All The Persons Whose Names I Have
Mentioned To You Give One A Decided Impression Not Only Of Ability
And
Agreeable manners, but of excellence and the domestic virtues.
The furniture and houses, too, are less splendid and ostentatious,
than
Those of our large cities, though [they] have more plate, and
liveried servants. The forms of society and the standard of dress,
too, are very like ours, except that a duchess or a countess has
more hereditary point lace and diamonds. The general style of
dress, perhaps, is not so tasteful, so simply elegant as ours. Upon
the whole I think more highly of our own country (I mean from a
social point of view alone) than before I came abroad. There is
less superiority over us in manners and all the social arts than I
could have believed possible in a country where a large and wealthy
class have been set apart from time immemorial to create, as it
were, a social standard of high refinement. The chief difference
that I perceive is this: In our country the position of everybody
is undefined and rests altogether upon public opinion. This leads
sometimes to a little assumption and pretension of manner, which the
highest class here, whose claims are always allowed by all about
them, are never tempted to put on. From this results an extreme
simplicity of manner, like that of a family circle among us.
What I have said, however, applies less to the South than to the
large cities of the North, with which I am most familiar at home. I
hope our memory will not be completely effaced in Washington, for we
cling to our friends there with strong interest. Present my
respectful regards to the President, and my love to Mrs. Walker and
Miss Rucker. To the Masons also, and our old colleagues all, and
pray lay your royal commands upon somebody to write me. I long to
know what is going on in Washington. The Pleasantons promised to do
so, and Annie Payne, to whom and to Mrs. Madison give also my best
love. Believe me yours with the highest regard.
E.D. BANCROFT.
LETTER: 2 December
Yesterday we dined at the Prussian Minister's, Chevalier Bunsen's.
He met your father in Rome twenty years since, and has received us
with great enthusiasm. Yesterday at dinner he actually rose in his
seat and made quite a speech welcoming him to England as historian,
old friend, etc., and ended by offering his health, which your
father replied to shortly, in a few words. Imagine such an outbreak
upon routine at a dinner in England! Nobody could have done it but
one of German blood, but I dare say the Everetts, who know him,
could imagine it all.
LETTER: To W.D.B. and A.B.
LONDON, December 19,1846
My dear Sons: . . . Yesterday we dined at Macready's and met quite
a new, and to us, a most agreeable circle. There was Carlyle, who
talked all dinner-time in his broad Scotch, in the most inimitable
way. He is full of wit, and happened to get upon James I., upon
which topic he was superb. Then there was Babbage, the great
mathematician, Fonblanc, the editor of the EXAMINER, etc., etc. The
day before we dined at Mr. Frederick Elliott's with a small party of
eight, of which Lady Morgan was one, and also a brother of Lord
Normanby's, whom I liked very much. Lady Morgan, who had not
hitherto much pleased me, came out in this small circle with all her
Irish wit and humor, and gave me quite new notions of her talent.
She made me laugh till I cried. On Saturday we dined at Sir
Roderick Murchison's, the President of the Geological Society, very
great in the scientific way.
We have struck up a great friendship with Miss Murray, the Queen's
Maid of Honor, who paid me a visit of three hours to-day, in the
midst of which came in Colonel Estcourt, whom I was delighted to
see, as you may suppose. Miss Murray is to me a very interesting
person, though a great talker; a convenient fault to a stranger.
She is connected with half the noble families in England, is the
grand-daughter of the Duchess of Athol, who governed the Isle of Man
as a queen, and the descendant of Scott's Countess of Derby. Though
sprung of such Tory blood, and a maid of honor, she thinks freely
upon all subjects. Religion, politics, and persons, she decides
upon for herself, and has as many benevolent schemes as old Madam
Jackson.
I returned the visit of Mr. and Mrs. Leslie, the painter, this week,
and saw the picture he is now painting for the Vice-Chancellor. It
is a sketch of children, a boy driving his two little sisters as
horses. One of the little girls is very like Susie, her size, hair,
and complexion. How I longed to be rich enough to order a copy, but
his pictures cost a fortune. I paid also a visit this week to the
Duchess of Inverness, whom I found in the prettiest, cosiest morning
boudoir looking onto the gardens of the Palace. In short, I do, or
see, every hour, something that if I were a traveller only, I could
make quite a story of.
LETTER: To W.D.B. and A.B.
LONDON, January 1, 1847
My dear Sons: . . . I wrote my last sheet on the 19th and your
father went on that day to Cambridge to be present at the tri-
centennial celebration of Trinity College . . . He went also the day
after the anniversary, which was on our 22nd December, to Ely, with
Peacock, the great mathematician, who is Dean of Ely, to see the
great cathedral there . . . While he was at Cambridge I passed the
evening of the 22nd at Lady Morgan's, who happened to have a most
agreeable set . . . Lady Morgan's reunions are entertaining to me
because they are collections of lions, but they are not strictly and
exclusively fashionable.
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