Our Ferules Are Thought Rather Barbarous, But
A Gentle Touch From A Slender Twig Not At All So.
These young men
looked to me as old as our collegians.
We then went to their study-
rooms, play-rooms, and sleeping-rooms. The whole forty sleep in one
long and well-ventilated room, the walls of which were also covered
with names. At the foot of each bed was a large chest covered with
leather, as mouldering and time-worn as the Abbey itself. Here are
educated the sons of some of the noblest families, and the
Archbishop of York has had six sons here, and all of them were in
succession the Captain of the school. . . .
On Wednesday evening we went first to our friends, the Bunsens,
where we were invited to meet the Duchess of Sutherland with a few
other persons. Bunsen is very popular here. He is learned and
accomplished, and was so much praised in the Biography of Dr.
Arnold, the late historian of Rome, that he has great reputation in
the world of letters. . . . Although we have great pleasure in the
society of Chevalier and Madam Bunsen, and in those whom we meet at
their house. On this occasion we only stayed half an hour, which I
passed in talking with the Bishop of Norwich and his wife, Mrs.
Stanley, and went to Lady Morgan's without waiting till the Duchess
of Sutherland came. There we found her little rooms full of
agreeable people. . . . The next day, Thursday, there was a grand
opera for the benefit of the Irish, and all the Diplomatic Corps
were obliged to take boxes. Lady Palmerston, who was one of the
three patronesses, secured a very good box for us, directly opposite
the Queen, and only three from the stage.
We took with us Mrs. Milman and W.T. Davis, to whom it gave a grand
opportunity of seeing the Queen and the assembled aristocracy, at
least all who are now in London. "God save the Queen," sung with
the whole audience standing, was a noble sight. The Queen also
stood, and at the end gave three curtsies. On Friday Captain and
Mrs. Wormeley, with Miss Wormeley, dined with us, with Mr. and Mrs.
Carlyle, Miss Murray, the Maid of Honor, Mr. and Mrs. Pell of New
York, with William T. and Mr. Brodhead. William was very glad to
see Carlyle, who showed himself off to perfection, uttering his
paradoxes in broad Scotch.
Last evening we dined at Mr. Thomas Baring's, and a most agreeable
dinner it was. The company consisted of twelve persons, Lord and
Lady Ashburton, etc. I like Lady Ashburton extremely. She is full
of intelligence, reads everything, talks most agreeably, and still
loves America. She is by no means one of those who abjure their
country. I have seen few persons in England whom I should esteem a
more delightful friend or companion than Lady Ashburton, and I do
not know why, but I had received a different impression of her.
Lord Ashburton, by whom I sat at dinner, struck me as still one of
the wisest men I have seen in England.
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