. . . As I Entered The Room Devoted To The Elgin Marbles, The
Works Of The "Divine Phidias," I Stepped With Awe,
As if entering a
temple, and the Secretary, who was by my side, observing it, told me
that the Grand
Duke Constantine, when he came a few days before,
made, as he entered, a most profound and reverential bow. This was
one of my most delightful mornings, and I left the Antiquities with
a stronger desire to see them again than before I had seen them at
all.
Sunday, June 27th
. . . I went on Wednesday to dine at Lord Monteagle's to meet Father
Mathew, and the Archbishop of Dublin (Dr. Whately) also dined there.
Father Mathew spoke with great interest of America and of American
liberality, and is very anxious to go to our country. He saw Mr.
Forbes at Cork and spoke of him with great regard. . . . On
[Saturday] Mr. Bancroft went to the palace to see the King of the
Belgians, with the rest of the Diplomatic Corps. After his return
we went to Westminster Hall to see the prize pictures, as Lord
Lansdowne had sent us tickets for the private view. The Commission
of Fine Arts have offered prizes for the best historical pictures
that may serve to adorn the new Houses of Parliament, and the
pictures of this collection were all painted with that view. One of
those which have received a prize is John Robinson bestowing his
farewell blessing upon the Pilgrims at Leyden, which is very
pleasing. It was to me like a friend in a strange country, and I
lingered over it the longest.
July 2d
Wednesday [evening] we went to Lady Duff Gordon's, who is the
daughter of Mrs. Austin, where was a most agreeable party, and among
others, Andersen, the Danish poet-author of the "Improvisatore." He
has a most striking poetical physiognomy, but as he talked only
German or bad French, I left him to Mr. Bancroft in the conversation
way.
The next morning before nine o'clock we were told that Mr. Rogers,
the poet, was downstairs. I could not imagine what had brought him
out so early, but found that Moore, the poet, had come to town and
would stay but a day, and we must go that very morning and breakfast
with him at ten o'clock. We went and found a delightful circle. I
sat between Moore and Rogers, who was in his very best humor. Moore
is but a wreck, but most a interesting one.
LETTER: To Mr. and Mrs. I.P.D.
Nuneham Park, July 27, 1847
My dear Uncle and Aunt: . . . I must go back to the day when my
last letters were despatched, as my life since has been full of
interest. On Monday evening, the 19th, we went to the French play,
to see Rachel in "Phedre." She far surpassed my imagination in the
expression of all the powerful passions. . . . On Tuesday Mr.
Bancroft went down to hear Lord John make a speech to his
constituents in the city, while I went to see Miss Burdett-Coutts
lay the corner-stone of the church which "the Bishop of London has
permitted her to build," to use her own expression in her note to
me. In the evening we dined there with many of the clergy, and Lord
Brougham, Lord Dundonald, etc. I went down with the Dean of
Westminster, who was very agreeable and instructive. He and Dr.
Whately have the simplicity of children, with an immense deal of
knowledge, which they impart in the most pleasant way. Saturday,
the 24th, we were to leave town for our first country excursion. We
were invited by Dr. Hawtrey, the Head Master of Eton, to be present
at the ceremonies accompanying the annual election of such boys on
the Foundation as are selected to go up to King's College,
Cambridge, where they are also placed on a Foundation. From reading
Dr. Arnold's life you will have learned that the head master of one
of these very great schools is no unimportant personage. Dr.
Hawtrey has an income of six or seven thousand pounds. He is
unmarried, but has two single sisters who live with him, and his
establishment in one of the old college houses is full of elegance
and comfort. We took an open travelling carriage with imperials,
and drove down to Eton with our own horses, arriving about one
o'clock. At two, precisely, the Provost of King's College,
Cambridge, was to arrive, and to be received under the old gateway
of the cloister by the Captain of the school with a Latin speech.
After dinner there is a regatta among the boys, which is one of the
characteristic and pleasing old customs. All the fashionables of
London who have sons at Eton come down to witness their happiness,
and the river bank is full of gayety. The evening finished with the
most beautiful fireworks I ever saw, which lighted up the Castle
behind and were reflected in the Thames below, while the glancing
oars of the young boatmen, and the music of their band with a merry
chime of bells from St. George's Chapel, above, all combined to give
gayety and interest to the scene. The next morning (Sunday), after
an agreeable breakfast in the long, low-walled breakfast-room, which
opens upon the flower garden, we went to Windsor to worship in St.
George's Chapel. The Queen's stall is rather larger than the
others, and one is left vacant for the Prince of Wales.
LONDON, July 29th
And now with a new sheet I must begin my account of Nuneham. . . .
The Archbishop of York is the second son of Lord Vernon, but his
uncle, Earl Harcourt, dying without children, left him all his
estate, upon which he took the name of Harcourt. We arrived about
four o'clock. . . . The dinner was at half-past seven, and when I
went down I found the Duchess of Sutherland, Lady Caroline Leveson-
Gower, Lord Kildare, and several of the sons and daughters of the
Archbishop.
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