <h3> + HIGH STREET AND THE GRASS-MARKET. + </h3> + <p> + Quitting the Abbey and the Palace, we turned into the Canongate, and + passed thence into High Street, which, I think, is a continuation of the + Canongate; and being now in the old town of Edinburgh, we saw those + immensely tall houses, seven stories high, where the people live in tiers, + all the way from earth to middle air. They were not so quaint and strange + looking as I expected; but there were some houses of very antique + individuality, and among them that of John Knox, which looks still in good + repair. One thing did not in the least fall short of my expectations,—the + evil odor, for which Edinburgh has an immemorial renown,—nor the + dirt of the inhabitants, old and young. The town, to say the truth, when + you are in the midst of it, has a very sordid, grimy, shabby, upswept, + unwashen aspect, grievously at variance with all poetic and romantic + associations. + </p> + <p> + From the High Street we turned aside into the Grass-Market, the scene of + the Porteous Mob; and we found in the pavement a cross on the site where + the execution of Porteous is supposed to have taken place. + </p> + <h3> + THE CASTLE. + </h3> + <p> + Returning thence to the High Street, we followed it up to the Castle, + which is nearer the town, and of more easy access from it, than I had + supposed. There is a large court or parade before the castle gate, with a + parapet on the abrupt side of the hill, looking towards Arthur's Seat and + Salisbury Crags, mud overhanging a portion of the old town. As we leaned + over this parapet, my nose was conscious of the bad odor of Edinburgh, + although the streets, whence it must have come, were hundreds of feet + below. I have had some experience of this ugly smell in the poor streets + of Liverpool; but I think I never perceived it before crossing the + Atlantic. It is the odor of an old system of life; the scent of the pine + forests is still too recent with us for it to be known in America. + </p> + <p> + The Castle of Edinburgh is free (as appears to be the case with all + garrisoned places in Great Britain) to the entrance of any peaceable + person. So we went in, and found a large space enclosed within the walls, + and dwellings for officers, and accommodation for soldiers, who were being + drilled, or loitering about; and as the hill still ascends within the + external wall of the castle, we climbed to the summit, and there found an + old soldier whom we engaged to be our guide. He showed us Mons Meg, a + great old cannon, broken at the breech, but still aimed threateningly from + the highest ramparts; and then he admitted us into an old chapel, said to + have been built by a Queen of Scotland, the sister of Harold, King of + England, and occupying the very highest part of the hill. It is the + smallest place of worship I ever saw, but of venerable architecture, and + of very solid construction. The old soldier had not much more to show us; + but he pointed out the window whence one of the kings of Scotland is said, + when a baby, to have been lowered down, the whole height of the castle, to + the bottom of the precipice on which it stands,—a distance of seven + hundred feet. + </p> + <p> + After the soldier had shown us to the extent of his jurisdiction, we went + into a suite of rooms, in one of which I saw a portrait of Queen Mary, + which gave me, for the first time, an idea that she was really a very + beautiful woman. In this picture she is wonderfully so,—a tender + womanly grace, which was none the less tender and graceful for being + equally imbued with queenly dignity and spirit. It was too lovely a head + to be cut off. I should be glad to know the authenticity of this picture. + </p> + <p> + I do not know that we did anything else worthy of note, before leaving + Edinburgh. There is matter enough, in and about the town, to interest the + visitor for a very long time; but when the visit is calculated on such + brevity as ours was, we get weary of the place, before even these few + hours come to an end. Thus, for my part, I was not sorry when, in the + course of the afternoon, we took the rail for Melrose, where we duly + arrived, and put up at the George Inn. + </p> + <h3> + MELROSE. + </h3> + <p> + Melrose is a village of rather antique aspect, situated on the slope and + at the bottom of the Eildon Hills, which, from this point of view, appear + like one hill, with a double summit. The village, as I said, has an old + look, though many of the houses have at least been refronted at some + recent date; but others are as ancient, I suppose, as the days when the + Abbey was in its splendor,—a rustic and peasant-like antiquity, + however, low-roofed, and straw-thatched. There is an aged cross of stone + in the centre of the town. + </p> + <p> + Our first object, of course, was to see the Abbey, which stands just on + the outskirts of the village, and is attainable only by applying at a + neighboring house, the inhabitant of which probably supports himself, and + most comfortably, too, as a showman of the ruin. He unlocked the wooden + gate, and admitted us into what is left of the Abbey, comprising only the + ruins of the church, although the refectory, the dormitories, and the + other parts of the establishment, formerly covered the space now occupied + by a dozen village houses. Melrose Abbey is a very satisfactory ruin, all + carpeted along its nave and transepts with green grass; and there are some + well-grown trees within the walls. We saw the window, now empty, through + which the tints of the painted glass fell on the tombstone of Michael + Scott, and the tombstone itself, broken in three pieces, but with a cross + engraven along its whole length. It must have been the monument of an old + monk or abbot, rather than a wizard. There, too, is still the "marble + stone" on which the monk and warrior sat them down, and which is supposed + to mark the resting-place of Alexander of Scotland. There are remains, + both without and within the Abbey, of most curious and wonderfully minute + old sculpture,—foliage, in places where it is almost impossible to + see them, and where the sculptor could not have supposed that they would + be seen, but which yet are finished faithfully, to the very veins of each + leaf, in stone; and there is a continual variety of this accurate toil. On + the exterior of the edifice there is equal minuteness of finish, and a + great many niches for statues; all of which, I believe, are now gone, + although there are carved faces at some points and angles. The graveyard + around the Abbey is still the only one which the village has, and is + crowded with gravestones, among which I read the inscription of one + erected by Sir Walter Scott to the memory of Thomas Pardy, one of his + servants. Some sable birds—either rooks or jackdaws— were + flitting about the ruins, inside and out. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Bowman and I talked about revisiting Melrose by moonlight; but, + luckily, there was to be no moon that evening. I do not myself think that + daylight and sunshine make a ruin less effective than twilight or + moonshine. In reference to Scott's description, I think he deplorably + diminishes the impressiveness of the scene by saying that the alternate + buttresses, seen by moonlight, look as if made of ebon and ivory. It + suggests a small and very pretty piece of cabinet-work; not these gray, + rough walls, which Time has gnawed upon for a thousand years, without + eating them away. + </p> + <p> + Leaving the Abbey, we took a path or a road which led us to the river + Tweed, perhaps a quarter of a mile off; and we crossed it by a + foot-bridge,—a pretty wide stream, a dimpling breadth of transparent + water flowing between low banks, with a margin of pebbles. We then + returned to our inn, and had tea, and passed a quiet evening by the + fireside. This is a good, unpretentious inn; and its visitors' book + indicates that it affords general satisfaction to those who come here. + </p> + <p> + In the morning we breakfasted on broiled salmon, taken, no doubt, in the + neighboring Tweed. There was a very coarse-looking man at table with us, + who informed us that he owned the best horse anywhere round the Eildon + Hills, and could make the best cast for a salmon, and catch a bigger fish + than anybody,—with other self-laudation of the same kind. The waiter + afterwards told us that he was the son of an Admiral in the neighborhood; + and soon, his horse being brought to the door, we saw him mount and ride + away. He sat on horseback with ease and grace, though I rather suspect, + early as it was, that he was already in his cups. The Scotch seem to me to + get drunk at very unseasonable hours. I have seen more drunken people here + than during all my residence in England, and, generally, early in the day. + Their liquor, so far as I have observed, makes them good-natured and + sociable, imparting a perhaps needed geniality to their cold natures. + </p> + <p> + After breakfast we took a drosky, or whatever these fore-and-aft-seated + vehicles are called, and set out for + </p> + <h3> + DRYBURGH ABBEY, + </h3> + <p> + three miles distant. It was a cold though rather bright morning, with a + most shrewd and bitter wind, which blew directly in my face as I sat + beside the driver. An English wind is bad enough, but methinks a Scotch + one, is rather worse; at any rate, I was half frozen, and wished Dryburgh + Abbey in Tophet, where it would have been warmer work to go and see it. + Some of the border hills were striking, especially the Cowden Knowe, which + ascends into a prominent and lofty peak. Such villages as we passed did + not greatly differ from English villages. By and by we came to the banks + of the Tweed, at a point where there is a ferry. A carriage was on the + river-bank, the driver waiting beside it; for the people who came in it + had already been ferried across to see the Abbey. + </p> + <p> + The ferryman here is a young girl; and, stepping into the boat, she shoved + off, and so skilfully took advantage of the eddies of the stream, which is + here deep and rapid, that we were soon on the other side. She was by no + means an uncomely maiden, with pleasant Scotch features, and a quiet + intelligence of aspect, gleaming into a smile when spoken to; much tanned + with all kinds of weather, and, though slender, yet so agile and muscular + that it was no shame for a man to let himself be rowed by her. + </p> + <p> + From the ferry we had a walk of half a mile, more or less, to a cottage, + where we found another young girl, whose business it is to show the Abbey. + She was of another mould than the ferry-maiden,—a queer, shy, + plaintive sort of a body,—and answered all our questions in a low, + wailing tone. Passing through an apple-orchard, we were not long in + reaching the Abbey, the ruins of which are much more extensive and more + picturesque than those of Melrose, being overrun with bushes and + shrubbery, and twined about with ivy, and all such vegetation as belongs, + naturally, to old walls. There are the remains of the refectory, and other + domestic parts of the Abbey, as well as the church, and all in delightful + state of decay,—not so far gone but that we had bits of its former + grandeur in the columns and broken arches, and in some portions of the + edifice that still retain a roof. + </p> + <p> + In the chapter-house we saw a marble statue of Newton, wofully maltreated + by damps and weather; and though it had no sort of business there, it + fitted into the ruins picturesquely enough. There is another statue, + equally unauthorized; both having been placed here by a former Earl of + Buchan, who seems to have been a little astray in his wits. + </p> + <p> + On one side of the church, within an arched recess, are the monuments of + Sir Walter Scott and his family,—three ponderous tombstones of + Aberdeen granite, polished, but already dimmed and dulled by the weather. + The whole floor of the recess is covered by these monuments, that of Sir + Walter being the middle one, with Lady (or, as the inscription calls her, + Dame) Scott beyond him, next to the church wall, and some one of his sons + or daughters on the hither side. The effect of his being buried here is to + make the whole of Dryburgh Abbey his monument. There is another arched + recess, twin to the Scott burial-place, and contiguous to it, in which are + buried a Pringle family; it being their ancient place of sepulture. The + spectator almost inevitably feels as if they were intruders, although + their rights here are of far older date than those of Scott. + </p> + <p> + Dryburgh Abbey must be a most beautiful spot of a summer afternoon; and it + was beautiful even on this not very genial morning, especially when the + sun blinked out upon the ivy, and upon the shrubberied paths that wound + about the ruins. I think I recollect the birds chirruping in this + neighborhood of it. After viewing it sufficiently,—sufficiently for + this one time,—we went back to the ferry, and, being set across by + the same Undine, we drove back to Melrose. No longer riding against the + wind, I found it not nearly so cold as before. I now noticed that the + Eildon Hills, seen from this direction, rise from one base into three + distinct summits, ranged in a line. According to "The Lay of the Last + Minstrel," they were cleft into this shape by the magic of Michael Scott. + Reaching Melrose . . . . without alighting, we set off for + </p> + <h3> + ABBOTSFORD, + </h3> + <p> + three miles off. The neighborhood of Melrose, leading to Abbotsford, has + many handsome residences of modern build and very recent date,—suburban + villas, each with its little lawn and garden ground, such as we see in the + vicinity of Liverpool. I noticed, too, one castellated house, of no great + size, but old, and looking as if its tower were built, not for show, but + for actual defence in the old border warfare. + </p> + <p> + We were not long in reaching Abbotsford. The house, which is more compact, + and of considerably less extent than I anticipated, stands in full view + from the road, and at only a short distance from it, lower down towards + the river. Its aspect disappointed me; but so does everything. It is but a + villa, after all; no castle, nor even a large manor-house, and very + unsatisfactory when you consider it in that light. Indeed, it impressed + me, not as a real house, intended for the home of human beings,—a + house to die in or to be born in,—but as a plaything,— + something in the same category as Horace Walpole's Strawberry Hill. The + present owner seems to have found it insufficient for the actual purposes + of life; for he is adding a wing, which promises to be as extensive as the + original structure. + </p> + <p> + We rang at the front door (the family being now absent), and were speedily + admitted by a middle-aged or somewhat elderly man,—the butler, I + suppose, or some upper servant,—who at once acceded to our request + to be permitted to see the house. We stepped from the porch immediately + into the entrance-hall; and having the great Hall of Battle Abbey in my + memory, and the ideal of a baronial hall in my mind, I was quite taken + aback at the smallness and narrowness and lowness of this; which, however, + is a very fine one, on its own little scale. In truth, it is not much more + than a vestibule. The ceiling is carved; and every inch of the walls is + covered with claymores, targets, and other weapons and armor, or old-time + curiosities, tastefully arranged, many of which, no doubt, have a history + attached to them,—or had, in Sir Walter's own mind. Our attendant + was a very intelligent person, and pointed out much that was interesting; + but in such a multitudinous variety it was almost impossible to fix the + eye upon any one thing. Probably the apartment looked smaller than it + really was, on account of being so wainscoted and festooned with + curiosities. I remember nothing particularly, unless it be the coal-grate + in the fireplace, which was one formerly used by Archbishop Sharpe, the + prelate whom Balfour of Burley murdered. Either in this room or the next + one, there was a glass case containing the suit of clothes last worn by + Scott,—a short green coat, somewhat worn, with silvered buttons, a + pair of gray tartan trousers, and a white hat. It was in the hall that we + saw these things; for there too, I recollect, were a good many + walking-sticks that had been used by Scott, and the hatchet with which he + was in the habit of lopping branches from his trees, as he walked among + them. + </p> + <p> + From the hall we passed into the study;—a small room, lined with the + books which Sir Walter, no doubt, was most frequently accustomed to refer + to; and our guide pointed out some volumes of the Moniteur, which he used + while writing the history of Napoleon. Probably these were the driest and + dullest volumes in his whole library. About mid-height of the walls of the + study there is a gallery, with a short flight of steps for the convenience + of getting at the upper books. A study-table occupied the centre of the + room, and at one end of the table stands an easy-chair, covered with + morocco, and with ample space to fling one's self back. The servant told + me that I might sit down in this chair, for that Sir Walter sat there + while writing his romances, "and perhaps," quoth the man, smiling, "you + may catch some inspiration." What a bitter word this would have been if he + had known me to be a romance-writer! "No, I never shall be inspired to + write romances!" I answered, as if such an idea had never occurred to me. + I sat down, however. This study quite satisfied me, being planned on + principles of common-sense, and made to work in, and without any fantastic + adaptation of old forms to modern uses. + </p> + <p> + Next to the study is the library, an apartment of respectable size, and + containing as many books as it can hold, all protected by wire-work. I did + not observe what or whose works were here; but the attendant showed us one + whole compartment full of volumes having reference to ghosts, witchcraft, + and the supernatural generally. It is remarkable that Scott should have + felt interested in such subjects, being such a worldly and earthly man as + he was; but then, indeed, almost all forms of popular superstition do + clothe the ethereal with earthly attributes, and so make it grossly + perceptible. + </p> + <p> + The library, like the study, suited me well,—merely the fashion of + the apartment, I mean,—and I doubt not it contains as many curious + volumes as are anywhere to be met with within a similar space. The + drawing-room adjoins it; and here we saw a beautiful ebony cabinet, which + was presented to Sir Walter by George IV.; and some pictures of much + interest,—one of Scott himself at thirty-five, rather portly, with a + heavy face, but shrewd eyes, which seem to observe you closely. There is a + full-length of his eldest son, an officer of dragoons, leaning on his + charger; and a portrait of Lady Scott,—a brunette, with black hair + and eyes, very pretty, warm, vivacious, and un-English in her aspect. I am + not quite sure whether I saw all these pictures in the drawing-room, or + some of them in the dining-room; but the one that struck me most—and + very much indeed—was the head of Mary, Queen of Scots, literally the + head cut off and lying on a dish. It is said to have been painted by an + Italian or French artist, two days after her death. The hair curls or + flows all about it; the face is of a death-like hue, but has an expression + of quiet, after much pain and trouble,—very beautiful, very sweet + and sad; and it affected me strongly with the horror and strangeness of + such a head being severed from its body. Methinks I should not like to + have it always in the room with me. I thought of the lovely picture of + Mary that I had seen at Edinburgh Castle, and reflected what a symbol it + would be,—how expressive of a human being having her destiny in her + own hands,—if that beautiful young Queen were painted as carrying + this dish, containing her own woful head, and perhaps casting a curious + and pitiful glance down upon it, as if it were not her own. + </p> + <p> + Also, in the drawing-room, there was a plaster cast of Sir Walter's face, + taken after death; the only one in existence, as our guide assured us. It + is not often that one sees a homelier set of features than this; no + elevation, no dignity, whether bestowed by nature or thrown over them by + age or death; sunken cheeks, the bridge of the nose depressed, and the end + turned up; the mouth puckered, and no chin whatever, or hardly any. The + expression was not calm and happy; but rather as if he were in a perturbed + slumber, perhaps nothing short of nightmare. I wonder that the family + allow this cast to be shown,—the last record that there is of + Scott's personal reality, and conveying such a wretched and unworthy idea + of it. + </p> + <p> + Adjoining the drawing-room is the dining-room, in one corner of which, + between two windows, Scott died. It was now a quarter of a century since + his death; but it seemed to me that we spoke with a sort of hush in our + voices, as if he were still dying here, or had but just departed. I + remember nothing else in this room. The next one is the armory, which is + the smallest of all that we had passed through; but its walls gleam with + the steel blades of swords, and the barrels of pistols, matchlocks, + firelocks, and all manner of deadly weapons, whether European or Oriental; + for there are many trophies here of East Indian warfare. I saw Rob Roy's + gun, rifled and of very large bore; and a beautiful pistol, formerly + Claverhouse's; and the sword of Montrose, given him by King Charles, the + silver hilt of which I grasped. There was also a superb claymore, in an + elaborately wrought silver sheath, made for Sir Walter Scott, and + presented to him by the Highland Society, for his services in marshalling + the clans when George IV. came to Scotland. There were a thousand other + things, which I knew must be most curious, yet did not ask nor care about + them, because so many curiosities drive one crazy, and fret one's heart to + death. On the whole, there is no simple and great impression left by + Abbotsford; and I felt angry and dissatisfied with myself for not feeling + something which I did not and could not feel. But it is just like going to + a museum, if you look into particulars; and one learns from it, too, that + Scott could not have been really a wise man, nor an earnest one, nor one + that grasped the truth of life; he did but play, and the play grew very + sad toward its close. In a certain way, however, I understand his romances + the better for having seen his house; and his house the better for having + read his romances. They throw light on one another. + </p> + <p> + We had now gone through all the show-rooms; and the next door admitted us + again into the entrance-hall, where we recorded our names in the visitors' + book. It contains more names of Americans, I should judge, from casting my + eyes back over last year's record, than of all other people in the world, + including Great Britain. + </p> + <p> + Bidding farewell to Abbotsford, I cannot but confess a sentiment of + remorse for having visited the dwelling-place—as just before I + visited the grave of the mighty minstrel and romancer with so cold a heart + and in so critical a mood,—his dwelling-place and his grave whom I + had so admired and loved, and who had done so much for my happiness when I + was young. But I, and the world generally, now look at him from a + different point of view; and, besides, these visits to the actual haunts + of famous people, though long dead, have the effect of making us sensible, + in some degree, of their human imperfections, as if we actually saw them + alive. I felt this effect, to a certain extent, even with respect to + Shakespeare, when I visited Stratford-on-Avon. As for Scott, I still + cherish him in a warm place, and I do not know that I have any pleasanter + anticipation, as regards books, than that of reading all his novels over + again after we get back to the Wayside. + </p> + <p> + [This Mr. Hawthorne did, aloud to his family, the year following his + return to America.—ED.] + </p> + <p> + It was now one or two o'clock, and time for us to take the rail across the + borders. Many a mile behind us, as we rushed onward, we could see the + threefold Eildon Hill, and probably every pant of the engine carried us + over some spot of ground which Scott has made fertile with poetry. For + Scotland—cold, cloudy, barren little bit of earth that it is—owes + all the interest that the world feels in it to him. Few men have done so + much for their country as he. However, having no guide-book, we were none + the wiser for what we saw out of the window of the rail-carriage; but, now + and then, a castle appeared, on a commanding height, visible for miles + round, and seemingly in good repair,—now, in some low and sheltered + spot, the gray walls of an abbey; now, on a little eminence, the ruin of a + border fortress, and near it the modern residence of the laird, with its + trim lawn and shrubbery. We were not long in coming to + </p> + <h3> + BERWICK, + </h3> + <p> + a town which seems to belong both to England and Scotland, or perhaps is a + kingdom by itself, for it stands on both sides of the boundary river, the + Tweed, where it empties into the German Ocean. From the railway bridge we + had a good view over the town, which looks ancient, with red roofs on all + the gabled houses; and it being a sunny afternoon, though bleak and chill, + the sea-view was very fine. The Tweed is here broad, and looks deep, + flowing far beneath the bridge, between high banks. This is all that I can + say of Berwick (pronounced Berrick), for though we spent above an hour at + the station waiting for the train, we were so long in getting our dinner, + that we had not time for anything else. I remember, however, some gray + walls, that looked like the last remains of an old castle, near the + railway station. We next took the train for + </p> + <h3> + NEWCASTLE, + </h3> + <p> + the way to which, for a considerable distance, lies within sight of the + sea; and in close vicinity to the shore we saw Holy Isle, on which are the + ruins of an abbey. Norham Castle must be somewhere in this neighborhood, + on the English shore of the Tweed. It was pretty late in the afternoon—almost + nightfall—when we reached Newcastle, over the roofs of which, as + over those of Berwick, we had a view from the railway, and like Berwick, + it was a congregation of mostly red roofs; but, unlike Berwick (the + atmosphere over which was clear and transparent), there came a gush of + smoke from every chimney, which made it the dimmest and smokiest place I + ever saw. This is partly owing to the iron founderies and furnaces; but + each domestic chimney, too, was smoking on its own account,—coal + being so plentiful there, no doubt, that the fire is always kept freshly + heaped with it, reason or none. Out of this smoke-cloud rose tall + steeples; and it was discernible that the town stretched widely over an + uneven surface, on the banks of the Tyne, which is navigable up hither ten + miles from the sea for pretty large vessels. + </p> + <p> + We established ourselves at the Station Hotel, and then walked out to see + something of the town; but I remember only a few streets of duskiness and + dinginess, with a glimpse of the turrets of a castle to which we could not + find our way. So, as it was getting twilightish and very cold, we went + back to the hotel, which is a very good one, better than any one I have + seen in the South of England, and almost or quite as good as those of + Scotland. The coffee-room is a spacious and handsome apartment, adorned + with a full-length portrait of Wellington, and other pictures, and in the + whole establishment there was a well-ordered alacrity and liberal + provision for the comfort of guests that one seldom sees in English inns. + There are a good many American guests in Newcastle, and through all the + North. + </p> + <p> + An old Newcastle gentleman and his friend came into the smoking-room, and + drank three glasses of hot whiskey-toddy apiece, and were still going on + to drink more when we left them. These respectable persons probably went + away drunk that night, yet thought none the worse of themselves or of one + another for it. It is like returning to times twenty years gone by for a + New-Englander to witness such simplicity of manners. + </p> + <p> + The next morning, May 8th, I rose and breakfasted early, and took the rail + soon after eight o'clock, leaving Mr. Bowman behind; for he had business + in Newcastle, and would not follow till some hours afterwards. There is no + use in trying to make a narrative of anything that one sees along an + English railway. All I remember of this tract of country is that one of + the stations at which we stopped for an instant is called "Washington," + and this is, no doubt, the old family place, where the De Wessyngtons, + afterwards the Washingtons, were first settled in England. Before reaching + York, first one old lady and then another (Quaker) lady got into the + carriage along with me; and they seemed to be going to York, on occasion + of some fair or celebration. This was all the company I had, and their + advent the only incident. It was about eleven o'clock when I beheld York + Cathedral rising huge above the old city, which stands on the river Ouse, + separated by it from the railway station, but communicating by a ferry (or + two) and a bridge. I wandered forth, and found my way over the latter into + the ancient and irregular streets of + </p> + <h3> + YORK, + </h3> + <p> + crooked, narrow, or of unequal width, puzzling, and many of them bearing + the name of the particular gate in the old walls of the city to which they + lead. There were no such fine, ancient, stately houses as some of those in + Shrewsbury were, nor such an aspect of antiquity as in Chester; but still + York is a quaint old place, and what looks most modern is probably only + something old, hiding itself behind a new front, as elsewhere in England. + </p> + <p> + I found my way by a sort of instinct, as directly as possible, to + </p> + <h3> + YORK MINSTER. + </h3> + <p> + It stands in the midst of a small open space,—or a space that looks + small in comparison with the vast bulk of the cathedral. I was not so much + impressed by its exterior as I have usually been by Gothic buildings; + because it is rectangular in its general outline and in its towers, and + seems to lack the complexity and mysterious plan which perplexes and + wonder-strikes me in most cathedrals. Doubtless, however, if I had known + better how to admire it, I should have found it wholly admirable. At all + events, it has a satisfactory hugeness. Seeking my way in, I at first + intruded upon the Registry of Deeds, which occupies a building patched up + against the mighty side of the cathedral, and hardly discernible, so small + the one and so large the other. I finally hit upon the right door, and I + felt no disappointment in my first glance around at the immensity of + enclosed space;—I see now in my mind's eye a dim length of nave, a + breadth in the transepts like a great plain, and such an airy height + beneath the central tower that a worshipper could certainly get a good way + towards heaven without rising above it. I only wish that the screen, or + whatever they call it, between the choir and nave, could be thrown down, + so as to give us leave to take in the whole vastitude at once. I never + could understand why, after building a great church, they choose to sunder + it in halves by this mid-partition. But let me be thankful for what I got, + and especially for the height and massiveness of the clustered pillars + that support the arches on which rests the central tower. I remember at + Furness Abbey I saw two tall pillars supporting a broken arch, and thought + it, the most majestic fragment of architecture that could possibly be. But + these pillars have a nobler height, and these arches a greater sweep. What + nonsense to try to write about a cathedral! + </p> + <p> + There is a great, cold bareness and bleakness about the interior; for + there are very few monuments, and those seem chiefly to be of + ecclesiastical people. I saw no armed knights, asleep on the tops of their + tombs; but there was a curious representation of a skeleton, at full + length, under the table-slab of one of the monuments. The walls are of a + grayish hue, not so agreeable as the rich dark tint of the inside of + Westminster Abbey; but a great many of the windows are still filled with + ancient painted glass, the very small squares and pieces of which are + composed into splendid designs of saints and angels, and scenes from + Scripture. + </p> + <p> + There were a few watery blinks of sunshine out of doors, and whenever + these came through the old painted windows, some of the more vivid colors + were faintly thrown upon the pavement of the cathedral,—very + faintly, it is true; for, in the first place, the sunshine was not + brilliant; and painted glass, too, fades in the course of the ages, + perhaps, like all man's other works. There were two or three windows of + modern manufacture, and far more magnificent, as to brightness of color + and material beauty, than the ancient ones; but yet they looked vulgar, + glaring, and impertinent in comparison, because such revivals or + imitations of a long-disused art cannot have the good faith and + earnestness of the originals. Indeed, in the very coloring, I felt the + same difference as between heart's blood and a scarlet dye. It is a pity, + however, that the old windows cannot be washed, both inside and out, for + now they have the dust of centuries upon them. + </p> + <p> + The screen or curtain between the nave and choir has eleven carved + figures, at full length, which appeared to represent kings, some of them + wearing crowns, and bearing sceptres or swords. They were in wood, and + wrought by some Gothic hand. These carvings, and the painted windows, and + the few monuments, are all the details that the mind can catch hold of in + the immensity of this cathedral; and I must say that it was a dreary place + on that cold, cloudy day. I doubt whether a cathedral is a sort of edifice + suited to the English climate. The first buildings of the kind were + probably erected by people who had bright and constant sunshine, and who + desired a shadowy awfulness—like that of a forest, with its arched + wood-paths—into which to retire in their religious moments. + </p> + <p> + In America, on a hot summer's day, how delightful its cool and solemn + depths would be! The painted windows, too, were evidently contrived, in + the first instance, by persons who saw how effective they would prove when + a vivid sun shone through them. But in England, the interior of a + cathedral, nine days out of ten, is a vast sullenness, and as chill as + death and the tomb. At any rate, it was so to-day, and so thought one of + the old vergers, who kept walking as briskly as he could along the width + of the transepts. There were several of these old men when I first came + in, but they went off, all but this one, before I departed. None of them + said a word to me, nor I to them; and admission to the Minster seems to be + entirely free. + </p> + <p> + After emerging from this great gloom, I wandered to and fro about York, + and contrived to go astray within no very wide space. If its history be + authentic, it is an exceedingly old city, having been founded about a + thousand years before the Christian era. There used to be a palace of the + Roman emperors here, and the Emperor Severus died here, as did some of his + successors; and Constantine the Great was born here. I know not what, if + any, relics of those earlier times there may be; but York is still partly + surrounded with a wall, and has several gates, which the city authorities + take pains to keep in repair. I grow weary in my endeavor to find my way + back to the railway, and inquired it of one of the good people of York,—a + respectable, courteous, gentlemanly person,— and he told me to walk + along the walls. Then he went on a considerable distance; but seemed to + repent of not doing more for me; so he waited till I came up, and, walking + along by my side, pointed out the castle, now the jail, and the place of + execution, and directed me to the principal gateway of the city, and + instructed me how to reach the ferry. The path along the wall leads, in + one place, through a room over the arch of a gateway,—a low, + thick-walled, stone apartment, where doubtless the gatekeeper used to + lodge, and to parley with those who desired entrance. + </p> + <p> + I found my way to the ferry over the Ouse, according to this kind + Yorkist's instructions. The ferryman told me that the fee for crossing was + a halfpenny, which seemed so ridiculously small that I offered him more; + but this unparalleled Englishman declined taking anything beyond his + rightful halfpenny. This seems so wonderful to me that I can hardly trust + my own memory. + </p> + <p> + Reaching the station, I got some dinner, and at four o'clock, just as I + was starting, came Mr. Bowman, my very agreeable and sensible travelling + companion. Our journeying together was ended here; for he was to keep on + to London, and I to return to Liverpool. So we parted, and I took the rail + westward across England, through a very beautiful, and in some degree + picturesque, tract of country, diversified with hills, through the valleys + and vistas of which goes the railroad, with dells diverging from it on + either hand, and streams and arched bridges, and old villages, and a + hundred pleasant English sights. After passing Rochdale, however, the + dreary monotony of Lancashire succeeded this variety. Between nine and ten + o'clock I reached the Tithebarn station in Liverpool. Ever since until + now, May 17th, I have employed my leisure moments in scribbling off the + journal of my tour; but it has greatly lost by not having been written + daily, as the scenes and occurrences were fresh. The most picturesque + points can be seized in no other way, and the hues of the affair fade as + quickly as those of a dying dolphin; or as, according to Audubon, the + plumage of a dead bird. + </p> + <p> + One thing that struck me as much as anything else in the Highlands I had + forgotten to put down. In our walk at Balloch, along the road within view + of Loch Lomond and the neighboring hills, it was a brilliant sunshiny + afternoon, and I never saw any atmosphere so beautiful as that among the + mountains. It was a clear, transparent, ethereal blue, as distinct as a + vapor, and yet by no means vaporous, but a pure, crystalline medium. I + have witnessed nothing like this among the Berkshire hills nor elsewhere. + </p> + <p> + York is full of old churches, some of them very antique in appearance, the + stones weather-worn, their edges rounded by time, blackened, and with all + the tokens of sturdy and age-long decay; and in some of them I noticed + windows quite full of old painted glass, a dreary kind of minute + patchwork, all of one dark and dusty hue, when seen from the outside. Yet + had I seen them from the interior of the church, there doubtless would + have been rich and varied apparitions of saints, with their glories round + their heads, and bright-winged angels, and perhaps even the Almighty + Father himself, so far as conceivable and representable by human powers. + It requires light from heaven to make them visible. If the church were + merely illuminated from the inside,—that is, by what light a man can + get from his own understanding,—the pictures would be invisible, or + wear at best but a miserable aspect. + </p> + <h3> + LIVERPOOL. + </h3> + <p> + May 24th.—Day before yesterday I had a call at the Consulate from + one of the Potentates of the Earth,—a woolly-haired negro, rather + thin and spare, between forty and fifty years of age, plainly dressed; at + the first glimpse of whom, I could readily have mistaken him for some + ship's steward, seeking to enter a complaint of his captain. However, this + was President Roberts, of Liberia, introduced by a note from Mrs. + O'Sullivan, whom he has recently met in Madeira. I was rather favorably + impressed with him; for his deportment was very simple, and without any of + the flourish and embroidery which a negro might be likely to assume on + finding himself elevated from slavery to power. He is rather shy, + reserved, at least, and undemonstrative, yet not harshly so,—in + fine, with manners that offer no prominent points for notice or criticism; + although I felt, or thought I felt, that his color was continually before + his mind, and that he walks cautiously among men, as conscious that every + new introduction is a new experiment. He is not in the slightest degree an + interesting man (so far as I discovered in a very brief interview), apart + from his position and history; his face is not striking, nor so agreeable + as if it were jet black; but there may be miles and miles of depth in him + which I know nothing of. Our conversation was of the most unimportant + character; for he had called merely to deliver the note, and sat only a + few minutes, during which he merely responded to my observations, and + originated no remarks. Intelligence, discretion, tact—these are + probably his traits; not force of character and independence. + </p> + <p> + The same day I took the rail from the Little Street station for + </p> + <h3> + MANCHESTER, + </h3> + <p> + to meet Bennoch, who had asked me thither to dine with him. I had never + visited Manchester before, though now so long resident within twenty miles + of it; neither is it particularly worth visiting, unless for the sake of + its factories, which I did not go to see. It is a dingy and heavy town, + with very much the aspect of Liverpool, being, like the latter, built + almost entirely within the present century. I stopped at the Albion Hotel, + and, as Bennoch was out, I walked forth to view the city, and made only + such observations as are recorded above. Opposite the hotel stands the + Infirmary,—a very large edifice, which, when erected, was on the + outskirts, or perhaps in the rural suburbs, of the town, but it is now + almost in its centre. In the enclosed space before it stands the statue of + Peel, and sits a statue of Dr. Dalton, the celebrated chemist, who was a + native of Manchester. + </p> + <p> + Returning to the hotel, I sat down in the room where we were to dine, and + in due time Bennoch made his appearance, with the same glow and friendly + warmth in his face that I had left burning there when we parted in London. + If this man has not a heart, then no man ever had. I like him + inexpressibly for his heart and for his intellect, and for his flesh and + blood; and if he has faults, I do not know them, nor care to know them, + nor value him the less if I did know them. He went to his room to dress; + and in the mean time a middle-aged, dark man, of pleasant aspect, with + black hair, black eyebrows, and bright, dark eyes came in, limping a + little, but not much. He seemed not quite a man of the world, a little shy + in manner, yet he addressed me kindly and sociably. I guessed him to be + Mr. Charles Swain, the poet, whom Mr. Bennoch had invited to dinner. Soon + came another guest whom Mr. Swain introduced to me as Mr. ———, + editor of the Manchester Examiner. Then came Bennoch, who made us all + regularly acquainted, or took for granted that we were so; and lastly + appeared a Mr. W———, a merchant in Manchester, and a + very intelligent man; and the party was then complete. Mr. Swain, the + poet, is not a man of fluent conversation; he said, indeed, very little, + but gave me the impression of amiability and simplicity of character, with + much feeling. + </p> + <p> + Mr. W——— is a very sensible man. He has spent two or + three years in America, and seems to have formed juster conclusions about + us than most of his countrymen do. He is the only Englishman, I think, + whom I have met, who fairly acknowledges that the English do cherish + doubt, jealousy, suspicion, in short, an unfriendly feeling, towards the + Americans. It is wonderful how every American, whatever class of the + English he mingles with, is conscious of this feeling, and how no + Englishman, except this sole Mr. W———, will confess it. + He expressed some very good ideas, too, about the English and American + press, and the reasons why the Times may fairly be taken as the exponent + of British feeling towards us, while the New York Herald, immense as its + circulation is, can be considered, in no similar degree or kind, the + American exponent. + </p> + <p> + We sat late at table, and after the other guests had retired, Bennoch and + I had some very friendly talk, and he proposed that on my wife's return we + should take up our residence in his house at Blackheath, while Mrs. + Bennoch and himself were absent for two months on a trip to Germany. If + his wife and mine ratify the idea, we will do so. + </p> + <p> + The next morning we went out to see the Exchange, and whatever was + noticeable about the town. Time being brief, I did not visit the + cathedral, which, I believe, is a thousand years old. There are many + handsome shops in Manchester; and we went into one establishment, devoted + to pictures, engravings, and decorative art generally, which is most + perfect and extensive. The firm, if I remember, is that of the Messrs. + Agnew, and, though originating here, they have now a house in London. Here + I saw some interesting objects, purchased by them at the recent sale of + the Rogers collection; among other things, a slight pencil and water-color + sketch by Raphael. An unfinished affair, done in a moment, as this must + have been, seems to bring us closer to the hand that did it than the most + elaborately painted picture can. Were I to see the Transfiguration, + Raphael would still be at the distance of centuries. Seeing this little + sketch, I had him very near me. I know not why,— perhaps it might be + fancied that he had only laid down the pencil for an instant, and would + take it up again in a moment more. I likewise saw a copy of a handsome, + illustrated edition of Childe Harold, presented by old John Murray to Mr. + Rogers, with an inscription on the fly-leaf, purporting that it was a + token of gratitude from the publisher, because, when everybody else + thought him imprudent in giving four hundred guineas for the poem, Mr. + Rogers told him it would turn out the best bargain he ever made. + </p> + <p> + There was a new picture by Millais, the distinguished Pre-Raphaelite + artist, representing a melancholy parting between two lovers. The lady's + face had a great deal of sad and ominous expression; but an old brick + wall, overrun with foliage, was so exquisitely and elaborately wrought + that it was hardly possible to look at the personages of the picture. + Every separate leaf of the climbing and clustering shrubbery was painfully + made out; and the wall was reality itself, with the weather-stains, and + the moss, and the crumbling lime between the bricks. It is not well to be + so perfect in the inanimate, unless the artist can likewise make man and + woman as lifelike, and to as great a depth, too, as the Creator does. + </p> + <p> + Bennoch left town for some place in Yorkshire, and I for Liverpool. I + asked him to come and dine with me at the Adelphi, meaning to ask two or + three people to meet him; but he had other engagements, and could not + spare a day at present, though he promises to come before long. + </p> + <p> + Dining at Mr. Rathbone's one evening last week (May 21st), it was + mentioned that + </p> + <h3> + BORROW, + </h3> + <p> + author of the Bible in Spain, is supposed to be of gypsy descent by the + mother's side. Hereupon Mr. Martineau mentioned that he had been a + schoolfellow of Borrow, and though he had never heard of his gypsy blood, + he thought it probable, from Borrow's traits of character. He said that, + Borrow had once run away from school, and carried with him a party of + other boys, meaning to lead a wandering life. + </p> + <p> + If an Englishman were individually acquainted with all our twenty-five + millions of Americans, and liked every one of them, and believed that each + man of those millions was a Christian, honest, upright, and kind, he would + doubt, despise, and hate them in the aggregate, however he might love and + honor the individuals. + </p> + <p> + Captain ——— and his wife Oakum; they spent all evening + at Mrs. B———'s. The Captain is a Marblehead man by + birth, not far from sixty years old; very talkative and anecdotic in + regard to his adventures; funny, good-humored, and full of various + nautical experience. Oakum (it is a nickname which he gives his wife) is + an inconceivably tall woman,— taller than he,—six feet, at + least, and with a well-proportioned largeness in all respects, but looks + kind and good, gentle, smiling,—and almost any other woman might sit + like a baby on her lap. She does not look at all awful and belligerent, + like the massive English women one often sees. You at once feel her to be + a benevolent giantess, and apprehend no harm from her. She is a lady, and + perfectly well mannered, but with a sort of naturalness and simplicity + that becomes her; for any the slightest affectation would be so magnified + in her vast personality that it would be absolutely the height of the + ridiculous. This wedded pair have no children, and Oakum has so long + accompanied her husband on his voyages that I suppose by this time she + could command a ship as well as he. They sat till pretty late, diffusing + cheerfulness all about them, and then, "Come, Oakum," cried the Captain, + "we must hoist sail!" and up rose Oakum to the ceiling, and moved + tower-like to the door, looking down with a benignant smile on the poor + little pygmy women about her. "Six feet," did I say? Why, she must be + seven, eight, nine; and, whatever be her size, she is as good as she is + big. + </p> + <p> + June 11th.—Monday night (9th), just as I was retiring, I received a + telegraphic message announcing my wife's arrival at + </p> + <h3> + SOUTHAMPTON. + </h3> + <p> + So, the next day, I arranged the consular business for an absence of ten + days, and set forth with J——-, and reached Birmingham, between + eight and nine, evening. We put up at the Queen's Hotel, a very large + establishment, contiguous to the railway. Next morning we left Birmingham, + and made our first stage to Leamington, where we had to wait nearly an + hour, which we spent in wandering through some of the streets that had + been familiar to us last year. Leamington is certainly a beautiful town, + new, bright, clean, and as unlike as possible to the business towns of + England. However, the sun was burning hot, and I could almost have fancied + myself in America. From Leamington we took tickets for Oxford, where we + were obliged to make another stop of two hours; and these we employed to + what advantage we could, driving up into town, and straying hither and + thither, till J——-'s weariness weighed upon me, and I + adjourned with him to a hotel. Oxford is an ugly old town, of crooked and + irregular streets, gabled houses, mostly plastered of a buff or yellow + hue; some new fronts; and as for the buildings of the University, they + seem to be scattered at random, without any reference to one another. I + passed through an old gateway of Christ Church, and looked at its enclosed + square, and that is, in truth, pretty much all I then saw of the + University of Oxford. From Christ Church we rambled along a street that + led us to a bridge across the Isis; and we saw many row-boats lying in the + river,—the lightest craft imaginable, unless it were an Indian + canoe. The Isis is but a narrow stream, and with a sluggish current. I + believe the students of Oxford are famous for their skill in rowing. + </p> + <p> + To me as well as to J——- the hot streets were terribly + oppressive; so we went into the Roebuck Hotel, where we found a cool and + pleasant coffee-room. The entrance to this hotel is through an arch, + opening from High Street, and giving admission into a paved court, the + buildings all around being part of the establishment,—old edifices + with pointed gables and old-fashioned projecting windows, but all in fine + repair, and wearing a most quiet, retired, and comfortable aspect. The + court was set all round with flowers, growing in pots or large pedestalled + vases; on one side was the coffee-room, and all the other public + apartments, and the other side seemed to be taken up by the + sleeping-chambers and parlors of the guests. This arrangement of an inn, I + presume, is very ancient, and it resembles what I have seen in the + hospitals, free schools, and other charitable establishments in the old + English towns; and, indeed, all large houses were arranged on somewhat the + same principle. + </p> + <p> + By and by two or three young men came in, in wide-awake hats, and loose, + blouse-like, summerish garments; and from their talk I found them to be + students of the University, although their topics of conversation were + almost entirely horses and boats. One of them sat down to cold beef and a + tankard of ale; the other two drank a tankard of ale together, and went + away without paying for it,—rather to the waiter's discontent. + Students are very much alike, all the world over, and, I suppose, in all + time; but I doubt whether many of my fellows at college would have gone + off without paying for their beer. + </p> + <p> + We reached Southampton between seven and eight o'clock. I cannot write + to-day. + </p> + <p> + June 15th.—The first day after we reached Southampton was sunny and + pleasant; but we made little use of the fine weather, except that S——- + and I walked once along the High Street, and J——- and I took a + little ramble about town in the afternoon. The next day there was a high + and disagreeable wind, and I did not once stir out of the house. The third + day, too, I kept entirely within doors, it being a storm of wind and rain. + The Castle Hotel stands within fifty yards of the water-side; so that this + gusty day showed itself to the utmost advantage,—the vessels + pitching and tossing at their moorings, the waves breaking white out of a + tumultuous gray surface, the opposite shore glooming mistily at the + distance of a mile or two; and on the hither side boatmen and seafaring + people scudding about the pier in waterproof clothes; and in the street, + before the hotel door, a cabman or two, standing drearily beside his + horse. But we were sunny within doors. + </p> + <p> + Yesterday it was breezy, sunny, shadowy, showery; and we ordered a cab to + take us to Clifton Villa, to call on Mrs. ———, a friend + of B———'s, who called on us the day after our arrival. + Just, as we were ready to start, Mrs. ——— again called, + and accompanied us back to her house. It is in Shirley, about two miles + from Southampton pier, and is a pleasant suburban villa, with a pretty + ornamented lawn and shrubbery about it. Mrs. ——— is an + instructress of young ladies; and at B———'s suggestion, + she is willing to receive us for two or three weeks, during the vacation, + until we are ready to go to London. She seems to be a pleasant and + sensible woman, and to-morrow we shall decide whether to go there. There + was nothing very remarkable in this drive; and, indeed, my stay hereabouts + thus far has been very barren of sights and incidents externally + interesting, though the inner life has been rich. + </p> + <p> + Southampton is a very pretty town, and has not the dinginess to which I + have been accustomed in many English towns. The High Street reminds me + very much of American streets in its general effect; the houses being + mostly stuccoed white or light, and cheerful in aspect, though doubtless + they are centuries old at heart. The old gateway, which I presume I have + mentioned in describing my former visit to Southampton, stands across High + Street, about in the centre of the town, and is almost the only token of + antiquity that presents itself to the eye. + </p> + <p> + June 17th.—Yesterday morning, June 16th, S——-, Mrs. + ———, and I took the rail for Salisbury, where we duly + arrived without any accident or anything noticeable, except the usual + verdure and richness of an English summer landscape. From the railway + station we walked up into Salisbury, with the tall spire (four hundred + feet high) of the cathedral before our eyes. Salisbury is an antique city, + but with streets more regular than I have seen in most old towns, and the + houses have a more picturesque aspect than those of Oxford, for instance, + where almost all are mean-looking alike,—though I could hardly judge + of Oxford on that hot, weary day. Through one or more of the streets there + runs a swift, clear little stream, which, being close to the pavement, and + bordered with stone, may be called, I suppose, a kennel, though possessing + the transparent purity of a rustic rivulet. It is a brook in city garb. We + passed under the pointed arch of a gateway, which stands in one of the + principal streets, and soon came in front of + </p> + <h3> + THE CATHEDRAL. + </h3> + <p> + I do not remember any cathedral with so fine a site as this, rising up out + of the centre of a beautiful green, extensive enough to show its full + proportions, relieved and insulated from all other patchwork and + impertinence of rusty edifices. It is of gray stone, and looks as perfect + as when just finished, and with the perfection, too, that could not have + come in less than six centuries of venerableness, with a view to which + these edifices seem to have been built. A new cathedral would lack the + last touch to its beauty and grandeur. It needs to be mellowed and + ripened, like some pictures; although I suppose this awfulness of + antiquity was supplied, in the minds of the generation that built + cathedrals, by the sanctity which they attributed to them. Salisbury + Cathedral is far more beautiful than that of York, the exterior of which + was really disagreeable to my eye; but this mighty spire and these + multitudinous gray pinnacles and towers ascend towards heaven with a kind + of natural beauty, not as if man had contrived them. They might be fancied + to have grown up, just as the spires of a tuft of grass do, at the same + time that they have a law of propriety and regularity among themselves. + The tall spire is of such admirable proportion that it does not seem + gigantic; and indeed the effect of the whole edifice is of beauty rather + than weight and massiveness. Perhaps the bright, balmy sunshine in which + we saw it contributed to give it a tender glory, and to soften a little + its majesty. + </p> + <p> + When we went in, we heard the organ, the forenoon service being near + conclusion. If I had never seen the interior of York Cathedral, I should + have been quite satisfied, no doubt, with the spaciousness of this nave + and these side aisles, and the height of their arches, and the girth of + these pillars; but with that recollection in my mind they fell a little + short of grandeur. The interior is seen to disadvantage, and in a way the + builder never meant it to be seen; because there is little or no painted + glass, nor any such mystery as it makes, but only a colorless, common + daylight, revealing everything without remorse. There is a general light + hue, moreover, like that of whitewash, over the whole of the roof and + walls of the interior, pillars, monuments, and all; whereas, originally, + every pillar was polished, and the ceiling was ornamented in brilliant + colors, and the light came, many-hued, through the windows, on all this + elaborate beauty, in lieu of which there is nothing now but space. + </p> + <p> + Between the pillars that separate the nave from the side aisles, there are + ancient tombs, most of which have recumbent statues on them. One of these + is Longsword, Earl of Salisbury, son of Fair Rosamond, in chain mail; and + there are many other warriors and bishops, and one cross-legged Crusader, + and on one tombstone a recumbent skeleton, which I have likewise seen in + two or three other cathedrals. The pavement of the aisles and nave is laid + in great part with flat tombstones, the inscriptions on which are half + obliterated, and on the walls, especially in the transepts, there are + tablets, among which I saw one to the poet Bowles, who was a canon of this + cathedral. The ecclesiastical dignitaries bury themselves and monument + themselves to the exclusion of almost everybody else, in these latter + times; though still, as of old, the warrior has his place. A young + officer, slain in the Indian wars, was memorialized by a tablet, and may + be remembered by it, six hundred years hence, as we now remember the old + Knights and Crusaders. It deserves to be mentioned that I saw one or two + noses still unbroken among these recumbent figures. Most of the antique + statues, on close examination, proved to be almost, entirely covered with + names and initials, scratched over the once polished surface. The + cathedral and its relics must have been far less carefully watched, at + some former period, than now. + </p> + <p> + Between the nave and the choir, as usual, there is a screen that half + destroys the majesty of the building, by abridging the spectator of the + long vista which he might otherwise have of the whole interior at a + glance. We peeped through the barrier, and saw some elaborate monuments in + the chancel beyond; but the doors of the screen are kept locked, so that + the vergers may raise a revenue by showing strangers through the richest + part of the cathedral. By and by one of these vergers came through the + screen, with a gentleman and lady whom he was taking round, and we joined + ourselves to the party. He showed us into the cloisters, which had long + been neglected and ruinous, until the time of Bishop Dennison, the last + prelate, who has been but a few years dead. This Bishop has repaired and + restored the cloisters in faithful adherence to the original plan; and + they now form a most delightful walk about a pleasant and verdant + enclosure, in the centre of which sleeps good Bishop Dennison, with a wife + on either side of him, all three beneath broad flat stones. Most cloisters + are darksome and grim; but these have a broad paved walk beneath the vista + of arches, and are light, airy, and cheerful; and from one corner you can + get the best possible view of the whole height and beautiful proportion of + the cathedral spire. One side of this cloistered walk seems to be the + length of the nave of the cathedral. There is a square of four such sides; + and of places for meditation, grave, yet not too sombre, it seemed to me + one of the best. While we stayed there, a jackdaw was walking to and fro + across the grassy enclosure, and haunting around the good Bishop's grave. + He was clad in black, and looked like a feathered ecclesiastic; but I know + not whether it were Bishop Dennison's ghost, or that of some old monk. + </p> + <p> + On one side of the cloisters, and contiguous to the main body of the + cathedral, stands the chapter-house. Bishop Dennison had it much at heart + to repair this part of the holy edifice; and, if I mistake not, did begin + the work; for it had been long ruinous, and in Cromwell's time his + dragoons stationed their horses there. Little progress, however, had been + made in the repairs when the Bishop died; and it was decided to restore + the building in his honor, and by way of monument to him. The repairs are + now nearly completed; and the interior of this chapter-house gave me the + first idea, anywise adequate, of the splendor of these Gothic church + edifices. The roof is sustained by one great central pillar of polished + marble,—small pillars clustered about a great central column, which + rises to the ceiling, and there gushes out with various beauty, that + overflows all the walls; as if the fluid idea had sprung out of that + fountain, and grown solid in what we see. The pavement is elaborately + ornamented; the ceiling is to be brilliantly gilded and painted, as it was + of yore, and the tracery and sculptures around the walls are to be + faithfully renewed from what remains of the original patterns. + </p> + <p> + After viewing the chapter-house, the verger—an elderly man of grave, + benign manner, clad in black and talking of the cathedral and the + monuments as if he loved them—led us again into the nave of the + cathedral, and thence within the screen of the choir. The screen is as + poor as possible,—mere barren wood-work, without the least attempt + at beauty. In the chancel there are some meagre patches of old glass, and + some of modern date, not very well worth looking at. We saw several + interesting monuments in this part of the cathedral,—one belonging + to the ducal family of Somerset, and erected in the reign of James I.; it + is of marble, and extremely splendid and elaborate, with kneeling figures + and all manner of magnificence,—more than I have seen in any + monument except that of Mary of Scotland in Westminster Abbey. The more + ancient tombs are also very numerous, and among them that of the Bishop + who founded the cathedral. Within the screen, against the wall, is erected + a monument, by Chantrey, to the Earl of Malmesbury; a full-length statue + of the Earl in a half-recumbent position, holding an open volume and + looking upward,—a noble work,—a calm, wise, thoughtful, firm, + and not unbenignant face. Beholding its expression, it really was + impossible not to have faith in the high character of the individual thus + represented; and I have seldom felt this effect from any monumental bust + or statue, though I presume it is always aimed at. + </p> + <p> + I am weary of trying to describe cathedrals. It is utterly useless; there + is no possibility of giving the general effect, or any shadow of it, and + it is miserable to put down a few items of tombstones, and a bit of glass + from a painted window, as if the gloom and glory of the edifice were thus + to be reproduced. Cathedrals are almost the only things (if even those) + that have quite filled out my ideal here in this old world; and cathedrals + often make me miserable from my inadequacy to take them wholly in; and, + above all, I despise myself when I sit down to describe them. + </p> + <p> + We now walked around the Close, which is surrounded by some of the + quaintest and comfortablest ecclesiastical residences that can be + imagined. These are the dwelling-houses of the Dean and the canons, and + whatever other high officers compose the Bishop's staff; and there was one + large brick mansion, old, but not so ancient as the rest, which we took to + be the Bishop's palace. I never beheld anything—I must say again so + cosey, so indicative of domestic comfort for whole centuries together,—houses + so fit to live in or to die in, and where it would be so pleasant to lead + a young wife beneath the antique portal, and dwell with her till husband + and wife were patriarchal,—as these delectable old houses. They + belong naturally to the cathedral, and have a necessary relation to it, + and its sanctity is somehow thrown over them all, so that they do not + quite belong to this world, though they look full to overflowing of + whatever earthly things are good for man. These are places, however, in + which mankind makes no progress; the rushing tumult of human life here + subsides into a deep, quiet pool, with perhaps a gentle circular eddy, but + no onward movement. The same identical thought, I suppose, goes round in a + slow whirl from one generation to another, as I have seen a withered leaf + do in the vortex of a brook. In the front of the cathedral there is a most + stately and beautiful tree, which flings its verdure upward to a very + lofty height; but far above it rises the tall spire, dwarfing the great + tree by comparison. + </p> + <p> + When the cathedral had sufficiently oppressed us with its beauty, we + returned to sublunary matters, and went wandering about Salisbury in + search of a luncheon, which we finally took in a confectioner's shop. Then + we inquired hither and thither, at various livery-stables, for a + conveyance to Stonehenge, and at last took a fly from the Lamb Hotel. The + drive was over a turnpike for the first seven miles, over a bare, ridgy + country, showing little to interest us. We passed a party of seven or + eight men, in a coarse uniform dress, resembling that worn by convicts and + apparently under the guardianship of a stout, authoritative, yet rather + kindly-looking man with a cane. Our driver said that they were lunatics + from a neighboring asylum, out for a walk. + </p> + <p> + Seven miles from Salisbury, we turned aside from the turnpike, and drove + two miles across Salisbury Plain, which is an apparently boundless extent + of unenclosed land, treeless and houseless. It is not exactly a plain, but + a green sea of long and gentle swells and subsidences, affording views of + miles upon miles to a very far horizon. We passed large flocks of sheep, + with the shepherds watching them; but the dogs seemed to take most of the + care of the flocks upon their own shoulders, and would scamper to turn the + sheep when they inclined to stray whither they should not; and then arose + a thousand-fold bleating, not unpleasant to the ear; for it did not + apparently indicate any fear or discomfort on the part of the flock. The + sheep and lambs are all black-faced, and have a very funny expression. As + we drove over the plain (my seat was beside the driver), I saw at a + distance a cluster of large gray stones, mostly standing upright, and some + of them slightly inclined towards each other, —very irregular, and + so far off forming no very picturesque or noteworthy spectacle. Of course + I knew at once that this was + </p> + <h3> + STONEHENGE, + </h3> + <p> + and also knew that the reality was going to dwindle wofully within my + ideal, as almost everything else does. When we reached the spot, we found + a picnic-party just finishing their dinner, on one of the overthrown + stones of the druidical temple; and within the sacred circle an artist was + painting a wretched daub of the scene, and an old shepherd —the very + Shepherd of Salisbury Plain sat erect in the centre of the ruin. + </p> + <p> + There never was a ruder thing than Stonehenge made by mortal hands. It is + so very rude that it seems as if Nature and man had worked upon it with + one consent, and so it is all the stranger and more impressive from its + rudeness. The spectator wonders to see art and contrivance, and a regular + and even somewhat intricate plan, beneath all the uncouth simplicity of + this arrangement of rough stones; and certainly, whatever was the + intellectual and scientific advancement of the people who built + Stonehenge, no succeeding architects will ever have a right to triumph + over them; for nobody's work in after times is likely to endure till it + becomes a mystery as to who built it, and how, and for what purpose. Apart + from the moral considerations suggested by it, Stonehenge is not very well + worth seeing. Materially, it is one of the poorest of spectacles, and when + complete, it must have been even less picturesque than now,—a few + huge, rough stones, very imperfectly squared, standing on end, and each + group of two supporting a third large stone on their tops; other stones of + the same pattern overthrown and tumbled one upon another; and the whole + comprised within a circuit of about a hundred feet diameter; the short, + sheep-cropped grass of Salisbury Plain growing among all these uncouth + bowlders. I am not sure that a misty, lowering day would not have better + suited Stonehenge, as the dreary midpoint of the great, desolate, + trackless plain; not literally trackless, however, for the London and + Exeter Road passes within fifty yards of the ruins, and another road + intersects it. + </p> + <p> + After we had been there about an hour, there came a horseman within the + Druid's circle,—evidently a clerical personage by his white + neckcloth, though his loose gray riding pantaloons were not quite in + keeping. He looked at us rather earnestly, and at last addressed Mrs. + ———, and announced himself as Mr. Hinchman,—a + clergyman whom she had been trying to find in Salisbury, in order to avail + herself of him as a cicerone; and he had now ridden hither to meet us. He + told us that the artist whom we found here could give us more information + than anybody about Stonehenge; for it seems he has spent a great many + years here, painting and selling his poor sketches to visitors, and also + selling a book which his father wrote about the remains. This man showed, + indeed, a pretty accurate, acquaintance with these old stones, and pointed + out, what is thought to be the altar-stone, and told us of some relation + between this stone and two other stones, and the rising of the sun at + midsummer, which might indicate that Stonehenge was a temple of solar + worship. He pointed out, too, to how little depth the stones were planted + in the earth, insomuch that I have no doubt the American frosts would + overthrow Stonehenge in a single winter; and it is wonderful that it + should have stood so long, even in England. I have forgotten what else he + said; but I bought one of his books, and find it a very unsatisfactory + performance, being chiefly taken up with an attempt to prove these remains + to be an antediluvian work, constructed, I think the author says, under + the superintendence of Father Adam himself! Before our departure we were + requested to write our names in the album which the artist keeps for the + purpose; and he pointed out Ex-President Fillmore's autograph, and those + of one or two other Americans who have been here within a short time. It + is a very curious life that this artist leads, in this great solitude, and + haunting Stonehenge like the ghost of a Druid; but he is a brisk little + man, and very communicative on his one subject. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Hinchman rode with us over the plain, and pointed out Salisbury spire, + visible close to Stonehenge. Under his guidance we returned by a different + road from that which brought us thither,—and a much more delightful + one. I think I never saw such continued sylvan beauty as this road showed + us, passing through a good deal of woodland scenery,—fine old trees, + standing each within its own space, and thus having full liberty to + outspread itself, and wax strong and broad for ages, instead of being + crowded, and thus stifled and emaciated, as human beings are here, and + forest-trees are in America. Hedges, too, and the rich, rich verdure of + England; and villages full of picturesque old houses, thatched, and ivied, + or perhaps overrun with roses,—and a stately mansion in the + Elizabethan style; and a quiet stream, gliding onward without a ripple + from its own motion, but rippled by a large fish darting across it; and + over all this scene a gentle, friendly sunshine, not ardent enough to + crisp a single leaf or blade of grass. Nor must the village church be + forgotten, with its square, battlemented tower, dating back to the epoch + of the Normans. We called at a house where one of Mrs. ———'s + pupils was residing with her aunt,—a thatched house of two stories + high, built in what was originally a sand-pit, but which, in the course of + a good many years, has been transformed into the most delightful and + homelike little nook almost that can be found in England. A thatched + cottage suggests a very rude dwelling indeed; but this had a pleasant + parlor and drawing-room, and chambers with lattice-windows, opening close + beneath the thatched roof; and the thatch itself gives an air to the place + as if it were a bird's nest, or some such simple and natural habitation. + The occupants are an elderly clergyman, retired from professional duty, + and his sister; and having nothing else to do, and sufficient means, they + employ themselves in beautifying this sweet little retreat—planting + new shrubbery, laying out new walks around it, and helping Nature to add + continually another charm; and Nature is certainly a more genial + playfellow in England than in my own country. She is always ready to lend + her aid to any beautifying purpose. + </p> + <p> + Leaving these good people, who were very hospitable, giving tea and + offering wine, we reached Salisbury in time to take the train for + Southampton. + </p> + <p> + June 18th.—Yesterday we left the Castle Hotel, after paying a bill + of twenty pounds for a little more than a week's board. In America we + could not very well have lived so simply, but we might have lived + luxuriously for half the money. This Castle Hotel was once an old Roman + castle, the landlord says, and the circular sweep of the tower is still + seen towards the street, although, being painted white, and built up with + modern additions, it would not be taken for an ancient structure. There is + a dungeon beneath it, in which the landlord keeps his wine. + </p> + <p> + J——- and I, quitting the hotel, walked towards Shinley along + the water-side, leaving the rest of the family to follow in a fly. There + are many traces, along the shore, of the fortifications by which + Southampton was formerly defended towards the water, and very probably + their foundations may be as ancient as Roman times. Our hotel was no doubt + connected with this chain of defences, which seems to have consisted of a + succession of round towers, with a wall extending from one to another. We + saw two or three of these towers still standing, and likely to stand, + though ivy-grown and ruinous at the summit, and intermixed and even + amalgamated with pot-houses and mean dwellings; and often, through an + antique arch, there was a narrow doorway, giving access to the house of + some sailor or laborer or artisan, and his wife gossiping at it with her + neighbor, or his children playing about it. + </p> + <p> + After getting beyond the precincts of Southampton our walk was not very + interesting, except to J——-, who kept running down to the + verge of the water, looking for shells and sea-insects. + </p> + <p> + June 29th.—Yesterday, 28th, I left Liverpool from the Lime Street + station; an exceedingly hot day for England, insomuch that the rail + carriages were really uncomfortable. I have now passed over the London and + Northwestern Railway so often that the northern part of it is very + wearisome, especially as it has few features of interest even to a new + observer. At Stafford—no, at Wolverhampton—we diverged to a + track which I have passed over only once before. We stopped an hour and a + quarter at Wolverhampton, and I walked up into the town, which is large + and old,—old, at least, in its plan, or lack of plan,—the + streets being irregular, and straggling over an uneven surface. Like many + of the English towns, it reminds me of Boston, though dingier. The sun was + so hot that I actually sought the shady sides of the streets; and this, of + itself, is one long step towards establishing a resemblance between an + English town and an American one. + </p> + <p> + English railway carriages seem to me more tiresome than any other; and I + suppose it is owing to the greater motion, arising from their more elastic + springs. A slow train, too, like that which I was now in, is more tiresome + than a quick one, at least to the spirits, whatever it may be to the body. + We loitered along through afternoon and evening, stopping at every little + station, and nowhere getting to the top of our speed, till at last, in the + late dusk, we reached + </p> + <h3> + GLOUCESTER, + </h3> + <p> + and I put up at the Wellington Hotel, which is but a little way from the + station. I took tea and a slice or two of ham in the coffee-room, and had + a little talk with two people there; one of whom, on learning that I was + an American, said, "But I suppose you have now been in England some time?" + He meant, finding me not absolutely a savage, that I must have been caught + a good while ago. . . . + </p> + <p> + The next morning I went into the city, the hotel being on its outskirts, + and rambled along in search of the cathedral. Some church-bells were + chiming and clashing for a wedding or other festal occasion, and I + followed the sound, supposing that it might proceed from the cathedral, + but this was not the case. It was not till I had got to a bridge over the + Severn, quite out of the town, that I saw again its tower, and knew how to + shape my course towards it. + </p> + <p> + I did not see much that was strange or interesting in Gloucester. It is + old, with a good many of those antique Elizabethan houses with two or + three peaked gables on a line together; several old churches, which always + cluster about a cathedral, like chickens round a hen; a hospital for + decayed tradesmen; another for bluecoat boys; a great many butcher's + shops, scattered in all parts of the town, open in front, with a counter + or dresser on which to display the meat, just in the old fashion of + Shakespeare's house. It is a large town, and has a good deal of liveliness + and bustle, in a provincial way. In short, judging by the sheep, cattle, + and horses, and the people of agricultural aspect that I saw about the + streets, I should think it must have been market-day. I looked here and + there for the old Bell Inn, because, unless I misremember, Fielding brings + Tom Jones to this inn, while he and Partridge were travelling together. It + is still extant; for, on my arrival the night before, a runner from it had + asked me to go thither; but I forgot its celebrity at the moment. I saw + nothing of it in my rambles about Gloucester, but at last I found + </p> + <h3> + THE CATHEDRAL, + </h3> + <p> + though I found no point from which a good view of the exterior can be + seen. + </p> + <p> + It has a very beautiful and rich outside, however, and a lofty tower, very + large and ponderous, but so finished off, and adorned with pinnacles, and + all manner of architectural devices,—wherewith these old builders + knew how to alleviate their massive structures,—that it seems to sit + lightly in the air. The porch was open, and some workmen were trundling + barrows into the nave; so I followed, and found two young women sitting + just within the porch, one of whom offered to show me round the cathedral. + There was a great dust in the nave, arising from the operations of the + workmen. They had been laying a new pavement, and scraping away the + plaster, which had heretofore been laid over the pillars and walls. The + pillars come out from the process as good as new,—great, round, + massive columns, not clustered like those of most cathedrals; they are + twenty-one feet in circumference, and support semicircular arches. I think + there are seven of these columns, on each side of the nave, which did not + impress me as very spacious; and the dust and racket of the work-people + quite destroyed the effect which should have been produced by the aisles + and arches; so that I hardly stopped to glance at this part, though I saw + some mural monuments and recumbent statues along the walls. + </p> + <p> + The choir is separated from the nave by the usual screen, and now by a + sail-cloth or something of that kind, drawn across, in order to keep out + the dust, while the repairs are going on. When the young woman conducted + me hither, I was at once struck by the magnificent eastern window, the + largest in England, which fills, or looks vast enough to fill, all that + end of the cathedral,—a most splendid window, full of old painted + glass, which looked as bright as sunshine, though the sun was not really + shining through it. The roof of the choir is of oak and very fine, and as + much as ninety feet high. There are chapels opening from the choir, and + within them the monuments of the eminent people who built them, and of + benefactors or prelates, or of those otherwise illustrious in their day. + My recollection of what I saw here is very dim and confused; more so than + I anticipated. I remember somewhere within the choir the tomb of Edward + II. with his effigy upon the top of it, in a long robe, with a crown on + his head, and a ball and sceptre in his hand; likewise, a statue of + Robert, son of the Conqueror, carved in Irish oak and painted. He lolls in + an easy posture on his tomb, with one leg crossed lightly over the other, + to denote that he was a Crusader. There are several monuments of mitred + abbots who formerly presided over the cathedral. A Cavalier and his wife, + with the dress of the period elaborately represented, lie side by side in + excellent preservation; and it is remarkable that though their noses are + very prominent, they have come down from the past without any wear and + tear. The date of the Cavalier's death is 1637, and I think his statue + could not have been sculptured until after the Restoration, else he and + his dame would hardly have come through Cromwell's time unscathed. Here, + as in all the other churches in England, Cromwell is said to have stabled + his horses, and broken the windows, and belabored the old monuments. + </p> + <p> + There is one large and beautiful chapel, styled the Lady's Chapel, which + is, indeed, a church by itself, being ninety feet long, and comprising + everything that appertains to a place of worship. Here, too, there are + monuments, and on the floor are many old bricks and tiles, with + inscriptions on them, or Gothic devices, and flat tombstones, with coats + of arms sculptured on them; as, indeed, there are everywhere else, except + in the nave, where the new pavement has obliterated them. After viewing + the choir and the chapels, the young woman led me down into the crypts + below, where the dead persons who are commemorated in the upper regions + were buried. The low ponderous pillars and arches of these crypts are + supposed to be older than the upper portions of the building. They are + about as perfect, I suppose, as when new, but very damp, dreary, and + darksome; and the arches intersect one another so intricately, that, if + the girl had deserted me, I might easily have got lost there. These are + chapels where masses used to be said for the souls of the deceased; and my + guide said that a great many skulls and bones had been dug up here. No + doubt a vast population has been deposited in the course of a thousand + years. I saw two white skulls, in a niche, grinning as skulls always do, + though it is impossible to see the joke. These crypts, or crypts like + these, are doubtless what Congreve calls the "aisles and monumental caves + of Death," in that passage which Dr. Johnson admired so much. They are + very singular,—something like a dark shadow or dismal repetition of + the upper church below ground. + </p> + <p> + Ascending from the crypts, we went next to the cloisters, which are in a + very perfect state, and form an unbroken square about the green + grass-plot, enclosed within. Here also it is said Cromwell stabled his + horses; but if so, they were remarkably quiet beasts, for tombstones, + which form the pavement, are not broken, nor cracked, nor bear any + hoof-marks. All around the cloisters, too, the stone tracery that shuts + them in like a closed curtain, carefully drawn, remains as it was in the + days of the monks, insomuch that it is not easy to get a glimpse of the + green enclosure. Probably there used to be painted glass in the larger + apertures of this stone-work; otherwise it is perfect. These cloisters are + very different from the free, open, and airy ones of Salisbury; but they + are more in accordance with our notions of monkish habits; and even at + this day, if I were a canon of Gloucester, I would put that dim ambulatory + to a good use. The library is adjacent to the cloisters, and I saw some + rows of folios and quartos. I have nothing else to record about the + cathedral, though if I were to stay there a month, I suppose it might then + begin to be understood. It is wicked to look at these solemn old churches + in a hurry. By the by, it was not built in a hurry; but in full three + hundred years, having been begun in 1188 and only finished in 1498, not a + great many years before Papistry began to go out of vogue in England. + </p> + <p> + From Gloucester I took the rail for Basingstoke before noon. The first + part of the journey was through an uncommonly beautiful tract of country, + hilly, but not wild; a tender and graceful picturesqueness,—fine, + single trees and clumps of trees, and sometimes wide woods, scattered over + the landscape, and filling the nooks of the hills with luxuriant foliage. + Old villages scattered frequently along our track, looking very peaceful, + with the peace of past ages lingering about them; and a rich, rural + verdure of antique cultivation everywhere. Old country-seats—specimens + of the old English hall or manor-house—appeared on the hillsides, + with park-scenery surrounding the mansions; and the gray churches rose in + the midst of all the little towns. The beauty of English scenery makes me + desperate, it is so impossible to describe it, or in any way to record its + impression, and such a pity to leave it undescribed; and, moreover, I + always feel that I do not get from it a hundredth or a millionth part of + the enjoyment that there really is in it, hurrying past it thus. I was + really glad when we rumbled into a tunnel, piercing for a long distance + through a hill; and, emerging on the other side, we found ourselves in a + comparatively level and uninteresting tract of country, which lasted till + we reached Southampton. English scenery, to be appreciated and to be + reproduced with pen and pencil, requires to be dwelt upon long, and to be + wrought out with the nicest touches. A coarse and hasty brush is not the + instrument for such work. + </p> + <p> + July 6th.—Monday, June 30th, was a warm and beautiful day, and my + wife and I took a cab from Southampton and drove to + </p> + <h3> + NETLEY ABBEY, + </h3> + <p> + about three or four miles. The remains of the Abbey stand in a sheltered + place, but within view of Southampton Water; and it is a most picturesque + and perfect ruin, all ivy-grown, of course, and with great trees where the + pillars of the nave used to stand, and also in the refectory and the + cloister court; and so much soil on the summit of the broken walls, that + weeds flourish abundantly there, and grass too; and there was a wild + rosebush, in full bloom, as much as thirty or forty feet from the ground. + S——- and I ascended a winding stair, leading up within a round + tower, the steps much foot-worn; and, reaching the top, we came forth at + the height where a gallery had formerly run round the church, in the + thickness of the wall. The upper portions of the edifice were now chiefly + thrown down; but I followed a foot-path, on the top of the remaining wall, + quite to the western entrance of the church. Since the time when the Abbey + was taken from the monks, it has been private property; and the possessor, + in Henry VIII.'s days, or subsequently, built a residence for himself + within its precincts out of the old materials. This has now entirely + disappeared, all but some unsightly old masonry, patched into the original + walls. Large portions of the ruin have been removed, likewise, to be used + as building-materials elsewhere; and this is the Abbey mentioned, I think, + by Dr. Watts, concerning which a Mr. William Taylor had a dream while he + was contemplating pulling it down. He dreamed that a part of it fell upon + his head; and, sure enough, a piece of the wall did come down and crush + him. In the nave I saw a large mass of conglomerated stone that had fallen + from the wall between the nave and cloisters, and thought that perhaps + this was the very mass that killed poor Mr. Taylor. + </p> + <p> + The ruins are extensive and very interesting; but I have put off + describing them too long, and cannot make a distinct picture of them now. + Moreover, except to a spectator skilled in architecture, all ruined abbeys + are pretty much alike. As we came away, we noticed some women making + baskets at the entrance, and one of them urged us to buy some of her + handiwork; for that she was the gypsy of Netley Abbey, and had lived among + the ruins these thirty years. So I bought one for a shilling. She was a + woman with a prominent nose, and weather-tanned, but not very picturesque + or striking. + </p> + <h3> + TO BLACKHEATH. + </h3> + <p> + On the 6th July, we left the Villa, with our enormous luggage, and took + our departure from Southampton by the noon train. The main street of + Southampton, though it looks pretty fresh and bright, must be really + antique, there being a great many projecting windows, in the old-time + style, and these make the vista of the street very picturesque. I have no + doubt that I missed seeing many things more interesting than the few that + I saw. Our journey to London was without any remarkable incident, and at + the Waterloo station we found one of Mr. Bennoch's clerks, under whose + guidance we took two cabs for the East Kent station at London Bridge, and + there railed to Blackheath, where we arrived in the afternoon. + </p> + <p> + On Thursday I went into London by one of the morning trains, and wandered + about all day,—visiting the Exhibition of the Royal Academy, and + Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's, the two latter of which I have already + written about in former journals. On Friday, S——-, J——-, + and I walked over the heath, and through the Park to Greenwich, and spent + some hours in the Hospital. The painted hall struck me much more than at + my first view of it; it is very beautiful indeed, and the effect of its + frescoed ceiling most rich and magnificent, the assemblage of glowing hues + producing a general result of splendor. . . . + </p> + <p> + In the evening I went with Mr. and Mrs. ——— to a + conversazione at Mrs. Newton Crosland's, who lives on Blackheath. . . . I + met with one person who interested me,—Mr. Bailey, the author of + Festus; and I was surprised to find myself already acquainted with him. It + is the same Mr. Bailey whom I met a few months ago, when I first dined at + Mr. ——-'s,—a dark, handsome, rather picturesque-looking + man, with a gray beard, and dark hair, a little dimmed with gray. He is of + quiet and very agreeable deportment, and I liked him and believed in him. + . . . There is sadness glooming out of him, but no unkindness nor + asperity. Mrs. Crosland's conversazione was enriched with a supper, and + terminated with a dance, in which Mr. ——— joined with + heart and soul, but Mrs. ——— went to sleep in her chair, + and I would gladly have followed her example if I could have found a chair + to sit upon. In the course of the evening I had some talk with a pale, + nervous young lady, who has been a noted spiritual medium. + </p> + <p> + Yesterday I went into town by the steamboat from Greenwich to London + Bridge, with a nephew of Mr. ———'s, and, calling at his + place of business, he procured us an order from his wine-merchants, by + means of which we were admitted into + </p> + <h3> + THE WINE-VAULTS OF THE LONDON DOCKS. + </h3> + <p> + We there found parties, with an acquaintance, who was going, with two + French gentlemen, into the vaults. It is a good deal like going down into + a mine, each visitor being provided with a lamp at the end of a stick; and + following the guide along dismal passages, running beneath the streets, + and extending away interminably,—roughly arched overhead with stone, + from which depend festoons of a sort of black fungus, caused by the + exhalations of the wine. Nothing was ever uglier than this fungus. It is + strange that the most ethereal effervescence of rich wine can produce + nothing better. + </p> + <p> + The first series of vaults which we entered were filled with port-wine, + and occupied a space variously estimated at from eleven to sixteen acres,—which + I suppose would hold more port-wine than ever was made. At any rate, the + pipes and butts were so thickly piled that in some places we could hardly + squeeze past them. We drank from two or three vintages; but I was not + impressed with any especial excellence in the wine. We were not the only + visitors, for, far in the depths of the vault, we passed a gentleman and + two young ladies, wandering about like the ghosts of defunct wine-bibhers, + in a Tophet specially prepared for then. People employed here sometimes go + astray, and, their lamps being extinguished, they remain long in this + everlasting gloom. We went likewise to the vaults of sherry-wine, which + have the same characteristics as those just described, but are less + extensive. + </p> + <p> + It is no guaranty for the excellence or even for the purity of the wine, + that it is kept in these cellars, under the lock and key of the + government; for the merchants are allowed to mix different vintages, + according to their own pleasure, and to adulterate it as they like. Very + little of the wine probably comes out as it goes in, or is exactly what it + pretends to be. I went back to Mr. ———'s office, and we + drove together to make some calls jointly and separately. I went alone to + Mrs. Heywood's; afterwards with Mr. ——— to the American + minister's, whom we found at home; and I requested of him, on the part of + the Americans at Liverpool, to tell me the facts about the American + gentleman being refused admittance to the Levee. The ambassador did not + seem to me to make his point good for having withdrawn with the rejected + guest. + </p> + <p> + July 9th. (Our wedding-day.)—We were invited yesterday evening to + Mrs. S. C. Hall's, where Jenny Lind was to sing; so we left Blackheath at + about eight o'clock in a brougham, and reached Ashley Place, as the dusk + was gathering, after nine. The Halls reside in a handsome suite of + apartments, arranged on the new system of flats, each story constituting a + separate tenement, and the various families having an entrance-hall in + common. The plan is borrowed from the Continent, and seems rather alien to + the traditionary habits of the English; though, no doubt, a good degree of + seclusion is compatible with it. Mr. Hall received us with the greatest + cordiality before we entered the drawing-room. Mrs. Hall, too, greeted us + with most kindly warmth. Jenny Lind had not yet arrived; but I found Dr. + Mackay there, and I was introduced to Miss Catherine Sinclair, who is a + literary lady, though none of her works happen to be known to me. Soon the + servant announced Madam Goldschmidt, and this famous lady made her + appearance, looking quite different from what I expected. Mrs. Hall + established her in the inner drawing-room, where was a piano and a harp; + and shortly after, our hostess came to me, and said that Madam Goldschmidt + wished to be introduced to me. There was a gentle peremptoriness in the + summons, that made it something like being commanded into the presence of + a princess; a great favor, no doubt, but yet a little humbling to the + recipient. However, I acquiesced with due gratitude, and was presented + accordingly. She made room for me on the sofa, and I sat down, and began + to talk. + </p> + <p> + Jenny Lind is rather tall,—quite tall, for a woman,—certainly + no beauty, but with sense and self-reliance in her aspect and manners. She + was suffering under a severe cold, and seemed worn down besides, so + probably I saw her under disadvantages. Her conversation is quite simple, + and I should have great faith in her sincerity; and there is about her the + manner of a person who knows the world, and has conquered it. She said + something or other about The Scarlet Letter; and, on my part, I paid her + such compliments as a man could pay who had never heard her sing. . . . + Her conversational voice is an agreeable one, rather deep, and not + particularly smooth. She talked about America, and of our unwholesome + modes of life, as to eating and exercise, and of the ill-health especially + of our women; but I opposed this view as far as I could with any truth, + insinuating my opinion that we are about as healthy as other people, and + affirming for a certainty that we live longer. In good faith, so far as I + have any knowledge of the matter, the women of England are as generally + out of health as those of America; always something has gone wrong with + them; and as for Jenny Lind, she looks wan and worn enough to be an + American herself. This charge of ill-health is almost universally brought + forward against us nowadays,—and, taking the whole country together, + I do not believe the statistics will bear it out. + </p> + <p> + The rooms, which were respectably filled when we arrived, were now getting + quite full. I saw Mr. Stevens, the American man of libraries, and had some + talk with him; and Durham, the sculptor; and Mr. and Mrs. Hall introduced + me to various people, some of whom were of note,—for instance, Sir + Emerson Tennent, a man of the world, of some parliamentary distinction, + wearing a star; Mr. Samuel Lover, a most good-natured, pleasant Irishman, + with a shining and twinkling visage; Miss Jewsbury, whom I found very + conversable. She is known in literature, but not to me. We talked about + Emerson, whom she seems to have been well acquainted with while he was in + England; and she mentioned that Miss Martineau had given him a lock of + hair; it was not her own hair, but a mummy's. + </p> + <p> + After our return, Mrs. ——— told us that Miss Jewsbury + had written, among other things, three histories, and as she asked me to + introduce her to S——-, and means to cultivate our + acquaintance, it would be well to know something of them. We were told + that she is now employed in some literary undertaking of Lady Morgan's, + who, at the age of ninety, is still circulating in society, and is as + brisk in faculties as ever. I should like to see her ladyship, that is, I + should not be sorry to see her; for distinguished people are so much on a + par with others, socially, that it would be foolish to be overjoyed at + seeing anybody whomsoever. + </p> + <p> + Leaving out the illustrious Jenny Lind, I suspect that I was myself the + greatest lion of the evening; for a good many persons sought the felicity + of knowing me, and had little or nothing to say when that honor and + happiness was conferred on them. It is surely very wrong and ill-mannered + in people to ask for an introduction unless they are prepared to make + talk; it throws too great an expense and trouble on the wretched lion, who + is compelled, on the spur of the moment, to convert a conversable + substance out of thin air, perhaps for the twentieth time that evening. I + am sure I did not say—and I think I did not hear said— one + rememberable word in the course of this visit; though, nevertheless, it + was a rather agreeable one. In due season ices and jellies were handed + about; and some ladies and gentlemen—professional, perhaps—were + kind enough to sing songs, and play on the piano and harp, while persons + in remote corners went on with whatever conversation they had in hand. + Then came supper; but there were so many people to go into the supper-room + that we could not all crowd thither together, and, coming late, I got + nothing but some sponge-cake and a glass of champagne, neither of which I + care for. After supper, Mr. Lover sang some Irish songs, his own in music + and words, with rich, humorous effect, to which the comicality of his face + contributed almost as much as his voice and words. The Lord Mayor looked + in for a little while, and though a hard-featured Jew enough, was the most + picturesque person there. + </p> + <p> + July 10th.—Mrs. Heywood had invited me to dinner last evening. . . . + Her house is very finely situated, overlooking Hyde Park, and not a great + way from where Tyburn tree used to stand. When I arrived, there were no + guests but Mr. and Mrs. D———; but by and by came Mr. + Monckton Milnes and lady, the Bishop of Lichfield, Mr. Tom Taylor, Mr. + Ewart, M. P., Sir Somebody Somerville, Mr. and Mrs. Musgrave, and others. + Mr. Milnes, whom I had not seen for more than a year, greeted me very + cordially, and so did Mr. Taylor. I took Mrs. Musgrave in to dinner. She + is an Irish lady, and Mrs. Heywood had recommended her to me as being very + conversable; but I had a good deal more talk with Mrs. M———, + with whom I was already acquainted, than with her. Mrs. M——— + is of noble blood, and therefore not snobbish,—quite unaffected, + gentle, sweet, and easy to get on with, reminding me of the best-mannered + American women. But how can anything characteristic be said or done among + a dozen people sitting at table in full dress? Speaking of full dress, the + Bishop wore small-clothes and silk stockings, and entered the drawing-room + with a three-cornered hat, which he kept flattened out under his arm. He + asked the briefest blessing possible, and, sitting at the ultra end of the + table, I heard nothing further from him till he officiated as briefly + before the cloth was withdrawn. Mrs. M——— talked about + Tennyson, with whom her husband was at the University, and whom he + continues to know intimately. She says that he considers Maud his best + poem. He now lives in the Isle of Wight, spending all the year round + there, and has recently bought the place on which he resides. She was of + opinion that he would have been gratified by my calling on him, which I + had wished to do, while we were at Southampton; but this is a liberty + which I should hardly venture upon with a shy man like Tennyson,—more + especially as he might perhaps suspect me of doing it on the score of my + own literary character. + </p> + <p> + But I should like much to see him Mr. Tom Taylor, during dinner, made some + fun for the benefit of the ladies on either side of him. I liked him very + well this evening. + </p> + <p> + When the ladies had not long withdrawn, and after the wine had once gone + round, I asked Mr. Heywood to make my apologies to Mrs. Heywood, and took + leave; all London lying betwixt me and the London Bridge station, where I + was to take the rail homeward. At the station I found Mr. Bennoch, who had + been dining with the Lord Mayor to meet Sir William Williams, and we + railed to Greenwich, and reached home by midnight. Mr. and Mrs. Bennoch + have set out on their Continental journey to-day,—leaving us, for a + little space, in possession of what will be more like a home than anything + that we shall hereafter find in England. + </p> + <p> + This afternoon I had taken up the fourth volume of Jerdan's Autobiography,—wretched + twaddle, though it records such constant and apparently intimate + intercourse with distinguished people,—and was reading it, between + asleep and awake, on the sofa, when Mr. Jerdan himself was announced. I + saw him, in company with Mr. Bennoch, nearly three years ago, at Rock + Park, and wondered then what there was in so uncouth an individual to get + him so freely into polished society. He now looks rougher than ever,—time-worn, + but not reverend; a thatch of gray hair on his head; an imperfect set of + false teeth; a careless apparel, checked trousers, and a stick, for he had + walked a mile or two from his own dwelling. + </p> + <p> + I suspect—and long practice at the Consulate has made me + keen-sighted— that Mr. Jerdan contemplated some benefit from my + purse; and, to the extent of a sovereign or so, I would not mind + contributing to his comfort. He spoke of a secret purpose of Mr. ——— + and himself to obtain me a degree or diploma in some Literary Institution,—what + one I know not, and did not ask; but the honor cannot be a high one, if + this poor old fellow can do aught towards it. I am afraid he is a very + disreputable senior, but certainly not the less to be pitied on that + account; and there was something very touching in his stiff and infirm + movement, as he resumed his stick and took leave, waving me a courteous + farewell, and turning upon me a smile, grim with age, as he went down the + steps. In that gesture and smile I fancied some trace of the polished man + of society, such as he may have once been; though time and hard weather + have roughened him, as they have the once polished marble pillars which I + saw so rude in aspect at Netley Abbey. + </p> + <p> + Speaking of Dickens last evening, Mr. ——— mentioned his + domestic tastes,—how he preferred home enjoyments to all others, and + did not willingly go much into society. Mrs. ———, too, + the other day told us of his taking on himself all possible trouble as + regards his domestic affairs. . . . There is a great variety of testimony, + various and varied, as to the character of Dickens. I must see him before + I finally leave England. + </p> + <p> + July 13th.—On Friday morning (11th), at nine o'clock, I took the + rail into town to breakfast with Mr. Milnes. As he had named a little + after ten as the hour, I could not immediately proceed to his house, and + so walked moderately over London Bridge and into the city, meaning to take + a cab from Charing Cross, or thereabouts. Passing through some street or + other, contiguous to Cheapside, I saw in a court-yard the entrance to the + Guildhall, and stepped in to look at it. It is a spacious hall, about one + hundred and fifty feet long, and perhaps half as broad, paved with + flagstones which look worn and some of them cracked across; the roof is + very lofty and was once vaulted, but has been shaped anew in modern times. + There is a vast window partly filled with painted glass, extending quite + along each end of the hall, and a row of arched windows on either side, + throwing their light from far above downward upon the pavement. This + fashion of high windows, not reaching within twenty or thirty feet of the + floor, serves to give great effect to the large enclosed space of an + antique hall. Against the walls are several marble monuments; one to the + Earl of Chatham, a statue of white marble, with various allegorical + contrivances, fronting an obelisk or pyramid of dark marble; and another + to his son, William Pitt, of somewhat similar design and of equal size; + each of them occupying the whole space, I believe, between pavement and + ceiling. There is likewise a statue of Beckford, a famous Lord Mayor,—the + most famous except Whittington, and that one who killed Wat Tyler; and + like those two, his fame is perhaps somewhat mythological, though he lived + and bustled within less than a century. He is said to have made a bold + speech to the King; but this I will not believe of any Englishman—at + least, of any plebeian Englishman—until I hear it. But there stands + his statue in the Guildhall in the act of making his speech, as if the + monstrous attempt had petrified him. + </p> + <p> + Lord Nelson, too, has a monument, and so, I think, has some other modern + worthy. At one end of the hall, under one of the great painted windows, + stand three or four old statues of mediaeval kings, whose identities I + forget; and in the two corners of the opposite end are two gigantic + absurdities of painted wood, with grotesque visages, whom I quickly + recognized as Gog and Magog. They stand each on a pillar, and seem to be + about fifteen feet high, and look like enormous playthings for the + children of giants; and it is strange to see them in this solemn old hall, + among the memorials of dead heroes and statesmen. There is an annual + banquet in the Guildhall, given by the Lord Mayor and sheriffs, and I + believe it is the very acme of civic feasting. + </p> + <p> + After viewing the hall, as it still lacked something of ten, I continued + my walk through that entanglement of city streets, and quickly found + myself getting beyond my reckoning. I cannot tell whither I went, but I + passed through a very dirty region, and I remember a long, narrow, + evil-odored street, cluttered up with stalls, in which were vegetables and + little bits of meat for sale; and there was a frowzy multitude of buyers + and sellers. Still I blundered on, and was getting out of the density of + the city into broader streets, but still shabby ones, when, looking at my + watch, I found it to be past ten, and no cab-stand within sight. It was a + quarter past when I finally got into one; and the driver told me that it + would take half an hour to go from thence to Upper Brook Street; so that I + was likely to exceed the license implied in Mr. Milnes's invitation. + Whether I was quite beyond rule I cannot say; but it did not lack more + than ten minutes of eleven when I was ushered up stairs, and I found all + the company assembled. However, it is of little consequence, except that + if I had come early, I should have been introduced to many of the guests, + whom now I could only know across the table. Mrs. Milnes greeted me very + kindly, and Mr. Milnes came towards me with an elderly gentleman in a blue + coat and gray pantaloons,—with a long, rather thin, homely visage, + exceedingly shaggy eyebrows, though no great weight of brow, and thin gray + hair, and introduced me to the Marquis of Lansdowne. The Marquis had his + right hand wrapped up in a black-silk handkerchief; so he gave me his + left, and, from some awkwardness in meeting it, when I expected the right, + I gave him only three of my fingers,—a thing I never did before to + any person, and it is droll that I should have done it to a Marquis. He + addressed me with great simplicity and natural kindness, complimenting me + on my works, and speaking about the society of Liverpool in former days. + Lord Lansdowne was the friend of Moore, and has about him the aroma + communicated by the memories of many illustrious people with whom he has + associated. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Ticknor, the Historian of Spanish Literature, now greeted me. Mr. + Milnes introduced me to Mrs. Browning, and assigned her to me to conduct + into the breakfast-room. She is a small, delicate woman, with ringlets of + dark hair, a pleasant, intelligent, and sensitive face, and a low, + agreeable voice. She looks youthful and comely, and is very gentle and + lady-like. And so we proceeded to the breakfast-room, which is hung round + with pictures; and in the middle of it stood a large round table, worthy + to have been King Arthur's, and here we seated ourselves without any + question of precedence or ceremony. On one side of me was an elderly lady, + with a very fine countenance, and in the course of breakfast I discovered + her to be the mother of Florence Nightingale. One of her daughters (not + Florence) was likewise present. Mrs. Milnes, Mrs. Browning, Mrs. + Nightingale, and her daughter were the only ladies at table; and I think + there were as many as eight or ten gentlemen, whose names—as I came + so late—I was left to find out for myself, or to leave unknown. + </p> + <p> + It was a pleasant and sociable meal, and, thanks to my cold beef and + coffee at home, I had no occasion to trouble myself much about the fare; + so I just ate some delicate chicken, and a very small cutlet, and a slice + of dry toast, and thereupon surceased from my labors. Mrs. Browning and I + talked a good deal during breakfast, for she is of that quickly + appreciative and responsive order of women with whom I can talk more + freely than with any man; and she has, besides, her own originality, + wherewith to help on conversation, though, I should say, not of a + loquacious tendency. She introduced the subject of spiritualism, which, + she says, interests her very much; indeed, she seems to be a believer. Mr. + Browning, she told me, utterly rejects the subject, and will not believe + even in the outward manifestations, of which there is such overwhelming + evidence. We also talked of Miss Bacon; and I developed something of that + lady's theory respecting Shakespeare, greatly to the horror of Mrs. + Browning, and that of her next neighbor,—a nobleman, whose name I + did not hear. On the whole, I like her the better for loving the man + Shakespeare with a personal love. We talked, too, of Margaret Fuller, who + spent her last night in Italy with the Brownings; and of William Story, + with whom they have been intimate, and who, Mrs. Browning says, is much + stirred about spiritualism. Really, I cannot help wondering that so fine a + spirit as hers should not reject the matter, till, at least, it is forced + upon her. I like her very much. + </p> + <p> + Mrs. Nightingale had been talking at first with Lord Lansdowne, who sat + next her, but by and by she turned to nee, and began to speak of London + smoke Then, there being a discussion about Lord Byron on the other side of + the table, she spoke to me about Lady Byron, whom she knows intimately, + characterizing her as a most excellent and exemplary person, + high-principled, unselfish, and now devoting herself to the care of her + two grandchildren,—their mother, Byron's daughter, being dead. Lady + Byron, she says, writes beautiful verses. Somehow or other, all this + praise, and more of the same kind, gave me an idea of an intolerably + irreproachable person; and I asked Mrs. Nightingale if Lady Byron were + warm-hearted. With some hesitation, or mental reservation,—at all + events, not quite outspokenly,—she answered that she was. + </p> + <p> + I was too much engaged with these personal talks to attend much to what + was going on elsewhere; but all through breakfast I had been more and more + impressed by the aspect of one of the guests, sitting next to Milnes. He + was a man of large presence,—a portly personage, gray-haired, but + scarcely as yet aged; and his face had a remarkable intelligence, not + vivid nor sparkling, but conjoined with great quietude,—and if it + gleamed or brightened at one time more than another, it was like the sheen + over a broad surface of sea. There was a somewhat careless + self-possession, large and broad enough to be called dignity; and the more + I looked at him, the more I knew that he was a distinguished person, and + wondered who. He might have been a minister of state; only there is not + one of them who has any right to such a face and presence. At last,—I + do not know how the conviction came,—but I became aware that it was + Macaulay, and began to see some slight resemblance to his portraits. But I + have never seen any that is not wretchedly unworthy of the original. As + soon as I knew him, I began to listen to his conversation, but he did not + talk a great deal, contrary to his usual custom; for I am told he is apt + to engross all the talk to himself. Probably he may have been restrained + by the presence of Ticknor, and Mr. Palfrey, who were among his auditors + and interlocutors; and as the conversation seemed to turn much on American + subjects, he could not well have assumed to talk them down. I am glad to + have seen him,—a face fit for a scholar, a man of the world, a + cultivated intelligence. + </p> + <p> + After we left the table, and went into the library, Mr. Browning + introduced himself to me,—a younger man than I expected to see, + handsome, with brown hair. He is very simple and agreeable in manner, + gently impulsive, talking as if his heart were uppermost. He spoke of his + pleasure in meeting me, and his appreciation of my books; and—which + has not often happened to me—mentioned that The Blithedale Romance + was the one he admired most. I wonder why. I hope I showed as much + pleasure at his praise as he did at mine; for I was glad to see how + pleasantly it moved him. After this, I talked with Ticknor and Miles, and + with Mr. Palfrey, to whom I had been introduced very long ago by George + Hillard, and had never seen him since. We looked at some autographs, of + which Mr. Milnes has two or three large volumes. I recollect a leaf from + Swift's Journal to Stella; a letter from Addison; one from Chatterton, in + a most neat and legible hand; and a characteristic sentence or two and + signature of Oliver Cromwell, written in a religious book. There were many + curious volumes in the library, but I had not time to look at them. + </p> + <p> + I liked greatly the manners of almost all,—yes, as far as I + observed,— all the people at this breakfast, and it was doubtless + owing to their being all people either of high rank or remarkable + intellect, or both. An Englishman can hardly be a gentleman, unless he + enjoy one or other of these advantages; and perhaps the surest way to give + him good manners is to make a lord of him, or rather of his grandfather or + great-grandfather. In the third generation, scarcely sooner, he will be + polished into simplicity and elegance, and his deportment will be all the + better for the homely material out of which it is wrought and refined. The + Marquis of Lansdowne, for instance, would have been a very commonplace man + in the common ranks of life; but it has done him good to be a nobleman. + Not that his tact is quite perfect. In going up to breakfast, he made me + precede him; in returning to the library, he did the same, although I drew + back, till he impelled me up the first stair, with gentle persistence. By + insisting upon it, he showed his sense of condescension much more than if, + when he saw me unwilling to take precedence, he had passed forward, as if + the point were not worth either asserting or yielding. Heaven knows, it + was in no humility that I would have trodden behind him. But he is a kind + old man; and I am willing to believe of the English aristocracy generally + that they are kind, and of beautiful deportment; for certainly there never + can have been mortals in a position more advantageous for becoming so. I + hope there will come a time when we shall be so; and I already know a few + Americans, whose noble and delicate manners may compare well with any I + have seen. + </p> + <p> + I left the house with Mr. Palfrey. He has cone to England to make some + researches in the State Paper Office, for the purposes of a work which he + has in hand. He mentioned to me a letter which he had seen, written from + New England in the time of Charles II. and referring to the order sent by + the minister of that day for the appearance of Governor Bellingham and my + ancestor on this side of the water. The signature of this letter is an + anagram of my ancestor's name. The letter itself is a very bold and able + one, controverting the propriety of the measure above indicated; and Mr. + Palfrey feels certain that it was written by my aforesaid ancestor. I + mentioned my wish to ascertain the place in England whence the family + emigrated; and Mr. Palfrey took me to the Record Office, and introduced me + to Mr. Joseph Hunter,—a venerable and courteous gentleman, of + antiquarian pursuits. The office was odorous of musty parchments, hundreds + of years old. Mr. Hunter received me with great kindness, and gave me + various old records and rolls of parchment, in which to seek for my family + name; but I was perplexed with the crabbed characters, and soon grew weary + and gave up the quest. He says that it is very seldom that an American + family, springing from the early settlers, can be satisfactorily traced + back to their English ancestry. + </p> + <p> + July 16th.—Monday morning I took the rail from Blackheath to London. + It is a very pleasant place, Blackheath, and far more rural than one would + expect, within five or six miles of London,—a great many trees, + making quite a mass of foliage in the distance; green enclosures; pretty + villas, with their nicely kept lawns, and gardens, with grass-plots and + flower borders; and village streets, set along the sidewalks with + ornamental trees; and the houses standing a little back, and separated one + from another,—all this within what is called the Park, which has its + gateways, and the sort of semi-privacy with which I first became + acquainted at Rock Park. + </p> + <p> + From the London Bridge station I took a cab for Paddington, and then had + to wait above two hours before a train started for Birkenhead. Meanwhile I + walked a little about the neighborhood, which is very dull and + uninteresting; made up of crescents and terraces, and rows of houses that + have no individuality, and second-rate shops,—in short, the + outskirts of the vast city, when it begins to have a kind of village + character but no rurality or sylvan aspect, as at Blackheath. My journey, + when at last we started, was quite unmarked by incident, and extremely + tedious; it being a slow train, which plods on without haste and without + rest. At about ten o'clock we reached Birkenhead, and there crossed the + familiar and detestable Mersey, which, as usual, had a cloudy sky brooding + over it. Mrs. Blodgett received me most hospitably, but was impelled, by + an overflow of guests, to put me into a little back room, looking into the + court, and formerly occupied by my predecessor, General Armstrong. . . . + She expressed a hope that I might not see his ghost,—nor have I, as + yet. + </p> + <p> + Speaking of ghosts, Mr. H. A. B——— told me a singular + story to-day of an apparition that haunts the Times Office, in + Printing-House Square. A Mr. W——— is the engineer of the + establishment, and has his residence in the edifice, which is built, I + believe, on the site of Merchant Taylor's school,—an old house that + was no longer occupied for its original purpose, and, being supposed + haunted, was left untenanted. The father-in-law of Mr. W———, + an old sea-captain, came on a visit to him and his wife, and was put into + their guest-chamber, where he passed the night. The next morning, + assigning no very satisfactory reason, he cut his visit short and went + away. Shortly afterwards, a young lady came to visit the W———'s; + but she too went away the next morning,—going first to make a call, + as she said, to a friend, and sending thence for her trunks. Mrs. W——— + wrote to this young lady, asking an explanation. The young lady replied, + and gave a singular account of an apparition,— how she was awakened + in the night by a bright light shining through the window, which was + parallel to the bed; then, if I remember rightly, her curtains were + withdrawn, and a shape looked in upon her,—a woman's shape, she + called it; but it was a skeleton, with lambent flames playing about its + bones, and in and out among the ribs. Other persons have since slept in + this chamber, and some have seen the shape, others not. Mr. W——— + has slept there himself without seeing anything. He has had investigations + by scientific people, apparently under the idea that the phenomenon might + have been caused by some of the Times's work-people, playing tricks on the + magic-lantern principle; but nothing satisfactory has thus far been + elucidated. Mr. B——— had this story from Mrs. Gaskell. . + . . Supposing it a ghost, nothing else is so remarkable as its choosing to + haunt the precincts of the Times newspaper. + </p> + <p> + July 29th.—On Saturday, 26th, I took the rail from the Lime Street + station for London, via the Trent Valley, and reached Blackheath in the + evening. . . . + </p> + <p> + Sunday morning my wife and I, with J——-, railed into London, + and drove to the Essex Street Chapel, where Mr. Channing was to preach. + The Chapel is the same where Priestley and Belsham used to preach,—one + of the plainest houses of worship I was ever in, as simple and undecorated + as the faith there inculcated. They retain, however, all the form and + ceremonial of the English Established Church, though so modified as to + meet the doctrinal views of the Unitarians. There may be good sense in + this, inasmuch as it greatly lessens the ministerial labor to have a + stated form of prayer, instead of a necessity for extempore outpourings; + but it must be, I should think, excessively tedious to the congregation, + especially as, having made alterations in these prayers, they cannot + attach much idea of sanctity to them. + </p> + <p> + [Here follows a long record of Mr. Hawthorne's visit to Miss Bacon,— + condensed in Our Old Hone, in the paper called "Recollections of a Gifted + Woman."] + </p> + <p> + August 2d.—On Wednesday (30th July) we went to Marlborough House to + see the Vernon gallery of pictures. They are the works, almost entirely of + English artists of the last and present century, and comprise many famous + paintings; and I must acknowledge that I had more enjoyment of them than + of those portions of the National Gallery which I had before seen,— + including specimens of the grand old masters. My comprehension has not + reached their height. I think nothing pleased me more than a picture by + Sir David Wilkie,—The Parish Beadle, with a vagrant boy and a monkey + in custody; it is exceedingly good and true throughout, and especially the + monkey's face is a wonderful production of genius, condensing within + itself the whole moral and pathos of the picture. + </p> + <p> + Marlborough House was the residence of the Great Duke, and is to be that + of the Prince of Wales, when another place is found for the pictures. It + adjoins St. James's Palace. In its present state it is not a very splendid + mansion, the rooms being small, though handsomely shaped, with vaulted + ceilings, and carved white-marble fireplaces. I left S——- here + after an hour or two, and walked forth into the hot and busy city with J——-. + . . . I called at Routledge's bookshop, in hopes to make an arrangement + with him about Miss Bacon's business. But Routledge himself is making a + journey in the north, and neither of the partners was there, so that I + shall have to go thither some other day. Then we stepped into St. Paul's + Cathedral to cool ourselves, and it was delightful so to escape from the + sunny, sultry turmoil of Fleet Street and Ludgate, and find ourselves at + once in this remote, solemn, shadowy seclusion, marble-cool. O that we had + cathedrals in America, were it only for the sensuous luxury! We strolled + round the cathedral, and I delighted J——- much by pointing out + the monuments of three British generals, who were slain in America in the + last war,—the naughty and bloodthirsty little man! We then went to + Guildhall, where I thought J——- would like to see Gog and + Magog; but he had never heard of those illustrious personages, and took no + interest in them. . . . But truly I am grateful to the piety of former + times for raising this vast, cool canopy of marble [St. Paul's] in the + midst of the feverish city. I wandered quite round it, and saw, in a + remote corner, a monument to the officers of the Coldstream Guards, slain + in the Crimea. It was a mural tablet, with the names of the officers on an + escutcheon; and two privates of the Guards, in marble bas-relief, were + mourning over them. Over the tablet hung two silken banners, new and + glossy, with the battles in which the regiment has been engaged inscribed + on them,—not merely Crimean but Peninsular battles. These banners + will bang there till they drop away in tatters. + </p> + <p> + After thus refreshing myself in the cathedral, I went again to Routledge's + in Farrington Street, and saw one of the firm. He expressed great pleasure + at seeing me, as indeed he might, having published and sold, without any + profit on my part, uncounted thousands of my books. I introduced the + subject of Miss Bacon's work; and he expressed the utmost willingness to + do everything in his power towards bringing it before the world, but + thought that his firm—it being their business to publish for the + largest circle of readers—was not the most eligible for the + publication of such a book. Very likely this may be so. At all events, + however, I am to send him the manuscript, and he will at least give me his + advice and assistance in finding a publisher. He was good enough to + express great regret that I had no work of my own to give him for + publication; and, truly, I regret it too, since, being a resident in + England, I could now have all the publishing privileges of a native + author. He presented me with a copy of an illustrated edition of + Longfellow's Poems, and I took my leave. + </p> + <p> + Thence I went to the Picture Gallery at the British Institution, where + there are three rooms full of paintings by the first masters, the property + of private persons. Every one of them, no doubt, was worth studying for a + long, long time; and I suppose I may have given, on an average, a minute + to each. What an absurdity it would seem, to pretend to read two or three + hundred poems, of all degrees between an epic and a ballad, in an hour or + two! And a picture is a poem, only requiring the greater study to be felt + and comprehended; because the spectator must necessarily do much for + himself towards that end. I saw many beautiful things,—among them + some landscapes by Claude, which to the eye were like the flavor of a + rich, ripe melon to the palate. + </p> + <p> + August 7th.—Yesterday we took the rail for London, it being a fine, + sunny day, though not so very warm as many of the preceding days have + been. . . . We went along Piccadilly as far as the Egyptian Hall. It is + quite remarkable how comparatively quiet the town has become, now that the + season is over. One can see the difference in all the region west of + Temple Bar; and, indeed, either the hot weather or some other cause seems + to have operated in assuaging the turmoil in the city itself. I never saw + London Bridge so little thronged as yesterday. At the Egyptian Hall, or in + the same edifice, there is a gallery of pictures, the property of Lord + Ward, who allows the public to see them, five days of the week, without + any trouble or restriction,—a great kindness on his Lordship's part, + it must be owned. It is a very valuable collection, I presume, containing + specimens of many famous old masters; some of the early and hard pictures + by Raphael and his master and fellow-pupils,—very curious, and + nowise beautiful; a perfect, sunny glimpse of Venice, by Canaletto; and + saints, and Scriptural, allegorical, and mythological people, by Titian, + Guido, Correggio, and many more names than I can remember. There is + likewise a dead Magdalen by Canova, and a Venus by the same, very pretty, + and with a vivid light of joyous expression in her face; . . . . also + Powers's Greek Slave, in which I see little beauty or merit; and two or + three other statues. + </p> + <p> + We then drove to Ashley Place, to call on Mrs. S. C. Hall, whom we found + at home. In fact, Wednesday is her reception-day; although, as now + everybody is out of town, we were the only callers. She is an agreeable + and kindly woman. She told us that her husband and herself propose going + to America next year, and I heartily wish they may meet with a warm and + friendly reception. I have been seldom more assured of the existence of a + heart than in her; also a good deal of sentiment. She had been visiting + Bessie, the widow of Moore, at Sloperton, and gave S——- a rose + from his cottage. Such things are very true and unaffected in her. The + only wonder is that she has not lost such girlish freshness of feeling as + prompts them. We did not see Mr. Hall, he having gone to the Crystal + Palace. + </p> + <p> + Taking our leave, we returned along Victoria Street—a new street, + penetrating through what was recently one of the worst parts of the town, + and now bordered with large blocks of buildings, in a dreary, + half-finished state, and left so for want of funds—till we came to + Westminster Abbey. We went in and spent an hour there, wandering all round + the nave and aisles, admiring the grand old edifice itself, but finding + more to smile at than to admire in the monuments. . . . The interior view + of the Abbey is better than can be described; the heart aches, as one + gazes at it, for lack of power and breadth enough to take its beauty and + grandeur in. The effect was heightened by the sun shining through the + painted window in the western end, and by the bright sunshine that came + through the open portal, and lay on the pavement,—that space so + bright, the rest of the vast floor so solemn and sombre. At the western + end, in a corner from which spectators are barred out, there is a statue + of Wordsworth, which I do not recollect seeing at any former visit. Its + only companion in the same nook is Pope's friend, Secretary Craggs. + </p> + <p> + Downing Street, that famous official precinct, took its name from Sir + George Downing, who was proprietor or lessee of property there. He was a + native of my own old native town, and his descendants still reside there,—collateral + descendants, I suppose,—and follow the drygoods business (drapers). + </p> + <p> + August 10th.—I journeyed to Liverpool via Chester. . . . One sees a + variety of climate, temperature, and season in a ride of two hundred + miles, north and south, through England. Near London, for instance, the + grain was reaped, and stood in sheaves in the stubble-fields, over which + girls and children might be seen gleaning; farther north, the golden, or + greenish-golden, crops were waving in the wind. In one part of our way the + atmosphere was hot and dry; at another point it had been cooled and + refreshed by a heavy thunder-shower, the pools of which still lay along + our track. It seems to me that local varieties of weather are more common + in this island, and within narrower precincts, than in America. . . . I + never saw England of such a dusky and dusty green before,—almost + sunbrowned, indeed. Sometimes the green hedges formed a marked framework + to a broad sheet of golden grain-field. As we drew near Oxford, just + before reaching the station I had a good view of its domes, towers, and + spires,—better, I think, than when J——- and I rambled + through the town a month or two ago. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Frank Scott Haydon, of the Record Office, London, writes me that he + has found a "Henry Atte Hawthorne" on a roll which he is transcribing, of + the first Edward III. He belonged to the Parish of Aldremeston, in the + hundred of Blakenhurste, Worcester County. + </p> + <p> + August 21st.—Yesterday, at twelve o'clock, I took the steamer for + Runcorn, from the pier-head. In the streets, I had noticed that it was a + breezy day; but on the river there was a very stiff breeze from the + northeast, right ahead, blowing directly in our face the whole way; and + truly this river Mersey is never without a breeze, and generally in the + direction of its course,—an evil-tempered, unkindly, blustering + wind, that you cannot meet without being exasperated by it. As it came + straight against us, it was impossible to find a shelter anywhere on deck, + except it were behind the stove-pipe; and, besides, the day was overcast + and threatening rain. + </p> + <p> + I have undergone very miserable hours on the Mersey, where, in the space + of two years, I voyaged thousands of miles,—and this trip to Runcorn + reminded me of them, though it was less disagreeable after more than a + twelvemonth's respite. We had a good many passengers on board, most of + whom were of the second class, and congregated on the forward deck; more + women than men, I think, and some of them with their husbands and + children. Several produced lunch and bottles, and refreshed themselves + very soon after we started. By and by the wind became so disagreeable that + I went below, and sat in the cabin, only occasionally looking out, to get + a peep at the shores of the river, which I had never before seen above + Eastham. However, they are not worth looking at; level and monotonous, + without trees or beauty of any kind,—here and there a village, and a + modern church, on the low ridge behind; perhaps, a windmill, which the + gusty day had set busily to work. The river continues very wide—no + river indeed, but an estuary—during almost the whole distance to + Runcorn; and nearly at the end of our voyage we approached some abrupt and + prominent hills, which, many a time, I have seen on my passages to Rock + Ferry, looking blue and dim, and serving for prophets of the weather; for + when they can be distinctly seen adown the river, it is a token of coming + rain. We met many vessels, and passed many which were beating up against + the wind, and which keeled over, so that their decks must have dipped,—schooners + and vessels that come from the Bridgewater Canal. We shipped a sea + ourselves, which gave the fore-deck passengers a wetting. + </p> + <p> + Before reaching Runcorn, we stopped to land some passengers at another + little port, where there was a pier and a lighthouse, and a church within + a few yards of the river-side,—a good many of the river-craft, too, + in dock, forming quite a crowd of masts. About ten minutes' further + steaming brought us to Runcorn, where were two or three tall manufacturing + chimneys, with a pennant of black smoke from each; two vessels of + considerable size on the stocks; a church or two; and a meagre, + uninteresting, shabby, brick-built town, rising from the edge of the + river, with irregular streets,—not village-like, but paved, and + looking like a dwarfed, stunted city. I wandered through it till I came to + a tall, high-pedestalled windmill on the outer verge, the vans of which + were going briskly round. Thence retracing my steps, I stopped at a poor + hotel, and took lunch, and, finding that I was in time to take the steamer + back, I hurried on board, and we set sail (or steam) before three. I have + heard of an old castle at Runcorn, but could discover nothing of it. It + was well that I returned so promptly, for we had hardly left the pier + before it began to rain, and there was a heavy downfall throughout the + voyage homeward. Runcorn is fourteen miles from Liverpool, and is the + farthest point to which a steamer runs. I had intended to come home by + rail,—a circuitous route,—but the advice of the landlady of + the hotel, and the aspect of the weather, and a feeling of general + discouragement prevented me. + </p> + <p> + An incident in S. C. Hall's Ireland, of a stone cross, buried in + Cromwell's time, to prevent its destruction by his soldiers. It was + forgotten, and became a mere doubtful tradition, but one old man had been + told by his father, and he by his father, etc., that it was buried near a + certain spot; and at last, two hundred years after the cross was buried, + the vicar of the parish dug in that spot and found it. In my (English) + romance, an American might bring the tradition from over the sea, and so + discover the cross, which had been altogether forgotten. + </p> + <p> + August 24th.—Day before yesterday I took the rail for Southport,—a + cool, generally overcast day, with glimmers of faint sunshine. The ride is + through a most uninteresting tract of country, at first, glimpses of the + river, with the thousands of masts in the docks; the dismal outskirts of a + great town, still spreading onward, with beginnings of streets, and + insulated brick buildings and blocks; farther on, a wide monotony of level + plain, and here and there a village and a church; almost always a windmill + in sight, there being plenty of breeze to turn its vans on this windy + coast. The railway skirts along the sea the whole distance, but is shut + out from the sight of it by the low sand-hills, which seem to have been + heaped up by the waves. There are one or two lighthouses on the shore. I + have not seen a drearier landscape, even in Lancashire. + </p> + <p> + Reaching Southport at three, I rambled about, with a view to discover + whether it be a suitable residence for my family during September. It is a + large village, or rather more than a village, which seems to be almost + entirely made up of lodging-houses, and, at any rate, has been built up by + the influx of summer visitors,—a sandy soil, level, and laid out + with well-paved streets, the principal of which are enlivened with + bazaars, markets, shops, hotels of various degrees, and a showy vivacity + of aspect. There are a great many donkey-carriages,—large vehicles, + drawn by a pair of donkeys; bath-chairs, with invalid ladies; + refreshment-rooms in great numbers,—a place where everybody seems to + be a transitory guest, nobody at home. The main street leads directly down + to the sea-shore, along which there is an elevated embankment, with a + promenade on the top, and seats, and the toll of a penny. The shore + itself, the tide being then low, stretched out interminably seaward, a + wide waste of glistering sands; and on the dry border, people were riding + on donkeys, with the drivers whipping behind; and children were digging + with their little wooden spades; and there were donkey-carriages far out + on the sands,—a pleasant and breezy drive. A whole city of + bathing-machines was stationed near the shore, and I saw others in the + seaward distance. The sea-air was refreshing and exhilarating, and if S——- + needs a seaside residence, I should think this might do as well as any + other. + </p> + <p> + I saw a large brick edifice, enclosed within a wall, and with somewhat the + look of an almshouse or hospital; and it proved to be an Infirmary, + charitably established for the reception of poor invalids, who need + sea-air and cannot afford to pay for it. Two or three of such persons were + sitting under its windows. I do not think that the visitors of Southport + are generally of a very opulent class, but of the middle rank, from + Manchester and other parts of this northern region. The lodging-houses, + however, are of sufficiently handsome style and arrangement. + </p> + <h3> + OXFORD. + </h3> + <p> + [Mr. Hawthorne extracted from his recorded Oxford experiences his + excursion to Blenheim, but left his observations of the town itself + untouched,—and these I now transcribe.—ED.] + </p> + <p> + August 31st.—. . . . Yesterday we took the rail for London, and + drove across the city to the Paddington station, where we met Bennoch, and + set out with him for Oxford. I do not quite understand the matter, but it + appears that we were expected guests of Mr. Spiers, a very hospitable + gentleman, and Ex-Mayor of Oxford, and a friend of Bennoch and of the + Halls. Mr. S. C. Hall met us at the Oxford station, and under his guidance + we drove to a quiet, comfortable house in St. Giles Street, where rooms + had been taken for us. Durham, the sculptor, is likewise of the party. + </p> + <p> + After establishing ourselves at these lodgings, we walked forth to take a + preliminary glimpse of the city, and Mr. Hall, being familiar with the + localities, served admirably as a guide. If I remember aright, I spoke + very slightingly of the exterior aspect of Oxford, as I saw it with J——- + during an hour or two's stay here, on my way to Southampton (to meet S——- + on her return from Lisbon). I am bound to say that my impressions are now + very different; and that I find Oxford exceedingly picturesque and rich in + beauty and grandeur and in antique stateliness. I do not remember very + particularly what we saw,—time-worn fronts of famous colleges and + halls of learning everywhere about the streets, and arched entrances; + passing through which, we saw bits of sculpture from monkish hands,—the + most grotesque and ludicrous faces, as if the slightest whim of these old + carvers took shape in stone, the material being so soft and manageable by + them; an ancient stone pulpit in the quadrangle of Maudlin College + (Magdalen), one of only three now extant in England; a splendid—no, + not splendid, but dimly magnificent—chapel, belonging to the same + College, with painted windows of rare beauty, not brilliant with + diversified hues, but of a sombre tint. In this chapel there is an + alabaster monument,—a recumbent figure of the founder's father, as + large as life,—which, though several centuries old, is as well + preserved as if fresh from the chisel. + </p> + <p> + In the High Street, which, I suppose, is the noblest old street in + England, Mr. Hall pointed out, the Crown Inn, where Shakespeare used to + spend the night, and was most hospitably welcomed by the pretty hostess + (the mother of Sir William Davenant) on his passage between Stratford and + London. It is a three-story house, with other houses contiguous,—an + old timber mansion, though now plastered and painted of a yellowish line. + The ground-floor is occupied as a shoe-shop; but the rest of the house is + still kept as a tavern. . . . + </p> + <p> + It is not now term time, and Oxford loses one of its most characteristic + features by the absence of the gownsmen; but still there is a good deal of + liveliness in the streets. We walked as far as a bridge beyond Maudlin + College, and then drove homeward. + </p> + <p> + At six we went to dine with the hospitable Ex-Mayor, across the wide, + tree-bordered street; for his house is nearly opposite our lodgings. He is + an intelligent and gentlemanly person, and was Mayor two years ago, and + has done a great deal to make peace between the University and the town, + heretofore bitterly inimical. His house is adorned with pictures and + drawings, and he has an especial taste for art. . . . The dinner-table was + decorated with pieces of plate, vases, and other things, which were + presented to him as tokens of public or friendly regard and approbation of + his action in the Mayoralty. After dinner, too, he produced a large silver + snuff-box, which had been given him on the same account; in fact, the + inscription affirmed that it was one of five pieces of plate so presented. + The vases are really splendid,—one of them two feet high, and richly + ornamented. It will hold five or six bottles of wine, and he said that it + had been filled, and, I believe, sent round as a loving-cup at some of his + entertainments. He cordially enjoys these things, and his genuine + benevolence produces all this excellent hospitality. . . . But Bennoch + proposed a walk, and we set forth. We rambled pretty extensively about the + streets, sometimes seeing the shapes of old edifices dimly and doubtfully, + it being an overcast night; or catching a partial view of a gray wall, or + a pillar, or a Gothic archway, by lamplight. . . . The clock had some time + ago struck eleven, when we were passing under a long extent of antique + wall and towers, which were those of Baliol College. Mr. D——— + led us into the middle of the street, and showed us a cross, which was + paved into it, on a level with the rest of the road. This was the spot + where Latimer and Ridley and another Bishop were martyred in Bloody Mary's + time. There is a memorial to them in another street; but this, where I set + my foot at nearly midnight, was the very spot where their flesh burned to + ashes, and their bones whitened. It has been a most beautiful morning, and + I have seen few pleasanter scenes than this street in which we lodge, with + its spacious breadth, its two rows of fine old trees, with sidewalks as + wide as the whole width of some streets; and, on the opposite side, the + row of houses, some of them ancient with picturesque gables, partially + disclosed through the intervening foliage. . . . From our window we have a + slantwise glimpse, to the right, of the walls of St. John's College, and + the general aspect of St. Giles. It is of an antiquity not to shame those + mediaeval halls. Our own lodgings are in a house that seems to be very + old, with panelled walls, and beams across the ceilings, lattice-windows + in the chambers, and a musty odor such as old houses inevitably have. + Nevertheless, everything is extremely neat, clean, and comfortable; and in + term time our apartments are occupied by a Mr. Stebbing, whose father is + known in literature by some critical writings, and who is a graduate and + an admirable scholar. There is a bookcase of five shelves, containing his + books, mostly standard works, and indicating a safe and solid taste. + </p> + <p> + After lunch to-day we (that is, Mrs. Hall, her adopted daughter, S——-, + and I, with the Ex-Mayor) set forth, in an open barouche, to see the + remarkables of Oxford, while the rest of the guests went on foot. We first + drew up at New College (a strange name for such an old place, but it was + new some time since the Conquest), and went through its quiet and sunny + quadrangles, and into its sunny and shadowy gardens. I am in despair about + the architecture and old edifices of these Oxford colleges, it is so + impossible to express them in words. They are themselves—as the + architect left them, and as Time has modified and improved them—the + expression of an idea which does not admit of being otherwise expressed, + or translated into anything else. Those old battlemented walls around the + quadrangles; many gables; the windows with stone pavilions, so very + antique, yet some of them adorned with fresh flowers in pots,—a very + sweet contrast; the ivy mantling the gray stone; and the infinite repose, + both in sunshine and shadow,—it is as if half a dozen bygone + centuries had set up their rest here, and as if nothing of the present + time ever passed through the deeply recessed archway that shuts in the + College from the street. Not but what people have very free admittance; + and many parties of young men and girls and children came into the gardens + while we were there. + </p> + <p> + These gardens of New College are indescribably beautiful,—not + gardens in an American sense, but lawns of the richest green and softest + velvet grass, shadowed over by ancient trees, that have lived a quiet life + here for centuries, and have been nursed and tended with such care, and so + sheltered from rude winds, that certainly they must have been the happiest + of all trees. Such a sweet, quiet, sacred, stately seclusion— so + age-long as this has been, and, I hope, will continue to be—cannot + exist anywhere else. One side of the garden wall is formed by the ancient + wall of the city, which Cromwell's artillery battered, and which still + retains its pristine height and strength. At intervals, there are round + towers that formed the bastions; that is to say, on the exterior they are + round towers, but within, in the garden of the College, they are + semicircular recesses, with iron garden-seats arranged round them. The + loop-holes through which the archers and musketeers used to shoot still + pierce through deep recesses in the wall, which is here about six feet + thick. I wish I could put into one sentence the whole impression of this + garden, but it could not be done in many pages. + </p> + <p> + We looked also at the outside of the wall, and Mr. Parker, deeply skilled + in the antiquities of the spot, showed us a weed growing,—here in + little sprigs, there in large and heavy festoons,—hanging + plentifully downward from a shallow root. It is called the Oxford plant, + being found only here, and not easily, if at all, introduced anywhere + else. It bears a small and pretty blue flower, not altogether unlike the + forget-me-not, and we took some of it away with us for a memorial. We went + into the chapel of New College, which is in such fresh condition that I + think it must be modern; and yet this cannot be, since there are old + brasses inlaid into tombstones in the pavement, representing mediaeval + ecclesiastics and college dignitaries; and busts against the walls, in + antique garb; and old painted windows, unmistakable in their antiquity. + But there is likewise a window, lamentable to look at, which was painted + by Sir Joshua Reynolds, and exhibits strikingly the difference between the + work of a man who performed it merely as a matter of taste and business, + and what was done religiously and with the whole heart; at least, it shows + that the artists and public of the last age had no sympathy with Gothic + art. In the chancel of this church there are more painted windows, which I + take to be modern, too, though they are in much better taste, and have an + infinitely better effect, than Sir Joshua's. At any rate, with the + sunshine through them, they looked very beautiful, and tinted the high + altar and the pavement with brilliant lines. + </p> + <p> + The sacristan opened a tall and narrow little recess in the wall of the + chancel, and showed it entirely filled with the crosier of William of + Wickham. It appears to be made of silver gilt, and is a most rich and + elaborate relic, at least six feet high. Modern art cannot, or does not, + equal the chasing and carving of this splendid crosier, which is enriched + with figures of saints and, apostles, and various Gothic devices,—very + minute, but all executed as faithfully as if the artist's salvation had + depended upon every notch he made in the silver. . . . + </p> + <p> + Leaving New College, Bennoch and I, under Mr. Parker's guidance, walked + round Christ Church meadows, part of our way lying along the banks of the + Cherwell, which unites with the Isis to form the Thames, I believe. The + Cherwell is a narrow and remarkably sluggish stream; but is deep in spots, + and capriciously so,—so that a person may easily step from knee-deep + to fifteen feet in depth. A gentleman present used a queer expression in + reference to the drowning of two college men; he said "it was an awkward + affair." I think this is equal to Longfellow's story of the Frenchman who + avowed himself very much "displeased" at the news of his father's death. + At the confluence of the Cherwell and Isis we saw a good many boats, + belonging to the students of the various colleges; some of them being very + large and handsome barges, capable of accommodating a numerous party, with + room on board for dancing and merry-making. Some of them are calculated to + be drawn by horses, in the manner of canal-boats; others are propellable + by oars. It is practicable to perform the voyage between Oxford and London—a + distance of about one hundred and thirty miles—in three days. The + students of Oxford are famous boatmen; there is a constant rivalship, on + this score, among the different colleges; and annually, I believe, there + is a match between Oxford and Cambridge. The Cambridge men beat the + Oxonians in this year's trial. + </p> + <p> + On our return into the city, we passed through Christ Church, which, as + regards the number of students, is the most considerable college of the + University. It has a stately dome; but my memory is confused with + battlements, towers, and gables, and Gothic staircases and cloisters. If + there had been nothing else in Oxford but this one establishment, my + anticipations would not have been disappointed. The bell was tolling for + worship in the chapel; and Mr. Parker told us that Dr. Pusey is a canon, + or in some sort of dignity, in Christ Church, and would soon probably make + his appearance in the quadrangle, on his way to chapel; so we walked to + and fro, waiting an opportunity to see him. A gouty old dignitary, in a + white surplice, came hobbling along from one extremity of the court; and + by and by, from the opposite corner, appeared Dr. Pusey, also in a white + surplice, and with a lady by his side. We met him, and I stared pretty + fixedly at him, as I well might; for he looked on the ground, as if + conscious that he would be stared at. He is a man past middle life, of + sufficient breadth and massiveness, with a pale, intellectual, manly face. + He was talking with the lady, and smiled, but not jollily. Mr. Parker, who + knows him, says that he is a man of kind and gentle affections. The lady + was his niece. + </p> + <p> + Thence we went through High Street and Broad Street, and passing by Baliol + College,—a most satisfactory pile and range of old towered and + gabled edifices,—we came to the cross on the pavement, which is + supposed to mark the spot where the bishops were martyred. But Mr. Parker + told us the mortifying fact, that he had ascertained that this could not + possibly have been the genuine spot of martyrdom, which must have taken + place at a point within view, but considerably too far off to be moistened + by any tears that may be shed here. It is too bad. We concluded the + rambles of the day by visiting the gardens of St. John's College; and I + desire, if possible, to say even more in admiration of them than of those + of New College,—such beautiful lawns, with tall, ancient trees, and + heavy clouds of foliage, and sunny glimpses through archways of leafy + branches, where, to-day, we could see parties of girls, making cheerful + contrast with the sombre walls and solemn shade. The world, surely, has + not another place like Oxford; it is a despair to see such a place and + ever to leave it, for it would take a lifetime and more than one, to + comprehend and enjoy it satisfactorily. + </p> + <p> + At dinner, to-day, the golden vases were all ranged on the table, the + largest and central one containing a most magnificent bouquet of dahlias + and other bright-hued flowers. + </p> + <p> + On Tuesday, our first visit was to Christ Church, where we saw the large + and stately hall, above a hundred feet long by forty wide, and fifty to + the top of its carved oaken roof, which is ornamented with festoons, as it + were, and pendants of solid timber. The walls are panelled with oak, + perhaps half-way upward, and above are the rows of arched windows on each + side; but, near the upper end, two great windows come nearly to the floor. + There is a dais, where the great men of the College and the distinguished + guests sit at table, and the tables of the students are arranged along the + length of the hall. All around, looking down upon those who sit at meat, + are the portraits of a multitude of illustrious personages who were + members of the learned fraternity in times past; not a portrait being + admitted there (unless it he a king, and I remember only Henry VIII.) save + those who were actually students on the foundation, receiving the + eleemosynary aid of the College. Most of them were divines; but there are + likewise many statesmen, eminent during the last three hundred years, and, + among many earlier ones, the Marquis of Wellesley and Canning. It is an + excellent idea, for their own glory, and as examples to the rising + generations, to have this multitude of men, who have done good and great + things, before the eyes of those who ought to do as well as they, in their + own time. Archbishops, Prime Ministers, poets, deep scholars,—but, + doubtless, an outward success has generally been their claim to this + position, and Christ Church may have forgotten a better man than the best + of them. It is not, I think, the tendency of English life, nor of the + education of their colleges, to lead young men to high moral excellence, + but to aim at illustrating themselves in the sight of mankind. + </p> + <p> + Thence we went into the kitchen, which is arranged very much as it was + three centuries ago, with two immense fireplaces. There was likewise a + gridiron, which, without any exaggeration, was large enough to have served + for the martyrdom of St. Lawrence. The college dinners are good, but + plain, and cost the students one shilling and eleven pence each, being + rather cheaper than a similar one could be had at an inn. There is no + provision for breakfast or supper in commons; but they can have these + meals sent to their rooms from the buttery, at a charge proportioned to + the dishes they order. There seems to be no necessity for a great + expenditure on the part of Oxford students. + </p> + <p> + From the kitchen we went to the chapel, which is the cathedral of Oxford, + and well worth seeing, if there had not been so many other things to see. + It is now under repair, and there was a great heap of old wood-work and + panelling lying in one of the aisles, which had been stripped away from + some of the ancient pillars, leaving them as good as new. There is a + shrine of a saint, with a wooden canopy over it; and some painted glass, + old and new; and a statue of Cyril Jackson, with a face of shrewdness and + insight; and busts, as mural monuments. + </p> + <p> + Our next visit was to + </p> + <h3> + MERTON COLLEGE, + </h3> + <p> + which, though not one of the great colleges, is as old as any of them, and + looks exceedingly venerable. We were here received by a friend of Mr. + Spiers, in his academic cap, but without his gown, which is not worn, + except in term time. He is a very civil gentleman, and showed us some + antique points of architecture,—such as a Norman archway, with a + passage over it, through which the Queen of Charles I. used to go to + chapel; and an edifice of the thirteenth century, with a stone roof, which + is considered to be very curious. + </p> + <p> + How ancient is the aspect of these college quadrangles! so gnawed by time + as they are, so crumbly, so blackened, and so gray where they are not + black,—so quaintly shaped, too, with here a line of battlement and + there a row of gables; and here a turret, with probably a winding stair + inside; and lattice-windows, with stone mullions, and little panes of + glass set in lead; and the cloisters, with a long arcade, looking upon the + green or pebbled enclosure. The quality of the stone has a great deal to + do with the apparent antiquity. It is a stone found in the neighborhood of + Oxford, and very soon begins to crumble and decay superficially, when + exposed to the weather; so that twenty years do the work of a hundred, so + far as appearances go. If you strike one of the old walls with a stick, a + portion of it comes powdering down. The effect of this decay is very + picturesque, and is especially striking, I think, on edifices of classic + architecture, such as some of the Oxford colleges are, greatly enriching + the Grecian columns, which look so cold when the outlines are hard and + distinct. The Oxford people, however, are tired of this crumbly stone, and + when repairs are necessary, they use a more durable material, which does + not well assort with the antiquity into which it is intruded. + </p> + <p> + Mr. E——— showed us the library of Merton College. It + occupies two sides of an old building, and has a very delightful fragrance + of ancient books. The halls containing it are vaulted, and roofed with + oak, not carved and ornamented, but laid flat, so that they look very like + a grand and spacious old garret. All along, there is a row of alcoves on + each side, with rude benches and reading-desks, in the simplest style, and + nobody knows how old. The books look as old as the building. The more + valuable were formerly chained to the bookcases; and a few of them have + not yet broken their chains. It was a good emblem of the dark and monkish + ages, when learning was imprisoned in their cloisters, and chained in + their libraries, in the days when the schoolmaster had not yet gone + abroad. Mr. E——— showed us a very old copy of the Bible; + and a vellum manuscript, most beautifully written in black-letter and + illuminated, of the works of Duns Scotus, who was a scholar of Merton + College. + </p> + <p> + He then showed us the chapel, a large part of which has been renewed and + ornamented with pictured windows and other ecclesiastical splendor, and + paved with encaustic tiles, according to the Puseyite taste of the day; + for Merton has adopted the Puseyite doctrines, and is one of their chief + strongholds in Oxford. If they do no other good, they at least do much for + the preservation and characteristic restoration of the old English + churches; but perhaps, even here, there is as much antiquity spoiled as + retained. In the portion of the chapel not yet restored, we saw the rude + old pavement, inlaid with gravestones, in some of which were brasses, with + the figures of the college dignitaries, whose dust slumbered beneath; and + I think it was here that I saw the tombstone of Anthony-a-Wood, the + gossiping biographer of the learned men of Oxford. + </p> + <p> + From the chapel we went into the college gardens, which are very pleasant, + and possess the advantage of looking out on the broad verdure of Christ + Church meadows and the river beyond. We loitered here awhile, and then + went to Mr. ———'s rooms, to which the entrance is by a + fine old staircase. They had a very comfortable, aspect,—a + wainscoted parlor and bedroom, as nice and cosey as a bachelor could + desire, with a good collection of theological books; and on a peg hung his + gown, with a red border about it, denoting him to be a proproctor. He was + kind enough to order a lunch, consisting of bread and cheese, college ale, + and a certain liquor called "Archdeacon." . . . . We ate and drank, . . . + . and, bidding farewell to good Mr. E———, we pursued our + way to the + </p> + <h3> + RATCLIFFE LIBRARY. + </h3> + <p> + This is a very handsome edifice, of a circular shape; the lower story + consisting altogether of arches, open on all sides, as if to admit anybody + to the learning here stored up. I always see great beauty and + lightsomeness in these classic and Grecian edifices, though they seem cold + and intellectual, and not to have had their mortar moistened with human + life-blood, nor to have the mystery of human life in them, as Gothic + structures do. The library is in a large and beautiful room, in the story + above the basement, and, as far as I saw, consisted chiefly or altogether + of scientific works. I saw Silliman's Journal on one of the desks, being + the only trace of American science, or American learning or ability in any + department, which I discovered in the University of Oxford. After seeing + the library, we went to the top of the building, where we had an excellent + view of Oxford and the surrounding country. Then we went to the + Convocation Hall, and afterwards to the theatre, where S——- + sat down in the Chancellor's chair, which is very broad, and ponderously + wrought of oak. I remember little here, except the amphitheatre of + benches, and the roof, which seems to be supported by golden ropes, and on + the wall, opposite the door, some full-length portraits, among which one + of that ridiculous coxcomb, George IV., was the most prominent. These + kings thrust themselves impertinently forward by bust, statue, and + picture, on all occasions, and it is not wise in them to show their + shallow foreheads among men of mind. + </p> + <h3> + THE BODLEIAN LIBRARY. + </h3> + <p> + Mr. Spiers tried to get us admittance to the Bodleian Library; but this is + just the moment when it is closed for the purpose of being cleaned; so we + missed seeing the principal halls of this library, and were only admitted + into what was called the Picture Gallery. This, however, satisfied all my + desires, so far as the backs of books are concerned, for they extend + through a gallery, running round three sides of a quadrangle, making an + aggregate length of more than four hundred feet,—a solid array of + bookcases, full of books, within a protection of open iron-work. Up and + down the gallery there are models of classic temples; and about midway in + its extent stands a brass statue of Earl Pembroke, who was Chancellor of + the University in James I's time; not in scholarly garb, however, but in + plate and mail, looking indeed like a thunderbolt of war. I rapped him + with my knuckles, and he seemed to be solid metal, though, I should + imagine, hollow at heart. A thing which interested me very much was the + lantern of Guy Fawkes. It was once tinned, no doubt, but is now nothing + but rusty iron, partly broken. As this is called the Picture Gallery, I + must not forget the pictures, which are ranged in long succession over the + bookcases, and include almost all Englishmen whom the world has ever heard + of, whether in statesmanship or literature, I saw a canvas on which had + once been a lovely and unique portrait of Mary of Scotland; but it was + consigned to a picture-cleaner to be cleansed, and, discovering that it + was painted over another picture, he had the curiosity to clean poor Mary + quite away, thus revealing a wishy-washy woman's face, which now hangs in + the gallery. I am so tired of seeing notable things that I almost wish + that whatever else is remarkable in Oxford could be obliterated in some + similar manner. + </p> + <p> + From the Bodleian we went to + </p> + <h3> + THE TAYLOR INSTITUTE, + </h3> + <p> + which was likewise closed; but the woman who had it in charge had formerly + been a servant of Mr. Spiers, and he so overpersuaded her that she finally + smiled and admitted us. It would truly have been a pity to miss it; for + here, on the basement floor, are the original models of Chantrey's busts + and statues, great and small; and in the rooms above are a far richer + treasure,—a large collection of original drawings by Raphael and + Michael Angelo. These are far better for my purpose than their finished + pictures,—that is to say, they bring me much closer to the hands + that drew them and the minds that imagined them. It is like looking into + their brains, and seeing the first conception before it took shape + outwardly (I have somewhere else said about the same thing of such + sketches). I noticed one of Raphael's drawings, representing the effect of + eloquence; it was a man speaking in the centre of a group, between whose + ears and the orator's mouth connecting lines were drawn. Raphael's idea + must have been to compose his picture in such a way that their auricular + organs should not fail to be in a proper relation with the eloquent voice; + and though this relation would not have been individually traceable in the + finished picture, yet the general effect—that of deep and entranced + attention—would have been produced. + </p> + <p> + In another room there are some copies of Raphael's cartoons, and some + queer mediaeval pictures, as stiff and ugly as can well be conceived, yet + successful in telling their own story. We looked a little while at these, + and then, thank Heaven! went home and dressed for dinner. I can write no + more to-day. Indeed, what a mockery it is to write at all! + </p> + <p> + [Here follows the drive to Cumnor Place, Stanton Harcourt, Nuneham + Courtney, Godstowe, etc.,—already published in Our Old Home.—ED.] + </p> + <p> + September 9th.—The morning after our excursion on the Thames was as + bright and beautiful as many preceding ones had been. After breakfast S——- + and I walked a little about the town, and bought Thomas a Kempis, in both + French and English, for U——. . . . Mr. De la Motte, the + photographer, had breakfasted with us, and Mr. Spiers wished him to take a + photograph of our whole party. So, in the first place, before the rest + were assembled, he made an experimental group of such as were there; and I + did not like my own aspect very much. Afterwards, when we were all come, + he arranged us under a tree in the garden,—Mr. and Mrs. Spiers, with + their eldest son, Mr. and Mrs. Hall and Fanny, Mr. Addison, my wife and + me,—and stained the glass with our figures and faces in the + twinkling of an eye; not S——-'s face, however, for she turned + it away, and left only a portion of her bonnet and dress,—and Mrs. + Hall, too, refused to countenance the proceeding. But all the rest of us + were caught to the life, and I was really a little startled at recognizing + myself so apart from myself, and done so quickly too. + </p> + <p> + This was the last important incident of our visit to Oxford, except that + Mr. Spiers was again most hospitable at lunch. Never did anybody attend + more faithfully to the comfort of his friends than does this good + gentleman. But he has shown himself most kind in every possible way, and I + shall always feel truly grateful. No better way of showing our sense of + his hospitality, and all the trouble he has taken for us (and our memory + of him), has occurred to us, than to present him with a set of my Tales + and Romances; so, by the next steamer, I shall write to Ticknor and Fields + to send them, elegantly bound, and S——- will emblazon his coat + of arms in each volume. He accompanied us and Mr. and Mrs. Hall to the + railway station, and we left Oxford at two o'clock. + </p> + <p> + It had been a very pleasant visit, and all the persons whom we met were + kind and agreeable, and disposed to look at one another in a sunny aspect. + I saw a good deal of Mr. Hall. He is a thoroughly genuine man, of kind + heart and true affections, a gentleman of taste and refinement, and full + of humor. + </p> + <p> + On the Saturday after our return to Blackheath, we went to + </p> + <h3> + HAMPTON COURT, + </h3> + <p> + about which, as I have already recorded a visit to it, I need say little + here. But I was again impressed with the stately grandeur of Wolsey's + great Hall, with its great window at each end, and one side window, + descending almost to the floor, and a row of windows on each side, high + towards the roof, and throwing down their many-colored light on the stone + pavement, and on the Gobelin tapestry, which must have been gorgeously + rich when the walls were first clothed with it. I fancied, then, that no + modern architect could produce so fine a room; but oddly enough, in the + great entrance-hall of the Euston station, yesterday, I could not see how + this last fell very much short of Wolsey's Hall in grandeur. We were quite + wearied in passing through the endless suites of rooms in Hampton Court, + and gazing at the thousands of pictures; it is too much for one day,—almost + enough for one life, in such measure as life can be bestowed on pictures. + It would have refreshed us had we spent half the time in wandering about + the grounds, which, as we glimpsed at them from the windows of the Palace, + seemed very beautiful, though laid out with an antique formality of + straight lines and broad gravelled paths. Before the central window there + is a beautiful sheet of water, and a fountain upshooting itself and + plashing into it, with a continuous and pleasant sound. How beautifully + the royal robe of a monarchy is embroidered! Palaces, pictures, parks! + They do enrich life; and kings and aristocracies cannot keep these things + to themselves, they merely take care of them for others. Even a king, with + all the glory that can be shed around him, is but the liveried and + bedizened footman of his people, and the toy of their delight. I am very + glad that I came to this country while the English are still playing with + such a toy. + </p> + <p> + Yesterday J——- and I left Blackheath, and reached Liverpool + last night. The rest of my family will follow in a few days; and so + finishes our residence in Bennoch's house, where I, for my part, have + spent some of the happiest hours that I have known since we left our + American home. It is a strange, vagabond, gypsy sort of life,—this + that we are leading; and I know not whether we shall finally be spoiled + for any other, or shall enjoy our quiet Wayside, as we never did before, + when once we reach it again. + </p> + <p> + The evening set in misty and obscure; and it was dark almost when J——- + and I arrived at the landing stage on our return. I was struck with the + picturesque effect of the high tower and tall spire of St. Nicholas, + rising upward, with dim outline, into the duskiness; while midway of its + height the dial-plates of an illuminated clock blazed out, like two great + eyes of a giant. + </p> + <p> + September 13th.—On Saturday my wife, with all her train, arrived at + Mrs. B———'s; and on Tuesday—vagabonds as we are—we + again struck our tent, and set out for + </p> + <h3> + SOUTHPORT. + </h3> + <p> + I do not know what sort of character it will form in the children,—this + unsettled, shifting, vagrant life, with no central home to turn to, except + what we carry in ourselves. It was a windy day, and, judging by the look + of the trees, on the way to Southport, it must be almost always windy, and + with the blast in one prevailing direction; for invariably their branches, + and the whole contour and attitude of the tree, turn from seaward, with a + strangely forlorn aspect. Reaching Southport, we took an omnibus, and + under the driver's guidance came to our tall stone house, fronting on the + sands, and styled "Brunswick Terrace." . . . . + </p> + <p> + The English system of lodging-houses has its good points; but it is, + nevertheless, a contrivance for bearing the domestic cares of home about + with you whithersoever you go; and immediately you have to set about + producing your own bread and cheese. However, Fanny took most of this + trouble off our hands, though there was inevitably the stiffness and + discomfort of a new housekeeping on the first day of our arrival; besides + that, it was cool, and the wind whistled and grumbled and eddied into the + chinks of the house. + </p> + <p> + Meanwhile, in all my experience of Southport, I have never yet seen the + sea, but only an interminable breadth of sands, looking pooly or plashy in + some places, and barred across with drier reaches of sand, but no expanse + of water. It must be miles and miles, at low water, to the veritable + sea-shore. We are about twenty miles north of Liverpool, on the border of + the Irish Sea; and Ireland and, I suppose, the Isle of Man intervene + betwixt us and the ocean, not much to our benefit; for the air of the + English coast, under ocean influences, is said to be milder than when it + comes across the land,—milder, therefore, above or below Ireland, + because then the Gulf Stream ameliorates it. + </p> + <p> + Betimes, the forenoon after our arrival, I had to take the rail to + Liverpool, but returned, a little after five, in the midst of a rain,— + still low water and interminable sands; still a dreary, howling blast. We + had a cheerful fireside, however, and should have had a pleasant evening, + only that the wind on the sea made us excessively drowsy. This morning we + awoke to hear the wind still blustering, and blowing up clouds, with + fitful little showers, and soon blowing them away again, and letting the + brightest of sunshine fall over the plashy waste of sand. We have already + walked forth on the shore with J——- and R——-, who + pick up shells, and dig wells in the sand with their little wooden spades; + but soon we saw a rainbow on the western sky, and then a shower came + spattering down upon us in good earnest. We first took refuge under the + bridge that stretches between the two portions of the promenade; but as + there was a chill draught there, we made the best of our way home. The sun + has now again come out brightly, though the wind is still tumbling a great + many clouds about the sky. + </p> + <p> + Evening.—Later, I walked out with U——, and, looking + seaward, we saw the foam and spray of the advancing tide, tossed about on + the verge of the horizon,—a long line, like the crests and gleaming + helmets of an army. In about half an hour we found almost the whole waste + of sand covered with water, and white waves breaking out all over it; but, + the bottom being so nearly level, and the water so shallow, there was + little of the spirit and exultation of the sea in a strong breeze. Of the + long line of bathing-machines, one after another was hitched to a horse, + and trundled forth into the water, where, at a long distance from shore, + the bathers found themselves hardly middle deep. + </p> + <p> + September 19th.—The wind grumbled and made itself miserable all last + night, and this morning it is still howling as ill-naturedly as ever, and + roaring and rumbling in the chimneys. The tide is far out, but, from an + upper window, I fancied, at intervals, that I could see the plash of the + surf-wave on the distant limit of the sand; perhaps, however, it was only + a gleam on the sky. Constantly there have been sharp spatters of rain, + hissing and rattling against the windows, while a little before or after, + or perhaps simultaneously, a rainbow, somewhat watery of texture, paints + itself on the western clouds. Gray, sullen clouds hang about the sky, or + sometimes cover it with a uniform dulness; at other times, the portions + towards the sun gleam almost lightsomely; now, there may be an airy + glimpse of clear blue sky in a fissure of the clouds; now, the very + brightest of sunshine comes out all of a sudden, and gladdens everything. + The breadth of sands has a various aspect, according as there are pools, + or moisture enough to glisten, or a drier tract; and where the light + gleams along a yellow ridge or bar, it is like sunshine itself. Certainly + the temper of the day shifts; but the smiles come far the seldomest, and + its frowns and angry tears are most reliable. By seven o'clock pedestrians + began to walk along the promenade, close buttoned against the blast; + later, a single bathing-machine got under way, by means of a horse, and + travelled forth seaward; but within what distance it finds the invisible + margin I cannot say,—at all events, it looks like a dreary journey. + Just now I saw a sea-gull, wheeling on the blast, close in towards the + promenade. + </p> + <p> + September 21st.—Yesterday morning was bright, sunny and windy, and + cool and exhilarating. I went to Liverpool at eleven, and, returning at + five, found the weather still bright and cool. The temperature, methinks, + must soon diminish the population of Southport, which, judging from + appearances, must be mainly made up of temporary visitors. There is a + newspaper, The Southport Visitor, published weekly, and containing a + register of all the visitants in the various hotels and lodging-houses. It + covers more than two sides of the paper, to the amount of some hundreds. + The guests come chiefly from Liverpool, Manchester, and the neighboring + country-towns, and belong to the middle classes. It is not a fashionable + watering-place. Only one nobleman's name, and those of two or three + baronets, now adorn the list. The people whom we see loitering along the + beach and the promenade have, at best, a well-to-do, tradesmanlike air. I + do not find that there are any public amusements; nothing but strolling on + the sands, donkey-riding, or drives in donkey-carts; and solitary visitors + must find it a dreary place. Yet one or two of the streets are brisk and + lively, and, being well thronged, have a holiday aspect. There are no + carriages in town save donkey-carts; some of which are drawn by three + donkeys abreast, and are large enough to hold a whole family. These + conveyances will take you far out on the sands through wet and dry. The + beach is haunted by The Flying Dutchman, —a sort of boat on wheels, + schooner-rigged with sails, and which sometimes makes pretty good speed, + with a fair wind. + </p> + <p> + This morning we have been walking with J——- and R——- + out over the "ribbed sea sands," a good distance from shore. Throughout + the week, the tides will be so low as not to cover the shallow basin of + this bay, if a bay it be. The weather was sullen, with now and then a + faint gleam of sunshine, lazily tracing our shadows on the sand; the wind + rather quieter than on preceding days. . . . In the sunshine the sands + seem to be frequented by great numbers of gulls, who begin to find the + northern climate too wintry. You see their white wings in the sunlight, + but they become almost or quite invisible in the shade. We shall soon have + an opportunity of seeing how a watering-place looks when the season is + quite over; for we have concluded to remain here till December, and + everybody else will take flight in a week or two. + </p> + <p> + A short time ago, in the evening, in a street of Liverpool, I saw a decent + man, of the lower orders, taken much aback by being roughly brushed + against by a rowdy fellow. He looked after him, and exclaimed indignantly, + "Is that a Yankee?" It shows the kind of character we have here. + </p> + <p> + October 7th.—On Saturday evening, I gave a dinner to Bennoch, at the + Adelphi Hotel. The chief point or characteristic of English customs was, + that Mr. Radley, our landlord, himself attended at table, and officiated + as chief waiter. He has a fortune of 100,000 pounds,—half a million + of dollars,—and is an elderly man of good address and appearance. In + America, such a man would very probably be in Congress; at any rate, he + would never conceive the possibility of changing plates, or passing round + the table with hock and champagne. Some of his hock was a most rich and + imperial wine, such as can hardly be had on the Rhine itself. There were + eight gentlemen besides Bennoch. + </p> + <p> + A donkey, the other day, stubbornly refusing to come out of a boat which + had brought him across the Mersey; at last, after many kicks had been + applied, and other persecutions of that kind, a man stepped forward, + addressing him affectionately, "Come along, brother,"—and the donkey + obeyed at once. + </p> + <p> + October 26th.—On Thursday, instead of taking the rail for Liverpool, + I set out, about eleven, for a long walk. It was an overcast morning, such + as in New England would have boded rain; but English clouds are not nearly + so portentous as American in that respect. Accordingly, the sun soon began + to peep through crevices, and I had not gone more than a mile or two when + it shone a little too warmly for comfort, yet not more than I liked. It + was very much like our pleasant October days at home; indeed, the climates + of the two countries more nearly coincide during the present month than at + any other season of the year. The air was almost perfectly still; but once + in a while it stirred, and breathed coolly in my face; it is very + delightful, this latent freshness, in a warm atmosphere. + </p> + <p> + The country about Southport has as few charms as it is possible for any + region to have. In the close neighborhood of the shore, it is nothing but + sand-hillocks, covered with coarse grass; and this is the original nature + of the whole site on which the town stands, although it is now paved, and + has been covered with soil enough to make gardens, and to nourish here and + there a few trees. A little farther inland the surface seems to have been + marshy, but has been drained by ditches across the fields and along the + roadside; and the fields are embanked on all sides with parapets of earth + which appear as if intended to keep out inundations. In fact, Holland + itself cannot be more completely on a level with the sea. The only + dwellings are the old, whitewashed stone cottages, with thatched roofs, on + the brown straw of which grow various weeds and mosses, brightening it + with green patches, and sprouting along the ridgepole,—the homeliest + hovels that ever mortals lived in, and which they share with pigs and cows + at one end. Hens, too, run in and out of the door. One or two of these + hovels bore signs, "Licensed to sell beer, ale, and tobacco," and + generally there were an old woman and some children visible. In all cases + there was a ditch, full of water, close at hand, stagnant, and often quite + covered with a growth of water-weeds,—very unwholesome, one would + think, in the neighborhood of a dwelling; and, in truth, the children and + grown people did look pale. + </p> + <p> + In the fields, along the roadside, men and women were harvesting their + carrots and other root-crops, especially digging potatoes,—the + pleasantest of all farm labor, in my opinion, there being such a continual + interest in opening the treasures of each hill. As I went on, the country + began to get almost imperceptibly less flat, and there was some little + appearance of trees. I had determined to go to Ormskirk, but soon got out + of the way, and came to a little hamlet that looked antique and + picturesque, with its small houses of stone and brick, built, with the one + material and repaired with the other perhaps ages afterward. Here I + inquired my way of a woman, who told me, in broad Lancashire dialect, + "that I main go back, and turn to my left, till I came to a finger-post"; + and so I did, and found another little hamlet, the principal object in + which was a public-house, with a large sign, representing a dance round a + Maypole. It was now about one o'clock; so I entered, and, being ushered + into what, I suppose, they called the coffee-room, I asked for some cold + neat and ale. There was a jolly, round, rather comely woman for a hostess, + with a free, hospitable, yet rather careless manner. + </p> + <p> + The coffee-room smelt rather disagreeably of bad tobacco-smoke, and was + shabbily furnished with an old sofa and flag-bottomed chairs, and adorned + with a print of "Old Billy," a horse famous for a longevity of about sixty + years; and also with colored engravings of old-fashioned hunting-scenes, + conspicuous with scarlet coats. There was a very small bust of Milton on + the mantel-piece. By and by the remains of an immense round of beef, three + quarters cut away, were put on the table; then some smoking-hot potatoes; + and finally the hostess told me that their own dinner was just ready, and + so she had brought me in some hot chops, thinking I might prefer them to + the cold meat. I did prefer them; and they were stewed or fried chops, + instead of broiled, and were very savory. There was household bread too, + and rich cheese, and a pint of ale, home brewed, not very mighty, but good + to quench thirst, and, by way of condiment, some pickled cabbage; so, + instead of a lunch, I made quite a comfortable dinner. Moreover, there was + a cold pudding on the table, and I called for a clean plate, and helped + myself to some of it. It was of rice, and was strewn over, rather than + intermixed, with some kinds of berries, the nature of which I could not + exactly make out. + </p> + <p> + I then set forth again. It was still sunny and warm, and I walked more + slowly than before dinner; in fact, I did little more than lounge along, + sitting down, at last, on the stone parapet of a bridge. + </p> + <p> + The country grew more pleasant, more sylvan, and, though still of a level + character, not so drearily flat. Soon appeared the first symptom that I + had seen of a gentleman's residence,—a lodge at a park gate, then a + long stretch of wall, with a green lawn, and afterwards an extent of + wooded land; then another gateway, with a neat lodge on each side of it, + and, lastly, another extent of wood. The Hall or Mansion-house, however, + was nowhere apparent, being, doubtless, secluded deep and far within its + grounds. I inquired of a boy who was the owner of the estate, and he + answered, "Mr. Scarisbrick"; and no doubt it is a family of local + eminence. + </p> + <p> + Along the road,—an old inn; some aged stone houses, built for merely + respectable occupants; a canal, with two canal-boats, heaped up with a + cargo of potatoes; two little girls, who were watching lest some cows + should go astray, and had their two little chairs by the roadside, and + their dolls and other playthings, and so followed the footsteps of the + cows all day long. I met two boys, coming from Ormskirk, mounted on + donkeys, with empty panniers, on which they had carried vegetables to + market. Finally, between two and three o'clock, I saw the great tower of + Ormskirk Church, with its spire, not rising out of the tower, but + sprouting up close beside it; and, entering the town, I directed my steps + first to this old church. + </p> + <h3> + ORMSKIRK CHURCH. + </h3> + <p> + It stands on a gentle eminence, sufficient to give it a good site, and has + a pavement of flat gravestones in front. It is doubtless, as regards its + foundation, a very ancient church, but has not exactly a venerable aspect, + being in too good repair, and much restored in various parts; not + ivy-grown, either, though green with moss here and there. The tower is + square and immensely massive, and might have supported a very lofty spire; + so that it is the more strange that what spire it has should be so oddly + stuck beside it, springing out of the church wall. I should have liked + well enough to enter the church, as it is the burial-place of the Earls of + Derby, and perhaps may contain some interesting monuments; but as it was + all shut up, and even the iron gates of the churchyard closed and locked, + I merely looked at the outside. + </p> + <p> + From the church, a street leads to the market-place, in which I found a + throng of men and women, it being market-day; wares of various kinds, tin, + earthen, and cloth, set out on the pavements; droves of pigs; ducks and + fowls; baskets of eggs; and a man selling quack medicines, recommending + his nostrums as well as he could. The aspect of the crowd was very + English,—portly and ruddy women; yeomen with small-clothes and + broad-brimmed hats, all very quiet and heavy and good-humored. Their + dialect was so provincial that I could not readily understand more than + here and there a word. + </p> + <p> + But, after all, there were few traits that could be made a note of. I soon + grew weary of the scene, and so I went to the railway station, and waited + there nearly an hour for the train to take me to Southport. Ormskirk is + famous for its gingerbread, which women sell to the railway passengers at + a sixpence for a rouleau of a dozen little cakes. + </p> + <p> + November 30th.—A week ago last Monday, Herman Melville came to see + me at the Consulate, looking much as he used to do, and with his + characteristic gravity and reserve of manner. . . . We soon found + ourselves on pretty much our former terms of sociability and confidence. . + . . He is thus far on his way to Constantinople. I do not wonder that he + found it necessary to take an airing through the world, after so many + years of toilsome pen-labor, following upon so wild and adventurous a + youth as his was. I invited him to come and stay with us at Southport, as + long as he might remain in this vicinity, and accordingly he did come the + next day. . . . . On Wednesday we took a pretty long walk together, and + sat down in a hollow among the sand-hills, sheltering ourselves from the + high cool wind. Melville, as he always does, began to reason of Providence + and futurity, and of everything else that lies beyond human ken. . . . He + has a very high and noble nature, and is better worth immortality than the + most of us. . . . On Saturday we went to Chester together. I love to take + every opportunity of going to Chester; it being the one only place, within + easy reach of Liverpool, which possesses any old English interest. + </p> + <p> + We went to + </p> + <h3> + THE CATHEDRAL. + </h3> + <p> + Its gray nave impressed me more than at any former visit. Passing into the + cloisters, an attendant took possession of us, and showed us about. + </p> + <p> + Within the choir there is a profusion of very rich oaken carving, both on + the screen that separates it from the nave, and on the seats and walls; + very curious and most elaborate, and lavished (one would say) most + wastefully, where nobody would think of looking for it,—where, + indeed, amid the dimness of the cathedral, the exquisite detail of the + elaboration could not possibly be seen. Our guide lighted some of the + gas-burners, of which there are many hundreds, to help us see them; but it + required close scrutiny, even then. It must have been out of the question, + when the whole means of illumination were only a few smoky torches or + candles. There was a row of niches, where the monks used to stand, for + four hours together, in the performance of some of their services; and to + relieve them a little, they were allowed partially to sit on a projection + of the seats, which were turned up in the niche for that purpose; but if + they grew drowsy, so as to fail to balance themselves, the seat was so + contrived as to slip down, thus bringing the monk to the floor. These + projections on the seats are each and all of them carved with curious + devices, no two alike. The guide showed us one, representing, apparently, + the first quarrel of a new-married couple, wrought with wonderful + expression. Indeed, the artist never failed to bring out his idea in the + most striking manner,—as, for instance, Satan, under the guise of a + lion, devouring a sinner bodily; and again in the figure of a dragon, with + a man halfway down his gullet, the legs hanging out. The carver may not + have seen anything grotesque in this, nor intended it at all by way of + joke; but certainly there would appear to be a grim mirthfulness in some + of the designs. One does not see why such fantasies should be strewn about + the holy interior of a cathedral, unless it were intended to contain + everything that belongs to the heart of man, both upward and downward. + </p> + <p> + In a side aisle of the choir, we saw a tomb, said to be that of the + Emperor Henry IV. of Germany, though on very indistinct authority. This is + an oblong tomb, carved, and, on one side, painted with bright colors and + gilded. During a very long period it was built and plastered into the + wall, and the exterior side was whitewashed; but, on being removed, the + inner side was found to have been ornamented with gold and color, in the + manner in which we now see it. If this were customary with tombs, it must + have added vastly to the gorgeous magnificence, to which the painted + windows and polished pillars and ornamented ceilings contributed so much. + In fact, a cathedral in its fresh estate seems to have been like a + pavilion of the sunset, all purple and gold; whereas now it more resembles + deepest and grayest twilight. + </p> + <p> + Afterwards, we were shown into the ancient refectory, now used as the city + grammar-school, and furnished with the usual desks and seats for the boys. + In one corner of this large room was the sort of pulpit or elevated seat, + with a broken staircase of stone ascending to it, where one of the monks + used to read to his brethren, while sitting at their meals. The desks were + cut and carved with the scholars' knives, just as they used to be in the + school-rooms where I was a scholar. Thence we passed into the + chapter-house, but, before that, we went through a small room, in which + Melville opened a cupboard, and discovered a dozen or two of wine-bottles; + but our guide told us that they were now empty, and never were meant for + jollity, having held only sacramental wine. In the chapter-house, we saw + the library, some of the volumes of which were antique folios. There were + two dusty and tattered banners hanging on the wall, and the attendant + promised to make us laugh by something that he would tell us about them. + The joke was that these two banners had been in the battle of Bunker Hill; + and our countrymen, he said, always smiled on hearing this. He had + discovered us to be Americans by the notice we took of a mural tablet in + the choir, to the memory of a Lieutenant-Governor Clarke, of New York, who + died in Chester before the Revolution. From the chapter-house he ushered + us back into the nave, ever and anon pointing out some portion of the + edifice more ancient than the rest, and when I asked him how he knew this, + he said that he had learnt it from the archaeologists, who could read off + such things like a book. This guide was a lively, quick-witted man, who + did his business less by rote, and more with a vivacious interest, than + any guide I ever met. + </p> + <p> + After leaving the cathedral we sought out the Yacht Inn, near the + water-gate. This was, for a long period of time, the principal inn of + Chester, and was the house at which Swift once put up, on his way to + Holyhead, and where he invited the clergy to come and sup with him. We sat + down in a small snuggery, conversing with the landlord. The Chester + people, according to my experience, are very affable, and fond of talking + with strangers about the antiquities and picturesque characteristics of + their town. It partly lives, the landlord told us, by its visitors, and + many people spend the summer here on account of the antiquities and the + good air. He showed us a broad, balustraded staircase, leading into a + large, comfortable, old-fashioned parlor, with windows looking on the + street and on the Custom House that stood opposite. This was the room + where Swift expected to receive the clergy of Chester; and on one of the + window-panes were two acrid lines, written with the diamond of his ring, + satirizing those venerable gentlemen, in revenge for their refusing his + invitation. The first line begins rather indistinctly; but the writing + grows fully legible, as it proceeds. + </p> + <p> + The Yacht Tavern is a very old house, in the gabled style. The timbers and + framework are still perfectly sound. In the same street is the Bishop's + house (so called as having been the residence of a prelate long ago), + which is covered with curious sculpture, representing Scriptural scenes. + And in the same neighborhood is the county court, accessible by an + archway, through which we penetrated, and found ourselves in a passage, + very ancient and dusky, overlooked from the upper story by a gallery, to + which an antique staircase ascended, with balustrades and square + landing-places. A printer saw us here, and asked us into his + printing-office, and talked very affably; indeed, he could have hardly + been more civil, if he had known that both Melville and I have given a + good deal of employment to the brethren of his craft. + </p> + <p> + December 15th.—An old gentleman has recently paid me a good many + visits,—a Kentucky man, who has been a good deal in England and + Europe generally without losing the freshness and unconventionality of his + earlier life. He was a boatman, and afterwards captain of a steamer on the + Ohio and Mississippi; but has gained property, and is now the owner of + mines of coal and iron, which he is endeavoring to dispose of here in + England. A plain, respectable, well-to-do-looking personage, of more than + seventy years; very free of conversation, and beginning to talk with + everybody as a matter of course; tall, stalwart, a dark face, with white + curly hair and keen eyes; and an expression shrewd, yet kindly and benign. + He fought through the whole War of 1812, beginning with General Harrison + at the battle of Tippecanoe, which he described to me. He says that at the + beginning of the battle, and for a considerable time, he heard Tecumseh's + voice, loudly giving orders. There was a man named Wheatley in the + American camp, a strange, incommunicative person,—a volunteer, + making war entirely on his own book, and seeking revenge for some + relatives of his, who had been killed by the Indians. In the midst of the + battle this Wheatley ran at a slow trot past R——— (my + informant), trailing his rifle, and making towards the point where + Tecumseh's voice was heard. The fight drifted around, and R——— + along with it; and by and by he reached a spot where Wheatley lay dead, + with his head on Tecumseh's breast. Tecumseh had been shot with a rifle, + but, before expiring, appeared to have shot Wheatley with a pistol, which + he still held in his hand. R——— affirms that Tecumseh + was flayed by the Kentucky men on the spot, and his skin converted into + razor-straps. I have left out the most striking point of the narrative, + after all, as R——— told it, viz. that soon after + Wheatley passed him, he suddenly ceased to hear Tecumseh's voice ringing + through the forest, as he gave his orders. He was at the battle of New + Orleans, and gave me the story of it from beginning to end; but I remember + only a few particulars in which he was personally concerned. He confesses + that his hair bristled upright—every hair in his head—when he + heard the shouts of the British soldiers before advancing to the attack. + His uncomfortable sensations lasted till he began to fire, after which he + felt no more of them. It was in the dusk of the morning, or a little + before sunrise, when the assault was made; and the fight lasted about two + hours and a half, during which R——— fired twenty-four + times; and said he, "I saw my object distinctly each time, and I was a + good rifle-shot." He was raising his rifle to fire the twenty-fifth time, + when an American officer, General Carroll, pressed it down, and bade him + fire no more. "Enough is enough," quoth the General. For there needed no + more slaughter, the British being in utter rout and confusion. In this + retreat many of the enemy would drop down among the dead, then rise, run a + considerable distance, and drop again, thus confusing the riflemen's aim. + One fellow had thus got about four hundred and fifty yards from the + American line, and, thinking himself secure, he made a derisive gesture. + "I'll have a shot at him anyhow," cried a rifleman; so he fired, and the + poor devil dropped. + </p> + <p> + R——— himself, with one of his twenty-four shots, hit a + British officer, who fell forward on his face, about thirty paces from our + line, and as the enemy were then retreating (they advanced and were + repelled two or three times) he ran out, and turned him over on his back. + The officer was a man about thirty-eight, tall and fine-looking; his eyes + were wide open, clear and bright, and were fixed full on R——— + with a somewhat stern glance, but there was the sweetest and happiest + smile over his face that could be conceived. He seemed to be dead;—at + least, R——— thinks that he did not really see him, + fixedly as he appeared to gaze. The officer held his sword in his hand, + and R——— tried in vain to wrest it from him, until + suddenly the clutch relaxed. R——— still keeps the sword + hung up over his mantel-piece. I asked him how the dead man's aspect + affected him. He replied that he felt nothing at the time; but that ever + since, in all trouble, in uneasy sleep, and whenever he is out of tune, or + waking early, or lying awake at night, he sees this officer's face, with + the clear bright eyes and the pleasant smile, just as distinctly as if he + were bending over him. His wound was in the breast, exactly on the spot + that R——— had aimed at, and bled profusely. The enemy + advanced in such masses, he says, that it was impossible not to hit them + unless by purposely firing over their heads. + </p> + <p> + After the battle, R——— leaped over the rampart, and took + a prisoner who was standing unarmed in the midst of the slain, having + probably dropped down during the heat of the action, to avoid the + hail-storm of rifle-shots. As he led him in, the prisoner paused, and + pointed to an officer who was lying dead beside his dead horse, with his + foot still in the stirrup. "There lies our General," said he. The horse + had been killed by a grape-shot, and Pakenham himself, apparently, by a + six-pounder ball, which had first struck the earth, covering him from head + to foot with mud and clay, and had then entered his side, and gone upward + through his breast. His face was all besmirched with the moist earth. R——— + took the slain General's foot out of the stirrup, and then went to report + his death. + </p> + <p> + Much more he told me, being an exceedingly talkative old man, and seldom, + I suppose, finding so good a listener as myself. I like the man,—a + good-tempered, upright, bold and free old fellow; of a rough breeding, but + sufficiently smoothed by society to be of pleasant intercourse. He is as + dogmatic as possible, having formed his own opinions, often on very + disputable grounds, and hardened in them; taking queer views of matters + and things, and giving shrewd and not ridiculous reasons for them; but + with a keen, strong sense at the bottom of his character. + </p> + <p> + A little while ago I met an Englishman in a railway carriage, who suggests + himself as a kind of contrast to this warlike and vicissitudinous + backwoodsman. He was about the same age as R———, but had + spent, apparently, his whole life in Liverpool, and has long occupied the + post of Inspector of Nuisances,—a rather puffy and consequential + man; gracious, however, and affable, even to casual strangers like myself. + The great contrast betwixt him and the American lies in the narrower + circuit of his ideas; the latter talking about matters of history of his + own country and the world,—glancing over the whole field of + politics, propounding opinions and theories of his own, and showing + evidence that his mind had operated for better or worse on almost all + conceivable matters; while the Englishman was odorous of his office, + strongly flavored with that, and otherwise most insipid. He began his talk + by telling me of a dead body which he had lately discovered in a house in + Liverpool, where it had been kept about a fortnight by the relatives, + partly from want of funds for the burial, and partly in expectation of the + arrival of some friends from Glasgow. There was a plate of glass in the + coffin-lid, through which the Inspector of Nuisances, as he told me, had + looked and seen the dead man's face in an ugly state of decay, which he + minutely described. However, his conversation was not altogether of this + quality; for he spoke about larks, and how abundant they are just now, and + what a good pie they make, only they must be skinned, else they will have + a bitter taste. We have since had a lark-pie ourselves, and I believe it + was very good in itself; only the recollection of the Nuisance-man's talk + was not a very agreeable flavor. A very racy and peculiarly English + character might be made out of a man like this, having his life-concern + wholly with the disagreeables of a great city. He seemed to be a good and + kindly person, too, but earthy,—even as if his frame had been + moulded of clay impregnated with the draining of slaughter-houses. + </p> + <p> + December 21st.—On Thursday evening I dined for the first time with + the new Mayor at the Town Hall. I wish to preserve all the characteristic + traits of such banquets, because, being peculiar to England, these + municipal feasts may do well to picture in a novel. There was a big old + silver tobacco-box, nearly or quite as large round as an ordinary plate, + out of which the dignitaries of Liverpool used to fill their pipes, while + sitting in council or after their dinners. The date "1690" was on the lid. + It is now used as a snuff-box, and wends its way, from guest to guest, + round the table. We had turtle, and, among other good things, American + canvasback ducks. . . . These dinners are certainly a good institution, + and likely to be promotive of good feeling; the Mayor giving them often, + and inviting, in their turn, all the respectable and eminent citizens of + whatever political bias. About fifty gentlemen were present that evening. + I had the post of honor at the Mayor's right hand; and France, Turkey, and + Austria were toasted before the Republic, for, as the Mayor whispered me, + he must first get his allies out of the way. The Turkish Consul and the + Austrian both made better English speeches than any Englishman, during the + evening; for it is inconceivable what shapeless and ragged utterances + Englishmen are content to put forth, without attempting anything like a + wholeness; but inserting a patch here and a patch there, and finally + getting out what they wish to say, indeed, but in most disorganized guise. + . . . I can conceive of very high enjoyment in making a speech; one is in + such a curious sympathy with his audience, feeling instantly how every + sentence affects them, and wonderfully excited and encouraged by the sense + that it has gone to the right spot. Then, too, the imminent emergency, + when a man is overboard, and must sink or swim, sharpens, concentrates, + and invigorates the mind, and causes matters of thought and sentiment to + assume shape and expression, though, perhaps, it seemed hopeless to + express them, just before you rose to speak. Yet I question much whether + public speaking tends to elevate the orator, intellectually or morally; + the effort, of course, being to say what is immediately received by the + audience, and to produce an effect on the instant. I don't quite see how + an honest man can be a good and successful orator; but I shall hardly + undertake to decide the question on my merely post-prandial experience. + </p> + <p> + The Mayor toasted his guests by their professions,—the merchants, + for instance, the bankers, the solicitors,—and while one of the + number responded, his brethren also stood up, each in his place, thus + giving their assent to what he said. I think the very worst orator was a + major of Artillery, who spoke in a meek, little, nervous voice, and seemed + a good deal more discomposed than probably he would have been in the face + of the enemy. The first toast was "The Ladies," to which an old bachelor + responded. + </p> + <p> + December 31st.—Thus far we have come through the winter, on this + bleak and blasty shore of the Irish Sea, where, perhaps, the drowned body + of Milton's friend Lycidas might have been washed ashore more than two + centuries ago. This would not be very likely, however, so wide a tract of + sands, never deeply covered by the tide, intervening betwixt us and the + sea. But it is an excessively windy place, especially here on the + Promenade; always a whistle and a howl,—always an eddying gust + through the corridors and chambers,—often a patter of hail or rain + or snow against the windows; and in the long evenings the sounds outside + are very much as if we were on shipboard in mid-ocean, with the waves + dashing against the vessel's sides. I go to town almost daily, starting at + about eleven, and reaching Southport again at a little past live; by which + time it is quite dark, and continues so till nearly eight in the morning. + </p> + <p> + Christmas time has been marked by few characteristics. For a week or two + previous to Christmas day, the newspapers contained rich details + respecting market-stalls and butchers' shops,—what magnificent + carcasses of prize oxen and sheep they displayed. . . . + </p> + <p> + The Christmas Waits came to us on Christmas eve, and on the day itself, in + the shape of little parties of boys or girls, singing wretched doggerel + rhymes, and going away well pleased with the guerdon of a penny or two. + Last evening came two or three older choristers at pretty near bedtime, + and sang some carols at our door. They were psalm tunes, however. + Everybody with whom we have had to do, in any manner of service, expects a + Christmas-box; but, in most cases, a shilling is quite a satisfactory + amount. We have had holly and mistletoe stuck up on the gas-fixtures and + elsewhere about the house. + </p> + <p> + On the mantel-piece in the coroner's court the other day, I saw corked and + labelled phials, which it may be presumed contained samples of poisons + that have brought some poor wretches to their deaths, either by murder or + suicide. This court might be wrought into a very good and pregnant + description, with its grimy gloom illuminated by a conical skylight, + constructed to throw daylight down on corpses; its greasy Testament + covered over with millions of perjured kisses; the coroner himself, whose + life is fed on all kinds of unnatural death; its subordinate officials, + who go about scenting murder, and might be supposed to have caught the + scent in their own garments; its stupid, brutish juries, settling round + corpses like flies; its criminals, whose guilt is brought face to face + with them here, in closer contact than at the subsequent trial. + </p> + <p> + O—— P———, the famous Mormonite, called on me + a little while ago,—a short, black-haired, dark-complexioned man; a + shrewd, intelligent, but unrefined countenance, excessively + unprepossessing; an uncouth gait and deportment; the aspect of a person in + comfortable circumstances, and decently behaved, but of a vulgar nature + and destitute of early culture. I think I should have taken him for a + shoemaker, accustomed to reflect in a rude, strong, evil-disposed way on + matters of this world and the next, as he sat on his bench. He said he had + been residing in Liverpool about six months; and his business with me was + to ask for a letter of introduction that should gain him admittance to the + British Museum, he intending a visit to London. He offered to refer me to + respectable people for his character; but I advised him to apply to Mr. + Dallas, as the proper person for his purpose. + </p> + <p> + March 1st, 1857.—On the night of last Wednesday week, our house was + broken into by robbers. They entered by the back window of the + breakfast-room, which is the children's school-room, breaking or cutting a + pane of glass, so as to undo the fastening. I have a dim idea of having + heard a noise through my sleep; but if so, it did not more than slightly + disturb me. U—— heard it, she being at watch with R——-; + and J——-, having a cold, was also wakeful, and thought the + noise was of servants moving about below. Neither did the idea of robbers + occur to U——. J——-, however, hearing U—— + at her mother's door, asking for medicine for R——-, called out + for medicine for his cold, and the thieves probably thought we were + bestirring ourselves, and so took flight. In the morning the servants + found the hall door and the breakfast-room window open; some silver cups + and some other trifles of plate were gone from the sideboard, and there + were tokens that the whole lower part of the house had been ransacked; but + the thieves had evidently gone off in a hurry, leaving some articles which + they would have taken, had they been more at leisure. + </p> + <p> + We gave information to the police, and an inspector and constable soon + came to make investigations, taking a list of the missing articles, and + informing themselves as to all particulars that could be known. I did not + much expect ever to hear any more of the stolen property; but on Sunday a + constable came to request my presence at the police-office to identify the + lost things. The thieves had been caught in Liverpool, and some of the + property found upon them, and some of it at a pawnbroker's where they had + pledged it. The police-office is a small dark room, in the basement story + of the Town Hall of Southport; and over the mantel-piece, hanging one upon + another, there are innumerable advertisements of robberies in houses, and + on the highway,—murders, too, and garrotings; and offences of all + sorts, not only in this district, but wide away, and forwarded from other + police-stations. Bring thus aggregated together, one realizes that there + are a great many more offences than the public generally takes note of. + Most of these advertisements were in pen and ink, with minute lists of the + articles stolen; but the more important were in print; and there, too, I + saw the printed advertisement of our own robbery, not for public + circulation, but to be handed about privately, among police-officers and + pawnbrokers. A rogue has a very poor chance in England, the police being + so numerous, and their system so well organized. + </p> + <p> + In a corner of the police-office stood a contrivance for precisely + measuring the heights of prisoners; and I took occasion to measure J——-, + and found him four feet seven inches and a half high. A set of rules for + the self-government of police-officers was nailed on the door, between + twenty and thirty in number, and composing a system of constabulary + ethics. The rules would be good for men in almost any walk of life; and I + rather think the police-officers conform to them with tolerable + strictness. They appear to be subordinated to one another on the military + plan. The ordinary constable does not sit down in the presence of his + inspector, and this latter seems to be half a gentleman; at least, such is + the bearing of our Southport inspector, who wears a handsome uniform of + green and silver, and salutes the principal inhabitants, when meeting them + in the street, with an air of something like equality. Then again there is + a superintendent, who certainly claims the rank of a gentleman, and has + perhaps been an officer in the army. The superintendent of this district + was present on this occasion. + </p> + <p> + The thieves were brought down from Liverpool on Tuesday, and examined in + the Town Hall. I had been notified to be present, but, as a matter of + courtesy, the police-officers refrained from calling me as a witness, the + evidence of the servants being sufficient to identify the property. The + thieves were two young men, not much over twenty,—James and John + Macdonald, terribly shabby, dirty, jail-bird like, yet intelligent of + aspect, and one of them handsome. The police knew them already, and they + seemed not much abashed by their position. There were half a dozen + magistrates on the bench,—idle old gentlemen of Southport and the + vicinity, who lounged into the court, more as a matter of amusement than + anything else, and lounged out again at their own pleasure; for these + magisterial duties are a part of the pastime of the country gentlemen of + England. They wore their hats on the bench. There were one or two of them + more active than their fellows; but the real duty was done by the Clerk of + the Court. The seats within the bar were occupied by the witnesses, and + around the great table sat some of the more respectable people of + Southport; and without the bar were the commonalty in great numbers; for + this is said to be the first burglary that has occurred here within the + memory of man, and so it has caused a great stir. + </p> + <p> + There seems to be a strong case against the prisoners. A boy attached to + the railway testified to having seen them at Birchdale on Wednesday + afternoon, and directed them on their way to Southport; Peter Pickup + recognized them as having applied to him for lodgings in the course of + that evening; a pawnbroker swore to one of them as having offered my + top-coat for sale or pledge in Liverpool; and my boots were found on the + feet of one of them,—all this in addition to other circumstances of + pregnant suspicion. So they were committed for trial at the Liverpool + assizes, to be holden some time in the present month. I rather wished them + to escape. + </p> + <p> + February 27th.—Coming along the promenade, a little before sunset, I + saw the mountains of the Welsh coast shadowed very distinctly against the + horizon. Mr. Channing told me that he had seen these mountains once or + twice during his stay at Southport; but, though constantly looking for + them, they have never before greeted my eyes in all the months that we + have spent here. It is said that the Isle of Man is likewise discernible + occasionally; but as the distance must be between sixty and seventy miles, + I should doubt it. How misty is England! I have spent four years in a gray + gloom. And yet it suits me pretty well. + </p> + <h3> + TO YORK. + </h3> + <p> + April 10th.—At Skipton. My wife, J——-, and I left + Southport to-day for a short tour to York and its neighborhood. The + weather has been exceedingly disagreeable for weeks past, but yesterday + and to-day have been pleasant, and we take advantage of the first glimpses + of spring-like weather. We came by Preston, along a road that grew rather + more interesting as we proceeded to this place, which is about sixty miles + from Southport, and where we arrived between five and six o'clock. First + of all, we got some tea; and then, as it was a pleasant sunset, we set + forth from our old-fashioned inn to take a walk. + </p> + <p> + Skipton is an ancient town, and has an ancient though well-repaired + aspect, the houses being built of gray stone, but in no picturesque + shapes; the streets well paved; the site irregular and rising gradually + towards Skipton Castle, which overlooks the town, as an old lordly castle + ought to overlook the feudal village which it protects. The castle was + built shortly after the Conquest by Robert de Romeli, and was afterwards + the property and residence of the famous Cliffords. We met an honest man, + as we approached the gateway, who kindly encouraged us to apply for + admittance, notwithstanding it was Good Friday; telling us how to find the + housekeeper, who would probably show us over the castle. So we passed + through the gate, between two embattled towers; and in the castle court we + met a flock of young damsels, who had been rambling about the precincts. + They likewise directed us in our search for the housekeeper, and S——-, + being bolder than I in such assaults on feudal castles, led the way down a + dark archway, and up an exterior stairway, and, knocking at a door, + immediately brought the housekeeper to a parley. + </p> + <p> + She proved to be a nowise awful personage, but a homely, neat, kindly, + intelligent, and middle-aged body. She seemed to be all alone in this + great old castle, and at once consented to show us about,—being, no + doubt, glad to see any Christian visitors. The castle is now the property + of Sir R. Tufton; but the present family do not make it their permanent + residence, and have only occasionally visited it. Indeed, it could not + well be made an eligible or comfortable residence, according to modern + ideas; the rooms occupying the several stories of large round towers, and + looking gloomy and sombre, if not dreary,—not the less so for what + has been done to modernize them; for instance, modern paper-hangings, and, + in some of the rooms, marble fireplaces. They need a great deal more light + and higher ceilings; and I rather imagine that the warm, rich effect of + glowing tapestry is essential to keep one's spirit cheerful in these + ancient rooms. Modern paper-hangings are too superficial and wishy-washy + for the purpose. Tapestry, it is true, there is now, completely covering + the walls of several of the rooms, but all faded into ghastliness; nor + could some of it have been otherwise than ghastly, even in its newness, + for it represented persons suffering various kinds of torture, with crowds + of monks and nuns looking on. In another room there was the story of + Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, and other subjects not to be readily + distinguished in the twilight that was gathering in these antique + chambers. We saw, too, some very old portraits of the Cliffords and the + Thanets, in black frames, and the pictures themselves sadly faded and + neglected. The famous Countess Anne of Pembroke, Dorset, and Montgomery + was represented on one of the leaves of a pair of folding doors, and one + of her husbands, I believe, on the other leaf. There was the picture of a + little idiot lordling, who had choked himself to death; and a portrait of + Oliver Cromwell, who battered this old castle, together with almost every + other English or Welsh castle that I ever saw or heard of. The housekeeper + pointed out the grove of trees where his cannon were planted during the + siege. There was but little furniture in the rooms; amongst other + articles, an antique chair, in which Mary, Queen of Scots, is said to have + rested. + </p> + <p> + The housekeeper next took us into the part of the castle which has never + been modernized since it was repaired, after the siege of Cromwell. This + is a dismal series of cellars above ground, with immensely thick walls, + letting in but scanty light, and dim staircases of stone; and a large + hall, with a vast fireplace, where every particle of heat must needs have + gone up chimney,—a chill and heart-breaking place enough. Quite in + the midst of this part of the castle is the court-yard,—a space of + some thirty or forty feet in length and breadth, open to the sky, but shut + completely in on every side by the buildings of the castle, and paved over + with flat stones. Out of this pavement, however, grows a yew-tree, + ascending to the tops of the towers, and completely filling, with its + branches and foliage, the whole open space between them. Some small birds—quite + a flock of them—were twittering and fluttering among the upper + branches. We went upward, through two or three stories of dismal rooms,—among + others, through the ancient guard-room,—till we came out on the roof + of one of the towers, and had a very fine view of an amphitheatre of ridgy + hills which shut in and seclude the castle and the town. The upper foliage + was within our reach, close to the parapet of the tower; so we gathered a + few twigs as memorials. The housekeeper told us that the yew-tree is + supposed to be eight hundred years old, and, comparing it with other yews + that I have seen, I should judge that it must measure its antiquity by + centuries, at all events. It still seems to be in its prime. + </p> + <p> + Along the base of the castle, on the opposite side to the entrance, flows + a stream, sending up a pleasant murmur from among the trees. The + housekeeper said it was not a stream, but only a "wash," whatever that may + be; and I conjecture that it creates the motive-power of some + factory-looking edifices, which we saw on our first arrival at Skipton. + </p> + <p> + We now took our leave of the housekeeper, and came homeward to our inn, + where I have written the foregoing pages by a bright fire; but I think I + write better descriptions after letting the subject lie in my mind a day + or two. It is too new to be properly dealt with immediately after coming + from the scene. + </p> + <p> + The castle is not at all crumbly, but in excellent repair, though so + venerable. There are rooks cawing about the shapeless patches of their + nests, in the tops of the trees. In the castle wall, as well as in the + round towers of the gateway, there seem to be little tenements, perhaps + inhabited by the servants and dependants of the family. They looked in + very good order, with tokens of present domesticity about them. The whole + of this old castle, indeed, was as neat as a new, small dwelling, in spite + of an inevitable musty odor of antiquity. + </p> + <p> + April 11th.—This morning we took a carriage and two horses, and set + out for + </p> + <h3> + BOLTON PRIORY, + </h3> + <p> + a distance of about six miles. The morning was cool, with breezy clouds, + intermingled with sunshine, and, on the whole, as good as are nine tenths + of English mornings. J——- sat beside the driver, and S——- + and I in the carriage, all closed but one window. As we drove through + Skipton, the little town had a livelier aspect than yesterday when it wore + its Good Friday's solemnity; but now its market-place was thronged, + principally with butchers, displaying their meat under little movable + pent-houses, and their customers. The English people really like to think + and talk of butcher's meat, and gaze at it with delight; and they crowd + through the avenues of the market-houses and stand enraptured round a dead + ox. + </p> + <p> + We passed along by the castle wall, and noticed the escutcheon of the + Cliffords or the Thanets carved in stone over the portal, with the motto + Desormais, the application of which I do not well see; these ancestral + devices usually referring more to the past, than to the future. There is a + large old church, just at the extremity of the village, and just below the + castle, on the slope of the hill. The gray wall of the castle extends + along the road a considerable distance, in good repair, with here and + there a buttress, and the semicircular bulge of a tower. + </p> + <p> + The scenery along the road was not particularly striking,—long + slopes, descending from ridges; a generally hard outline of country, with + not many trees, and those, as yet, destitute of foliage. It needs to be + softened with a good deal of wood. There were stone farm-houses, looking + ancient, and able to last till twice as old. Instead of the hedges, so + universal in other parts of England, there were stone fences of good + height and painful construction, made of small stones, which I suppose + have been picked up out of the fields through hundreds of years. They + reminded me of old Massachusetts, though very unlike our rude stone walls, + which, nevertheless, last longer than anything else we build. Another New + England feature was the little brooks, which here and there flowed across + our road, rippling over the pebbles, clear and bright. I fancied, too, an + intelligence and keenness in some of the Yorkshire physiognomies, akin to + those characteristics in my countrymen's faces. + </p> + <p> + We passed an ancient, many-gabled inn, large, low, and comfortable, + bearing the name of the Devonshire House, as does our own hotel, for the + Duke of Devonshire is a great proprietor in these parts. A mile or so + beyond, we came to a gateway, broken through what, I believe, was an old + wall of the Priory grounds; and here we alighted, leaving our driver to + take the carriage to the inn. Passing through this hole in the wall, we + saw the ruins of the Priory at the bottom of the beautiful valley about a + quarter of a mile off; and, well as the monks knew how to choose the sites + of their establishments, I think they never chose a better site than this,—in + the green lap of protecting hills, beside a stream, and with peace and + fertility looking down upon it on every side. The view down the valley is + very fine, and, for my part, I am glad that some peaceable and + comfort-loving people possessed these precincts for many hundred years, + when nobody else knew how to appreciate peace and comfort. + </p> + <p> + The old gateway tower, beneath which was formerly the arched entrance into + the domain of the Priory, is now the central part of a hunting-seat of the + Duke of Devonshire, and the edifice is completed by a wing of recent date + on each side. A few hundred yards from this hunting-box are the remains of + the Priory, consisting of the nave of the old church, which is still in + good repair, and used as the worshipping-place of the neighborhood (being + a perpetual curacy of the parish of Skipton), and the old ruined choir, + roofless, with broken arches, ivy-grown, but not so rich and rare a ruin + as either Melrose, Netley, or Furness. Its situation makes its charm. It + stands near the river Wharfe,—a broad and rapid stream, which + hurries along between high banks, with a sound which the monks must have + found congenial to their slumberous moods. It is a good river for trout, + too; and I saw two or three anglers, with their rods and baskets, passing + through the ruins towards its shore. It was in this river Wharfe that the + boy of Egremont was drowned, at the Strid, a mile or two higher up the + stream. + </p> + <p> + In the first place, we rambled round the exterior of the ruins; but, as I + have said, they are rather bare and meagre in comparison with other + abbeys, and I am not sure that the especial care and neatness with which + they are preserved does not lessen their effect on the beholder. Neglect, + wildness, crumbling walls, the climbing and conquering ivy; masses of + stone lying where they fell; trees of old date, growing where the pillars + of the aisles used to stand,—these are the best points of ruined + abbeys. But, everything here is kept with such trimness that it gives you + the idea of a petrifaction. Decay is no longer triumphant; the Duke of + Devonshire has got the better of it. The grounds around the church and the + ruins are still used for burial, and there are several flat tombstones and + altar tombs, with crosiers engraved or carved upon them, which at first I + took to be the memorials of bishops or abbots, and wondered that the + sculpture should still be so distinct. On one, however, I read the date + 1850 and the name of a layman; for the tombstones were all modern, the + humid English atmosphere giving them their mossy look of antiquity, and + the crosier had been assumed only as a pretty device. + </p> + <p> + Close beside the ruins there is a large, old stone farm-house, which must + have been built on the site of a part of the Priory,—the cells, + dormitories, refectory, and other portions pertaining to the monks' daily + life, I suppose, and built, no doubt, with the sacred stones. I should + imagine it would be a haunted house, swarming with cowled spectres. We + wished to see the interior of the church, and procured a guide from this + farm-house,—the sexton, probably,—a gray-haired, ruddy, + cheery, and intelligent man, of familiar though respectful address. The + entrance of the church was undergoing improvement, under the last of the + abbots, when the Reformation occurred; and it has ever remained in an + unfinished state, till now it is mossy with age, and has a beautiful tuft + of wall-flowers growing on a ledge over the Gothic arch of the doorway. + The body of the church is of much anterior date, though the oaken roof is + supposed to have been renewed in Henry VIII's time. This, as I said + before, was the nave of the old Abbey church, and has a one-sided and + unbalanced aspect, there being only a single aisle, with its row of sturdy + pillars. The pavement is covered with pews of old oak, very homely and + unornamental; on the side opposite the aisle there are two or three + windows of modern stained glass, somewhat gaudy and impertinent; there are + likewise some hatchments and escutcheons over the altar and elsewhere. On + the whole, it is not an impressive interior; but, at any rate, it had the + true musty odor which I never conceived of till I came to England,—the + odor of dead men's decay, garnered up and shut in, and kept from + generation to generation; not disgusting nor sickening, because it is so + old, and of the past. + </p> + <p> + On one side of the altar there was a small square chapel,—or what + had once been a chapel, separated from the chancel by a partition about a + man's height, if I remember aright. Our guide led us into it, and observed + that some years ago the pavement had been taken up in this spot, for + burial purposes; but it was found that it had already been used in that + way, and that the corpses had been buried upright. Inquiring further, I + found that it was the Clapham family, and another that was called Morley, + that were so buried; and then it occurred to me that this was the vault + Wordsworth refers to in one of his poems,—the burial-place of the + Claphams and Mauleverers, whose skeletons, for aught I know, were even + then standing upright under our feet. It is but a narrow place, perhaps a + square of ten feet. We saw little or nothing else that was memorable, + unless it were the signature of Queen Adelaide in a visitors' book. + </p> + <p> + On our way back to Skipton it rained and hailed, but the sun again shone + out before we arrived. We took the train for Leeds at half past ten, and + arrived there in the afternoon, passing the ruined Abbey of Kirkstall on + our way. The ruins looked more interesting than those of Bolton, though + not so delightfully situated, and now in the close vicinity of + manufactories, and only two or three miles from Leeds. We took a dish of + soup, and spent a miserable hour in and about the railway station of + Leeds; whence we departed at four, and reached + </p> + <h3> + YORK + </h3> + <p> + in an hour or two. We put up at the Black Swan, and before tea went out, + on the cool bright edge of evening, to get a glimpse of the cathedral, + which impressed me more grandly than when I first saw it, nearly a year + ago. Indeed, almost any object gains upon me at the second sight. I have + spent the evening in writing up my journal,—an act of real virtue. + </p> + <p> + After walking round the cathedral, we went up a narrow and crooked street, + very old and shabby, but with an antique house projecting as much as a + yard over the pavement on one side,—a timber house it seemed to be, + plastered over and stained yellow or buff. There was no external door, + affording entrance into this edifice; but about midway of its front we + came to a low, Gothic, stone archway, passing right through the house; and + as it looked much time-worn, and was sculptured with untraceable devices, + we went through. There was an exceedingly antique, battered, and shattered + pair of oaken leaves, which used doubtless to shut up the passage in + former times, and keep it secure; but for the last centuries, probably, + there has been free ingress and egress. Indeed, the portal arch may never + have been closed since the Reformation. Within, we found a quadrangle, of + which the house upon the street formed one side, the others being composed + of ancient houses, with gables in a row, all looking upon the paved + quadrangle, through quaint windows of various fashion. An elderly, neat, + pleasant-looking woman now came in beneath the arch, and as she had a look + of being acquainted here, we asked her what the place was; and she told + us, that in the old Popish times the prebends of the cathedral used to + live here, to keep them from doing mischief in the town. The + establishment, she said, was now called "The College," and was let in + rooms and small tenements to poor people. On consulting the York Guide, I + find that her account was pretty correct; the house having been founded in + Henry VI.'s time, and called St. William's College, the statue of the + patron saint being sculptured over the arch. It was intended for the + residence of the parsons and priests of the cathedral, who had formerly + caused troubles and scandals by living in the town. + </p> + <p> + We returned to the front of the cathedral on our way homeward, and an old + man stopped us, to inquire if we had ever seen the Fiddler of York. We + answered in the negative, and said that we had not time to see him now; + but the old gentleman pointed up to the highest pinnacle of the southern + front, where stood the Fiddler of York, one of those Gothic quaintnesses + which blotch the grandeur and solemnity of this and other cathedrals. + </p> + <p> + April 12th.—This morning was bleak and most ungenial; a chilly + sunshine, a piercing wind, a prevalence of watery cloud,—April + weather, without the tenderness that ought to be half revealed in it. This + is + </p> + <h3> + EASTER SUNDAY, + </h3> + <p> + and service at the cathedral commenced at half past ten; so we set out + betimes and found admittance into the vast nave, and thence into the + choir. An attendant ushered S——- and J——- to a + seat at a distance from me, and then gave me a place in one of the stalls + where the monks used to sit or kneel while chanting the services. I think + these stalls are now appropriated to the prebends. They are of carved + oaken wood, much less elaborate and wonderfully wrought than those of + Chester Cathedral, where all was done with head and heart, each a separate + device, instead of cut, by machinery like this. The whole effect of this + carved work, however, lining the choir with its light tracery and + pinnacles, is very fine. The whole choir, from the roof downward, except + the old stones of the outer walls, is of modern renovation, it being but a + few years since this part of the cathedral was destroyed by fire. The + arches and pillars and lofty roof, however, have been well restored; and + there was a vast east window, full of painted glass, which, if it be + modern, is wonderfully chaste and Gothic-like. All the other windows have + painted glass, which does not flare and glare as if newly painted. But the + light, whitewashed aspect of the general interior of the choir has a cold + and dreary effect. There is an enormous organ, all clad in rich oaken + carving, of similar pattern to that of the stalls. It was communion day, + and near the high altar, within a screen, I saw the glistening of the gold + vessels wherewith the services were to be performed. + </p> + <p> + The choir was respectably filled with a pretty numerous congregation, + among whom I saw some officers in full dress, with their swords by their + sides, and one, old white-bearded warrior, who sat near me, seemed very + devout at his religious exercises. In front of me and on the corresponding + benches, on the other side of the choir, sat two rows of white-robed + choristers, twenty in all, and these, with some women; performed the vocal + part of the music. It is not good to see musicians, for they are sometimes + coarse and vulgar people, and so the auditor loses faith in any fine and + spiritual tones that they may breathe forth. + </p> + <p> + The services of Easter Sunday comprehend more than the ordinary quantity + of singing and chanting; at all events, nearly an hour and a half were + thus employed, with some intermixture of prayers and reading of + Scriptures; and, being almost congealed with cold, I thought it would + never come to an end. The spirit of my Puritan ancestors was mighty within + me, and I did not wonder at their being out of patience with all this + mummery, which seemed to me worse than papistry because it was a + corruption of it. At last a canon gave out the text, and preached a sermon + about twenty minutes long,—the coldest, driest, most superficial + rubbish; for this gorgeous setting of the magnificent cathedral, the + elaborate music, and the rich ceremonies seem inevitably to take the life + out of the sermon, which, to be anything, must be all. The Puritans showed + their strength of mind and heart by preferring a sermon an hour and a half + long, into which the preacher put his whole soul, and lopping away all + these externals, into which religious life had first leafed and flowered, + and then petrified. + </p> + <p> + After the service, while waiting for my wife in the nave, I was accosted + by a young gentleman who seemed to be an American, and whom I have + certainly seen before, but whose name I could not recollect. This, he + said, was his first visit to York, and he was evidently inclined to join + me in viewing the curiosities of the place, but, not knowing his name, I + could not introduce him to my wife, and so made a parting salute. + </p> + <p> + After dinner, we set forth and took a promenade along the wall, and a + ramble through some of the crooked streets, noting the old, + jutting-storied houses, story above story, and the old churches, gnawed + like a bone by the tooth of Time, till we came suddenly to the Black Swan + before we expected it. . . . I rather fancy that I must have observed most + of the external peculiarities at my former visit, and therefore need not + make another record of them in this journal. + </p> + <p> + In the course of our walk we saw a procession of about fifty + charity-school boys, in flat caps, each with bands under his chin, and a + green collar to his coat; all looking unjoyous, and as if they had no home + nor parents' love. They turned into a gateway, which closed behind them; + and as the adjoining edifice seemed to be a public institution,—at + least, not private,—we asked what it was, and found it to be a + hospital or residence for Old Maiden ladies, founded by a gentlewoman of + York; I know not whether she herself is of the sisterhood. It must be a + very singular institution, and worthy of intimate study, if it were + possible to make one's way within the portal. + </p> + <p> + After writing the above, J——- and I went out for another + ramble before tea; and, taking a new course, we came to a grated iron + fence and gateway, through which we could see the ruins of St. Mary's + Abbey. They are very extensive, and situated quite in the midst of the + city, and the wall and then a tower of the Abbey seem to border more than + one of the streets. Our walk was interesting, as it brought us + unexpectedly upon several relics of antiquity,—a loop-holed and + battlemented gateway; and at various points fragments of the old Gothic + stone-work, built in among more recent edifices, which themselves were + old; grimness intermixed with quaintness and grotesqueness; old fragments + of religious or warlike architecture mingled with queer domestic + structures,—the general effect sombre, sordid, and grimy; but yet + with a fascination that makes us fain to linger about such scenes, and + come to them again. + </p> + <p> + We passed round the cathedral, and saw jackdaws fluttering round the + pinnacles, while the bells chimed the quarters, and little children played + on the steps under the grand arch of the entrance. It is very stately, + very beautiful, this minster; and doubtless would be very satisfactory, + could I only know it long and well enough,—so rich as its front is, + even with almost all the niches empty of their statues; not stern in its + effect, which I suppose must be owing to the elaborate detail with which + its great surface is wrought all over, like the chasing of a lady's + jewel-box, and yet so grand! There is a dwelling-house on one side, gray + with antiquity, which has apparently grown out of it like an excrescence; + and though a good-sized edifice, yet the cathedral is so large that its + vastness is not in the least deformed by it. If it be a dwelling-house, I + suppose it is inhabited by the person who takes care of the cathedral. + This morning, while listening to the tedious chanting and lukewarm sermon, + I depreciated the whole affair, cathedral and all; but now I do more + justice, at least to the latter, and am only sorry that its noble echoes + must follow at every syllable, and re-reverberate at the commas and + semicolons, such poor discourses as the canon's. But, after all, it was + the Puritans who made the sermon of such importance in religious worship + as we New-Englanders now consider it; and we are absurd in considering + this magnificent church and all those embroidered ceremonies only in + reference to it. + </p> + <p> + Before going back to the hotel, I went again up the narrow and twisted + passage of College Street, to take another glance at St. William's + College. I underestimated the projection of the front over the street; it + is considerably more than three feet, and is about eight or nine feet + above the pavement. The little statue of St. William is an alto-relievo + over the arched entrance, and has an escutcheon of arms on each side, all + much defaced. In the interior of the quadrangle, the houses have not + gables nor peaked fronts, but have peaked windows on the red-tiled roofs. + The doorway, opposite the entrance-arch, is rather stately; and on one + side is a large, projecting window, which is said to belong to the room + where the printing-press of Charles I. was established in the days of the + Parliament. + </p> + <h3> + THE MINSTER. + </h3> + <p> + Monday, April 13th.—This morning was chill, and, worse, it was + showery, so that our purposes to see York were much thwarted. At about ten + o'clock, however, we took a cab, and drove to the cathedral, where we + arrived while service was going on in the choir, and ropes were put up as + barriers between us and the nave; so that we were limited to the south + transept, and a part of one of the aisles of the choir. It was dismally + cold. We crept cheerlessly about within our narrow precincts (narrow, that + is to say, in proportion to the vast length and breadth of the cathedral), + gazing up into the hollow height of the central tower, and looking at a + monumental brass, fastened against one of the pillars, representing a + beruffed lady of the Tudor times, and at the canopied tomb of Archbishop + de Grey, who ruled over the diocese in the thirteenth century. Then we + went into the side aisle of the choir, where there were one or two modern + monuments; and I was appalled to find that a sermon was being preached by + the ecclesiastic of the day, nor were there any signs of an imminent + termination. I am not aware that there was much pith in the discourse, but + there was certainly a good deal of labor and earnestness in the preacher's + mode of delivery; although, when he came to a close, it appeared that the + audience was not more than half a dozen people. + </p> + <p> + The barriers being now withdrawn, we walked adown the length of the nave, + which did not seem to me so dim and vast as the recollection which I have + had of it since my visit of a year ago. But my pre-imaginations and my + memories are both apt to play me false with all admirable things, and so + create disappointments for me, while perhaps the thing itself is really + far better than I imagine or remember it. We engaged an old man, one of + the attendants pertaining to the cathedral, to be our guide, and he showed + us first the stone screen in front of the choir, with its sculptured kings + of England; and then the tombs in the north transept,— one of a + modern archbishop, and one of an ancient one, behind which the insane + person who set fire to the church a few years ago hid himself at + nightfall. Then our guide unlocked a side door, and led us into the + chapter-house,—an octagonal hall, with a vaulted roof, a tessellated + floor, and seven arched windows of old painted glass, the richest that I + ever saw or imagined, each looking like an inestimable treasury of + precious stories, with a gleam and glow even in the sullen light of this + gray morning. What would they be with the sun shining through them! With + all their brilliancy, moreover, they were as soft as rose-leaves. I never + saw any piece of human architecture so beautiful as this chapter-house; at + least, I thought so while I was looking at it, and think so still; and it + owed its beauty in very great measure to the painted windows: I remember + looking at these windows from the outside yesterday, and seeing nothing + but an opaque old crust of conglomerated panes of glass; but now that + gloomy mystery was radiantly solved. + </p> + <p> + Returning into the body of the cathedral, we next entered the choir, + where, instead of the crimson cushions and draperies which we had seen + yesterday, we found everything folded in black. It was a token of mourning + for one of the canons, who died on Saturday night. The great east window, + seventy-five feet high, and full of old painted glass in many exquisitely + wrought and imagined Scriptural designs, is considered the most splendid + object in the Minster. It is a pity that it is partially hidden from view, + even in the choir, by a screen before the high altar; but indeed, the + Gothic architects seem first to imagine beautiful and noble things, and + then to consider how they may best be partially screened from sight. A + certain secrecy and twilight effect belong to their plan. + </p> + <p> + We next went round the side aisles of the choir, which contain many + interesting monuments of prelates, and a specimen of the very common + Elizabethan design of an old gentleman in a double ruff and trunk + breeches, with one of his two wives on either side of him, all kneeling in + prayer; and their conjoint children, in two rows, kneeling in the lower + compartments of the tomb. We saw, too, a rich marble monument of one of + the Strafford family, and the tombstone of the famous Earl himself,—a + flat tombstone in the pavement of the aisle, covering the vault where he + was buried, and with four iron rings fastened into the four corners of the + stone whereby to lift it. + </p> + <p> + And now the guide led us into the vestry, where there was a good fire + burning in the grate, and it really thawed my heart, which was congealed + with the dismal chill of the cathedral. Here we saw a good many curious + things,—for instance, two wooden figures in knightly armor, which + had stood sentinels beside the ancient clock before it was replaced by a + modern one; and, opening a closet, the guide produced an old iron helmet, + which had been found in a tomb where a knight had been buried in his + armor; and three gold rings and one brass one, taken out of the graves, + and off the finger-bones of mediaeval archbishops,—one of them with + a ruby set in it; and two silver-gilt chalices, also treasures of the + tombs; and a wooden head, carved in human likeness, and painted to the + life, likewise taken from a grave where an archbishop was supposed to have + been buried. They found no veritable skull nor bones, but only this + block-head, as if Death had betrayed the secret of what the poor prelate + really was. We saw, too, a canopy of cloth, wrought with gold threads, + which had been borne over the head of King James I., when he came to York, + on his way to receive the English Crown. There were also some old brass + dishes, In which pence used to be collected in monkish times. Over the + door of this vestry were hung two banners of a Yorkshire regiment, + tattered in the Peninsular wars, and inscribed with the names of the + battles through which they had been borne triumphantly; and Waterloo was + among them. The vestry, I think, occupies that excrescential edifice which + I noticed yesterday as having grown out of the cathedral. + </p> + <p> + After looking at these things, we went down into the crypts, under the + choir. These were very interesting, as far as we could see them; being + more antique than anything above ground, but as dark as any cellar. There + is here, in the midst of these sepulchral crypts, a spring of water, said + to be very pure and delicious, owing to the limestone through which the + rain that feeds its source is filtered. Near it is a stone trough, in + which the monks used to wash their hands. + </p> + <p> + I do not remember anything more that we saw at the cathedral, and at noon + we returned to the Black Swan. The rain still continued, so that S——- + could not share in any more of my rambles, but J——- and I went + out again, and discovered the Guildhall. It is a very ancient edifice of + Richard II.'s time, and has a statue over the entrance which looks + time-gnawed enough to be of coeval antiquity, although in reality it is + only a representation of George II. in his royal robes. We went in, and + found ourselves in a large and lofty hall, with an oaken roof and a stone + pavement, and the farther end was partitioned off as a court of justice. + In that portion of the hall the Judge was on the bench, and a trial was + going forward; but in the hither portion a mob of people, with their hats + on, were lounging and talking, and enjoying the warmth of the stoves. The + window over the judgment-seat had painted glass in it, and so, I think, + had some of the hall windows. At the end of the hall hung a great picture + of Paul defending himself before Agrippa, where the Apostle looked like an + athlete, and had a remarkably bushy black beard. Between two of the + windows hung an Indian bell from Burmah, ponderously thick and massive. + Both the picture and the bell had been presented to the city as tokens of + affectionate remembrance by its children; and it is pleasant to think that + such failings exist in these old stable communities, and that there are + permanent localities where such gifts can be kept from generation to + generation. + </p> + <p> + At four o'clock we left the city of York, still in a pouring rain. The + Black Swan, where we had been staying, is a good specimen of the old + English inn, sombre, quiet, with dark staircases, dingy rooms, curtained + beds,—all the possibilities of a comfortable life and good English + fare, in a fashion which cannot have been much altered for half a century. + It is very homelike when one has one's family about him, but must be + prodigiously stupid for a solitary man. + </p> + <p> + We took the train for Manchester, over pretty much the same route that I + travelled last year. Many of the higher hills in Yorkshire were white with + snow, which, in our lower region, softened into rain; but as we approached + Manchester, the western sky reddened, and gave promise of better weather. + We arrived at nearly eight o'clock, and put up at the Palatine Hotel. In + the evening I scrawled away at my journal till past ten o'clock; for I + have really made it a matter of conscience to keep a tolerably full record + of my travels, though conscious that everything good escapes in the + process. In the morning we went out and visited the + </p> + <h3> + MANCHESTER CATHEDRAL, + </h3> + <p> + a particularly black and grimy edifice, containing some genuine old wood + carvings within the choir. We stayed a good while, in order to see some + people married. One couple, with their groomsman and bride's-maid, were + sitting within the choir; but when the clergyman was robed and ready, + there entered five other couples, each attended by groomsman and + bride's-maid. They all were of the lower orders; one or two respectably + dressed, but most of them poverty-stricken,—the men in their + ordinary loafer's or laborer's attire, the women with their poor, shabby + shawls drawn closely about them; faded untimely, wrinkled with penury and + care; nothing fresh, virgin-like, or hopeful about them; joining + themselves to their mates with the idea of making their own misery less + intolerable by adding another's to it. All the six couple stood up in a + row before the altar, with the groomsmen and bride's-maids in a row behind + them; and the clergyman proceeded to marry them in such a way that it + almost seemed to make every man and woman the husband and wife of every + other. However, there were some small portions of the service directed + towards each separate couple; and they appeared to assort themselves in + their own fashion afterwards, each one saluting his bride with a kiss. The + clergyman, the sexton, and the clerk all seemed to find something funny in + this affair; and the woman who admitted us into the church smiled too, + when she told us that a wedding-party was waiting to be married. But I + think it was the saddest thing we have seen since leaving home; though + funny enough if one likes to look at it from a ludicrous point of view. + This mob of poor marriages was caused by the fact that no marriage fee is + paid during Easter. + </p> + <p> + This ended the memorable things of our tour; for my wife and J——- + left Manchester for Southport, and I for Liverpool, before noon. + </p> + <p> + April 19th.—On the 15th, having been invited to attend at the laying + of the corner-stone of + </p> + <h3> + MR. BROWNE'S FREE LIBRARY, + </h3> + <p> + I went to the Town Hall, according to the programme, at eleven o'clock. + There was already a large number of people (invited guests, members of the + Historical Society, and other local associations) assembled in the great + hall-room, and one of these was delivering an address to Mr. Browne as I + entered. Approaching the outer edge of the circle, I was met and cordially + greeted by Monckton Milnes, whom I like, and who always reminds me of + Longfellow, though his physical man is more massive. While we were talking + together, a young man approached him with a pretty little expression of + surprise and pleasure at seeing him there. He had a slightly affected or + made-up manner, and was rather a comely person. Mr. Milnes introduced him + to me as Lord ———. Hereupon, of course, I observed him + more closely; and I must say that I was not long in discovering a gentle + dignity and half-imperceptible reserve in his manner; but still my first + impression was quite as real as my second one. He occupies, I suppose, the + foremost position among the young men of England, and has the fairest + prospects of a high course before him; nevertheless, he did not impress me + as possessing the native qualities that could entitle him to a high public + career. He has adopted public life as his hereditary profession, and makes + the very utmost of all his abilities, cultivating himself to a determined + end, knowing that he shall have every advantage towards attaining his + object. His natural disadvantages must have been, in some respects, + unusually great; his voice, for instance, is not strong, and appeared to + me to have a more positive defect than mere weakness. Doubtless he has + struggled manfully against this defect; and it made me feel a certain + sympathy, and, indeed, a friendliness, for which he would not at all have + thanked me, had he known it. I felt, in his person, what a burden it is + upon human shoulders, the necessity of keeping up the fame and historical + importance of an illustrious house; at least, when the heir to its honors + has sufficient intellect and sensibility to feel the claim that his + country and his ancestors and his posterity all have upon him. Lord + ——— is fully capable of feeling these claims; but I + would not care, methinks, to take his position, unless I could have + considerably more than his strength. + </p> + <p> + In a little while we formed ourselves into a procession, four in a row, + and set forth from the Town Hall, through James Street, Lord Street, Lime + Street, all the way through a line of policemen and a throng of people; + and all the windows were alive with heads, and I never before was so + conscious of a great mass of humanity, though perhaps I may often have + seen as great a crowd. But a procession is the best point of view from + which to see the crowd that collects together. The day, too, was very + fine, even sunshiny, and the streets dry,—a blessing which cannot be + overestimated; for we should have been in a strange trim for the banquet, + had we been compelled to wade through the ordinary mud of Liverpool. The + procession itself could not have been a very striking object. In America, + it would have had a hundred picturesque and perhaps ludicrous features,—the + symbols of the different trades, banners with strange devices, + flower-shows, children, volunteer soldiers, cavalcades, and every suitable + and unsuitable contrivance; but we were merely a trail of ordinary-looking + individuals, in great-coats, and with precautionary umbrellas. The only + characteristic or professional costume, as far as I noticed, was that of + the Bishop of Chester, in his flat cap and black-silk gown; and that of + Sir Henry Smith, the General of the District, in full uniform, with a star + and half a dozen medals on his breast. Mr. Browne himself, the hero of the + day, was the plainest and simplest man of all,—an exceedingly + unpretending gentleman in black; small, white-haired, pale, quiet, and + respectable. I rather wondered why he chose to be the centre of all this + ceremony; for he did not seem either particularly to enjoy it, or to be at + all incommoded by it, as a more nervous and susceptible man might have + been. + </p> + <p> + The site of the projected edifice is on one of the streets bordering on + St. George's Hall; and when we came within the enclosure, the + corner-stone, a large square of red freestone, was already suspended over + its destined place. It has a brass plate let into it, with an inscription, + which will perhaps not be seen again till the present English type has + grown as antique as black-letter is now. Two or three photographs were now + taken of the site, the corner-stone, Mr. Browne, the distinguished guests, + and the crowd at large; then ensued a prayer from the Bishop of Chester, + and speeches from Mr. Holme, Mr. Browne, Lord ———, Sir + John Pakington, Sir Henry Smith, and as many others as there was time for. + Lord ——— acquitted himself very creditably, though + brought out unexpectedly, and with evident reluctance. I am convinced that + men, liable to be called on to address the public, keep a constant supply + of commonplaces in their minds, which, with little variation, can be + adapted to one subject about as well as to another; and thus they are + always ready to do well enough, though seldom to do particularly well. + </p> + <p> + From the scene of the corner-stone, we went to St. George's Hall, where a + drawing-room and dressing-room had been prepared for the principal guests. + Before the banquet, I had some conversation with Sir James Kay + Shuttleworth, who had known Miss Bronte very intimately, and bore + testimony to the wonderful fidelity of Mrs. Gaskell's life of her. He + seemed to have had an affectionate regard for her, and said that her + marriage promised to have been productive of great happiness; her husband + being not a remarkable man, but with the merit of an exceeding love for + her. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Browne now took me up into the gallery, which by this time was full of + ladies; and thence we had a fine view of the noble hall, with the tables + laid, in readiness for the banquet. I cannot conceive of anything finer + than this hall: it needs nothing but painted windows to make it perfect, + and those I hope it may have one day or another. + </p> + <p> + At two o'clock we sat down to the banquet, which hardly justified that + name, being only a cold collation, though sufficiently splendid in its + way. In truth, it would have been impossible to provide a hot dinner for + nine hundred people in a place remote from kitchens. The principal table + extended lengthwise of the hall, and was a little elevated above the other + tables, which stretched across, about twenty in all. Before each guest, + besides the bill of fare, was laid a programme of the expected toasts, + among which appeared my own name, to be proposed by Mr. Monckton Milnes. + These things do not trouble me quite as much as they used, though still it + sufficed to prevent much of the enjoyment which I might have had if I + could have felt myself merely a spectator. My left-hand neighbor was + Colonel Campbell of the Artillery; my right-hand one was Mr. Picton, of + the Library Committee; and I found them both companionable men, especially + the Colonel, who had served in China and in the Crimea, and owned that he + hated the French. We did not make a very long business of the eatables, + and then came the usual toasts of ceremony, and afterwards those more + peculiar to the occasion, one of the first of which was "The House of + Stanley," to which Lord ——— responded. It was a noble + subject, giving scope for as much eloquence as any man could have brought + to bear upon it, and capable of being so wrought out as to develop and + illustrate any sort of conservative or liberal tendencies which the + speaker might entertain. There could not be a richer opportunity for + reconciling and making friends betwixt the old system of society and the + new; but Lord ——— did not seem to make anything of it. I + remember nothing that he said excepting his statement that the family had + been five hundred years connected with the town of Liverpool. I wish I + could have responded to "The House of Stanley," and his Lordship could + have spoken in my behalf. None of the speeches were remarkably good; the + Bishop of Chester's perhaps the best, though he is but a little man in + aspect, not at all filling up one's idea of a bishop, and the rest were on + an indistinguishable level, though, being all practised speakers, they + were less hum-y and ha-y than English orators ordinarily are. + </p> + <p> + I was really tired to death before my own turn came, sitting all that + time, as it were, on the scaffold, with the rope round my neck. At last + Monckton Milnes was called up and made a speech, of which, to my dismay, I + could hardly hear a single word, owing to his being at a considerable + distance, on the other side of the chairman, and flinging his voice, which + is a bass one, across the hall, instead of adown it, in my direction. I + could not distinguish one word of any allusions to my works, nor even when + he came to the toast, did I hear the terms in which he put it, nor whether + I was toasted on my own basis, or as representing American literature, or + as Consul of the United States. At all events, there was a vast deal of + clamor; and uprose peers and bishop, general, mayor, knights and + gentlemen, everybody in the hall greeting me with all the honors. I had + uprisen, too, to commence my speech; but had to sit down again till + matters grew more quiet, and then I got up, and proceeded to deliver + myself with as much composure as I ever felt at my own fireside. It is + very strange, this self-possession and clear-sightedness which I have + experienced when standing before an audience, showing me my way through + all the difficulties resulting from my not having heard Monckton Milnes's + speech; and on since reading the latter, I do not see how I could have + answered it better. My speech certainly was better cheered than any other; + especially one passage, where I made a colossus of Mr. Browne, at which + the audience grew so tumultuous in their applause that they drowned my + figure of speech before it was half out of my mouth. + </p> + <p> + After rising from table, Lord ——— and I talked about our + respective oratorical performances; and he appeared to have a perception + that he is not naturally gifted in this respect. I like Lord ———, + and wish that it were possible that we might know one another better. If a + nobleman has any true friend out of his own class, it ought to be a + republican. Nothing further of interest happened at the banquet, and the + next morning came out the newspapers with the reports of my speech, + attributing to me a variety of forms of ragged nonsense, which, poor + speaker as I am, I was quite incapable of uttering. + </p> + <p> + May 10th.—The winter is over, but as yet we scarcely have what ought + to be called spring; nothing but cold east-winds, accompanied with + sunshine, however, as east-winds generally are in this country. All milder + winds seem to bring rain. The grass has been green for a month,—indeed, + it has never been entirely brown,—and now the trees and hedges are + beginning to be in foliage. Weeks ago the daisies bloomed, even in the + sandy grass-plot bordering on the promenade beneath our front windows; and + in the progress of the daisy, and towards its consummation, I saw the + propriety of Burns's epithet, "wee, modest, crimson-nipped flower,"—its + little white petals in the bud being fringed all round with crimson, which + fades into pure white when the flower blooms. At the beginning of this + month I saw fruit-trees in blossom, stretched out flat against stone + walls, reminding me of a dead bird nailed against the side of a barn. But + it has been a backward and dreary spring; and I think Southport, in the + course of it, has lost its advantage over the rest of the Liverpool + neighborhood in point of milder atmosphere. The east-wind feels even rawer + here than in the city. + </p> + <p> + Nevertheless, the columns, of the Southport Visitor begin to be well + replenished with the names of guests, and the town is assuming its aspect + of summer life. To say the truth, except where cultivation has done its + utmost, there is very little difference between winter and summer in the + mere material aspect of Southport; there being nothing but a waste of sand + intermixed with plashy pools to seaward, and a desert of sand-hillocks on + the land side. But now the brown, weather-hardened donkey-women haunt + people that stray along the reaches, and delicate persons face the cold, + rasping, ill-tempered blast on the promenade, and children dig in the + sands; and, for want of something better, it seems to be determined that + this shall be considered spring. + </p> + <p> + Southport is as stupid a place as I ever lived in; and I cannot but bewail + our ill fortune to have been compelled to spend so many months on these + barren sands, when almost every other square yard of England contains + something that would have been historically or poetically interesting. Our + life here has been a blank. There was, indeed, a shipwreck, a month or two + ago, when a large ship came ashore within a mile from our windows; the + larger portion of the crew landing safely on the hither sands, while six + or seven betook themselves to the boat, and were lost in attempting to + gain the shore, on the other side of the Ribble. After a lapse of several + weeks, two or three of their drowned bodies were found floating in this + vicinity, and brought to Southport for burial; so that it really is not at + all improbable that Milton's Lycidas floated hereabouts, in the rise and + lapse of the tides, and that his bones may still be whitening among the + sands. + </p> + <p> + In the same gale that wrecked the above-mentioned vessel, a portion of a + ship's mast was driven ashore, after evidently having been a very long + time in and under water; for it was covered with great barnacles, and torn + sea-weed, insomuch that there was scarcely a bare place along its whole + length; clusters of sea-anemones were sticking to it, and I know not what + strange marine productions besides. J——- at once recognized + the sea-anemones, knowing them by his much reading of Gosse's Aquarium; + and though they must now have been two or three days high and dry out of + water, he made an extempore aquarium out of a bowl, and put in above a + dozen of these strange creatures. In a little while they bloomed out + wonderfully, and even seemed to produce young anemones; but, from some + fault in his management, they afterwards grew sickly and died. S——- + thinks that the old storm-shattered mast, so studded with the growth of + the ocean depths, is a relic of the Spanish Armada which strewed its + wrecks along all the shores of England; but I hardly think it would have + taken three hundred years to produce this crop of barnacles and + sea-anemones. A single summer might probably have done it. + </p> + <p> + Yesterday we all of us except R——- went to Liverpool to see + the performances of an American circus company. I had previously been, a + day or two before, with J——-, and had been happy to perceive + that the fact of its being an American establishment really induced some + slight swelling of the heart within me. It is ridiculous enough, to be + sure, but I like to find myself not wholly destitute of this noble + weakness, patriotism. As for the circus, I never was fond of that species + of entertainment, nor do I find in this one the flash and glitter and + whirl which I remember in other American exhibitions. + </p> + <p> + [Here follow the visits to Lincoln and Boston, printed in Our Old Home. + —ED.] + </p> + <p> + May 27th.—We left Boston by railway at noon, and arrived in + PETERBOROUGH in about an hour and a quarter, and have put up at the + Railway Hotel. After dinner we walked into the town to see + </p> + <h3> + THE CATHEDRAL, + </h3> + <p> + of the towers and arches of which we had already had a glimpse from our + parlor window. + </p> + <p> + Our journey from Boston hitherward was through a perfectly level country,—the + fens of Lincolnshire,—green, green, and nothing else, with old + villages and farm-houses and old church-towers; very pleasant and rather + wearisomely monotonous. To return to Peterborough. It is a town of ancient + aspect; and we passed, on our way towards the market-place, a very + ancient-looking church, with a very far projecting porch, opening in front + and on each side through arches of broad sweep. The street by which we + approached from our hotel led us into the market-place, which had what + looked like an old Guildhall on one side. On the opposite side, above the + houses, appeared the towers of the cathedral, and a street leads from the + market-place to its front, through an arched gateway, which used to be the + external entrance to the abbey, I suppose, of which the cathedral was + formerly the church. The front of the cathedral is very striking, and + unlike any other that I have seen; being formed by three lofty and + majestic arches in a row, with three gable peaks above them, forming a + sort of colonnade, within which is the western entrance of the nave. The + towers are massive, but low in proportion to their bulk. There are no + spires, but pinnacles and statues, and all the rich detail of Gothic + architecture, the whole of a venerable gray line. It is in perfect repair, + and has not suffered externally, except by the loss of multitudes of + statues, gargoyles, and miscellaneous eccentricities of sculpture, which + used to smile, frown, laugh, and weep over the faces of these old fabrics. + </p> + <p> + We entered through a side portal, and sat down on a bench in the nave, and + kept ourselves quiet; for the organ was sounding, and the choristers were + chanting in the choir. The nave and transepts are very noble, with + clustered pillars and Norman arches, and a great height under the central + tower; the whole, however, being covered with plaster and whitewash, + except the roof, which is of painted oak. This latter adornment has the + merit, I believe, of being veritably ancient; but certainly I should + prefer the oak of its native hue, for the effect of the paint is to make + it appear as if the ceiling were covered with imitation mosaic-work or an + oil-cloth carpet. + </p> + <p> + After sitting awhile, we were invited by a verger, who came from within + the screen, to enter the choir and hear the rest of the service. We found + the choristers there in their white garments, and an audience of half a + dozen people, and had time to look at the interior of the choir. All the + carved wood-work of the tabernacle, the Bishop's throne, the prebends' + stalls, and whatever else, is modern; for this cathedral seems to have + suffered wofully from Cromwell's soldiers, who hacked at the old oak, and + hammered and pounded upon the marble tombs, till nothing of the first and + very few of the latter remain. It is wonderful how suddenly the English + people lost their sense of the sanctity of all manner of externals in + religion, without losing their religion too. The French, in their + Revolution, underwent as sudden a change; but they became pagans and + atheists, and threw away the substance with the shadow. + </p> + <p> + I suspect that the interior arrangement of the choir and the chancel has + been greatly modernized; for it is quite unlike anything that I have seen + elsewhere. Instead of one vast eastern window, there are rows of windows + lighting the Lady Chapel, and seen through rows of arches in the screen of + the chancel; the effect being, whoever is to have the credit of it, very + rich and beautiful. There is, I think, no stained glass in the windows of + the nave, though in the windows of the chancel there is some of recent + date, and from fragments of veritable antique. The effect of the whole + interior is grand, expansive, and both ponderous and airy; not dim, + mysterious, and involved, as Gothic interiors often are, the roundness and + openness of the arches being opposed to this latter effect. + </p> + <p> + When the chanting came to a close, one verger took his stand at the + entrance of the choir, and another stood farther up the aisle, and then + the door of a stall opened, and forth came a clerical dignity of much + breadth and substance, aged and infirm, and was ushered out of the choir + with a great deal of ceremony. We took him for the bishop, but he proved + to be only a canon. We now engaged an attendant to show us through the + Lady Chapel and the other penetralia, which it did not take him long to + accomplish. One of the first things he showed us was the tombstone, in the + pavement of the southern aisle, beneath which Mary, Queen of Scots, had + been originally buried, and where she lay for a quarter of a century, till + borne to her present resting-place in Westminster Abbey. It is a plain + marble slab, with no inscription. Near this, there was a Saxon monument of + the date 870, with sculpture in relief upon it,—the memorial of an + Abbot Hedda, who was killed by the Danes when they destroyed the monastery + that preceded the abbey and church. I remember, likewise, the recumbent + figure of the prelate, whose face has been quite obliterated by Puritanic + violence; and I think that there is not a single tomb older than the + parliamentary wars, which has not been in like manner battered and + shattered, except the Saxon abbot's just mentioned. The most pretentious + monument remaining is that of a Mr. Deacon, a gentleman of George I.'s + time, in wig and breeches, leaning on his elbow, and resting one hand upon + a skull. In the north aisle, precisely opposite to that of Queen Mary, the + attendant pointed out to us the slab beneath which lie the ashes of + Catharine of Aragon, the divorced queen of Henry VIII. + </p> + <p> + In the nave there was an ancient font, a venerable and beautiful relic, + which has been repaired not long ago, but in such a way as not to lessen + its individuality. This sacred vessel suffered especial indignity from + Cromwell's soldiers; insomuch that if anything could possibly destroy its + sanctity, they would have effected that bad end. On the eastern wall of + the nave, and near the entrance, hangs the picture of old Scarlet, the + sexton who buried both Mary of Scotland and Catharine of Aragon, and not + only these two queens, but everybody else in Peterborough, twice over. I + think one feels a sort of enmity and spite against these grave-diggers, + who live so long, and seem to contract a kindred and partnership with + Death, being boon companions with him, and taking his part against + mankind. + </p> + <p> + In a chapel or some side apartment, there were two pieces of tapestry + wretchedly faded, the handiwork of two nuns, and copied from two of + Raphael's cartoons. + </p> + <p> + We now emerged from the cathedral, and walked round its exterior, admiring + it to our utmost capacity, and all the more because we had not heard of it + beforehand, and expected to see nothing so huge, majestic, grand, and + gray. And of all the lovely closes that I ever beheld, that of + Peterborough Cathedral is to me the most delightful; so quiet it is, so + solemnly and nobly cheerful, so verdant, so sweetly shadowed, and so + presided over by the stately minster, and surrounded by ancient and comely + habitations of Christian men. The most enchanting place, the most enviable + as a residence in all this world, seemed to me that of the Bishop's + secretary, standing in the rear of the cathedral, and bordering on the + churchyard; so that you pass through hallowed precincts in order to come + at it, and find it a Paradise, the holier and sweeter for the dead men who + sleep so near. We looked through the gateway into the lawn, which really + seemed hardly to belong to this world, so bright and soft the sunshine + was, so fresh the grass, so lovely the trees, so trained and refined and + mellowed down was the whole nature of the spot, and so shut in and guarded + from all intrusion. It is in vain to write about it; nowhere but in + England can there be such a spot, nor anywhere but in the close of + Peterborough Cathedral. + </p> + <p> + May 28th.—I walked up into the town this morning, and again visited + the cathedral. On the way, I observed the Falcon Inn, a very old-fashioned + hostelry, with a thatched roof, and what looked like the barn door or + stable door in a side front. Very likely it may have been an inn ever + since Queen Elizabeth's time. The Guildhall, as I supposed it to be, in + the market-place, has a basement story entirely open on all sides, but + from its upper story it communicates with a large old house in the rear. I + have not seen an older-looking town than Peterborough; but there is little + that is picturesque about it, except within the domain of the cathedral. + It was very fortunate for the beauty and antiquity of these precincts, + that Henry VIII. did not suffer the monkish edifices of the abbey to be + overthrown and utterly destroyed, as was the case with so many abbeys, at + the Reformation; but, converting the abbey church into a cathedral, he + preserved much of the other arrangement of the buildings connected with + it. And so it happens that to this day we have the massive and stately + gateway, with its great pointed arch, still keeping out the world from + those who have inherited the habitations of the old monks; for though the + gate is never closed, one feels himself in a sacred seclusion the instant + he passes under the archway. And everywhere there are old houses that + appear to have been adapted from the monkish residences, or from their + spacious offices, and made into convenient dwellings for ecclesiastics, or + vergers, or great or small people connected with the cathedral; and with + all modern comfort they still retain much of the quaintness of the olden + time,—arches, even rows of arcades, pillars, walls, beautified with + patches of Gothic sculpture, not wilfully put on by modern taste, but + lingering from a long past; deep niches, let into the fronts of houses, + and occupied by images of saints; a growth of ivy, overspreading walls, + and just allowing the windows to peep through,—so that no novelty, + nor anything of our hard, ugly, and actual life comes into these limits, + through the defences of the gateway, without being mollified and modified. + Except in some of the old colleges of Oxford, I have not seen any other + place that impressed me in this way; and the grounds of Peterborough + Cathedral have the advantage over even the Oxford colleges, insomuch that + the life is here domestic,—that of the family, that of the + affections,—a natural life, which one deludes himself with imagining + may be made into something sweeter and purer in this beautiful spot than + anywhere else. Doubtless the inhabitants find it a stupid and tiresome + place enough, and get morbid and sulky, and heavy and obtuse of head and + heart, with the monotony of their life. But still I must needs believe + that a man with a full mind, and objects to employ his affection, ought to + be very happy here. And perhaps the forms and appliances of human life are + never fit to make people happy until they cease to be used for the + purposes for which they were directly intended, and are taken, as it were, + in a sidelong application. I mean that the monks, probably, never enjoyed + their own edifices while they were a part of the actual life of the day, + so much as these present inhabitants now enjoy them when a new use has + grown up apart from the original one. + </p> + <p> + Towards noon we all walked into the town again, and on our way went into + the old church with the projecting portal, which I mentioned yesterday. A + woman came hastening with the keys when she saw us looking up at the door. + The interior had an exceeding musty odor, and was very ancient, with side + aisles opening by a row of pointed arches into the nave, and a gallery of + wood on each side, and built across the two rows of arches. It was paved + with tombstones, and I suppose the dead people contributed to the musty + odor. Very naked and unadorned it was, except with a few mural monuments + of no great interest. We stayed but a little while, and amply rewarded the + poor woman with a sixpence. Thence we proceeded to the cathedral, pausing + by the way to look at the old Guildhall, which is no longer a Guildhall, + but a butter-market; and then we bought some prints of exterior and + interior views of the Minster, of which there are a great variety on + note-paper, letter-sheets, large engravings, and lithographs. It is very + beautiful; there seems to be nothing better than to say this over again. + We found the doors most hospitably open, and every part entirely free to + us,—a kindness and liberality which we have nowhere else experienced + in England, whether as regards cathedrals or any other public buildings. + My wife sat down to draw the font, and I walked through the Lady Chapel + meanwhile, pausing over the empty bed of Queen Mary, and the grave of + Queen Catharine, and looking at the rich and sumptuous roof, where a + fountain, as it were, of groins of arches spouts from numberless + pilasters, intersecting one another in glorious intricacy. Under the + central tower, opening to either transept, to the nave, and to the choir, + are four majestic arches, which I think must equal in height those of + which I saw the ruins, and one, all but perfect, at Furness Abbey. They + are about eighty feet high. + </p> + <p> + I may as well give up Peterborough here, though I hate to leave it + undescribed even to the tufts of yellow flowers, which grow on the + projections high out of reach, where the winds have sown their seeds in + soil made by the aged decay of the edifice. I could write a page, too, + about the rooks or jackdaws that flit and clamor about the pinnacles, and + dart in and out of the eyelet-holes, the piercings,—whatever they + are called,—in the turrets and buttresses. On our way back to the + hotel, J——- saw an advertisement of some knights in armor that + were to tilt to-day; so he and I waited, and by and by a procession + appeared, passing through the antique market-place, and in front of the + abbey gateway, which might have befitted the same spot three hundred years + ago. They were about twenty men-at-arms on horseback, with lances and + banners. We were a little too near for the full enjoyment of the + spectacle; for, though some of the armor was real, I could not help + observing that other suits were made of silver paper or gold tinsel. A + policeman (a queer anomaly in reference to such a mediaeval spectacle) + told us that they were going to joust and run at the ring, in a field a + little beyond the bridge. + </p> + <h3> + TO NOTTINGHAM. + </h3> + <p> + May 28th.—We left Peterborough this afternoon, and, however + reluctant to leave the cathedral, we were glad to get away from the hotel; + for, though outwardly pretentious, it is a wretched and uncomfortable + place, with scanty table, poor attendance, and enormous charges. The first + stage of our journey to-day was to Grantham, through a country the greater + part of which was as level as the Lincolnshire landscapes have been, + throughout our experience of them. We saw several old villages, gathered + round their several churches; and one of these little communities, "Little + Byforth," had a very primitive appearance,—a group of twenty or + thirty dwellings of stone and thatch, without a house among them that + could be so modern as a hundred years. It is a little wearisome to think + of people living from century to century in the same spot, going in and + out of the same doors, cultivating the same fields, meeting the same + faces, and marrying one another over and over again; and going to the same + church, and lying down in the same churchyard,—to appear again, and + go through the same monotonous round in the next generation. + </p> + <p> + At Grantham, our route branches off from the main line; and there was a + delay of about an hour, during which we walked up into the town, to take a + nearer view of a tall gray steeple which we saw from the railway station. + The streets that led from the station were poor and commonplace; and, + indeed, a railway seems to have the effect of making its own vicinity + mean. We noticed nothing remarkable until we got to the marketplace, in + the centre of which there is a cross, doubtless of great antiquity, though + it is in too good condition not to have been recently repaired. It + consists of an upright pillar, with a pedestal of half a dozen stone + steps, which are worn hollow by the many feet that have scraped their + hobnailed shoes upon them. Among these feet, it is highly probable, may + have been those of Sir Isaac Newton, who was a scholar of the free school + of this town; and when J——- scampered up the steps, we told + him so. Visible from the market-place also stands the Angel Inn, which + seems to be a wonderfully old inn, being adorned with gargoyles and other + antique sculpture, with projecting windows, and an arched entrance, and + presenting altogether a frontispiece of so much venerable state that I + feel curious to know its history. Had I been aware that the chief hotel of + Grantham were such a time-honored establishment, I should have arranged to + pass the night there, especially as there were interesting objects enough + in the town to occupy us pleasantly. The church—the steeple of which + is seen over the market-place, but is removed from it by a street or two—is + very fine; the tower and spire being adorned with arches, canopies, and + niches,—twelve of the latter for the twelve Apostles, all of whom + have now vanished,—and with fragments of other Gothic ornaments. The + jackdaws have taken up their abodes in the crevices and crannies of the + upper half of the steeple. + </p> + <p> + We left Grantham at nearly seven, and reached + </p> + <h3> + NOTTINGHAM + </h3> + <p> + just before eight. The castle, situated on a high and precipitous rock, + directly over the edge of which look the walls, was visible, as we drove + from the station to our hotel. We followed the advice of a railway + attendant in going first to the May Pole, which proved to be a commercial + inn, with the air of a drinking-shop, in a by-alley; and, furthermore, + they could not take us in. So we drove to the George the Fourth, which + seems to be an excellent house; and here I have remained quiet, the size + of the town discouraging me from going out in the twilight which was fast + coming on after tea. These are glorious long days for travel; daylight + fairly between four in the morning and nine at night, and a margin of + twilight on either side. + </p> + <p> + May 29th.—After breakfast, this morning, I wandered out and lost + myself; but at last found the post-office, and a letter from Mr. Wilding, + with some perplexing intelligence. Nottingham is an unlovely and + uninteresting town. The castle I did not see; but, I happened upon a large + and stately old church, almost cathedralic in its dimensions. On returning + to the hotel, we deliberated on the mode of getting to Newstead Abbey, and + we finally decided upon taking a fly, in which conveyance, accordingly, we + set out before twelve. It was a slightly overcast day, about half + intermixed of shade and sunshine, and rather cool, but not so cool that we + could exactly wish it warmer. Our drive to Newstead lay through what was + once a portion of Sherwood Forest, though all of it, I believe, has now + become private property, and is converted into fertile fields, except + where the owners of estates have set out plantations. We have now passed + out of the fen-country, and the land rises and falls in gentle swells, + presenting a pleasant, but not striking, character of scenery. I remember + no remarkable object on the road,—here and there an old inn, a + gentleman's seat of moderate pretension, a great deal of tall and + continued hedge, a quiet English greenness and rurality, till, drawing + near + </p> + <h3> + NEWSTEAD ABBEY, + </h3> + <p> + we began to see copious plantations, principally of firs, larches, and + trees of that order, looking very sombre, though with some intermingling + of lighter foliage. It was after one when we reached "The Hut,"—a + small, modern wayside inn, almost directly across the road from the + entrance-gate of Newstead. The post-boy calls the distance ten miles from + Nottingham. He also averred that it was forbidden to drive visitors within + the gates; so we left the fly at the inn, and set out to walk from the + entrance to the house. There is no porter's lodge; and the grounds, in + this outlying region, had not the appearance of being very primly kept, + but were well wooded with evergreens, and much overgrown with ferns, + serving for cover for hares, which scampered in and out of their + hiding-places. The road went winding gently along, and, at the distance of + nearly a mile, brought us to a second gate, through which we likewise + passed, and walked onward a good way farther, seeing much wood, but as yet + nothing of the Abbey. At last, through the trees, we caught a glimpse of + its battlements, and saw, too, the gleam of water, and then appeared the + Abbey's venerable front. It comprises the western wall of the church, + which is all that remains of that fabric,—a great, central window, + entirely empty, without tracery or mullions; the ivy clambering up on the + inside of the wall, and hanging over in front. The front of the inhabited + part of the house extends along on a line with this church wall, rather + low, with battlements along its top, and all in good keeping with the + ruinous remnant. We met a servant, who replied civilly to our inquiries + about the mode of gaining admittance, and bade us ring a bell at the + corner of the principal porch. We rang accordingly, and were forthwith + admitted into a low, vaulted basement, ponderously wrought with + intersecting arches, dark and rather chilly, just like what I remember to + have seen at Battle Abbey; and, after waiting here a little while, a + respectable elderly gentlewoman appeared, of whom we requested to be shown + round the Abbey. She courteously acceded, first presenting us to a book in + which to inscribe our names. + </p> + <p> + I suppose ten thousand people, three fourths of them Americans, have + written descriptions of Newstead Abbey; and none of them, so far as I have + read, give any true idea of the place; neither will my description, if I + write one. In fact, I forget very much that I saw, and especially in what + order the objects came. In the basement was Byron's bath,—a dark and + cold and cellarlike hole, which it must have required good courage to + plunge into; in this region, too, or near it, was the chapel, which + Colonel Wildman has decorously fitted up, and where service is now + regularly performed, but which was used as a dog's kennel in Byron's time. + </p> + <p> + After seeing this, we were led to Byron's own bedchamber, which remains + just as when he slept in it,—the furniture and all the other + arrangements being religiously preserved. It was in the plainest possible + style, homely, indeed, and almost mean,—an ordinary paper-hanging, + and everything so commonplace that it was only the deep embrasure of the + window that made it look unlike a bedchamber in a middling-class + lodging-house. It would have seemed difficult, beforehand, to fit up a + room in that picturesque old edifice so that it should be utterly void of + picturesqueness; but it was effected in this apartment, and I suppose it + is a specimen of the way in which old mansions used to be robbed of their + antique character, and adapted to modern tastes, before mediaeval + antiquities came into fashion. Some prints of the Cambridge colleges, and + other pictures indicating Byron's predilections at the time, and which he + himself had hung there, were on the walls. This, the housekeeper told us, + had been the Abbot's chamber, in the monastic time. Adjoining it is the + haunted room, where the ghostly monk, whom Byron introduces into Don Juan, + is said to have his lurking-place. It is fitted up in the same style as + Byron's, and used to be occupied by his valet or page. No doubt in his + Lordship's day, these were the only comfortable bedrooms in the Abbey; and + by the housekeeper's account of what Colonel Wildman has done, it is to be + inferred that the place must have been in a most wild, shaggy, tumble-down + condition, inside and out, when he bought it. + </p> + <p> + It is very different now. After showing us these two apartments of Byron + and his servant, the housekeeper led us from one to another and another + magnificent chamber fitted up in antique style, with oak panelling, and + heavily carved bedsteads, of Queen Elizabeth's time, or of the Stuarts, + hung with rich tapestry curtains of similar date, and with beautiful old + cabinets of carved wood, sculptured in relief, or tortoise-shell and + ivory. The very pictures and realities, these rooms were, of stately + comfort; and they were called by the name of kings,—King Edward's, + King Charles II's, King Henry VII's chamber; and they were hung with + beautiful pictures, many of them portraits of these kings. The + chimney-pieces were carved and emblazoned; and all, so far as I could + judge, was in perfect keeping, so that if a prince or noble of three + centuries ago were to come to lodge at Newstead Abbey, he would hardly + know that he had strayed out of his own century. And yet he might have + known by some token, for there are volumes of poetry and light literature + on the tables in these royal bedchambers, and in that of Henry VII. I saw + The House of the Seven Gables and The Scarlet Letter in Routledge's + edition. + </p> + <p> + Certainly the house is admirably fitted up; and there must have been + something very excellent and comprehensive in the domestic arrangements of + the monks, since they adapt themselves so well to a state of society + entirely different from that in which they originated. The library is a + very comfortable room, and provocative of studious ideas, though lounging + and luxurious. It is long, and rather low, furnished with soft couches, + and, on the whole, though a man might dream of study, I think he would be + most likely to read nothing but novels there. I know not what the room was + in monkish times, but it was waste and ruinous in Lord Byron's. Here, I + think, the housekeeper unlocked a beautiful cabinet, and took out the + famous skull which Lord Byron transformed into a drinking-goblet. It has a + silver rim and stand, but still the ugly skull is bare and evident, and + the naked inner bone receives the wine. I should think it would hold at + least a quart,—enough to overpower any living head into which this + death's-head should transfer its contents; and a man must be either very + drunk or very thirsty, before he would taste wine out of such a goblet. I + think Byron's freak was outdone by that of a cousin of my own, who once + solemnly assured me that he had a spittoon made out of the skull of his + enemy. The ancient coffin in which the goblet-skull was found was shown us + in the basement of the Abbey. + </p> + <p> + There was much more to see in the house than I had any previous notion of; + but except the two chambers already noticed, nothing remained the least as + Byron left it. Yes, another place there was,—his own small + dining-room, with a table of moderate size, where, no doubt, the + skull-goblet has often gone its rounds. Colonel Wildman's dining-room was + once Byron's shooting-gallery, and the original refectory of the monks. It + is now magnificently arranged, with a vaulted roof, a music-gallery at one + end, suits of armor and weapons on the walls, and mailed arms extended, + holding candelabras. There are one or two painted windows, commemorative + of the Peninsular war, and the battles in which the Colonel and his two + brothers fought,—for these Wildmen seem to have been mighty + troopers, and Colonel Wildman is represented as a fierce-looking + mustachioed hussar at two different ages. The housekeeper spoke of him + affectionately, but says that he is now getting into years, and that they + fancy him failing. He has no children. He appears to have been on good + terms with Byron, and had the latter ever returned to England, he was + under promise to make his first visit to his old home, and it was in such + an expectation that Colonel Wildman had kept Byron's private apartments in + the same condition in which he found them. Byron was informed of all the + Colonel's fittings up and restorations, and when he introduces the Abbey + in Don Juan, the poet describes it, not as he himself left it, but as + Colonel Wildman has restored it. There is a beautiful drawing-room, and + all these apartments are adorned with pictures, the collection being + especially rich in portraits by Sir Peter Lely,—that of Nell Gwynn + being one, who is one of the few beautiful women whom I have seen on + canvas. + </p> + <p> + We parted with the housekeeper, and I with a good many shillings, at the + door by which we entered; and our next business was to see the private + grounds and gardens. A little boy attended us through the first part of + our progress, but soon appeared the veritable gardener,—a shrewd and + sensible old man, who has been very many years on the place. There was + nothing of special interest as concerning Byron until we entered the + original old monkish garden, which is still laid out in the same fashion + as the monks left it, with a large, oblong piece of water in the centre, + and terraced banks rising at two or three different stages with perfect + regularity around it; so that the sheet of water looks like the plate of + an immense looking-glass, of which the terraces form the frame. It seems + as if, were there any giant large enough, he might raise up this mirror + and set it on end. In the monks' garden, there is a marble statue of Pan, + which, the gardener told us, was brought by the "Wicked Lord" (great-uncle + of Byron) from Italy, and was supposed by the country people to represent + the Devil, and to be the object of his worship,—a natural idea + enough, in view of his horns and cloven feet and tail, though this + indicates, at all events, a very jolly devil. There is also a female + statue, beautiful from the waist upward, but shaggy and cloven-footed + below, and holding a little cloven-footed child by the hand. This, the old + gardener assured us, was Pandora, wife of the above-mentioned Pan, with + her son. Not far from this spot, we came to the tree on which Byron carved + his own name and that of his sister Augusta. It is a tree of twin stems,—a + birch-tree, I think,—growing up side by side. One of the stems still + lives and flourishes, but that on which he carved the two names is quite + dead, as if there had been something fatal in the inscription that has + made it forever famous. The names are still very legible, although the + letters had been closed up by the growth of the bark before the tree died. + They must have been deeply cut at first. + </p> + <p> + There are old yew-trees of unknown antiquity in this garden, and many + other interesting things; and among them may be reckoned a fountain of + very pure water, called the "Holy Well," of which we drank. There are + several fountains, besides the large mirror in the centre of the garden; + and these are mostly inhabited by carp, the genuine descendants of those + which peopled the fish-ponds in the days of the monks. Coming in front of + the Abbey, the gardener showed us the oak that Byron planted, now a + vigorous young tree; and the monument which he erected to his Newfoundland + dog, and which is larger than most Christians get, being composed of a + marble, altar-shaped tomb, surrounded by a circular area of steps, as much + as twenty feet in diameter. The gardener said, however, that Byron + intended this, not merely as the burial-place of his dog, but for himself + too, and his sister. I know not how this may have been, but this + inconvenience would have attended his being buried there, that, on + transfer of the estate, his mortal remains would have become the property + of some other man. + </p> + <p> + We had now come to the empty space,—a smooth green lawn, where had + once been the Abbey church. The length had been sixty-four yards, the + gardener said, and within his remembrance there had been many remains of + it, but now they are quite removed, with the exception of the one + ivy-grown western wall, which, as I mentioned, forms a picturesque part of + the present front of the Abbey. Through a door in this wall the gardener + now let us out. . . . + </p> + <p> + In the evening our landlady, who seems to be a very intelligent woman, of + a superior class to most landladies, came into our parlor, while I was + out, and talked about the present race of Byrons and Lovelaces, who have + often been at this house. There seems to be a taint in the Byron blood + which makes those who inherit it wicked, mad, and miserable. Even Colonel + Wildman comes in for a share of this ill luck, for he has almost ruined + himself by his expenditure on the estate, and by his lavish hospitality, + especially to the Duke of Sussex, who liked the Colonel, and used often to + visit him during his lifetime, and his Royal Highness's gentlemen ate and + drank Colonel Wildman almost up. So says our good landlady. At any rate, + looking at this miserable race of Byrons, who held the estate so long, and + at Colonel Wildman, whom it has ruined in forty years, we might see + grounds for believing in the evil fate which is supposed to attend + confiscated church property. Nevertheless, I would accept the estate, were + it offered me. + </p> + <p> + . . . . Glancing back, I see that I have omitted some items that were + curious in describing the house; for instance, one of the cabinets had + been the personal property of Queen Elizabeth. It seems to me that the + fashion of modern furniture has nothing to equal these old cabinets for + beauty and convenience. In the state apartments, the floors were so highly + waxed and polished that we slid on them as if on ice, and could only make + sure of our footing by treading on strips of carpeting that were laid + down. + </p> + <p> + June 7th.—We left Nottingham a week ago, and made our first stage to + Derby, where we had to wait an hour or two at a great, bustling, + pell-mell, crowded railway station. It was much thronged with second and + third class passengers, coming and departing in continual trains; for + these were the Whitsuntide holidays, which set all the lower orders of + English people astir. This time of festival was evidently the origin of + the old "Election" holidays in Massachusetts; the latter occurring at the + same period of the year, and being celebrated (so long as they could be + so) in very much the same way, with games, idleness, merriment of set + purpose, and drunkenness. After a weary while we took the train for + </p> + <h3> + MATLOCK, + </h3> + <p> + via Ambergate, and arrived of the former place late in the afternoon. The + village of Matlock is situated on the banks of the Derwent, in a + delightful little nook among the hills, which rise above it in steeps, and + in precipitous crags, and shut out the world so effectually that I wonder + how the railway ever found it out. Indeed, it does make its approach to + this region through a long tunnel. It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon + when we arrived, and my present impressions are, that I have never seen + anywhere else such exquisite scenery as that which surrounds the village. + The street itself, to be sure, is commonplace enough, and hot, dusty, and + disagreeable; but if you look above it, or on either side, there are green + hills descending abruptly down, and softened with woods, amid which are + seen villas, cottages, castles; and beyond the river is a line of crags, + perhaps three hundred feet high, clothed with shrubbery in some parts from + top to bottom, but in other places presenting a sheer precipice of rock, + over which tumbles, as it were, a cascade of ivy and creeping plants. It + is very beautiful, and, I might almost say, very wild; but it has those + characteristics of finish, and of being redeemed from nature, and + converted into a portion of the adornment of a great garden, which I find + in all English scenery. Not that I complain of this; on the contrary, + there is nothing that delights an American more, in contrast with the + roughness and ruggedness of his native scenes,—to which, also, he + might be glad to return after a while. + </p> + <p> + We put up at the old Bath Hotel,—an immense house, with passages of + such extent that at first it seemed almost a day's journey from parlor to + bedroom. The house stands on a declivity, and after ascending one pair of + stairs, we came, in travelling along the passageway, to a door that opened + upon a beautifully arranged garden, with arbors and grottos, and the + hillside rising steep above. During all the time of our stay at Matlock + there was brilliant sunshine, and, the grass and foliage being in their + freshest and most luxuriant phase, the place has left as bright a picture + as I have anywhere in my memory. + </p> + <p> + The morning after our arrival we took a walk, and, following the sound of + a church-bell, entered what appeared to be a park, and, passing along a + road at the base of a line of crags, soon came in sight of a beautiful + church. I rather imagine it to be the place of worship of the Arkwright + family, whose seat is in this vicinity,—the descendants of the + famous Arkwright who contributed so much towards turning England into a + cotton manufactory. We did not enter the church, but passed beyond it, and + over a bridge, and along a road that ascended among the hills and finally + brought us out by a circuit to the other end of Matlock village, after a + walk of three or four miles. In the afternoon we took a boat across the + Derwent,—a passage which half a dozen strokes of the oars + accomplished, —and reached a very pleasant seclusion called "The + Lovers' Walk." A ferriage of twopence pays for the transit across the + river, and gives the freedom of these grounds, which are threaded with + paths that meander and zigzag to the top of the precipitous ridge, amid + trees and shrubbery, and the occasional ease of rustic seats. It is a + sweet walk for lovers, and was so for us; although J——-, with + his scramblings and disappearances, and shouts from above, and headlong + scamperings down the precipitous paths, occasionally frightened his + mother. After gaining the heights, the path skirts along the precipice, + allowing us to see down into the village street, and, nearer, the Derwent + winding through the valley so close beneath us that we might have flung a + stone into it. These crags would be very rude and harsh if left to + themselves, but they are quite softened and made sweet and tender by the + great deal of foliage that clothes their sides, and creeps and clambers + over them, only letting a stern face of rock be seen here and there, and + with a smile rather than a frown. + </p> + <p> + The next day, Monday, we went to see the grand cavern. The entrance is + high up on the hillside, whither we were led by a guide, of whom there are + many, and they all pay tribute to the proprietor of the cavern. There is a + small shed by the side of the cavern mouth, where the guide provided + himself and us with tallow candles, and then led us into the darksome and + ugly pit, the entrance of which is not very imposing, for it has a door of + rough pine boards, and is kept under lock and key. This is the + disagreeable phase-one of the disagreeable phases—of man's conquest + over nature in England,—cavern mouths shut up with cellar doors, + cataracts under lock and key, precipitous crags compelled to figure in + ornamented gardens,—and all accessible at a fixed amount of + shillings or pence. It is not possible to draw a full free breath under + such circumstances. When you think of it, it makes the wildest scenery + look like the artificial rock-work which Englishmen are so fond of + displaying in the little bit of grass-plot under their suburban parlor + windows. However, the cavern was dreary enough and wild enough, though in + a mean sort of way; for it is but a long series of passages and crevices, + generally so narrow that you scrape your elbows, and so low that you hit + your head. It has nowhere a lofty height, though sometimes it broadens out + into ample space, but not into grandeur, the roof being always within + reach, and in most places smoky with the tallow candles that have been + held up to it. A very dirty, sordid, disagreeable burrow, more like a + cellar gone mad than anything else; but it served to show us how the crust + of the earth is moulded. This cavern was known to the Romans, and used to + be worked by them as a lead-mine. Derbyshire spar is now taken from it; + and in some of its crevices the gleam of the tallow candles is faintly + reflected from the crystallizations; but, on the whole, I felt like a + mole, as I went creeping along, and was glad when we came into the + sunshine again. I rather think my idea of a cavern is taken from the one + in the Forty Thieves, or in Gil Blas,—a vast, hollow womb, roofed + and curtained with obscurity. This reality is very mean. + </p> + <p> + Leaving the cavern, we went to the guide's cottage, situated high above + the village, where he showed us specimens of ornaments and toys + manufactured by himself from Derbyshire spar and other materials. There + was very pretty mosaic work, flowers of spar, and leaves of malachite, and + miniature copies of Cleopatra's Needle, and other Egyptian monuments, and + vases of graceful pattern, brooches, too, and many other things. The most + valuable spar is called Blue John, and is only to be found in one spot, + where, also, the supply is said to be growing scant. We bought a number of + articles, and then came homeward, still with our guide, who showed us, on + the way, the Romantic Rocks. These are some crags which have been rent + away and stand insulated from the hillside, affording a pathway between it + and then; while the places can yet be seen where the sundered rocks would + fit into the craggy hill if there were but a Titan strong enough to adjust + them again. It is a very picturesque spot, and the price for seeing it is + twopence; though in our case it was included in the four shillings which + we had paid for seeing the cavern. The representative men of England are + the showmen and the policemen; both very good people in their way. + </p> + <p> + Returning to the hotel, J——- and his mother went through the + village to the river, near the railway, where J——- set himself + to fishing, and caught three minnows. I followed, after a while, to fetch + them back, and we called into one or two of the many shops in the village, + which have articles manufactured of the spar for sale. Some of these are + nothing short of magnificent. There was an inlaid table, valued at sixty + guineas, and a splendid ornament for any drawing-room; another, inlaid + with the squares of a chess-board. We heard of a table in the possession + of the Marquis of Westminster, the value of which is three hundred + guineas. It would be easy and pleasant to spend a great deal of money in + such things as we saw there; but all our purchases in Matlock did not + amount to more than twenty shillings, invested in brooches, shawl-pins, + little vases and toys, which will be valuable to us as memorials on the + other side of the water. After this, we visited a petrifying cave, of + which there are several hereabouts. The process of petrifaction requires + some months, or perhaps a year or two, varying with the size of the + article to be operated upon. The articles are placed in the cave, under + the drippings from the roof, and a hard deposit is formed upon them, and + sometimes, as in the case of a bird's-nest, causes a curious result,— + every straw and hair being immortalized and stiffened into stone. A + horse's head was in process of petrifaction; and J——- bought a + broken eggshell for a penny, though larger articles are expensive. The + process would appear to be entirely superficial,—a mere crust on the + outside of things,—but we saw some specimens of petrified oak, where + the stony substance seemed to be intimately incorporated with the wood, + and to have really changed it into stone. These specimens were immensely + ponderous, and capable of a high polish, which brought out beautiful + streaks and shades. + </p> + <p> + One might spend a very pleasant summer in Matlock, and I think there can + be no more beautiful place in the world; but we left it that afternoon, + and railed to Manchester, where we arrived between ten and eleven at + night. The next day I left S——- to go to the Art Exhibition, + and took J——- with me to Liverpool, where I had an engagement + that admitted of no delay. Thus ended our tour, in which we had seen but a + little bit of England, yet rich with variety and interest. What a + wonderful land! It is our forefathers' land; our land, for I will not give + up such a precious inheritance. We are now back again in flat and sandy + Southport, which, during the past week, has been thronged with Whitsuntide + people, who crowd the streets, and pass to and fro along the promenade, + with a universal and monotonous air of nothing to do, and very little + enjoyment. It is a pity that poor folks cannot employ their little hour of + leisure to better advantage, in a country where the soil is so veined with + gold. + </p> + <p> + These are delightfully long days. Last night, at half past nine, I could + read with perfect ease in parts of the room remote from the window; and at + nearly half past eleven there was a broad sheet of daylight in the west, + gleaming brightly over the plashy sands. I question whether there be any + total night at this season. + </p> + <p> + June 21st.—Southport, I presume, is now in its most vivid aspect; + there being a multitude of visitors here, principally of the middling + classes, and a frequent crowd, whom I take to be working-people from + Manchester and other factory towns. It is the strangest place to come to + for the pleasures of the sea, of which we scarcely have a glimpse from + month's end to mouth's end, nor any fresh, exhilarating breath from it, + but a lazy, languid atmosphere, brooding over the waste of sands; or even + if there be a sulky and bitter wind blowing along the promenade, it still + brings no salt elixir. I never was more weary of a place in all my life, + and never felt such a disinterested pity as for the people who come here + for pleasure. Nevertheless, the town has its amusements; in the first + place, the daylong and perennial one of donkey-riding along the sands, + large parties of men and girls pottering along together; the Flying + Dutchman trundles hither and thither when there is breeze enough; an arch + cry-man sets up his targets on the beach; the bathing-houses stand by + scores and fifties along the shore, and likewise on the banks of the + Ribble, a mile seaward; the hotels have their billiard-rooms; there is a + theatre every evening; from morning till night comes a succession of + organ-grinders, playing interminably under your window; and a man with a + bassoon and a monkey, who takes your pennies and pulls off his cap in + acknowledgment; and wandering minstrels, with guitar and voice; and a + Highland bagpipe, squealing out a tangled skein of discord, together with + a Highland maid, who dances a hornpipe; and Punch and Judy,—in a + word, we have specimens of all manner of vagrancy that infests England. In + these long days, and long and pleasant ones, the promenade is at its + liveliest about nine o'clock, which is but just after sundown; and our + little R——- finds it difficult to go to sleep amid so much + music as comes to her ears from bassoon, bagpipe, organ, guitar, and now + and then a military band. One feature of the place is the sick and infirm + people, whom we see dragged along in bath-chairs, or dragging their own + limbs languidly; or sitting on benches; or meeting in the streets, and + making acquaintance on the strength of mutual maladies,—pale men + leaning on their ruddy wives; cripples, three or four together in a ring, + and planting their crutches in the centre. I don't remember whether I have + ever mentioned among the notabilities of Southport the Town Crier,—a + meek-looking old man, who sings out his messages in a most doleful tone, + as if he took his title in a literal sense, and were really going to cry, + or crying in the world's behalf; one other stroller, a foreigner with a + dog, shaggy round the head and shoulders, and closely shaven behind. The + poor little beast jumped through hoops, ran about on two legs of one side, + danced on its hind legs, or on its fore paws, with its hind ones straight + up in the air,—all the time keeping a watch on his master's eye, and + evidently mindful of many a beating. + </p> + <p> + June 25th.—The war-steamer Niagara came up the Mersey a few days + since, and day before yesterday Captain Hudson called at my office,—a + somewhat meagre, elderly gentleman, of simple and hearty manners and + address, having his purser, Mr. Eldredge, with him, who, I think, rather + prides himself upon having a Napoleonic profile. The captain is an old + acquaintance of Mrs. Blodgett, and has cone ashore principally with a view + to calling on her; so, after we had left our cards for the Mayor, I showed + these naval gentlemen the way to her house. Mrs. Blodgett and Miss W——— + were prodigiously glad to see him and they all three began to talk of old + times and old acquaintances; for when Mrs. Blodgett was a rich lady at + Gibraltar, she used to have the whole navy-list at her table,—young + midshipmen and lieutenants then perhaps, but old, gouty, paralytic + commodores now, if still even partly alive. It was arranged that Mrs. + Blodgett, with as many of the ladies of her family as she chose to bring, + should accompany me on my official visit to the ship the next day; and + yesterday we went accordingly, Mrs. Blodgett, Miss W———, + and six or seven American captains' wives, their husbands following in + another boat. I know too little of ships to describe one, or even to feel + any great interest in the details of this or of any other ship; but the + nautical people seemed to see much to admire. She lay in the Sloyne, in + the midst of a broad basin of the Mersey, with a pleasant landscape of + green England, now warm with summer sunshine, on either side, with + churches and villa residences, and suburban and rural beauty. The officers + of the ship are gentlemanly men, externally very well mannered, although + not polished and refined to any considerable extent. At least, I have not + found naval men so, in general; but still it is pleasant to see Americans + who are not stirred by such motives as usually interest our countrymen,—no + hope nor desire of growing rich, but planting their claims to + respectability on other grounds, and therefore acquiring a certain + nobleness, whether it be inherent in their nature or no. It always seems + to me they look down upon civilians with quiet and not ill-natured scorn, + which one has the choice of smiling or being provoked at. It is not a true + life which they lead, but shallow and aimless; and unsatisfactory it must + be to the better minds among them; nor do they appear to profit by what + would seem the advantages presented to them in their world-wide, though + not world-deep experience. They get to be very clannish too. + </p> + <p> + After seeing the ship, we landed, all of us, ladies and captain, and went + to the gardens of the Rock Ferry Hotel, where J——- and I + stayed behind the rest. + </p> + <h3> + TO SCOTLAND. + </h3> + <p> + June 28th.—On the 26th my wife, J——-, and I left + Southport, taking the train for Preston, and as we had to stop an hour or + two before starting for Carlisle, I walked up into the town. The street + through which most of my walk lay was brick-built, lively, bustling, and + not particularly noteworthy; but, turning a little way down another + street, the town had a more ancient aspect. The day was intensely hot, the + sun lying bright and broad as ever I remember it in an American city; so + that I was glad to get back again to the shade and shelter of the station. + The heat and dust, moreover, made our journey to Carlisle very + uncomfortable. It was through very pretty, and sometimes picturesque + scenery, being on the confines of the hill-country, which we could see on + our left, dim and blue; and likewise we had a refreshing breath from the + sea in passing along the verge of Morecambe Bay. We reached Carlisle at + about five o'clock, and, after taking tea at the Bush Hotel, set forth to + look at the town. + </p> + <p> + The notable objects were a castle and a cathedral; and we first found our + way to the castle, which stands on elevated ground, on the side of the + city towards Scotland. A broad, well-constructed path winds round the + castle at the base of the wall, on the verge of a steep descent to the + plain beneath, through which winds the river Eden. Along this path we + walked quite round the castle, a circuit of perhaps half a mile,— + pleasant, being shaded by the castle's height and by the foliage of trees. + The walls have been so much rebuilt and restored that it is only here and + there that we see an old buttress, or a few time-worn stones intermixed + with the new facing with which the aged substance is overlaid. The + material is red freestone, which seems to be very abundant in this part of + the country. We found no entrance to the castle till the path had led us + from the free and airy country into a very mean part of the town, where + the wretched old houses thrust themselves between us and the castle wall, + and then, passing through a narrow street, we walked up what appeared like + a by-lane, and the portal of the castle was before us. There was a + sentry-box just within the gate, and a sentinel was on guard, for Carlisle + Castle is a national fortress, and has usually been a depot for arms and + ammunition. The sergeant, or corporal of the guard, sat reading within the + gateway, and, on my request for admittance, he civilly appointed one of + the soldiers to conduct us to the castle. As I recollect, the chief + gateway of the castle, with the guard-room in the thickness of the wall, + is situated some twenty yards behind the first entrance where we met the + sentinel. + </p> + <p> + It was an intelligent young soldier who showed as round the castle, and + very civil, as I always find soldiers to be. He had not anything + particularly interesting to show, nor very much to say about it; and what + he did say, so far as it referred to the history of the castle, was + probably apocryphal. + </p> + <p> + The castle has an inner and outer ward on the descent of the hill; and + included within the circuit of the exterior wall. Having been always + occupied by soldiers, it has not been permitted to assume the picturesque + aspect of a ruin, but the buildings of the interior have either been + constantly repaired, as they required it, or have been taken down when + past repair. We saw a small part of the tower where Mary, Queen of Scots, + was confined on her first coming to England; these remains consist only of + a portion of a winding stone staircase, at which we glanced through a + window. The keep is very large and massive, and, no doubt, old in its + inner substance. We ascended to the castle walls, and looked out over the + river towards the Scottish hills, which are visible in the distance,—the + Scottish border being not more than eight or nine miles off. Carlisle + Castle has stood many sieges, and witnessed many battles under its walls. + There are now, on its ramparts, only some half a dozen old-fashioned guns, + which our soldier told us had gone quite out of use in these days. They + were long iron twelve-pounders, with one or two carronades. The soldier + was of an artillery regiment, and wore the Crimean medal. He said the + garrison now here consists only of about twenty men, all of whom had + served in the Crimea, like himself. They seem to lead a very dull and + monotonous life, as indeed it must be, without object or much hope, or any + great employment of the present, like prisoners, as indeed they are. Our + guide showed us on the rampart a place where the soldiers had been + accustomed to drop themselves down at night, hanging by their hands from + the top of the wall, and alighting on their feet close beside the path on + the outside. The height seemed at least that of an ordinary house, but the + soldier said that nine times out of ten the fall might be ventured without + harm; and he spoke from experience, having himself got out of the castle + in this manner. The place is now boarded up, so as to make egress + difficult or impossible. + </p> + <p> + The castle, after all, was not particularly worth seeing. The soldier's + most romantic story was of a daughter of Lord Scroope, a former governor + of the castle, when Mary of Scotland was confined here. She attempted to + assist the Queen in escaping, but was shot dead in the gateway by the + warder; and the soldier pointed out the very spot where the poor young + lady fell and died;—all which would be very interesting were there a + word of truth in the story. But we liked our guide for his intelligence, + simplicity, and for the pleasure which he seemed to take, as an episode of + his dull daily life, in talking to strangers. He observed that the castle + walls were solid, and, indeed, there was breadth enough to drive a coach + and four along the top; but the artillery of the Crimea would have shelled + them into ruins in a very few hours. When we got back to the guard-house, + he took us inside, and showed the dismal and comfortless rooms where + soldiers are confined for drunkenness, and other offences against military + laws, telling us that he himself had been confined there, and almost + perished with cold. I should not much wonder if he were to get into + durance again, through misuse of the fee which I put into his hand at + parting. + </p> + <p> + The cathedral is at no great distance from the castle; and though the + streets are mean and sordid in the vicinity, the close has the antique + repose and shadowy peace, at once domestic and religious, which seem + peculiar and universal in cathedral closes. The foundation of this + cathedral church is very ancient, it having been the church portion of an + old abbey, the refectory and other remains of which are still seen around + the close. But the whole exterior of the building, except here and there a + buttress, and one old patch of gray stones, seems to have been renewed + within a very few years with red freestone; and, really, I think it is all + the more beautiful for being new,—the ornamental parts being so + sharply cut, and the stone, moreover, showing various shadings, which will + disappear when it gets weatherworn. There is a very large and fine east + window, of recent construction, wrought with delicate stone tracery. The + door of the south transept stood open, though barred by an iron grate. We + looked in, and saw a few monuments on the wall, but found nobody to give + us admittance. The portal of this entrance is very lovely with wreaths of + stone foliage and flowers round the arch, recently carved; yet not so + recently but that the swallows have given their sanction to it, as if it + were a thousand years old, and have built their nests in the deeply carved + recesses. While we were looking, a little bird flew into the small opening + between two of these petrified flowers, behind which was his nest, quite + out of sight. After some attempts to find the verger, we went back to the + hotel. . . . + </p> + <p> + In the morning my wife and J——- went back to see the interior + of the cathedral, while I strayed at large about the town, again passing + round the castle site, and thence round the city, where I found some + inconsiderable portions of the wall which once girt it about. It was + market-day in Carlisle, and the principal streets were much thronged with + human life and business on that account; and in as busy a street as any + stands a marble statue, in robes of antique state, fitter for a niche in + Westminster Abbey than for the thronged street of a town. It is a statue + of the Earl of Lonsdale, Lord Lieutenant of Cumberland, who died about + twenty years ago. + </p> + <p> + [Here follows the record of the visits to the "Haunts of Burns," already + published in Our Old Home.—ED.] + </p> + <h3> + GLASGOW. + </h3> + <p> + July 1st.—Immediately after our arrival yesterday, we went out and + inquired our way to the cathedral, which we reached through a good deal of + Scotch dirt, and a rabble of Scotch people of all sexes and ages. The + women of Scotland have a faculty of looking exceedingly ugly as they grow + old. The cathedral I have already noticed in the record of my former visit + to Scotland. I did it no justice then, nor shall do it any better justice + now; but it is a fine old church, although it makes a colder and severer + impression than most of the Gothic architecture which I have elsewhere + seen. I do not know why this should be so; for portions of it are + wonderfully rich, and everywhere there are arches opening beyond arches, + and clustered pillars and groined roofs, and vistas, lengthening along the + aisles. The person who shows it is an elderly man of jolly aspect and + demeanor; he is enthusiastic about the edifice, and makes it the thought + and object of his life; and being such a merry sort of man, always saying + something mirthfully, and yet, in all his thoughts, words, and actions, + having reference to this solemn cathedral, he has the effect of one of the + corbels or gargoyles,—those ludicrous, strange sculptures which the + Gothic architects appended to their arches. + </p> + <p> + The upper portion of the minster, though very stately and beautiful, is + not nearly so extraordinary as the crypts. Here the intricacy of the + arches, and the profound system on which they are arranged, is + inconceivable, even when you see them,—a whole company of arches + uniting in one keystone; arches uniting to form a glorious canopy over the + shrine or tomb of a prelate; arches opening through and beyond one + another, whichever way you look,— all amidst a shadowy gloom, yet + not one detail wrought out the less beautifully and delicately because it + could scarcely be seen. The wreaths of flowers that festoon one of the + arches are cut in such relief that they do but just adhere to the stone on + which they grow. The pillars are massive, and the arches very low, the + effect being a twilight, which at first leads the spectator to imagine + himself underground; but by and by I saw that the sunshine came in through + the narrow windows, though it scarcely looked like sunshine then. For many + years these crypts were used as burial-ground, and earth was brought in, + for the purpose of making graves; so that the noble columns were half + buried, and the beauty of the architecture quite lost and forgotten. Now + the dead men's bones and the earth that covered them have all been + removed, leaving the original pavement of the crypt, or a new one in its + stead, with only the old relics of saints, martyrs, and heroes underneath, + where they have lain so long that they have become a part of the spot. . . + . I was quite chilled through, and the old verger regretted that we had + not come during the late hot weather, when the everlasting damp and chill + of the spot would have made us entirely comfortable. These crypts + originated in the necessity of keeping the floor of the upper cathedral on + one level, the edifice being built on a declivity, and the height of the + crypt being measured by the descent of the site. + </p> + <p> + After writing the above, we walked out and saw something of the newer + portion of Glasgow; and, really, I am inclined to think it the stateliest + of cities. The Exchange and other public buildings, and the shops in + Buchanan Street, are very magnificent; the latter, especially, excelling + those of London. There is, however, a pervading sternness and grimness + resulting from the dark gray granite, which is the universal + building-material both of the old and new edifices. Later in the forenoon + we again walked out, and went along Argyle Street, and through the + Trongate and the Salt-Market. The two latter were formerly the principal + business streets, and together with High Street, the abode of the rich + merchants and other great people of the town. High Street, and, still + more, the Salt-Market, now swarm with the lower orders to a degree which I + never witnessed elsewhere; so that it is difficult to make one's way among + the sullen and unclean crowd, and not at all pleasant to breathe in the + noisomeness of the atmosphere. The children seem to have been unwashed + from birth. Some of the gray houses appear to have once been stately and + handsome, and have their high gable ends notched at the edges, like a + flight of stairs. We saw the Tron steeple, and the statue of King William + III., and searched for the Old Tolbooth. . . . Wandering up the High + Street, we turned once more into the quadrangle of the University, and + mounted a broad stone staircase which ascends square, and with + right-angular turns on one corner, on the outside of the edifices. It is + very striking in appearance, being ornamented with a balustrade, on which + are large globes of stone, and a great lion and unicorn curiously + sculptured on the opposite side. While we waited here, staring about us, a + man approached, and offered to show us the interior. He seemed to be in + charge of the College buildings. We accepted his offer, and were led first + up this stone staircase, and into a large and stately hall, panelled high + towards the ceiling with dark oak, and adorned with elaborately carved + cornices, and other wood-work. There was a long reading-table towards one + end of the hall, on which were laid pamphlets and periodicals; and a + venerable old gentleman, with white head and bowed shoulders, sat there + reading a newspaper. This was the Principal of the University, and as he + looked towards us graciously, yet as if expecting some explanation of our + entrance, I approached and apologized for intruding on the plea of our + being strangers and anxious to see the College. He made a courteous + response, though in exceedingly decayed and broken accents, being now + eighty-six years old, and gave us free leave to inspect everything that + was to be seen. This hall was erected two years after the Restoration of + Charles II., and has been the scene, doubtless, of many ceremonials and + high banquetings since that period; and, among other illustrious + personages, Queen Victoria has honored it with her presence. Thence we + went into several recitation or lecture rooms in various parts of the + buildings; but they were all of an extreme plainness, very unlike the rich + old Gothic libraries and chapels and halls which we saw in Oxford. Indeed, + the contrast between this Scotch severity and that noble luxuriance, and + antique majesty, and rich and sweet repose of Oxford, is very remarkable, + both within the edifices and without. But we saw one or two curious + things,—for instance, a chair of mahogany, elaborately carved with + the arms of Scotland and other devices, and having a piece of the kingly + stone of Scone inlaid in its seat. This chair is used by the Principal on + certain high occasions, and we ourselves, of course, sat down in it. Our + guide assigned to it a date preposterously earlier than could have been + the true one, judging either by the character of the carving or by the + fact that mahogany has not been known or used much more than a century and + a half. + </p> + <p> + Afterwards he led us into the Divinity Hall, where, he said, there were + some old portraits of historic people, and among them an original picture + of Mary, Queen of Scots. There was, indeed, a row of old portraits at each + end of the apartment,—for instance, Zachariah Boyd, who wrote the + rhyming version of the Bible, which is still kept, safe from any critical + eye, in the library of the University to which he presented this, besides + other more valuable benefactions,—for which they have placed his + bust in a niche in the principal quadrangle; also, John Knox makes one of + the row of portraits; and a dozen or two more of Scotch worthies, all very + dark and dingy. As to the picture of Mary of Scotland, it proved to be not + hers at all, but a picture of Queen Mary, the consort of William III., + whose portrait, together with that of her sister, Queen Anne, hangs in the + same row. We told our guide this, but he seemed unwilling to accept it as + a fact. There is a museum belonging to the University; but this, for some + reason or other, could not be shown to us just at this time, and there was + little else to show. We just looked at the gardens, but, though of large + extent, they are so meagre and bare—so unlike that lovely shade of + the Oxford gardens—that we did not care to make further acquaintance + with them. + </p> + <p> + Then we went back to our hotel, and if there were not already more than + enough of description, both past and to come, I should describe George's + Square, on one side of which the hotel is situated. A tall column rises in + the grassy centre of it, lifting far into the upper air a fine statue of + Sir Walter Scott, which we saw to great advantage last night, relieved + against the sunset sky; and there are statues of Sir John Moore, a native + of Glasgow, and of James Watt, at corners of the square. Glasgow is + certainly a noble city. + </p> + <p> + After lunch we embarked on board the steamer, and came up the Clyde. Ben + Lomond, and other Highland hills, soon appeared on the horizon; we passed + Douglas Castle on a point of land projecting into the river; and, passing + under the precipitous height of Dumbarton Castle, which we had long before + seen, came to our voyage's end at this village, where we have put up at + the Elephant Hotel. + </p> + <p> + July 2d.—After tea, not far from seven o'clock, it being a beautiful + decline of day, we set out to walk to + </p> + <h3> + DUMBARTON CASTLE, + </h3> + <p> + which stands apart from the town, and is said to have been once surrounded + by the waters of the Clyde. The rocky height on which the castle stands is + a very striking object, bulging up out of the Clyde, with abrupt decision, + to the elevation of five hundred feet. The summit is cloven in twain, the + cleft reaching nearly to the bottom on the side towards the river, but not + coming down so deeply on the landward side. It is precipitous all around; + and wherever the steepness admits, or does not make assault impossible, + there are gray ramparts round the hill, with cannon threatening the lower + world. Our path led its beneath one of these precipices several hundred + feet sheer down, and with an ivied fragment of ruined wall at the top. A + soldier who sat by the wayside told us that this was called the "Lover's + Leap," because a young girl, in some love-exigency, had once jumped down + from it, and came safely to the bottom. We reached the castle gate, which + is near the shore of the Clyde, and there found another artillery soldier, + who guided us through the fortress. He said that there were now but about + a dozen soldiers stationed in the castle, and no officer. + </p> + <p> + The lowest battery looks towards the river, and consists of a few + twelve-pound cannon; but probably the chief danger of attack was from the + land, and the chief pains have been taken to render the castle defensible + in that quarter. There are flights of stone stairs ascending up through + the natural avenue, in the cleft of the double-summited rock; and about + midway there is an arched doorway, beneath which there used to be a + portcullis,—so that if an enemy had won the lower part of the + fortress, the upper portion was still inaccessible. Where the cleft of the + rock widens into a gorge, there are several buildings, old, but not + appertaining to the ancient castle, which has almost entirely disappeared. + We ascended both summits, and, reaching the loftiest point on the right, + stood upon the foundation of a tower that dates back to the fifth century, + whence we had a glorious prospect of Highlands and Lowlands; the chief + object being Ben Lomond, with its great dome, among a hundred other blue + and misty hills, with the sun going down over them; and, in another + direction, the Clyde, winding far downward through the plain, with the + headland of Dumbeck close at hand, and Douglas Castle at no great + distance. On the ramparts beneath us the soldier pointed out the spot + where Wallace scaled the wall, climbing an apparently inaccessible + precipice, and taking the castle. The principal parts of the ancient + castle appear to have been on the other and lower summit of the hill, and + thither we now went, and traced the outline of its wall, although none of + it is now remaining. Here is the magazine, still containing some powder, + and here is a battery of eighteen-pound guns, with pyramids of balls, all + in readiness against an assault; which, however, hardly any turn of human + affairs can hereafter bring about. The appearance of a fortress is kept up + merely for ceremony's sake; and these cannon have grown antiquated. + Moreover, as the soldier told us, they are seldom or never fired, even for + purposes of rejoicing or salute, because their thunder produces the + singular effect of depriving the garrison of water. There is a large tank, + and the concussion causes the rifts of the stone to open, and thus lets + the water out. Above this battery, and elsewhere about the fortress, there + are warders' turrets of stone, resembling great pepper-boxes. When Dr. + Johnson visited the castle, he introduced his bulky person into one of + these narrow receptacles, and found it difficult to get out again. A + gentleman who accompanied him was just stepping forward to offer his + assistance, but Boswell whispered him to take no notice, lest Johnson + should be offended; so they left him to get out as he could. He did + finally extricate himself, else we might have seen his skeleton in the + turret. Boswell does not tell this story, which seems to have been handed + down by local tradition. + </p> + <p> + The less abrupt declivities of the rock are covered with grass, and afford + food for a few sheep, who scamper about the heights, and seem to have + attained the dexterity of goats in clambering. I never knew a purer air + than this seems to be, nor a lovelier golden sunset. + </p> + <p> + Descending into the gorge again, we went into the armory, which is in one + of the buildings occupying the space between the two hill-tops. It + formerly contained a large collection of arms; but these have been removed + to the Tower of London, and there are now only some tattered banners, of + which I do not know the history, and some festoons of pistols, and + grenades, shells, and grape and canister shot, kept merely as curiosities; + and, far more interesting than the above, a few battle-axes, daggers, and + spear-heads from the field of Bannockburn; and, more interesting still, + the sword of William Wallace. It is a formidable-looking weapon, made for + being swayed with both hands, and, with its hilt on the floor, reached + about to my chin; but the young girl who showed us the armory said that + about nine inches had been broken off the point. The blade was not + massive, but somewhat thin, compared with its great length; and I found + that I could blandish it, using both hands, with perfect ease. It is + two-edged, without any gaps, and is quite brown and lustreless with old + rust, from point to hilt. + </p> + <p> + These were all the memorables of our visit to Dumbarton Castle, which is a + most interesting spot, and connected with a long series of historical + events. It was first besieged by the Danes, and had a prominent share in + all the warfare of Scotland, so long as the old warlike times and manners + lasted. Our soldier was very intelligent and courteous, but, as usual with + these guides, was somewhat apocryphal in his narrative; telling us that + Mary, Queen of Scots, was confined here before being taken to England, and + that the cells in which she then lived are still extant, under one of the + ramparts. The fact is, she was brought here when a child of six years old, + before going to France, and doubtless scrambled up and down these heights + as freely and merrily as the sheep we saw. + </p> + <p> + We now returned to our hotel, a very nice one, and found the street of + Dumbarton all alive in the summer evening with the sports of children and + the gossip of grown people. There was almost no night, for at twelve + o'clock there was still a golden daylight, and Yesterday, before it died, + must have met the Morrow. + </p> + <p> + In the lower part of the fortress there is a large sun-dial of stone, + which was made by a French officer imprisoned here during the Peninsular + war. It still numbers faithfully the hours that are sunny, and it is a + lasting memorial of him, in the stronghold of his enemies. + </p> + <h3> + INVERANNAN. + </h3> + <p> + Evening.—After breakfast at Dumbarton, I went out to look at the + town, which is of considerable size, and possesses both commerce and + manufactures. There was a screw-steamship at the pier, and many + sailor-looking people were seen about the streets. There are very few old + houses, though still the town retains an air of antiquity which one does + not well see how to account for, when everywhere there is a modern front, + and all the characteristics of a street built to-day. Turning from the + main thoroughfare I crossed a bridge over the Clyde, and gained from it + the best view of the cloven crag of Dumbarton Castle that I had yet found. + The two summits are wider apart, more fully relieved from each other, than + when seen from other points; and the highest ascends into a perfect + pyramid, the lower one being obtusely rounded. There seem to be + iron-works, or some kind of manufactory, on the farther side of the + bridge; and I noticed a quaint, chateau-like mansion, with hanging turrets + standing apart from the street, probably built by some person enriched by + business. + </p> + <p> + We left Dumbarton at noon, taking the rail to Balloch, and the steamer to + the head of Loch Lomond. + </p> + <p> + Wild mountain scenery is not very good to describe, nor do I think any + distinct impressions are ever conveyed by such attempts; so I mean to be + brief in what I saw about this part of our tour, especially as I suspect + that I have said whatever I knew how to say in the record of my former + visit to the Highlands. As for Loch Lomond, it lies amidst very striking + scenery, being poured in among the gorges of steep and lofty mountains, + which nowhere stand aside to give it room, but, on the contrary, do their + best to shut it in. It is everywhere narrow, compared with its length of + thirty miles; but it is the beauty of a lake to be of no greater width + than to allow of the scenery of one of its shores being perfectly enjoyed + from the other. The scenery of the Highlands, so far as I have seen it, + cannot properly be called rich, but stern and impressive, with very hard + outlines, which are unsoftened, mostly, by any foliage, though at this + season they are green to their summits. They have hardly flesh enough to + cover their bones,—hardly earth enough to lie over their rocky + substance,—as may be seen by the minute variety,—the notched + and jagged appearance of the profile of their sides and tops; this being + caused by the scarcely covered rocks wherewith these great hills are + heaped together. + </p> + <p> + Our little steamer stopped at half a dozen places on its voyage up the + lake, most of them being stations where hotels have been established. + Morally, the Highlands must have been more completely sophisticated by the + invention of railways and steamboats than almost any other part of the + world; but physically it can have wrought no great change. These + mountains, in their general aspect, must be very much the same as they + were thousands of years ago; for their sides never were capable of + cultivation, nor even with such a soil and so bleak an atmosphere could + they have been much more richly wooded than we see them now. They seem to + me to be among the unchangeable things of nature, like the sea and sky; + but there is no saying what use human ingenuity may hereafter put them to. + At all events, I have no doubt in the world that they will go out of + fashion in due time; for the taste for mountains and wild scenery is, with + most people, an acquired taste, and it was easy to see to-day that nine + people in ten care nothing about them. One group of gentlemen and ladies—at + least, men and women—spent the whole time in listening to a trial + for murder, which was read aloud by one of their number from a newspaper. + I rather imagine that a taste for trim gardens is the most natural and + universal taste as regards landscape. But perhaps it is necessary for the + health of the human mind and heart that there should be a possibility of + taking refuge in what is wild and uncontaminated by any meddling of man's + hand, and so it has been ordained that science shall never alter the + aspect of the sky, whether stern, angry, or beneficent,— nor of the + awful sea, either in calm or tempest,—nor of these rude Highlands. + But they will go out of general fashion, as I have said, and perhaps the + next fashionable taste will be for cloud land,—that is, looking + skyward, and observing the wonderful variety of scenery, that now + constantly passes unnoticed, among the clouds. + </p> + <p> + At the head of the lake, we found that there was only a horse-cart to + convey our luggage to the hotel at Inverannan, and that we ourselves must + walk, the distance being two miles. It had sprinkled occasionally during + our voyage, but was now sunshiny, and not excessively warm; so we set + forth contentedly enough, and had an agreeable walk along an almost + perfectly level road; for it is one of the beauties of these hills, that + they descend abruptly down, instead of undulating away forever. There were + lofty heights on each side of us, but not so lofty as to have won a + distinctive name; and adown their sides we could see the rocky pathways of + cascades, which, at this season, are either quite dry, or mere trickles of + a rill. The hills and valleys abound in streams, sparkling through pebbly + beds, and forming here and there a dark pool; and they would be populous + with trout if all England, with one fell purpose, did not come hither to + fish them. A fisherman must find it difficult to gratify his propensities + in these days; for even the lakes and streams in Norway are now preserved. + J——-, by the way, threatens ominously to be a fisherman. He + rode the latter portion of the way to the hotel on the luggage-cart; and + when we arrived, we found that he had already gone off to catch fish, or + to attempt it (for there is as much chance of his catching a whale as a + trout), in a mountain stream near the house. I went in search of him, but + without success, and was somewhat startled at the depth and blackness of + some of the pools into which the stream settled itself and slept. Finally, + he came in while we were at dinner. We afterwards walked out with him, to + let him play at fishing again, and discovered on the bank of the stream a + wonderful oak, with as many as a dozen holes springing either from close + to the ground or within a foot or two of it, and looking like twelve + separate trees, at least, instead of one. + </p> + <h3> + INVERSNAID. + </h3> + <p> + July 3d.—Last night seemed to close in clear, and even at midnight + it was still light enough to read; but this morning rose on us misty and + chill, with spattering showers of rain. Clouds momentarily settled and + shifted on the hill-tops, shutting us in even more completely than these + steep and rugged green walls would be sure to do, even in the clearest + weather. Often these clouds came down and enveloped us in a drizzle, or + rather a shower, of such minute drops that they had not weight enough to + fall. This, I suppose, was a genuine Scotch mist; and as such it is well + enough to have experienced it, though I would willingly never see it + again. Such being the state of the weather, my wife did not go out at all, + but I strolled about the premises, in the intervals of rain-drops, gazing + up at the hillsides, and recognizing that there is a vast variety of + shape, of light and shadow, and incidental circumstance, even in what + looks so monotonous at first as the green slope of a hill. The little + rills that come down from the summits were rather more distinguishable + than yesterday, having been refreshed by the night's rain; but still they + were very much out of proportion with the wide pathways of bare rock adown + which they ran. These little rivulets, no doubt, often lead through the + wildest scenery that is to be found in the Highlands, or anywhere else, + and to the formation and wildness of which they have greatly contributed + by sawing away for countless ages, and thus deepening the ravines. + </p> + <p> + I suspect the American clouds are more picturesque than those of Great + Britain, whatever our mountains may be; at least, I remember the Berkshire + hills looking grander, under the influence of mist and cloud, than the + Highlands did to-day. Our clouds seem to be denser and heavier, and more + decided, and form greater contrasts of light and shade. I have remarked in + England that the cloudy firmament, even on a day of settled rain, always + appears thinner than those I had been accustomed to at home, so as to + deceive me with constant expectations of better weather. It has been the + same to-day. + </p> + <p> + Whenever I looked upward, I thought it might be going to clear up; but, + instead of that, it began to rain more in earnest after midday, and at + half past two we left Inverannan in a smart shower. At the head of the + lake, we took the steamer, with the rain pouring more heavily than ever, + and landed at Inversnaid under the same dismal auspices. We left a very + good hotel behind us, and have come to another that seems also good. We + are more picturesquely situated at this spot than at Inverannan, our hotel + being within a short distance of the lake shore, with a glen just across + the water, which will doubtless be worth looking at when the mist permits + us to see it. A good many tourists were standing about the door when we + arrived, and looked at us with the curiosity of idle and weather-bound + people. The lake is here narrow, but a hundred fathoms deep; so that a + great part of the height of the mountains which beset it round is hidden + beneath its surface. + </p> + <p> + July 4th.—This morning opened still misty, but with a more hopeful + promise than yesterday, and when I went out, after breakfast, there were + gleams of sunshine here and there on the hillsides, falling, one did not + exactly see how, through the volumes of cloud. Close beside the hotel of + Inversnaid is the waterfall; all night, my room being on that side of the + house, I had heard its voice, and now I ascended beside it to a point + where it is crossed by a wooden bridge. There is thence a view, upward and + downward, of the most striking descents of the river, as I believe they + call it, though it is but a mountain-stream, which tumbles down an + irregular and broken staircase in its headlong haste to reach the lake. It + is very picturesque, however, with its ribbons of white foam over the + precipitous steps, and its deep black pools, overhung by black rocks, + which reverberate the rumble of the falling water. J——- and I + ascended a little distance along the cascade, and then turned aside; he + going up the hill, and I taking a path along its side which gave me a view + across the lake. I rather think this particular stretch of Loch Lomond, in + front of Inversnaid, is the most beautiful lake and mountain view that I + have ever seen. It is so shut in that you can see nothing beyond, nor + would suspect anything more to exist than this watery vale among the + hills; except that, directly opposite, there is the beautiful glen of + Invernglass, which winds away among the feet of Ben Crook, Ben Ein, Ben + Vain, and Ben Voirlich, standing mist-inwreathed together. The mists, this + morning, had a very soft and beautiful effect, and made the mountains + tenderer than I have hitherto felt them to be; and they lingered about + their heads like morning-dreams, flitting and retiring, and letting the + sunshine in, and snatching it away again. My wife came up, and we enjoyed + it together, till the steamer came smoking its pipe along the loch, + stopped to land some passengers, and steamed away again. While we stood + there, a Highlander passed by us, with a very dark tartan, and bare + shanks, most enormously calved. I presume he wears the dress for the sole + purpose of displaying those stalwart legs; for he proves to be no genuine + Gael, but a manufacturer, who has a shooting-box, or a share in one, on + the hill above the hotel. + </p> + <p> + We now engaged a boat, and were rowed to Rob Roy's cave, which is perhaps + half a mile distant up the lake. The shores look much more striking from a + rowboat, creeping along near the margin, than from a steamer in the middle + of the loch; and the ridge, beneath which Rob's cave lies, is precipitous + with gray rocks, and clothed, too, with thick foliage. Over the cave + itself there is a huge ledge of rock, from which immense fragments have + tumbled down, ages and ages ago, and fallen together in such a way as to + leave a large irregular crevice in Rob Roy's cave. We scrambled up to its + mouth by some natural stairs, and scrambled down into its depths by the + aid of a ladder. I suppose I have already described this hole in the + record of my former visit. Certainly, Rob Roy, and Robert Bruce, who is + said to have inhabited it before him, were not to be envied their + accommodations; yet these were not so very intolerable when compared with + a Highland cabin, or with cottages such as Burns lived in. + </p> + <p> + J——- had chosen to remain to fish. On our return from the + cave, we found that he had caught nothing; but just as we stepped into the + boat, a fish drew his float far under water, and J——— + tugging at one end of the line, and the fish at the other, the latter + escaped, with the hook in his month. J——— avers that he + saw the fish, and gives its measurement as about eighteen inches; but the + fishes that escape us are always of tremendous size. The boatman thought, + however, that it might have been a pike. + </p> + <h3> + THE TROSACHS' HOTEL.—ARDCHEANOCHROCHAN. + </h3> + <p> + July 5th.—Not being able to get a post-chaise, we took places in the + omnibus for the bead of Loch Katrine. Going up to pay a parting visit to + the waterfall before starting, I met with Miss C———, as + she lately was, who is now on her wedding tour as Mrs. B———. + She was painting the falls in oil, with good prospect of a successful + picture. She came down to the hotel to see my wife, and soon afterwards J——- + and I set out to ascend the steep hill that comes down upon the lake of + Inversnaid, leaving the omnibus to follow at leisure. The Highlander who + took us to Rob Roy's cave had foreboded rain, from the way in which the + white clouds hung about the mountain-tops; nor was his augury at fault, + for just at three o'clock, the time he foretold, there were a few + rain-drops, and a more defined shower during the afternoon, while we were + on Loch Katrine. The few drops, however, did not disturb us; and, reaching + the top of the hill, J——- and I turned aside to examine the + old stone fortress which was erected in this mountain pass to bridle the + Highlanders after the rebellion of 1745. It stands in a very desolate and + dismal situation, at the foot of long bare slopes, on mossy ground, in the + midst of a disheartening loneliness, only picturesque because it is so + exceedingly ungenial and unlovely. The chief interest of this spot in the + fact that Wolfe, in his earlier military career, was stationed here. The + fortress was a very plain structure, built of rough stones, in the form of + a parallelogram, one side of which I paced, and found it between thirty + and forty of my paces long. The two ends have fallen down; the two sides + that remain are about twenty feet high, and have little port-holes for + defence, but no openings of the size of windows. The roof is gone, and the + interior space overgrown with grass. Two little girls were at play in one + corner, and, going round to the rear of the ruin, I saw that a small + Highland cabin had been built against the wall. A dog sat in the doorway, + and gave notice of my approach, and some hens kept up their peculiarly + domestic converse about the door. + </p> + <p> + We kept on our way, often looking back towards Loch Lomond, and wondering + at the grandeur which Ben Vain and Ben Voirlich, and the rest of the Ben + fraternity, had suddenly put on. The mists which had hung about them all + day had now descended lower, and lay among the depths and gorges of the + hills, where also the sun shone softly down among them, and filled those + deep mountain laps, as it were, with a dimmer sunshine. Ben Vain, too, and + his brethren, had a veil of mist all about them, which seemed to render + them really transparent; and they had unaccountably grown higher, vastly + higher, than when we viewed them from the shore of the lake. It was as if + we were looking at them through the medium of a poet's imagination. All + along the road, since we left Inversnaid, there had been the stream, which + there formed the waterfall, and which here was brawling down little + declivities, and sleeping in black pools, which we disturbed by flinging + stones into them from the roadside. We passed a drunken old gentleman, who + civilly bade me "good day"; and a man and woman at work in a field, the + former of whom shouted to inquire the hour; and we had come in sight of + little Loch Arklet before the omnibus came up with us. It was about five + o'clock when we reached the head of + </p> + <h3> + LOCH KATRINE, + </h3> + <p> + and went on board the steamer Rob Roy; and, setting forth on our voyage, a + Highland piper made music for us the better part of the way. + </p> + <p> + We did not see Loch Katrine, perhaps, under its best presentment; for the + surface was roughened with a little wind, and darkened even to inky + blackness by the clouds that overhung it. The hill-tops, too, wore a very + dark frown. A lake of this size cannot be terrific, and is therefore seen + to best advantage when it is beautiful. The scenery of its shores is not + altogether so rich and lovely as I had preimagined; not equal, indeed, to + the best parts of Loch Lomond,—the hills being lower and of a more + ridgy shape, and exceedingly bare, at least towards the lower end. But + they turn the lake aside with headland after headland, and shut it in + closely, and open one vista after another, so that the eye is never weary, + and, least of all, as we approach the end. The length of the loch is ten + miles, and at its termination it meets the pass of the Trosachs, between + Ben An and Ben Venue, which are the rudest and shaggiest of hills. The + steamer passes Ellen's Isle, but to the right, which is the side opposite + to that on which Fitz-James must be supposed to have approached it. It is + a very small island, situated where the loch narrows, and is perhaps less + than a quarter of a mile distant from either shore. It looks like a lump + of rock, with just soil enough to support a crowd of dwarf oaks, birches, + and firs, which do not grow so high as to be shadowy trees. Our voyage + being over, we landed, and found two omnibuses, one of which took us + through the famous pass of the Trosachs, a distance of a mile and a + quarter, to a hotel, erected in castellated guise by Lord Willoughby + d'Eresby. We were put into a parlor within one of the round towers, + panelled all round, and with four narrow windows, opening through deep + embrasures. No play-castle was ever more like the reality, and it is a + very good hotel, like all that we have had experience of in the Highlands. + After tea we walked out, and visited a little kirk that stands near the + shore of Loch Achray, at a good point of view for seeing the hills round + about. + </p> + <p> + This morning opened cloudily; but after breakfast I set out alone, and + walked through the pass of the Trosachs, and thence by a path along the + right shore of the lake. It is a very picturesque and beautiful path, + following the windings of the lake,—now along the beach, now over an + impending bank, until it comes opposite to Ellen's Isle, which on this + side looks more worthy to be the island of the poem than as we first saw + it. Its shore is craggy and precipitous, but there was a point where it + seemed possible to land, nor was it too much to fancy that there might be + a rustic habitation among the shrubbery of this rugged spot. It is foolish + to look into these matters too strictly. Scott evidently used as much + freedom with his natural scenery as he did with his historic incidents; + and he could have made nothing of either one or the other if he had been + more scrupulous in his arrangement and adornment of them. In his + description of the Trosachs, he has produced something very beautiful, and + as true as possible, though certainly its beauty has a little of the + scene-painter's gloss on it. Nature is better, no doubt, but Nature cannot + be exactly reproduced on canvas or in print; and the artist's only + resource is to substitute something that may stand instead of and suggest + the truth. + </p> + <p> + The path still kept onward, after passing Ellen's Isle, and I followed it, + finding it wilder, more shadowy with overhanging foliage of trees, old and + young,—more like a mountain-path in Berkshire or New Hampshire, yet + still with an Old World restraint and cultivation about it,—the + farther I went. At last I came upon some bars, and though the track was + still seen beyond, I took this as a hint to stop, especially as I was now + two or three miles from the hotel, and it just then began to rain. My + umbrella was a poor one at best, and had been tattered and turned inside + out, a day or two ago, by a gust on Loch Lomond; but I spread it to the + shower, and, furthermore, took shelter under the thickest umbrage I could + find. The rain came straight down, and bubbled in the loch; the little + rills gathered force, and plashed merrily over the stones; the leaves of + the trees condensed the shower into large drops, and shed them down upon + me where I stood. Still I was comfortable enough in a thick Skye Tweed, + and waited patiently till the rain abated; then took my way homeward, and + admired the pass of the Trosachs more than when I first traversed it. If + it has a fault, it is one that few scenes in Great Britain share with it,—that + is, the trees and shrubbery, with which the precipices are shagged, + conceal them a little too much. A crag, streaked with black and white, + here and there shows its head aloft, or its whole height from base to + summit, and suggests that more of such sublimity is bidden than revealed. + I think, however, that it is this unusual shagginess which made the scene + a favorite with Scott, and with the people on this side of the ocean + generally. There are many scenes as good in America, needing only the + poet. + </p> + <p> + July 6th.—We dined yesterday at the table d'hote, at the suggestion + of the butler, in order to give less trouble to the servants of the hotel, + and afford them an opportunity to go to kirk. The dining-room is in + accordance with the rest of the architecture and fittings up of the house, + and is a very good reproduction of an old baronial hall, with high + panellings and a roof of dark, polished wood. There were about twenty + guests at table; and if they and the waiters had been dressed in mediaeval + costume, we might have imagined ourselves banqueting in the Middle Ages. + </p> + <p> + After dinner we all took a walk through the Trosachs' pass again, and by + the right-hand path along the lake as far as Ellen's Isle. It was very + pleasant, there being gleams of calm evening sunshine gilding the + mountain-sides, and putting a golden crown occasionally on the Tread of + Ben Venue. It is wonderful how many aspects a mountain has,—how many + mountains there are in every single mountain!—-how they vary too, in + apparent attitude and bulk. When we reached the lake its surface was + almost unruffled, except by now and then the narrow pathway of a breeze, + as if the wing of an unseen spirit had just grazed it in flitting across. + The scene was very beautiful, and, on the whole, I do not know that Walter + Scott has overcharged his description, although he has symbolized the + reality by types and images which it might not precisely suggest to other + minds. We were reluctant to quit the spot, and cherish still a hope of + seeing it again, though the hope does not seem very likely to be + gratified. + </p> + <p> + This was a lowering and sullen morning, but soon after breakfast I took a + walk in the opposite direction to Loch Katrine, and reached the Brig of + Turk, a little beyond which is the new Trosachs' Hotel, and the little + rude village of Duncraggan, consisting of a few hovels of stone, at the + foot of a bleak and dreary hill. To the left, stretching up between this + and other hills, is the valley of Glenfinlas,—a very awful region in + Scott's poetry and in Highland tradition, as the haunt of spirits and + enchantments. It presented a very desolate prospect. The walk back to the + Trosachs showed me Ben Venue and Ben An under new aspects,—the bare + summit of the latter rising in a perfect pyramid, whereas from other + points of view it looks like quite a different mountain. Sometimes a gleam + of sunshine came out upon the rugged side of Ben Venue, but his prevailing + mood, like that of the rest of the landscape, was stern and gloomy. I wish + I could give an idea of the variety of surface upon one of these + hillsides,—so bulging out and hollowed in, so bare where the rock + breaks through, so shaggy in other places with heath, and then, perhaps, a + thick umbrage of birch, oak, and ash ascending from the base high upward. + When I think I have described them, I remember quite a different aspect, + and find it equally true, and yet lacking something to make it the whole + or an adequate truth. + </p> + <p> + J——- had gone with me part of the way, but stopped to fish + with a pin-hook in Loch Achray, which bordered along our path. When I + returned, I found him much elated at having caught a fish, which, however, + had got away, carrying his pin-hook along with it. Then he had amused + himself with taking some lizards by the tail, and had collected several in + a small hollow of the rocks. We now walked home together, and at half past + three we took our seats in a genuine old-fashioned stage-coach, of which + there are few specimens now to be met with. The coachman was smartly + dressed in the Queen's scarlet, and was a very pleasant and affable + personage, conducting himself towards the passengers with courteous + authority. Inside we were four, including J——-, but on the top + there were at least a dozen, and I would willingly have been there too, + but had taken an inside seat, under apprehension of rain, and was not + allowed to change it. Our drive was not marked by much describable + incident. On changing horses at Callender, we alighted, and saw Ben Ledi + behind us, making a picturesque background to the little town, which seems + to be the meeting-point of the Highlands and Lowlands. We again changed + horses at Doune, an old town, which would doubtless have been well worth + seeing, had time permitted. Thence we kept on till the coach drew up at a + spacious hotel, where we alighted, fancying that we had reached Stirling, + which was to have been our journey's end; but, after fairly establishing + ourselves, we found that it was the + </p> + <h3> + BRIG OF ALLAN. + </h3> + <p> + The place is three miles short of Stirling. Nevertheless, we did not much + regret the mistake, finding that the Brig of Allan is the principal Spa of + Scotland, and a very pleasant spot, to all outward appearance. After tea + we walked out, both up and down the village street, and across the bridge, + and up a gentle eminence beyond it, whence we had a fine view of a + glorious plain, out of which rose several insulated headlands. One of + these was the height on which stands Stirling Castle, and which reclines + on the plain like a hound or a lion or a sphinx, holding the castle on the + highest part, where its head should be. A mile or two distant from this + picturesque hill rises another, still more striking, called the Abbey + Craig, on which is a ruin, and where is to be built the monument to + William Wallace. I cannot conceive a nobler or more fitting pedestal. The + sullenness of the day had vanished, the air was cool but invigorating, and + the cloud scenery was as fine as that below it. . . . Though it was nearly + ten o'clock, the boys of the village were in full shout and play, for + these long and late summer evenings keep the children out of bed + interminably. + </p> + <h3> + STIRLING. + </h3> + <p> + July 7th.—We bestirred ourselves early this morning, . . . . and + took the rail for Stirling before eight. It is but a few minutes' ride, so + that doubtless we were earlier on the field than if we had slept at + Stirling. After our arrival our first call was at the post-office, where I + found a large package containing letters from America, but none from U——. + We then went to a bookseller's shop, and bought some views of Stirling and + the neighborhood; and it is surprising what a quantity and variety of + engravings there are of every noted place that we have visited. You seldom + find two sets alike. It is rather nauseating to find that what you came to + see has already been looked at in all its lights, over and over again, + with thousand-fold repetition; and, beyond question, its depictment in + words has been attempted still oftener than with the pencil. It will be + worth while to go back to America, were it only for the chance of finding + a still virgin scene. + </p> + <p> + We climbed the steep slope of the Castle Hill, sometimes passing an + antique-looking house, with a high, notched gable, perhaps with an + ornamented front, until we came to the sculptures and battlemented wall, + with an archway, that stands just below the castle. . . . A shabby-looking + man now accosted us, and could hardly be shaken off. I have met with + several such boors in my experience of sight-seeing. He kept along with + us, in spite of all hints to the contrary, and insisted on pointing out + objects of interest. He showed us a house in Broad Street, below the + castle and cathedral, which he said had once been inhabited by Henry + Darnley, Queen Mary's husband. There was little or nothing peculiar in its + appearance; a large, gray, gabled house standing lengthwise to the street, + with three windows in the roof, and connected with other houses on each + side. Almost directly across the street, he pointed to an archway, through + the side of a house, and, peeping through it, we found a soldier on guard + in a court-yard, the sides of which were occupied by an old mansion of the + Argyle family, having towers at the corners, with conical tops, like those + reproduced in the hotel at the Trosachs. It is now occupied as a military + hospital. Shaking off our self-inflicted guide, we now made our way to the + castle parade, and to the gateway, where a soldier with a tremendously red + nose and two medals at once took charge of us. + </p> + <p> + Beyond all doubt, I have written quite as good a description of the castle + and Carse of Stirling in a former portion of my journal as I can now + write. We passed through the outer rampart of Queen Anne; through the old + round gate-tower of an earlier day, and beneath the vacant arch where the + portcullis used to fall, thus reaching the inner region, where stands the + old palace on one side, and the old Parliament House on the other. The + former looks aged, ragged, and rusty, but makes a good appearance enough + pictorially, being adorned all round about with statues, which may have + been white marble once, but are as gray as weather-beaten granite now, and + look down from between the windows above the basement story. A photograph + would give the idea of very rich antiquity, but as it really stands, + looking on a gravelled court-yard, and with "CANTEEN" painted on one of + its doors, the spectator does not find it very impressive. The great hall + of this palace is now partitioned off into two or three rooms, and the + whole edifice is arranged to serve as barracks. Of course, no trace of + ancient magnificence, if anywise destructible, can be left in the + interior. We were not shown into this palace, nor into the Parliament + House, nor into the tower, where King James stabbed the Earl of Douglas. + When I was here a year ago, I went up the old staircase and into the room + where the murder was committed, although it had recently been the scene of + a fire, which consumed as much of it as was inflammable. The window whence + the Earl's body was thrown then remained; but now the whole tower seems to + have been renewed, leaving only the mullions of the historic window. + </p> + <p> + We merely looked up at the new, light-colored freestone of the restored + tower in passing, and ascended to the ramparts, where we found one of the + most splendid views, morally and materially, that this world can show. + Indeed, I think there cannot be such a landscape as the Carse of Stirling, + set in such a frame as it is,—the Highlands, comprehending our + friends, Ben Lomond, Ben Venue, Ben An, and the whole Ben brotherhood, + with the Grampians surrounding it to the westward and northward, and in + other directions some range of prominent objects to shut it in; and the + plain itself, so worthy of the richest setting, so fertile, so beautiful, + so written over and over again with histories. The silver Links of Forth + are as sweet and gently picturesque an object as a man sees in a lifetime. + I do not wonder that Providence caused great things to happen on this + plain; it was like choosing a good piece of canvas to paint a great + picture upon. The battle of Bannockburn (which we saw beneath us, with the + Gillie's Hill on the right) could not have been fought upon a meaner + plain, nor Wallace's victory gained; and if any other great historic act + still remains to be done in this country, I should imagine the Carse of + Stirling to be the future scene of it. Scott seems to me hardly to have + done justice—to this landscape, or to have bestowed pains enough to + put it in strong relief before the world; although it is from the light + shed on it, and so much other Scottish scenery, by his mind, that we + chiefly see it, and take an interest in it. . . . + </p> + <p> + I do not remember seeing the hill of execution before,—a mound on + the same level as the castle's base, looking towards the Highlands. A + solitary cow was now feeding upon it. I should imagine that no person + could ever have been unjustly executed there; the spot is too much in the + sight of heaven and earth to countenance injustice. + </p> + <p> + Descending from the ramparts, we went into the Armory, which I did not see + on my former visit. The superintendent of this department is an old + soldier of very great intelligence and vast communicativeness, and quite + absorbed in thinking of and handling weapons; for he is a practical + armorer. He had few things to show us that were very interesting,—a + helmet or two, a bomb and grenade from the Crimea; also some muskets from + the same quarter, one of which, with a sword at the end, he spoke of + admiringly, as the best weapon in the collection, its only fault being its + extreme weight. He showed us, too, some Minie rifles, and whole ranges of + the old-fashioned Brown Bess, which had helped to win Wellington's + victories; also the halberts of sergeants now laid aside, and some swords + that had been used at the battle of Sheriffmuir. These latter were very + short, not reaching to the floor, when I held one of them, point downward, + in my hand. The shortness of the blade and consequent closeness of the + encounter must have given the weapon a most dagger-like murderousness. + Ranging in the hall of arms, there were two tattered banners that had gone + through the Peninsular battles, one of them belonging to the gallant 42d + Regiment. The armorer gave my wife a rag from each of these banners, + consecrated by so much battle-smoke; also a piece of old oak, half burned + to charcoal, which had been rescued from the panelling of the Douglas + Tower. We saw better things, moreover, than all these rusty weapons and + ragged flags; namely, the pulpit and communion-table of John Knox. The + frame of the former, if I remember aright, is complete; but one or two of + the panels are knocked out and lost, and, on the whole, it looks as if it + had been shaken to pieces by the thunder of his holdings forth,—much + worm-eaten, too, is the old oak wood, as well it may be, for the letters + MD (1500) are carved on its front. The communion-table is polished, and in + much better preservation. + </p> + <p> + Then the armorer showed us a Damascus blade, of the kind that will cut a + delicate silk handkerchief while floating in the air; and some inlaid + matchlock guns. A child's little toy-gun was lying on a workbench among + all this array of weapons; and when I took it up and smiled, he said that + it was his son's. So he called in a little fellow four years old, who was + playing in the castle yard, and made him go through the musket exercise, + which he did with great good-will. This small Son of a Gun, the father + assured us, cares for nothing but arms, and has attained all his skill + with the musket merely by looking at the soldiers on parade. . . . + </p> + <p> + Our soldier, who had resigned the care of us to the armorer, met us again + at the door, and led us round the remainder of the ramparts, dismissing us + finally at the gate by which we entered. All the time we were in the + castle there had been a great discordance of drums and fifes, caused by + the musicians who were practising just under the walls; likewise the + sergeants were drilling their squads of men, and putting them through + strange gymnastic motions. Most, if not all, of the garrison belongs to a + Highland regiment, and those whom we saw on duty, in full costume, looked + very martial and gallant. Emerging from the castle, we took the broad and + pleasant footpath, which circles it about midway on the grassy steep which + descends from the rocky precipice on which the walls are built. This is a + very beautiful walk, and affords a most striking view of the castle, right + above our heads, the height of its wall forming one line with the + precipice. The grassy hillside is almost as precipitous as the dark gray + rock that rises out of it, to form the foundations of the castle; but wild + rose-bushes, both of a white and red variety, are abundant here, and all + in bloom; nor are these the only flowers. There is also shrubbery in some + spots, tossing up green waves against the precipice; and broad sheets of + ivy here and there mantle the headlong rock, which also has a growth of + weeds in its crevices. The castle walls above, however, are quite bare of + any such growth. Thus, looking up at the old storied fortress, and looking + down over the wide, historic plain, we wandered half-way round the castle, + and then, retracing our steps, entered the town close by an old hospital. + </p> + <p> + A hospital it was, or had been intended for; but the authorities of the + town had made some convenient arrangement with those entitled to its + charity, and had appropriated the ancient edifice to themselves. So said a + boy who showed us into the Guildhall,—an apartment with a vaulted + oaken roof, and otherwise of antique aspect and furniture; all of which, + however, were modern restorations. We then went into an old church or + cathedral, which was divided into two parts; one of them, in which I saw + the royal arms, being probably for the Church-of-England service, and the + other for the Kirk of Scotland. I remember little or nothing of this + edifice, except that the Covenanters had uplifted it with pews and a + gallery, and whitewash; though I doubt not it was a stately Gothic church, + with innumerable enrichments and incrustations of beauty, when it passed + from popish hands into theirs. Thence we wandered downward, through a back + street, amid very shabby houses, some of which bore tokens of having once + been the abodes of courtly and noble personages. We paused before one that + displayed, I think, the sign of a spirit-retailer, and looked as + disreputable as a house could, yet was built of stalwart stone, and had + two circular towers in front, once, doubtless, crowned with conical tops. + We asked an elderly man whether he knew anything of the history of this + house; and he said that he had been acquainted with it for almost fifty + years, but never knew anything noteworthy about it. Reaching the foot of + the hill, along whose back the streets of Stirling run, and which blooms + out into the Castle Craig, we returned to the railway, and at noon took + leave of Stirling. + </p> + <p> + I forgot to tell of the things that awakened rather more sympathy in us + than any other objects in the castle armory. These were some rude weapons—pikes, + very roughly made; and old rusty muskets, broken and otherwise out of + order; and swords, by no means with Damascus blades— that had been + taken from some poor weavers and other handicraft men who rose against the + government in 1820. I pitied the poor fellows much, seeing how wretched + were their means of standing up against the cannon, bayonets, swords, + shot, shell, and all manner of murderous facilities possessed by their + oppressors. Afterwards, our guide showed, in a gloomy quadrangle of the + castle, the low windows of the dungeons where two of the leaders of the + insurrectionists had been confined before their execution. I have not the + least shadow of doubt that these men had a good cause to fight for; but + what availed it with such weapons! and so few even of those! + </p> + <p> + . . . . I believe I cannot go on to recount any further this evening the + experiences of to-day. It has been a very rich day; only that I have seen + more than my sluggish powers of reception can well take in at once. After + quitting Stirling, we came in somewhat less than an hour to + </p> + <h3> + LINLITHGOW, + </h3> + <p> + and, alighting, took up our quarters at the Star and Garter Hotel, which, + like almost all the Scottish caravan-saries of which we have had + experience, turns out a comfortable one. . . . We stayed within doors for + an hour or two, and I busied myself with writing up my journal. At about + three, however, the sky brightened a little, and we set forth through the + ancient, rusty, and queer-looking town of Linlithgow, towards the palace + and the ancient church, which latter was one of St. David's edifices, and + both of which stand close together, a little removed from the long street + of the village. But I can never describe them worthily, and shall make + nothing of the description if I attempt it now. + </p> + <p> + July 8th.—At about three o'clock yesterday, as I said, we walked + forth through the ancient street of Linlithgow, and, coming to the + market-place, stopped to look at an elaborate and heavy stone fountain, + which we found by an inscription to be the fac-simile of an old one that + used to stand on the same site. Turning to the right, the outer entrance + to the palace fronts on this market-place, if such it be; and close to it, + a little on one side, is the church. A young woman, with a key in her + hand, offered to admit us into the latter; so we went in, and found it + divided by a wall across the middle into two parts. The hither portion, + being the nave, was whitewashed, and looked as bare and uninteresting as + an old Gothic church of St. David's epoch possibly could do. The interior + portion, being the former choir, is covered with pews over the whole + floor, and further defaced by galleries, that unmercifully cut midway + across the stately and beautiful arches. It is likewise whitewashed. There + were, I believe, some mural monuments of Bailies and other such people + stuck up about the walls, but nothing that much interested me, except an + ancient oaken chair, which the girl said was the chair of St. Crispin, and + it was fastened to the wall, in the holiest part of the church. I know not + why it was there; but as it had been the chair of so distinguished a + personage, we all sat down in it. It was in this church that the + apparition of St. James appeared to King James IV., to warn him against + engaging in that war which resulted in the battle of Flodden, where he and + the flower of his nobility were slain. The young woman showed us the spot + where the apparition spake to him,—a side chapel, with a groined + roof, at the end of the choir next the nave. The Covenanters seem to have + shown some respect to this one chapel, by refraining from drawing the + gallery across its height; so that, except for the whitewash, and the loss + of the painted glass in the window, and probably of a good deal of rich + architectural detail, it looks as it did when the ghostly saint entered + beneath its arch, while the king was kneeling there. + </p> + <p> + We stayed but a little while in the church, and then proceeded to the + palace, which, as I said, is close at hand. On entering the outer + enclosure through an ancient gateway, we were surprised to find how entire + the walls seemed to be; but the reason is, I suppose, that the ruins have + not been used as a stone-quarry, as has almost always been the case with + old abbeys and castles. The palace took fire and was consumed, so far as + consumable, in 1745, while occupied by the soldiers of General Hawley; but + even yet the walls appear so stalwart that I should imagine it quite + possible to rebuild and restore the stately rooms on their original plan. + It was a noble palace, one hundred and seventy-five feet in length by one + hundred and sixty-five in breadth, and though destitute of much + architectural beauty externally, yet its aspect from the quadrangle which + the four sides enclose is venerable and sadly beautiful. At each of the + interior angles there is a circular tower, up the whole height of the + edifice and overtopping it, and another in the centre of one of the sides, + all containing winding staircases. The walls facing upon the enclosed + quadrangle are pierced with many windows, and have been ornamented with + sculpture, rich traces of which still remain over the arched + entrance-ways; and in the grassy centre of the court there is the ruin and + broken fragments of a fountain, which once used to play for the delight of + the king and queen, and lords and ladies, who looked down upon it from + hall and chamber. Many old carvings that belonged to it are heaped + together there; but the water has disappeared, though, had it been a + natural spring, it would have outlasted all the heavy stone-work. + </p> + <p> + As far as we were able, and could find our way, we went through every room + of the palace, all round the four sides. From the first floor upwards it + is entirely roofless. In some of the chambers there is an accumulation of + soil, and a goodly crop of grass; in others there is still a flooring of + flags or brick tiles, though damp and moss-grown, and with weeds sprouting + between the crevices. Grass and weeds, indeed, have found soil enough to + flourish in, even on the highest ranges of the walls, though at a dizzy + height above the ground; and it was like an old and trite touch of + romance, to see how the weeds sprouted on the many hearth-stones and + aspired under the chimney-flues, as if in emulation of the + long-extinguished flame. It was very mournful, very beautiful, very + delightful, too, to see how Nature takes back the palace, now that kings + have done with it, and adopts it as a part of her great garden. + </p> + <p> + On one side of the quadrangle we found the roofless chamber where Mary, + Queen of Scots, was born, and in the same range the bedchamber that was + occupied by several of the Scottish Jameses; and in one corner of the + latter apartment there is a narrow, winding staircase, down which I + groped, expecting to find a door, either into the enclosed quadrangle or + to the outside of the palace. But it ends in nothing, unless it be a + dungeon; and one does not well see why the bedchamber of the king should + be so convenient to a dungeon. It is said that King James III. once + escaped down this secret stair, and lay concealed from some conspirators + who had entered his chamber to murder him. This range of apartments is + terminated, like the other sides of the palace, by a circular tower + enclosing a staircase, up which we mounted, winding round and round, and + emerging at various heights, until at last we found ourselves at the very + topmost point of the edifice; and here there is a small pepper-box of a + turret, almost as entire as when the stones were first laid. It is called + Queen Margaret's bower, and looks forth on a lovely prospect of mountain + and plain, and on the old red roofs of Linlithgow town, and on the little + loch that lies within the palace grounds. The cold north-wind blew chill + upon us through the empty window-frames, which very likely were never + glazed; but it must be a delightful nook in a calmer and warmer summer + evening. + </p> + <p> + Descending from this high perch, we walked along ledges and through arched + corridors, and stood, contemplative, in the dampness of the + banqueting-hall, and sat down on the seats that still occupy the + embrasures of the deep windows. In one of the rooms, the sculpture of a + huge fireplace has recently been imitated and restored, so as to give an + idea of what the richness of the adornments must have been when the + building was perfect. We burrowed down, too, a little way, in the + direction of the cells, where prisoners used to be confined; but these + were too ugly and too impenetrably dark to tempt us far. One vault, + exactly beneath a queen's very bedchamber, was designated as a prison. I + should think bad dreams would have winged up, and made her pillow an + uncomfortable one. + </p> + <p> + There seems to be no certain record as respects the date of this palace, + except that the most recent part was built by James I., of England, and + bears the figures 1620 on its central tower. In this part were the + kitchens and other domestic offices. In Robert Bruce's time there was a + castle here, instead of a palace, and an ancestor of our friend Bennoch + was the means of taking it from the English by a stratagem in which valor + went halves. Four centuries afterwards, it was a royal residence, and + might still have been nominally so, had not Hawley's dragoons lighted + their fires on the floors of the magnificent rooms; but, on the whole, I + think it more valuable as a ruin than if it were still perfect. Scotland, + and the world, needs only one Holyrood; and Linlithgow, were it still a + perfect palace, must have been second in interest to that, from its lack + of association with historic events so grand and striking. + </p> + <p> + After tea we took another walk, and this time went along the High Street, + in quest of the house whence Bothwellhaugh fired the shot that killed the + Regent Murray. It has been taken down, however; or, if any part of it + remain, it has been built into and incorporated with a small house of dark + stone, which forms one range with two others that stand a few feet back + from the general line of the street. It is as mean-looking and commonplace + an edifice as is anywhere to be seen, and is now occupied by one Steele, a + tailor. We went under a square arch (if an arch can be square), that goes + quite through the house, and found ourselves in a little court; but it was + not easy to identify anything as connected with the historic event, so we + did but glance about us, and returned into the street. It is here narrow, + and as Bothwellhaugh stood in a projecting gallery, the Regent must have + been within a few yards of the muzzle of his carbine. The street looks as + old as any that I have seen, except, perhaps, a vista here and there in + Chester,—the houses all of stone, many of them tall, with notched + gables, and with stone staircases going up outside, the steps much worn by + feet now dust; a pervading ugliness, which yet does not fail to be + picturesque; a general filth and evil odor of gutters and people, + suggesting sorrowful ideas of what the inner houses must be, when the + outside looks and smells so badly; and, finally, a great rabble of the + inhabitants, talking, idling, sporting, staring about their own thresholds + and those of dram-shops, the town being most alive in the long twilight of + the summer evening. There was nothing uncivil in the deportment of these + dirty people, old or young; but they did stare at us most unmercifully. + </p> + <p> + We walked very late, entering, after all that we had seen, into the palace + grounds, and skirting along Linlithgow Loch, which would be very beautiful + if its banks were made shadowy with trees, instead of being almost bare. + We viewed the palace on the outside, too, and saw what had once been the + principal entrance, but now looked like an arched window, pretty high in + the wall; for it had not been accessible except by a drawbridge. I might + write pages in telling how venerable the ruin, looked, as the twilight + fell deeper and deeper around it; but we have had enough of Linlithgow, + especially as there have been so many old palaces and old towns to write + about, and there will still be more. We left Linlithgow early this + morning, and reached Edinburgh in half an hour. To-morrow I suppose I + shall try to set down what I see; at least, some points of it. + </p> + <p> + July 9th.—Arriving at + </p> + <h3> + EDINBURGH, + </h3> + <p> + and acting under advice of the cabman, we drove to Addison's Alma Hotel, + which we find to be in Prince's Street, having Scott's monument a few + hundred yards below, and the Castle Hill about as much above. + </p> + <p> + The Edinburgh people seem to be accustomed to climb mountains within their + own houses; so we had to mount several staircases before we reached our + parlor, which is a very good one, and commands a beautiful view of + Prince's Street, and of the picturesque old town, and the valley between, + and of the castle on its hill. + </p> + <p> + Our first visit was to the castle, which we reached by going across the + causeway that bridges the valley, and has some edifices of Grecian + architecture on it, contrasting strangely with the nondescript ugliness of + the old town, into which we immediately pass. As this is my second visit + to Edinburgh, I surely need not dwell upon describing it at such length as + if I had never been here before. After climbing up through various wards + of the castle to the topmost battery, where Mons Meg holds her station, + looking like an uncouth dragon,—with a pile of huge stone balls + beside her for eggs,—we found that we could not be admitted to Queen + Mary's apartments, nor to the crown-room, till twelve o'clock; moreover, + that there was no admittance to the crown-room without tickets from the + crown-office, in Parliament Square. There being no help for it, I left my + wife and J——- to wander through the fortress, and came down + through High Street in quest of Parliament Square, which I found after + many inquiries of policemen, and after first going to the Justiciary + Court, where there was a great throng endeavoring to get in; for the trial + of Miss Smith for the murder of her lover is causing great excitement just + now. There was no difficulty made about the tickets, and, returning, found + S——- and J——-; but J——- grew tired of + waiting, and set out to return to our hotel, through the great strange + city, all by himself. Through means of an attendant, we were admitted into + Queen Margaret's little chapel, on the top of the rock; and then we sat + down, in such shelter as there was, to avoid the keen wind, blowing + through the embrasures of the ramparts, and waited as patiently as we + could. + </p> + <p> + Twelve o'clock came, and we went into the crown-room, with a throng of + other visitors,—so many that they could only be admitted in separate + groups. The Regalia of Scotland lie on a circular table within an iron + railing, round and round which the visitors pass, gazing with all their + eyes. The room was dark, however, except for the dim twinkle of a candle + or gaslight; and the regalia did not show to any advantage, though there + are some rich jewels, set in their ancient gold. The articles consist of a + two-handed sword, with a hilt and scabbard of gold, ornamented with gems, + and a mace, with a silver handle, all very beautifully made; besides the + golden collar and jewelled badge of the Garter, and something else which I + forget. Why they keep this room so dark I cannot tell; but it is a poor + show, and gives the spectator an idea of the poverty of Scotland, and the + minuteness of her sovereignty, which I had not gathered from her royal + palaces. + </p> + <p> + Thence we went into Queen Mary's room, and saw that beautiful portrait— + that very queen and very woman—with which I was so much impressed at + my last visit. It is wonderful that this picture does not drive all the + other portraits of Mary out of the field, whatever may be the comparative + proofs of their authenticity. I do not know the history of this one, + except that it is a copy by Sir William Gordon of a picture by an Italian, + preserved at Dunrobin Castle. + </p> + <p> + After seeing what the castle had to show, which is but little except + itself, its rocks, and its old dwellings of princes and prisoners, we came + down through the High Street, inquiring for John Knox's house. It is a + strange-looking edifice, with gables on high, projecting far, and some + sculpture, and inscriptions referring to Knox. There is a tobacconist's + shop in the basement story, where I learned that the house used to be + shown to visitors till within three months, but it is now closed, for some + reason or other. Thence we crossed a bridge into the new town, and came + back through Prince's Street to the hotel, and had a good dinner, as + preparatory to fresh wearinesses; for there is no other weariness at all + to be compared to that of sight-seeing. + </p> + <p> + In mid afternoon we took a cab and drove to Holyrood Palace, which I have + already described, as well as the chapel, and do not mean to meddle with + either of them again. We looked at our faces in the old mirrors that Queen + Mary brought from France with her, and which had often reflected her own + lovely face and figure; and I went up the winding stair through which the + conspirators ascended. This, I think, was not accessible at my former + visit. Before leaving the palace, one of the attendants advised us to see + some pictures in the apartments occupied by the Marquis of Breadalbane + during the queen's residence here. We found some fine old portraits and + other paintings by Vandyke, Sir Peter Lely, Sir Godfrey Kneller, and a + strange head by Rubens, amid all which I walked wearily, wishing that + there were nothing worth looking at in the whole world. My wife differs + altogether from me in this matter; . . . . but we agreed, on this + occasion, in being tired to death. Just as we got through with the + pictures, I became convinced of what I had been dimly suspecting all the + while, namely, that at my last visit to the palace I had seen these + selfsame pictures, and listened to the selfsame woman's civil answers, in + just the selfsame miserable weariness of mood. + </p> + <p> + We left the palace, and toiled up through the dirty Canongate, looking + vainly for a fly, and employing our time, as well as we could, in looking + at the squalid mob of Edinburgh, and peeping down the horrible vistas of + the closes, which were swarming with dirty life, as some mouldy and + half-decayed substance might swarm with insects,—vistas down alleys + where sin, sorrow, poverty, drunkenness, all manner of sombre and sordid + earthly circumstances, had imbued the stone, brick, and wood of the + habitations for hundreds of years. And such a multitude of children too; + that was a most striking feature. + </p> + <p> + After tea I went down into the valley between the old town and the new, + which is now laid out as an ornamental garden, with grass, shrubbery, + flowers, gravelled walks, and frequent seats. Here the sun was setting, + and gilded the old town with its parting rays, making it absolutely the + most picturesque scene possible to be seen. The mass of tall, ancient + houses, heaped densely together, looked like a Gothic dream; for there + seemed to be towers and all sorts of stately architecture, and spires + ascended out of the mass; and above the whole was the castle, with a + diadem of gold on its topmost turret. It wanted less than a quarter of + nine when the last gleam faded from the windows of the old town, and left + the crowd of buildings dim and indistinguishable, to reappear on the + morrow in squalor, lifting their meanness skyward, the home of layer upon + layer of unfortunate humanity. The change symbolized the difference + between a poet's imagination of life in the past—or in a state which + he looks at through a colored and illuminated medium—and the sad + reality. + </p> + <p> + This morning we took a cab, and set forth between ten and eleven to see + Edinburgh and its environs; driving past the University, and other + noticeable objects in the old town, and thence out to Arthur's Seat. + Salisbury Crags are a very singular feature of the outskirts. From the + heights, beneath Arthur's Seat, we had a fine prospect of the sea, with + Leith and Portobello in the distance, and of a fertile plain at the foot + of the hill. In the course of our drive our cabman pointed out + Dumbiedikes' house; also the cottage of Jeanie Deans,—at least, the + spot where it formerly stood; and Muschat's Cairn, of which a small heap + of stones is yet remaining. Near this latter object are the ruins of St. + Anthony's Chapel, a roofless gable, and other remains, standing on the + abrupt hillside. We drove homeward past a parade-ground on which a body of + cavalry was exercising, and we met a company of infantry on their route + thither. Then we drove near Calton Hill, which seems to be not a + burial-ground, although the site of stately monuments. In fine, we passed + through the Grass-Market, where we saw the cross in the pavement in the + street, marking the spot, as I recorded before, where Porteous was + executed. Thence we passed through the Cowgate, all the latter part of our + drive being amongst the tall, quaint edifices of the old town, alike + venerable and squalid. From the Grass-Market the rock of the castle looks + more precipitous than as we had hitherto seen it, and its prisons, + palaces, and barracks approach close to its headlong verge, and form one + steep line with its descent. We drove quite round the Castle Hill, and + returned down Prince's Street to our hotel. There can be no other city in + the world that affords more splendid scenery, both natural and + architectural, than Edinburgh. + </p> + <p> + Then we went to St. Giles's Cathedral, which I shall not describe, it + having been kirkified into three interior divisions by the Covenanters; + and I left my wife to take drawings, while J——- and I went to + Short's Observatory, near the entrance of the castle. Here we saw a + camera-obscura, which brought before us, without our stirring a step, + almost all the striking objects which we had been wandering to and fro to + see. We also saw the mites in cheese, gigantically magnified by a solar + microscope; likewise some dioramic views, with all which I was mightily + pleased, and for myself, being tired to death of sights, I would as lief + see them as anything else. We found, on calling for mamma at St. Giles's, + that she had gone away; but she rejoined us between four and five o'clock + at our hotel, where the next thing we did was to dine. Again after dinner + we walked out, looking at the shop-windows of jewellers, where ornaments + made of cairngorm pebbles are the most peculiar attraction. As it was our + wedding-day, . . . . I gave S——- a golden and amethyst-bodied + cairngorm beetle with a ruby head; and after sitting awhile in Prince's + Street Gardens, we came home. + </p> + <p> + July 10th.—Last evening I walked round the castle rock, and through + the Grass-Market, where I stood on the inlaid cross in the pavement, + thence down the High Street beyond John Knox's house. The throng in that + part of the town was very great. There is a strange fascination in these + old streets, and in the peeps down the closes; but it doubtless would be a + great blessing were a fire to sweep through the whole of ancient + Edinburgh. This system of living on flats, up to I know not what story, + must be most unfavorable to cleanliness, since they have to fetch their + water all that distance towards heaven, and how they get rid of their + rubbish is best known to themselves. + </p> + <p> + My wife has gone to Roslin this morning, and since her departure it has + been drizzly, so that J——- and I, after a walk through the new + part of the town, are imprisoned in our parlor with little resource except + to look across the valley to the castle, where Mons Meg is plainly visible + on the upper platform, and the lower ramparts, zigzagging about the edge + of the precipice, which nearly in front of us is concealed or softened by + a great deal of shrubbery, but farther off descends steeply down to the + grass below. Somewhere on this side of the rock was the point where + Claverhouse, on quitting Edinburgh before the battle of Killiecrankie, + clambered up to hold an interview with the Duke of Gordon. What an + excellent thing it is to have such striking and indestructible landmarks + and time-marks that they serve to affix historical incidents to, and thus, + as it were, nail down the Past for the benefit of all future ages! + </p> + <p> + The old town of Edinburgh appears to be situated, in its densest part, on + the broad back of a ridge, which rises gradually to its termination in the + precipitous rock, on which stands the castle. Between the old town and the + new is the valley, which runs along at the base of this ridge, and which, + in its natural state, was probably rough and broken, like any mountain + gorge. The lower part of the valley, adjacent to the Canongate, is now a + broad hollow space, fitted up with dwellings, shops, or manufactories; the + next portion, between two bridges, is converted into an ornamental garden + free to the public, and contains Scott's beautiful monument,—a + canopy of Gothic arches and a fantastic spire, beneath which he sits, + thoughtful and observant of what passes in the contiguous street; the + third portion of the valley, above the last bridge, is another ornamental + garden, open only to those who have pass-keys. It is an admirable garden, + with a great variety of surface, and extends far round the castle rock, + with paths that lead up to its very base, among leafy depths of shrubbery, + and winds beneath the sheer, black precipice. J——- and I + walked there this forenoon, and took refuge from a shower beneath an + overhanging jut of the rock, where a bench had been placed, and where a + curtain of hanging ivy helped to shelter us. On our return to the hotel, + we found mamma just alighting from a cab. She had had very bad fortune in + her excursion to Roslin, having had to walk a long distance to the chapel, + and being caught in the rain; and, after all, she could only spend seven + minutes in viewing the beautiful Roslin architecture. + </p> + <h3> + MELROSE. + </h3> + <p> + July 11th.—We left Edinburgh, where we had found at Addison's, 87 + Prince's Street, the most comfortable hotel in Great Britain, and went to + Melrose, where we put up at the George. This is all travelled ground with + me, so that I need not much perplex myself with further description, + especially as it is impossible, by any repetition of attempts, to describe + Melrose Abbey. We went thither immediately after tea, and were shown over + the ruins by a very delectable old Scotchman, incomparably the best guide + I ever met with. I think he must take pains to speak the Scotch dialect, + he does it with such pungent felicity and effect, and it gives a flavor to + everything he says, like the mustard and vinegar in a salad. This is not + the man I saw when here before. The Scotch dialect is still, in a greater + or less degree, universally prevalent in Scotland, insomuch that we + generally find it difficult to comprehend the answers to our questions, + though more, I think, from the unusual intonation than either from strange + words or pronunciation. But this old man, though he spoke the most + unmitigated Scotch, was perfectly intelligible,—perhaps because his + speech so well accorded with the classic standard of the Waverley Novels. + Moreover, he is thoroughly acquainted with the Abbey, stone by stone; and + it was curious to see him, as we walked among its aisles, and over the + grass beneath its roofless portions, pick up the withered leaves that had + fallen there, and do other such little things, as a good housewife might + do to a parlor. I have met with two or three instances where the guardian + of an old edifice seemed really to love it, and this was one, although the + old man evidently had a Scotch Covenanter's contempt and dislike of the + faith that founded the Abbey. He repeated King David's dictum that King + David the First was "a sair saint for the crown," as bestowing so much + wealth on religious edifices; but really, unless it be Walter Scott, I + know not any Scotchman who has done so much for his country as this same + St. David. As the founder of Melrose and many other beautiful churches and + abbeys, he left magnificent specimens of the only kind of poetry which the + age knew how to produce; and the world is the better for him to this day,—which + is more, I believe, than can be said of any hero or statesman in Scottish + annals. + </p> + <p> + We went all over the ruins, of course, and saw the marble stone of King + Alexander, and the spot where Bruce's heart is said to be buried, and the + slab of Michael Scott, with the cross engraved upon it; also the + exquisitely sculptured kail-leaves, and other foliage and flowers, with + which the Gothic artists inwreathed this edifice, bestowing more minute + and faithful labor than an artist of these days would do on the most + delicate piece of cabinet-work. We came away sooner than we wished, but we + hoped to return thither this morning; and, for my part, I cherish a + presentiment that this will not be our last visit to Scotland and Melrose. + . . . J——- and I then walked to the Tweed, where we saw two or + three people angling, with naked legs, or trousers turned up, and wading + among the rude stones that make something like a dam over the wide and + brawling stream. I did not observe that they caught any fish, but J——- + was so fascinated with the spectacle that he pulled out his poor little + fishing-line, and wished to try his chance forthwith. I never saw the + angler's instinct stronger in anybody. We walked across the foot-bridge + that here spans the Tweed; and J——- observed that he did not + see how William of Deloraine could have found so much difficulty in + swimming his horse across so shallow a river. Neither do I. It now began + to sprinkle, and we hastened back to the hotel. + </p> + <p> + It was not a pleasant morning; but we started immediately after breakfast + for + </p> + <h3> + ABBOTSFORD, + </h3> + <p> + which is but about three miles distant. The country between Melrose and + that place is not in the least beautiful, nor very noteworthy,—one + or two old irregular villages; one tower that looks principally domestic, + yet partly warlike, and seems to be of some antiquity; and an undulation, + or rounded hilly surface of the landscape, sometimes affording wide vistas + between the slopes. These hills, which, I suppose, are some of them on the + Abbotsford estate, are partly covered with woods, but of Scotch fir, or + some tree of that species, which creates no softened undulation, but + overspreads the hill like a tightly fitting wig. It is a cold, dreary, + disheartening neighborhood, that of Abbotsford; at least, it has appeared + so to me at both of my visits,—one of which was on a bleak and windy + May morning, and this one on a chill, showery morning of midsummer. + </p> + <p> + The entrance-way to the house is somewhat altered since my last visit; and + we now, following the direction of a painted finger on the wall, went + round to a side door in the basement story, where we found an elderly man + waiting as if in expectation of visitors. He asked us to write our names + in a book, and told us that the desk on the leaf of which it lay was the + one in which Sir Walter found the forgotten manuscript of Waverley, while + looking for some fishing-tackle. There was another desk in the room, which + had belonged to the Colonel Gardiner who appears in Waverley. The first + apartment into which our guide showed us was Sir Walter's study, where I + again saw his clothes, and remarked how the sleeve of his old green coat + was worn at the cuff,—a minute circumstance that seemed to bring Sir + Walter very near me. Thence into the library; thence into the + drawing-room, whence, methinks, we should have entered the dining-room, + the most interesting of all, as being the room where he died. But this + room seems not to be shown now. We saw the armory, with the gun of Rob + Roy, into the muzzle of which I put my finger, and found the bore very + large; the beautifully wrought pistol of Claverhouse, and a pair of + pistols that belonged to Napoleon; the sword of Montrose, which I grasped, + and drew half out of the scabbard; and Queen Mary's iron jewel-box, six or + eight inches long, and two or three high, with a lid rounded like that of + a trunk, and much corroded with rust. There is no use in making a + catalogue of these curiosities. The feeling in visiting Abbotsford is not + that of awe; it is little more than going to a museum. I do abhor this + mode of making pilgrimages to the shrines of departed great men. There is + certainly something wrong in it, for it seldom or never produces (in me, + at least) the right feeling. It is an odd truth, too, that a house is + forever after spoiled and ruined as a home, by having been the abode of a + great man. His spirit haunts it, as it were, with a malevolent effect, and + takes hearth and hall away from the nominal possessors, giving all the + world the right to enter there because he had such intimate relations with + all the world. + </p> + <p> + We had intended to go to Dryburgh Abbey; but as the weather more than + threatened rain, . . . . we gave up the idea, and so took the rail for + Berwick, after one o'clock. On our road we passed several ruins in + Scotland, and some in England,—one old castle in particular, + beautifully situated beside a deep-banked stream. The road lies for many + miles along the coast, affording a fine view of the German Ocean, which + was now blue, sunny, and breezy, the day having risen out of its morning + sulks. We waited an hour or more at Berwick, and J——- and I + took a hasty walk into the town. It is a rough and rude assemblage of + rather mean houses, some of which are thatched. There seems to have been a + wall about the town at a former period, and we passed through one of the + gates. The view of the river Tweed here is very fine, both above and below + the railway bridge, and especially where it flows, a broad tide, and + between high banks, into the sea. Thence we went onward along the coast, + as I have said, pausing a few moments in smoky Newcastle, and reaching + Durham about eight o'clock. + </p> + <h3> + DURHAM. + </h3> + <p> + I wandered out in the dusk of the evening,—for the dusk comes on + comparatively early as we draw southward,—and found a beautiful and + shadowy path along the river-side, skirting its high banks, up and adown + which grow noble elms. I could not well see, in that obscurity of twilight + boughs, whither I was going, or what was around me; but I judged that the + castle or cathedral, or both, crowned the highest line of the shore, and + that I was walking at the base of their walls. There was a pair of lovers + in front of me, and I passed two or three other tender couples. The walk + appeared to go on interminably by the river-side, through the same sweet + shadow; but I turned and found my way into the cathedral close, beneath an + ancient archway, whence, issuing again, I inquired my way to the Waterloo + Hotel, where we had put up. + </p> + <p> + ITEMS.—We saw the Norham Castle of Marmion, at a short distance from + the station of the same name. Viewed from the railway, it has not a very + picturesque appearance,—a high, square ruin of what I suppose was + the keep.—At Abbotsford, treasured up in a glass case in the + drawing-room, were memorials of Sir Walter Scott's servants and humble + friends,—for instance, a brass snuff-box of Tom Purdie,—there, + too, among precious relics of illustrious persons.—In the armory, I + grasped with some interest the sword of Sir Adam Ferguson, which he had + worn in the Peninsular war. Our guide said, of his own knowledge, that "he + was a very funny old gentleman." He died only a year or two since. + </p> + <p> + July 11th.—The morning after our arrival in Durham being Sunday, we + attended service in the cathedral. . . . We found a tolerable audience, + seated on benches, within and in front of the choir; and people + continually strayed in and out of the sunny churchyard and sat down, or + walked softly and quietly up and down the side aisle. Sometimes, too, one + of the vergers would come in with a handful of little boys, whom he had + caught playing among the tombstones. + </p> + <h3> + DURHAM CATHEDRAL + </h3> + <p> + has one advantage over the others which I have seen, there being no + organ-screen, nor any sort of partition between the choir and nave; so + that we saw its entire length, nearly five hundred feet, in one vista. The + pillars of the nave are immensely thick, but hardly of proportionate + height, and they support the round Norman arch; nor is there, as far as I + remember, a single pointed arch in the cathedral. The effect is to give + the edifice an air of heavy grandeur. It seems to have been built before + the best style of church architecture had established itself; so that it + weighs upon the soul, instead of helping it to aspire. First, there are + these round arches, supported by gigantic columns; then, immediately + above, another row of round arches, behind which is the usual gallery that + runs, as it were, in the thickness of the wall, around the nave of the + cathedral; then, above all, another row of round arches, enclosing the + windows of the clere-story. The great pillars are ornamented in various + ways,—some with a great spiral groove running from bottom to top; + others with two spirals, ascending in different directions, so as to cross + over one another; some are fluted or channelled straight up and down; some + are wrought with chevrons, like those on the sleeve of a police-inspector. + There are zigzag cuttings and carvings, which I do not know how to name + scientifically, round the arches of the doors and windows; but nothing + that seems to have flowered out spontaneously, as natural incidents of a + grand and beautiful design. In the nave, between the columns of the side + aisles, I saw one or two monuments. . . . + </p> + <p> + The cathedral service is very long; and though the choral part of it is + pleasant enough, I thought it not best to wait for the sermon, especially + as it would have been quite unintelligible, so remotely as I sat in the + great space. So I left my seat, and after strolling up and down the aisle + a few times, sallied forth into the churchyard. On the cathedral door + there is a curious old knocker, in the form of a monstrous face, which was + placed there, centuries ago, for the benefit of fugitives from justice, + who used to be entitled to sanctuary here. The exterior of the cathedral, + being huge, is therefore grand; it has a great central tower, and two at + the western end; and reposes in vast and heavy length, without the + multitude of niches, and crumbling statues, and richness of detail, that + make the towers and fronts of some cathedrals so endlessly interesting. + One piece of sculpture I remember,—a carving of a cow, a milk-maid, + and a monk, in reference to the legend that the site of the cathedral was, + in some way, determined by a woman bidding her cow go home to Dunholme. + Cadmus was guided to the site of his destined city in some such way as + this. + </p> + <p> + It was a very beautiful day, and though the shadow of the cathedral fell + on this side, yet, it being about noontide, it did not cover the + churchyard entirely, but left many of the graves in sunshine. There were + not a great many monuments, and these were chiefly horizontal slabs, some + of which looked aged, but on closer inspection proved to be mostly of the + present century. I observed an old stone figure, however, half worn away, + which seemed to have something like a bishop's mitre on its head, and may + perhaps have lain in the proudest chapel of the cathedral before occupying + its present bed among the grass. About fifteen paces from the central + tower, and within its shadow, I found a weather-worn slab of marble, seven + or eight feet long, the inscription on which interested me somewhat. It + was to the memory of Robert Dodsley, the bookseller, Johnson's + acquaintance, who, as his tombstone rather superciliously avers, had made + a much better figure as an author than "could have been expected in his + rank of life." But, after all, it is inevitable that a man's tombstone + should look down on him, or, at all events, comport itself towards him "de + haut en bas." I love to find the graves of men connected with literature. + They interest me more, even though of no great eminence, than those of + persons far more illustrious in other walks of life. I know not whether + this is because I happen to be one of the literary kindred, or because all + men feel themselves akin, and on terms of intimacy, with those whom they + know, or might have known, in books. I rather believe that the latter is + the case. + </p> + <p> + My wife had stayed in the cathedral, but she came out at the end of the + sermon, and told me of two little birds, who had got into the vast + interior, and were in great trouble at not being able to find their way + out again. Thus, two winged souls may often have been imprisoned within a + faith of heavy ceremonials. + </p> + <p> + We went round the edifice, and, passing into the close, penetrated through + an arched passage into the crypt, which, methought, was in a better style + of architecture than the nave and choir. At one end stood a crowd of + venerable figures leaning against the wall, being stone images of bearded + saints, apostles, patriarchs, kings,—personages of great dignity, at + all events, who had doubtless occupied conspicuous niches in and about the + cathedral till finally imprisoned in this cellar. I looked at every one, + and found not an entire nose among them, nor quite so many heads as they + once had. + </p> + <p> + Thence we went into the cloisters, which are entire, but not particularly + interesting. Indeed, this cathedral has not taken hold of my affections, + except in one aspect, when it was exceedingly grand and beautiful. + </p> + <p> + After looking at the crypt and the cloisters, we returned through the + close and the churchyard, and went back to the hotel through a path by the + river-side. This is the same dim and dusky path through which I wandered + the night before, and in the sunshine it looked quite as beautiful as I + knew it must,— a shadow of elm-trees clothing the high bank, and + overarching the paths above and below; some of the elms growing close to + the water-side, and flinging up their topmost boughs not nearly so high as + where we stood, and others climbing upward and upward, till our way wound + among their roots; while through the foliage the quiet river loitered + along, with this lovely shade on both its banks, to pass through the + centre of the town. The stately cathedral rose high above us, and farther + onward, in a line with it, the battlemented walls of the old Norman + castle, gray and warlike, though now it has become a University. This + delightful walk terminates at an old bridge in the heart of the town; and + the castle hangs immediately over its busiest street. On this bridge, last + night, in the embrasure, or just over the pier, where there is a stone + seat, I saw some old men seated, smoking their pipes and chatting. In my + judgment, a river flowing through the centre of a town, and not too broad + to make itself familiar, nor too swift, but idling along, as if it loved + better to stay there than to go, is the pleasantest imaginable piece of + scenery; so transient as it is, and yet enduring,—just the same from + life's end to life's end; and this river Wear, with its sylvan wildness, + and yet so sweet and placable, is the best of all little rivers,—not + that it is so very small, but with a bosom broad enough to be crossed by a + three-arched bridge. Just above the cathedral there is a mill upon its + shore, as ancient as the times of the Abbey. + </p> + <p> + We went homeward through the market-place and one or two narrow streets; + for the town has the irregularity of all ancient settlements, and, + moreover, undulates upward and downward, and is also made more + unintelligible to a stranger, in its points and bearings, by the tortuous + course of the river. + </p> + <p> + After dinner J——- and I walked along the bank opposite to that + on which the cathedral stands, and found the paths there equally + delightful with those which I have attempted to describe. We went onward + while the river gleamed through the foliage beneath us, and passed so far + beyond the cathedral that we began to think we were getting into the + country, and that it was time to return; when all at once we saw a bridge + before us, and beyond that, on the opposite bank of the Wear, the + cathedral itself! The stream had made a circuit without our knowing it. We + paused upon the bridge, and admired and wondered at the beauty and glory + of the scene, with those vast, ancient towers rising out of the green + shade, and looking as if they were based upon it. The situation of Durham + Cathedral is certainly a noble one, finer even than that of Lincoln, + though the latter stands even at a more lordly height above the town. But + as I saw it then, it was grand, venerable, and sweet, all at once; and I + never saw so lovely and magnificent a scene, nor, being content with this, + do I care to see a better. The castle beyond came also into the view, and + the whole picture was mirrored in the tranquil stream below. And so, + crossing the bridge, the path led us back through many a bower of hollow + shade; and we then quitted the hotel, and took the rail for + </p> + <h3> + YORK, + </h3> + <p> + where we arrived at about half past nine. We put up at the Black Swan, + with which we had already made acquaintance at our previous visit to York. + It is a very ancient hotel; for in the coffee-room I saw on the wall an + old printed advertisement, announcing that a stage-coach would leave the + Black Swan in London, and arrive at the Black Swan in York, with God's + permission, in four days. The date was 1706; and still, after a hundred + and fifty years, the Black Swan receives travellers in Coney Street. It is + a very good hotel, and was much thronged with guests when we arrived, as + the Sessions come on this week. We found a very smart waiter, whose + English faculties have been brightened by a residence of several years in + America. + </p> + <p> + In the morning, before breakfast, I strolled out, and walked round the + cathedral, passing on my way the sheriff's javelin-men, in long gowns of + faded purple embroidered with gold, carrying halberds in their hands; also + a gentleman in a cocked hat, gold-lace, and breeches, who, no doubt, had + something to do with the ceremonial of the Sessions. I saw, too, a + procession of a good many old cabs and other carriages, filled with + people, and a banner flaunting above each vehicle. These were the + piano-forte makers of York, who were going out of town to have a + jollification together. + </p> + <p> + After breakfast we all went to the cathedral, and no sooner were we within + it than we found how much our eyes had recently been educated, by our + greater power of appreciating this magnificent interior; for it impressed + us both with a joy that we never felt before. J——- felt it + too, and insisted that the cathedral must have been altered and improved + since we were last here. But it is only that we have seen much splendid + architecture since then, and so have grown in some degree fitted to enjoy + it. York Cathedral (I say it now, for it is my present feeling) is the + most wonderful work that ever came from the hands of man. Indeed, it seems + like "a house not made with hands," but rather to have come down from + above, bringing an awful majesty and sweetness with it and it is so light + and aspiring, with all its vast columns and pointed arches, that one would + hardly wonder if it should ascend back to heaven again by its mere + spirituality. Positively the pillars and arches of the choir are so very + beautiful that they give the impression of being exquisitely polished, + though such is not the fact; but their beauty throws a gleam around them. + I thank God that I saw this cathedral again, and I thank him that he + inspired the builder to make it, and that mankind has so long enjoyed it, + and will continue to enjoy it. + </p> + <p> + July 14th.—We left York at twelve o'clock, and were delayed an hour + or two at Leeds, waiting for a train. I strolled up into the town, and saw + a fair, with puppet-shows, booths of penny actors, merry-go-rounds, + clowns, boxers, and other such things as I saw, above a year ago, at + Greenwich fair, and likewise at Tranmere, during the Whitsuntide holidays. + </p> + <p> + We resumed our journey, and reached Southport in pretty good trim at about + nine o'clock. It has been a very interesting tour. We find Southport just + as we left it, with its regular streets of little and big lodging-houses, + where the visitors perambulate to and fro without any imaginable object. + The tide, too, seems not to have been up over the waste of sands since we + went away; and far seaward stands the same row of bathing-machines, and + just on the verge of the horizon a gleam of water, —even this being + not the sea, but the mouth of the river Ribble, seeking the sea amid the + sandy desert. But we shall soon say good-by to Southport. + </p> + <h3> + OLD TRAFFORD, MANCHESTER. + </h3> + <p> + July 22d.—We left Southport for good on the 20th, and have + established ourselves in this place, in lodgings that had been provided + for us by Mr. Swain; our principal object being to spend a few weeks in + the proximity of the Arts' Exhibition. We are here, about three miles from + the Victoria Railway station in Manchester on one side, and nearly a mile + from the Exhibition on the other. This is a suburb of Manchester, and + consists of a long street, called the Stratford Road, bordered with brick + houses two stories high, such as are usually the dwellings of tradesmen or + respectable mechanics, but which are now in demand for lodgings, at high + prices, on account of the Exhibition. It seems to be rather a new precinct + of the city, and the houses, though ranged along a continuous street, are + but a brick border of the green fields in the rear. Occasionally you get a + glimpse of this country aspect between two houses; but the street itself, + even with its little grass-plots and bits of shrubbery under the front + windows, is as ugly as it can be made. Some of the houses are better than + I have described; but the brick used here in building is very unsightly in + hue and surface. + </p> + <p> + Betimes in the morning the Exhibition omnibuses begin to trundle along, + and pass at intervals of two and a half minutes through the day,—immense + vehicles constructed to carry thirty-nine passengers, and generally with a + good part of that number inside and out. The omnibuses are painted + scarlet, bordered with white, have three horses abreast, and a conductor + in a red coat. They perform the journey from this point into town in about + half an hour; and yesterday morning, being in a hurry to get to the + railway station, I found that I could outwalk them, taking into account + their frequent stoppages. + </p> + <p> + We have taken the whole house (except some inscrutable holes, into which + the family creeps), of respectable people, who never took lodgers until + this juncture. Their furniture, however, is of the true lodging-house + pattern, sofas and chairs which have no possibility of repose in them; + rickety tables; an old piano and old music, with "Lady Helen Elizabeth" + somebody's name written on it. It is very strange how nothing but a + genuine home can ever look homelike. They appear to be good people; a + little girl of twelve, a daughter, waits on table; and there is an elder + daughter, who yesterday answered the door-bell, looking very like a young + lady, besides five or six smaller children, who make less uproar of grief + or merriment than could possibly be expected. The husband is not apparent, + though I see his hat in the hall. The house is new, and has a trim, + light-colored interior of half-gentility. I suppose the rent, in ordinary + times, might be 25 pounds per annum; but we pay at the rate of 335 pounds + for the part which we occupy. This, like all the other houses in the + neighborhood, was evidently built to be sold or let; the builder never + thought of living in it himself, and so that subtile element, which would + have enabled him to create a home, was entirely left out. + </p> + <p> + This morning, J——- and I set forth on a walk, first towards + the palace of the Arts' Exhibition, which looked small compared with my + idea of it, and seems to be of the Crystal Palace order of architecture, + only with more iron to its glass. Its front is composed of three round + arches in a row. We did not go in. . . . Turning to the right, we walked + onward two or three miles, passing the Botanic Garden, and thence along by + suburban villas, Belgrave terraces, and other such prettinesses in the + modern Gothic or Elizabethan style, with fancifully ornamented + flower-plats before them; thence by hedgerows and fields, and through two + or three villages, with here and there an old plaster and timber-built + thatched house, among a street full of modern brick-fronts,—the + alehouse, or rural inn, being generally the most ancient house in the + village. It was a sultry, heavy day, and I walked without much enjoyment + of the air and exercise. We crossed a narrow and swift river, flowing + between deep banks. It must have been either the Mersey, still an infant + stream, and little dreaming of the thousand mighty ships that float on its + farther tide, or else the Irwell, which empties into the Mersey. We passed + through the village beyond this stream, and went to the railway station, + and then were brought back to Old Trafford, and deposited close by the + Exhibition. + </p> + <p> + It has showered this afternoon; and I beguiled my time for half an hour by + setting down the vehicles that went past; not that they were particularly + numerous, but for the sake of knowing the character of the travel along + the road. + </p> + <p> + July 26th.—Day before yesterday we went to the Arts' Exhibition, of + which I do not think that I have a great deal to say. The edifice, being + built more for convenience than show, appears better in the interior than + from without,—long vaulted vistas, lighted from above, extending far + away, all hung with pictures; and, on the floor below, statues, knights in + armor, cabinets, vases, and all manner of curious and beautiful things, in + a regular arrangement. Scatter five thousand people through the scene, and + I do not know how to make a better outline sketch. I was unquiet, from a + hopelessness of being able to enjoy it fully. Nothing is more depressing + to me than the sight of a great many pictures together; it is like having + innumerable books open before you at once, and being able to read only a + sentence or two in each. They bedazzle one another with cross lights. + There never should be more than one picture in a room, nor more than one + picture to be studied in one day. Galleries of pictures are surely the + greatest absurdities that ever were contrived, there being no excuse for + them, except that it is the only way in which pictures can be made + generally available and accessible. + </p> + <p> + We went first into the Gallery of British Painters, where there were + hundreds of pictures, every one of which would have interested me by + itself; but I could not fix nay mind on one more than another, so I + wandered about, to get a general idea of the Exhibition. Truly it is very + fine; truly, also, every great show is a kind of humbug. I doubt whether + there were half a dozen people there who got the kind of enjoyment that it + was intended to create,—very respectable people they seemed to be, + and very well behaved, but all skimming the surface, as I did, and none of + them so feeding on what was beautiful as to digest it, and make it a part + of themselves. Such a quantity of objects must be utterly rejected before + you can get any real profit from one! It seemed like throwing away time to + look twice even at whatever was most precious; and it was dreary to think + of not fully enjoying this collection, the very flower of Time, which + never bloomed before, and never, by any possibility, can bloom again. + Viewed hastily, moreover, it is somewhat sad to think that mankind, after + centuries of cultivation of the beautiful arts, can produce no more + splendid spectacle than this. It is not so very grand, although, poor as + it is, I lack capacity to take in even the whole of it. + </p> + <p> + What gave me most pleasure (because it required no trouble nor study to + come at the heart of it) were the individual relics of antiquity, of which + there are some very curious ones in the cases ranged along the principal + saloon or nave of the building. For example, the dagger with which Felton + killed the Duke of Buckingham,—a knife with a bone handle and a + curved blade, not more than three inches long; sharp-pointed, + murderous-looking, but of very coarse manufacture. Also, the Duke of + Alva's leading staff of iron; and the target of the Emperor Charles V., + which seemed to be made of hardened leather, with designs artistically + engraved upon it, and gilt. I saw Wolsey's portrait, and, in close + proximity to it, his veritable cardinal's hat in a richly ornamented glass + case, on which was an inscription to the effect that it had been bought by + Charles Kean at the sale of Horace Walpole's collection. It is a felt hat + with a brim about six inches wide all round, and a rather high crown; the + color was, doubtless, a bright red originally, but now it is mottled with + a grayish hue, and there are cracks in the brim, as if the hat had seen a + good deal of wear. I suppose a far greater curiosity than this is the + signet-ring of one of the Pharaohs, who reigned over Egypt during Joseph's + prime ministry,—a large ring to be worn on the thumb, if at all,—of + massive gold, seal part and all, and inscribed with some characters that + looked like Hebrew. I had seen this before in Mr. Mayer's collection in + Liverpool. The mediaeval and English relics, however, interested me more,—such + as the golden and enamelled George worn by Sir Thomas More; or the + embroidered shirt of Charles I.,—the very one, I presume, which he + wore at his execution. There are no blood-marks on it, it being very + nicely washed and folded. The texture of the linen cloth—if linen it + be—is coarser than any peasant would wear at this day, but the + needle-work is exceedingly fine and elaborate. Another relic of the same + period,—the Cavalier General Sir Jacob Astley's buff-coat, with his + belt and sword; the leather of the buff-coat, for I took it between my + fingers, is about a quarter of an inch thick, of the same material as a + wash-leather glove, and by no means smoothly dressed, though the sleeves + are covered with silver-lace. Of old armor, there are admirable specimens; + and it makes one's head ache to look at the iron pots which men used to + thrust their heads into. Indeed, at one period they seem to have worn an + inner iron cap underneath the helmet. I doubt whether there ever was any + age of chivalry. . . . It certainly was no chivalric sentiment that made + men case themselves in impenetrable iron, and ride about in iron prisons, + fearfully peeping at their enemies through little slits and gimlet-holes. + The unprotected breast of a private soldier must have shamed his leaders + in those days. The point of honor is very different now. + </p> + <p> + I mean to go again and again, many times more, and will take each day some + one department, and so endeavor to get some real use and improvement out + of what I see. Much that is most valuable must be immitigably rejected; + but something, according to the measure of my poor capacity, will really + be taken into my mind. After all, it was an agreeable day, and I think the + next one will be more so. + </p> + <p> + July 28th.—Day before yesterday I paid a second visit to the + Exhibition, and devoted the day mainly to seeing the works of British + painters, which fill a very large space,—two or three great saloons + at the right side of the nave. Among the earliest are Hogarth's pictures, + including the Sigismunda, which I remember to have seen before, with her + lover's heart in her hand, looking like a monstrous strawberry; and the + March to Finchley, than which nothing truer to English life and character + was ever painted, nor ever can be; and a large stately portrait of Captain + Coram, and others, all excellent in proportion as they come near to + ordinary life, and are wrought out through its forms. All English painters + resemble Hogarth in this respect. They cannot paint anything high, heroic, + and ideal, and their attempts in that direction are wearisome to look at; + but they sometimes produce good effects by means of awkward figures in + ill-made coats and small-clothes, and hard, coarse-complexioned faces, + such as they might see anywhere in the street. They are strong in + homeliness and ugliness, weak in their efforts at the beautiful. Sir + Thomas Lawrence attains a sort of grace, which you feel to be a trick, and + therefore get disgusted with it. Reynolds is not quite genuine, though + certainly he has produced some noble and beautiful heads. But Hogarth is + the only English painter, except in the landscape department; there are no + others who interpret life to me at all, unless it be some of the modern + Pre-Raphaelites. Pretty village scenes of common life,—pleasant + domestic passages, with a touch of easy humor in them,—little + pathoses and fancynesses, are abundant enough; and Wilkie, to be sure, has + done more than this, though not a great deal more. His merit lies, not in + a high aim, but in accomplishing his aim so perfectly. It is unaccountable + that the English painters' achievements should be so much inferior to + those of the English poets, who have really elevated the human mind; but, + to be sure, painting has only become an English art subsequently to the + epochs of the greatest poets, and since the beginning of the last century, + during which England had no poets. I respect Haydon more than I once did, + not for his pictures, they being detestable to see, but for his heroic + rejection of whatever his countrymen and he himself could really do, and + his bitter resolve to achieve something higher,— failing in which, + he died. + </p> + <p> + No doubt I am doing vast injustice to a great many gifted men in what I + have here written,—as, for instance, Copley, who certainly has + painted a slain man to the life; and to a crowd of landscape-painters, who + have made wonderful reproductions of little English streams and shrubbery, + and cottage doors and country lanes. And there is a picture called "The + Evening Gun" by Danby,—a ship of war on a calm, glassy tide, at + sunset, with the cannon-smoke puffing from her porthole; it is very + beautiful, and so effective that you can even hear the report breaking + upon the stillness, with so grand a roar that it is almost like stillness + too. As for Turner, I care no more for his light-colored pictures than for + so much lacquered ware or painted gingerbread. Doubtless this is my fault, + my own deficiency; but I cannot help it,—not, at least, without + sophisticating myself by the effort. The only modern pictures that + accomplish a higher end than that of pleasing the eye—the only ones + that really take hold of my mind, and with a kind of acerbity, like unripe + fruit—are the works of Hunt, and one or two other painters of the + Pre-Raphaelite school. They seem wilfully to abjure all beauty, and to + make their pictures disagreeable out of mere malice; but at any rate, for + the thought and feeling which are ground up with the paint, they will bear + looking at, and disclose a deeper value the longer you look. Never was + anything so stiff and unnatural as they appear; although every single + thing represented seems to be taken directly out of life and reality, and, + as it were, pasted down upon the canvas. They almost paint even separate + hairs. Accomplishing so much, and so perfectly, it seems unaccountable + that the picture does not live; but Nature has an art beyond these + painters, and they leave out some medium,—some enchantment that + should intervene, and keep the object from pressing so baldly and harshly + upon the spectator's eyeballs. With the most lifelike reproduction, there + is no illusion. I think if a semi-obscurity were thrown over the picture + after finishing it to this nicety, it might bring it nearer to nature. I + remember a heap of autumn leaves, every one of which seems to have been + stiffened with gum and varnish, and then put carefully down into the + stiffly disordered heap. Perhaps these artists may hereafter succeed in + combining the truth of detail with a broader and higher truth. Coming from + such a depth as their pictures do, and having really an idea as the seed + of them, it is strange that they should look like the most made-up things + imaginable. One picture by Hunt that greatly interested me was of some + sheep that had gone astray among heights and precipices, and I could have + looked all day at these poor, lost creatures,—so true was their meek + alarm and hopeless bewilderment, their huddling together, without the + slightest confidence of mutual help; all that the courage and wisdom of + the bravest and wisest of them could do being to bleat, and only a few + having spirits enough even for this. + </p> + <p> + After going through these modern masters, among whom were some French + painters who do not interest me at all, I did a miscellaneous business, + chiefly among the water-colors and photographs, and afterwards among the + antiquities and works of ornamental art. I have forgotten what I saw, + except the breastplate and helmet of Henry of Navarre, of steel, engraved + with designs that have been half obliterated by scrubbing. I remember, + too, a breastplate of an Elector of Saxony, with a bullet-hole through it. + He received his mortal wound through that hole, and died of it two days + afterwards, three hundred years ago. + </p> + <p> + There was a crowd of visitors, insomuch that, it was difficult to get a + satisfactory view of the most interesting objects. They were nearly all + middling-class people; the Exhibition, I think, does not reach the lower + classed at all; in fact, it could not reach them, nor their betters + either, without a good deal of study to help it out. I shall go to-day, + and do my best to get profit out of it. + </p> + <p> + July 30th.—We all, with R——- and Fanny, went to the + Exhibition yesterday, and spent the day there; not J——-, + however, for he went to the Botanical Gardens. After some little + skirmishing with other things, I devoted myself to the historical + portraits, which hang on both sides of the great nave, and went through + them pretty faithfully. The oldest are pictures of Richard II. and Henry + IV. and Edward IV. and Jane Shore, and seem to have little or no merit as + works of art, being cold and stiff, the life having, perhaps, faded out of + them; but these older painters were trustworthy, inasmuch as they had no + idea of making a picture, but only of getting the face before them on + canvas as accurately as they could. All English history scarcely supplies + half a dozen portraits before the time of Henry VIII.; after that period, + and through the reigns of Elizabeth and James, there are many ugly + pictures by Dutchmen and Italians; and the collection is wonderfully rich + in portraits of the time of Charles I. and the Commonwealth. Vandyke seems + to have brought portrait-painting into fashion; and very likely the king's + love of art diffused a taste for it throughout the nation, and remotely + suggested, even to his enemies, to get their pictures painted. Elizabeth + has perpetuated her cold, thin visage on many canvases, and generally with + some fantasy of costume that makes her ridiculous to all time. There are + several of Mary of Scotland, none of which have a gleam of beauty; but the + stiff old brushes of these painters could not catch the beautiful. Of all + the older pictures, the only one that I took pleasure in looking at was a + portrait of Lord Deputy Falkland, by Vansomer, in James I.'s time,—a + very stately, full-length figure in white, looking out of the picture as + if he saw you. The catalogue says that this portrait suggested an incident + in Horace Walpole's Castle of Otranto; but I do not remember it. + </p> + <p> + I have a haunting doubt of the value of portrait-painting; that is to say, + whether it gives you a genuine idea of the person purporting to be + represented. I do not remember ever to have recognized a man by having + previously seen his portrait. Vandyke's pictures are full of grace and + nobleness, but they do not look like Englishmen,—the burly, rough, + wine-flushed and weather-reddened faces, and sturdy flesh and blood, which + we see even at the present day, when they must naturally have become a + good deal refined from either the country gentleman or the courtier of the + Stuarts' age. There is an old, fat portrait of Gervoyse Holles, in a + buff-coat,—a coarse, hoggish, yet manly man. The painter is unknown; + but I honor him, and Gervoyse Holles too,—for one was willing to be + truly rendered, and the other dared to do it. It seems to be the aim of + portrait-painters generally, especially of those who have been most + famous, to make their pictures as beautiful and noble as can anywise + consist with retaining the very slightest resemblance to the person + sitting to them. They seldom attain even the grace and beauty which they + aim at, but only hit some temporary or individual taste. Vandyke, however, + achieved graces that rise above time and fashion, and so did Sir Peter + Lely, in his female portraits; but the doubt is, whether the works of + either are genuine history. Not more so, I suspect, than the narrative of + a historian who should seek to make poetry out of the events which he + relates, rejecting those which could not possibly be thus idealized. + </p> + <p> + I observe, furthermore, that a full-length portrait has seldom face + enough; not that it lacks its fair proportion by measurement, but the + artist does not often find it possible to make the face so intellectually + prominent as to subordinate the figure and drapery. Vandyke does this, + however. In his pictures of Charles I., for instance, it is the melancholy + grace of the visage that attracts the eye, and it passes to the rest of + the composition only by an effort. Earlier and later pictures are but a + few inches of face to several feet of figure and costume, and more + insignificant than the latter because seldom so well done; and I suspect + the same would generally be the case now, only that the present simplicity + of costume gives the face a chance to be seen. + </p> + <p> + I was interrupted here, and cannot resume the thread; but considering how + much of his own conceit the artist puts into a portrait, how much + affectation the sitter puts on, and then again that no face is the same to + any two spectators; also, that these portraits are darkened and faded with + age, and can seldom be more than half seen, being hung too high, or + somehow or other inconvenient, on the whole, I question whether there is + much use in looking at them. The truest test would be, for a man well read + in English history and biography, and himself an observer of insight, to + go through the series without knowing what personages they represented, + and write beneath each the name which the portrait vindicated for itself. + </p> + <p> + After getting through the portrait-gallery, I went among the engravings + and photographs, and then glanced along the old masters, but without + seriously looking at anything. While I was among the Dutch painters, a + gentleman accosted me. It was Mr. J———, whom I once met + at dinner with Bennoch. He told me that "the Poet Laureate" (as he called + him) was in the Exhibition rooms; and as I expressed great interest, Mr. J——— + was kind enough to go in quest of him. Not for the purpose of + introduction, however, for he was not acquainted with Tennyson. Soon Mr. J——— + returned, and said that he had found the Poet Laureate,—and, going + into the saloon of the old masters, we saw him there, in company with Mr. + Woolner, whose bust of him is now in the Exhibition. + </p> + <p> + Gazing at him with all my eyes, I liked him well, and rejoiced more in him + than in all the other wonders of the Exhibition. + </p> + <p> + How strange that in these two or three pages I cannot get one single touch + that may call him up hereafter! + </p> + <p> + I would most gladly have seen more of this one poet of our day, but + forbore to follow him; for I must own that it seemed mean to be dogging + him through the saloons, or even to look at him, since it was to be done + stealthily, if at all. + </p> + <p> + He is as un-English as possible; indeed an Englishman of genius usually + lacks the national characteristics, and is great abnormally. Even the + great sailor, Nelson, was unlike his countrymen in the qualities that + constituted him a hero; he was not the perfection of an Englishman, but a + creature of another kind,—sensitive, nervous, excitable, and really + more like a Frenchman. + </p> + <p> + Un-English as he was, Tennyson had not, however, an American look. I + cannot well describe the difference; but there was something more mellow + in him,—softer, sweeter, broader, more simple than we are apt to be. + Living apart from men as he does would hurt any one of us more than it + does him. I may as well leave him here, for I cannot touch the central + point. + </p> + <p> + August 2d.—Day before yesterday I went again to the Exhibition, and + began the day with looking at the old masters. Positively, I do begin to + receive some pleasure from looking at pictures; but as yet it has nothing + to do with any technical merit, nor do I think I shall ever get so far as + that. Some landscapes by Ruysdael, and some portraits by Murillo, + Velasquez, and Titian, were those which I was most able to appreciate; and + I see reason for allowing, contrary to my opinion, as expressed a few + pages back, that a portrait may preserve some valuable characteristics of + the person represented. The pictures in the English portrait-gallery are + mostly very bad, and that may be the reason why I saw so little in them. I + saw too, at this last visit, a Virgin and Child, which appeared to me to + have an expression more adequate to the subject than most of the + innumerable virgins and children, in which we see only repetitions of + simple maternity; indeed, any mother, with her first child, would serve an + artist for one of them. But, in this picture the Virgin had a look as if + she were loving the infant as her own child, and at the same time + rendering him an awful worship, as to her Creator. + </p> + <p> + While I was sitting in the central saloon, listening to the music, a young + man accosted me, presuming that I was so-and-so, the American author. He + himself was a traveller for a publishing firm; and he introduced + conversation by talking of Uttoxeter, and my description of it in an + annual. He said that the account had caused a good deal of pique among the + good people of Uttoxeter, because of the ignorance which I attribute to + them as to the circumstance which connects Johnson with their town. The + spot where Johnson stood can, it appears, still be pointed out. It is on + one side of the market-place, and not in the neighborhood of the church. I + forget whether I recorded, at the time, that an Uttoxeter newspaper was + sent me, containing a proposal that a statue or memorial should be erected + on the spot. It would gratify me exceedingly if such a result should come + from my pious pilgrimage thither. + </p> + <p> + My new acquaintance, who was cockneyish, but very intelligent and + agreeable, went on to talk about many literary matters and characters; + among others, about Miss Bronte, whom he had seen at the Chapter + Coffee-House, when she and her sister Anne first went to London. He was at + that time connected with the house of ——— and ———, + and he described the surprise and incredulity of Mr.———, + when this little, commonplace-looking woman presented herself as the + author of Jane Eyre. His story brought out the insignificance of Charlotte + Bronte's aspect, and the bluff rejection of her by Mr. ———, + much more strongly than Mrs. Gaskell's narrative. + </p> + <p> + Chorlton Road, August 9th.—We have changed our lodgings since my + last date, those at Old Trafford being inconvenient, and the landlady a + sharp, peremptory housewife, better fitted to deal with her own family + than to be complaisant to guests. We are now a little farther from the + Exhibition, and not much better off as regards accommodation, but the + housekeeper is a pleasant, civil sort of a woman, auspiciously named Mrs. + Honey. The house is a specimen of the poorer middle-class dwellings as + built nowadays,—narrow staircase, thin walls, and, being constructed + for sale, very ill put together indeed,—the floors with wide cracks + between the boards, and wide crevices admitting both air and light over + the doors, so that the house is full of draughts. The outer walls, it + seems to me, are but of one brick in thickness, and the partition walls + certainly no thicker; and the movements, and sometimes the voices, of + people in the contiguous house are audible to us. The Exhibition has + temporarily so raised the value of lodgings here that we have to pay a + high price for even such a house as this. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Wilding having gone on a tour to Scotland, I had to be at the + Consulate every day last week till yesterday; when I absented myself from + duty, and went to the Exhibition. U—— and I spent an hour + together, looking principally at the old Dutch masters, who seem to me the + most wonderful set of men that ever handled a brush. Such lifelike + representations of cabbages, onions, brass kettles, and kitchen crockery; + such blankets, with the woollen fuzz upon them; such everything I never + thought that the skill of man could produce! Even the photograph cannot + equal their miracles. The closer you look, the more minutely true the + picture is found to be, and I doubt if even the microscope could see + beyond the painter's touch. Gerard Dow seems to be the master among these + queer magicians. A straw mat, in one of his pictures, is the most + miraculous thing that human art has yet accomplished; and there is a metal + vase, with a dent in it, that is absolutely more real than reality. These + painters accomplish all they aim at,—a praise, methinks, which can + be given to no other men since the world began. They must have laid down + their brushes with perfect satisfaction, knowing that each one of their + million touches had been necessary to the effect, and that there was not + one too few nor too many. And it is strange how spiritual and suggestive + the commonest household article—an earthen pitcher, for example— + becomes, when represented with entire accuracy. These Dutchmen got at the + soul of common things, and so made them types and interpreters of the + spiritual world. + </p> + <p> + Afterwards I looked at many of the pictures of the old masters, and found + myself gradually getting a taste for them; at least, they give me more and + more pleasure the oftener I come to see them. Doubtless, I shall be able + to pass for a man of taste by the time I return to America. It is an + acquired taste, like that for wines; and I question whether a man is + really any truer, wiser, or better for possessing it. From the old + masters, I went among the English painters, and found myself more + favorably inclined towards some of them than at my previous visits; seeing + something wonderful even in Turner's lights and mists and yeasty waves, + although I should like him still better if his pictures looked in the + least like what they typify. The most disagreeable of English painters is + Etty, who had a diseased appetite for woman's flesh, and spent his whole + life, apparently, in painting them with enormously developed busts. I do + not mind nudity in a modest and natural way; but Etty's women really + thrust their nudity upon you with malice aforethought, . . . . and the + worst of it is they are not beautiful. + </p> + <p> + Among the last pictures that I looked at was Hogarth's March to Finchley; + and surely nothing can be covered more thick and deep with English nature + than that piece of canvas. The face of the tall grenadier in the centre, + between two women, both of whom have claims on him, wonderfully expresses + trouble and perplexity; and every touch in the picture meant something and + expresses what it meant. + </p> + <p> + The price of admission, after two o'clock, being sixpence, the Exhibition + was thronged with a class of people who do not usually come in such large + numbers. It was both pleasant and touching to see how earnestly some of + them sought to get instruction from what they beheld. The English are a + good and simple people, and take life in earnest. + </p> + <p> + August 14th.—Passing by the gateway of the Manchester Cathedral the + other morning, on my way to the station, I found a crowd collected, and, + high overhead, the bells were chiming for a wedding. These chimes of bells + are exceedingly impressive, so broadly gladsome as they are, filling the + whole air, and every nook of one's heart with sympathy. They are good for + a people to rejoice with, and good also for a marriage, because through + all their joy there is something solemn,—a tone of that voice which + we have heard so often at funerals. It is good to see how everybody, up to + this old age of the world, takes an interest in weddings, and seems to + have a faith that now, at last, a couple have come together to make each + other happy. The high, black, rough old cathedral tower sent out its chime + of bells as earnestly as for any bridegroom and bride that came to be + married five hundred years ago. I went into the churchyard, but there was + such a throng of people on its pavement of flat tombstones, and especially + such a cluster along the pathway by which the bride was to depart, that I + could only see a white dress waving along, and really do not know whether + she was a beauty or a fright. The happy pair got into a post-chaise that + was waiting at the gate, and immediately drew some crimson curtains, and + so vanished into their Paradise. There were two other post-chaises and + pairs, and all three had postilions in scarlet. This is the same cathedral + where, last May, I saw a dozen couples married in the lump. + </p> + <p> + In a railway carriage, two or three days ago, an old merchant made rather + a good point of one of the uncomfortable results of the electric + telegraph. He said that formerly a man was safe from bad news, such as + intelligence of failure of debtors, except at the hour of opening his + letters in the morning; and then he was in some degree prepared for it, + since, among (say) fifteen letters, he would be pretty certain to find + some "queer" one. But since the telegraph has come into play, he is never + safe, and may be hit with news of failure, shipwreck, fall of stocks, or + whatever disaster, at all hours of the day. + </p> + <p> + I went to the Exhibition on Wednesday with U——, and looked at + the pencil sketches of the old masters; also at the pictures generally, + old and new. I particularly remember a spring landscape, by John Linnell + the younger. It is wonderfully good; so tender and fresh that the artist + seems really to have caught the evanescent April and made her permanent. + Here, at least, is eternal spring. + </p> + <p> + I saw a little man, behind an immense beard, whom I take to be the Duke of + Newcastle; at least, there was a photograph of him in the gallery, with + just such a beard. He was at the Palace on that day. + </p> + <p> + August 16th.—I went again to the Exhibition day before yesterday, + and looked much at both the modern and ancient pictures, as also at the + water-colors. I am making some progress as a connoisseur, and have got so + far as to be able to distinguish the broader differences of style,— + as, for example, between Rubens and Rembrandt. I should hesitate to claim + any more for myself thus far. In fact, however, I do begin to have a + liking for good things, and to be sure that they are good. Murillo seems + to me about the noblest and purest painter that ever lived, and his "Good + Shepherd" the loveliest picture I have seen. It is a hopeful symptom, + moreover, of improving taste, that I see more merit in the crowd of + painters than I was at first competent to acknowledge. I could see some of + their defects from the very first; but that is the earliest stage of + connoisseurship, after a formal and ignorant admiration. Mounting a few + steps higher, one sees beauties. But how much study, how many + opportunities, are requisite to form and cultivate a taste! The Exhibition + must be quite thrown away on the mass of spectators. + </p> + <p> + Both they and I are better able to appreciate the specimens of ornamental + art contained in the Oriental Room, and in the numerous cases that are + ranged up and down the nave. The gewgaws of all Time are here, in precious + metals, glass, china, ivory, and every other material that could be + wrought into curious and beautiful shapes; great basins and dishes of + embossed gold from the Queen's sideboard, or from the beaufets of + noblemen; vessels set with precious stones; the pastoral staffs of + prelates, some of them made of silver or gold, and enriched with gems, and + what have been found in the tombs of the bishops; state swords, and silver + maces; the rich plate of colleges, elaborately wrought,—great cups, + salvers, tureens, that have been presented by loving sons to their Alma + Mater; the heirlooms of old families, treasured from generation to + generation, and hitherto only to be seen by favored friends; famous + historical jewels, some of which are painted in the portraits of the + historical men and women that hang on the walls; numerous specimens of the + beautiful old Venetian glass, some of which looks so fragile that it is a + wonder how it could bear even the weight of the wine, that used to be + poured into it, without breaking. These are the glasses that tested + poison, by being shattered into fragments at its touch. The strangest and + ugliest old crockery, pictured over with monstrosities,—the Palissy + ware, embossed with vegetables, fishes, lobsters, that look absolutely + real; the delicate Sevres china, each piece made inestimable by pictures + from a master's hand;—in short, it is a despair and misery to see so + much that is curious and beautiful, and to feel that far the greater + portion of it will slip out of the memory, and be as if we had never seen + it. But I mean to look again and again at these things. We soon perceive + that the present day does not engross all the taste and ingenuity that has + ever existed in the mind of man; that, in fact, we are a barren age in + that respect. + </p> + <p> + August 20th.—I went to the Exhibition on Monday, and again + yesterday, and measurably enjoyed both visits. I continue to think, + however, that a picture cannot be fully enjoyed except by long and + intimate acquaintance with it, nor can I quite understand what the + enjoyment of a connoisseur is. He is not usually, I think, a man of deep, + poetic feeling, and does not deal with the picture through his heart, nor + set it in a poem, nor comprehend it morally. If it be a landscape, he is + not entitled to judge of it by his intimacy with nature; if a picture of + human action, he has no experience nor sympathy of life's deeper passages. + However, as my acquaintance with pictures increases, I find myself + recognizing more and more the merit of the acknowledged masters of the + art; but, possibly, it is only because I adopt the wrong principles which + may have been laid down by the connoisseurs. But there can be no mistake + about Murillo,— not that I am worthy to admire him yet, however. + </p> + <p> + Seeing the many pictures of Holy Families, and the Virgin and Child, which + have been painted for churches and convents, the idea occurs, that it was + in this way that the poor monks and nuns gratified, as far as they could, + their natural longing for earthly happiness. It was not Mary and her + heavenly Child that they really beheld, or wished for; but an earthly + mother rejoicing over her baby, and displaying it probably to the world as + an object worthy to be admired by kings,—as Mary does, in the + Adoration of the Magi. Every mother, I suppose, feels as if her first + child deserved everybody's worship. + </p> + <p> + I left the Exhibition at three o'clock, and went to Manchester, where I + sought out Mr. C S———- in his little office. He greeted + me warmly, and at five we took the omnibus for his house, about four miles + from town. He seems to be on pleasant terms with his neighbors, for almost + everybody that got into the omnibus exchanged kindly greetings with him, + and indeed his kindly, simple, genial nature comes out so evidently that + it would be difficult not to like him. His house stands, with others, in a + green park,—a small, pretty, semi-detached suburban residence of + brick, with a lawn and garden round it. In close vicinity, there is a deep + clough or dell, as shaggy and wild as a poet could wish, and with a little + stream running through it, as much as five miles long. + </p> + <p> + The interior of the house is very pretty, and nicely, even handsomely and + almost sumptuously, furnished; and I was very glad to find him so + comfortable. His recognition as a poet has been hearty enough to give him + a feeling of success, for he showed me various tokens of the estimation in + which he is held,—for instance, a presentation copy of Southey's + works, in which the latter had written "Amicus amico,—poeta poetae." + He said that Southey had always been most kind to him. . . . There were + various other testimonials from people of note, American as well as + English. In his parlor there is a good oil-painting of himself, and in the + drawing-room a very fine crayon sketch, wherein his face, handsome and + agreeable, is lighted up with all a poet's ecstasy; likewise a large and + fine engraving from the picture. The government has recognized his poetic + merit by a pension of fifty pounds,—a small sung, it is true, but + enough to mark him out as one who has deserved well of his country. . . . + The man himself is very good and lovable. . . . I was able to gratify him + by saying that I had recently seen many favorable notices of his poems in + the American newspapers; an edition having been published a few months + since on our side of the ocean. He was much pleased at this, and asked me + to send him the notices. . . . + </p> + <p> + August 30th.—I have been two or three times to the Exhibition since + my last date, and enjoy it more as I become familiar with it. There is + supposed to be about a third of the good pictures here which England + contains; and it is said that the Tory nobility and gentry have + contributed to it much more freely and largely than the Whigs. The Duke of + Devonshire, for instance, seems to have sent nothing. Mr. Ticknor, the + Spanish historian, whom I met yesterday, observed that we should not think + quite so much of this Exhibition as the English do after we have been to + Italy, although it is a good school in which to gain a preparatory + knowledge of the different styles of art. I am glad to hear that there are + better things still to be seen. Nevertheless, I should suppose that + certain painters are better represented here than they ever have been or + will be elsewhere. Vandyke, certainly, can be seen nowhere else so well; + Rembrandt and Rubens have satisfactory specimens; and the whole series of + English pictorial achievement is shown more perfectly than within any + other walls. Perhaps it would be wise to devote myself to the study of + this latter, and leave the foreigners to be studied on their own soil. + Murillo can hardly have done better than in the pictures by him which we + see here. There is nothing of Raphael's here that is impressive. Titian + has some noble portraits, but little else that I care to see. In all these + old masters, Murillo only excepted, it is very rare, I must say, to find + any trace of natural feeling and passion; and I am weary of naked + goddesses, who never had any real life and warmth in the painter's + imagination,—or, if so, it was the impure warmth of an unchaste + woman, who sat for him. + </p> + <p> + Last week I dined at Mr. F. Heywood's to meet Mr. Adolphus, the author of + a critical work on the Waverley Novels, published long ago, and intended + to prove, from internal evidence, that they were written by Sir Walter + Scott. . . . His wife was likewise of the party, . . . . and also a young + Spanish lady, their niece, and daughter of a Spaniard of literary note. + She herself has literary tastes and ability, and is well known to + Prescott, whom, I believe, she has assisted in his historical researches, + and also to Professor Ticknor; and furthermore she is very handsome and + unlike an English damsel, very youthful and maiden-like; and her manners + have all ardor and enthusiasm that were pleasant to see, especially as she + spoke warmly of my writings; and yet I should wrong her if I left the + impression of her being forthputting and obtrusive, for it was not the + fact in the least. She speaks English like a native, insomuch that I + should never have suspected her to be anything else. + </p> + <p> + My nerves recently have not been in an exactly quiet and normal state. I + begin to weary of England and need another clime. + </p> + <p> + September 6th.—I think I paid my last visit to the Exhibition, and + feel as if I had had enough of it, although I have got but a small part of + the profit it might have afforded me. But pictures are certainly quite + other things to me now from what they were at my first visit; it seems + even as if there were a sort of illumination within them, that makes me + see them more distinctly. Speaking of pictures, the miniature of Anne of + Cleves is here, on the faith of which Henry VIII. married her; also, the + picture of the Infanta of Spain, which Buckingham brought over to Charles + I. while Prince of Wales. This has a delicate, rosy prettiness. + </p> + <p> + One rather interesting portion of the Exhibition is the Refreshment-room, + or rather rooms; for very much space is allowed both to the first and + second classes. I have looked most at the latter, because there John Ball + and his wife may be seen in full gulp aid guzzle, swallowing vast + quantities of cold boiled beef, thoroughly moistened with porter or bitter + ale; and very good meat and drink it is. + </p> + <p> + At my last visit, on Friday, I met Judge Pollock of Liverpool, who + introduced me to a gentleman in a gray slouched hat as Mr. Du Val, an + artist, resident in Manchester; and Mr. Du Val invited me to dine with him + at six o'clock. So I went to Carlton Grove, his residence, and found it a + very pretty house, with its own lawn and shrubbery about it. . . . There + was a mellow fire in the grate, which made the drawing-room very cosey and + pleasant, as the dusk came on before dinner. Mr. Du Val looked like an + artist, and like a remarkable man. . . . We had very good talk, chiefly + about the Exhibition, and Du Val spoke generously and intelligently of his + brother-artists. He says that England might furnish five exhibitions, each + one as rich as the present. I find that the most famous picture here is + one that I have hardly looked at, "The Three Marys," by Annibal Caracci. + In the drawing-room there were several pictures and sketches by Du Val, + one of which I especially liked,—a misty, moonlight picture of the + Mersey, near Seacombe. I never saw painted such genuine moonlight. . . . + </p> + <p> + I took my leave at half past ten, and found my cab at the door, and my + cabman snugly asleep inside of it; and when Mr. Du Val awoke him, he + proved to be quite drunk, insomuch that I hesitated whether to let him + clamber upon the box, or to take post myself, and drive the cabman home. + However, I propounded two questions to him: first, whether his horse would + go of his own accord; and, secondly, whether he himself was invariably + drunk at that time of night, because, if it were his normal state, I + should be safer with him drunk than sober. Being satisfied on these + points, I got in, and was driven home without accident or adventure; + except, indeed, that the cabman drew up and opened the door for me to + alight at a vacant lot on Stratford Road, just as if there had been a + house and home and cheerful lighted windows in that vacancy. On my + remonstrance he resumed the whip and reins, and reached Boston Terrace at + last; and, thanking me for an extra sixpence as well as he could speak, he + begged me to inquire for "Little John" whenever I next wanted a cab. + Cabmen are, as a body, the most ill-natured and ungenial men in the world; + but this poor little man was excellently good-humored. + </p> + <p> + Speaking of the former rudeness of manners, now gradually refining away, + of the Manchester people, Judge ——— said that, when he + first knew Manchester, women, meeting his wife in the street, would take + hold of her dress and say, "Ah, three and sixpence a yard!" The men were + very rough, after the old Lancashire fashion. They have always, however, + been a musical people, and this may have been a germ of refinement in + them. They are still much more simple and natural than the Liverpool + people, who love the aristocracy, and whom they heartily despise. It is + singular that the great Art-Exhibition should have come to pass in the + rudest great town in England. + </p> + <h3> + LEAMINGTON. + </h3> + <p> + Lansdowne Cirrus, September 10th.—We have become quite weary of our + small, mean, uncomfortable, and unbeautiful lodgings at Chorlton Road, + with poor and scanty furniture within doors, and no better prospect from + the parlor windows than a mud-puddle, larger than most English lakes, on a + vacant building-lot opposite our house. The Exhibition, too, was fast + becoming a bore; for you must really love a picture, in order to tolerate + the sight of it many times. Moreover, the smoky and sooty air of that + abominable Manchester affected my wife's throat disadvantageously; so, on + a Tuesday morning, we struck our tent and set forth again, regretting to + leave nothing except the kind disposition of Mrs. Honey, our housekeeper. + I do not remember meeting with any other lodging-house keeper who did not + grow hateful and fearful on short acquaintance; but I attribute this, not + so much to the people themselves, as, primarily, to the unfair and + ungenerous conduct of some of their English guests, who feel so sure of + being cheated that they always behave as if in an enemy's country, and + therefore they find it one. + </p> + <p> + The rain poured down upon us as we drove away in two cabs, laden with + mountainous luggage to the London Road station; and the whole day was grim + with cloud and moist with showers. We went by way of Birmingham, and + stayed three hours at the great dreary station there, waiting for the + train to Leamington, whither Fanny had gone forward the day before to + secure lodgings for us (as she is English, and understands the matter) We + all were tired and dull by the time we reached the Leamington station, + where a note from Fanny gave us the address of our lodgings. Lansdowne + Circus is really delightful after that ugly and grimy suburb of + Manchester. Indeed, there could not possibly be a greater contrast than + between Leamington and Manchester,—the latter built only for dirty + uses, and scarcely intended as a habitation for man; the former so + cleanly, so set out with shade trees, so regular in its streets, so neatly + paved, its houses so prettily contrived and nicely stuccoed, that it does + not look like a portion of the work-a-day world. + </p> + <h3> + KENILWORTH. + </h3> + <p> + September 13th.—The weather was very uncertain through the last + week, and yesterday morning, too, was misty and sunless; notwithstanding + which we took the rail for Kenilworth before eleven. The distance from + Leamington is less than five miles, and at the Kenilworth station we found + a little bit of an omnibus, into which we packed ourselves, together with + two ladies, one of whom, at least, was an American. I begin to agree + partly with the English, that we are not a people of elegant manners. At + all events there is sometimes a bare, hard, meagre sort of deportment, + especially in our women, that has not its parallel elsewhere. But perhaps + what sets off this kind of behavior, and brings it into alto relievo, is + the fact of such uncultivated persons travelling abroad, and going to see + sights that would not be interesting except to people of some education + and refinement. + </p> + <p> + We saw but little of the village of Kenilworth, passing through it + sidelong fashion, in the omnibus; but I learn that it has between three + and four thousand inhabitants, and is of immemorial antiquity. We saw a + few old, gabled, and timber-framed houses; but generally the town was of + modern aspect, although less so in the immediate vicinity of the castle + gate, across the road from which there was an inn, with bowling-greens, + and a little bunch of houses and shops. Apart from the high road there is + a gate-house, ancient, but in excellent repair, towered, turreted, and + battlemented, and looking like a castle in itself. Until Cromwell's time, + the entrance to the castle used to be beneath an arch that passed through + this structure; but the gate-house being granted to one of the Parliament + officers, he converted it into a residence, and apparently added on a + couple of gables, which now look quite as venerable as the rest of the + edifice. Admission within the outer grounds of the castle is now obtained + through a little wicket close beside the gate-house, at which sat one or + two old men, who touched their hats to us in humble willingness to accept + a fee. One of them had guide-books for sale; and, finding that we were not + to be bothered by a cicerone, we bought one of his books. + </p> + <p> + The ruins are perhaps two hundred yards from the gate-house and the road, + and the space between is a pasture for sheep, which also browse in the + inner court, and shelter themselves in the dungeons and state apartments + of the castle. Goats would be fitter occupants, because they would climb + to the tops of the crumbling towers, and nibble the weeds and shrubbery + that grow there. The first part of the castle which we reach is called + Caesar's Tower, being the oldest portion of the ruins, and still very + stalwart and massive, and built of red freestone, like all the rest. + Caesar's Tower being on the right, Leicester's Buildings, erected by the + Earl of Leicester, Queen Elizabeth's favorite, are on the left; and + between these two formerly stood other structures which have now as + entirely disappeared as if they had never existed; and through the wide + gap, thus opened, appears the grassy inner court, surrounded on three + sides by half-fallen towers and shattered walls. Some of these were + erected by John of Gaunt; and among these ruins is the Banqueting-Hall,— + or rather was,—for it has now neither floor nor roof, but only the + broken stone-work of some tall, arched windows, and the beautiful, old + ivied arch of the entrance-way, now inaccessible from the ground. The ivy + is very abundant about the ruins, and hangs its green curtains quite from + top to bottom of some of the windows. There are likewise very large and + aged trees within the castle, there being no roof nor pavement anywhere, + except in some dungeon-like nooks; so that the trees having soil and air + enough, and being sheltered from unfriendly blasts, can grow as if in a + nursery. Hawthorn, however, next to ivy, is the great ornament and + comforter of these desolate ruins. I have not seen so much nor such + thriving hawthorn anywhere else,—in the court, high up on crumbly + heights, on the sod that carpets roofless rooms,—everywhere, indeed, + and now rejoicing in plentiful crops of red berries. The ivy is even more + wonderfully luxuriant; its trunks being, in some places, two or three feet + in diameter, and forming real buttresses against the walls, which are + actually supported and vastly strengthened by this parasite, that clung to + them at first only for its own convenience, and now holds them up, lest it + should be ruined by their fall. Thus an abuse has strangely grown into a + use, and I think we may sometimes see the same fact, morally, in English + matters. There is something very curious in the close, firm grip which the + ivy fixes upon the wall, closer and closer for centuries. Neither is it at + all nice as to what it clutches, in its necessity for support. I saw in + the outer court an old hawthorn-tree, to which a plant of ivy had married + itself, and the ivy trunk and the hawthorn trunk were now absolutely + incorporated, and in their close embrace you could not tell which was + which. + </p> + <p> + At one end of the Banqueting-Hall, there are two large bay-windows, one of + which looks into the inner court, and the other affords a view of the + surrounding country. The former is called Queen Elizabeth's Dressing-room. + Beyond the Banqueting-Hall is what is called the Strong Tower, up to the + top of which we climbed principally by the aid of the stones that have + tumbled down from it. A lady sat half-way down the crumbly descent, within + the castle, on a camp-stool, and before an easel, sketching this tower, on + the summit of which we sat. She said it was Amy Robsart's Tower; and + within it, open to the day, and quite accessible, we saw a room that we + were free to imagine had been occupied by her. I do not find that these + associations of real scenes with fictitious events greatly heighten the + charm of them. + </p> + <p> + By this time the sun had come out brightly, and with such warmth that we + were glad to sit down in the shadow. Several sight-seers were now rambling + about, and among them some school-boys, who kept scrambling up to points + whither no other animal, except a goat, would have ventured. Their shouts + and the sunshine made the old castle cheerful; and what with the ivy and + the hawthorn, and the other old trees, it was very beautiful and + picturesque. But a castle does not make nearly so interesting and + impressive a ruin as an abbey, because the latter was built for beauty, + and on a plan in which deep thought and feeling were involved; and having + once been a grand and beautiful work, it continues grand and beautiful + through all the successive stages of its decay. But a castle is rudely + piled together for strength and other material conveniences; and, having + served these ends, it has nothing left to fall back upon, but crumbles + into shapeless masses, which are often as little picturesque as a pile of + bricks. Without the ivy and the shrubbery, this huge Kenilworth would not + be a pleasant object, except for one or two window-frames, with broken + tracery, in the Banqueting-Hall. . . . + </p> + <p> + We stayed from eleven till two, and identified the various parts of the + castle as well as we could by the guide-book. The ruins are very + extensive, though less so than I should have imagined, considering that + seven acres were included within the castle wall. But a large part of the + structures have been taken away to build houses in Kenilworth village and + elsewhere, and much, too, to make roads with, and a good deal lies under + the green turf in the court-yards, inner and outer. As we returned to the + gate, my wife and U—— went into the gate-house to see an old + chimney-piece, and other antiquities, and J——- and I proceeded + a little way round the outer wall, and saw the remains of the moat, and + Lin's Tower,—a real and shattered fabric of John of Gaunt. + </p> + <p> + The omnibus now drove up, and one of the old men at the gate came hobbling + up to open the door, and was rewarded with a sixpence, and we drove down + to the King's Head. . . . We then walked out and bought prints of the + castle, and inquired our way to the church and to the ruins of the Priory. + The latter, so far as we could discover them, are very few and + uninteresting; and the church, though it has a venerable exterior, and an + aged spire, has been so modernized within, and in so plain a fashion, as + to have lost what beauty it may once have had. There were a few brasses + and mural monuments, one of which was a marble group of a dying woman and + her family by Westmacott. The sexton was a cheerful little man, but knew + very little about his church, and nothing of the remains of the Priory. + The day was spent very pleasantly amid this beautiful green English + scenery, these fine old Warwickshire trees, and broad, gently swelling + fields. + </p> + <h3> + LIVERPOOL. + </h3> + <p> + September 17th.—I took the train for Rugby, and thence to Liverpool. + The most noticeable character at Mrs. Blodgett's now is Mr. T———, + a Yankee, who has seen the world, and gathered much information and + experience already, though still a young man,—a handsome man, with + black curly hair, a dark, intelligent, bright face, and rather cold blue + eyes, but a very pleasant air and address. His observing faculties are + very strongly developed in his forehead, and his reflective ones seem to + be adequate to making some, if not the deepest, use of what he sees. He + has voyaged and travelled almost all over the world, and has recently + published a book of his peregrinations, which has been well received. He + is of exceeding fluent talk, though rather too much inclined to unfold the + secret springs of action in Louis Napoleon, and other potentates, and to + tell of revolutions that are coming at some unlooked-for moment, but soon. + Still I believe in his wisdom and foresight about as much as in any other + man's. There are no such things. He is a merchant, and meditates settling + in London, and making a colossal fortune there during the next ten or + twenty years; that being the period during which London is to hold the + exchanges of the world, and to continue its metropolis. After that, New + York is to be the world's queen city. + </p> + <p> + There is likewise here a young American, named A———, who + has been at a German University, and favors us with descriptions of his + student life there, which seems chiefly to have consisted in drinking beer + and fighting duels. He shows a cut on his nose as a trophy of these + combats. He has with him a dog of St. Bernard, who is a much more + remarkable character than himself,—an immense dog, a noble and + gentle creature; and really it touches my heart that his master is going + to take him from his native snow-mountain to a Southern plantation to die. + Mr. A——— says that there are now but five of these dogs + extant at the convent; there having, within two or three years, been a + disease among them, with which this dog also has suffered. His master has + a certificate of his genuineness, and of himself being the rightful + purchaser; and he says that as he descended the mountain, every peasant + along the road stopped him, and would have compelled him to give up the + dog had he not produced this proof of property. The neighboring + mountaineers are very jealous of the breed being taken away, considering + them of such importance to their own safety. This huge animal, the very + biggest dog I ever saw, though only eleven months old, and not so high by + two or three inches as he will be, allows Mr. ——— to + play with him, and take him on his shoulders (he weighs, at least, a + hundred pounds), like any lapdog. + </p> + <h3> + LEAMINGTON. + </h3> + <p> + Lansdowne Circus, October 10th.—I returned hither from Liverpool + last week, and have spent the time idly since then, reposing myself after + the four years of unnatural restraint in the Consulate. Being already + pretty well acquainted with the neighborhood of Leamington, I have little + or nothing to record about the prettiest, cheerfullest, cleanest of + English towns. + </p> + <p> + On Saturday we took the rail for Coventry, about a half-hour's travel + distant. I had been there before, more than two years ago. . . . No doubt + I described it on my first visit; and it is not remarkable enough to be + worth two descriptions,—a large town of crooked and irregular + streets and lanes, not looking nearly so ancient as it is, because of new + brick and stuccoed fronts which have been plastered over its antiquity; + although still there are interspersed the peaked gables of old-fashioned, + timber-built houses; or an archway of worn stone, which, if you pass + through it, shows like an avenue from the present to the past; for just in + the rear of the new-fangled aspect lurks the old arrangement of + court-yards, and rustiness, and grimness, that would not be suspected from + the exterior. + </p> + <p> + Right across the narrow street stands St. Michael's Church with its tall, + tall tower and spire. The body of the church has been almost entirely + recased with stone since I was here before; but the tower still retains + its antiquity, and is decorated with statues that look down from their + lofty niches seemingly in good preservation. The tower and spire are most + stately and beautiful, the whole church very noble. We went in, and found + that the vulgar plaster of Cromwell's time has been scraped from the + pillars and arches, leaving them all as fresh and splendid as if just + made. + </p> + <p> + We looked also into Trinity Church, which stands close by St. Michael's, + separated only, I think, by the churchyard. We also visited St. John's + Church, which is very venerable as regards its exterior, the stone being + worn and smoothed—if not roughened, rather—by centuries of + storm and fitful weather. This wear and tear, however, has almost ceased + to be a charm to my mind, comparatively to what it was when I first began + to see old buildings. Within, the church is spoiled by wooden galleries, + built across the beautiful pointed arches. + </p> + <p> + We saw nothing else particularly worthy of remark except Ford's Hospital, + in Grey Friars' Street. It has an Elizabethan front of timber and plaster, + facing on the street, with two or three peaked gables in a row, beneath + which is a low, arched entrance, giving admission into a small paved + quadrangle, open to the sky above, but surrounded by the walls, + lozenge-paned windows, and gables of the Hospital. The quadrangle is but a + few paces in width, and perhaps twenty in length; and, through a + half-closed doorway, at the farther end, there was a glimpse into a + garden. Just within the entrance, through an open door, we saw the neat + and comfortable apartment of the Matron of the Hospital; and, along the + quadrangle, on each side, there were three or four doors, through which we + glanced into little rooms, each containing a fireplace, a bed, a chair or + two,—a little, homely, domestic scene, with one old woman in the + midst of it; one old woman in each room. They are destitute widows, who + have their lodging and home here,—a small room for each one to + sleep, cook, and be at home in,—and three and sixpence a week to + feed and clothe themselves with,—a cloak being the only garment + bestowed on them. When one of the sisterhood dies each old woman has to + pay twopence towards the funeral; and so they slowly starve and wither out + of life, and claim each their twopence contribution in turn. I am afraid + they have a very dismal time. + </p> + <p> + There is an old man's hospital in another part of the town, on a similar + plan. A collection of sombre and lifelike tales might be written on the + idea of giving the experiences of these Hospitallers, male and female; and + they might be supposed to be written by the Matron of one, who had + acquired literary taste and practice as a governess,—and by the + Master of the other, a retired school-usher. + </p> + <p> + It was market-day in Coventry, and far adown the street leading from it + there were booths and stalls, and apples, pears, toys, books, among which + I saw my Twice-Told Tales, with an awful portrait of myself as + frontispiece,—and various country produce, offered for sale by men, + women, and girls. The scene looked lively, but had not much vivacity in + it. + </p> + <p> + October 27th.—The autumn has advanced progressively, and is now + fairly established, though still there is much green foliage, in spite of + many brown trees, and an enormous quantity of withered leaves, too damp to + rustle, strewing the paths,—whence, however, they are continually + swept up and carried off in wheelbarrows, either for neatness or for the + agricultural worth, as manure, of even a withered leaf. The pastures look + just as green as ever,—a deep, bright verdure, that seems almost + sunshine in itself, however sombre the sky may be. The little plats of + grass and flowers, in front of our circle of houses, might still do credit + to an American midsummer; for I have seen beautiful roses here within a + day or two; and dahlias, asters, and such autumnal flowers, are plentiful; + and I have no doubt that the old year's flowers will bloom till those of + the new year appear. Really, the English winter is not so terrible as + ours. + </p> + <p> + October 30th.—Wednesday was one of the most beautiful of all days, + and gilded almost throughout with the precious English sunshine,—the + most delightful sunshine ever made, both for its positive fine qualities + and because we seldom get it without too great an admixture of water. We + made no use of this lovely day, except to walk to an Arboretum and Pinetum + on the outskirts of the town. U—— and Mrs. Shepard made an + excursion to Guy's Cliff. + </p> + <p> + [Here comes in the visit to Leicester's Hospital and Redfern's Shop, and + St. Mary's Church, printed in Our Old Home.—ED.] + </p> + <p> + From Redfern's we went back to the market-place, expecting to find J——- + at the Museum, but the keeper said he had gone away. We went into this + museum, which contains the collections in Natural History, etc., of a + county society. It is very well arranged, and is rich in specimens of + ornithology, among which was an albatross, huge beyond imagination. I do + not think that Coleridge could have known the size of the fowl when he + caused it to be hung round the neck of his Ancient Mariner. There were a + great many humming-birds from various parts of the world, and some of + their breasts actually gleamed and shone as with the brightest lustre of + sunset. Also, many strange fishes, and a huge pike taken from the river + Avon, and so long that I wonder how he could turn himself about in such a + little river as the Avon is near Warwick. A great curiosity was a bunch of + skeleton leaves and flowers, prepared by a young lady, and preserving all + the most delicate fibres of the plant, looking like inconceivably fine + lace-work, white as snow, while the substance was quite taken away. In + another room there were minerals, shells, and a splendid collection of + fossils, among which were remains of antediluvian creatures, several feet + long. In still another room, we saw some historical curiosities,—the + most interesting of which were two locks of reddish-brown hair, one from + the head and one from the beard of Edward IV. They were fastened to a + manuscript letter which authenticates the hair as having been taken from + King Edward's tomb in 1739. Near these relics was a seal of the great Earl + of Warwick, the mighty kingmaker; also a sword from Bosworth Field, + smaller and shorter than those now in use; for, indeed, swords seem to + have increased in length, weight, and formidable aspect, now that the + weapon has almost ceased to be used in actual warfare. The short Roman + sword was probably more murderous than any weapon of the same species, + except the bowie-knife. Here, too, were Parliamentary cannon-balls, etc. . + . . + </p> + <p> + [The visit to Whitnash intervenes here.—ED.] + </p> + <h3> + LONDON. + </h3> + <p> + 24 Great Russell Street, November 10th.—We have been thinking and + negotiating about taking lodgings in London lately, and this morning we + left Leamington and reached London with no other misadventure than that of + leaving the great bulk of our luggage behind us,—the van which we + hired to take it to the railway station having broken down under its + prodigious weight, in the middle of the street. On our journey we saw + nothing particularly worthy of note,—but everywhere the immortal + verdure of England, scarcely less perfect than in June, so far as the + fields are concerned, though the foliage of the trees presents pretty much + the same hues as those of our own forests, after the gayety and + gorgeousness have departed from them. + </p> + <p> + Our lodgings are in close vicinity to the British Museum, which is the + great advantage we took them for. + </p> + <p> + I felt restless and uncomfortable, and soon strolled forth, without any + definite object, and walked as far as Charing Cross. Very dull and dreary + the city looked, and not in the least lively, even where the throng was + thickest and most brisk. As I trudged along, my reflection was, that never + was there a dingier, uglier, less picturesque city than London; and that + it is really wonderful that so much brick and stone, for centuries + together, should have been built up with so poor a result. Yet these old + names of the city—Fleet Street, Ludgate Hill, the Strand-used to + throw a glory over these homely precincts when I first saw them, and still + do so in a less degree. Where Farrington Street opens upon Fleet Street, + moreover, I had a glimpse of St. Paul's, along Ludgate Street, in the + gathering dimness, and felt as if I saw an old friend. In that + neighborhood—speaking of old friends—I met Mr. Parker of + Boston, who told me sad news of a friend whom I love as much as if I had + known him for a lifetime, though he is, indeed, but of two or three years' + standing. He said that my friend's bankruptcy is in to-day's Gazette. Of + all men on earth, I had rather this misfortune should have happened to any + other; but I hope and think he has sturdiness and buoyancy enough to rise + up beneath it. I cannot conceive of his face otherwise than with a glow on + it, like that of the sun at noonday. + </p> + <p> + Before I reached our lodgings, the dusk settled into the streets, and a + mist bedewed and bedamped me, and I went astray, as is usual with me, and + had to inquire my way; indeed, except in the principal thoroughfares, + London is so miserably lighted that it is impossible to recognize one's + whereabouts. On my arrival I found our parlor looking cheerful with a + brisk fire; . . . . but the first day or two in new lodgings is at best an + uncomfortable time. Fanny has just come in with more unhappy news about + ———. Pray Heaven it may not be true! . . . . Troubles + are a sociable brotherhood; they love to come hand in hand, or sometimes, + even, to come side by side, with long looked-for and hoped-for good + fortune. . . . + </p> + <p> + November 11th.—This morning we all went to the British Museum, + always a most wearisome and depressing task to me. I strolled through the + lower rooms with a good degree of interest, looking at the antique + sculptures, some of which were doubtless grand and beautiful in their day. + . . . The Egyptian remains are, on the whole, the more satisfactory; for, + though inconceivably ugly, they are at least miracles of size and + ponderosity,—for example, a hand and arm of polished granite, as + much as ten feet in length. The upper rooms, containing millions of + specimens of Natural History, in all departments, really made my heart + ache with a pain and woe that I have never felt anywhere but in the + British Museum, and I hurried through them as rapidly as I could persuade + J——- to follow me. We had left the rest of the party still + intent on the Grecian sculptures; and though J——- was much + interested in the vast collection of shells, he chose to quit the Museum + with me in the prospect of a stroll about London. He seems to have my own + passion for thronged streets, and the utmost bustle of human life. + </p> + <p> + We went first to the railway station, in quest of our luggage, which we + found. Then we made a pretty straight course down to Holborn, and through + Newgate Street, stopping a few moments to look through the iron fence at + the Christ's Hospital boys, in their long blue coats and yellow petticoats + and stockings. It was between twelve and one o'clock; and I suppose this + was their hour of play, for they were running about the enclosed space, + chasing and overthrowing one another, without their caps, with their + yellow petticoats tucked up, and all in immense activity and enjoyment. + They were eminently a healthy and handsome set of boys. + </p> + <p> + Then we went into Cheapside, where I called at Mr. Bennett's shop, to + inquire what are the facts about ———. When I mentioned + his name, Mr. Bennett shook his head and expressed great sorrow; but, on + further talk, I found that he referred only to the failure, and had heard + nothing about the other rumor. It cannot, therefore, be true; for Bennett + lives in his neighborhood, and could not have remained ignorant of such a + calamity. There must be some mistake; none, however, in regard to the + failure, it having been announced in the Times. + </p> + <p> + From Bennett's shop—which is so near the steeple of Bow Church that + it would tumble upon it if it fell over—we strolled still eastward, + aiming at London Bridge; but missed it, and bewildered ourselves among + many dingy and frowzy streets and lanes. I bore towards the right, + however, knowing that that course must ultimately bring me to the Thames; + and at last I saw before me ramparts, towers, circular and square, with + battlemented summits, large sweeps and curves of fortification, as well as + straight and massive walls and chimneys behind them (all a great confusion—to + my eye), of ancient and more modern structure, and four loftier turrets + rising in the midst; the whole great space surrounded by a broad, dry + moat, which now seemed to be used as an ornamental walk, bordered partly + with trees. This was the Tower; but seen from a different and more + picturesque point of view than I have heretofore gained of it. Being so + convenient for a visit, I determined to go in. At the outer gate, which is + not a part of the fortification, a sentinel walks to and fro, besides whom + there was a warder, in the rich old costume of Henry VIII's time, looking + very gorgeous indeed,—as much so as scarlet and gold can make him. + </p> + <p> + As J——- and I were not going to look at the Jewel-room, we + loitered about in the open space, before the White Tower, while the tall, + slender, white-haired, gentlemanly warder led the rest of the party into + that apartment. We found what one might take for a square in a town, with + gabled houses lifting their peaks on one side, and various edifices + enclosing the other sides, and the great White Tower,—now more black + than white,—rising venerable, and rather picturesque than otherwise, + the most prominent object in the scene. I have no plan nor available idea + of it whatever in my mind, but it seems really to be a town within itself, + with streets, avenues, and all that pertains to human life. There were + soldiers going through their exercise in the open space, and along at the + base of the White Tower lay a great many cannon and mortars, some of which + were of Turkish manufacture, and immensely long and ponderous. Others, + likewise of mighty size, had once belonged to the famous ship Great Harry, + and had lain for ages under the sea. Others were East-Indian. Several were + beautiful specimens of workmanship. The mortars—some so large that a + fair-sized man might easily be rammed into them—held their great + mouths slanting upward to the sky, and mostly contained a quantity of + rain-water. While we were looking at these warlike toys,—for I + suppose not one of them will ever thunder in earnest again,—the + warder reappeared with his ladies, and, leading us all to a certain part + of the open space, he struck his foot on the small stones with which it is + paved, and told us that we were standing on the spot where Anne Boleyn and + Catharine Parr were beheaded. It is not exactly in the centre of the + square, but on a line with one of the angles of the White Tower. I forgot + to mention that the middle of the open space is occupied by a marble + statue of Wellington, which appeared to me very poor and laboriously + spirited. + </p> + <p> + Lastly, the warder led us under the Bloody Tower, and by the side of the + Wakefield Tower, and showed us the Traitor's Gate, which is now closed up, + so as to afford no access to the Thames. No; we first visited the + Beauchamp Tower, famous as the prison of many historical personages. Some + of its former occupants have left their initials or names, and + inscriptions of piety and patience, cut deep into the freestone of the + walls, together with devices—as a crucifix, for instance—neatly + and skilfully done. This room has a long, deep fireplace; it is chiefly + lighted by a large window, which I fancy must have been made in modern + times; but there are four narrow apertures, throwing in a little light + through deep alcoves in the thickness of the octagon wall. One would + expect such a room to be picturesque; but it is really not of striking + aspect, being low, with a plastered ceiling,—the beams just showing + through the plaster,—a boarded floor, and the walls being washed + over with a buff color. A warder sat within a railing, by the great + window, with sixpenny books to sell, containing transcripts of the + inscriptions on the walls. + </p> + <p> + We now left the Tower, and made our way deviously westward, passing St. + Paul's, which looked magnificently and beautifully, so huge and dusky as + it was, with here and there a space on its vast form where the original + whiteness of the marble came out like a streak of moonshine amid the + blackness with which time has made it grander than it was in its newness. + It is a most noble edifice; and I delight, too, in the statues that crown + some of its heights, and in the wreaths of sculpture which are hung around + it. + </p> + <p> + November 12th.—This morning began with such fog, that at the window + of my chamber, lighted only from a small court-yard, enclosed by high, + dingy walls, I could hardly see to dress. It kept alternately darkening, + and then brightening a little, and darkening again, so much that we could + but just discern the opposite houses; but at eleven or thereabouts it grew + so much clearer that we resolved to venture out. Our plan for the day was + to go in the first place to Westminster Abbey; and to the National + Gallery, if we should find time. . . . The fog darkened again as we went + down Regent Street, and the Duke of York's Column was but barely visible, + looming vaguely before us; nor, from Pall Mall, was Nelson's Pillar much + more distinct, though methought his statue stood aloft in a somewhat + clearer atmosphere than ours. Passing Whitehall, however, we could + scarcely see Inigo Jones's Banqueting-House, on the other side of the + street; and the towers and turrets of the new Houses of Parliament were + all but invisible, as was the Abbey itself; so that we really were in some + doubt whither we were going. We found our way to Poets' Corner, however, + and entered those holy precincts, which looked very dusky and grim in the + smoky light. . . . I was strongly impressed with the perception that very + commonplace people compose the great bulk of society in the home of the + illustrious dead. It is wonderful how few names there are that one cares + anything about a hundred years after their departure; but perhaps each + generation acts in good faith in canonizing its own men. . . . But the + fame of the buried person does not make the marble live,—the marble + keeps merely a cold and sad memory of a man who would else be forgotten. + No man who needs a monument ever ought to have one. + </p> + <p> + The painted windows of the Abbey, though mostly modern, are exceedingly + rich and beautiful; and I do think that human art has invented no other + such magnificent method of adornment as this. + </p> + <p> + Our final visit to-day was to the National Gallery, where I came to the + conclusion that Murillo's St. John was the most lovely picture I have ever + seen, and that there never was a painter who has really made the world + richer, except Murillo. + </p> + <p> + November 12th.—This morning we issued forth, and found the + atmosphere chill and almost frosty, tingling upon our cheeks. . . . The + gateway of Somerset House attracted us, and we walked round its spacious + quadrangle, encountering many government clerks hurrying to their various + offices. At least, I presumed them to be so. This is certainly a handsome + square of buildings, with its Grecian facades and pillars, and its + sculptured bas-reliefs, and the group of statuary in the midst of the + court. Besides the part of the edifice that rises above ground, there + appear to be two subterranean stories below the surface. From Somerset + House we pursued our way through Temple Bar, but missed it, and therefore + entered by the passage from what was formerly Alsatia, but which now seems + to be a very respectable and humdrum part of London. We came immediately + to the Temple Gardens, which we walked quite round. The grass is still + green, but the trees are leafless, and had an aspect of not being very + robust, even at more genial seasons of the year. There were, however, + large quantities of brilliant chrysanthemums, golden, and of all hues, + blooming gorgeously all about the borders; and several gardeners were at + work, tending these flowers, and sheltering them from the weather. I + noticed no roses, nor even rose-bushes, in the spot where the factions of + York and Lancaster plucked their two hostile flowers. + </p> + <p> + Leaving these grounds, we went to the Hall of the Middle Temple, where we + knocked at the portal, and, finding it not fastened, thrust it open. A boy + appeared within, and the porter or keeper, at a distance, along the inner + passage, called to us to enter; and, opening the door of the great hall, + left us to view it till he should be at leisure to attend to us. Truly it + is a most magnificent apartment; very lofty,—so lofty, indeed, that + the antique oak roof was quite hidden, as regarded all its details, in the + sombre gloom that brooded under its rafters. The hall was lighted by four + great windows, I think, on each of the two sides, descending half-way from + the ceiling to the floor, leaving all beneath enclosed by oaken panelling, + which, on three sides, was carved with escutcheons of such members of the + society as have held the office of reader. There is likewise, in a large + recess or transept, a great window, occupying the full height of the hall, + and splendidly emblazoned with the arms of the Templars who have attained + to the dignity of Chief Justices. The other windows are pictured, in like + manner, with coats of arms of local dignitaries connected with the Temple; + and besides all these there are arched lights, high towards the roof, at + either end full of richly and chastely colored glass, and all the + illumination that the great hall had come through these glorious panes, + and they seemed the richer for the sombreness in which we stood. I cannot + describe, or even intimate, the effect of this transparent glory, glowing + down upon us in that gloomy depth of the hall. The screen at the lower end + was of carved oak, very dark and highly polished, and as old as Queen + Elizabeth's time. The keeper told us that the story of the Armada was said + to be represented in these carvings, but in the imperfect light we could + trace nothing of it out. Along the length of the apartment were set two + oaken tables for the students of law to dine upon; and on the dais, at the + upper end, there was a cross-table for the big-wigs of the society; the + latter being provided with comfortable chairs, and the former with oaken + benches. From a notification, posted near the door, I gathered that the + cost of dinners is two shillings to each gentleman, including, as the + attendant told me, ale and wine. I am reluctant to leave this hall without + expressing how grave, how grand, how sombre, and how magnificent I feel it + to be. As regards historical association, it was a favorite dancing-hall + of Queen Elizabeth, and Sir Christopher Hatton danced himself into her + good graces here. + </p> + <p> + We next went to the Temple Church, and, finding the door ajar, made free + to enter beneath its Norman arches, which admitted us into a circular + vestibule, very ancient and beautiful. In the body of the church beyond we + saw a boy sitting, but nobody either forbade or invited our entrance. On + the floor of the vestibule lay about half a score of Templars,—the + representatives of the warlike priests who built this church and formerly + held these precincts,—all in chain armor, grasping their swords, and + with their shields beside them. Except two or three, they lay + cross-legged, in token that they had really fought for the Holy Sepulchre. + I think I have seen nowhere else such well-preserved monumental knights as + these. We proceeded into the interior of the church, and were greatly + impressed with its wonderful beauty,—the roof springing, as it were, + in a harmonious and accordant fountain, out of the clustered pillars that + support its groined arches; and these pillars, immense as they are, are + polished like so many gems. They are of Purbeck marble, and, if I mistake + not, had been covered with plaster for ages until latterly redeemed and + beautified anew. But the glory of the church is its old painted windows; + and, positively, those great spaces over the chancel appeared to be set + with all manner of precious stones,—or it was as if the many-colored + radiance of heaven were breaking upon us,—or as if we saw the wings + of angels, storied over with richly tinted pictures of holy things. But it + is idle to talk of this marvellous adornment; it is to be seen and + wondered at, not written about. Before we left the church, the porter made + his appearance, in time to receive his fee,— which somebody, indeed, + is always ready to stretch out his hand for. And so ended our visit to the + Temple, which, by the by, though close to the midmost bustle of London, is + as quiet as if it were always Sunday there. + </p> + <p> + We now went to St. Paul's. U—— and Miss Shepard ascended to + the Whispering Gallery, and we, sitting under the dome, at the base of one + of the pillars, saw them far above us, looking very indistinct, for those + misty upper-depths seemed almost to be hung with clouds. This cathedral, I + think, does not profit by gloom, but requires cheerful sunshine to show it + to the best advantage. The statues and sculptures in St. Paul's are mostly + covered with years of dust, and look thereby very grim and ugly; but there + are few memories there from which I should care to brush away the dust, + they being, in nine cases out of ten, naval and military heroes of second + or third class merit. I really remember no literary celebrity admitted + solely on that account, except Dr. Johnson. The Crimean war has supplied + two or three monuments, chiefly mural tablets; and doubtless more of the + same excrescences will yet come out upon the walls. One thing that I newly + noticed was the beautiful shape of the great, covered marble vase that + serves for a font. + </p> + <p> + From St. Paul's we went down Cheapside, and, turning into King Street, + visited Guildhall, which we found in process of decoration for a public + ball, to take place next week. It looked rather gewgawish thus gorgeous, + being hung with flags of all nations, and adorned with military trophies; + and the scene was repeated by a range of looking-glasses at one end of the + room. The execrably painted windows really shocked us by their vulgar + glare, after those of the Temple Hall and Church; yet, a few years ago, I + might very likely have thought them beautiful. Our own national banner, I + must remember to say, was hanging in Guildhall, but with only ten stars, + and an insufficient number of stripes. + </p> + <p> + November 15th.—Yesterday morning we went to London Bridge and along + Lower Thames Street, and quickly found ourselves in Billingsgate Market, + —a dirty, evil-smelling, crowded precinct, thronged with people + carrying fish on their heads, and lined with fish-shops and fish-stalls, + and pervaded with a fishy odor. The footwalk was narrow,—as indeed + was the whole street,—and filthy to travel upon; and we had to elbow + our way among rough men and slatternly women, and to guard our heads from + the contact of fish-trays; very ugly, grimy, and misty, moreover, is + Billingsgate Market, and though we heard none of the foul language of + which it is supposed to be the fountain-head, yet it has its own + peculiarities of behavior. For instance, U—— tells me that one + man, staring at her and her governess as they passed, cried out, "What + beauties!"—another, looking under her veil, greeted her with, "Good + morning, my love!" We were in advance, and heard nothing of these + civilities. Struggling through this fishy purgatory, we caught sight of + the Tower, as we drew near the end of the street; and I put all my party + under charge of one of the Trump Cards, not being myself inclined to make + the rounds of the small part of the fortress that is shown, so soon after + my late visit. + </p> + <p> + When they departed with the warder, I set out by myself to wander about + the exterior of the Tower, looking with interest at what I suppose to be + Tower Hill,—a slight elevation of the large open space into which + Great Tower Street opens; though, perhaps, what is now called Trinity + Square may have been a part of Tower Hill, and possibly the precise spot + where the executions took place. Keeping to the right, round the Tower, I + found the moat quite surrounded by a fence of iron rails, excluding me + from a pleasant gravel-path, among flowers and shrubbery, on the inside, + where I could see nursery-maids giving children their airings. Possibly + these may have been the privileged inhabitants of the Tower, which + certainly might contain the population of a large village. The aspect of + the fortress has so much that is new and modern about it that it can + hardly be called picturesque, and yet it seems unfair to withhold that + epithet from such a collection of gray ramparts. I followed the iron fence + quite round the outer grounds, till it approached the Thames, and in this + direction the moat and the pleasure-ground terminate in a narrow + graveyard, which extends beneath the walls, and looks neglected and shaggy + with long grass. It appeared to contain graves enough, but only a few + tombstones, of which I could read the inscription of but one; it + commemorated a Mr. George Gibson, a person of no note, nor apparently + connected with the place. St. Katharine's Dock lies along the Thames, in + this vicinity; and while on one side of me were the Tower, the quiet + gravel-path, and the shaggy graveyard, on the other were draymen and their + horses, dock-laborers, sailors, empty puncheons, and a miscellaneous + spectacle of life,—including organ-grinders, men roasting chestnuts + over small ovens on the sidewalk, boys and women with boards or + wheelbarrows of apples, oyster-stands, besides pedlers of small wares, + dirty children at play, and other figures and things that a Dutch painter + would seize upon. + </p> + <p> + I went a little way into St. Katharine's Dock, and found it crowded with + great ships; then, returning, I strolled along the range of shops that + front towards this side of the Tower. They have all something to do with + ships, sailors, and commerce; being for the sale of ships' stores, + nautical instruments, arms, clothing, together with a tavern and grog-shop + at every other door; bookstalls, too, covered with cheap novels and + song-books; cigar-shops in great numbers; and everywhere were sailors, and + here and there a soldier, and children at the doorsteps, and women showing + themselves at the doors or windows of their domiciles. These latter + figures, however, pertain rather to the street up which I walked, + penetrating into the interior of this region, which, I think, is Blackwall—no, + I forget what its name is. At all events, it has an ancient and most grimy + and rough look, with its old gabled houses, each of them the seat of some + petty trade and business in its basement story. Among these I saw one + house with three or four peaks along its front,—a second story + projecting over the basement, and the whole clapboarded over. . . . There + was a butcher's stall in the lower story, with a front open to the street, + in the ancient fashion, which seems to be retained only by butchers' + shops. This part of London having escaped the Great Fire, I suppose there + may be many relics of architectural antiquity hereabouts. + </p> + <p> + At the end of an hour I went back to the Refreshment-room, within the + outer gate of the Tower, where the rest of us shortly appeared. We now + returned westward by way of Great Tower Street, Eastcheap, and Cannon + Street, and, entering St. Paul's, sat down beneath the misty dome to rest + ourselves. The muffled roar of the city, as we heard it there, is very + soothing, and keeps one listening to it, somewhat as the flow of a river + keeps us looking at it. It is a grand and quiet sound; and, ever and anon, + a distant door slammed somewhere in the cathedral, and reverberated long + and heavily, like the roll of thunder or the boom of cannon. Every noise + that is loud enough to be heard in so vast an edifice melts into the great + quietude. The interior looked very sombre, and the dome hung over us like + a cloudy sky. I wish it were possible to pass directly from St. Paul's + into York Minster, or from the latter into the former; that is, if one's + mind could manage to stagger under both in the same day. There is no other + way of judging of their comparative effect. + </p> + <p> + Under the influence of that grand lullaby,—the roar of the city,—we + sat for some time after we were sufficiently rested; but at last plunged + forth again, and went up Newgate Street, pausing to look through the iron + railings of Christ's Hospital. The boys, however, were not at play; so we + went onward, in quest of Smithfield, and on our way had a greeting from + Mr. Silsbee, a gentleman of our own native town. Parting with him, we + found Smithfield, which is still occupied with pens for cattle, though I + believe it has ceased to be a cattle-market. Except it be St. + Bartholomew's hospital on one side, there is nothing interesting in this + ugly square; though, no doubt, a few feet under the pavement there are + bones and ashes as precious as anything of the kind on earth. I wonder + when men will begin to erect monuments to human error; hitherto their + pillars and statues have only been for the sake of glorification. But, + after all, the present fashion may be the better and wholesomer. . . . + </p> + <p> + November 16th.—Mr. Silsbee called yesterday, and talked about + matters of art, in which he is deeply interested, and which he has had + good opportunities of becoming acquainted with, during three years' travel + on the Continent. He is a man of great intelligence and true feeling, and + absolutely brims over with ideas,—his conversation flowing in a + constant stream, which it appears to be no trouble whatever to him to keep + up. . . . He took his leave after a long call, and left with us a + manuscript, describing a visit to Berlin, which I read to my wife in the + evening. It was well worth reading. He made an engagement to go with us to + the Crystal Palace, and came rather for that purpose this morning. + </p> + <p> + We drove to the London Bridge station, where we bought return tickets that + entitled us to admission to the Palace, as well as conveyance thither, for + half a crown apiece. On our arrival we entered by the garden front, thus + gaining a fine view of the ornamental grounds, with their fountains and + stately pathways, bordered with statues; and of the edifice itself, so + vast and fairy-like, looking as if it were a bubble, and might vanish at a + touch. There is as little beauty in the architecture of the Crystal + Palace, however, as was possible to be with such gigantic use of such a + material. No doubt, an architectural order of which we have as yet little + or no idea is to be developed from the use of glass as a + building-material, instead of brick and stone. It will have its own rules + and its own results; but, meanwhile, even the present Palace is positively + a very beautiful object. On entering we found the atmosphere chill and + comfortless,—more so, it seemed to me, than the open air itself. It + was not a genial day; though now and then the sun gleamed out, and once + caused fine effects in the glasswork of a crystal fountain in one of the + courts. + </p> + <p> + We were under Mr. Silshee's guidance for the day, . . . . and first we + looked at the sculpture, which is composed chiefly of casts or copies of + the most famous statues of all ages, and likewise of those crumbs and + little fragments which have fallen from Time's jaw,—and half-picked + bones, as it were, that have been gathered up from spots where he has + feasted full,—torsos, heads and broken limbs, some of them half worn + away, as if they had been rolled over and over in the sea. I saw nothing + in the sculptural way, either modern or antique, that impressed me so much + as a statue of a nude mother by a French artist. In a sitting posture, + with one knee over the other, she was clasping her highest knee with both + hands; and in the hollow cradle thus formed by her arms lay two sweet + little babies, as snug and close to her heart as if they had not yet been + born,—two little love-blossoms,—and the mother encircling them + and pervading them with love. But an infinite pathos and strange terror + are given to this beautiful group by some faint bas-reliefs on the + pedestal, indicating that the happy mother is Eve, and Cain and Abel the + two innocent babes. + </p> + <p> + Then we went to the Alhambra, which looks like an enchanted palace. If it + had been a sunny day, I should have enjoyed it more; but it was miserable + to shiver and shake in the Court of the Lions, and in those chambers which + were contrived as places of refuge from a fervid temperature. Furthermore, + it is not quite agreeable to see such clever specimens of stage + decoration; they are so very good that it gets to be past a joke, without + becoming actual earnest. I had not a similar feeling in respect to the + reproduction of mediaeval statues, arches, doorways, all brilliantly + colored as in the days of their first glory; yet I do not know but that + the first is as little objectionable as the last. Certainly, in both + cases, scenes and objects of a past age are here more vividly presented to + the dullest mind than without such material facilities they could possibly + be brought before the most powerful imagination. Truly, the Crystal + Palace, in all its departments, offers wonderful means of education. I + marvel what will come of it. Among the things that I admired most was + Benvenuto Cellini's statue of Perseus holding the head of Medusa, and + standing over her headless and still writhing body, out of which, at the + severed neck, gushed a vast exuberance of snakes. Likewise, a sitting + statue, by Michel Angelo, of one of the Medici, full of dignity and grace + and reposeful might. Also the bronze gate of a baptistery in Florence, + carved all over with relieves of Scripture subjects, executed in the most + lifelike and expressive manner. The cast itself was a miracle of art. I + should have taken it for the genuine original bronze. + </p> + <p> + We then wandered into the House of Diomed, which seemed to me a dismal + abode, affording no possibility of comfort. We sat down in one of the + rooms, on an iron bench, very cold. + </p> + <p> + It being by this time two o'clock, we went to the Refreshment-room and + lunched; and before we had finished our repast, my wife discovered that + she had lost her sable tippet, which she had been carrying on her arm. Mr. + Silsbee most kindly and obligingly immediately went in quest of it, . . . + . but to no purpose. . . . + </p> + <p> + Upon entering the Tropical Saloon, we found a most welcome and delightful + change of temperature among those gigantic leaves of banyan-trees, and the + broad expanse of water-plants, floating on lakes, and spacious aviaries, + where birds of brilliant plumage sported and sang amid such foliage as + they knew at home. Howbeit, the atmosphere was a little faint and sickish, + perhaps owing to the odor of the half-tepid water. The most remarkable + object here was the trunk of a tree, huge beyond imagination, —a + pine-tree from California. It was only the stripped-off bark, however, + which had been conveyed hither in segments, and put together again beyond + the height of the palace roof; and the hollow interior circle of the tree + was large enough to contain fifty people, I should think. We entered and + sat down in all the remoteness from one another that is attainable in a + good-sized drawing-room. We then ascended the gallery to get a view of + this vast tree from a more elevated position, and found it looked even + bigger from above. Then we loitered slowly along the gallery as far as it + extended, and afterwards descended into the nave; for it was getting dusk, + and a horn had sounded, and a bell rung a warning to such as delayed in + the remote regions of the building. Mr. Silsbee again most kindly went in + quest of the sables, but still without success. . . . I have not much + enjoyed the Crystal Palace, but think it a great and admirable + achievement. + </p> + <p> + November 19th.—On Tuesday evening Mr. Silsbee came to read some + letters which he has written to his friends, chiefly giving his + observations on Art, together with descriptions of Venice and other cities + on the Continent. They were very good, and indicate much sensibility and + talent. After the reading we had a little oyster-supper and wine. + </p> + <p> + I had written a note to ———, and received an answer, + indicating that he was much weighed down by his financial misfortune. . . + . However, he desired me to come and see him; so yesterday morning I + wended my way down into the city, and after various reluctant + circumlocutions arrived at his house. The interior looked confused and + dismal. + </p> + <p> + It seems to me nobody else runs such risks as a man of business, because + he risks everything. Every other man, into whatever depth of poverty he + may sink, has still something left, be he author, scholar, handicraftman, + or what not; the merchant has nothing. + </p> + <p> + We parted with a long and strong grasp of the hand, and ——— + promised to come and see us soon. . . . + </p> + <p> + On my way home I called at Truebner's in Pater Noster Row. . . . I waited + a few minutes, he being busy with a tall, muscular, English-built man, + who, after he had taken leave, Truebner told me was Charles Reade. I once + met him at an evening party, but should have been glad to meet him again, + now that I appreciate him so much better after reading Never too Late to + Mend. + </p> + <p> + December 6th.—All these days, since my last date, have been marked + by nothing very well worthy of detail and description. I have walked the + streets a great deal in the dull November days, and always take a certain + pleasure in being in the midst of human life,—as closely encompassed + by it as it is possible to be anywhere in this world; and in that way of + viewing it there is a dull and sombre enjoyment always to be had in + Holborn, Fleet Street, Cheapside, and the other busiest parts of London. + It is human life; it is this material world; it is a grim and heavy + reality. I have never had the same sense of being surrounded by + materialisms and hemmed in with the grossness of this earthly existence + anywhere else; these broad, crowded streets are so evidently the veins and + arteries of an enormous city. London is evidenced in every one of them, + just as a megatherium is in each of its separate bones, even if they be + small ones. Thus I never fail of a sort of self-congratulation in finding + myself, for instance, passing along Ludgate Hill; but, in spite of this, + it is really an ungladdened life to wander through these huge, thronged + ways, over a pavement foul with mud, ground into it by a million of + footsteps; jostling against people who do not seem to be individuals, but + all one mass, so homogeneous is the street-walking aspect of them; the + roar of vehicles pervading me,—wearisome cabs and omnibuses; + everywhere the dingy brick edifices heaving themselves up, and shutting + out all but a strip of sullen cloud, that serves London for a sky,—in + short, a general impression of grime and sordidness; and at this season + always a fog scattered along the vista of streets, sometimes so densely as + almost to spiritualize the materialism and make the scene resemble the + other world of worldly people, gross even in ghostliness. It is strange + how little splendor and brilliancy one sees in London,—in the city + almost none, though some in the shops of Regent Street. My wife has had a + season of indisposition within the last few weeks, so that my rambles have + generally been solitary, or with J——- only for a companion. I + think my only excursion with my wife was a week ago, when we went to + Lincoln's Inn Fields, which truly are almost fields right in the heart of + London, and as retired and secluded as if the surrounding city were a + forest, and its heavy roar were the wind among the branches. We gained + admission into the noble Hall, which is modern, but built in antique + style, and stately and beautiful exceedingly. I have forgotten all but the + general effect, with its lofty oaken roof, its panelled walls, with the + windows high above, and the great arched window at one end full of painted + coats of arms, which the light glorifies in passing through them, as if + each were the escutcheon of some illustrious personage. Thence we went to + the chapel of Lincoln's Inn, where, on entering, we found a class of young + choristers receiving instruction from their music-master, while the organ + accompanied their strains. These young, clear, fresh, elastic voices are + wonderfully beautiful; they are like those of women, yet have something + more birdlike and aspiring, more like what one conceives of the singing of + angels. As for the singing of saints and blessed spirits that have once + been human, it never can resemble that of these young voices; for no + duration of heavenly enjoyments will ever quite take the mortal sadness + out of it. + </p> + <p> + In this chapel we saw some painted windows of the time of James I., a + period much subsequent, to the age when painted glass was in its glory; + but the pictures of Scriptural people in these windows were certainly very + fine,—the figures being as large as life, and the faces having much + expression. The sunshine came in through some of them, and produced a + beautiful effect, almost as if the painted forms were the glorified + spirits of those holy personages. + </p> + <p> + After leaving Lincoln's Inn, we looked at Gray's Inn, which is a great, + quiet domain, quadrangle beyond quadrangle, close beside Holborn, and a + large space of greensward enclosed within it. It is very strange to find + so much of ancient quietude right in the monster city's very jaws, which + yet the monster shall not eat up,—right in its very belly, indeed, + which yet, in all these ages, it shall not digest and convert into the + same substance as the rest of its bustling streets. Nothing else in London + is so like the effect of a spell, as to pass under one of these archways, + and find yourself transported from the jumble, mob, tumult, uproar, as of + an age of week-days condensed into the present hour, into what seems an + eternal sabbath. Thence we went into Staple Inn, I think it was,—which + has a front upon Holborn of four or five ancient gables in a row, and a + low arch under the impending story, admitting you into a paved quadrangle, + beyond which you have the vista of another. I do not understand that the + residences and chambers in these Inns of Court are now exclusively let to + lawyers; though such inhabitants certainly seem to preponderate there. + </p> + <p> + Since then J——- and I walked down into the Strand, and found + ourselves unexpectedly mixed up with a crowd that grew denser as we + approached Charing Cross, and became absolutely impermeable when we + attempted to make our way to Whitehall. The wicket in the gate of + Northumberland House, by the by, was open, and gave me a glimpse of the + front of the edifice within,—a very partial glimpse, however, and + that obstructed by the solid person of a footman, who, with some women, + were passing out from within. The crowd was a real English crowd, + perfectly undemonstrative, and entirely decorous, being composed mostly of + well-dressed people, and largely of women. The cause of the assemblage was + the opening of Parliament by the Queen, but we were too late for any + chance of seeing her Majesty. However, we extricated ourselves from the + multitude, and, going along Pall Mall, got into the Park by the steps at + the foot of the Duke of York's Column, and thence went to the Whitehall + Gateway, outside of which we found the Horse Guards drawn up,—a + regiment of black horses and burnished cuirasses. On our way thither an + open carriage came through the gateway into the Park, conveying two ladies + in court dresses; and another splendid chariot pressed out through the + gateway,—the coachman in a cocked hat and scarlet and gold + embroidery, and two other scarlet and gold figures hanging behind. It was + one of the Queen's carriages, but seemed to have nobody in it. I have + forgotten to mention what, I think, produced more effect on me than + anything else, namely, the clash of the bells from the steeple of St. + Martin's Church and those of St. Margaret. Really, London seemed to cry + out through them, and bid welcome to the Queen. + </p> + <p> + December 7th.—This being a muddy and dismal day, I went only to the + </p> + <h3> + BRITISH MUSEUM, + </h3> + <p> + which is but a short walk down the street (Great Russell Street). I have + now visited it often enough to be on more familiar terms with it than at + first, and therefore do not feel myself so weighed down by the many things + to be seen. I have ceased to expect or hope or wish to devour and digest + the whole enormous collection; so I content myself with individual things, + and succeed in getting now and then a little honey from them. Unless I + were studying some particular branch of history or science or art, this is + the best that can be done with the British Museum. + </p> + <p> + I went first to-day into the Townley Gallery, and so along through all the + ancient sculpture, and was glad to find myself able to sympathize more + than heretofore with the forms of grace and beauty which are preserved + there,—poor, maimed immortalities as they are,—headless and + legless trunks, godlike cripples, faces beautiful and broken-nosed,— + heroic shapes which have stood so long, or lain prostrate so long, in the + open air, that even the atmosphere of Greece has almost dissolved the + external layer of the marble; and yet, however much they may be worn away, + or battered and shattered, the grace and nobility seem as deep in them as + the very heart of the stone. It cannot be destroyed, except by grinding + them to powder. In short, I do really believe that there was an excellence + in ancient sculpture, which has yet a potency to educate and refine the + minds of those who look at it even so carelessly and casually as I do. As + regards the frieze of the Parthenon, I must remark that the horses + represented on it, though they show great spirit and lifelikeness, are + rather of the pony species than what would be considered fine horses now. + Doubtless, modern breeding has wrought a difference in the animal. + Flaxman, in his outlines, seems to have imitated these classic steeds of + the Parthenon, and thus has produced horses that always appeared to me + affected and diminutively monstrous. + </p> + <p> + From the classic sculpture, I passed through an Assyrian room, where the + walls are lined with great slabs of marble sculptured in bas-relief with + scenes in the life of Senmacherib, I believe; very ugly, to be sure, yet + artistically done in their own style, and in wonderfully good + preservation. Indeed, if the chisel had cut its last stroke in them + yesterday, the work could not be more sharp and distinct. In glass cases, + in this room, are little relics and scraps of utensils, and a great deal + of fragmentary rubbish, dug up by Layard in his researches,— things + that it is hard to call anything but trash, but which yet may be of great + significance as indicating the modes of life of a long-past race. I + remember nothing particularly just now, except some pieces of broken + glass, iridescent with certainly the most beautiful hues in the world,—indescribably + beautiful, and unimaginably, unless one can conceive of the colors of the + rainbow, and a thousand glorious sunsets, and the autumnal forest-leaves + of America, all condensed upon a little fragment of a glass cup,—and + that, too, without becoming in the least glaring or flagrant, but mildly + glorious, as we may fancy the shifting lines of an angel's wing may be. I + think this chaste splendor will glow in my memory for years to come. It is + the effect of time, and cannot be imitated by any known process of art. I + have seen it in specimens of old Roman glass, which has been famous here + in England; but never in anything is there the brilliancy of these + Oriental fragments. How strange that decay, in dark places, and + underground, and where there are a billion chances to one that nobody will + ever see its handiwork, should produce these beautiful effects! The glass + seems to become perfectly brittle, so that it would vanish, like a + soap-bubble, if touched. + </p> + <p> + Ascending the stairs, I went through the halls of fossil remains,—which + I care little for, though one of them is a human skeleton in limestone,— + and through several rooms of mineralogical specimens, including all the + gems in the world, among which is seen, not the Koh-i-noor itself, but a + fac-simile of it in crystal. I think the aerolites are as interesting as + anything in this department, and one piece of pure iron, laid against the + wall of the room, weighs about fourteen hundred pounds. Whence could it + have come? If these aerolites are bits of other planets, how happen they + to be always iron? But I know no more of this than if I were a + philosopher. + </p> + <p> + Then I went through rooms of shells and fishes and reptiles and tortoises, + crocodiles and alligators and insects, including all manner of + butterflies, some of which had wings precisely like leaves, a little + withered and faded, even the skeleton and fibres of the leaves + represented; and immense hairy spiders, covering, with the whole + circumference of their legs, a space as big as a saucer; and centipedes + little less than a foot long; and winged insects that look like jointed + twigs of a tree. In America, I remember, when I lived in Lenox, I found an + insect of this species, and at first really mistook it for a twig. It was + smaller than these specimens in the Museum. I suppose every creature, + almost, that runs or creeps or swims or flies, is represented in this + collection of Natural History; and it puzzles me to think what they were + all made for, though it is quite as mysterious why man himself was made. + </p> + <p> + By and by I entered the room of Egyptian mummies, of which there are a + good many, one of which, the body of a priestess, is unrolled, except the + innermost layer of linen. The outline of her face is perfectly visible. + Mummies of cats, dogs, snakes, and children are in the wall-cases, + together with a vast many articles of Egyptian manufacture and use,—even + children's toys; bread, too, in flat cakes; grapes, that have turned to + raisins in the grave; queerest of all, methinks, a curly wig, that is + supposed to have belonged to a woman,—together with the wooden box + that held it. The hair is brown, and the wig is as perfect as if it had + been made for some now living dowager. + </p> + <p> + From Egypt we pass into rooms containing vases and other articles of + Grecian and Roman workmanship, and funeral urns, and beads, and rings, + none of them very beautiful. I saw some splendid specimens, however, at a + former visit, when I obtained admission to a room not indiscriminately + shown to visitors. What chiefly interested me in that room was a cast + taken from the face of Cromwell after death; representing a wide-mouthed, + long-chinned, uncomely visage, with a triangular English nose in the very + centre. There were various other curiosities, which I fancied were safe in + my memory, but they do not now come uppermost. + </p> + <p> + To return to my to-day's progress through the Museum;—next to the + classic rooms are the collections of Saxon and British and early English + antiquities, the earlier portions of which are not very interesting to me, + possessing little or no beauty in themselves, and indicating a kind of + life too remote from our own to be readily sympathized with. Who cares for + glass beads and copper brooches, and knives, spear-heads, and swords, all + so rusty that they look as much like pieces of old iron hoop as anything + else? The bed of the Thames has been a rich treasury of antiquities, from + the time of the Roman Conquest downwards; it seems to preserve bronze in + considerable perfection, but not iron. + </p> + <p> + Among the mediaeval relics, the carvings in ivory are often very exquisite + and elaborate. There are likewise caskets and coffers, and a thousand + other Old World ornamental works; but I saw so many and such superior + specimens of them at the Manchester Exhibition, that I shall say nothing + of them here. The seal-ring of Mary, Queen of Scots, is in one of the + cases; it must have been a thumb-ring, judging from its size, and it has a + dark stone, engraved with armorial bearings. In another case is the magic + glass formerly used by Dr. Doe, and in which, if I rightly remember, used + to be seen prophetic visions or figures of persons and scenes at a + distance. It is a round ball of glass or crystal, slightly tinged with a + pinkish hue, and about as big as a small apple, or a little bigger than an + egg would be if perfectly round. This ancient humbug kept me looking at it + perhaps ten minutes; and I saw my own face dimly in it, but no other + vision. Lastly, I passed through the Ethnographical Rooms; but I care + little for the varieties of the human race,—all that is really + important and interesting being found in our own variety. Perhaps equally + in any other. This brought me to the head of one of the staircases, + descending which I entered the library. + </p> + <p> + Here—not to speak of the noble rooms and halls—there are + numberless treasures beyond all price; too valuable in their way for me to + select any one as more curious and valuable than many others. Letters of + statesmen and warriors of all nations, and several centuries back,—among + which, long as it has taken Europe to produce them, I saw none so + illustrious as those of Washington, nor more so than Franklin's, whom + America gave to the world in her nonage; and epistles of poets and + artists, and of kings, too, whose chirography appears to have been much + better than I should have expected from fingers so often cramped in iron + gauntlets. In another case there were the original autograph copies of + several famous works,—for example, that of Pope's Homer, written on + the backs of letters, the direction and seals of which appear in the midst + of "the Tale of Troy divine," which also is much scratched and interlined + with Pope's corrections; a manuscript of one of Ben Jonson's masques; of + the Sentimental Journey, written in much more careful and formal style + than might be expected, the book pretending to be a harum-scarum; of + Walter Scott's Kenilworth, bearing such an aspect of straightforward + diligence that I shall hardly think of it again as a romance;—in + short, I may as well drop the whole matter here. + </p> + <p> + All through the long vista of the king's library, we come to cases in + which—with their pages open beneath the glass—we see books + worth their weight in gold, either for their uniqueness or their beauty, + or because they have belonged to illustrious men, and have their + autographs in them. The copy of the English translation of Montaigne, + containing the strange scrawl of Shakespeare's autograph, is here. Bacon's + name is in another book; Queen Elizabeth's in another; and there is a + little devotional volume, with Lady Jane Grey's writing in it. She is + supposed to have taken it to the scaffold with her. Here, too, I saw a + copy, which was printed at a Venetian press at the time, of the challenge + which the Admirable Crichton caused to be posted on the church doors of + Venice, defying all the scholars of Italy to encounter him. But if I + mention one thing, I find fault with myself for not putting down fifty + others just as interesting,—and, after all, there is an official + catalogue, no doubt, of the whole. + </p> + <p> + As I do not mean to fill any more pages with the British Museum, I will + just mention the hall of Egyptian antiquities on the ground-floor of the + edifice, though I did not pass through it to-day. They consist of things + that would be very ugly and contemptible if they were not so immensely + magnified; but it is impossible not to acknowledge a certain grandeur, + resulting from the scale on which those strange old sculptors wrought. For + instance, there is a granite fist of prodigious size, at least a yard + across, and looking as if it were doubled in the face of Time, defying him + to destroy it. All the rest of the statue to which it belonged seems to + have vanished; but this fist will certainly outlast the Museum, and + whatever else it contains, unless it be some similar Egyptian ponderosity. + There is a beetle, wrought out of immensely hard black stone, as big as a + hogshead. It is satisfactory to see a thing so big and heavy. Then there + are huge stone sarcophagi, engraved with hieroglyphics within and without, + all as good as new, though their age is reckoned by thousands of years. + These great coffins are of vast weight and mass, insomuch that when once + the accurately fitting lids were shut down, there might have seemed little + chance of their being lifted again till the Resurrection. I positively + like these coffins, they are so faithfully made, and so black and stern,—and + polished to such a nicety, only to be buried forever; for the workmen, and + the kings who were laid to sleep within, could never have dreamed of the + British Museum. + </p> + <p> + There is a deity named Pasht, who sits in the hall, very big, very grave, + carved of black stone, and very ludicrous, wearing a dog's head. I will + just mention the Rosetta Stone, with a Greek inscription, and another in + Egyptian characters which gave the clew to a whole field of history; and + shall pretermit all further handling of this unwieldy subject. + </p> + <p> + In all the rooms I saw people of the poorer classes, some of whom seemed + to view the objects intelligently, and to take a genuine interest in them. + A poor man in London has great opportunities of cultivating himself if he + will only make the best of them; and such an institution as the British + Museum can hardly fail to attract, as the magnet does steel, the minds + that are likeliest to be benefited by it in its various departments. I saw + many children there, and some ragged boys. + </p> + <p> + It deserves to be noticed that some small figures of Indian Thugs, + represented as engaged in their profession and handiwork of cajoling and + strangling travellers, have been removed from the place which they + formerly occupied in the part of the Museum shown to the general public. + They are now in the more private room, and the reason of their withdrawal + is, that, according to the Chaplain of Newgate, the practice of garroting + was suggested to the English thieves by this representation of Indian + Thugs. It is edifying, after what I have written in the preceding + paragraph, to find that the only lesson known to have been inculcated here + is that of a new mode of outrage. + </p> + <p> + December 8th.—This morning, when it was time to rise, there was but + a glimmering of daylight, and we had candles on the breakfast-table at + nearly ten o'clock. All abroad there was a dense dim fog brooding through + the atmosphere, insomuch that we could hardly see across the street. At + eleven o'clock I went out into the midst of the fog-bank, which for the + moment seemed a little more interfused with daylight; for there seem to be + continual changes in the density of this dim medium, which varies so much + that now you can but just see your hand before you, and a moment + afterwards you can see the cabs dashing out of the duskiness a score of + yards off. It is seldom or never, moreover, an unmitigated gloom, but + appears to be mixed up with sunshine in different proportions; sometimes + only one part sun to a thousand of smoke and fog, and sometimes sunshine + enough to give the whole mass a coppery line. This would have been a + bright sunny day but for the interference of the fog; and before I had + been out long, I actually saw the sun looking red and rayless, much like + the millionth magnification of a new halfpenny. + </p> + <p> + I was bound towards Bennoch's; for he had written a note to apologize for + not visiting us, and I had promised to call and see him to-day. + </p> + <p> + I went to Marlborough House to look at the English pictures, which I care + more about seeing, here in England, than those of foreign artists, because + the latter will be found more numerously and better on the Continent. I + saw many pictures that pleased me; nothing that impressed me very + strongly. Pictorial talent seems to be abundant enough, up to a certain + point; pictorial genius, I should judge, is among the rarest of gifts. To + be sure, I very likely might not recognize it where it existed; and yet it + ought to have the power of making itself known even to the uninstructed + mind, as literary genius does. If it exist only for connoisseurs, it is a + very suspicious matter. I looked at all Turner's pictures, and at many of + his drawings; and must again confess myself wholly unable to understand + more than a very few of them. Even those few are tantalizing. At a certain + distance you discern what appears to be a grand and beautiful picture, + which you shall admire and enjoy infinitely if you can get within the + range of distinct vision. You come nearer, and find only blotches of color + and dabs of the brush, meaning nothing when you look closely, and meaning + a mystery at the point where the painter intended to station you. Some + landscapes there were, indeed, full of imaginative beauty, and of the + better truth etherealized out of the prosaic truth of Nature; only it was + still impossible actually to see it. There was a mist over it; or it was + like a tract of beautiful dreamland, seen dimly through sleep, and + glimmering out of sight, if looked upon with wide-open eyes. These were + the more satisfactory specimens. There were many others which I could not + comprehend in the remotest degree; not even so far as to conjecture + whether they purported to represent earth, sea, or sky. In fact, I should + not have known them to be pictures at all, but might have supposed that + the artist had been trying his brush on the canvas, mixing up all sorts of + hues, but principally white paint, and now and then producing an agreeable + harmony of color without particularly intending it. Now that I have done + my best to understand them without an interpreter, I mean to buy Ruskin's + pamphlet at my next visit, and look at them through his eyes. But I do not + think that I can be driven out of the idea that a picture ought to have + something in common with what the spectator sees in nature. + </p> + <p> + Marlborough House may be converted, I think, into a very handsome + residence for the young Prince of Wales. The entrance from the court-yard + is into a large, square central hall, the painted ceiling of which is at + the whole height of the edifice, and has a gallery on one side, whence it + would be pleasant to look down on a festal scene below. The rooms are of + fine proportions, with vaulted ceilings, and with fireplaces and + mantel-pieces of great beauty, adorned with pillars and terminal figures + of white and of variegated marble; and in the centre of each mantel-piece + there is a marble tablet, exquisitely sculptured with classical designs, + done in such high relief that the figures are sometimes almost disengaged + from the background. One of the subjects was Androcles, or whatever was + his name, taking the thorn out of the lion's foot. I suppose these works + are of the era of the first old Duke and Duchess. After all, however, for + some reason or other, the house does not at first strike you as a noble + and princely one, and you have to convince yourself of it by examining it + more in detail. + </p> + <p> + On leaving Marlborough House, I stepped for a few moments into the + National Gallery, and looked, among other things, at the Turners and + Claudes that hung there side by side. These pictures, I think, are quite + the most comprehensible of Turner's productions; but I must say I prefer + the Claudes. The latter catches "the light that never was on sea or land" + without taking you quite away from nature for it. Nevertheless, I will not + be quite certain that I care for any painter except Murillo, whose St. + John I should like to own. As far as my own pleasure is concerned, I could + not say as much for any other picture; for I have always found an infinite + weariness and disgust resulting from a picture being too frequently before + my eyes. I had rather see a basilisk, for instance, than the very best of + those old, familiar pictures in the Boston Athenaeum; and most of those in + the National Gallery might soon affect me in the same way. + </p> + <p> + From the Gallery I almost groped my way towards the city, for the fog + seemed to grow denser and denser as I advanced; and when I reached St. + Paul's, the sunny intermixture above spoken of was at its minimum, so + that, the smoke-cloud grew really black about the dome and pinnacles, and + the statues of saints looked down dimly from their standpoints on high. It + was very grand, however, to see the pillars and porticos, and the huge + bulk of the edifice, heaving up its dome from an obscure foundation into + yet more shadowy obscurity; and by the time I reached the corner of the + churchyard nearest Cheapside, the whole vast cathedral had utterly + vanished, leaving "not a wrack behind," unless those thick, dark vapors + were the elements of which it had been composed, and into which it had + again dissolved. It is good to think, nevertheless,—and I gladly + accept the analogy and the moral,—that the cathedral was really + there, and as substantial as ever, though those earthly mists had hidden + it from mortal eyes. + </p> + <p> + I found ——— in better spirits than when I saw him last, + but his misfortune has been too real not to affect him long and deeply. He + was cheerful, however, and his face shone with almost its old lustre. It + has still the cheeriest glow that I ever saw in any human countenance. + </p> + <p> + I went home by way of Holborn, and the fog was denser than ever,—very + black, indeed more like a distillation of mud than anything else; the + ghost of mud,—the spiritualized medium of departed mud, through + which the dead citizens of London probably tread in the Hades whither they + are translated. So heavy was the gloom, that gas was lighted in all the + shop-windows; and the little charcoal-furnaces of the women and boys, + roasting chestnuts, threw a ruddy, misty glow around them. And yet I liked + it. This fog seems an atmosphere proper to huge, grimy London; as proper + to London as that light neither of the sun nor moon is to the New + Jerusalem. + </p> + <p> + On reaching home, I found the same fog diffused through the drawing-room, + though how it could have got in is a mystery. Since nightfall, however, + the atmosphere is clear again. + </p> + <p> + December 20th.—Here we are still in London, at least a month longer + than we expected, and at the very dreariest and dullest season of the + year. Had I thought of it sooner, I might have found interesting people + enough to know, even when all London is said to be out of town; but + meditating a stay only of a week or two (on our way to Rome), it did not + seem worth while to seek acquaintances. + </p> + <p> + I have been out only for one evening; and that was at Dr. ———'s, + who had been attending all the children in the measles. (Their illness was + what detained us.) He is a homoeopathist, and is known in scientific or + general literature; at all events, a sensible and enlightened man, with an + un-English freedom of mind on some points. For example, he is a + Swedenborgian, and a believer in modern spiritualism. He showed me some + drawings that had been made under the spiritual influence by a + miniature-painter who possesses no imaginative power of his own, and is + merely a good mechanical and literal copyist; but these drawings, + representing angels and allegorical people, were done by an influence + which directed the artist's hand, he not knowing what his next touch would + be, nor what the final result. The sketches certainly did show a high and + fine expressiveness, if examined in a trustful mood. Dr. ——— + also spoke of Mr. Harris, the American poet of spiritualism, as being the + best poet of the day; and he produced his works in several volumes, and + showed me songs, and paragraphs of longer poems, in support of his + opinion. They seemed to me to have a certain light and splendor, but not + to possess much power, either passionate or intellectual. Mr. Harris is + the medium of deceased poets, Milton and Lord Byron among the rest; and + Dr. ——— said that Lady Byron—who is a devoted + admirer of her husband, in spite of their conjugal troubles—pronounced + some of these posthumous strains to be worthy of his living genius. Then + the Doctor spoke of various strange experiences which he himself has had + in these spiritual matters; for he has witnessed the miraculous + performances of Home, the American medium, and he has seen with his own + eyes, and felt with his own touch, those ghostly hands and arms the + reality of which has been certified to me by other beholders. Dr. ——— + tells me that they are cold, and that it is a somewhat awful matter to see + and feel them. I should think so, indeed. Do I believe in these wonders? + Of course; for how is it possible to doubt either the solemn word or the + sober observation of a learned and sensible man like Dr. ———? + But again, do I really believe it? Of course not; for I cannot consent to + have heaven and earth, this world and the next, beaten up together like + the white and yolk of an egg, merely out of respect to Dr. ———'s + sanity and integrity. I would not believe my own sight, nor touch of the + spiritual hands; and it would take deeper and higher strains than those of + Mr. Harris to convince me. I think I might yield to higher poetry or + heavenlier wisdom than mortals in the flesh have ever sung or uttered. + </p> + <p> + Meanwhile, this matter of spiritualism is surely the strangest that ever + was heard of; and yet I feel unaccountably little interest in it,—a + sluggish disgust, and repugnance to meddle with it,—insomuch that I + hardly feel as if it were worth this page or two in my not very eventful + journal. One or two of the ladies present at Dr. ———'s + little party seemed to be mediums. + </p> + <p> + I have made several visits to the picture-galleries since my last date; + and I think it fair towards my own powers of appreciation to record that I + begin to appreciate Turner's pictures rather better than at first. Not + that I have anything to recant as respects those strange, white-grounded + performances in the chambers at the Marlborough House; but some of his + happier productions (a large landscape illustrative of Childe Harold, for + instance) seem to me to have more magic in them than any other pictures. I + admire, too, that misty, morning landscape in the National Gallery; and, + no doubt, his very monstrosities are such as only he could have painted, + and may have an infinite value for those who can appreciate the genius in + them. + </p> + <p> + The shops in London begin to show some tokens of approaching Christmas; + especially the toy-shops, and the confectioners',—the latter + ornamenting their windows with a profusion of bonbons and all manner of + pygmy figures in sugar; the former exhibiting Christmas-trees, hung with + rich and gaudy fruit. At the butchers' shops, there is a great display of + fat carcasses, and an abundance of game at the poulterers'. We think of + going to the Crystal Palace to spend the festival day, and eat our + Christmas dinner; but, do what we may, we shall have no home feeling or + fireside enjoyment. I am weary, weary of London and of England, and can + judge now how the old Loyalists must have felt, condemned to pine out + their lives here, when the Revolution had robbed them of their native + country. And yet there is still a pleasure in being in this dingy, smoky, + midmost haunt of men; and I trudge through Fleet Street and Ludgate Street + and along Cheapside with an enjoyment as great as I ever felt in a + wood-path at home; and I have come to know these streets as well, I + believe, as I ever knew Washington Street in Boston, or even Essex Street + in my stupid old native town. For Piccadilly or for Regent Street, though + more brilliant promenades, I do not care nearly so much. + </p> + <p> + December 27th.—Still leading an idle life, which, however, may not + be quite thrown away, as I see some things, and think many thoughts. + </p> + <p> + The other day we went to Westminster Abbey, and through the chapels; and + it being as sunny a day as could well be in London, and in December, we + could judge, in some small degree, what must have been the splendor of + those tombs and monuments when first erected there. + </p> + <p> + I presume I was sufficiently minute in describing my first visit to the + chapels, so I shall only mention the stiff figure of a lady of Queen + Elizabeth's court, reclining on the point of her elbow under a mural arch + through all these dusty years; . . . . and the old coronation-chair, with + the stone of Scone beneath the seat, and the wood-work cut and scratched + all over with names and initials. . . . + </p> + <p> + I continue to go to the picture-galleries. I have an idea that the face of + Murillo's St. John has a certain mischievous intelligence in it. This has + impressed me almost from the first. It is a boy's face, very beautiful and + very pleasant too, but with an expression that one might fairly suspect to + be roguish if seen in the face of a living boy. + </p> + <p> + About equestrian statues, as those of various kings at Charing Cross, and + otherwhere about London, and of the Duke of Wellington opposite Apsley + House, and in front of the Exchange, it strikes me as absurd, the idea of + putting a man on horseback on a place where one movement of the steed + forward or backward or sideways would infallibly break his own and his + rider's neck. The English sculptors generally seem to have been aware of + this absurdity, and have endeavored to lessen it by making the horse as + quiet as a cab-horse on the stand, instead of rearing rampant, like the + bronze group of Jackson at Washington. The statue of Wellington, at the + Piccadilly corner of the Park, has a stately and imposing effect, seen + from far distances, in approaching either through the Green Park, or from + the Oxford Street corner of Hyde Park. + </p> + <p> + January 3d, 1858.—On Thursday we had the pleasure of a call from Mr. + Coventry Patmore, to whom Dr. Wilkinson gave me a letter of introduction, + and on whom I had called twice at the British Museum without finding him. + We had read his Betrothal and Angel in the House with unusual pleasure and + sympathy, and therefore were very glad to make his personal acquaintance. + He is a man of much more youthful aspect than I had expected, . . . . a + slender person to be an Englishman, though not remarkably so had he been + an American; with an intelligent, pleasant, and sensitive face,—a + man very evidently of refined feelings and cultivated mind. . . . He is + very simple and agreeable in his manners; a little shy, yet perfectly + frank, and easy to meet on real grounds. . . . He said that his wife had + proposed to come with him, and had, indeed, accompanied him to town, but + was kept away. . . . We were very sorry for this, because Mr. Patmore + seems to acknowledge her as the real "Angel in the House," although he + says she herself ignores all connection with the poem. It is well for her + to do so, and for her husband to feel that the character is her real + portrait; and both, I suppose, are right. It is a most beautiful and + original poem,—a poem for happy married people to read together, and + to understand by the light of their own past and present life; but I doubt + whether the generality of English people are capable of appreciating it. I + told Mr. Patmore that I thought his popularity in America would be greater + than at home, and he said that it was already so; and he appeared to + estimate highly his American fame, and also our general gift of quicker + and more subtle recognition of genius than the English public. . . . We + mutually gratified each other by expressing high admiration of one + another's works, and Mr. Patmore regretted that in the few days of our + further stay here we should not have time to visit him at his home. It + would really give me pleasure to do so. . . . I expressed a hope of seeing + him in Italy during our residence there, and he seemed to think it + possible, as his friend, and our countryman, Thomas Buchanan Read, had + asked him to come thither and be his guest. He took his leave, shaking + hands with all of us because he saw that we were of his own people, + recognizing him as a true poet. He has since given me the new edition of + his poems, with a kind rote. + </p> + <p> + We are now making preparations for our departure, which we expect will + take place on Tuesday; and yesterday I went to our Minister's to arrange + about the passport. The very moment I rang at his door, it swung open, and + the porter ushered me with great courtesy into the anteroom; not that he + knew me, or anything about me, except that I was an American citizen. This + is the deference which an American servant of the public finds it + expedient to show to his sovereigns. Thank Heaven, I am a sovereign again, + and no longer a servant; and really it is very singular how I look down + upon our ambassadors and dignitaries of all sorts, not excepting the + President himself. I doubt whether this is altogether a good influence of + our mode of government. + </p> + <p> + I did not see, and, in fact, declined seeing, the Minister himself, but + only his son, the Secretary of Legation, and a Dr. P———, + an American traveller just from the Continent. He gave a fearful account + of the difficulties that beset a person landing with much luggage in + Italy, and especially at Civita Vecchia, the very port at which we + intended to debark. I have been so long in England that it seems a cold + and shivery thing to go anywhere else. + </p> + <p> + Bennoch came to take tea with us on the 5th, it being his first visit + since we came to London, and likewise his farewell visit on our leaving + for the Continent. + </p> + <p> + On his departure, J——- and I walked a good way down Oxford + Street and Holborn with him, and I took leave of him with the kindest + wishes for his welfare. + </p> + <h3> + END OF VOL. II. + </h3> + <div style="height: 6em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Passages From the English Notebooks, +Volume 2, by Nathaniel Hawthorne + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PASSAGES *** + +***** This file should be named 7877-h.htm or 7877-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/7/8/7/7877/ + +Produced by Tapio Riikonen and David Widger + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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