'mtirTTrmtTiTiiinni lifi fimSi ''"'liliirr.' nmJ' III I'il'i illllijilllilN!^^^ il I ill i! |i;;,,.n?>!li;i mm 'w^mm li|iiii iltlli IttilHi liii ill mm mm ,, ill .jiiiij I 111 i l!i lllllli!! I III !!- ■:■ i!il; i i;';;i!i!^ li 111, "■■lit [ill iiliiiiv I il X mm \m ':im liiiiHitiil' nniiiii'nf!m!a(mn-:iii!'iil!^i,..;:a.:n:;';i I ' -isim}m<^- .'w ?if ,'yvit|ffrfs^TJBa»- THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESENTED BY PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID / *THE KING OF SAXONY'S JOURNEY THROUGH ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND IN THE YEAR 1844. lU G. ByDr.UG. CARUS, PHYSICIAN TO HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF SAXONY, AND PKIVY COUNSELLOR OF THE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT. TKANSLATED By S. C. DAVISON, B.A. Dr. Ph., &c. INTKR FOLIA KKl'CITS." LONDON: CHAPMAN AND HALL, 186, STRAND. 1846. C. WHITING, BEAUFORT HOUSE, STUAND. THE FOLLOWING SHEETS AllE, BY HIS MAJESTY S GKACIOUS PERMISSION, DEDICATED TO KING FREDERICK AUGUSTUS, WITH FEELINGS OF THE MOST PROFOUND RESPECT AND DEEPEST GRATITUDE, C. G. CAllUS. CZ3 PREFACE. The journey of Hs Majesty the King of Saxony through England and Scotland was so well planned and executed, and is so admirably fitted to give a rapid but clear view of the most remarkable things of these remarkable countries, that it will serve as a model for future travellers who have similar objects in view. Even in this respect, it would have been a subject of regret, had not at least a short but accurate account of the nature and direction of the various excursions undertaken been given to the public. And this circum- stance, in addition to the very numerous and interesting occur- rences and observations, determined me not to withold from the press the contents of my journal, written during the rapidity of the jour- ney, and in a very brief style. The present volume, therefore, owes its origin to no premeditated plan of travelling in order to write a book, and still less is it written and published in order to travel again, but to the circumstances alone already mentioned, together with the permission and sanction given to its appearance. The reader is not in such a case to look for complete statistical notices, detailed geographical or historical descriptions, and still less for copious political reflections ; but he is here permitted in some measure to participate in a journey favoured in every respect, through an important country favoured in many respects, and among so many persons who exercise a remarkable influence upon the history of our times. Had time and leisure allowed, many of the hasty sketches and M310611 VI PREFACE. remarks in the journal might have been recast and extended, and made in many respects more complete, but they would thereby have certainly lost in freshness, precision, and reality. Even in this respect, therefore, I have preferred leaving them in their original, almost aphoristic form — with very few additions — and the more so as there can be, or is, no want of copious and accurate works on so civilised — nay, the most civilised — country in the world ; but it will be to me a subject of higher gratification, if the descriptions which I have given furnish the careful reader with what he often seeks in vain in works of the greatest detail — an unclouded feeling of true, lively, and real circumstantiality ; that is, the possibihty of trans- porting one's self in mind into the midst of the things themselves. C N T E N T S. PACK. I. — Introduction 1 II. — Journey to England— Leipzig — Magdeburg, The Cathedral— Brunswick —Cathedral — J )ucal Palace 2 ni. — Hildesheim — Old Buildings — Cathedral — Convent of St. Michael — Porta Westphalica — Minden — Elberfeld — The Valley of the llhine — Cologne— The Cathedral and the New Buildings 4 IV. — Kailroad from Cologne to Aix-la-Chapelle — Verviers — Brussels— Dinner at Court — Whitsunday— St. Gudule — The Townhouse— Institute of Vandermaelen — Botanic Garden— Hotel of the Prince of Orange— Paint- ings in the Royal Palace — Quetelet — Anemometer — Dinner at Lacken... 7 V. — Palace of the Duke of Aremberg— Observatory— Dejeuner at Lacken — Ghent — Townhouse — University — Beguines — Cathedral — Van Eyck's Lamb— Bruges — Monument of Charles the Bold — Hospital of St. John, with Pictures by Memling — Palace of Justice — Townhouse — Appear- ance of the Town — Ostend 12 VI. — Introduction to England in general — Outline of the Country — Bays — Motion of the Sea— Effect of the Sea upon Climate — Relations of the Soil — Various Formations — Fossils — Plants —Southern Vegetation — No Forests —Animals — General Character of the Enghsh People explained, with Keference to Descent and Separation from the Rest of the World — Architecture — England has a peculiar Architectural Style — The Navy and Sea Affairs considered, in reference to Wealth and Character — Peculiarities of the English Constitution and Government 17 VII. — Journey to London — Passage from Ostend to Dover — Different Style of the Buildings, and different Character of the Population — Dover Castle — Shakspeare's Cliff — South -Eastern Railway — Tunbridge — Drive to Buckhurst — Family of Lord Delawarr 37 VIU. — Vie de Chateau of the EngUsh Nobility — Drive to Knowle House — Lord Amherst — Redleaf — Mr. Wells ; his Collection of Paintings — Penshurst —Fire-place in the Old Hall — Drive back to Buckhurst — May Feast- Dinner at Lord Delawarr's 41 IX. — Departure from Buckhurst — Visit to Mr. West — Road to Brighton — Similarity between England and Italy — The Pavilion St .tue of George IV.— Pier — Sea-baths — Road to Arundel— The New Castle — Picturesque Ruins of the old One — Owls — Chichester — Cross and Cathedral — Arrival in Portsmouth — Admiralty — Supper there 46 X. — Visit to the Dockyards in Portsmouth — Brunei s Machine — The '• Arrow" — Visit to several Ships — Magazines — Biscuit-baking by Steam — Iron Water-tanks — Visit to the Victory — Nelson — Departure from Ports- mouth in the Fanny — Landing at the Isle of Wight— Drive to Shanklin — St. Boniface — Newport — Club-house in Cowes 51 XL — London — From Cowes to the Needles — Lunch on board the Fanny — Yacht Club — Southampton — De})ai ture on the Railway by Special Train — Eighty English Miles in Two Hours — Arrival in London — Prince Al- bert — Buckingham Palace — Her Majesty the Queen — Grand Dinner 55 XIL — First Morning in London — Dr. Freund — Professor Owen — St. James's Park — Tnifalgar Square— Monuments — College of Surgeons and Owen's Collection — Clyptodon, Mylodon, Dinornis, &c. — Cuvier's Daughter-in- law — Zoological Gardens — Regent's Park — OrangUtang, Giraffes, Siren l^acertina — English Sunday Walkers — Return through Bedford Square Vlll CONTENTS. PAGE. and Regent Street — Appearance of the West-End of London — Project for Funerals by Rail 58 Xin. — Practising Physicians in London — British Museum — Elgin Marbles — Friezes of the Temple of Phigalia — Egyptian Museum : Beauty of Motion, Beauty of Fixedness— Collection of Fossil Remains — Missurium changed into a Mastodon — To Windsor — Windsor — Grand Dinner — The Emperor of Russia 65 XIV. — Eton — To London — Oxford Street Bazaar — Return — Stoppage at Han- well — Lunatic Asylum — Return to Windsor — Highland Piper — Concert — Splendour of the Rooms 69 XV. — Review in Windsor Park — Drive through the Park — Virginia Water — Ruins — Country-house of George IV. — Full Dress Dinner — Interesting Persons — Written Portraits — The Emperor — Sir Robert Peel — The Duke of Wellington 73 XVI. — Terrace before Windsor Castle — Modern Silversmiths' Work — Ascot Heath Races — In the Evening new Faces — Admiral Codrington 78 XVII. — Walk to Shapspeare's Oak — St. George's Chapel — Return to London... 81 XVIII. — Palace of the Duke of Sutherland — The New Houses of Parliament — Westminster Hall — Westminster Abbey — Visit to the House of Lords — Full Dress Dinner 83 XIX.— 'Visit to Lawrence — Bedlam — Phrenological Collection of Deville — Bar- tholomew's Hospital — Crowd in the City — Rout at the Duke of Devon- shire's,Chiswick House — Girafles — Picture Gallery in Buckmgham Palace Italian Opera — Grisi, Mario, Lablache— Ballet — Cerito 88 XX. — Sunday — Work with Owen — The Marquis of Lansdowne's House — Walk through London — St. Paul's — The Monument — London Bridge — River Steamers — St. James's Park — Dinner at the Duke of Cambridge's. . . 93 XXI. — New Bridewell, Westminster, a Prison on the System of strict Silence — Penitentiary, a Prison on the System of entire Isolation — Archbishop of Canterbury and his Palace in Lambeth — Surrey Zoological Gardens — Painting representmg London in 1666 — The Tunnel — Mr. Brunei — Barclay and Perkins's Brewery — Philharmonic Concert 96 XXn. — Owen's Head — Co vent Garden Market — Baker Street Bazaar — Zoolo- gical Gardens, Regent's Park— Mr. Hope's House — United Service Club — British Museum — Egyptian Room — Portland Vase — Arts of the Middle Ages — Fossil Remains — Meteoric Stones — Zoological Collection — Remarkable Nest of a New Holland Bird — Robert Brown and the Botanical Collection — Whitehall — Italian Opera and Cerito's Moonlight Dance (Shadow Dance) 102 XXni. — Gould, the Ornithologist— Remarkable Bird of New Holland— St. George's Hospital — Anatomical School of Mr. Lane — Faraday — Lying- in-Hospital, City Road — Refusal of Admittance into St. Luke's — Dinner and Soiree at Lord Wilton's 110 XXIV. — Prince Albert's interest in Natural History — Drive to Richmond and Visit to the Duke of Cambridge at Kew — Professor Hooker and Son — Sion House — Collection of Orchidea belonging to Mrs. Lawrence — Hyde Park — Dinner at Lord Aberdeen's — Comedy at the Hay market: Mar- ried Life 113 XXV. — Drive to Hampton Court — Raphael's Cartoons — Celebrated Vine — Picture Gallery — Hall and Chapel of Hampton Court — Drive to Clare- mont 118 XXVI. — Morning in Claremont — Exhibition of the Horticultural Society at Chis wick— Large Turtle in London — The Tower — London Docks — Dinner at Sir R. Peel's— Soiree of Learned and Celebrated Men 123 XXVII. — A Quaker Meeting on Sunday — Mrs. Austin — Lord Ashburton's Picture Gallery — Marquis of Westminster's Gallery in Grosvenor House — After Dinner, Visit to the Times Printing Office 127 XXVIIL— Trials at the Old Bailey— West Smithfield— Christ's Hospital- East India House — Guy's Hospital — St. Thomas's Hospital — Antiques in the British Museum — Mrs. Austin and the Exhibition— British Gallery — i\Ir. Rogers' Pictures — Dinner and Concert 131 XXIX.— The New Pentonville Model Prison— The Post Office— Goldsmith's Hall — Visit to the Lord Mayor— Old Bailey — Inauguration of the Wei- CONTENTS. IX PAGE. lington Statue — The Temple and the Temple Church — The British Gallery — Dinner — Captain Meynell — Opera — Ballet — Fanny Elsler 136 XXX. — Preparations for Departure — Tom Thumb— The Chinese Exhibition... 144 XXX [.—Departure 146 XXXII. — Journey through England — Departure — Hatfield— The Marquis of Salisbury — Cambridge— Trinity College— Dr. Whewell — Soiree of Pro- fessors 148 XXXIII. — Early Prayer- St. John's College — University Library — St. Mary's Church — Collection of Fossils — Botanic Gardens — Anatomy— St. Peter's College — Journey by Bedford to Woburn Abbey — Woburn 153 XXXI V. — By Railway from Wolverton to Chesterfield— Colossal Station in Derby — Warwick Castle - Journey from Chesterfield to Bakewell 156 XXXV.— Sunday Morning in Bakewell —Drive to Chatsworth—Castle, Park, and Greenhouses there — Haddon Hall — Back to Bakewell 1 60 XXXVf. — Drive to the Peak and to Castleton — The Celebrated Peak Cavern — Second smaller Cavern — Thunder Storm — Arrival in Buxton — Drive by Bakewell to Matlock 165 XXXVII. — Marble Works in Matlock — Arrival in Birmingham — Ashton Hall — Steam Engine Manufactory of Watt — Dull Impression produced by Birmingham — Papier Mache Manufactory — Button Manufactory — Chil- dren in Manufactories 169 XXXVIII.— Nail Manufactory— Manufactory of Plated Goods — Great Gim Factory — Pin Manufactory— Coventry — Cathedral — St. Mary's Hall — Old Womens' Almshouses — Kenilworth — Splendid Character of the Ruin — Guy's Clifi"- Warwick Castle — Park — Warwick Vase — Drive to Leamington 172 XXXIX. — Early Walk in Leamington — Warwick and St. Mary's Chapel— Stratford-on-Avon — Shakspeare's House and Grave — Blenheim— The Duke of Marlborough— Gallery in Blenheim— The Raphael of the An- sidei Family— Drive to Oxford 178 XL. — Dr. Wynter — The several Colleges — Botanic Garden — Bodleian Library — Radcliff Library — Professor Kidd — Ashmolean Museum — Walk in Oxford 184 XLI. — Morning Walk in Oxford— Radclifi* Library — Usbury Forest — Wild Rabbits — Waste Country — Stonehenge — Amesbury — Salisbury — The Cathedral by Moonlight 189 XLII. — Visit to the Cathedral in the Morning — Monument to Lord Malms- bury — Drive to Milton House — Arrival at the Sea-baths of Weymouth. 193 XLIII. — A Morning on the Sea-shore — Drive to Lyme Regis — Fossils — Land- slip — Sidmouth — Exmouth 196 XLIV.— Dawlish — Teignmouth— Kingswear and Dartmouth — Pleasant Excur- sion on the Dart — Sea-life on a small Scale — Continuation of the Excur- sion as far as Totness — Arrival in Plymouth 200 XLV. — The Relation of Man to Nature and his Fellow Creatures — Plymouth — Examination of its Harbour — Admiral Sir David Milne — Docks at De- vonport — Luncheon at the Admiral's House — Excursion to the Break- water — Light-house — The Caledonia, 120 guns — Moimt Edgecombe — Drive to Liskeard 205 XL VI. — Quakers — Bodmin— Copper Mines near Redruth — Mount Bay — Mara- zion — Mount St. Michael — Penzance 212 XliVn. — Excursion to the Logan Rock and Land's End — Copper and Tin Mines of Bottallak — Drive by Truro and Bodmin to Launceston 215 XLVIII.— Oakhampton — Exeter — Railroad Journey to Bristol — Railway Station— Clifton 219 XLIX. — Rocky Valley of the Avon — Drive to Bath — The Lady Ninety-two Years old — Landsdowne Tower — Prior College — Baths 221 L. — Large Iron Steamer, the Great Britain— Leidcourt Park — Crossing the Bristol Channel — Height of the Tides — Chepstow — Tintem Cottage — Tintern Abbey 224 LI. — Old Castle of Chepstow — Newport — Merthyr Tydvil — Immense Iron- works 230 I^II. — Brecon — Devil's Bridge — Aberystwith 234 h X CONTENTS. pagt:. LIII. — A Morning on the Sea Shore — Dolgelley — Drive among the Welsh Mountams — Bethgelert 235 LIV. — Ascent of Snowdon — Caernarvon — Menai Straits and Bridge — Anglesea —Bangor 238 LV. — Slate Quarries at Peuryhn — Penryhn Castle— Abcr-Conway — Chester.... 245 LVI. — Peculiarities in the Architecture of Chester— Church of St. John — Eaton Hall — Iron Bridge in the Park — Large Stud — The Celebrated Horses, Pantaloon and Touchstone — Arrival in Birkenhead and Liverpool. 248 LVII. — Bazaars in Liverpool — The Docks — The New Prince Albert's Docks — Excursion on the Mersey in the Steamboat Medina — An Iron Church — Visit to the Theatre— The Love-chase 252 LYIIL — Kailroad Journey to Manchester — Engine Manufactory — Manufactory of Ingenious Carding Machines — Embroidery Machine — Large Cotton Spinning Manufactory — Manufactory of Mackintoshes — Manufactory of Printed and Coloured "Woollen Stuffs — The Royal Institution — Its Exhibition of Pictures and Geological Collection — Arrival in York 255 LIX. — Character of York — The Cathedral — House and Family of tlie Dean, Dr. Cockburn — Yorkshire Museum — Castle and Clifford Tower — De- parture for Leeds — Enghsh Tavern — Large Flax Spinning Manufactory — Large Woollen Manufactory — General Character of the Manufac- tories — Return to Liverpool 260 LX, — Journey by Railway through Preston to Lancaster — The Castle — Leven's Hall— Arrival in Bowness, near the Cumberland Lakes 266 LXI. — A Morning in Bowness and on Windermere — Ambleside, Keswick— Ascent of Skiddaw — Lead-pencil Manufactory in Keswick — Arrival in Patterdale 268 LXII. — Boating excursion on UUeswater — Lyulph's Tower — Lowther Castle — Penrith— Carlisle — Cathedral and Castle of Carlisle 272 LXIII. — Scotland — Borders — Gretna Green — Scotch Physiognomy — Free- church Party — Hamilton 276 LXIV. — Morning in Hamilton Palace — Paintings — Ruin of Cadzaw — ^White Cattle— Income of the Duke- — Bothwell Castle — Iron Works near Glasgow — Arrival in Glasgow — University — Hunterian Museum — Ex- change—Increasing Prosperity of Glasgow— Dumbarton — Loch Lomond — Balloch 278 LXY. — Voyage to and upon Loch Lomond — The "Two Maidens' Island" — Heads of the Clans — Luss Mountain Pass— Inverary 284 LX VI.— Herring Fishery— The Duke of Argyle's Castle— Loch Etive — Cha- racteristics of the Country — Brown Waterfalls — Arrival in Oban 289 LXVII.— Excursion to Staffa — DunoUy Castle — Duart Castle — Tobermory — Airdnamurchan — Scotch Fiddler— StafFa — Fingal's Cave — lona — St. Oban's Abbey— Sea-mists — Island of Mull — Return to Oban — 'Voyage by Night to Fort WiUiam, and Arrival at Baunavie 292 LXVIII. — Repairs of the Caledonian Canal — Drive to Loch Shiell, to see the Monument to Prince Charles Stuart — Whiskey 301 LXIX. — Ben Nevis — Drive to Loch Lochy — A Scene from the Clan-feuds — Loch Oich — Loch Ness — Fort Augustus — Another scene from the Clan- feuds — Waterfall of the Foyer - Urquhart Castle — Arrival in Inverness 303 LXX. — Vitrified Fort of Craig Phaedric — Gloomy Aspect of the Country — Drive to the Battle Field of Culloden— Kilravof^k Castle— Lady Campbell— Cawdor Castle — Park — Drive back to Inverness 310 LXXI. — The Direction of the Journey turned Southwards — Miserable Huts — Visit to one of them— Grampian Chain — Waterfall of the Bruar— Hunting Life in the Highlands — Arrival in Blair 315 LXXII. — Pass of Killecrankie— Loch Tummcl — Park and Castle of Taymouth, the Property of the Marquis of Breadalbane — Professor Brewster — Drive to the Waterfall of Moness — Great Banquet — National Dance 317 LXXIII. — Departure from Taymouth — Amiable Family of Lord Breadalbane — The Valley of the Tay— Dunkeld— Birnam Wood— Perth— Castle of Kinfauns — Clan Fights in Perth — Allan Bridge — Stirling — Citadel — Palace of James V. — Geological Observations 321 LXXIV. — Agricultural Museum in Stirling — High Standing of Scotch Agri- CONTENTS. XI PAGE. culture— Linlithgow— Ruins of thePalace of the Scotch Kings — Dalmalioy, the Property of Lord Morton — Drive to Hopetoun House — Cedar in the Park — Dinner and Soiree at Dalmahoy .326 LXXV. — Situation of the Castle — Scotch Breakfast— Grouse — Drive to Edin- burgh — Imposing Aspect of the City — Heriot's Hospital — The Castle — Royal Desmesnes, in Scotland — Barracks of the Garrison — Riches of a Regiment— Parliament Houses — Letters of Mary Stuart — The College — Skeleton of the Giant Stag of the Early Ages — Library — Botanic Garden — Calton Hill — Nelson's Monument — Work-place for Calotype — Holyrood House — Ruins of the Abbey — Mary Stuart's Apartment — Ascent of Arthur's Seat — The Duel by Moonlight — Return over Calton Hill 331 LXXVL — Second drive to Edinburgh— Anatomical Collection at the College — Professor Thomson — Dr. Goodsir — Dr. Abercrombie — Anatomical Museum of the University — Town Hospital— Dr. Simpson — Plan of Edinburgh— Collection of the Phrenological Society— Music^ Soir6e at Dalmahoy 341 LXXVn. — Return Home — Departure from Dalmahoy — Strictness with which Sunday is kept in Scotland — Visit to a Presbyterian Church — Drive to Granton — Embarkation on board the Lightning — ^Departure, and Last View of Edinburgh — The Bass-rock, a Bird Island — Farewell to the Coasts of England 344 LXXVIIL— The Wilderness of the Sea— Ship Life 349 LXXIX. — Sunset — Awaking in a Storm — Calmer Noon— Rising of a Thunder Storm — The Powder Magazine — Pictures at Sea — Signal Light at Heli- goland — Anchoring — Lightning — Brilliancy of the Sea 350 LXXX. — Entrance into the Elbe — Suspicious Piece of Water near Stade — Ap- proach to Altona— Landing at Hamburg — Old and New Hamburg — Excursion through Hamburg — The Exchange — Altona — lOopstock's Grave — The Nursery Gardener, Book — Raflesia — Jenisch's Country- house — Statuettes by Tenerani — Shore Scenery — The Theatre — Anti- gone — Festive Dinner, and Illuminations on the Basin of the Alster — The Officers of the Lightning 354 Conclusion. — Early Walk in Hamburg — Ruins of St. Peter's Church— School- houses — Basin of the Alster — Departure — ZoUenspieker and Ferry over the Elbe — Character of Vierland — Liineburg Heath — Liineburg — Bruns- wick — Departure by Railway for Magdeburg — Special Train from Magdeburg to Leipzig — Heception in Dresden — Departure of his Majesty for PlHnitz — My return with my Family to " Villa Cara" 360 Four Appendices 367 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND IN THE YEAR 1844. I. ITALY, FRANCE, AND ENGLAND. These constitute the great triad, whose influence and investiga- tion have produced such great effects upon Germany. To examine and clearly to represent the relations of these remarkable countries to one another and to us, must therefore always continue to be one of the most difficult and important problems for every reflecting German to solve. It has long appeared so to me, and was, in fact, the motive which determined me to take a journey to Paris, now nine years ago. Notwithstanding this, I still laboured under the disadvantage of never yet having personally visited the most difficult of these countries to be thoroughly understood ; and, after all, without per- sonal review and observation, none of the great phenomena of the world, and least of all the development of national peculiarities, can fever be thoroughly comprehended or really understood. In the course of time — though often late — our projects ripen; and thfe intended journey of his majesty the king very unexpectedly afforded me the long-wished for opportunity of being all at once transported into the very midst of this Albion, to me hitherto unknown. In a comparatively short time I have been able to obtain a view of the capitals and rural districts of England and Scotland; nume- rous and interesting persons have come under my observation ; and I feel myself impelled, from all that I have seen, to deduce a result, to which I am far from venturing to ascribe objective perfection, but which must be of decided importance for the completion of my own views of the world, and may at least serve to furnish many useful indications to others. In truth, however, no efforts at obtaining a full and perfect comprehension of such immense subjects can ever be any thing but approximative. According to my notes, daily made, I shall first briefly follow the way which conducted me in the suite of his majesty to this rcmark- B ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. able island, and tlien anticipate the relation of particulars, by endea- vouring to sketch a general view of the peculiarities of the nation and people, of the correctness of which the subsequent details of what I have seen and described in the country itself may be regarded as an appropriate proof. II. THE JOURNEY. ^ Hildesheim, May 22nd, 1844— Midnight. From Dresden to Hildesheim in a day ! — about 260 miles ! The old fables of seven-league boots are being realised. Would that many of our other pleasant dreams could be realised in a similar manner ! We arrived in Leipzig at half-past nine o'clock. The authorities received his majesty. I met my second son, having previously taken leave of the eldest at the railroad-station in Dresden. At a quarter past two we reached Magdeburg. On leaving the train, we found carriages drawn up for our use, and the Prince of Hesse having been presented to the king, we immediately drove to the cathedral. The outside of the cathedral manifests its Gothic origin in the peculiarly sharp and strict style of its architecture. This is almost still more the case in the interior. I have seen many churches more richly ornamented, but none of such a peculiarly severe beauty. The period of the erection of the church extends from the thir- teenth to the fifteenth century. Traces of Otto L, and of the Saxon Prince Ernest — Prince Bishop of Magdeburg and Halberstadt — are everywhere visible in the first foundation, alterations, and progress of the building. The church contains the large bronze tomb of Archbishop Ernest, by Peter Fischer. Had sculpture been deve- loped independently from that source, without the influence of the Greeks, it might have become what Shakspeare is in reference to Sophocles. A germ fitted for the development of a beauty of a peculiar description unquestionably lies in the works of Peter Fischer and his contemporaries. The study of such works may be of the greatest advantage to those who embarrass themselves with the supposition that there is only one ideal of beauty. In the porch, where this monument stands, there are, besides, some very admirable old sculptural ornaments. The enemies of Christianity and their prominent sins are symbo- lically expressed by figures of animals : murder is represented by an eagle kilHng a bird ; an ape singing spells of enchantment is said to represent the pleasures of the world, &c., &c. Within, the cathedral presents to the eye a delightful architectural picture; and the style, which almost reminds one of fortifications, affords an opportunity for the most splendid effects of light and shade. Among the numerous tombs, inscriptions, and ancient pictures of all kinds, I was most struck with a large oil-painting, which repre- THE JOURNEY. 3 sents a lady of Asseburg, who, having been buried while still alive, again came forth, and walked into the midst of her relations and family — whether for joy or new sorrows is not added. We drove down again from the cathedral. A hasty dinner — and as early as a quarter past three the steam-carriage bore us forth past the fortress called the Star — and the star of misfortune it was to Herr von Trent, who was long confined a prisoner in its casemates. The afternoon was splendid — as the early morning fog announced — the company cheerful. At Aschersleben the Halberstadt and Bruns- wick lines separate ; and upon the latter the ducal carriage was pre- pared for our reception. This carriage is constructed so as to repre- sent a small drawing-room richly adorned with velvet, and provided with two small antechambers ; the whole arranged in the most conve- nient manner both for motion and occupation. The country, too, becomes much more interesting than the dull plains of Leipzig and Magdeburg, through which we had previously passed. The Harz appears on the left, stretching away into the distance with its flat, sloping blue summits; patches of snow still lie on the Brocken; the larger hills are all green, with a beautiful foliage, and every thing breathes of the cheerful spring. At seven we arrived in Brunswick. Whilst the carriages were being removed from the train and provided with post-horses, the king wished to see the cathedral and the palace. The way leads through narrow streets — the houses, for the most part, with their gable-ends to the street, are built of wood, and of the most singular construction, rising in projecting stories one above another. We came to the market-place, and then to the cathedral, before which stands the old bronze lion. The church itself is old — simple — stiff, almost in the character of that ancient rigid lion. Behind, an im- mense lime-tree. The church contains the tomb of Henry the Lion, and his wife. Before the choir there stands a remarkable colossal candlestick with seven branches. In the ducal vault is shown the coffin of the humane Duke Leopold, who was drowaied in an attempt to save Hfe. On the whole, the interior of this cathedral makes no memorable impression. ^ Finally, the new ducal palace built by Ottmer. It is erected on the site occupied by the old one, which was burnt down, and is in the usual palace style, with a projecting portico supported by pillars — perfectly modern and elegant, as well as new — but inspires no thought of genius. We passed through the interior ; the large vaulted entrance-hall is too low, and the stairs, made of cast iron, are, indeed, strong enough, but in a large building appear too light and fragile; and every art — even the art of life — demands attention to appearance as well as to reality. The ball-room is spacious and handsomely ornamented; the finest room in the palace, however, is a round dining-room inlaid with mahogany, and adorned with mirrors and gilded orna- ments. Evening now began to approach, the carriages had driven up, and, at a quarter-past eight, we rolled away in a most glorious B 2 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. evening. The moon and Venus shone forth in all their splendour; a warm and glowing sun-set appeared to presage a continuance of fine weather; and towards midnight we arrived in Hildesheim, where every thing already assumes somewhat of a foreign air and dialect. — A very late supper — and, at last — ^repose. III. Cologne, May 24th — Evening. For the first time since the commencement of our journey, I have enjoyed a feeling of rest, retirement, and quiet recollection — and that in a walk on the Rhine bridge, late in the twilight, and by the light of Venus and the moon. Nothing less than vehement travel- ling can bring one from Dresden to Cologne in two days and a half Early yesterday morning in Hildesheim, the sky, after a splendid evening, was gray, misty, and cold. I proceeded a very little way into the ancient city, and strange and wonderful buildings forced themselves peculiarly on my notice. The second story pro- jects over the first, the third over the second, and so upwards. In all directions wooden houses, with the gables mostly towards the streets, the timbers grown brown by time, and covered with multifarious carvings; almost every house, too, presented its single or double bay windows, with highly-ornamented gables and roofs,' full of windows, pilasters, and architectural ornaments. It would not be easy to find richer subjects for the scene-painter than these edifices and streets afford. I would especially recommend for such studies the open place round St. Andrew's church, in whose tower a large carved figure, covered with sheet iron painted in the bright- est colours, keeps watch and ward. From hence we were conducted to the cathedral — externally, old Byzantine; within, modern, and in the worst taste. The most interesting part is the old cloisters ad- joining, enclosing a species of campo santo, in which there is a very old chapel. This suggests to the mind " the tomb of all the Capu- lets." OiDposite to this is a projecting buttress of the church, up which a very old wild -rose tree twines and clambers to the height of twenty-five feet. Its stem is strong and gray; according to the account of the sacristan, it numbers above 800 years, and traditions are connected with its branches. The veil of an empress is said to have been caught by its thorns, and thus the sign was given her respecting the place which a dream had indicated to her for building a church. All this, joined with the ancient masoniy and the green earth planted with shrubs, presented a noble picture to the mind. In front of the cathedral there stands an old bronze column of the twelfth century, ornamented with historical reliefs, the work of Archbishop Bernard (a large and clumsy chandelier in the church is also said to have owed its existence to his handiwork). Undoubt- edly, the efforts of this man, however w^eak in themselves, deserve a more extended notice in the history of German art. THE JOURNEY. 5 From the church we drove to what was formerly the convent of St. Michael, now a lunatic asylum, where I met with Dr. Bergmann, privy councillor of the medical department (Geheimer medicinal RatJi) who is at present at the head of the establishment. I remembered that the Countess Julia EglofFstein of Hildesheim, which is her usual residence, had spoken of the ruins of the church, and the cloisters of St. Michael's convent, as something very interesting and picturesque. After a very hasty visit to the asylum, the gates leading to these ruins were also opened to us, and I can well believe that under favourable lights, those arches and walls, with their elder-bushes and plants, must present a most interesting picture, and furnish very favourable opportunities for the study of the picturesque. Our visit took place on a gloomy day, and it made no particularly lively impression on our minds. Whilst con- versing with Dr. Bergmann on his views respecting the physiology of the brain and cranioscopy, we wandered back to the carriage, which was ready to receive us, and at eight o'clock took our depar- ture for Bijckeburg. The wind blew cold, the heavens looked dark and lowering, the fields had suffered from a violent storm, which had burst here two days before, and the grain was partly covered with earth, in short, every thing wore a gloomy and joyless appearance. About ten o'clock a few chance sunbeams began to shed their radiance on the country — the old peasants' houses in the villages, prettily orna- mented with wood carvings, made a singular impression on my mind — one bore the date of 1518. How many events have passed silently over this old wood-work ! The country now becomes mountainous ; on the left the Suntel, where Charlemagne defeated Wittekind. The Leine flows on in its course, here and there an old castle amongst beautiful oaks; at length the Weser comes in view, and the Porta Westphalica^ and we arrive at the small fortress of Minden. We dined here at five o'clock, and I was not a little astonished to find in the glass cupboard of a neighbouring room in the inn, among many old and insignificant images and Roman remains, chiefiy of clay, Zahn's interesting casts of the silver vessels of Herculaneum. The riddle was solved by the host most unexpectedly proving to be the brother of Professor Zahn. When, by the side of his majesty the king, I left Minden, the weather had become delightful, and indulging in singular reflections on the times of ancient Germany, and the geological phenomena of the neighbourhood, we passed the Porta Wesfphalica, through which the broad stream of the Weser flows towards the sea. A large exposure of the strata of the mountain, which forms the right of the pass, presents a broad obliquely ascending stratum of the limestone of the Alps, which appears here consi- derably elevated, and slopes downwards in a northerly direction. The country towards Bielefeld is agreeably hilly, meadows in- terspersed with corn-fields, and instead of villages, separate houses 6 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. scattered over tlie country, like tlie dwellings of colonists. The old German dislike to compulsory restrictions, and a firm attachment to personal independence, appears here, in this retired mode of living, more than in any other part of Germany. From Bielefeld we continued our journey by night, and as I enjoyed a very comfortable carriage to myself, I was free to indulge in repose. I fell into a deep sleep, and first awoke in the clear but cold morning. Fogs soon came on, and continued till behind Unna, when the sun broke forth, and under his warm and cheering beams, we passed through the beautiful and extraordinarily populous districts of Hagen and Elberfeld. The latter place, especially, appeared very ornamental and full of life. It stretches along the valley, and is built on the banks of the river — its flourishing manufactories and trade appear in the active bustle of its market, streets, and railway; and the handsome aspect of the people, which had altogether disappeared on leaving Brunswick, here again pre- sents itself. Our carriage and four, with the well-dressed postilions and their cracking whips, rattling through the town, brought the greater part of the population to the windows and into the streets, and we were thus afforded a sort of general review of the people as we passed, sufficient to form the foundation of a casual judgment on the appearance of the inhabitants. At length, the valley of the Rhine begins to appear, like a blue stripe in the horizon, and further in the distance, the cathedral of Cologne, whilst to the south the tops of the Siebengebirge are dimly seen in the blue air. At four o'clock we arrived here, and alighted at the Rhine hotel; already I hear of invitations for his majesty to Brussels, and to meet Lord Delawarr on the coast of England. After a dinner elegantly served, we drove to the cathedral. Zwirner, the chief architect, conducted us over this immense work, carried on with new and increasing vigour. The back part of the choir is already freed from houses, and produces a great and noble impression upon the spectator. The plan of the nave and of the right-hand tower is now also become clearer. In the choir itself, much that was offensive to taste has been removed, but variegated colouring and gilded capitals and figures, not less offensive, are added. The most interesting part of the structure, to me, was the way up to the gallery, which first goes round the whole circuit of the choir within, between the highest arches, then passes to the outside of the building, where it pursues its course round the whole external wall behind the buttresses, arches, and turrets of the choir. Before us was stretched out the extensive country. Beneath us flowed the majestic Rhine, rolling onwards to the sea. Then in the evening light the gray towers of St. Martin's and of the town-house, reflected the rays of the evening sun upon the ancient city, as it appeared through the vistas formed by the dark columns, arches, and turrets of this forest of stone. The most charming pictures were thus presented to the eye, which THE JOURNEY. 7 I longed to transfer to paper, but a few hasty sketclies were all tliat time suffered me to make. Much has been already effected by the new works on the cathedral, for this outer gallery itself was previously altogether inaccessible. May more and more means be added for the com- pletion of the grand design! The church, it is said, will still require 2,000,000 of dollars, and the erection of the two towers 3,000,000 more! It was impossible to leave without casting another glance on the old solid tower, so splendidly adorned, and stretching to half its height — after which, the declining sun com- pelled us to hasten over the old square-shaped Glirzenich to the hotel, from whence I then completed my solitary walk on the bridge of boats, which here stretches across the mighty flowing Rhine. IV. Brussels, May 26th— Early. This sunny, but still somewhat cold Whitsun morning in Brus- sels, gives me a peculiar feeling. Hurried all at once from a long accustomed circle of existence, and in four short days transported into quite a new and foreign element. There is, after all, no other or better counsel than that of Goethe : — -Drum schaue, froli verstandig, Dem Augenblick in's Auge! kein Verschieben ! Begegn' ihm schnell, wohlwollend wie lebendig!" At six o'clock yesterday morning we left Cologne. Our car- riages, with the baggage and servants, were sent off to the railroad as early as five ; we followed shortly after, in two light open carriages, and as for a drive of pleasure, rolled out through the high and beautiful gate of the fortress of the ancient Colonia Agrippina^ defended by large towers upon its walls. The station, as well as the royal carriage, fitted-up like a chamber, and richly adorned with velvet, was gaily decorated with flags, and all being ready, we started punctually with the large early train, which leaves daily at six o'clock. The various tunnels on the way, neces- sarily engaged our attention, as they deserved, as well as the magnificent viaduct which spans a deep valley before entering Aix-la-Chapelle, and exhibits two lofty rows of arches, one above another. The train was stopped in order to allow us to descend into the valley, that we might have a just idea of this splendid work, which alone cost 260,000 dollars. A considerable number of spectators was assembled at the station, where we remained for more than half an hour ; amongst the number I recognised one of my old patients, the Frau von P***, who has- tened to meet me, scarcely able to suppress her strong emotions of grateful remembrance and attachment. The train again proceeded 8 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. on its way to Vcrviers, and there, before we arrived at this frontier town, we inspected all the machinery for the removal of the car- riages, which is worked by steam and notified by an electric tele- graph. The country now became much more interesting. Valleys of various and characteristic forms, singular ravines, and rifts in the rocks, indicative of the violent commotions which had taken place during the formation of the strata, and old castles, such as Schloss Merode, with its numerous turrets, and an antiquated manor-house adorned with four round towers, furnished copious subjects for con- versation. In Verviers, on Belgian soil, the king was met by Herr von Konncritz, the Saxon ambassador, and Count d'Hann de Steenhuyze, the latter of whom was deputed by the King of Belgium to conduct his majesty to Brussels by a special train. Here, as well as in Liege, and at all the successive stations, a guard of honour, with military music, was placed to receive the king, and give him a festive greet- ing. On the other side of Liege we had an opportunity of ex- amining the powerful engine which is employed to draw the train to the summit of the line, which here reaches a height of from 500 to 600 feet above the level of the sea. From this station the carriages rolled forward across a plain with a continuous but gentle declivity towards the sea, passing through Louvain, Tirlemont, and Malines, to Brussels, where we arrived at five o'clock in the afternoon. Great masses of people were assembled at the station, a magnifi- cent regiment of horse-guards was drawn up to salute the king — the royal carriages in waiting. Having quickly descended from the railroad carriages, and passed over a path covered with carpets to the court equipages, we proceeded through the crowded streets to the Llotel Belle-vue, surrounded by a troop of cavalry, and amidst the joyful peals of the church bells. At the hotel, again, a guard of honour was stationed, and soon after, the King of the Belgians paid a visit to our most gracious sovereign. Li the meantime our carriages and servants also arrived from the railroad, and forthwith all the uniforms and court dresses were to be unpacked, to dress for a state dinner at the palace at half-past six. We were presented to their gracious majesties. The dinner was splendid (some fifty covers), and the entertainment was opened by the performance of the overture to ' Oberon/ by the royal band. I was most agreeably placed beside a M. Couet, directeur de la liste civile. He appeared to me to be a young and interesting man. I was in- debted to him for many useful and agreeable explanations. After dinner, the king entered into a long conversation with me. His majesty, by whom we were all invited to Laeken, expressed himself very favourably respecting the state of science in Ger- many, and added the expression of his desire to facilitate and pro- mote, by every means in his power, the cultivation of the physical sciences in his own states. The king gives the impression of a re- THE JOURNEY. 9 fined, cautious, and experienced man of the world. He is in his fifty-fifth year, of healthy and vigorous appearance, and, hke almost the whole of the Coburg race, possesses a good figure^ rather above the middle stature. Her majesty the queen is small in stature, but of very agreeable exterior, and her features strongly resemble those of her father, Louis Philippe. It Avas about ten o'clock yesterday evening when we came home from dinner — a dinner Avhich as far anticipated the season as it prolonged the day, for there were ortolans and other similar rarities, strawberries, grapes, and peaches, of the richest description, together with all the choicest productions of the spring. This morning being clear, but somewhat cold, induced the king to indulge in a walk through the city, in company with Herr von Konneritz, whom I joined. We traversed the park, with its beau- tiful tall lime-trees, and then a part of the new houlevards^ all covered with new and elegant buildings, chiefly erected on specu- lation, but for the most part waste, and uninhabited. Having turned from thence into the old town, my steps were irresistibly attracted towards St. Gudule, and we entered the cathedral, where, fortunately, the service had not yet commenced. I again made my way to the magnificent pulpit, the recollection of whose splen- did wood carvings had been ever fresh in my memory since I had seen them nine years before, and the poetical conception of the work again filled my mind with admiration. It is true I felt that the first impression had, in the mean time, insensibly strengthened in my mind, and that the reality no longer corresponded fully to the ideal. The idea of employing the whole materials from the wide- spreading tree of knowledge, whose stem constitutes the pedestal, to the desk, borders, and canopy of the pulpit, for depicting the history from the loss of Paradise to the triumph of faith, had formerly appeared to me as an extremely remarkable Christian myth, founded upon a deep view of human development and transitions, and it still made a powerful impression; but, on the other hand, I now per- ceived that the execution, although admirable and beautiful in all its parts, was altogether deficient in that peculiar beauty which belongs to the plastic arts. The inward fancy had, indeed, richly supplied all these deficiencies, and lent the captivating forms of a higher and nobler art to the figures of Adam and Eve, as well as to that of the Virgin above, enthroned upon the crescent moon, and killing the snake; the reality, however, fell far short of the beauties which fancy had idealised — everywhere progress ! The lofty arches of the church still continued to produce a de- lightful impression, notwithstanding the new white colouring, which had better been omitted ; and the magnificent painted glass in the choir, with its historical delineations, charmed me as much as ever. We would willingly have delayed, in order to examine many of these beauties more in detail, but the pious congregation began to as- semble, and great care is here taken to prevent every species of 10 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. interruption. On leaving the cliurcli, it was just tlie proper time to visit the market, and to take a survey of the splendid old town house. In proceeding thither, we passed directly into the heart of this city, where the Parisian luxuries exhibited for sale in the cellars and on the stalls, all open, even on this Whitsunday morning, the multitude of buyers and sellers pursuing their busy occupation, the nationality of the dress, the women with the huge, bright brass pitchers, in which water is here carried, the large and singular two- wheeled cars, with one horse — all this for the first time realised the lively impression of a foreign populous capital. The town house is a truly magnificent edifice. The tower was in the course of re- paration, and the lower part still surrounded with scafiblding ; the ornamental spire, with its beautiful filigree work, was already finished. On this occasion I was particularly struck with the forti- fication style of the cornices, windows, and turrets of the building, which are, as it were, sublimed and elevated to the ornamental; so that the combination and result of the whole, and the peculiar deli- cacy and execution of the whole structure, were sufficient to engage long consideration. Time, however, pressed, and we returned to the hotel. The same day — Evening. After breakfast the royal carriages sent for our vise were in waiting, and the whole party again drove to the town house, when the king was this time formally received by the city guards and the authorities, and conducted through the interior. A variety of stairs, passages, and chambers were ascended and passed through, but the interior disappointed the expectations of interest awakened by the exterior : — council-chamber — old tapestry — pictures of no value — nothing more. We next proceeded to the Geographical Institute of M. Vandermaelen, a private individual of great wealth, who, in connexion with his brother and brother-in-law, has got together a very large collection. The series of maps, especially of Belgium, appeared to be very re- markable. His collections in mineralogy, ornithology, and ento- mology were by no means small, to which may be added a number of sculls belonging to persons of foreign nations, and a variety of ana- tomical preparations ; and finally, his magnificent forcing-houses and beautiful garden were shown to his illustrious visiter. M. Vander- maelen is at present engaged in publishing a number of new, exten- sive, and beautifully engraved maps of Belgium, which, to judge by the rich materials at his disposal, must be possessed of the highest merit. On taking leave of our host, we next drove to the public Botanic Garden, whose hot and green-houses I had seen with pleasure nine years before. It still contained magnificent specimens of palms, a tall caryota urens, a splendid horassus Jlabelliformis^ a large loanda- nus^ beautiful bamboos^ an agave, which had produced a ilower- stalk more than ten ells high, as well as a small ananas, from Manilla {hohenbergia strobilacea), which bears small edible fruit, about the size of the cones of a pine tree, on very slender stems. These and THE JOURNEY. 1 1 many others richly rewarded our visit. The situation of the garden and its houses is one of great beauty and magnificence. We next proceeded to the beautiful palace formerly belonging to the Prince of Orange, and which, with all its treasures displayed, I had seen nine years before. It is now empty, become the property of the city, and used as a place for exhibiting the productions of native industry {Magazin d* Industrie). There was an exhibition in the palace, consisting of the most various objects, and embracing the whole range of Belgian manufactures and arts : pictures, musi- cal instruments, dolls, porcelain, jewellery, &c., &c. Every one contributed something, and things of little value to the owner, or supplied by the benevolent, are presented in order to form materials for a lottery, and the produce of the tickets is applied to the support of the poor. We, as may be supposed, bought some tickets — I, in the hope — of winning, nothing. Our last visit was to the royal palace, where we had dined on the previous day, in order to examine the pictures : — In the saloons and chambers in the front of the house, there was nothing of importance — a few good pictures were found in those looking to the gardens. — ■ Among the landscapes, a large Alpine landscape, by Schirmer, (1839) was the most distinguished. Among the historical subjects, a very recent work by Ary ScheiFer (1844) most fixed our atten- tion. The subject is the Harper and Mignon. The whole is admirably handled, and the effect imposing; — the wasted body, but mental vigour of the old man, and the poor but wonderous child, with the fire of genius in her look. A picture by Gallait did not correspond to my expectations, and quite as Httle two large pieces by Verboekhoven (one representing horses attacked by wolves, and the second a tiger). There was also a picture, by Braekeleer, of the citadel of Antwerp, after the siege, on a very large scale; another of similar size, by Germans, of a subject taken from the Crusades; and many others. As I have just said, the only pictures which appeared to me to possess any real interest, were those of Schirmer and Scheffer, and particularly the latter. An hour was still at our disposal, and I availed myself of it to visit one of the most distinguished literary men whom Brussels possesses — Professor Quetelet. He resides in the observatory, of which he is the director, and appears to be very agreeably circumstanced, both in his house and garden. Two spirits, besides the spirit of science, soon made us at home with each other — Gothe and Lindenau — with both of whom, especially the latter, Quetelet had been very intimate. It was a great pleasure to me to be here made acquainted with the latest la- bours of the Academy of Brussels. I was shown the very recent prize essay of a young man of the name of "Verloren" (Lost)^ in which the circulation of the blood in insects, my discovery, is treated at length, and illustrated by beautiful drawings. I trust his efforts will not be " Lost" ( Vcrloren) to the cause of science. We then considered the beautiful astronomical instruments, the admirable 12 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. apparatus for measuring the power of the magnetism of the earth, the deHcate electrometers for ascertaining the electric tension of the atmosphere, the thermometers and barometers in all their various forms, &c. Osier's anemometer was quite new to me, which deter- mines not merely the direction and strength of the wind, and the quantity of the rain which falls, but is self-registering; and by means of a very subtle piece of mechanism, grapliically records the results on a metal plate marked with lines for that purpose. Quetelet was also invited to dinner at Laeken, from whom I was now obliged to part, but only to meet again at the palace ; and to-day, between him and the Countess Beaufort (lady of the director of the Academy of Arts), I had a still more agreeable place than yesterday. After dinner there was a long conversation: I made the acquaintance of Count Beaufort also, and was introduced to Major Borrmann, from Saxony, who at present is in service in the Artillery, either here or in Antwerp. He had come to Belgium for no other reason than to be present and take part in the bombardment of the citadel of Antwerp. It was drawing near ten o'clock before we reached our hotel. Ostend, May 28th, 1844, Half-past Five o'CIock—Morning. Early yesterday morning, in Brussels, for the first time since the commencement of our journey, or for a longtime previously, I felt myself indisposed. The night had been past almost wholly without sleep, and I only recovered on reading Timoleon in Plutarch. How powerfully does the conscious life of the soul work upon the uncon- scious ! During the tedium of the night, I longed for my Plutarch; but, unfortunately, there was nothing at hand except Kohl's " Travels in England;" and it is impossible to state how much worse I became on reading the accounts which the book contains of Manchester and the treadmill of its prison. Early in the morning, Plutarch breathed around me the fragrance of balsam, and soon after I was actually well again. About nine o'clock we went to see the Duke of Aremberg's palace. The duke himself, this high and mighty noble, whom even the king treats as his equal, was not at home; and we were therefore the better able, without interruption, to visit the splendid apartments and galleries of his house. There were to be seen in all directions, stairs, galleries, drawing-rooms, and chambers; richly adorned fur- niture of the most costly description, especially splendidly inlaid work of various kinds and materials; vases of all sorts and of great value, from Herculaneum and Japan : in short, all that wealth could com- mand, but not always equally remarkable forchasteness and refinement of taste. The whole was completed by a riding course adorned with THE JOURNEY. 13 variegated beds of camellas. To us the paintings were tlie most at- tractive, of which the house contains a very considerable number ; many of these I had examined nine years before with attention and pleasure. Many alterations, however, have been made within that time. The house was not then so splendid ; and from the gallery itself many pictures have been taken away, and many added to its collection. The most valuable is a small but splendid cattle piece by Potter — a little gem— admirable for the great simplicity, faithfulness, and care with which nature is portrayed, as well as for the fine taste displayed in its execution. A broad Waterfall, by Everdinger, is very beautiful— the composition spirited and clear. Then the head of Sir Thomas More, by Rubens, a small but very masterly painting. Along with these must be mentioned the Cure of Tobias, by Rem- brandt; and a piece with figures, by Ostade. A small bust of Marie Antoinette, by Corzaki, made a sombre impression on our minds. She is represented in the simple and dark dress which she wore in her last hours previous to her execution. At ten o'clock this morning, before leaving Brussels, I conducted the king to Quetelet, at the observatory, where his majesty was afforded an opportunity of becoming acquainted with the new and important instruments connected with meteorology, and from thence we drove to Laeken. On our amval the offer of a promenade with the royal family in the park was cheerfully accepted, and we enjoyed the pleasures of its shady walks, agreeable fountains, delicious flower- beds, and interesting forcing-houses. A rich dejeuner dinatoire was at length served, and immediately afterwards his majesty took his leave ; we expressed our gratitude, and the carriages conveyed us to the railroad station at three o'clock. The train arrived, and with it our travelling-carriages and servants; we entered, and in a short time reached Malines. Here we visited the great store-houses at the station, the immense stores of rails, wheels, steam-boilers, &c. Every thing connected with the railroad is here the absolute pro- perty of the government, and not of a society of shareholders. Shortly afterwards we proceeded on our journey, and found our- selves in Ghent at five o'clock. Ghent is a place which, together with Louvain, I would wiUingly have been able to see for a longer time, and to know more thoroughly. These towns are the seats of the two universities of Belgium, which have many able professors- in the departments of natural history and medicine, and are said to exhibit a decisively antagonistic character in their spirit and tendency. Ghent is said to be more under ecclesiastical influence, whilst Louvain adopts a more independent and freetliinking course. On a railroad journey of this description it was impossible to think of a very minute inspection. True, there were in Ghent not merely a guard of honour in waiting, but carriages also, which were ready to convey us through the city, and to afford us an oppor- tunity of taking a hasty view of the things best worthy of attention ; but even so, it was not possible to realise my wish. The first object 14 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. of attraction was the city palace, to which at the same time a theatre is attached. The whole arrangement is splendid — in the style of the time of Louis XIV.; the large saloon of the palace, with its rich gildings, ornamented ceiUngs, and purple draperies, seemed to be especially adapted for grand festive occasions and balls. Not far from hence the new law courts were pointed out to us, the build- ing of wliich is just commenced. We next proceeded to the univer- sity; the building is large, adorned with a noble portico, and contains very considerable collections in the departments of natural history, anatomy, and the physical sciences. The faculties received his majesty the king, the professors of comparative and human ana- tomy greeted me kindly, and would gladly have opened to me their treasures ; but our visit was only for a moment — circumstances were imperative. From thence we drove to the heguinage^ a remarkable demi-conven- tual corporation of women, which has come down from the thirteenth century to the present times, like one of those old melancholy-looking gable-houses among the elegant buildings of recent days. This de- scription of society was by no means rare even in Germany from the twelfth century; they were called Beguines (also Begutten^ or Soul-icomen), and probably took their origin in those times of war and disturbances when so many women were deprived of male pro- tection, and because the religious tendencies of the age demanded and promoted the formation of such congregations. The foundation in Ghent may be the largest and most complete existing. The number of small houses, which are surrounded by an old enclosure usually shut, is very considerable, and in each of these houses, fur- nished with large glass windows, five, or six, or more sisters live together. Their dress consists of a simple blue-gray gown, with a large Avhite head-dress. The most of them appeared already ad- vanced in life ; the one who conducted us round was very loquacious. We saw the arrangement of their dwellings, which is simple enough. They dress their food in the kitchen of each house in common, but each eats apart before and on the falling leaf of a sort of small cupboard, and with the face towards the wall. The produce of their work, whatever it may be, goes to the benefit of the commu- nity, and they are also ready to attend and nurse the sick when applied to for that purpose. The first year after entrance is a novi- ciate, and during this period they are allowed to leave tlie society at any time; and even at a later period, when fully admitted, they may depart from the institution, under certain conditions. After having taken a hasty view of the whole, it leaves behind a weak and strange impression. We passed, too, for a moment into the old church, which stands opposite the dwellings of the sisters, and be- longs to the foundation. The beguines appeared there hke spectres, with their large white head coverings — what means their devotion? From the beguinage we drove to the large, richly adorned, but by no means beautiful cathedral, where the high clergy received his THE JOURNEY. 15 majesty at the door, and, preceded by two of the officers of the cathedral carrying heavy silver maces, conducted the king through the multitude pressing around on all sides to gratify their curiosity. The interior of the church is overloaded with marble decorations of a heavy, tasteless description — white statues and balustrades upon a gray ground — a monotonous, melancholy aspect ! The statues of Du- quesnay, and others too, and many of the old pictures, possess very little interest or value. All at once, however, the folding doors of a side chapel are thrown open, and then in all its splendour beams forth the glorious picture of John von Eyck — that mysterious lamb — the well-spring of Hfe : the wings of the picture I had seen and admired in Berlin years ago. This is a picture of which no copy can ever give an idea in any degree adequate, the depth of this mys- tery is so entirely peculiar and spiritual in its execution. What se- renity, tenderness, and love in the figures ! and what richness and perfection in the accessory objects 1 — the city in the distance is a new Jerusalem ; the vines and the lowly vegetation which clothe the ground, &c., &c. I had formed great anticipations, but the re- ality far exceeded them all. There is another picture attributed to Hemling, which, however, is unworthy of mention along with this. We were shown, besides, the massive but coarse font in which Charles V. was baptised, and then returned to the railroad, which brought us to Bruges in an hour. Here the crowds and thronging of the people were still greater than in Ghent, for a splendid regiment of cuirassiers was drawn up at the station, and sent forward an advanced party to clear the way, as we were conducted into the city in open carriages drawn by horses splendidly caparisoned. Some sort of protection was on this occa- sion not superfluous, for an immense throng collected around the carriages, and often barred the possibiHty either of coming out or going forward. We first visited the splendid monuments of Charles the Bold and his daughter, Mary of Burgundy, which stand in a side chapel of the Church of Notre Dame. The large figures of gilt and bronze on the dark stone ground of the sarcophagus have a majestic appearance. How rich does the magnificent armour appear, how elegant the bright escutcheons around ! One naturally reflects, during the visit to his tomb, of the haughtiness and vain-glory of this prince, who was at last defeated by the poor Swiss ! Directly opposite the church stands the very ancient Hospital of St. John, where Memling* the painter was once nursed during a dangerous illness, and where, from a fecHng of gratitude, he * This celebrated painter is usually called Hemling ; but in the " Notice des tableaux qui composent la muste de Vhojntal civil dc St. Jean^' it is conclusively proved that his name was really Meviling, and that the change took place in consequence of the M being written in a form which was afterwards mistaken for an H. 16 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. painted and left behind several valuable pictures.^ We were con- ducted to a small room in the basement, which contains a considerable number of paintings by other artists, as well as some of Memling's; but we there saw Avorks of this old master which opened up to me his inmost being and the finest feelings of his soul, in^ such a way as I never could have learned them from his pictures in the Boissiere collection. The great mystical painting of St. Catherine, an altar- piece with wings, is especially splendid. The figure of St. John in Patmos, which forms the subject of the left wing, is enchanting. The prophet, clothed in a reddish-white garm.ent, is sitting in an attitude of repose, his thoughts full of heavenly things, his hands resting quietly upon one another, and his fervent eyes uplifted to God. The other wing represents the martyrdom of St. John the Evan- gehst. The inside too, particularly of the right wing, presents something beautiful and grand in the figures of the beneficiaries. It would be impossible to pass without notice a very remarkable box, made in the form of a house, containing relics of St. Ursula. On all sides it is adorned by the hand of the great and pious master, Memling, and tells the history of the saint and the 11,000 virgins, in several pictures, as rich as they are ornamental. There is the beautiful picture of the landing of the virgins at Cologne, in which that old city itself is admirably depicted. TTie gate of St. Martin and the cathedral are clearly before the eye. Next, the ships in which the virgins are suffering martyrdom, shot down by soldiers armed with cross-bows, the whole inviting and deserving of long and careful examination, which press of time did not, unfortunately, allow me to bestow on these beautiful treasures. From St John's we drove to the Palais de Justice, which con- tains the remarkable chimney-piece, magnificently adorned with large wood-carvings. It is of the date of the sixteenth century, and is said to have been the work of a prisoner. The name of the man is forgotten and unknown, but the King of the French has now given orders to take casts of his works, and to transfer the models to Versailles. Every spectator is delighted with the silent language of his mind. Unfortunately, the evening light began to fade as we entered the room, which, independently of that, is not well lighted ; nevertheless, the figures stood splendidly out in all the originality of a species of art to the development of which, the study of Grecian models can have contributed nothing. To the right appear Maximilian and Margaret of Burgundy; over the centre of the chimney-piece, Charles V. Below the chief figures are some charming relievos in marble, and numerous architectural ornaments of various de- scriptions. Last of all, in the neighbouring town house, we visited the grand hall with its splendid roof of lofty pointed arches, and gilded capitals ! The lower part of the walls, indeed, do not at all correspond to the admirable conception and beautiful execution of the roof! Thus it ARRIVAL AT OSTEND. 17 is universally both in architecture and life. There are few things to be found in which all the parts harmonise as they properly should. How many objects were there still in Bruges worthy of study, in the exterior of its ancient churches, palaces, and council-house, and in the peculiar physiognomy of the whole city ! Even as we drove rapidly through the streets and squares, many interesting pictures presented themselves, in which the old stone gables of the houses with their Gothic arches, lofty churches, and occasional trees in the streets combined to form the dehghtful and the picturesque; but all passed away from our eyes in a moment. The population also was before us, for the noise of our carriages and cuirassiers brought the whole town to the windows and doors. The countenances of the people are full and oval, and the figures of the women fine. Our cortege^ however, drove rapidly to the railroad ; the regiment saluted the king, and at nine o'clock we were at Ostend, in the Hotel des Bains, near the harbour. A full-dress dinner, at which the oflicers of the steamboats awaiting his majesty's arrival were present, served to keep us cheerful till late in the night, and in the mean time our three travelling carriages were put on board. During the night I was more than once aroused by the roarinof of the wind, and the heavy beating of the sea ; and the weather, which was yesterday fine and sunny, appears to-day to have become cold and windy ; notwithstanding, we propose to be on board before seven o'clock ; and I shall now discover whether the wish for a favourable voyage be realised or not, which friend Regis sent me a few days ago in the words of Horace : — " Sic te diva potens Cypri Sic fratres Helense, lucida sidera Ventorumque regat pater, Navis, 6 CARUM mihi Qu82 fers." VI. ENGLAND. Before proceeding, in the following pages, to give a written ac- count of my daily observations and experience, according to time and place, in various excursions through the length and breadth of the island, I consider it highly important to a clear understanding by others, and for my own satisfaction, to sketch a general view of the whole ; that it may appear as distinctly as possible what that properly speaking is, from which this remarkable country obtains and receives its peculiar character — wherein its individuality conspicuously ap- pears; and, finally, on what local and historical causes this individu- ality is founded. In such a sketch I cannot by any means aim at a complete scicn- c 18 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. tific description — an investigation exliausting the deptli of the sub- ject ; for this would demand very different studies, journeys, and circumstances : all that I have in view is, to convey a general con- ception and a faithful representation of my idea of the country, as presented to me in real life ; in a word, views of men and society fortunately obtained; or, more exactly, general remarks characteristic of the physiognomy and physiology of England. I acknowledge that, although well acquainted with much already written respecting England, I was by no means satisfied in reference to those high demands, which seem to me necessary to a proper un- derstanding of the country as a whole ; and this is the reason why I found England so very different from all my previous conceptions. May what is here offered, although still very imperfect, produce a concentrating influence on the minds of those who have already visited the country, serve as an expanding preparation for those who may hereafter travel thither, and by all others be received as a general view dra^vn after nature, and find favour and acceptance. I commence after the old Hippocratic method, with some observa- tions on the soil, air, and water of great Biitain. — The history of a people and of its pecuHarities, can, after all, be only truly compre- hended, when we have gained a true idea of the physical character- istics of their country. I had already learned much on this subject from the works of others ; but in such things, personal observation, accompanied by the enlightened and enlightening remarks of well- informed men, is of infinitely more value than any thing which can be derived from the communications of others. I have had this ob- servation variously and repeatedly confirmed by many circumstances connected with these considerations. This was the case, for example, in reference to the nature of the whole outline of this island, which is daily growing in power and importance. Each new and well-exe- cuted map appears to present the most careful and accurate repre- sentation of the country, and yet a very different idea of this " sea- girt isle" arises in the mind of the reflecting spectator, on his per- sonal examination of the real boundaries and relations between land and sea. Where has that immense influence been ever duly weighed or clearly explained, which the general outline of a continent or of a country in its relation to the sea has produced, and will always continue to produce upon its historical development? Since the example given by Ritter, geography has been treated in this respect with greater intelligence. It is certain, however, that Europe never would have become the centre of human civilisation, had it not been for the peculiarity of its figure and situation, so remarkably surrounded by seas, and stretching almost like the out- line of a human form, between the northern and southern waters. There are elements enough of a similar description in its outlines by land and sea, which again abundantly prove in how far England, of all European states, is by far the best adapted to attain the greatest THE COASTS AND RIVERS. 19 possible development in naval power and in the arts of navigation. One of the most important elements of this progress, and one which has not hitherto been treated with that degree of care which it deserves, and to which my attention has never been directed either by maps or descriptions, consists in the number and variety of those bays and arms of the sea, which, like deep rivers, penetrate far into the interior of the country. It is only when one has made the circuit of the English coasts by land or sea, and has had daily opportunities of observing what sharp and decisive limits are drawn between sea and land, and how few opportunities are offered for such free transition from one to the other as might naturally be supposed would exist from their absolute contact ; it is only when one has seen that no ship can come to land, and sometimes not even a boat touch the coast, and that no one can pass from land to sea without the greatest danger, that any idea can be formed of the vast importance and immense naval value of those bays and inlets which constitute, as it were, the connecting link, and facilitate reciprocal communication. The coasts are often inac- cessible in consequence of dangerous sand-banks; the restless surge at other places beating on the rocky shore under the influence of the smallest breeze, prevents the possibility of passing either from land to sea or from sea to land, whilst in other places again, steep or precipitous rocks, or a strand strewed with pieces of rock, make all approach impossible. It is only when all these obstructions to in- tercourse between land and sea, even on the ordinary coast, have been personally seen and examined in nature, that the importance and advantage of such ameliorating^ intermediate instrumentality can be fully and clearly understood. Within these bays the raging waves become gradually calm, by means of them even the largest ships are able to ascend so far into the country that the productions of the remotest quarters of the world are conveyed into the very heart of the national industry, and the manufactures of the looms and forges of Great Britain are received and carried to the extremities of the earth; on their banks it is that sites are chosen for the foundation of great and flourishing cities, and the most admirable situations afforded for the building and repairs of ships. Let us lay before us the map of England and Scotland and reckon the multitude of bays — wliich, like vast rivers of salt water, stretch far into the land ; these inlets, sometimes short, and some- times long, knowm by the names of rivers, friths or mouths, which indent the country ; let us also have the opportunity of personal in- spection and observe how gradually their sea nature passes over, and changes into, that of the interior, and much will be gained towards an understanding of the original destination and calling of England to be a country of naval power and mistress of the seas. It will then be seen how often the wild and stormy sea which beats against precipitous rocks, as at Dartmouth, becomes at last as still as a pond, and terminates among rich meadows and woody hills, or how that C 2 20 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. whicli rushes on between dangerous sand-banks, further on its course, becomes a deep and safe harbour, and laves the docks of im- mense trading cities, as at Liverpool and London, and the convic- tion will always become stronger that it is only a people to whom nature has offered so many facilities for intercourse between sea and land, that can have obtained the call, to struggle with all their might and all their skill to obtain and secure naval pre-eminence. I must farther add, as a particular element in the formation of these bays, that they only receive the waters of very small rivers, and often nothing more than large brooks, and that they are therefore far more permanent in their form, and better calculated for havens and harboui*s of refuge for ships, as such small streams are incapa- ble of choking up or even sensibly lessening the depth of such bays by any quantity of sand which they can convey, whilst in the case of great rivers, the processes of accumulation, of deposit, and the for- mation of deltas at their mouths, are continually going forward. Having thus, by personal observation of the coasts and bays, obtained an important element for the proper understanding of England and the English people in particular, I must now further remark, that these coasts are better fitted than most others to afford the most complete view of the great phenomena of the ocean in general, as exhibited in the whole crust of the earth. The perpetual motion of the sea, the rhythmical beat of its waves, the vast power of its surge, and the wondrous relations of its ebb and flow, are things which have here first become thoroughly intelligible to me, and I reckon all this as a real and substantial contribution to the means of comprehending the life of the earth in general. In order to form some idea of the violence of the waves, how much better than any description or study of drawings is it, to stand upon a precipitous rock a few hundred feet above the sea, and to be made aware of the traces which, during storms, the breakers have left behind, even at such an elevation above the surface of the water — or to stand upon the huge breakwater in Plymouth Sound, and to see the places where immense blocks of stone, from sixty to eighty tons weight, or even the hull of a stranded ship, have been thrown completely over the breakwater by the violence of the sea. Here, also, I first acquired a clear idea of the word tide, which is for ever in the mouths of English sailors, of currents, of the ebb and flow, which sometimes obstructs and sometimes favours the voyage, and exhibits so great a variety on the English coasts that, even deep in the bays, it usually causes an alternating difference of twelve to fifteen feet in the water level — while, in other places, the difference is as great as thirty, or sometimes more than thirty feet; nay, in the Bristol Channel, by a combination of pecuhar circumstances, the tides rise to a height such as occurs in no other place upon the earth, and cause a difier- ence of sixty feet between the highest and the lowest level — the THE CLIMATE. 21 highest flood and the lowest ebb — to which I shall hereafter more particularly advert in my journal. These constitute a series of phenomena which, in all their reality, may be said to have been new to me, although I had read much on these and similar subjects, and had seen some of them, but on a very small scale, in tlie inland seas. To the eye of the observing traveller, another effect of the sea will soon be visible, to which travellers in general have paid but little, if any attention. I refer to its operation upon the climate. It is no doubt surprising, on arriving from the continent, to observe a mildness of climate in England, such as to allow no snow in winter to lie upon the plains, and little frost, in a degree of latitude, in which we have snow upon the ground for months on the main- land, and often enough experience cold of 20° (Reaumur). This peculiarity of England, and even of Scotland, by which vegetation, agriculture, the structure of houses, and the mode of life are so materially affected, arises from the influence of the surrounding sea alone; from the restless motion of this blood of the earth, which constantly sends its warm streams into cold regions, and cold streams into warm. In the Atlantic Ocean a warm current con- stantly sets from the equator in a westerly direction, meets the coast of South America, traverses the Gulf of Mexico, coasts the shores of North America, at about 50° of north latitude again takes an easterly direction towards the Azores, and in the most northerly part of its course preserves a degree of heat from 4* to 5° (Reaumur) warmer than the surrounding ocean. From this ocean stream, and the influence of the great North Sea in general, which never freezes, and therefore never falls below Zero (Reaumur), the British Isles receive a greater proportion of heat than the sloping rays of the sun of themselves would bestow. Intense cold, and long- continued snow are comparatively rare; but the atmosphere is pregnant wdth innumerable particles of water, and unburdens itself in tedious fogs and continuous rain, in fogs which, moreover, often assume in England a very peculiar form. In the neighbour- hood of the Isle of Mull, I had an opportunity of witnessing a fog of this description on a fine July afternoon, a period wdien fogs with us are wholly unknown. This mist came suddenly on, spread over the sea, continued for more than an hour, and then assumed the form of clouds. When these fogs are thick and of long con- tinuance, they are extremely dangerous to ships ; and I may add, that they are clearly distinguishable from what in our climate we are accustomed to call fogs, by their smoky appearance and their whitish-gray colour. The land of this island, however, presents objects still more worthy of consideration and admiration than even the sea. Tliis is especially the case in reference to the earth's structure, and the history of her revolutions, so legibly written in the stratification of her rocks; and, finally, the examination and review of the mineral and coal beds present opportunities for the most varied 22 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. investigations. I liad previously made myself acquainted with many facts connected witli this subject. I was aware what won- derful changes the convulsions of the earth in this country had worked, and how often, in one and the same place, conclusive proofs might be seen, that the surface of the earth had been the habitation of the most peculiar races of plants and animals, which were all now buried and become parts of its substance; that the elevation of the original mountains was, in fact, confined to the south-west of England and Scotland; that trapp formations occupied the north-east and west, whilst the great chalk strata extended over the south-east, and that among all these, there were mighty districts of old and recent chalk mountains, as well as great deposits of red conglomerate sandstone; but I had no idea how clearly and how convincingly all these different stratifications could be exhibited and examined on the coasts, in the precipitious faces of the rocks towards the sea. True, I had not an opportunity of seeing the Isle of Man, which is one of the most remarkable places in this respect, on whose coasts the most various formations are said to be displayed; but I was for- tunate enough, on other parts of the coasts, to have had an oppor- tunity of seeing four large and essentially different formations of this description clearly exhibited, of which I proceed to speak softie- what more in detail. The first of these is that which is so charac- teristic of England, from which it derives its well-deserved name of Albion^ that of the chalk strata, which presents itself in such a mag- nificent form in the cliffs at Dover, and in the Isle of Wight. These beds consist of milliards of milhards of the habitations of perished microscopic Polythalamia, heaped together, and formed into a mass. The manner in which these masses, mixed with flint, formed a pre- cipitous sea-wall, I had previously seen exemplified to a small extent in the island of Rugen ; but the whole was exhibited here upon such an immense scale, in the enormous pyramidal masses standing out of the water, as the Needles in the Isle of Wight, and seen from such a variety of points of view, as for the first time to furnish a full and complete representation of the subject. The second formation was that of the conglomerate red sand-stone, which either presents, in the form of reddish brown rocks, a splendid and picturesque contrast with the green colour of the sea, and stretches out in bold promontories, forming conical rocks, hollowed out by the action of the sea, and im- mense caves formed by the violent and ceaseless dashing of the surge, as at Exmouth, Dawlish, and Teignmouth, or alternates with strata of marl or nagelflue, which break down as easily, or even more so, and on the giving way or the removal of which, as at Lyme Regis, are discovered the huge Ichthyosauri of the primitive world, whose remains are imbedded in the strata. The third formation comprehends the large, massive, towering peaks of primitive granite, as it presents itself in the high, steep, sloping precipices in Cornwall; or on the western coasts of Mull and FOSSIL REMAINS. 23 at lona, projects boldly^ into the sea, in the form of rounded masses, as if formed by a swelling of the rock. Tlic fourth formation consists of the Plutonian trapps, which are cither driven up in thick masses, as in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh and the Firth of Forth, or, like magnificent basaltic columns springing from the bosom of the sea, exhibit the fantastic pillars and caves of Staffa. It may be regarded as a distinction of England, that it contains four such peculiar formations of the earth's surface, and in such magnitude and beauty, comprised within so Hmited a space. They ai'c not to be found in such a union in any other portion of Europe. It is impossible to turn our attention to the nature of the surface of England, without bestowing particular consideration upon its history, as it is partly legible in the innumerable fossil remains of organic creatures, and the riches which the country produces in this respect, also necessarily demand especial mention. That all the great chalk mountains of the island, as well as its chalk beds, not merely contain fossil remains, but abso- lutely consist of the remains of organic Hfe, that pieces broken out of the very middle of the rocks of the Peak, and ground to dust, present the most dehcate structure of beautifully articu- lated corals, that rocks appear, which are nothing but an aggre- gate of shells (as at Bake well), and that the smallest portion of chalk, when made transparent by means of the balsam of copaiva, displays under the microscope hundreds of Polythalamia, most inge- niously combined, are conditions and facts which occur elsewhere; but nothing in the world presents any parallel to the immense coal-beds, consisting entirely of masses of compressed or Hque- fied vegetable productions, exhibiting, in the coal slate by wliich they are accompanied, the most splendid impressions of leaves and ferns belonging to warmer latitudes, and often, as at Manchester, whole stems of trees, sometimes still standing upright on their original roots ; or to the large trees converted into sand-stone, one of which, with a stem about thirty feet long, is to be seen lying in a quarry near Edinburgh; and in addition to these, the beds of remarkable fossil Sepia, and of the immense Amphibia, found only in such perfection in England ; all these furnish a wonderful, and, in their near proximity, unparalleled example of the relations of this portion of the earth's surface in the earlier periods of its existence. It was, therefore, in England alone that it was possible to decipher the proper value of the Belemnites, to be found in thou- sands in so many different places, and to show that they are, in reality, the point of the shell, and the remains of the habitation of a particular kind of Sepia. It was only in England that any accurate knowledge could be obtained of the whole structure and modes of life of those Iguanodons, which often far exceeded the crocodile in size; of the Ichthyosauri, and of the rare Plesiosauri, which arc tho very models of the myths of the dragon; and the British Museum 24 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. contains treasures of this description which must serve as a study to philosophers and naturahsts of all countries, an acquaintance with which is more and more diffused by means of correct models. It is universally known that there are none of all the contents of English ground, which can be at all compared in value with that of its coal-beds (the Scotch mosses are mere auxiliaries to supply the deficiency of coal), for these form the element and foundation of almost the whole extent of English industry. This, however, ap- pears a thousand times more clearly in the country itself ; one need only sec the great iron- works in Wales, and how the immense masses of coal and iron-stone are brought up at the same time from one and the same shaft, or read the calculations, according to which the value of the coal raised in Great Britain and Ireland in one year, amounts to 147,000,000 of our dollars, in order to have a full conception of the vast importance of the structure and con- tents of the surface of the country. It is no less deserving of re- mark that the richness of the English mountains in iron, copper, and tin, is not less a real peculiarity of this island, and that the iron- works and copper smelting establishments in Wales, and the tin mines in Cornwall, furnish materials of the greatest interest and instruc- tion to the traveller. The soil of England is less productive in the nobler metals, and silver-mines are worked in only a few districts (as in Cumberland). There is also less variety in the mineral springs than in most parts of the continent. There is nothing which can be compared with our springs at Carlsbad, Aix-la-Chapelle, Wiesbaden, Gastein, Teplitz, and many other places, and those which do exist, are chiefly confined Avithin the circle of stronger or weaker saline waters (as Leamington and Buxton), or weak and saline chalybeates (as Bath), and rarely reach a particularly warm temperature. Even the pure spring- water is in many parts of England far from being perfectly good ; this is the case in the great chalk districts, for example, as near London itself ; and this fact has undoubtedly pro- duced the effect of making boiled water in the form of tea, so general and favourite a beverage in England. Before concluding my observations on the country, I must make a remark upon a peculiar and surprising circumstance connected with the Enghsh and Scotch mountains, of which I have not before seen any notice, and respecting which I have never received any written or verbal communication. It is well known that all the moun- tains in England are of a very moderate elevation, two, three, four, or something above four thousand feet is the highest point to which these masses rise above the level of the sea. Notwith- standing this, their physiognomy, even at such heights, is not only frequently Alpine, but their surface, even at very moderate elevations, presents pecuHarities both in weather and vegetation, which are only perceived on the continent at elevations of from 5000 to 6000 feet. In passing over ridges in the mountain passes, which MOUNTAINS — BOTANY. 25 scarcely rise above 1000 to 1500 feet above the sea level, it is quite common to find the waste declivities of the ^mountains merely covered with heath, or thin Alpine pasture scattered among huge stones and disjected rocks, such as are only found on the continent in the valleys of the High Alps. Human dwellings disappear, or merely consist of solitary huts built with coarse loose stones, and badly covered with turf and heath ; a few solitary sheep find meagre pasture on the slopes; damp fogs draw through the ravines, and even the clouds descend further, and hang lower on the mountain tops. There is no doubt that these phenomena are in part owing to the northern latitude, but still more to the moisture of the atmosphere, and the prevalence of winds, both of which depend on proximity to the ocean. When, how- ever, all these things are considered, there is still something very surprising in the phenomenon, for it must often excite surprise, when half an hour's drive, on an ascending road, suddenly trans- ports the traveller from a fruitful and well-cultivated plain into a wild and solitary valley, and in still less space of time, exchanges it for a warm and cheerful district. The fact of our having met with snow on the Scotch mountains in July, at the elevation of 4000 feet, must no doubt be ascribed to their northern latitude alone (56° to 57°). In reference to the botany of England, my expectations were most false; I had conceived the general idea of a northern country, but I found, on the contrary, a peculiar, and, in many respects, a southern vegetation, occasionally reminding me of Italy. With the exception of the Highlands, the ivy grows everywhere most luxuriantly, winding itself around walls, sometimes covering whole houses, and climbing up immense oaks with Italian luxu- riance. The holly (ikcv), which reaches the height of a tree, the masses of Portugal laurels, which are planted around the poorest dwellings, and grow with great luxuriance, the climbing and mag- nificent roses which adorn the walls and gates, the chesnuts, the multitudes of rhododendrons, and, finally, the mighty cedars, which, with stems of from four to five feet diameter, grow so vi- gorously in many parks, that finer ones can scarcely be found in Lebanon; and even the wild tamarisk {tamarix Gallica) which here and there occurs, all these, together with the noble meadows, give to well-situated valleys, well-watered plains, and to the dis- tricts on the southern coast, a richness of vegetation, with which Germany must be very disadvantageously compared, and which never ceased to engage and fix my attention, even after I had formed a clear conception of all the advantages and pecuHarities of the climate on which I have already observed. On the commons of the level country, and on the mountains, the vegetation assumes somewhat of a foreign character ; on the former, chiefly from the prevalence of a weed almost universal in England and Scotland, the prickly ulex Europceus and nanus ; on the latter, from the im- mense quantity of the erica cinerea and other heaths which cover 26 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. whole mountains with their carmine blossoms. On the other hand, it appears immeasurably behind Germany in forests. In England tliere are of what are properly called forests^ none, and in Scotland they are very rare. It is true, indeed, that many of the noble parks may serve partly to point out the places where the ancient forests were, and may be regarded as their descendants ; but still, what in Germany we call a forest, in all its wildness, with all the beauty of its trees, with its branches multifariously interlaced, its gnarled and knotted roots, and the plants which luxuriate in the depths of the wood — in a word — with \h2it forest solitude, for which we are indebted to Tieck for the proper expression ( Wald-einsamkeit), you will seek in vain throughout the whole island of Great Britain. The parks are magnificent — they are noble in extent — and the forest trees are so judiciously planted and carefully guarded, that you everywhere meet with the noblest beech and oak, Hme and ehn. They are in general so laid out, that it may be truly said that no one can form an idea of what a park is, until he has seen England. Woods, however, there are none. Appearance is universally considered, and most of all in the shorn and rolled velvet lawns ; and in a country possessing such great political freedom, there is in these, as well as in many other human things, no freedom at all. The yew-tree also, with its dark and needle foliage, and the white-thorn {cratcegus oxyacantha), which so often grows to the size of a tree, furnish peculiar traits in the picture of an English landscape. The number of fruit-trees, too, in England, is relatively very small compared with Germany, where they sur- round our villages, adorn the way-sides, and fill our gardens — and in tliis, as well as in the total absence of the culture of the vine, the influence of the climate with its fogs and rain again appears, and though free from severe cold and snow, England never enjoys pro- longed and constant summer weather. The vegetation of the moors and meadow-lands is, relatively speaking, not much more luxuriant than that of Germany, and although a few rare ornamental plants occur which are either alto- gether or for the most part unknown among us, as the anthericum ossifragum, lobelia dortmanna, and the papaver Cambricum, which belongs exclusively to England, or, more properly speaking, to Wales and Cumberland, yet the usual plants that are met with are precisely the same as with us, with the exception of the fragrant myrica gale, which is to be found growing luxuriously every- where on the moors in Scotland. The same observation may be made respecting the animal king- dom. However foreign may have been the Fauna of the primitive world, with its thousands of Ichthyosauri and Plesiosauri, its ammo- nites and fish (such as the pterichthysMulleri, to be found in Scotland) up to the giant stsig (cervus megaceros), foimd in the inundated country of the Isle of Man, the present races of animals existing in England present no real peculiarities. BIRDS AND ANIMALS. 27 The greatest differences no doubt exist in the winged kingdom, but this is not so easy of observation to the rapid and hasty tra- veller. The greatest surprise is excited on the coasts at the sight of the multitude of northern birds, which belong exclusively to high latitudes. At the Land's End I saw for the first time the lestiis parasiticus^ mixed with the common gulls (larus ma- rinus and ridihundus)^ screeching around the rocks; and at the islands of Mull and Staffa divers of all descriptions were swim- ming about upon the sea in flocks. The most remarkable sight of this description, however, was presented on leaving the Firth of Forth, and passing close by the Bass Kock. This, in fact, may be called a northern bird-island ; it consists of a mass of trapp rock rising almost perpendicularly from the sea, and is completely covered with sitting and chiefly brooding birds of the storm, such as the^^ro- cellaria glacialis^ uria troila, alca torda and «?'cf2c«, surrounded and, as it were, guarded by flights of gulls. Here also the sea contributes the most important additions to the Fauna of the country. As a great number of particular genera and species are added to the vege- table kingdom by the multitude of the most various descriptions of tangle and wrack (Jucus, laminaria, &c.) which are thrown on the coasts, so the inhabitants of the deep contribute the greatest, nay, inexhaustible and continually increasing additions to the animal kingdom of England. During our stay in Great Britain, as we learned from the newspapers, a whole herd of whales (probably large dolphins, as the delphinus orca^ which frequently grows to twenty-five feet long), were wrecked on the extreme northern coast of Scotland, and became a valuable booty to the fishermen of the district. Among the peculiar birds of the country, I must not omit to mention the favourite Scotch grouse (tetrao Scoticus)^ which afibrds so much gratification to the sportsmen of Great Britain. These beautiful brown-speckled birds, with red wattles above the eyes, are found in such quantities on the Scotch Highland moors, that a good shot will bring down from forty to fifty birds in a day ; they live, wholly upon the seeds and flowers of the heather, which gives their flesh a sin- gularly rich game flavour. The cock-of-the-wood also {tetrao uro- g alius) frequently occurs. In addition to these, the animals for the chase are hares, rabbits — which are found wild in great numbers on the woody hills near Salisbury — foxes, red deer, roes, and especially the fallow-deer (cervus dama), which are kept by hundreds in the parks. Finally, it would necessarily lead to a variety of considerations were I to proceed to speak of the modes of breeding and the treat- ment of the domestic quadrupeds, especially of the sheep, oxen, and, above all, the horse, so important in England. On this subject I can only allow myself to indulge in a very few words. Of sheep there occur about six different varieties ; all of which present pecu- liarities in form, from the small white sheep of Sussex to the black- headed sheep of Wiltshire, and the particularly liigh-flavourcd sheep of Wales. With respect to them all, however, it is to be remarked, 28 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. tliat they are not usually to be seen in large close-thronging flocks upon the pastures, but for the most part separate, although multi- tudes of them are scattered about on the slopes of the mountains and upon the commons; and also, that they are less valued for the excellence of their fleece than for the delicacy and richness of the mutton. In the same manner, very different breeds of oxen are found spread over the island, among which the following are most worthy of remark: the small breed of Scotch cows, called black cattle^ famous for the abundance of its milk ; and the white cattle^ which are very rare, and exist only in a single small herd of about seventy head, in a half wild condition, in the Duke of Hamilton's parks, and which, according to tradition, have descended from the times of Juhus Caesar. If we would speak of the breeding, races, and train- ing of the horse in England, wdiere are we to begin, and where to end, in order to reduce the subject within the limits of a general view? — in England, where such a multitude of horses are used for the saddle — wliere boys and women ride on horseback as well as men, and old men of from seventy to eighty years of age do not give up this favourite exercise. Next to the Arab, the Englishman is unquestionably the best horse-breeder — nay, the latter probably excels the former in obtaining a nobler and more perfect form of the animal; and certainly does so in the great variety of horses which he procures, all of a useful kind. The extremes may be represented by the vast elephantine horse of I^incolnshire, and the diminutive Shet- land pony. Between these extremes lie an immense variety of ani- mals, for use and luxury, for the plough, the carriage, the race- course, and the saddle. A more detailed examination of this sub- ject would in this place be wholly impossible. I shall therefore merely advert to two points which struck me with particular sur- prise : First, the intelligent training of the nobler breed of horses, and their progress to greater intelligence ; secondly, the vigour imparted to them by living in the open air. With respect to the former of these points, I acknowledge that I was strongly reminded of the interesting descriptions of horse-breeding among the Arabs, when standing in the midst of a wdiole herd of one and two-year-old colts at Eaton Hall; and the beautiftd, round, young animals looked at me with such confidence in their intelHgent bright eyes, and snuffed me all round with expanded nostrils, to see if some agree- able food was not to be found projecting from the coat-pocket of their visiter. It is obvious, from the very look of these creatures, that they are trained without the exercise of any severity, and by the most tender and the kindest treatment — that they are influenced by the reason, and not the harshness, of man; and that the intelli- gence of their own nature is thereby developed and promoted — an intelligence which is displayed in so many traits of the noble English horse, in the rare tractableness of his dispositions, and his great cou- rage. As to the second point — their life in the open air — the mildness of the winter is, of course, the cause that great studs THE PEOPLE. 29 of these beautiful animals not only live from year to year in the open air, but that, besides this, a multitude of horses not in use are turned out for a much longer period on enclosed mountain pastures or heaths, as it were, in a wild condition. Here it is that, by galloping and leaping over stock and stone, over hedge and ditch on the moun- tain slopes, they gain such strength in their muscles and sinews, as to be not only capable of undergoing the greatest fatigue, but also of bearing their desperate riders in safety over trench and wall, ditch and stone. I have often looked with delight, on passing by one of these mountain enclosures, at the young horses, full of curio- sity as they are, galloping down the steepest declivities of the hills, and standing, with pricked-up ears and clear eyes, to look over the enclosure after our carriages as we rolled on our way. Having now given a hasty view of sea and land, of the vegetable and animal kingdom, I have come to that which is — the most difficult task of all ! To present to my readers some thoughts and obsei*va- tions upon the remarkable and highly inventive race of men which inhabits this island. First, I would lay down the following principle : There can be nothing more favourable to, and promotive of, the de- velopment of a man, who is intended to rise to an important, able, and highly intellectual elevation in the scale of Hfe, than, first of all, to be sprung from the healthy union of vigorous, fine, and intellectual natures; and secondly, to enjoy in the earliest period of his youth and development, the benefits of that retirement and quiet, which is essentially necessary to the laying and consolidation of the foundation of such a physical individuality, as will be afterwards vi- gorously developed to a great and important character, as soon as he comes in contact with real Hfe, its impulses and motives, and when the mind is called to act and struggle on the great theatre of the world. This observation is as truly applicable to whole races and nations as to the individual man. The peculiarities and high importance of the people of England are mainly to be sought in the descent of the English from the mixture of so many different races, all of a vigo- rous character; the intermarriage of the original inhabitants of England, the Cymri or Britons, with the Romans, Norwegians, Danes, Normans, and Germans, from whence the new British, or, properly speaking, English people sprang; and moreover, in this people being confined to the limits of an island, and thus almost wholly withdrawn from the direct influences and disturbing causes resulting from contact with other nations, and having full time for the invigoration and consolidation of their powers, as dis- tinct from, and in opposition to, those of all other nations in the world. When we look at the subject from this point of view, it is remarkable to perceive that those districts of Great Britain in which the ori- ginal races exist, with the least admixture of foreign nations, and have still preserved the use of their original Celtic or GalHc lan- guage, as in Wales and the Highlands of Scotland, are those, the in- habitants of which cannot in any respect be compared in mental 30 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. energy and development witli those wlio, properly speaking, belong to tlie new British race, and are constrained to yield to the genuine Enghsh, whose language is a compound derived from Roman, Nor- man, Scandinavian, and German roots. It is this little England, this England containing about 15,000,000 of inhabitants, Avhich has made itself the centre of a kingdom, greater than any in the civilised world, whose provinces surround our globe, and, even excluding the shifting but still numerous population of Hudson's Bay, reckons a population of above 200,000,000; whilst Russia, the mostpowerful empire on the continent, only reckons about 64,000,000 of subjects. In short, the further our inquiries are pushed into the charac- teristic peculiarities of the EngUsh people, the more obvious will it become that the two elements just mentioned are of the greatest importance. As to the race, the German and Scandinavian elements are clearly discernible in the physical constitution, in the strongly built frame, above the middle size, the oval form of the skull, the fair skin, and the great preponderance of brown and light hair over black. These elements are even more obvious in the public institu- tions of the people. On examining this point more carefully, the old German customs and the old German laws will still be seen not only to exist, but to flourish in a multitude of institutions, which have been completely lost in Germany itself, either through the constant and va- rying influences of other nations, or sometimes through indolence of character in the people themselves. The various forms of administration throughout the country aflbrd proofs of this remark; every district, every town, every parish, possesses a species of independence, elects its own parish, local, or municipal oflicers, and, by means of its repre- sentatives, enjoys and exercises a great share in the general adminis- tration of the whole country; in a word, it possesses those great rights which belong to a free constitution. Then the public administration of justice and trial by jury, the great preponderance of open and verbal modes of transacting business over vmtten, the unUmited, free, and public expression of individual opinion upon all subjects; the performance of administrative duties in many cases without salary, and the holding of offices which are mere signs of public confidence, and of a prominent position, all enter into this inquiry. It would, indeed, require a long and careful examination, accom- panied and supported by strict historical research, to be able to declare what of all this has passed from the Scandinavian, w^hat from the Roman, what from the German stock, into the life of the Enghsh peo- ple. It would then unquestionably appear, that the Roman forms by far the smallest element in the composition, and the German incom- parably the greatest. ^ The second element, the greater degree of retirement and of un- disturbed progress to maturity, before the occurrence of any very active intercourse or exercise of reciprocal influence from foreign nations, has been productive of this result, that a multitude of sin- ANGLO-GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE. 31 gularities, of customs, usages, institutions, and manners, both in public and private life, liave taken sucli deep root in England, as to become immoveable : and this might seem the more astonishing in a nation which carries on the most active intercourse wi|h all parts of the world, and with nations of the most different habits, customs, and laws, did we not bear in mind, that almost all these characteristic singularities date from a period when the people were absolutely iso- lated, and their forms of life were developed to full maturity from within themselves, and that therefore there is an universal inclina- tion to hold firmly by that which, in other countries, is subject to continual change from the influences of neighbouring nations, and sometimes changes of itself. In recent times, it is true, com- forts and luxuries, in all their various relations, have enormously grown and increased in England, but the basis of all these usages and customs may be clearly shown to rest upon others, handed doAvn from time immemorial. These very developments, therefore, always assume a peculiar historical character, and make obvious the reason why the English themselves have such intense pleasure in thinking of and designating their country as Old England; this tendency is also obvious in the architecture of the country. England possesses a style of architecture which is, in fact, strictly national and peculiar; in other countries of Europe such nationality has altogether disap- peared, whilst here it continues to maintain its ground — though not exclusively — and will probably long continue so to do. I can find no other word by which to characterise this peculiarity than Anglo- Gothic, as it is exhibited in the castles, public buildings, churches, and private dwellings, and may be said in some measure to have be- come the national style. In recent times in Germany we see exam- ples of the occasional adoption of the Gothic style, but it gives the same foreign impression as if it were Grecian or Egyptian, and is treated also with the greatest licence, inasmuch as among the great variety of Gothic styles, sometimes this is adopted, and sometimes that — and one with as little reason or propriety as the other. It is quite otherwise in England. From the date of the twelfth century this style — ^properly speaking, German — has completely replaced the older heavy Norman style, and assumed a national peculiarity in con- sequence of some admixture of elements not purely German. It has especially lost that high and constant aspiration of the pure German style, which aims at a still increased development of refined and deli- cate articulations in thefihgree work of the free and lofty spire, and, on the contrary, has assumed the square and firmer form, resembling a fortress; the form, namely, of flat towers with turrets at the four corners, thicker columns and solid spires of hewn stone. In this form, their architectural structures still continue from century to century, and castles are to be seen which, though only lately completed in all their exterior arrangements (as Windsor itself), yet appear in no respect different from what they would have done, had they been finished immediately after their commencement in the 32 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. fifteentli or sixteentK century. It is true, that in recent times there have been various apphcations of the antique and old Italian style of building, and instances of the pure Norman have again occasionally appeared, a^ in the magnificent modern edifice of Penrhyn Castle, in Wales. The dwelling-houses are erected in a simple modern style, such as is best suited to the conveniences and comforts of life. But the combination of these numerous modern buildings, with the churches and public edifices built after the old national style, always gives a peculiar character to English towns and country mansions ; and in the most recent times, whilst in Germany a Walhalla has been built in pure Grecian style, the English nation has given an indelible impression of its feelings and character, by determining that the building, which may be called the head and heart of the life of the English people — their houses of parliament — must necessarily be exe- cuted in a strict Anglo-Gothic style. I cannot take leave of the subject without a remark on English dwelling-houses, which stands also in close connexion with that long- cherished principle of separation and retirement, lying at the very foundation of the national character. It appears to me, to be this principle which has given to tlie people that fixity of national character, and strict adherence to the historical usages of their country, by which they are so much distinguished; and up to the present moment, the Englishman still perseveres in striving after a certain individuality and personal independence, a certain separation of himself from others, which constitutes the foundation of his freedom. This, too, was completely an ancient German tendency, which led our remote ancestors to prefer the rudest and most incon- venient, but isolated homesteads, to the more convenient and refined method of life in aggregation ; it is this that gives the Englishman that proud feeling of personal independence, which is stereotyped in the phrase: " Every mans house is his castle." This is a feeling which cannot be entertained, and an expression which cannot be used, in Germany or France, in which countries, ten or fifteen families often live together in the same large house. The expres- sion, however, receives a true value, when, by the mere closing of the house-door, the family is able, to a certain extent, to cut itself off from all communication with the outward world, even in the midst of great cities. In English towns or villages, therefore, one always meets either with small detached houses merely suited to one family, or apparently large buildings extending to the length of half a street, sometimes adorned like palaces on the exterior, but separated by partition walls internally, and thus divided into a great number of small high houses, for the most part three windows broad, within which, and on the various stories, the rooms are divided according to the wants or convenience of the family; in short, therefore, it may be properly said, that the English divide their edifices perpen- dicularly into houses — whilst we Germans divide them horizontally into floors. In England, every man is master of his hall, stairs, CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ENGLISH. 33 and chambers — whilst we are obliged to use the two first in com- mon with others, and are scarcely able to secure ourselves the* privacy of our own chamber, if we are not fortunate enough to be able to obtain a secure and convenient house for ourselves alone. Besides the race and the external circumstances, there is yet another element, which has always appeared to me of great im- portance in every attempt to illustrate the nature either of indi- vidual man or of whole nations ; and this is indicated by the ques- tion — only to be answered after mature inquiry and reflection — to what age does the person or tlie people, as a whole, correspond? By what age can it be regarded as, in some measure, represented? There are men who, from their very childhood, are endowed with the wisdom and sobriety of age, who have, properly speaking, no youth ; who are always characterised by the anxieties, doubts, want of vigour, avarice, ceremony, and other signs of advanced age. There are others who never, at any age, lose the characteristics of childhood, never grasp a weighty or important idea, and always in- dulge in, and amuse themselves with, trivial pleasures, and are inte- rested in what is trifling and new. There are some, again, who, by the prevalence of headstrong passions, may be regarded as the re- presentative of adolescence; and others as the type of mature age, by the strength of their resolution and the vigour of their minds, even from their earliest years. With their necessary modifications, such comparisons, by which objects are gradually made clearer, may be applied to whole nations also. If we ask now, adopting this method, how are the English people to be characterised? There can be no doubt, that after a very short observation of their whole mode of action and conduct, they must be characterised by the mature, late, but still vigorous age of man. A firm adherence to principles once adopted, a quiet, historical foundation and develop- ment, a decisiveness and vigour, a Catonian severity of morals, but, together with these, a great measure of pedantry, and, even as a people, conspicuous and unconcealed egotism are precisely the very circumstances and conditions which must soon impress themselves upon the mind of the observer, and become consoHdated into a firm and decisive judgment, such as that already expressed. It is, undoubtedly, something beautiful to see a man, as well as a nation, still in a full state of manly vigour, still grandly following out the development of his destiny, or, properly speaking, creating his own destiny; and it is, therefore, easy to perceive the reason why per- sonal observation and contemplation of the English people, with all their manly consistency, their tenacious firmness, their clear per- ceptions, their contempt for all prolixity, and their decisive prac- tical nature, is so peculiarly interesting, and calculated to produce such a powerful influence on the mind. The most important aid to the full understanding of this sketch of character, which we have compared to that of vigorous manhood after the middle age of life, is to be derived from a consideration of the naval power of England, D 34 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. which results, as I have already shown, from the nature of the • country, and its capacities. The Navy, as it is called, the de- velopment of an immense sea force, in whose proficiency and might the highest as well as the lowest take interest and delight — whicl^ even engages the very spirit of dilettantism displayed in the numerous yacht clubs — it is this which represents the first condi- tion of the trade and manufactures of England, and forms the Btrongest support of her universal dominion. It is only by reference to this, that it becomes possible to solve the problem, how 26,000,000 of Englishmen are able to rule 200,000,000 of foreigners. And the navy continues to be the source and instrument of her continually increasing wealth, of which some idea may be formed, when I state that, according to Mr. Porter's reports, the saving banks of England alone, in the year 1841, contained above 24,000,000/. sterling; that the number of ships was above 30,000, of which 900 were steam- boats; and that more than 80,000,000/. sterling were invested in railroads alone.* The Navy, therefore, which works all these wonders, which engages men in a continual struggle with a dreadful and unruly element of nature, which accustoms them to live in their frail houses on the rolling main, and to be always ready, for life or for death — it is this, especially, which imparts cool and manly courage to the people as a whole, and elevates them in every practical relation far above all other nations of the earth. But as has been already said, this vigour, courage, and decisiveness of character, as usually happens in the advanced age of man, are accompanied by a stiff- ness, pedantry, and egotism, wliich repel all that may be called the poetic element in the spirit of a nation. When brought into com- petition with life and action, this poetical element must still more and more recede, in proportion as the age of the nation advances and increases in its puritanical and pedantic severity. On these grounds it often appears to me impossible to believe, that Shak- speare could have been an Englishman ; and his really being so, only becomes intelligible by remembering that, in the time of Shak- speare, a real merry England actually existed. It is, moreover, for this very reason, too, that there is at present such poverty in the really active pursuit and cultivation of all that deserves the name of the higher arts. England has never produced a single great his- torical painter, and will scarcely ever produce one. The same is true of sculpture and music. As to poetry, England, like other countries, possesses even now, it is true, a great many poets, and men of distinguished talents appear from time to time in the field of events, but the tendency towards the gloomy side, the melancholy, or the sentimental, and often even the bitter element of life, is constantly gaining the ascendent, and this fact of itself proves that poetry, properly so called, is a stranger to the country at present. True, indeed, I * See Appendix, No. 1 POETKT AND THE SCIENCES. M6 will not venture to say that the Englishmen of the present day are destitute of the spirit and feeling of poetry, for what people are completely in this condition? But these are Hmited to an earlier period of life, and are regarded as a disease incidental to the development of the mind, rather than as a great poetical view of life pervading the whole existence, harmonising with the deep poetry of life, and exercising a most important influence upon the whole moral and intellectual character. The prevaihng English character is, therefore, by no means destitute of passion and poetry; but all this appears like the early eruption of a volcano, which is speedily exhausted, and then the crater only remains, covered with ashes, hard and dry. Every thing pertaining to the theatrical arts is almost in a worse condition in England, at present, than even the structural arts and music; and although we can make no particular boast of the state of the drama amongst ourselves, it would not be easy to exagge- rate its superiority over the miserable and soulless drama of Eng- land. It is something repugnant to one's feehngs to see that the people, who formerly produced the greatest of all dramatic poets, should now be almost wholly destitute of dramatists, and that the art should share so little genuine sympathy ; but a moment's consideration of the whole circumstances of the country, and it no longer remains a riddle. Industry absorbs all the energies of life; with the progress and application of steam power, not only are thousands and thousands of new productions developed, but the population itself; the number of large towns, with 30,000 or 40,000 inhabitants, whose names are yet scarcely known in foreign coun- tries, increases with enormous rapidity, and the regulation, occu- pation, and supply of all these demand continual and progressive activity ; how is it possible that, in the midst of such a tendency of public life, any time should be allotted to the artistical gratifica- tion of the finer and more intellectual wants of the human mind? For these reasons even the sciences, considered by themselves, are not objects of pursuit; and least of all, in the higher departments of mental philosophy, but they are cultivated zealously and eiFectuaUy in as far as they are useful, and promote the immediate advantages of life. In England, natural philosophy by no means corresponds with the Natur-Philosophie of the Germans, but consists of a com- bination of mathematics and physics, and is endured only as such, whilst every truth is decidedly repulsed, which is calculated to promote such a free spirit of inquiry or mental development, as might in the most remote degree interfere with, or trench upon, any traditional, political, or orthodox ecclesiastical dogma. By and by, the spirit of inquiry now awakening even in England, and the application of a more philosophical mode of thinking and investiga- tion to physiology and comparative anatomy, will pave the way for a more general and true consideration of the philosophy of d2 36 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. nature; although, no doubt a long time will still elapse before this goal is attained. We must, therefore, always return to the enumeration of what appears to be so worthy of admiration in England: — its noble public institutions and active life, the energy of its technical arts, and of its politics, the perfection and power of its Navy. — All this greatness, however, would be inconceivable, were it not that, in the general administration of the country, a certain elevated tone of simplicity prevails, which is as far remote as possible from what may be called the dilettantism of governing, which seeks for its renown in a multitude of petty regulations, and in a pecuharly artistical structure of the state machine. It strikes a stranger with astonishment when he hears how small a number of individuals compose the efficient force of the executive; with what simpli- city and brevity the communications between the respective mi- nisterial departments are made; how little verbal communication takes place, and how limited the number of the whole official staff is, which in Germany is so inordinately increased. There is, perhaps, no country in which, relatively speaking, the number of paid officials is so small as in England,* and where the direction of the public affairs is conducted on so elevated a scale ; and in this respect in particular, it must undoubtedly furnish an interesting object of study for the diplomatists and statesmen of all nations. I must still add, that it is this very elevated mode of conducting public affairs, which opens up the widest and richest field for the appear- ance of men of the highest talents and character. What is high and great, can only be performed by great and able men, and this principle finds in England its full recognition ; every man of talent, whatever be his family or condition, provided he is an Englishman, may not only aspire, but raise himself to the very highest and most dignified offices in the country. As the states- man must necessarily show himself as he really is, as he is not suffered to intrench himself behind rescripts and documents, but must come forth personally into the collisions of politics, and bear his share in the discussion of great political questions, his per- sonal qualities are put to the test, and every insignificant pre- tender is as sure to fall into contempt, as every man of abiUties and power is of securing for himself a large circle of influence. How true, therefore, and especially in England, is the remark in King Lear, and how pertinent to the case of the great statesmen of Britain are the words of Edgar : " Ripeness is all." * In Appendix No.;i 1, 1 have given a short sketch of the high poHtical offices, and named the individuals by whom they were filled at the time of our visit to England. ( 37 ) ^- VII. JOURNEY THROUGH ENGLAND. Buckhurst, May 29th— Early. Yesterday morning, at twelve o'clock, our small but well-built iron steam-boat, tbe Princess Alice, cast anchor off Dover, and at half-past twelve a boat landed us through the surge on the beach, composed of rolling flints and chalk debris. Notwithstanding a strong west wind and a high sea, the passage, which often occupies from nine to ten hours, was quickly effected in five. The double motion of the ship, caused by her rolling and heaving, produced a pecuUarly disagreeable feeling; but still, the pleasure which I felt in contemplating the magnificent, high rolling, and foaming waves, and the mental excitement connected with the idea of this com- pletely novel and deeply interesting voyage, enabled me to re- sist the tendency to sea-sickness, and to continue to enjoy the sight of the wonderfully beautiful and splendid picture of the ever- agitated sea. His majesty also was able to remain on deck, and escaped the disagreeable penalty which landsmen usually pay, whilst several of our fellow- voyagers, stretched upon the deck, were obliged to offer sacrifice to Neptune, and pay toll for their passage. The whole of this ship-life was something very new to me ; the neat and rapid steamer cleaving her way through the mighty waves, driven by her foaming paddles; the transition in the colour of the water from the muddy gray in the neighbourhood of the coast, to the dark green of the deep sea ; a few fishing-boats here and there on the horizon— two rapid steam-boats careering past us on their course — a few solitary gulls driven out by the wind, and the covering of gray clouds, with numerous deep strata rent by the wind, every thing was completely new and strange, and the attention and interest were constantly kept alive. The French coast from Dunkirk to Calais lay stretched like a dark strip along the southern horizon. At eleven o'clock the English coast appeared in the distance; and after a brief period, Shakspeare's cliff at Dover became distinguish- able. The sky continued dark and cloudy, but the white chalk cliffs soon revealed themselves distinctly, and we were presently able to discern the old tower of the castle, whilst far to the right, with their light ships, lay the Goodwin sands, the scene of so many terrible disasters. As we approached the coast the sea fell, and the houses in Dover became visible, painted of a singular brown or olive colour, with their gray slate roofs. We had no sooner landed, than carriages were in readiness to convey us rapidly to the hotel, whilst a salute was fired from the castle and the heights ; and we were scarcely arrived, when some 38 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. gentlemen belonging to the authorities of the town and the harbour were announced, who came to welcome his majesty and to offer their services. On our drive from the beach to the hotel the feeling was over- powering, and we were obliged to exclaim — we are in a very different country. In passing from Germany into Italy, the customs and style of architecture, as well as the build of the people, are strikingly different; but the contrast is still sharper between going on board in Belgium and landing in England. The small houses, the different construction of the windows (only made to push up), the closed doors, the strange names over the doors and shops, the lofty and numerous chimneys, even the totally different arrangement of the hotel, every thing, as well as the people themselves, furnishes indications of a peculiar character. A dejeuner dinatoire^ which the English call lunch, was served, and the commander of the garrison as well as Captain Smithet, of the Princess Alice., was of our party. The richness and abundance of the plate surprised us Germans, unaccustomed to such displays in our inns; and many national peculiarities in the viands were immediately observable; the rich ox-tail soup, the massive piece of admirable beef, fish of every description, and together with sherry and port, common at all English tables, genuine porter, which in consequence of its aromatic bitter was peculiarly well calculated to repair the discomforts of sea-sickness, from which some of our party had suffered. Lunch was scarcely finished, when carriages arrived to conduct us through the town to the old castle, whilst the servants were busied in conveying the most necessary portions of our baggage to the rail- road. (The carriages were still on board the steamboat, which could not enter the harbour till the' evening, and were to be sent after us by another train.) Dover Castle is situated to the north of the town, on a chalk cliff about 500 feet high. The road thither leads through a great part of the town, which now contains about 14,000 inhabitants. On all sides small gray or brown houses with slate roofs. We passed the harbour, which contains a great number of ships; and, as we ap- proached the cliff, were surprised at a certain Italian appearance displayed in the vegetation ; the gardens being adorned with high boxwood, large Portugal laurels, and long covered walks thickly and luxuriously overgrown with ivy. The castle itself is very old — partly in ruins. The oldest parts are built in the round, arched, heavy Norman style, and some beautiful vistas, as well as romantic remains of old chapels, and the Hke, present themselves. The white chalk, with its innumerable flints, thrusts itself out in all directions from the scanty grass. Many of the walls are built wholly of flint, and on the walls and slopes the beautiful yellow Smirnium olusa- trum (common Alexanders) grows in great abundance. The garrison of the castle was composed of a battaUon of infantry, afterwards des- FROM DOVER TO BUCKHURST. $^ tined for Ireland, who, in their elegant scarlet uniforms, received his majesty with royal honours. We were then conducted to the point from which the most extensive view is to be obtained; it is situated on a rampart looking towards the sea ; and truly the view from this point, embracing the town, with its roadstead and ships, the new port and the Shakspeare cliff opposite, is splendid. Among the numerous pieces mounted on the ramparts, an old and enor- mously long gun was shown us, of the year 1514, for which an ele- gant new iron carriage had just been made. This modem mounting, adorned with cast-iron foliage, made somewhat the same figure under the powerful fire-vomiter as one of these red uniforms would do under the steel harness of an ancient knight. The modern fort of Dover, lying to the south-west, was still to be visited. We therefore drove back to the town, and from thence up again to the fort. Here was the residence of the commander, who had lunched with us at the hotel. He took great pains to show us the batteries and casemates, as well as his own small but elegant dwelling in one part of the works. How beautiful again was the view from the fort ! Under the chalky walls lay the town and the roads, where we still saw our steamer at anchor opposite to the old castle, and on one side of us Shakspeare's cliff. Here we were again obliged to take some sherry and ships' biscuit, and then the commander con- ducted us by a dark vaulted passage, under one of the batteries, in which a stair led directly down to the point where the course of the railroad is about to enter the tunnel under Shakspeare's cliff. The train started — arrived — stopped, — and we entered an elegant cou-pt de- corated with red velvet, and which was reserved for the use of his majesty. This railroad is called the South Eastern^ and leads through Folkstone and Ashford to London. We availed ourselves of it only as far as Tunbridge, where carriages with post-horses were in wait- ing, in order to convey us through Tunbridge Wells, and rich dis- tricts in Sussex, to this place. During the course of our drive the appearance of the country was mild and beautiful, notwithstanding the dark, cloudy sky. The road was chiefly skirted by pasture or meadow-land; the country diversi- fied with neat farm-houses, cottages, fields, all prettily enclosed — occasionally large parks, numerous oaks of a roundish form, and great quantities of ivy hanging thick and luxuriant on the walls and trees. We met none but well-dressed people on the road, which, though only a cross-road, was in all respects kept like a highway. We had frequent views of long lines of hills covered with wood, and then again wide green plains traversed by brooks, at one of which, too, we saw a gentleman employed in the favourite English amuse- ment of angling. On the whole I am well pleased to have commenced with some in- sight into the country, and not to have been all at once launched into the endless turmoil of London. A creative course, too, is that which is 40 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. in all cases to be recommended; and London is only capable of being explained after the stranger has obtained some idea of tlie country. Even on so short a drive as we had made, our surprise -was already excited by the want of what may properly be called vil- lages. The county is divided into large estates, which are let out in portions of greater or less extent to farmers, and the scattered farm-houses and the cottages of the labourers, together with occa- sional small country-houses, occupy the place of villages. Here and there stand solitary churches, and form a kind of nucleus, around which every thing is more concentrated. Some idea may be formed of the relation of the farmers to the proprietors, by supposing that the produce of the ground in such cases is divided into three parts, one of which falls to the landowner, a second is applied to the im- provement of the farm, and the third belongs to the farmer, as a return for his capital and labour. From the cultivator of the soil upwards, every one feels himself to be a part of one great whole, and the higher we ascend in the scale, the individual more and more sacrifices his individuality to the state. The question, what a man should do for himself, and what for the state, can scarcely, I think, occur with such frequency in any country as in England. This, moreover, is manifest from a variety of other circumstances. Who- ever is constantly compelled to sacrifice a great part of his indivi- duality, and of his own intellectual efforts and pursuits to the well- being of the state, necessarily finds his individuality, as it were, en- dangered, and in that part of self which remains he readily adopts or falls into a species of rough, eccentric originality, in order thus, in some measure, to compensate for the other deficiency or loss. And this, perhaps, is in fact the best means of accounting for many of the pecuHarities, and much of the coarseness of the Englishman. At seven o'clock we arrived at Buckhurst, the seat of Lord Dela- warr. Our road lay for a considerable distance through a park — properly speaking, a kind of wood of oak and beech ; and at length the small country-seat began to glimmer through the boughs of a wide-spreading oak. The house itself is built in an ornamented Anglo-Gothic style. On our arrival, servants in rich liveries^ and with powdered hair, conducted us immediately to our respective apartments, which were cheerful and replete with comforts. The whole charac- ter of the house breathes of simplicity, combined with the highest degree of convenience. Towards half-past seven o'clock, we assem- bled in the drawing-room, and I gladly renewed the acquaintance which I had formerly made with this amiable family, whom I had attended as a physician in Dresden, and with whom I was on the most friendly footing. A rich and cheerful dinner soon followed, and afterwards all returned to the drawing-room and the neighbour- ing library, in order to take tea near the blazing fire, and to hear some music from the ladies of the family. I walked into the library, and looked through a splendidly illustrated work on one of the late ENGLISH VIE DE CHATEAU. 41 court balls, at which the company were all dressed in ancient cos- tume, and then turned over the catalogue, in which I looked in vain for the works of Gothe and Schiller among the foreign books which it contained. VIII. Buckhurst, same day — Evening, It is very interesting to me to have got immediately a circumstan- tial idea of this English vie de chateau by means of this short sojourn. It is, properly speaking, the mixture of a certain unrestricted free- dom with a species of pedantic etiquette. The family and their visitors meet for breakfast or luncheon in the breakfast or dining- room, in morning dresses, the gentlemen in frock coats, the ladies neatly but simply dressed; during the remainder of the morning each pursues his own amusements or employs his time as he pleases, and in the evening the company again assemble in the drawing-room in full dress, go to dinner, and afterwards return and spend the evening together in the drawing-room and library, where tea and other refreshments are served. The order of living is highly agree- able, the real enjoyment or profit which results, depends here, as it does everywhere, on the individuals who compose the circle. Family breakfast was served this morning unusually early — at nine o'clock, and afterwards we enjoyed a walk in the park. The air gray and damp — the temperature mild — thoroughly English weather. The beautiful lawns of closely-mown grass, the magnificent oaks, the views of wooded hills, and the splendid flower-beds close to the house, it was quite charming! At ten o'clock the company, among whom was a Prince of Weimar (son of Duke Bernard), met for the purpose of a long drive; the whole occupied seven carriages. We returned some part of the way by which we yesterday came, and at length reached Knowle, near the small town of Seven- Oaks, about eleven miles from Buckhurst. The castle, in the thirteenth century, was the property of the Archbishop of Canter- bury, seized upon in the reign of Henry Vlll., presented by Eliza- beth to the Earl of Leicester, and on his death fell to the family of Dorset. Two daughters were the last descendants of this house, one of whom brought this seat to Lord Amherst, the present owner; and the other is Lady Delawarr. On entering the town of Seven- Oaks we witnessed a very singular custom ; there were a number of persons assembled with bells of various sizes in their hands, on which they played a peal as the carriages drove past, precisely re- sembling the peals in the church towers which are such great favourites in the Netherlands, England, and Northern Italy. The approach to Knowle is, in like manner, through . a park planted with magnificent trees, and adorned with beautiful glades; and then comes the old castle itself, with its towers, and turrets, and walls 42 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. covered witli luxurious ivy.^ As we alighted flowers were strewn on the way, and, preceded by numerous servants in rich liveries, we ascended the steps and entered the ancient family hall, hung with ancestral portraits, and adorned with a huge chimney-piece; — the members of the house and their guests, who had arrived before his majesty the king, were already assembled. Lord Amherst, known as a former governor of India and ambassador to China, is a middle-sized, thin, and lively old man, and here with his lady, in cheerful retirement, he spends the declining years of his active life. Among the strangers was Lord Stanhope, known in Germany by the interest which he took in Caspar Hauser. He spoke good German, and asked me after many of his old acquaintances in Dresden, and particularly Tieck. We were next shown over the spacious rooms of this remarkable old seat. The objects of interest which it contains are very numerous; galleries with beautiful old woodwork, richly ornamented chimney-pieces, and ancient furniture, among which were some pieces of great splendour, tables covered with plates of silver, and moreover a whole table together with a looking-glass and two small side-tables of solid silver, and adorned with rich arabesques; there were besides, a vast number of portraits, and other pictures of no particular value. In addition to this, we must mention the orna- mental old Gothic bay-windows, the beautiful vistas into the park, and then again collections of Chinese birds and other rarities brought home by Lord Amherst from China, &c. The most interesting of all, however, in my estimation, was the air of antiquity which breathed throughout the whole, recalling the great romantic times of Eng- land, and giving the deep impression of a long historical existence. At two o'clock the whole party met for lunch in the grand draw- ing-room on the ground floor, and I can truly say, that as I sat down at the rich table adorned with massive plate, and decked with flowers, and around me the members of the same family which had enjoyed all the pomp of nobility before the reign of Elizabeth, and in a room hung with the portraits of a long line of ancestors, whose arms were emblazoned on glass in the tall Gothic windows, I felt as if I were in a dream, and found myself transported into a scene before the age of Shakspeare ; and times and things long gone by flitted before my mind. At the conclusion of the entertainment Lord Amherst rose, and commencing " Ladies and Gentlemen," made a short speech in which, in very neat and complimentary language, he expressed his pleasure at the arrival of the king in England, his best wishes for his majesty, and proposed his health; to which the king repUed by proposing as a toast the health of the Queen of England. The whole was done in a dignified manner, and in the highest degree peculiar. We then went out into the garden and park. Magnificent mag- nolias, together with the ivy, were trained upon the walls, as high as the second story ; and close by were open houses for oranges and le* REDLEAF. 43 mons ; beautiful flower-beds scattered ^out tKrougb the well-kept lawns ; and single trees of noble dimensions, like those of Paradise, old and mighty larch trees thickly interwoven with ivy, oaks, and sweet chesnuts of immense girth, and magnificent spreading boughs ; and, finally, a large plantation of lime-trees from 500 to 600 years old. We were at length compelled to depart. As we drove out of the court of the castle, his majesty was a second time saluted by the peals of hand-bells. Our road led across the meadows, and through the midst of the magnificent trees in the park to Redleaf, another man- sion, smaller, but not less interesting than Knowle. The former was a type of ancient historical and aristocratic mag- nificence ; whilst the latter bore evidence of being the work of a man who belonged wholly to the present, and owed every thing to himself. The name of the gentleman who owns the mansion is Wells. He has made an immense fortune in India, by ship building, and now lives in this beautiful place alone, in dignified retirement, surrounded by a tasteful collection of choice trees, plants, and pictures. He is a friend of Landseer, the painter; and his collection contains many admirable pieces by that artist. Immediately at the entrance I was struck with the picture of two large dogs; one a yellow-coloured dog, lying down and being licked by a large grayish-brown greyhound. They were represented as if lying in an empty chimney, and the picture was placed on a level with the ground, in a flat blind chim- ney-piece The effect was admirable ; the treatment of the subject extraordinarily able and bold. Then followed a whole series of pic- tures by the same skilful hand — "The Dog at the Shepherd's Grave," and others, already so generally known from the engravings. Hav- ing previously seen so many engravings and copies of his pictures, I here for the first time saw the originals. In a true conception of nature, Landseer is undoubtedly the first of all painters of animals. I know of none who has so thoroughly conceived, and so faithfully portrayed as he has done, the fine shadings of the human intelli- gence and disposition, so remarkably embodied in an animal. His "Jack in Office," his " Fireside Party," and his " Honourable Member of the Humane Society," what fine striking characteristics do they contain ! Now to other rooms, in which remarkable treasures are literally heaped, in agreeable apartments, whose large windows everywhere look upon the magnificent park. I can merely name the beau- tiful pictures of Wouvermann, Du Jardin, Vander Velde, Net- scher, Mieris, Terbourg, Gerard Dow, and others, which it would require much time to describe. Besides these, there is a St. Cecilia, by Domenichino, engraved by Sharp, and a (somewhat doubtful) Guido Reni. Then again, a beautiful piece by Ruysdael — dark and deep standing water, with large oaks. Further, two excellent pic- tures by Hobbema, a large poetical landscape, by Claude, with a cer- tain noble and clear severity, which almost reminds one of the tone 44 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. adopted in the *^ Coasts of the Cyclops" in our Dresden gallery. In another apartment, we saw a large portrait of Walter Scott, by Landseer. The poet is represented as a sportsman, with a gun and some dead grouse at his side. A picture by Webster, was almost still more remarkable than this. It delineates two rows of children at school, one placed above the other. In one case the poor little ones are terrified, half weeping and trembling — their tyrant, the school- master, is ill-humoured and morose; in the other, the children are happy and delighted, and diligent withal, for the teacher is full of kindness and affection. It is impossible to avoid making many use- ful applications on looking at the picture, so admirable and impressive are its characteristics. At length, in this magnificent collection, I found among many other modern pictures, some of Wilkie's. The largest among them was his " Distraint for Rent." A farmer's family in the utmost dis- tress and anxiety how to pay their rent. The execution is very careful; the colouring weak and cold in tone; and the whole con- ception of the picture inferior in depth and in details to that of the *' Rent-Day." Next to Landseer, Wilkie was the most original painter in England; he had a very deep and firm conception of life, and the art of fixing its moving scenes upon the canvass. How sin- gular is it that, at a later period, as if weary of the prose of English family life, he threw himself headlong into the forced French ro- mance, as in his " Maid of Saragossa." Now out into the garden ! A luxuriance of vegetation such as I here saw, I had not yet beheld. The magnificent oaks, undisturbed for ages, the large beech trees, the luxurious ivy, the Gothic green-houses for orange and lemon trees, concealed by shrubs and chmbers; the masses of rhododendrons, the clumps of beautiful white-flowering broom, and red Alpine roses; then, again, a couple of young wide-spreading cedars of Lebanon, azaleas in full bloom, such as I had never anywhere seen, a leafy alley of psorallea; hot- houses with grapes already nearly ripe, and with shaddocks {citrus de- cumanus) trained on the walls, interspersed with the splendid clematis grandijlora^ calceolaria in hundreds of varieties, in the richest bloom. The sight of all these magnificent plants made me long to spend days in the contemplation of their beauties, and inspired me with an inno- cent desire to become the adopted heir of the childless Mr. Wells, of that small and aged man, whose years, and short gray mantle, formed a striking contrast to all this splendid foliage and richness of bloom with which he was surrounded. The circumstances sug- gested to me the fable of Tithon and Aurora ! Here, too, beloved nature, ever new, displayed her charms in all the splendour of youth and beauty; whilst, on the other hand, her lover became hoary and "withered ! Do we not everywhere read the history of unenduring happiness? We extended our drive still further, and came to the old Castle of PENSHURST CASTLE— SPRING FESTIVAL. 45 Penshurst, founded in the year 1350, now in possession of the family of the Sydneys, and already, in many respects, remodelled. The castle at present belongs to Lord De Lisle, who is engaged in re- building and adorning the edifice. The entrance to the house ia particularly striking. On passing the door, we found ourselves in an ancient hall, with an elevated roof, and within completely free up to the very ridge; high Gothic windows, with stone mullions, but open and without glass. In the middle of the hall stood a round hearth on the floor, surrounded with high stone pillars. It was so constructed, that billets of wood and faggots could be conveniently placed within, so as to make a quick and blazing fire. This was not unattended to on the present occasion, and as we entered, a fire made of straw and dry faggots sent up a flame five or six ells high into the open hall, and at once, in the damp weather, we experienced an agreeable warmth diffused far around 1 This gave to the whole a fresh, pleasant, and hospitable impression ! I thought of the olden times, when the knights and their squires dismounted from their horses, entered the noble hall, where they stood around the mounting flame, which was reflected from their brilliant armour, and imparted heat to their frozen limbs ; — a com- plete picture of the knightly days of merry England passed before my mind ! The illusion was prolonged, and the spirit of my dream was provided with new elements, as we mounted the stairs, and entered a large room, full of old helmets and casques, halberds, and swords, together with a mass of old family portraits, carpets, and other reHcs. Moreover, the approach to the stairs was beautiful, as a piece of architecture, and the small chapel, with its large Gothic windows, produced a most agreeable effect. Here, too, the walls were covered with ivy, and the trees in the park were beautiful, though not equal to those we had abeady seen at Knowle and Redleaf. We now returned to Buckhurst, and found the roads, in all di- rections, filled with lively groups of holiday people. We were met by a whole procession of young and active-looking people, carrying flags, and decked out with green ribbons and oak-boughs. It was a species of spring festival, celebrated at this period of the year, and observed, also, as a memorial of the preservation of Charles II. in the oak. It was about this season of the year (1650) that Charles, having been acknowledged in Ireland and Scotland, had again forced his way into England, in order to renew the struggle for his kingdom, which appeared to be lost to him after the execu- tion of his father, Charles I. He was defeated at the battle of Worcester; Cromwell's soldiers were in hot pursuit of the fugi- tive, when he saved himself by taking refuge in an oak, whose young foliage concealed him whilst two of his pursuers con- versed together at the foot of the tree, concerning the reward which would fall to the lot of him who should be fortunate enough to cap- 46 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. ture his person. Down till the present day, the custom of wearing oak leaves is preserved as a memorial of the king's deliverance. At Lord Delawarr's too, in the evening, every body was adorned with oak, and leaves with gall-nuts are by preference sought out for the occasion. Thus it is that historical recollections are everywhere preserved among the people. The weather continued, throughout the day, such as it had been early in the morning, without sun, damp, gray, foggy, but still mild, and seldom raining hard,- — always the characteristics of the climate. In the evening a splendid entertainment awaited us, to which, also, Lords Amherst and De Lisle were invited. I sat next to the former, and enjoyed the pleasure of a long conversation with this experienced nobleman. Fifty years ago he had been in Dresden as a young man. En passant^ fortunately for me, on the previous evening the travelhng carriages had all arrived in safety and good order from Dover with our luggage, for the English, on such occasions, are pleased to see their guests dressed in rich and elegant costume. IX. Portsmouth, May 30th — Evening. Another remarkable, peculiar day. We set out from the hospi- table Buckhurst early in the morning; the travelling carriages were sent forward, and after an eight o'clock breakfast we followed with the family, as if for a walk, and traversed a portion of the park, in which a species of pretty wood hyacinth abounded. Thus we strolled to the parsonage of the parish, which lies at somewhat more than a quarter of an hour's distance from the mansion, to pay a visit to Mr. West, the second son of Lord Delawarr, who is the rector. This sort of relation too, was something to me new and peculiar. I was previously acquainted with Mr. West, whom I had formerly met as a young man in Dresden, where he devoted much time and attention to the study of German literature. Here, too, I had the pleasure of finding him in his study, surrounded not only with the ancient classics, but with the best literary works of his own and other modern countries, particularly German. How charming is the situation of his parsonage, a small but neat building in the Anglo-Gothic style, surrounded with clumps of magnificent rhododendrons, beautiful meadows, and splendid yews — the old clas- sical tree of England — from which the stalwart yeomen cut their bows. We next visited the neighbouring church, of ancient foundation, although recently rebuilt in the broad, firm, but neat style of Anglo-Gothic ecclesiastical edifices. It contains the simple monu- BRIGHTON — THE PAVILION. 47 ments of several members of the houses of Dorset and Dclawarr* these consisted chiefly of marble tablets in relief, placed in the walls, one by Flaxman and another by Chan trey, the former of which, in particular, is admirably conceived and most carefully executed. This whole country, besides, possesses a particular interest. It was formerly covered with an extensive forest, men- tioned by Julius Caesar. Buckhurst itself was built before the time ^ of Elizabeth, by whom it was bestowed upon Leicester, so that it came into the possession of the Dorset family, at the same time and in the same manner as Kjiowle, and by Lady Delawarr to its present owner. We now pursued the road to Brighton, which ascends through the park, then winds over a wide heath, afterwards enters a woody district abounding in chalk pits and quarries, and as we approached the sea, the chalk hills again appeared, stretching along the coast. In the clear sky and bright sun, these low chalk hills in the back ground afforded a peculiar picture, with large fields in the fore- ground, traversed by rows of black oxen drawing the plough! Then again, barren slopes, on which the scattered sheep were spread about in the most various directions, as they gathered their pasture. The whole presents a singular physiognomy. The new town of Brighton — little more than one hundred years old — and which at one time increased with such wonderful rapidity, gave me the first impression of a considerable English town. This effect was produced by the great number of small but elegant houses, with their pretty arrangements and ornamental bow- windows on the ground floor, the well-kept squares with iron railings and shrubberies, the numbers of people moving about, and the rich shops. Even on the way to Brighton, I must observe, that there was much in England which recalled Italy to my mind. This recollec- tion was suggested: first, by the nobler form of the buildings; secondly, a luxuriant vegetation, even fig-trees, ever-green oaks, then the yew, which seems to occupy the place of the cypress, the holly and masses of ivy; thirdly, the mild air; fourthly, the sea; fifthly, the manner in which the people in the smaller places followed their occupations out of doors; sixthly, the numerous large two- wheeled cars upon the roads ; and seventhly, the whole build of the people, very different, it is true, from the Italian, but still with a more intel- lectual appearance. On entering Brighton we drove straight to the Pavilion, a large paradoxical Indo-Chinese fancy building of George IV., which cost millions. It is the most wonderful building that it is possible to conceive, partaking of the characters of a pagoda, a kiosk, and an odd Chinese stone cupolated edifice; and although the whole, properly speaking, can deserve no other character than that of a mere whim, still it is a magnificent fancy, and consequently carried 48 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. out. On the outside, it is surrounded by beautiful green lawns, plantations, and sKrubberies, and within, divided into a number of apartments and state rooms, (wliicb are completely Chinese, but decorated with the richest ornaments and looking-glasses of Immense size; in the principal richly-gilded drawing-room, a chandelier is suspended from a palm tree, wonderfully spread out on the celHng, the walls hung with large Chinese pictures on a gold ground, and around the room porcelain vases and towers, girandoles, and such articles in the greatest possible variety. For a splendid court ball in Eastern costume, it would be impossible to conceive any thing more admirably suited, or so tasteful, but at the same time, the plae is so extraordinary, that a company of persons dressed in modern costume, can only serve to give prominence to its absurdi- ties, and to render the whole ridiculous and intolerable. / The palace is at present empty and forsaken, visited perhapsi'by the royal family once or twice in the year. Opposite the pal^e are the stables, with a large rotunda in the middle of them, /covered over with a glass roof, whose sides are decorated with riumerous wooden ornaments in the Gothic style, and running water in the centre, merely Intended for watering the horses ; eveja' the kitchen is splendid, and adorned with lofty metal palm trees/ After having inspected the palace, we proceeded towards the sea, which stretches away with its deep clear blue to the most distant horizon. On our way, we saw the somewhat exaggerated bronze statue of George IV., by Chantrey. When Prince of Wales he lived very much at Brighton, in the ninth decennlum of the past century, and to him Brighton chiefly owes its rise and importance. Our attention was first directed to the magnificent pier, which stretches out into the sea, composing a series of chain bridges extending from one support to another, and at its ex- tremity a number of steps, by which one may go on board ships lying alongside. This pier was completed in 1822, and cost above £30,000. We proceeded along this magnificent structure to its termination, contemplated the ships and small pleasure-boats rock- ing about as if the sport of the blue sea which rolled beneath ; sur- veyed with astonishment the immense sea wall, completed in 1838, and which stretches two miles along the coast. Ornamental bathing-machines in numbers were standing on the beach below ; and the attendant nymphs invited us with loud voices, to enjoy the pleasure of a sea bath; time, however, pressed us to Eursue our course, and after a hasty lunch in one of the most elegant otels, the postilions drove our large travelHng carriages at a rapid pace out of the town. We drove along the beach, and on our way passed numbers of Brighton visiters, walking, driving, and riding, who, full of curiosity, followed our carriages with their eyes. Our road lay along the sea, which pushed its numerous arms far into the land among marshy plains, overgrown with reeds, so that only ARUNDEL CASTLE. 49 flat lines of coast in the distance approached the sea. At last we ar- rived at the old Castle of Arundel, which was in existence in the reign of Alfred. The small town is insignificant ; but the large and ancient castle, seated upon a rocky eminence, and surrounded by green fohage, pre- sented a magnificent spectacle as we drove up and passed into the spacious court-yard. Here we immediately perceived that the castle was again divided into two parts, the lower castle, of great extent, and built in the modern Anglo-Gothic style, and the old keep perched upon the summit of the rock, now fallen into ruins, covered with a luxurious growth of ivy, and surrounded by trees. We di- rected our attention, first, to the lower building. The castle belongs to the Duke of Norfolk, who was absent. The whole interior ar- rangements are princely. The apartments and state-rooms afford splendid views through their lofty windows, and are partly adorned with interesting pictures, especially portraits. There are here some fine paintings of Van Dyck and Holbein, and among those of the latter, the portrait of that charming Princess of Milan, wooed by Henry VHI. after the execution of Anna Boleyn, who caused the quick answer to be returned to his solicitations — that if she had two heads, she would accept his proffered hand ! The spacious library, fitted up with cedar- wood, is a magnificent room, and is said to con- tain many treasures. Not less splendid is the large hall, with its singular and beautiful wooden roof, with which probably the walls formerly harmonised, from the latter, however, the wood- work has been long removed, on account of some repairs or reconstruction. The large modern stained glass windows in this magnificent hall are, unhappily, in the worst flat English historical style. To me, however, the ancient castle, with its venerable ruins covered with vegetation, was by far the most attractive object. Narrow wind- ing staircases and towers sprang up from the midst of the ivy; small and low-roofed chambers, here and there visible, were pointed out as being formerly the apartments of queens. The view was most ex- tensive and charming, stretching far and wide over forest, and hill, and sea; and from the summit of one of the ivy-mantled towers, there is to be seen half the wall of the fallen corner rooms, with its Gothic windows, as if so disposed to form the materials of a picture. There is also something mysterious connected with the ruined castle, ac- cording to the old traditions; owls must always be preserved in tlie edifice; and there, indeed, at the bottom of the ancient tower, sat several horned and screech owls, which, disturbed by the intru- sion, bristled up their feathers, and caused their eyes to sparkle. A net stretched across the tower served to keep them in their do- micile, where they are constantly fed, and, when necessary, re- newed. With how much pleasure could I have remained in these ruins, to carry away some sketches of their beauty. I warmly re- commend these rich romantic materials to every lover of the pencil. £ 50 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. On leaving Arundel, we proceeded to the old city of Cliicliester. This is the seat of a bishop, and distinguished by a beautiful cathe- dral, and a splendid ancient octagonal Gothic cross with a clock. These crosses are a sort of tabernacle adorned with small turrets and arches; they served as central places of assembling, and are to be met with in the market-places of many English towns. This is said to be one of the most beautiful, and has a very pleasing and pictur- esque effect as a foreground to the cathedral. The cathedral itself is very old — built in the thirteenth century, but often destroyed (par- ticularly in 1642, by Cromwell's soldiers), and as often rebuilt or repaired. It is still surrounded by a kind of campo santo, cloisters with open Gothic arches, seen through which the cathedral has a magnificent appearance. The style of the church is genuine Nor- man-Gothic, and still presents remains of the ancient castellated and fortress style. The tower rests upon the centre of the cross of the church, and from which rises a solid stone spire. Only a part of the interior is at present fitted up as a church. It contains a great many old pictures, of kings of England, and bishops, and also a great number of ancient, curiously carved and ornamented stalls. Here, for the first time, on retiring from the church, there was a violent crowding of the people, curious to see the Eang of Saxony, and to welcome him with a loud hurrah ! The sun was now sinking, and we hastened on our journey in order to reach Portsmouth. The road thither again approaches the sea, and partly passes through a low marshy district. Still, how- ever, we contrived to pass the outworks of this strong fortress and great naval harbour before sunset. The whole town was in com- motion, and crowds were collected around the admiralty buildings, whither his majesty was invited to proceed. A military guard was, however, on duty, and prevented the throng from pressing forward into the large court of the admiralty house. I soon found myself alone in the apartment to which I was shown, and enjoyed from my window the view of this magnificent harbour, in which all the ships were covered with flags, and Admiral Nelson's ship, the Victory^ was especially adorned with long rows of flags on all her masts. Before me stretched out the vast dock-yards, magazines, and workshops, and in the distance the Isle of Wight, which shelters Spithead from the south winds, so celebrated as a safe anchorage for ships of war. Nothing but the necessity of a quick preparation for dinner could have forced me from the window. At dinner, the -whole of the distinguished ofiicers of the Admiralty, in full uniform, were assembled ; Sir Charles Rowley, the governor, admirals Parker, Pakenham, and others. And in order that the female beauty of England might be duly represented, they were accom- panied by their ladies. Opposite to me was Lady Pakenham, with a head and bust so beautiful and grandiose^ that they might have PORTSMOUTH — ITS DOCK-YARDS AND ARSENALS. 51 served as a model for Paul Veronese's famous picture of tlie " Mar- riage at Cana, in Galilee," and which it was impossible to cease contemplating and admiring. Cowes, Isle of Wight, May 31st — Evening. Yesterday evening and this morning the arrangements of the arsenal in Portsmouth occupied my attention. The character of the naval service exercises an influence on the every-day wants and necessities. Every thing — the rooms, the fire-places, the beds, large, massive, and sometimes rich. Several young midshipmen lived in the house, and were commissioned among other things to provide for us and our wants. One of them addressed me in Italian, for, next to the English, the Italian is, perhaps, the language most used in the Mediterranean and the East, and particularly in matters of navigation and trade ; a last remnant, as it were, of the old power and greatness of Italy at sea. The forenoon was particularly to be devoted to obtaining a clear and comprehensive idea of the dock-yards and arsenals, and Ad- miral Parker, notwithstanding his age and his lameness, would not allow himself to be deprived of the pleasure of conducting his majesty in person. First, the docks. At the moment of our arrival one of the large basins, which had been pumped dry, was just being refilled with water in order to float out a large man-of-war which had been under repair there. In a very short time the ColUngioood was raised from the ground, and when we returned she was outside the basins, and floating gracefully in the harbour. Her destination is the Pacific. We next proceeded to the long building where all the ropes used in ships, from the smallest up to the immense cables, of the thickness of one's ankle, are made. Behind this building were laid long rows of anchors, several of which were higher than a man. Their size may be more easily imagined by considering that they are often five or six tons in weight, each ton weighing 2240 lbs. We also visited the smithies, where the immense hammers are put in motion by steam, which also, amidst howlings and noises of all kinds, moves the bellows of the various furnaces. One of the most remarkable, however, among the buildings, is that in which the machinery by Brunei is placed, which, acting by steam, entirely forms all the blocks for the rigging used in the English navy. The machinery itself is wonderfully clever, and has already been forty years in operation, during which time it has not been found neces- sary to make a single addition or improvement. We were shown how a block, with its pulley, polished and fastened within and tipped with brass, was completely formed out of a roiigh piece of E 2 52 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. oak. Fourteen hundred can be made every day. Not less impor- tant are tlie buildings wliere the copper sheathing of the vessels is prepared. We observed how the metal is melted, how it is then flattened out by means of rollers, and how the last roller impresses on it in every part the mark of all the property of the royal navy — the broad arrow: so that one can see upon every little bit of copper that it has been manufactured in a royal arsenal; and, lastly, how tlie copper nails with which the sheathing is fastened to the ship's keel, are manufactured by thousands. Not till we had visited all the several workshops from which the colossuses of the English navy take their origin, did we proceed to view these latter, several of which were then in the docks, partly in process of building, partly under repair, and partly as a reserve. We began with the frame of a ship which was just being built, which was very interest- ing to me. It was a remarkable sight; when we stood before it, it lay there like a large building of four stories, upon which the car- penters were still employed ; if we looked at it from within it was like standing before one of the antediluvian forests, such masses of oak trunks rested upon the keel and raised up their mighty arms as ribs. The cost of such a construction is necessarily enormous. About 1000/. per gun are considered as the expense for a ship of war, without being properly fitted out : thus a ship of eighty guns would cost 80,000/., and so on. We then looked over some ships in a finished state. And first, the steamer, Victoria and Albert, in which the queen sailed to Scotland. The arrangements, as may be imagined, arc excellent; drawing-rooms, bed- rooms, boudoirs, bath- rooms ; in fact, every comfort of a large house in England. Beside it lay a large war steamer, the Firebrand, armed with six Paixhans guns which turned upon pivots, and some smaller ones. It was built so as to hold 500 men on deck and 500 between decks. Lastly, we visited the Neptune, which was lying there unrigged, a three- decker of 120 guns, capable of containing 1000 men. The height of this floating fortress may be conceived, when I say that irom the upper gallery beside the captain's cabin to the level of the water, the depth was about forty feet. After having now viewed every thing worthy of observation here, we were to make an excursion in the basin of the harbour; and the admiral, notwitlistanding his age and his lameness, conducted us to a boat which was ready for us, excellently manned, and ornamented with a handsome awning. The rowers saluted with their oars raised perpendicularly in the air; we embarked, and in a moment the green oars sank into the water, and we darted at lightning's speed over the clear waves. From the distance, a military band saluted us from the Victory, festively adorned for the occasion; several other boats filled with spectators passed us, and the boys belonging to the flourishing naval school rowed by, saluting with their oars as they passed; and thus we soon reached the immense magazines for victualling the fleet, situated on the opposite side of THE VICTUALLING DEPARTMENT — THE VICTORY. 53 the port. Here, too, every thing was on an enormous scale. We first paid a visit to that part where the ships' biscuit is baked, and stored up. A steam-mill grinds the corn, another kneads the dough for these flat cakes, which when divided and placed upon plates of iron, are again conveyed to the oven by machinery, until the biscuit can be packed in sacks, containing each 120lbs., with which the immense store-rooms are filled. A pound of biscuit is allowed to each man per day. We tasted it, and although it is certainly a pure and nourishing food, we found it so dreadfully hard, that it appeared to us as if the crowning point of English industry were still wanting, namely, a machine to masticate and digest it. Not less enormous were the provisions of salted meat in other parts of the building; and, lastly, we were shown the long build- ings, filled with large iron chests, which have now been for many years in use to preserve fresh water; and this is, indeed, one of the most important improvements of late years in the English navy. The water was formerly kept in casks, and readily became putrid. At present, in these fastened chests of iron, which measure about two cubic yards, the water keeps excellently, and they form at the same time, as they are stowed in the lowest part of the ship, the best of all kinds of ballast. We were now rowed back again, and this time towards the Victory, which to-day, in the bright sunshine, looked particularly beautiful with her numerous flags. I had expected something quite different from the holiday ornaments of an admi- ral's ship. A line is passed over all three masts, and upon this are suspended the national flags, and all those pretty signal flags, by means of which vessels correspond with each other. As we intended inspecting the vessel, we came alongside, the ladder hung down from an entering port; the rowers of our boat formed a living railing with their arms, and we thus conveniently ascended the 'tioeen decks. There his majesty was received by the officers, whilst the sailors, standing upon the yards of the vessel, gave three hearty cheers. It has a solemn effect, when one thus ascends to the quarter-deck through the dark passages of the 'tween-decks, finds there the crew under arms, and hears the national anthem played by a full military band. The sun shone gloriously, the sea, with its beautiful emerald-green tinge, glanced and sparkled, all the ships round about were ornamented with flags, and all at once a salute of twenty-one guns, in quick succession, rang out from the port holes of the lower deck, so that the grayish smoke floated up through the rigging and mingled with the blue air. It produced a solemn and grand effect. We now visited the lower deck, inspected the hammocks and the food, tasted the grog, looked over the kitchens and hospital, examined the officers' rooms, and were shown the remarkable spot where Nelson received his death- wound, and that where he died. It is a little space on the 'tween-decks, close to one of the guns which project from the port-holes. His kconic address before the battle of Trafalgar, '' England expects 54 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. every man to do his duty" is written in golden letters on the cornice, as one ascends to the quarter-deck : and no one can deny- that he himself was always the first to fulfil his duty ; and that his example still exercises a favourable influence upon the efforts of the nation, to preserve and to increase the national glory. We now left the ship, and descended into our boat. The sailors again manned the yards, and again as we left the side, twenty-one shots were fired from the port-holes; the effect of these shots heard from the water was different, and still grand. We landed at the Admiralty, where a luncheon awaited us; and at half-past one we went on board the beautifully fitted- up yacht Fanny ^ a capital sailer, to cross over to the Isle of Wight. The afternoon also was splendid ; a gentle breeze wafted us across the blue waters along the bastions of Portsmouth, which again saluted us with cannon ; and as if in order that we might miss no sight worthy of our notice, we met here a large three-decker, the *S'^. Vincent, which had just set all sail in order to get into the Channel, where she was to wait further orders. It is rare to see such an immense ship with all her sails set, hke an enormous swan upon the sea. The Fanny sailed round her, therefore, a few times, to allow us to enjoy the sight, which ^as rendered still more beautiful by the customary salute. In short, the whole passage was delightful, and we landed in the island, at the pier of Ryde, shortly after three o'clock; an immense concourse of people awaited our arrival; but our carriages, which were waiting for us, quickly carried us out of their sight. The coasts of the island present a cheerful aspect, and each little village extends itself, with its pretty country-houses sur- rounded by green parks, down to the sea; trees overgrown with ivy round about, hilly country beyond. We crossed a part of the island by land, until we again came in sight of the blue sea and the chalk cliffs; it was at Shanklin. We there descended to the sea- shore. The cliffs consist, as in Rugen, of red sandstone inter- spersed with white chalk; and beyond these the beach, just at that time left dry by the tide, extended itself to a considerable distance, offering great facilities for sea-bathing. This point seemed to us one which would be very pleasant to reside at for some days, and even weeks; to the mere passer-by, however, it offers nothing particu- larly grand or striking. (This appears, in fact, rather the character of the whole island, which seems to me, as it were, a large delta belonging to the river at Southampton.) It is used for this pur- pose also by many English, and even by the royal family. It is a sort of Biien Retiro^ quite suited for the man of business or of state, who wishes to breathe the pure air. We ascended from the beach into a sort of ravine, hollowed out in the sand-rocks, called Shanklin Chine, in which some pretty paths are laid out through the under- wood ; and a brooklet forms several miniature waterfalls. But the several views of the sea give importance even to these trifles; just THE ISLE OF WIGHT — COWES. ^ as an unimportant person, when drawn into the circle of great events, becomes historically important. We then drove further along valleys and over hills, and always came upon new views of little bays and glittering sands. The afternoon was splendid, the sky so blue, and the sun so warm, that all this, together with the bushes of laurocerasus, the ilex which we saw at times, and the ivy which covered sometimes, not only the wall, but even the roof, transported me several times in imagination to Italy. At last we reached St. Boniface, situated on the higher part of the southern coast — the so-called Undercliff — the houses of which, being white, with very flat roofs, and built along chalky heights, decidedly recall Italy to the mind. From this point we enjoyed a splendid view, both towards the land and over the sea. Thence right across the island, through curious hollow ways and over downs, through Newport (the chief town of this little island) to Cowes, where we reached our quarters, in a club-house situated on the sea, just as the moon, which to-day suffered a partial eclipse, was rising clearly above the horizon. The club to which this house be- longs is composed of rich naval amateurs, each of whom must possess at least one commodiously fitted up yacht. From time to time they hold meetings here, with an admiral chosen by themselves at their head; the oil portrait of the present admiral, Lord Yarbo- rough, ornamented the room in which we supped. XI. LONDON. June 1st — Evening. Yesterday evening, at nine o'clock, a cheerful little souper- dinatoire in the quiet and peaceful Isle of Wight; this evening, at eight, a full-dress dinner-party in the splendid apartments of the Queen of England ! Thus do the waves of life cast us hither and thither; and there could be no more agreeable employment than that of looking at the play of the waves of the sea, were it not for the deep meaning which lies hidden in this oscillating motion ! This morning, again, was splendid ! At half-past five I was on the sea-beach, before the pretty little club-house at Cowes, admiring the several sorts of sea-weed, the blocks of freestone full of petrified conchyha, the splendid sparkling of the sea, enjoying the air balmy with the breath of morning, and considering attentively the varioug vessels at anchor in the bay. At six o'clock we rowed off to our Fanny ^ which was followed by a large steamer, destined to take her in tow in case of the wind shifting against us. At first it was en- tirely favourable, and all the sails were set, in order, before re- turning to Southampton, to visit the western point of the Isle of Wight and the Needles. The sail was beautiful, the coast ex- 56 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. tended itself in graceful curves, and the effect of the sea was mag- nificent. To the right, on the coast of England, the fort of Hurst Castle, with its broad old batteries, and its two red lighthouses, came in sight; and somewhat further, the cHiFsof the Isle of Wight rose more majestically, distinguished by various layers of bluish and reddish sand, which again made way for white chalk. Now the Needles hove in sight ; the high chalk-rocks, stretching out in a line into the sea, beautifully illuminated by the beams of the morning sun, surrounded by innumerable gulls and divers, and set off by the deep green of the sea. The sight was beautiful ; the brownish or e^reenish setting round the base of the rocks, the shining of the sharp projections of the chalk, the sparkle of the lofty chalk cliffs in the island itself, the thin clouds which floated along the horizon, and the continually changing views and groupings which were pro- duced by every heel and pitch of our Fanny. I shall never forget it ! We sailed past the rocks, so as to see them also from the west, and to have the open sea before us, and then turned back to the entrance of the Channel between England and the island. From this time the wind was against us, and we should have advanced but slowly, had not the steamer] immediately taken us in tow. The sail back again was also rich in interesting views. At twelve o'clock we went down into the cabin of this very elegant vessel to lunch ; this was properly my first meal on board an English ship, and, therefore, important to me. 1 found every thing so poet- ical under this glazed cover in the middle of the cabin, in the pretty little saloon illumined by the sun from above, and tossing about upon the waves. From this sort of existence, with all the comforts which social life can bestow, and yet entirely free from every other connexion with society, this swimming upon the connecting bond of union of the earth, and by this very means the power of enjoying the beau- ties of its most beautiful coasts — I can well understand how love of the sea may become a passion, and can conceive the origin, therefore, of a yacht-club. We had several sorts of excellent cold meat. Sherry, and some large potatoes, properly dressed only for the sailors; every thing was so different from our ideas, and was eaten with such an appetite. We also conversed on many sub- jects with the officers. One in particular attracted my attention by something delicate and amiable in his manners; I learned that he was from Geneva, was called Prevost, and was a relation of my ac- quaintance, the naturalist, Prevost. He related to us, among other things, some anecdotes of the yacht-club, in whose club-house we had slept the night before. These were well adapted to give us some idea of English riches. He told us, for example, that one of the mem- bers, a Mr. Akers, had had the handsomest yacht in the club built (we saw her afterwards, the Brilliant), for about 30,000/., and only went on board the vessel perhaps once or twice a year, because the sea did not agree with him ; disjoining the club was thus merely a whim, which, however, assisted him to spend an income of some 42,000/. SOUTHAMPTON. 57 a year. Another, the above-mentioned Lord Yarboroiigh, on the con- trary, is so exceedingly fond of the sea, that he offered to build and fit out a frigate at his own expense, provided he might be permitted to command her. Plis offer was, however, refused, as all officers in the navy must rise regularly, and after submitting their qualifica- tions to the test of an examination. Other members of the club, again, employ their yachts in considerable voyages — sail to Lisbon, Malta, Sicily, or Egypt. One had even been to China. We also heard much of the sailor's life of the young man himself. He had been, for example, several times engaged in chasing slavers ; and one case that he related to us was dreadful enough. They had captured a vessel under the suspicion of being a slaver. At first they were unable to find any slaves on board; but, at last, a sailor wishing to taste the wine, pierced a cask, and, instead of the wine which he expected, blood flowed from the aperture. This was the blood of a negro ! and it was found afterwards, that all the negroes on board had suffered themselves to be packed up in casks, under the belief that the English were approaching with the intention of murdering them. Our voyage passed quickly in conversation and anecdotes, and at half-past two we entered the bay — Southampton river — and shortly afterwards came in sight of the forest of masts, and the town of Southampton. In sailing up the river we perceived on the right the beautiful ruins of Netley Abbey, half hidden by large beech and lime trees. The shortness of the time did not permit us to land, but the telescope brought the ruins near to our eye, and the high roof of the church, with its empty Gothic windows, peeped out from among the trees in the most picturesque manner. There, no doubt, might studies of great importance have been made. At half-past three w^e landed on the pier of Southampton, where his majesty was received by the authorities, and a large concourse of people, with the customary " three cheers." I must, however, say, that I consider the sound " hurrah," as it is pronounced in Eng- land, very much the reverse of musical; the German, " hoch," sounds to me much better. Carriages which were waiting for us, conveyed us quickly to the railway station, where a special train was in readiness to convey us still more quickly to the metropolis. The distance is about eighty miles, which was performed with almost frightful speed in two hours. Wooded hills and fields, meadows and heaths, the country about Winchester, passed rapidly across the windows of our carriage, and only the houses, which became closer together and less interspersed with gardens, and a mass of chimneys and roofs, stretching away till they were lost in the distance, and clouds of whitish smoke resting on the city, showed that we were now arrived at the southern extremity of London. Prince Albert received the king at the railroad, and the party being immediately conducted to the carriages in waiting, we drove rapidly through a number of small streets, past rows of houses in the 58 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. course of erection, over Vauxhall-bridge to Buckingliam-palace, wliere his majesty was to reside; a large roomy apartment, well-fur- nished with books, on the ground-floor, looking towards the garden, was assigned to me. At eight o'clock the visiters and household in full uniform (though in mourning for the Duke of Coburg) assem- bled in the magnificent drawing-room of the palace. This splendid apartment is lighted from above, the light being admitted through very thick glass, in which coats of arms and stars are either cut or cast, like those ground arabesques which we are accustomed to see on large and splendid drinking goblets. The effect is very rich, as is that of all the other ornaments ; and this light is very well adapted for exhibiting the numerous and admirable paintings which surround the apartment. The usual presentations took place. His majesty the king led Queen Victoria to table, where for the first time I had an opportunity of witnessing all the luxury and splendour of the English court displayed. Covers were laid for fifty persons in a noble apartment adorned with large portraits; at the further end of the room the magnificent sideboard was loaded with a prodigious quantity of gold plate, consisting of golden cups, salvers, and other ornamental vessels, richly engraven; above the sideboard there was a covered gallery for the queen^s band, which was wholly concealed from view. The band first played " God save the Queen," and then several overtures. I cannot, however, enter further into a de- scription of the splendid company assembled, of the rich uniforms of the high court officers in waiting, of the Scottish Highland costume, which was not wanting, and of the luxury and magnificence of the repast. According to old English usage, the queen with all the ladies rose and retired soon after the dessert was served. The gen- tlemen followed in about a quarter of an hour, and proceeded into the newly -ornamented drawing-rooms, where tea was served, and several pieces of music were played by the band. The first was Mendelssohn's beautiful march from the " Midsummer Night's Dream." We hear that the Emperor of Russia is expected to arrive here to-morrow. XII. London, June 2nd — Evening. Theke is a peculiar feeling of loneliness and desertion which arises in the mind of a stranger, who is all at once thrown into the midst of such an ocean of men and houses as London is. Such a feeling had forced itself upon me this morning. On this day diplo- matic relations demanded presentations, visits, announcements — in all which I had no concern, and I felt myself in this great palace in some measure an isolated being, surrounded by the most remark- able things in this great city, but in want of any medium of reach- 5^ ing my proper sphere at the right time and in the proper way. When lo ! — as if sent by a good destiny — what I stood in need of soon presented itself Dr. Freund, a young German physician, who some years ago had acted as medical companion to Prince Puckler, had been furnished by me in Dresden with letters of introduction, which were intended for America, whither he proposed to go ; but in reality they proved so useful to him in London, that he preferred remaining in England. Feelings of gratitude led him to find me out, and to offer me his services. I took him immediately at his word, and begged him to conduct me to Professor Owen, to whom, as one of the most distinguished comparative anatomists and phy- siologists, I had already announced myself for this day, in a letter from Brussels. For the first time I went forth to-day alone, and for myself, into this remarkable London. On our way to the College of Surgeons, where Professor Owen resides, and which Hes at a considerable dis- tance from the palace, we walked and drove through a number of considerable streets and squares of this capital of the world. It was Sunday, which, as is well known, is observed in England with almost puritanical strictness; the streets are, therefore, comparatively speaking, little frequented on Sundays, and I had a clearer view of the city. The impression produced may be best expressed by the three words — ^greatness, extent, order. The part of London through which I drove yesterday had a mesquin appearance ; to-day I have for the first time really had the feeling — " I am in London." On leaving Buckingham Palace one enters St. James's park, which lies in front of the royal residence. This is really a park, Avith extensive pieces of water and clumps of large trees, above which rise the towers of the ancient Abbey of Westminster, and with enclo- sures of grass here and there, on which sheep are pasturing. To the left is the Mall, along which palace after palace seem to present themselves in succession, separated from the public walk by small gardens ; these, however, are for the most part private houses merely outwardly built on a uniform plan, and in a line. I passed St. James's Palace, which has all the appearance of antiquity, with its two prominent flat Gothic towers, saw the celebrated Haymarket and Queen's Theatres, drove through Trafalgar-square, with its mo- numental recollections, where, together with other statues, that of Nelson has just been placed on the top of a lofty column, and some fountains are in course of erection. We then passed through se- veral of the large, elegant, and well-planted squares, which with good reason are called " the lungs of London." There is on all hands evidence of the taste for erecting m.onuments and statues, and there is no want of men who are worthy of the honour, but a great want of sculptors who are capable of producing any thing great and satisfactory. Occasionally, too, monuments are no doubt erected to persons whose deserts are small enough; and hence the common saying with respect to that of the Duke of York, whose statue is ele- 60 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. vated upon a very lofty column, *' that he was no doubt placed so high in order to be completely out of the reach of his creditors." The College of Surgeons, too, stands in Lincoln's-inn-fields, a large open, well-planted square. It is a large building, blackened with coal-smoke, with a beautiful doric portico. This college con- tains the valuable Hunterian Museum, of which Professor Owen is the director and expositor, as well as augmenter. Owen pleases me thoroughly — a sensible, able man — deeply versed in what is old, and ready for the reception of what is new, who has with great propriety been recently characterised as the Cuvier of Eng- land. He is at present busily engaged in microscopical obser- vations, which only a few years ago were unknown in England, in the departments of anatomy and physiology, and from which such great results have been obtained in Germany ; and as he has directed his particular attention to the organic remains of the primitive world, he has also obtained very important results in this depart- ment, from the application and use of the microscope. He received me with visible pleasure, and we immediately pro- ceeded to inspect a collection which is in many respects extremely rich, and whose chief treasures are arranged in a large room, lighted from above, with two galleries, one above the other, which ex- tend round the whole apartment. On the very entrance the atten- tion is immediately arrested by the rarest fossil animals; on the right, the great armadillo from Buenos Ayres (clyptodon clavipes), with its massive bony scales, almost like an immense egg^ of the size of the largest drum. Opposite to it, on the left, is a gigantic creature of the sloth tribe {mylodon robushcs), with its bird -like pelvis, and rudely powerful structure of bones, set up as if about to ascend the stem of a tree. At the end of the room, the skeleton of a magnificent elephant rises far above every thing around. In all directions are presented to the eye of the connoisseur things of the rarest description, in particular the remains of that immense New Zealand bird of the primitive world (the dinornis)^ which was more than one-half as large again as the ostrich ; and of all existing birds, seems to have been most nearly related to the singular apteryx found in New South Wales. Bones of several species have been found, but unfortunately no perfect skull has as yet been met with. Here, too, for the first time, I had an opportunity of seeing the remarkable remains and impressions of the singular pri- mitive Sepia, found in Wiltshire in making cuttings for a railroad, the termination of whose bodies appears in the shape of a sharp pro- jection of chalk, long known as occurring by millions in the chalk for- mations of Germany, which, without their real character being known, have been called Belemnites. When I formerly made a collection of them in the chalk cUfFsof Riigen, and on thehillsinWurtemberg, their peculiar formation led me to a variety of speculations, but now the riddle was all at once fully solved. There is on the whole no coun- try which offers so many inducements and opportunities for the THE COLLEGE OF SURGEONS. 61 study of fossil remains as England, where, in addition to the vast colossal Amphibia first perfectly known in this country, the great Mammalia of the primitive world lie in masses in its soil. Pro- fessor Owen told me that it may be truly affirmed that in England the remains or single portions of at least 1000 Ichthyosauri, and 2000 mammoths, have been already discovered. On the east coast the remains of mammoths often lie far out under the sea, and fisher- men not unfrequently suffer injury in their nets from catching on the tusks of these primitive elephants. I was, however, still more interested in the powerful skulls of the toxodon platensis, discovered by Darwin in Parana, because in it, as well as in that of the wonderful dinotherium, which was dug up in Darmstadt, that particular form of head appears, which indicates the lowest of all the formations of the skull hitherto known. The base of the skull, which in men is elevated and curves upward, and even in the lower animals (such as fish — Amphibia), runs completely horizontal, in these primitive Mammalia is absolutely convex and bent downwards. Here may be also seen a remarkable object of curiosity in the section of the really immense grinder of a megathe- rium. It is not, however, merely fossil remains in which the museum is so rich; it contains in several thousand preparations, the different forms and relative structures of the human and animal organisation, admirably preserved and systematically arranged, together with numerous pathological and other remarkable objects, into the expla- nation of which I cannot in this place further enter.* I shall merely mention two extremes of the size of the human body, one, the skele- ton of an Irishman, of the stupendous length of eight feet two inches, and the second that of the smallest Englishman (six years old), ojp only twenty inches in length. Generally speaking, the relation of intellectual greatness between these two races is usually the re- verse. During the inspection of these objects, and our conversation respecting them, Cuvier was necessarily often present to our minds, and a remarkable circumstance which occurred, brought him and his works in the most lively manner before us. A lady, accom- panied by two gentlemen, was announced to Professor Owen; she exhibited a much greater interest in, and knowledge of, fossil re- mains and anatomical preparations, than is usually displayed even by women of cultivated minds. When they had taken leave, the * I may, however, just direct the attention of professional men to an admi- rable preparation of the nervous system of the Limuhis gigas, preserved under glass in spirits of wine ; to a preparation of the remarkable bundles of arteries in the thigh of the ornithorhyncus, by which its relation to the sloth tribe is pointed out ; to the chlamydosauriisof Australia, and to the preparations show- ing the manner in which the race of the ornithorhynchus was perpetuated. Eggs are found in the oviducts in November; in December the young come forth ; coitus in October. 62 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. riddle was solved ; she proved to be Cuvier's favourite daughter-in- law, accompanied by lier husband, Admiral Ducray. Professor Owen proposed to accompany me to the Zoological Gardens in the Regent's park, an offer which I cheerfully accepted. On our Avay thither, which is a considerable distance, I had an opportunity of seeing many new localities. In the middle of the town, and in the neighbourhood of the squares on the north side of London, we came several times to gates of cast-iron railing, which were only opened on special application. This peculiarity arises from the vast extension of London, which embraces all the imme- diate neighbourhood in its giant arms. Large fields and gardens, formerly held by individuals as landed property, have been progres- sively absorbed, and are now covered with streets and squares. The ground still belongs to individual proprietors (such as the Duke of Bedford and Lord Portman), who, in such cases, have erected these gates, both to mark the limits of their estates and their rights over the property. This extension of London has led to the growth of vast estates; these lands have been generally let to builders and others, at low ground rents, for a specified term of years, at the termination of which the whole falls into the possession of the land- owner or his heirs. I was informed, that in a short time some of these districts will fall in, and become the property of families already enormously rich; and it may be easily supposed of what great value such squares and streets in London really are 1 The Zoological Gardens, like almost all the institutions and societies of modern England, were created and exist by means of private sub- scriptions. These gardens occupy a considerable space on the northern side of the Regent's park, are of great extent, and ad- mirably laid out. They resemble the Jardins des Plantes, in Paris, in having a great number of single and neatly-built habitations for individual animals or families, but have a great advantage over the Paris gardens in a more abundant supply of water and nume- rous pretty ponds for water-fowl and water Mammalia. I met with many things here which were new to me. For the first time, I saw a living specimen of the orang-utang, and the saying of old Linnasus was immediately suggested to my mind: " Homini quam similis bestia turpissima nobis !" This specimen was, indeed, small, and somewhat dull ; but notwithstanding that, its form and habits displayed something in the highest degree repugnant. The creature was dressed in a jacket, and thus the whole of his actions and movements, his gestures, climbing and petitioning for food, closely resembled the mien and conduct of a neglected, idiotic, ill- shaped, scrofulous child. His English education, too, was honour- ably exhibited by his having been taught to sit at table and to drink a small cup of tea with milk in it. Not far from the orang- utang, a sloth {bradypus tridactylus) stretched himself out on the stem of a tree, placed in his compartment for his convenience, and it must be admitted that his appearance had something much more THE regent's zoological GARDENS. 63 and was much more endurable tlian that of his neighbour. The family of giraffes, those yellow-brown swans of the desert, was charming. It consisted of two females and two young ones, one only thirteen days old. The male was very large, full eighteen feet high. Then two elephants — one, a young female, trotted about with a large saddle on her back, fitted so as to hold several persons, perfectly obedient to her guide, and furnishing immense delight to the boys who were favoured with this novel species of ride; the other was a male, thirty years old. There, too, the almost antediluvian colossus of the rhinoceros raised his heavy head, with his small, malicious eyes, over the barrier of his peculiar compartment. The wild cats, lions, tigers, and bears, had a par- ticular building appropriated to themselves, and another house was ad- mirably fitted up with a number of trees with bare boughs, as a suit- able domicile for an immense number of monkeys. This presented almost a South American picture in the bright sunshine — for the day was throughout beautiful and warm — to see a great number of these wonderful creatures chasing one another, and performing their evolutions among the branches. Not far from the monkey-house, there were kangaroos and other marsupials, whilst the animals of the deer species (among them the cervus hippelaphus)^ and those of the horse family, and the rarer descriptions of sheep and goats, were pasturing in open grass plots, separated from one another by iron or wooden fences. The arrangements for keeping the birds were also beautiful, and the collection comprised some of the rarest species. Several were new to me, as the beautiful gray vulture (yultur leuconothus), and the polyporus vulgaris^ from Brazil. Rare water-fowls breed in the little ponds appropriated to them on small artificial islands made for the purpose, and carefully protected from the assaults of water-rats, by being surrounded by a small wire fence. The cercopsis of New Holland has already bred regularly for several years in the Zoological Gardens. I had never previously seen a living specimen of the trumpeter (jpsopliia crepitans), from South America. It would be endless to enter upon a description of all the rarities contained in these gardens, and I must, therefore, pass over the splendid parrots, collected, like the monkeys, in their separate house, the great condors, and the ostriches, walking about in the open air, within their peculiar enclosure, &c. &c. I cannot, however, omit an especial mention of one of the rarest animals, which, for the first time, has been brought alive to Europe for this collection — the siren lacertina — the black siren, which has its habi- tation in the marshes of Central America, of the size and form of an eel, and only distinguished from this fish by its small salamander feet. It is kept in a small reservoir of turbid water, and was only brought upon dry ground with great difficulty, and for a short time. In addition to the living animals, the Zoological Gardens also contain a very rich gallery of stuffed beasts, in which there are 64 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. many rare and ornamental creatures to engage the attention and form subjects of remark. We passed out of the gardens into the public walks of the park tbrougli a gate which is so constructed by means of a revolving mechanism as to allow all to pass freely out, but to prevent any from entering in. There are many cases in which such doors would be very desirable elsewhere as well as in the Regent's park. Here, its object is to facihtate the collection of the shilHngs from those who go to view the collection and promenade in the gardens. On this sunny evening the Regent's park was full of walkers; it is for the most part uniform, and the broad pieces of green turf with fine, short, and well-rolled grass, form by far the most attractive of its charms. Places of public refreshment, coffee- gardens, and the like, without which a German can scarcely form an idea of a pro- menade, do not exist here, at least in the places frequented by good society. This is quite to my taste, as among us the most delight- ful places are completely destroyed by being made assembhng places for smoking cigars and drinking beer. Some of the streets adjoining the park, such as Portland-place and Regent-street are splendid. The latter terminates in what is called the Quadrant, a short street bent in the form which the name denotes, with a colonnade on each side, the top of which reaches to the first floor, and is per- fectly uniform in its structure. This excessive uniformity is very far from pleasing, and it clearly convinced me how dreadful a city w^ould be in which such uniformity of architecture prevailed through- out. The deep interest of humanity and its high significance are grounded upon the immense diversities which the individuals of which it is composed exhibit, and therefore, in all that relates to man, uniformity ought to be most carefully avoided: for this very reason war may be characterised as irrational, and calculated to bring shame upon humanity because it has produced, preserved, and even in peace made a plaything for princes out of this system of uniformity. In these magnificent streets it is a peculiarity of the recent archi- tecture that it gains a basement story, which, however, is not really subterranean, because open spaces are preserved, separated from the streets by iron railings, and over which a small bridge leads from every door to the public footway, merely in order to secure suffi- cient light and air for the kitchens and domestic offices, which are in the basement. Thus, every possible means is adopted to save room, and this crowding and pushing together of the living renders it daily more difficult to find places of sepulture for the dead. The grave-yards in, and immediately around London are nearly all filled, and a company is being formed in shares for the construction of cemeteries at some distance from the city ; it forms a part of their plan to fix the cemeteries in districts through which railroads pass, in order to afford facilities of sending out trains of dead bodies to their final resting-place. Oh, Sir Jacques ! what stufl' is here for deep, sad, melancholy reflections ! Such a train with coffins behind THE BRITISH MUSEUM. Q5 a locomotive ! What a mode of proceeding to the house of rest for all living, with more than the rapidity of a storm ! It was sunset when I returned to the palace, and I had little more than time to make a few notes, as the time had arrived to dress for dinner, at which, to-day, the Emperor of Russia, the Duke of Wel- lington, and Sir Robert Peel were to me the most remarkable persons. To-day, also, I had an opportunity of making the acquaint- ance of a man to whom the royal pair of England are peculiarly attached, in consequence of the share which he has had in the educa- tion of both — Baron Stockmar, a man of really scientific mind and education, and a well-known admirer of Gothe. XIII. Windsor Castle, June the 3rd — Evening. Each day furnishes new elements for intellectual development ! The most important for me to-day, was my first visit to the British Museum, and a view of the marbles of the Parthenon. Early in the morning I had an opportunity of forming a nearer acquaintance with a London practising physician. I paid a visit to Sir James Clark, who has published a work on the climate of Italy, and is regarded as one of the first physicians in the metropolis, — often consulted by the queen. Pliysicians of this description are, generally speaking, obliged to remain at home to receive patients till twelve or one o'clock in the day. Their patients are shown into an ante- chamber, whence they are in due order admitted to an interview, receive advice, and pay their sovereign. This practice is attended with many conveniences, and before the doctor drives out to visit his other patients at their respective homes, his receipts may have been more valuable than the receipts which, after examining his patients, he prescribes for their relief Moreover, I myself had my first medical consultation in London to-day, to which several others will succeed. I was now free, and had something more than an hour at my disposal before our departure for Windsor, from which I write. This hour I appropriated to a hasty visit to the British Museum, wdiich on this day has been fully opened to the public. Tlie exterior of the building is old and unsuitable, but so much the richer are the treasiu'es preserved within — the most extraordinary of all are the Elgin marbles. Immediately afterwards I wrote what follows in my pocket-book: " Plave my eyes then, indeed, seen this too? Never shall I forget the view which opened to me as I stood in the room of the Phigalian marbles, and the wide hall appropriated to those of the Parthenon lay open before me ! In what a different situation lay here the remains of the three goddesses of destiny be- F 66 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. fore me! Immense, and yet so beautiful; superhuman, and yet so soft I How well tlie truly perfect forms a suitable centre from wliicli, right and left, in all directions, every thing declines into the im- perfect, is here made most obvious by comparing the originals with casts in plaster of Paris; the slight difference between the cast and the original, has in such circumstances an extremely power- ful effect! This does not depend merely on the form, but is a question of substance also, in Avhich the beautiful material of the marble, even although so much weather-beaten and injured, is to be considered." The friezes of the temple of Phigalia were already well known to me from Stackelberg's casts ; but these are not to be named in the same day with the works of Phidias. They are, besides, very small, scarcely one-fourth the size of life, and frequently rude and imperfect in execu- tion, but in liveliness and naivete of conception, still genuine Greek. Still more interesting are the statues and relievos from Lycia. But what is there which after all appears any thing more than a mere attempt, in comparison with the primitive grandeur and perfection of the Parthenon ? The great works of Egypt alone maintain their ground in their own sphere^ even when compared with those of the Parthenon ! And the power which an iron and thoroughly enduring character exercises — from whatever it arises — can only be com- pletely comprehended on entering the great hall, in which the colossal sphinxes, the statues of Memnon and Osiris, the canephone and the sarcophagi stand ! I should almost say, if the whole of the phenomena of the world really present us with two sides, that of perpetual fluctuation and movement in individuals and of infinite permanence and endur- ance in the whole, two rays are reflected from these sides, both upon the whole course of human life, and upon the domain of poetry and the arts. In the perfect works of the Greeks, and especially in those of the Parthenon, the principle of motion is seized and delineated in the most admirable manner ; whilst in the Egyp- tian works of art, the power of firmness and endurance is wonder- fully realised. If I cast my eyes upon the drapery of those magni- ficent recumbent female figures, which are masterpieces of Grecian art — look away, and then again return to their contemplation — it is as if a breath of air had passed over them, and the folds of the drapery were changed, or the loose garments had been somewhat dis- placed by the heaving of the bosom or the breathing life of the body ; but look as often as one will upon the statues of Osiris or Anubis, not a fold or a feature undergoes in imagination the shadow of a change, and centuries seem to pass over them as if they were hours. This completely corresponds with the magnificent ideas put into the mouth of the sphinx by Gothe, in the second part of " Faust:" " We, of Egyptian race, have long been accustomed to reign for centuries; when we are left alone, we regulate the solar and the lunar day; we remain sitting before the pyramids like judges of THE BKITISH MUSEUM. 67 the nations of the earth ; we witness inundations, wars, and peace, in succession, without moving a muscle of our countenances." All this I must hereafter consider at greater length. So much, however, is certain, that the expectations which I had been led to entertain of the glorious treasures in the British Museum, were fully realised. Even to-day I could not omit casting a hasty glance upon the animal kingdom^ as it is called in England. On this occasion I passed by, without particular notice, the large rooms wdiich contain the shells, insects, stuffed Mammalia, and birds, and turned my particular attention to the geological compartments, in which the remains of those once living creatures are exhibited, which go still further back into the history of the earth, than the Egyptian arts, which were in their best days, in the centuries immediately suc- ceeding Moses, as can now be proved from the explanation of several hieroglyphic writings. By the purchase of Dr. Mantell's large collection^ the British Museum has made a most important addition to its former collection of fossil remains, and it is really a splendid sight to contemplate the heads, and even whole skeletons of these huge Amphibia, of what may be really called old England^ imbedded in the marl strata in which they are found, as well as completely free. These extraordinary heads of two, three, or four feet long, exhibit such a wonderful appearance, because the large eyes, which (like those of many living Amphibia) contain a circle of flat bones, are exhibited as fixed in their sockets, and even now appear intent on prey. Here are Ichthyosauri and Plesiosauri from twenty to thirty feet long, immense Iguanodons, and the remains of huge fossil salamanders and tortoises. Here also are to be seen the remains of the powerful Megatherium of many mammoths, and the immense Missurium discovered by Koch in the district of Missouri, and recently purchased by the English go- vernment for an enormous sum, which, however, in consequence of a more accurate anatomical knowledge of the structure and posi- tion of its tusks, has ceased to appear so extraordinary as it for- merly did, and is evidently nearly related to the Mastodon. In this collection, too, there exists in the skeleton found in the island of Guadeloupe, the only instance of human fossil remains. The portion preserved consists of some of the lower vertebrae of the back, the pelvis, and the lower extremities, found embedded, indeed, in a species of rock of very recent formation, consisting of coagulated fragments of coral and shells. I now drove back, and at three o'clock set out with the whole court to the palace of Windsor. The diive to the railroad furnished me with a new opportunity of forming some idea of the size and immense population of London. Curiosity to see the train of open royal carriages, accompanied by a guard of lancers, had collected such a vast mass of persons along the whole line of road from Buck- r2 68 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. ingliam Palace to tlie station of the Great Western Railroad — about half an hour's ride — that every possible position for seeing was occupied. Elegant carriages, often two or three rows deep, were drawn up on the sides of the way, and were intermixed with a great number of ladies and gentlemen, mounted on beautiful horses, who either stopped whilst the court equipages passed, or occasionally ac- companied and followed them. The houses, too, were all full of life ; ■\vindows and balconies in all directions crowded with spectators, male and female; and in addition to all this, an immense throng of persons on foot — such as is momentarily collected in London — of omnibuses, hackney-coaches, and cabs, which traverse London in all directions in thousands. The crowd at and around the railroad station was immense, but notwithstanding this, the best order was everywhere preserved, partly from a natural love of order in the people themselves, and partly by the activity and good management of a large body of police, distinguished by their simple but elegant blue uniform. The London constabulary are not provided with arms of any description, but merely carry a short staff of office in the breast pocket, which, although short, is heavy, and may, when occasion requires, be used as a weapon both of offence and defence. In the police, however, the people recognise the preservers of peace, order, and law, and cases are very rare in which any opposition is offered, or resistance made to their authority. In itself alone, the railroad station is a colossal affair, and has called into life a completely new and continually increasing district of the town in its immediate neighbourhood. The Great Western is, in- deed, one of the chief lines of that immense net of railroads with "which the whole country is covered, and in addition to special trains, others start regularly every hour or half hour, nay, sometimes, on extraordinary occasions, every ten minutes ! Tlie distance from London to Slough, eighteen miles, was accom- plished in very little more than half an hour, and at Slough other royal carriages were in waiting, in order to convey us rapidly through the small and ancient town of Eton to the palace of Windsor. As we passed by the celebrated college of Eton, founded by Henry VI., the boys were drawn up in front of this ancient Gothic edifice, most of them dressed in black, but some in scarlet coats, and wel- comed the King of Saxony and saluted the queen with a hearty hurrah ! I now drove up to and entered this magnificent pile — the oldest of the royal residences of England — in which the Saxon kings held court before the time of WiUiam the Conqueror, which was rebuilt in the reign of Edward HI., and finally completely restored and repaired in that of George IV. — but always with a stnct adherence to the original architectural design of the building. The magnificent gray towers and beautiful turrets, the lofty Gothic windows, the extensive WINDSOR. 69 courts, the strong portcullises and tlie broad terraces which surround the castle, all contribute to make a grand and right royal impression upon the mind. Apartments have been assigned me looking towards the large court-yard of the castle, and just opposite to my windows, upon a mound in the midst of the whole pile, stands the large and lofty round tower, on which the flag-stafi' of the castle is placed. This is the tower in which James I. of Scotland was kept a prisoner ; but the chambers, like all the rest of the noble edifice, are now fitted up with all the luxury and comforts of the British court. On the left, I have a view of the wing near the grand entrance, and on the right, of the extensive wing, liglitcd by lofty Gothic windows, which is assigned for the use of the Emperor of Russia. Under the influence of the mid-day sun and of a clear and cloudless sky, the whole presents a most charming picture, and being now in my own chamber, free from all the bustle and ceremony of a reception at the castle, and feeling myself forgotten by the world, I availed myself of the leisure and quiet which it afforded to impress the scene upon my memory, and to realise it for the future by taking a hasty sketch in oils of this remarkable locality. This was, to me, a peaceful and most comfortable hour. In the evening dinner was served upon the most splendid scale — even of royal magnificence. What rooms, what pomp, what bril- liancy and splendour; the fairy tales realised before my eyes, and all this in an old gray weather-beaten castle ! Covers were laid for sixty persons, and all were served upon gold. Dr. R., the physician of the Emperor of Russia, who sat next to me, told me that such an entertainment was unparalleled even in Petersburg. After dinner I was presented to the Emperor of Russia, who was pleased to converse with me cheerfully for a few minutes in French. An autocrat in every movement ! He immediately brought to my mind Egypt and its arts ! XIV. Windsor Castle, June 4th — Evening. To-day, again, I have been free, and at liberty to apply my time according to my own pleasure. I determined, therefore, after being present at some consultations which I had agreed to attend in London, to visit the large lunatic asylum between Windsor and London, Early in the morning, I walked the short distance through Eton to the railroad. In Eton, I took a view of the court of the old college, and obtained a sight of the church belonging to the insti- tution. These buildings were erected in the fifteenth century, and 70 - ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. are built in a massive heavy Gothic style, without ornament; but, notwithstanding this, the church contains a beautiful and highly- ornamented chapel near the altar, and is further remarkable for the flat construction of its roof. I found a person engaged in making a drawing; he had nearly finished a very pretty view of the interior. At the back part of the church, a building has been erected in very bad taste, with doric columns, here absolutely ridiculous, which it is to be hoped will speedily be demolished. The number of boys originally on the foundation was seventy; now, however, about seven hundred pupils receive their education in Eton, and some of the most distinguished men in England, among the rest the Duke of Wellington, have been brought up in the college. When I entered upon my consultations in London, almost as if I meant to continue here to follow my medical profession, the impres- sion was singular enough; that, however, is one of the charms of medical science, it stands always and everywhere in close con- nexion with the state of our common humanity, and is, therefore, everywhere at home. I passed by Westminster Abbey and the new Houses of Parlia- ment, now in the course of erection. The impression made by the former is great but not imposing. It was impossible to see the interior to advantage, because the chief entrance was closed; and the wooden structure erected in the middle of the cathedral, for the performance of religious service, injures the effect of the edifice. A very hasty view, however, is sufficient to show how grand and mighty the conception of the whole really was. It is a great plea- sure to see in what an able and magnificent manner, the pure Anglo-Gothic style has been strictly adhered to in the new Houses of Parliament. T\iQfagade towards the Thames, however, appears to me too low. Having afterwards bought a number of plans, views, and maps in Regent and Oxford streets, I went into the Pantheon. I must admit, that it has left behind a much more charming impression than any thing of a similar kind that I have ever seen in Paris. From Marlborough-street one enters into a large and spacious building adorned with flowers for ornament and sale, and passes up some broad steps towards the extremity, also richly ornamented with climbers, the most beautiful plants in full bloom, singing birds of the rarest kinds, and parrots and other foreign birds of the richest plumage. The centre of this upper compartment is occupied with a fountain, the basin of which is full of gold and silver fish, and the whole is covered with a glass roof. From this conservatory of flowers and birds, a side door leads into the large interior of the building, wdiich is surrounded by a gallery, and lighted by a cupola. This immense hall is occupied by stand upon stand, in which the finest and most tasteful wares of all descriptions are beautifully laid out, and sold at moderate prices. Flights of open stairs lead from the ground floor to the gallery, near which are several rooms appropri- HANWELL ASYLUM. 71 ated to tlie exhibition of paintings. Some of the sea pieces were by no means amiss, but the rest, consisting of landscapes and copies of historical pictures, are of little or no value. In descending from this gallery, various other articles for sale present themselves, and last of all is a collection of pottery of all descriptions, containing numbers of imitations of Etrurian and other ancient vases. The whole, properly speaking, constitutes a passage daily open to the public, presenting, indeed, no small number of temptations to the passers by. The large and splendid shops in Regent- street, with their enor- mous plate-glass windows and looking-glasses in gilt frames, are truly magnificent exhibitions ! The perpetual movement and life in the streets, at once so wonderful and exciting ! When I think of Paris and compare it with London, it now leaves on my mind the impression of a small toionl About four o'clock I again drove to the Great Western, and pro- ceeded on this occasion to Hanwell, half-way to Windsor, where, thirteen years ago, a large lunatic asylum was built at the expense of the county of Middlesex. This immense institution is under the care of Dr. Conolly, who, unfortunately, was not there. I hear that he no longer lives in the institution, but merely visits it twice in the week, having established a private asylum on his own account. Some of the assistant medical officers, who are resident, act under his general superintendence and directions. The situation and ar- rangement of the whole are magnificent and splendid. Viewed from the railroad, it has all the appearance of a little Versailles. First, a large gate in the Roman style, at which a porter lives, and where every person who enters is obliged to record his name. Passing througli the gate, the visiter next enters a large garden, in the midst of which stretch out the great wings of this spacious and well-built institution, — capable of containing 1000 patients. I visited a great number of the halls and chambers. The cleanliness, order, and superintendence, as well as the care and attention paid to the food and protection of the inmates, and the provision of suitable places both for work and recreation, are deserving of the highest com- mendation. In each of the divisions two keepers are awake and on duty during the whole of the night; they are, indeed, obliged to keep awake, and to give proof of having been at their posts. This proof depends on the adjustment of a clock, the hands of which are to be moved regularly forward at stated intervals, and so constructed as to register any omissions. I found a multitude of cases of mad- ness of the most various descriptions — melancholy and monomania appeared the most prevailing — and the difference between the cases which occur here, and those in Italy, France, and Germany, was strik- ing enough. There were only a few cases of lively, garrulous patients, such as are common in France, or of those who seemed to express themselves with deep passion like the Italians, and it might be said of tlie inmates of Hanwell in general, that they are more deeply 72 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. sunk in, and dwell more upon their own sufferings than patients of a similar class in other countries. The treatment of these unhappy persons in this asylum ought rather to be called a system of safe- keeping, a compulsory adherence to a certain mode of life, and an intelligent training in masses, than an attempt to go into the pecu- liarities of particular cases; and where is it otherwise in such institu- tions, under the most favourable circumstances ? An hour had passed away when I found myself again at the station, at which a second train soon arrived and carried me quickly to Slough. Here all was full of life; multitudes were returning from Ascot races, and eager to find conveyances to London. Newspapers of all kinds were cried about for sale, and the humbler sort were already full of the news of the arrival of the emperor, each treating the subject in his own particular way. In an omnibus, in which I rode to Wind- sor, I picked up a piece of these multifarious popular newspapers, headed " Miles's Boy," containing an article called " The last inter- viexo of the Queen ivith the Emperor of Russia and with Miles\s Boy." In returning to the castle I took the foot way, which leads be- hind old walls up flights of small steps, and through several narrow courts. On my walk I passed by an old deserted Gothic chapel, which must present a very beautiful picturesque scene by moon- light, and soon found myself again in my small but most agreeable chamber. The entertainment of to-day was as splendid as that of yesterday. The only difference consisted in a little variety in the music, which was interrupted by an interlude from a Scotch piper, in full High- land costume, who marched round the table, and brought the shrillest, sharpest, and most booming tones that mortal ears ever listened to, out of his bagpipes and their drone, which projected far over his shoulder, and was adorned with glittering flags. In recent Italian operas — in some " Rolla" or " Linda" I have often heard such sounds as have compelled me to exclaim, " Can this be what people call music !" but this was something still more dreadful, which no form of apostrophe could characterise! And the man, too, was a virtuoso ! — The queen's piper ! There is unquestionably an immense difference in the organisation of the hearing, however difficult it may be to demonstrate. This execrable sound was only endurable when he played in distant rooms, and his wonderful piercing blasts only reached the car from afar — like echoes among mountains. This is, however, not the only proof that the English are prone to mistake mere noise for a species of music ; it is confirmed by the chimes of the castle, which morning and evening produce the most disagreeable effect upon a musical ear. After dinner, there was a concert, at which a clever violinist, named Joachim, exhibited his power over his instrument. When the hour for retiring arrived, I went alone through the series of mag- nificent apartments and the long richly-adorned gallery, w^ith its A REVIEW. 73 numerous interesting paintings, to my own solitary cliamber. Every thing was still brilliantly lighted — what riches everywhere displayed I Immense malachite vases, golden candelabra, the splendour of* the furniture and draperies, the large golden vessel, like a small bath, which was filled with spiced wine at the baptism of the Prince of Wales, and entirely emptied; the glass cases filled with ancient splen- did weapons, swords, chain armour, beautifully ornamented pistols, guns, and daggers, which called up and forced all sorts of recollections on the mind. I gave way to this train of thoughts, and dwelt on the olden times of England, on Ehzabeth, Essex, and the Earl of Leicester. XV. Windsor Castle, June 5th — Evening. To-day has been passed wholly in the atmosphere of court fife. Soon after ten o'clock in the morning, preparations began to be made for a great and splendid review, especially ordered for the pleasure and entertainment of the emperor ; a number of royal carriages were driven into the court of the castle — horses were led out adorned with magnificent housings and highly-ornamented bridles, and the roar of artillery was heard from afar. A little later came the general officers and their staff; — the emperor, — the king, — Prince Albert, and the Duke of Wellington, all dressed in rich uniforms, mounted splendid chargers, and it was, indeed, a royal sight to see such a cavalcade in the large court of the castle, within the circuit of those gray towers and Gothic palaces crowned with turrets. Then came the ladies; — the queen, accompanied by the Duchess of Cambridge entered her carriage, and all was put in motion. I too found a convenient place in one of the carriages; the whole cavalcade passed the gates, and took the way towards the great park, entered and passed along the long walk, through the midst of vast numbers of spectators collected from far and near. At length we arrived at an extensive open hilly plain, surrounded with old oaks; — wooded hills bounded the horizon, and Windsor Castle in the distance formed a beautiful background. Here the cavalry were drawn up, the carriages took their stations, and the horses were taken out, just as the firing of the artillery commenced. At some distance opposite several regiments of infantry were in line, and at the first salute of artillery the whole of the general officers, who had taken up their position m the middle of the plain, put them- selves in motion, rode to the infantry and along the lines. Having examined the troops, the staff returned near the place not far from us, in which the ladies w^ere stationed, and the men now began to defile regiment by regiment, first the cavalry and then the infantry. Prince Albert was at the head of his regiment, and the Duke of 74 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. Wellington with his; he was greeted by the people with loud cheers. The horse guards were especially splendid; their band clothed in yellow with red and gold, wearing,^ besides, a species of ancient heraldic coat, looked magnificently rich. The kind of black velvet jockey-caps, however, which they wore, appeared tome totally unsuited to such a costume. There is no need to say, when speaking of England, that the horses were admirable. The troops then passed a second time in quick march, formed squares, per- formed various evolutions, and exhibited a sham-fight, during which there was a continued fire of small-arms mixed with the deep roar of the artillery. At last, all resumed their original positions, when the emperor rode forward at a short gallop to the command- ing general, pulled up in good style close before him, and shook him heartily by the hand, as a sign of his warmest approbation. Thus, in the course of about two hours, favoured by fine weather, the review was over. Multitudes of anxious spectators clambered down from the oaks, which had been converted into so many observatories. The people separated in all directions, and the royal cavalcade returned to the castle. In the evening, a grand drive through the park took place. Prince Albert drove the emperor; the king and the Duke of Cambridge accompanied the queen and the duchess. I was for- tunate enough to have a seat in the carriage with General von Adlerberg, who is usually called the emperor's right-hand man, and renewed an old acquaintance, which I had formed with him when consulted many years ago respecting his son, whom he now pre- sented to me in vigorous health. The drive furnished me with a good opportunity of forming a still more accurate idea of the great extent of the park, for at the rapid pace at which we were driven, in a few hours we passed over at least two or three and twenty miles within the bounds of the park itself. The first object we visited was an elegant, small, and new garden belonging to the queen, admirably adapted for fruit trees of all descriptions. The cortege next proceeded to a very wild part of the park, distinguished by magnificent beech trees, growing in all the luxuriance of nature, and forming beautiful bowers of foliage, and huge oaks affording here and there charming vistas and views of Windsor Castle. From thence the party pursued their way to Virginia Water. This part of the park much more resembles what is called a park among us, than any thing which I have seen in this country, a wide artificial canal (formerly excavated by French pri- soners), with occasional waterfalls, thickets, grass-plots, and banks for repose, and finally, as the crowning of the whole, a large antique ruin, and not far from it at that extremity of the water, a small castle mounted with ships' guns. The antique ruin surprised me by its peculiar style, as it sprang forth with its colonnade, single statues, recumbent capitals, and old walls thickly covered with ivy, from the midst of the green woods and surrounding cedars and VIRGINIA WATER. 75 pines. I heard from Prince Albert, that all these ruins really came from Athens, — had been brought thither by Lord Elgin, and were placed absolutely in very much the same condition as they had been found in their original home. There was, however, a painful want of the charms of a Grecian sky, for a covering of dark gray clouds now brooded over the remains of these tenants of a brilliant age, and of a country with an almost cloudless sky. After a very short delay on the platform of the miniature castle, the cortege was again in motion, and drove to a small fishing house built in the Chinese style, and fitted up with ornamental galleries for angling, a general English dilettanti taste; a small and elegant bark rocked upon the waters, and at a greater distance a beautiful model of a complete frigate. Whilst George IV. was engaged in the extensive reparations in Windsor Castle, he resided long and willingly in the park, and many of these artificial grounds owe their origin to his taste or pleasure, as well as the small house to which the party now pro- ceeded, which he had caused to be built for his own use. This cottage is a sort of compound of summer-house, tent, and richly- adorned country house. A projecting building with splendid flowering plants, and close to it a gallery richly ornamented with mirrors, which multiplied the beauties of the natural world in a most agree- able way, conducted to a pretty drawing-room and several bed- rooms, all wainscotted with rare woods, simply but elegantly fur- nished, and inviting to a most cheerful enjoyment of life. I do not believe the king neglected this invitation during the time he passed in this rural solitude. It was drawing towards evening when we returned to the castle, where there was to be to-day a full dress dinner-party on a large scale. The company was very numerous, and presented to my notice several interesting individuals whom I had not seen before. Sir Henry Hardinge, about to sail in a few days to act as governor- general of the immense Indo-British kingdom, was present; also Lord Saltoun, who was just returned from China; further, Lord Aberdeen, a peer of Scotland, equally celebrated for his statesman- ship and learning, who has gained for himself general esteem, and whose appearance reminded me, in several respects, of our late respected minister. Von Lindenau; and moreover the now all- powerful Sir Robert Peel, and the whole of the corps diploma- tique. After dinner I enjoyed the still greater good fortune of being presented to H. R. H. the Duchess of Cambridge, and of being able to bring to her recollection many circumstances of Dresden life. I was excited by all this to write down a few anthro- pognostical notices of some of the most remarkable persons, of Avliich I shall therefore insert three in this place. 76 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. THE EMPEROR. " Je n'ai pas Fair d'etre malade," said tlie emperor to me soon after I was presented to him, and was speaking of his intention of going to Kissingen; and I can perfectly confirm this observation. He possesses a handsome figure, is tall and broad-shouldered, with a cor- responding formation of the head, without any particular modelling of the front part of the skull above the forehead. His hair is brown, almost bald towards the crown of the head; his features large, re- gular, quiet, and not without a certain elegance and mildness. His carriage quite military, his motions quick and decided, his gestures particularly free and expressive. The emperor wore at the review the uniform of the dragoon guards, green, with white pantaloons, and helmet with horsehair. His uniform for the evening was that of a Cossack general, dark green kurtka, with a general's scarf of silver tissue, short crooked sabre, and a cap with tlie heron's feather in his hand. The emperor speaks French well and elegantly ; Eng- lish not so fluently. His organ is harmonious and sonorous, his ex- pressions clear, decided, and elegantly rounded. I could not lielp asking myself how it was, that such an appear- ance, to which one cannot refuse to allow a certain beauty and attractive poAver, can be united with the amount of violence which we know he has exhibited? and I could only consider how some- times out of the happiest, nay, even poetical temperament, life, with its curious coincidences and relations, produces the most ex- traordinary tendencies in, and the most remarkable changes of character. When, without the power of a higher notion, an elevated nature, and one possessing in itself a certain beauty of mind, is placed in conflict with rude masses, still fermenting among themselves, and when it has been at first in several respects obstructed and insulted by them, nothing is more likely than that it should itself be developed to a decided harshness^ and bitterness, feelings which may grow into a disregard for every thing human, and to the most unjustifiable violence. Considered from this point of Adew, the riddle seems also in the present case easily solved. SIR ROBERT PEEL. A man of about fifty years of age, — of good figure, powerfully made, and rather full; the form of his head remarkable, on the whole, rather for breadth than height. The relation of the three portions of the brain, so far as I could judge from a cursory view, somewhat prevented, too, by a considerable quantity of grayish hair, tolerably PEEL AND WELLINGTON. 77 harmonious; tKc middle part of the head low, as is usual with heads of a broad form. The countenance expresses much firmness, joined with a decidedly prosaic appearance, but great sound common sense. In conversation with crowned heads, the expression, with all its firm reserve, passes readily to a smooth tone, and his bodily attitude easily assumes the same expression. His language is, how- ever, select, comprehensive, and well expressed. Whenever I had the opportunity of seeing him, he was dressed in black, with white neck-handkerchief, and without any orders. I here subjoin, in conclusion, some remarks which were made to me concerning his qualifications for his important duties as prime minister: " Sir Robert Peel is quite fit for his situation. By birth, belonging to the people, by his early connexion with Oxford, entirely devoted to the conservative cause, he seems to have been made for his situa- tion, and for his age. There can be but one opinion respecting his talents; he possesses, at the same time, a suificiency of physical power, and has property enough to secure himself a complete in- dependence (the English say, ' an empty sack will not stand up- right'). In his daily intercourse, he is considered cold and stiff, and has no intimate personal friends." THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. Completely the representation of an old soldier I Stiff, half deaf, but cheerful; it is easy to be seen that he must have been what is called a well-built, handsome man. The form of his head, as well as that of his face, is principally long, the shape of the skull not very le- markable, the front and back portions rather high. His hair is quite white, and he has rather too much for his age, particularly in a country where baldness is more common than elsewhere. The sockets of his eyes are wide, and it is obvious from his appearance that he is rather to be regarded as a man of eyes than a man of ears, on which remark the history of his life offers the best commentary. I saw him generally in uniform, and decorated with many orders. He still rides, and was at the head of his regiment at the review, and although the windows of his residence were broken some years back, he still appears a favourite with the people, for wherever he makes his appearance, the cry " Hurrah for the old Duke' is general. Among the many traits of courage and presence of mind which are related of him, none seemed to me more characteristic, and at the same time greater and more profound, than the following: — At the battle of Waterloo, when the decisive moment was come, at which, according to the calculations of the generals, the enemy must neces- sarily give Avay, Wellington put in motion the whole English co- lumn. Waving his hat he rode in advance, urging officers and men 78 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. to advance rapidly. His adjutants remarked that lie was exposing liimsclf to great danger from tlie enemy's fire ; but lie answered : " Let tliem slioot away; tlie battle must be won, at any rate." XVI. Windsor Castle, June 6th, — Morning. I EMPLOYED this quiet, moist, and dark morning, in taking a walk upon the large terrace which Queen Elizabeth caused to be formed before the castle. Properly speaking, it is a lofty wall, enclosing a square grass-plot, of somewhat less elevation, interspersed with flower beds and roses. "Whilst walking on this terrace (the Slopes) one enjoys an agreeable view of the neighbourhood, including beautiful groups of trees, splendid single oaks, broad meadows, and at a dis- tance the old spires of Eton ; a light mist lay upon the surface of the refreshed ground; all was very pleasant, and yet it inspired no feel- ing of a happy existence in the midst of such a world. The reason, no doubt, is a certain pedantic and ceremonious stiffness, which ex- tends to every thing in and around the castle. The peculiar straight- ness of the walks, with their gravel perfectly clean and well rolled, and the edges of the lawns with their velvet-like and mown grass, carefully cut into geometrical figures, the neatness of what is in- tended to represent grottos and ruined walls, the stiff elegance of the flower-beds, the exact symmetry of the shrubs, — these are all cir- cumstances which make a grand feeling of nature entirely impossible. Even the architecture of tlie castle bears the stamp of a certain want of truth, for however national the Gothic style of itself is, there lies in the great turrets and towers an assumption of a fortress hke style of building, which does not suit the splendour and elegance of the interior arrangements. In addition to all this, the sentries at the doors, the exact distinctions respecting how far one may go and where one must not enter, all this communicates to the atmo- sphere a particular quality, which prevents that free expansion of the breast which is enjoyed in other places. Upon the terrace I met the prince's groom — a German, named Meyer — who was directing a pair of saddled Highland ponies to be brought out, for the use of the little Prince of Wales and the Prin- cess Victoria. I asked him some questions respecting the races at Ascot Heath, and in this manner prepared myself for our afternoon's drive, which was to make me acquainted with this national amuse- ment. The queen always gives a prize to be run for at these races, which generally consists of some piece of silver plate. The betting is considerable ; some of the principal horses were described to me. I then saw in the castle an exhibition of pieces of plate, in- tended for these prizes, sent for selection to the emperor and to the ASCOT RACES. 79 king. They were principally groups of figures of from two to tlirce feet liigli, representing scenes from Walter Scott's works, from Don Quixote, St. George, an Arabian with his horse, &c.; the silver partly polished, partly frosted, and here and there gilt. The work- manship was neat and skilful, but without genius; the silver, Hke all English silver, very pure; the firm of Garrard and Co., of the Haymarket, sent these specimens, and had already sold three, each at 300 guineas. It was still so quiet in the galleries, that I remained somewhat longer in examining the largest. Even by day the ornaments of this gallery produce an agreeable effect; — the fine scarlet carpets which cover the floor, the rich gildings of the wood-work, and the alternate busts and pictures. There are particularly some splendid pictures by Canaletto, some good landscapes by Zuccarelli, and several por- traits by Lawrence. At length I met with a pretty living picture, — Lady Gainsborough, — one of the queen's ladies in waiting. She had lived long in Florence, and although my recollections of that city from my last visit were by no means pleasing, yet I was glad of an opportunity of recalling them, thus afforded me by her agreeable conversation. 'J- Same day — Evening. It was towards one o'clock when we drove to Ascot races. These are among the most celebrated in England, and to-day the Queen's plate was to be run for. We drove again through the park; and several more splendid trees, particularly beeches, met my view. Soon after we had left the park and approached the race-course, the number of carriages and riders increased; at length the vast heath with its various roads opened upon me, which was already covered with a vast number of persons. Amidst loud cheering the court, in fourteen carriages, drove along the race-course to the pavilion specially erected for the Queen. On the top of this pavilion was a comfortable roof, from which a good view of the heath could be ob- tained. There were, perhaps, from 25,000 to 30,000 persons pre- sent. These took up their positions partly on both sides of the course, partly in various houses and on scaffoldings. A number of policemen were employed in keeping order. Round about Avere masses of tents, and numbers of carriages, covered w^ith human beings. Thim- ble-riggers and gipsies were not wanting. Among the spectators were a great many ladies and people of the best ton. The place itself is to a certain extent waste, really a heath, here and there stony; all this presented a remarkable picture under a grayish, rainy-looking sky, very different from that given by an imitation of an English race, that I had seen three years before, in the Cascini, near Florence. The course was now cleared, and the race began. The first time the race was only along the course, as far as the little wooden house with the loophole, by means of which, and a tablet placed ex- actly opposite, the judges determine which horse first passes the line 80 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. of vision. A brown horse, long and slender and quite young, like all these racers, ridden by a jockey with orange colours, was the one which gained the prize on this occasion. The court now retired to lunch, which was served with great pro- fusion in a large tent-like sjctace, and then again ascended the flat roof, upon which loud cheering followed. Indeed, when this cheer- ing began, I could not help thinking of the public at the theatre calUng for a favourite actor after the play. Here also the royal personages present were called for singly, and as they appeared were greeted with loud cheers; first the Queen, then the Emperor, the king, Prince Albert, the Prince of Wales, and, finally, the Duke of WeUington. As often as any distinguished person appeared, the hurraing and waving of hats began, accompanied sometimes with clapping of hands. A sharp wind and some rain did not at all in- terfere with all this, and even umbrellas were not suffered by the people, inasmuch as they hindered the view of the rest. Now began a new race, according to the programme upon the printed cards which had been previously distributed ; and this time the horses ran along the Avhole course, and then in a wide circuit round the heath back again to the goal. This time, too, a jockey in orange was in advance; but a green one kept close behind him, and was evidently holding in his horse. When not far from the winning-post, the latter gave his horse head, and urged him with tlie spur to his greatest speed, so as to reach the goal first, amid great cheering from the crowd. Such chances and sudden changes undoubtedly possess a certain interest and amusement, and I could easily fancy that such scenes, often repeated, serve to excite the people, raise the interest of the thing itself, and give occasion to the most extravagant betting ! For my part, I could not consider it otherwise than as an interesting thing to have obtained, in so con- venient a manner, so good an idea of this national sport; but the sport itself could never have any great charms for me personally. We now returned to Windsor; and I was much amused on the road by the anecdotes of an old gentleman in our carriage, a Colonel Drummond, who had been much with George TV., and had seen much of the life of those times. Among other things, he re- marked that the custom of the ladies rising and retiring from table, as soon as the port and claret began to circulate at the dessert, was almost necessary, or, at least, very reasonable, inasmuch as, ac- cording to old German customs, it was usual to drink deeply. He re- lated an anecdote of a colonel of a regiment, whom he had known, who always ordered to every dinner a corporal and four privates, for his own use, to insure his being brought home safe and sound. Such scenes, however, appear almost never to occur at present, and therefore the retiring of the ladies seems to have entirely lost its importance. The dinner of this evening — most probably my last in Wind- sor Castle — offered several new and interesting points to my no- tice. On this occasion, the most important persons of the admi^ ADMIRAL CODRINGTON. 81 ralty board — tlicsc pillars of England — were invited ; amongst tliem Admiral Codiington, who has earned the somewhat doubtful fame of having burnt the Turkish fleet at Navarino. The provost of Eton happened to sit next me, who had before struck me from liis odd episcopal dress. I entered into a long conversation with him, and heard many observations respecting that old college, which celebrated its fourth centenary three years ago," as well as some remarks on classical education, the corporal exercises of the boys, &c. After dinner, I was enabled to see St. George's Hall, next to the dining-room, where the arms and banners of the Knights of the Garter are suspended. It is ornamented in the strict old Gothic style, wainscottcd with high seats all round the walls, and over them large portraits, armour, shields, and flags. The whole produces a grand and solemn eflcct. And thus, as the court returns to-morrow to London, Windsor is closed for me. I only add the following short sketch of Admiral Codrington: — ADMIRAL CODRINGTON. Of rather large stature. The emperor said to him: " Vans avcz en(/7oisse ;^' and, in fact, there is considerable embonpoint in his figure. Of the three divisions of the brain, the middle and back parts are more considerable than the front; the form of the whole, as is usual with the English, rather long than broad. His head is nearly bald. In his face, his nose seems to project with a sort of sensual characteristic, and the eyes are rather too near one another. The expression of his countenance is cheerful. He was dressed in black, with several orders. London, June 7th. — Noon. However magnificent Windsor is, London is still more so, and I am well pleased at being again swimming in this ocean ! I ex- pected great things from my residence in London, and cannot, therefore, afford long holidays ! Yesterday evening, one of Prince Albert's equerries. Colonel Wilde, with whom the interest in scientific pursuits which he mani- fested brought me often into intercourse, mentioned to me Shak- speare's oak in the park, and this morning I set out to look for it, accompanied by the chaplain to the queen, who acted as my guide. The readers of Shakspeare, no doubt, remember the passage in the ** Merry Wives of Windsor:" « that TIerne the Hunter, Sometime a keeper in the Windsor forest, Doth, all the winter time, at still midnight. Walk round about an oak." 82 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. This Heme's oak is still sliown, though ahnost dead; and a second, but a little more alive, has been called Skakspeare's oak. On a beautiful balmy morning we descended from the slopes into a viridarium, a sort of vaulted tunnel, richly adorned with vases of carved syenite. There was only an orange-tree at present here, and from it our path conducted us into that part of the park which is reserved for the walks of the castle. The trees here were beau- tiful, and the grass of a splendid green; but a certain disagreeable regularity continued to displease me. There were grass-plots; but upon the broad gravel walks between them, not even the smallest blade of grass was permitted to make its appearance; there was turf, but exactly three feet on each side of the walks it was rolled and mown so carefully, that no single blade projected above the rest; and even the meadow itself was surrounded with small iron work, to answer the purpose of a fence. I was tempted to ask myself whether the air, too, were not measured off and allowanced, and I could no longer enjoy the pure element with the same pleasure. We now penetrated further into the park, and met with many splendid old lime-trees and oaks, under the beautiful boughs of which Shakspeare may often have reposed in admiration ; but these were still not the mythical trees. At last we saw them. Hemes oak, standing more among other trees, with bare, scathed branches, Shakspeare^s oak standing alone — also surrounded with an abomin- able little paling — and still green, partly from the ivy that encir- cles it, partly from its own foliage ; but among the green branches, thus scathed, some appear here and there, like the antlers of a giant stag. The tree would have made a splendid drawing, for its form and its colouring were equally beautiful. The dry branches were stripped of their bark, and of a fine rich yellow; the bark of the old tree itself was of a gray tint; then the old trunk, of mighty size, and the different shades of green in the ivy and the oak leaves : I could have admired it for days. It quite deserves to be called Shakspeare s tree ! In the midst of all these surrounding objects, I could almost fancy the actual scenery of that charming comedy; for, in truth, the church of Eton, in which the lovers were to be speedily united, is to be seen at no great distance. It could not but be interesting to me to have seen all this ! On our return to the castle, the same chaplain showed me St. George's Chapel, in which the kings of England are now buried. It is entered by a wide Gothic vestibule, and the nave of the church itself, with its lofty painted windows, its rich Gothic ornaments, and the sepulchre of the Princess Charlotte (by Wyatt, representing her corpse and her spirit ascending to Heaven), produces a grand, solemn, and melancholy effect. There is, however, always some- thing disagreeable to me in this English- Gothic style, namely, the Jiat pitch of the roof, so to speak^ which always reminds me of the Moorish style. I then advanced to the choir, with its lofty, richly-carved wooden seats for the choristers, adorned with a double EETURN TO LONDON. 83 row of banners suspended from tlie roof, and but sparingly lighted by the large window at its extremity, which is fitted up with mo- dern painted glass. The morning service was just beginning, and a stillness, a solemn severity, and a ceremonious observance reigned, of which we can only get a just conception in England, and which again invites to a comparison with Italy, which, though Catholic, is so much more lax in this respect. Not far from St. George's Chapel, is that little deserted church which I had previously passed, and which, if the hand of time continue to act thus upon it, must soon sink into ruins. I heard to-day that it had been commenced by Henry III., and continued by Cardinal Wolsey, who, with true ecclesiastical pride, intended it for his burial-place. The fabric of his ambitious plans fell to the ground before the fabric of his sepulchre was completed, and now the latter is following the former. From hence I was obliged to find my way without a guide, and this is not so easy through all these courts and buildings. After some mistakes and questions, however, I succeeded, and soon afterwards the court left for London. We drove to Slough in nine carriages, attended by a guard of honour of the dragoon guards, and arrived in London in half an hour, where nine more carriages, with another guard, were in waiting; hence we drove through great crowds, and some thousand elegant carriages filled with spec- tators, to Buckingham Palace. Exactly an hour had elapsed be- tween my entering the carriage at Windsor, and my leaving it at Buckingham Palace. London, June 7th — Evening. My first visit in the suite of his majesty in London has been made, and borne a rich harvest. We first drove ; at three o'clock, to the mansion of the Duke of Sutherland. This house is considered to be the most splendid in London — which is saying a good deal — in regard to its interior arrangements; and it could not be otherwise than interesting to me to obtain a definite idea of how much one can live on, inas- much as I had often seen, as a physician, on how little one must sometimes subsist; and, besides, to see many specimens of art pre- served there. The house is well worthy of its character. It is not far from St. James's Park, and its exterior is in the simple Italian style. In the vestibule, the massive folding doors leading to tlie staircase are formed of a large mirror on each side, and the hinges of the door are of cut-glass, here as well as in the upper apartments. The reception- room is really magnificent I Marble columns, wainscotting of po- lished marbles, marble statues, and the floors and staircases co- vered with fine scarlet carpets. Up stairs is a splendid room adorned with some excellent pictures. I found here several pictures which I had seen in Paris, bought by the duke from JN'Iarshal Soult's 'g2 84 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. gallery, for instance, two Murillos, and the picture of tlie " Prodigal Son," which had impressed me very favourably when I saw it in Paris, besides one by Zurbaran, and one by Velasquez. Very remark- able was a young Christ, bearing the cross, from KafFaelle's earlier years, and in contrast with this, a very handsome modern picture by Paul Delaroche. In addition to these, there were several other spendid Avorks, which I had not time to examine as they deserved, for as the duke, with his beautiful wife and daughter, did the honours of his house, the time we could bestow on the pictures was necessarily much circumscribed. Thus, for instance, I would wiUingly have devoted more time to the consideration of a large picture by Guercino, of a Cupid in marble by Thor- waldsen, and of a pretty little picture by Brekencamp, represent- ing an old woman in her room at her simple meal; and, lastly, in another of the suite of apartments, the Gallery Lenoir, a series of pencil portraits of the time of the French revolution. We had, however, always something new, belonging to the most rernied luxury, to observe and admire. In the large picture-gallery, for instance, there was an elegant table of plate-glass, the top of which consisted of a moveable mirror, placed there merely to save one the trouble of bending the head back in order to examine the painted ceiling, w^hich was more conveniently and pleasantly seen by reflection in the mirror. In the same way there were speaking- pipes with bells attached to them, in the walls of the upper apart- ments, by means of which orders could be immediately transmitted to the children's or servants' rooms. I do not attempt to describe the exceeding elegance of the usual furniture of the rooms; merelv adding that the house, notwithstanding all this, gave me quite the idea of an inliahiied one, which feeling was, perhaps, excited in me by the Juno-like beauty and majesty of the duchess, for truly she is well suited to impress the idea, that only such an elegant and luxurious establishment was fit for such a mistress. From thence we drove to take a nearer view of the Houses of Paiiiament, now in course of erection. To-day, too, Avhen I had an opportunity of seeing the Thames front in its whole length to better advantage, it still appeared to me too low, and not in pro- portion to the very lofty tower-like building at the southern end. On the other hand, the strictest attention, even in tlic most minute details, to the Anglo-Gothic style, is highly to be com- mended. The ornaments, the innumerable coats of arms, the pointed columns, little statues and projecting points, the arches of the windows and doors, every thing is in harmony, and every thing most carefully carried out. If I should be asked, however, w^hat I principally miss in all new Gothic buildings, I must remark that to me there appears to be wanting also in this work great and massive proportions, and a certain grand freedom which includes to a certain extent, something organically irrational. "Whoever wishes to see by an example exactly what I mean, let him compare WESTMINSTER ABBEY. 85 in Kis mind the Palace of tlie Doges at Venice, witK the Houses of Parliament, and he will soon feel to which side the balance must incline. The material is a close-grained yellowish-white limestone, which, however, does not appear to me to possess overmuch firmness. The arrangement of the interior of the house may be called grand, and to the purpose. Not far from this is the old Westminster Hall, of which the ex- ternal broad Gothic style, and its ornaments with projecting buttresses, undoubtedly served as a model for the Houses of Parliament, which are to be connected with it. They are thus both of the same height, though in the hall we should have expected a less elevation, because the whole building is really nothing but a hall, and the roof and vaulted covering are one and the same thing; from within, therefore, it looks very large, has a grand effect, and presents a remarkable appearance with its ancient simplicity of walls, and its beautiful woodwork in the roof. Prize works in statuary were then placed in the hall, in order to determine on the artists to whom the statues for the Houses of Parliament should be committed. Unfortunately, every thing was as yet under cover, for the exhibition does not begin for a fortnight; otherwise, we might have been able to judge, in some degree, towards what direction the needle of the plastic arts at present points. Next — to Westminster Abbey. Our carriages drove into a court railed off and generally closed, from which the principal entrance to the abbey opens; the organ resounded, and the clergy, followed by the vergers with silver w^ands, came to meet his majesty. Even from this spot, from which is seen right in front, the immense nave of the church, the effect is very considerable ; but when we had penetrated more into the interior, and seen the several chapels which open out of the nave in all directions — when the tombs of the old kings, Edward the Confessor, the Henries, Richard II., Elizabeth and Mary Stuart, the monuments, and sometimes the tombs of so many knightly and great men, and of so many noble women, all in the different styles of their respective centuries, were presented to the eye, a feeling came over me, such as I had never experienced before in any church — the same feeling which the reflecting geologist experiences, when he reads in the depths of the mountains the history of the earth — the feeling, that here the fossil history of all England surrounds us. To this was added the feehng of antiquity expressed in the ex- traordinary colours of some parts of the stone work, and in the endless ornaments, as for instance in Henry Vllth's chapel, and the most splendid effects of light and shade produced by the old painted windows upon openings and arched passages! The con- tinued resounding of the organ, too, produced a beautiful and 86 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. solemn effect, and I experienced a deep inward emotion during tlie whole time of our visit. In tliese pillars, England contains a firm central point for its further development. It is more important than one thinks, for a people to see itself continually represented in an old and worthy- monument of such a kind, containing, as it were, the essence of its historical development. It had been wisely provided, that not too many persons should enter the church at once, and the clergy and the authorities only accompanied us, and gave us the requisite information respecting the historical monuments. And how much is there to observe ? — far more than can possibly be seen in such a short time. Who can prevent a peculiar feeling, when standing before the tomb of Henry v., and the beautiful Catharine of France, when he sees the monu- ment of EHzabeth, and not far from it, that of her unhappy, and yet, perhaps, happier half-sister, Mary Stuart ? What a view of the history of the United Kingdom do we obtain from the old wooden throne, brought by Edward I. from Scone, in 1297. The chair contains in its seat the stone upon which the ancient Kings of Scotland were anointed, and the form of the whole reminds me of the old wooden throne in Norway (as represented by Dahl). Finally, the great number of more modern monuments erected to men who were in any respect a pride to their country, and who have found their Pantheon here. Few are well executed, the best perhaps is the sitting statue of Watt, by Chantrey; but all pro- duced a great effect by their position, and by the memory of the men themselves. Newton, Nelson, Shakspeare, Thomson, Canning, Pitt, and so many others, spirits very unlike one another, have been united here in a sort of Walhalla, in which I should have liked to have seen Dr. Jenner. I must, however, among so much that is sublime and serious, mention a sort of comical and yet characteristic scene, which arose from the fact, that the clergy and officers, who accompanied the king, had not failed, as is usual on such occasions, to bring their respective Avives and children with them, in order, if only by a word, to have an opportunity of being presented to his majesty. This was also the case with a tall thin old gentleman, the principal churchwarden, whose head, almost bald, was barely covered with a velvet cap, and who entered the church with his family, as we were about to leave. His spouse, rather younger than himself, eager to see her husband, too, properly submissive and respectful in the pre- sence of royalty, remarked with horror, that the old gentleman, whilst his majesty, with his accustomed condescension, was ex- changing some words with him, still kept his cap on his head. She immediately approached him cautiously from behind, and by a sudden movement carried off the innocent skull cap from the head of the astonished churchwarden. The incident appeared to THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT. S'§ me, in this great historical background, like a scene from Wilkie, and sufficiently proved who was here the commanding party. From the ancient history of England we passed at once into its most modern; namely, the Houses of Parliament. First, to the House of Lords. Who does not experience a remarkable sensation on entering these precincts? The anti-chambers are extensive and covered with red carpets, the interior of the hall itself simple, the space almost confined; a small gallery above, for the short-hand writers and for visitors. In the midst, before the table, the Lord Chancellor, in a black gown and large wig upon the woolsack, — before him the mace — opposite to him the clerk — also in a wig; around, the rows of peers, — the spiritual in surplices, the temporal in common dress, and nearly all with their hats on. Of the members of the upper house, which consists of more than 400, not nearly the half were present. All sorts of petitions were laid on the table, and their titles read by the clerk : then the important question regarding the sugar duties was to have been discussed, when the motion was made to postpone this bill to another time, in consequence of the ball at court, at which several of the peers were of course obliged to be present. Some discussion took place — Wellington spoke in favour of the post- ponement, and it was agreed to, Lord Brougham was present, but did not speak; several others were pointed out to us. After about half an hour we went to the House of Commons. In its temporary accommodation, the arrangements are still more simple than those of the Upper House; it looks almost like a large lecture-room. Here a speaker presides, and here, too, out of more than 600 members, hardly 200 were present. It is true, that the most interesting subjects are generally discussed late in the evening, or at night. The question under discussion was, whether it was advantageous and right, still more to divide the livings in Scotland (where at present, at any rate, much difference of opinion prevails in church matters) or not. Peel was present, came to us, and explained some matters, whilst the discussion continued, and the opposition loudly expressed their opinion, until Sir James Graham rose and defended the ministerial view of the subject, upon which his opinion appeared to be received with pretty general applause. At this point the king left the house. In the evening, there was a large full-dress dinner-party, and afterwards a splendid soiree in the large apartments of the palace, at which most of the world of fashion and beauty in London were present. It offered to the silent observer a wide and amusing field. Of politically interesting persons, I only saw Admiral Napier and the Turkish Ambassador, Ah Effendi, who were ncAV to nie; the latter a little man with very bright eyes, and an otherwise uninteresting olive complexioned face, with the red fez on his head. Among the ladies were several of remarkable beauty, for example, Lady ClanwiUiam, a daughter of Lady Pembroke — and her sister. I found that a black dress and diamonds are particularly favour- 88 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. able to the Englisli style of beauty. Tbe full dress of the court is very superb, tlie servants' livery richly adorned with gold lace, and, oddly enough, witli great bags attached to the collar of the coat. The lords in waiting carried long white wands, and wore a very rich costume. It was half-past twelve o'clock before the company broke up. XIX. June 8th — Evening. This forenoon was at my disposal for some visits on medical business. First — a visit to Mr. Lawrence, author of a work on the " Physiology of Man," which had interested me much some years ago, but which had rendered the author obnoxious to the clergy, because he had endeavoured to penetrate a little more deeply into the relation between the conscious and the unconscious life of the soul (generally, but unscientifically, denominated soul and body). He appears to have allowed himself to be frightened by this, and is now merely a practising surgeon, who keeps his Sunday in the old English fashion, and has let physiology and psychology alone for the present. I found him a rather dry, but honest man. His wife is celebrated as one of the first flower cultivators in London, and possesses in particular, a beautiful collection of orchideous plants, which we shall probably visit on some other occasion. Hence I drove to Bethlehem Hospital, commonly called Bedlam. It is in Lambeth, par excellence the Catholic portion of London, and is the well-known lunatic asylum founded by Henry VHL, and built after the model of the Tuileries, much to the dissatisfaction of Louis XIV. The present large building, adorned with a Corin- thian portico and a cupola, was only finished in 1815, and can receive about 400 patients of both sexes, but of 311 patients re- ceived in one year, and 263 at the time in the institution, 157 are said to have been dismissed cured, which would be a very favour- able ratio. The grounds and avenue are splendid; but the idea of placing in the vestibule of a madhouse two colossal, and into the bargain, bad statues of a raving madman and a melancholy madman lying chained on the ground, could only have originated in the brain of an Englishman. Fortunately, these figures arc now covered. I passed through several of the large, airy corridors, off which were cells for single patients, or for two, three, and four together. Every thing was very clean, but the black bars and doors produce a melancholy effect against the white- washed walls. In several court-yards were patients walking or working in the open air. A separate division is here made of criminal patients, i. e. such persons as have committed crimes, of which insanity was considered the BETHLEHEM HOSPITAL. 89 reason or the excuse. Thus I saw Oxford, who made an attempt on the life of the queen, and who has been shut up here, although he did not appear to me to be insane. He is a person of very ordi- nary appearance. Another person, really insane, a literary man from Hanover, had already troubled the queen with the most various re- quests before he was sent to this asylum. Also an elderly German lady, who appears to have addressed Prince Albert on several oc- casions. Both these persons spoke to me, and I had some difficulty in getting away from them. Certainly it is very comprehensible that a young couple, like this royal pair, standing upon a pinnacle, and represented every day to millions as an ideal of happiness, should become the object of the passionate wishes of several of these unhappy persons. Bedlam may yet have to open its doors to many others of the same kind ! The treatment of the patients here seems hardly to be a medical treatment, properly so called, but rather to be confined to their safe keeping, giving them constant occupation, and preserving cleanliness among them. I was finally conducted into the room where the directors hold their meetings, &c. The chairman is always the Lord Mayor of London for the time being. The arms of the several chairmen are suspended round the room in elegant frames with inscriptions, &c. I next drove to see Mr. Deville, who was named to me as the principal phrenological dilettante in London. He is a citizen, and lamp-maker, and has a large shop of all sorts of lamps, with which a cabinet is connected, containing a really rich cranioscopic collection, consisting of the skulls of individuals of various nations, and a number of casts of the heads of remarkable persons. The owner himself was in the country, but I was allowed to examine every thing, and I should particularly have wished, had I had leisure, to have devoted a longer portion of time to the examination of a series of heads, being casts of the head of the same person at different periods of life. The successive development and changes of those fine modulations of the surface of the skull, which correspond entirely with those developments and changes by which the features of the countenance are altered, and which, like these, determine certain principles, and are not of them- selves unimportant, although they lie without the circle of any sys- tematic or scientific construction and explanation, were here very decided, and to be perceived and followed out in a remarkable order. Unfortunately, these casts are not allowed to be multipHed in any way. Of some other forms, however, casts are to be obtained, and I hope to be enabled to enrich my own collection by this means. I must not omit to mention that several interesting^ skulls of animals are included in this collection, which so often give rise to interesting comparisons; the most massive was that of a large elephant killed at Exeter Change several years ago. The cast was very good, and showed how noble this form, so much used in Indian sculpture, really is, if our sculptors had more opportunities of applying it. 90 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. From hence we proceeded to St. BartKolomew's Hospital, an old and very rich hospital in West Smithfield, in the city. I naturally wished to examine the arrangements of an English hospital, and to see in what they differ from those of Germany, France, and Italy; and for this purpose St. Bartholomew's Hospital (although I hope to see many more) appeared to me very suitable. The hospital consists of four buildings enclosing a court, which were built about 100 years ago by Mr. Gibbs, by subscription. One of these contains the offices and a large room for the directors, the others contain wards for the sick, an apothecary's and a surgeon's room. Three of the first physicians in London and three surgeons visit the hospital a few times a week, to give the necessary directions, perform operations, &c. House sur- geons make the other visits, attend to the dressings, and see to the distribution of medicines and food. The physicians are not paid, as is the case so frequently in England, but several young medical men and surgeons attend their lectures, profit by their treatment of the patients, and pay them for this privilege a considerable fee, so that in this way a few thousand pounds are easily made in the course of the year. There is also a lecture-room and a collection of phy- siological and pathological preparations, so that the institution thus becomes a regular school of medicine. Among the preparations was a remarkable skull of a madman. This poor wretch had thrust his head into the fire, in order to terminate his existence, but he was rescued before efiecting his purpose: he was, however, more than scalped, and a disease arose, in the course of which the whole of the covering of the skull detached itself, like the cast shell of a crab. It formed partially again, and the man survived a considerable time. The patients' wards are large, but not so immense as they generally are in France and Italy. Of the 500 beds in the hospital not more than from twelve to twenty are in one room, which is always well lighted and warmed by a large fireplace. Close to it is the apart- ment of the sister, who has the charge of the ward, and nurses the patients in it. These sisters are not nuns, but paid nurses, who have two or three nurses under them. Their rooms are generally fur- nished with every comfort, carpets, fireplaces, &c., and all this gives to the duties of nursing something more resembling a home. The wards are always open, and the nurses visit the sick at all times. This may perhaps injure the more strict superintendence, but it undoubtedly causes the sick person to feel more at home. We afterwards visited the directors' room. The staircase is orna- mented with large pictures drawn by Hogarth for the institution, representing the history of the Good Samaritan, and such subjects, which we forbear to criticise in consideration of the good intention of the work. The room itself is splendid. All around are inscrip- tions in letters of gold, mentioning the numerous benefactors to the hospital and the sums given by them. The institution has thus obtained great wealth, and possesses at present a yearly income of more than 30,000/. Besides these the room is ornamented with a CHISWICK. 91 number of large portraits — Henry VIII., who presented tlie build- ing to the citizens, — the several celebrated medical officers who have been attached to the hospital, as Abernethy, Lawrence, Pott, and others. Every year, reckoning in and out-patients, above 10,000 patients share the benefits of this establishment. On this occasion I passed for the first time through the noise and bustle of the city ; I saw in Fleet-street the only remaining gate be- longing to the old city of London, — Temple Bar, — that gate at which the newly-crowned king was obliged to request permission from the Lord Mayor to enter the city, where the latter, even now, presents the keys to the new monarch, and which, on certain occasions, is closed, in order to preserve the privileges of the city. I could not help being borne along with the crowd, and had hardly time to admire the splendour of the large shops, where, behind immense panes of plate glass, all the treasures of commerce, and all sorts of articles of luxury were heaped up. When one considers how this mass of population has increased, and with it the multitude of carriages of all sorts, and how it is still continually increasing, one can ima- gine that the time is not far distant when any further movement will become impossible in these narrow spaces, and where every thing must become fixed. I now drove quickly back to Buckingham Palace, as we were to attend a great rout early in the afternoon, at the Duke of Devon- shire's at Chiswick House. The long train of carriages, the court, with the king and the emperor, but without the queen, drove out, through an immense multitude, to the park about six miles distant, where the whole of the fashionable world was already assembled. Tlie park is very beautiful, and particularly southern in character. Cedars, larger than any I ever saw elsewhere, spreading their mighty boughs with their great fan-leaves, almost touching the earth, ever- green oaks, broad lawns, lakes, and splendid hot-houses, adorned not only with real plants, but also with paintings of plants, for in one of them were large oil-paintings, representing partly the RaflB.esia, partly that immense South American Lotus, — the newly-discovered Victoria Regina^ of the natural size. The house is not remarkable, — built in the light Itahan style ; but it contains many pictures, amongst others a good Albano, and a fine Paul Veronese. As the festival was a real rout, some 300 persons were crowded into these small rooms, whilst music of not the first class of excellence was being performed. Fortunately the day was beautiful, and all shortly spread themselves abroad in the open air, and whilst some sat down to a rich lunch (the court in a summer-house adorned with numerous heraldic orna- ments, and fitted up like a tent) another portion wandered through the park. I went down to the water, where, just opposite, three giraffes were walking among the trees, and gazing at their own reflected forms. Suddenly one of them, a handsome young animal, took it into his head to walk through the water, and to take a nearer view of the elegant company. He did so, and all at once the long necked inhabitant of 92 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. the desert was walking about among the lords and ladies. The English ladies — I mention it with all honour — showed great presence of mind and calmness, and this unexpected event, therefore, pro- duced but slight confusion. When this tall guest arrived the other guests gave place to him, and remained in the neighbourhood of the trees. His swarthy keepers soon came over in a boat and brought him back. It was at first to me a riddle how such remarkable game came to be found in an English park, but I afterwards heard that the duke had only hired these animals for the day from a man who had them for show. I should not have been surprised after this to have seen a dish of giraffe at lunch; and this would have been still less of a luxury than that of Count Romanzoff, who sent for a piece of the mammoth found in the ice of the Lena to Petersburg, in order to have it served at dinner. After four o'clock we all returned: I had never seen such a crowd of spectators. At Hyde-park corner, particularly, there was at least a mile in length of carriages, close to each other, from which several pretty faces looked out with curiosity; and a number of gentlemen and ladies on horseback stood still or galloped about: the sight was very interesting. We were to visit the Italian Opera in the evening, and therefore dinner was earlier than usual, in daylight, and Avith open windows. I paid a visit first to the great gallery. There are some fine paint- ings there, particularly by Rubens and Rembrandt. I was par- ticularly struck with a picture of the latter, representing a young squire, with a falcon on his wrist. The tone of this picture is ex- cellent, at the same time so poetical and real ! as those old painters have the art of often uniting the most remarkable contrasts, whilst the more modern ones cannot even unite their extremes. Besides this, there are some beautiful pictures by Horghe, one of which particularly reminded me of my favourite at Munich, in which the sunlight falls through a narrow opening into a court-yard. Here is just such a scene of still life represented, and here, too, sits a woman reading, with her red, old-fashioned dress, and a black head- dress, and with her back towards the spectator. Tliere are also some splendid pictures by Terburg, by Potter, and the two Van der Veldes, the one a painter of sea pieces, and the other of animals. The approach of the court soon put a stop to my observations on art. Immediately after dinner, at eight o'clock, we drove to the Hay- market, to the Queen's Theatre, which is devoted to Italian opera during the London season ; and for this purpose all the most cele- brated talent in operas is engaged. Here, too, an immense crowd surrounded the house, in order to see the arrival of the court ; but, behind a wall of policemen, we descended in safety from the car- riages, at a particular entrance, from which a staircase, covered with scarlet cloth, conducted us at once to the anti-chamber of the two large boxes devoted to the use of the court. The opera was the THE OPERA. 93 " Barber of Seville;" and as we entered, Grisi, as Rosine, was just commencing her great aria in the first act. She has a fine figure, and a handsome face, with eyes of somewhat oriental form. She, however, sometimes grimaces rather with her mouth. Her singing is fine, but rather sharp, and her voice does not reach the heart. Probably, some other part would suit her better, in merely external matters. Mario acted Almavida; a soft, beautiful tenor, and a handsome young man. Figaro was represented by Fornasari; a full, sonorous, baritone voice, and a beautiful figure, Avith speaking- features, but rather vulgar looking. The trio in the second act, " Zitto^ zitto^' sung by these three, quite transported me to Italy, by its freshness and fire. Old Lablache, as Bartolo, was a capital buftb ; a real lion's voice, with the countenance of a lion. F. La- blache also, sang " Don Basilio" very well. The house is very large (it is said to contain space for 2500 persons), and looks rather too uniform with its five tiers of boxes), each merely ornamented with gold upon a red ground, the drapery of the boxes being also red. The orchestra is nothing remarkable; and the decorations, which can only be called middling, prove how little, on the whole, the theatre is regarded, and how much such occasions as the present are considered as extraordinary festivals. On account of this latter circumstance, the house was crowded, so that boxes in the best circle, capable of accommodating four persons, were let at twenty- five guineas ! The examination of the boxes was an amusing occu- pation for the spectator. Some very pretty faces and figures were visible; and a large box, in which all the ladies wore wreaths of flowers, particularly attracted my attention. After the first act, there was great applause and clapping of hands. The curtain rose, and the whole musical strength of the company appeared on the stage, to sing " God save the Queen." A hurrah! followed, and another for the emperor. Next came the ballet, with a fandango, pas de deux, in which Cerito appeared ; a very pleasant sight ; she is very pretty, and particularly graceful in her movements. The court left after eleven o'clock; the streets were still full of policemen. XX. London, June 9tli— Evening. As to-day was Sunday, on which in London all work ceases, I had more leisure to devote to my particular pursuits. I spent the morning with Owen, in the College of Surgeons, in order to com- pare our microscopes, and to see some interesting preparations, llobcrt Brown and Broderip also came thither, and I was induced to give these gentlemen and Dr. Freund, who accompanied me, a 94 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. general -view of my cranloscopy, a task which my imperfect know- ledge of English, rendered somewhat difficult to me, but which suc- ceeded pretty satisfactorily. I hope for much sympathy with this system, and Dr. Freund will translate my lecture on the subject at Leipzig, in order to render the diffiision of it easier. Kobert Brown then exhibited some very remarkable sections of an antediluvian fossil-plant. Probably the entire plant was one of the cones of those enormous Equiseta which, hke trees, overgrew the marshes of the antediluvian world. Owen, on his part, gave us his views of some remarkable formations of skulls in liis collection. The most remarkable was a monstrous formation from India, in which another skull was joined to the head of a child in such a manner, that the two crowns were united. During life a sympathetic move- ment of the upper head had showed itself whenever the lower head moved. The bony parts of the two united skulls were in Owen's hands, and we considered attentively this extraordinary malforma- tion; and when, immediately afterwards, a skull was exhibited, which, by the action of water on the brain, had been enlarged so as to be nearly a foot and a half in diameter, it was impossible to avoid being reminded in how many ways even this noblest part of the human frame can become deformed by monstrosity or disease ! I was afterwards present at several consultations, one of which in- troduced me into the splendidly furnished house of the Marquis of Lansdowne. I was allowed the pleasure, after the conclusion of the consultation, of entering the marble hall, in which the marquis has displayed a number of ancient and modern Roman sculptures. I was most attracted by a rehef, the size of life — an antique — a sitting ^sculapius. The simple air of a remote period of art refreshed me. This was a fit conclusion to the former half of my day. I had reserved my afternoon for a walk through London. First, through the Strand and Fleet-street, to St. Paul's. I had brought with me no very great expectations of this edifice, great only in regard to its size, and the sight of it even diminished my opinion. In the place of one of the most magnificent old cathedrals, cele- brated as one of the most splendid buildings of the middles ages, the seventeenth century — this century in matters of taste below all criticism — has set up one of the most tasteless collections of columns, vaulted roofs, eaves and statues, that encumbers the earth. Sir Christopher Wren, the architect, has a monument here, upon which stands the proud word, " Circumspice !" but his own sentence, or rather that of his age, is expressed here. Only when seen from a distance, does the size of the cupola render it an imposing object; seen from within, where in addition every thing seems so waste and deserted, it is a mere soulless vault. Not far from this is the Monument, that well-known column erected to commemorate the great fire of 1666, which, among other things, destroyed the beautiful old Gothic cathedral. It ascends splendidly into the air, with its gilt ornament at the top, * ^ THE VIEW FROM LONDON BRIDGE. 95 particularly in such beautiful sunshine as that of to-day. I could have wished to have obtained a view of London from the top, but this pedantic celebration of the Sunday even closes the door at its base which on other days is always open ! Thus a puritanic faith always prevents every free view ! I then turned my steps to new London Bridge, the last of the bridges towards the sea, for from this, too, a view is to be obtained ; and such a view ! I can truly say, that the size and importance of this immense city now first burst upon my view. The Thames is here really an arm of the sea, with an ebb and flood making a difference of eight feet, and with rippling waves of muddy water; and when one stands upon the bridge and looks down upon this stream, with its forest of masts and its innumerable steamers, which pass each other like fishing boats, with its great Custom-house, and the number of large warehouses, one obtains, as at one view, an idea of the import- ance of London to commerce. Added to this one sees, up the river, the other bridges, the masses of houses, the stores, the great breweries, and the immense iron gasometers, rising into the air like large towers or colossal blast-furnaces, and all this without any rule or symmetry, ranged along according as each is needed, mostly blackened by smoke, but always producing such an immense effect eii masse. As a forest chain of mountains, with all its underwood and ugly roots, and its several flowers, which, taken separately, vv^ould appear insignificant or even disagreeable, appears splendid from a distance under favourable circumstances, and surrounded as it were with a bluish mist; so London, with all its dirt and misery, and smoke in parts, yet as a whole, how splendid and mighty ! What a size again is this bridge, and what traffic is there on it on a Sunday. I descended on the left bank one of those steps leading down to the water between the houses, and found myself in the midst of the life of a sea-port ; sailors, casks, smell of tar, everywhere bills and notices of sale. Every ten minutes one of the little steamers, about fifty of which now ply on tlie Thames, leaves each station, just like the omnibuses in the streets; and for no more than fourpence one is conveyed from London to A¥estminster-bridge. We passed under South wark, and Blackfriars- bridge, beautifully adorned at every buttress with Ionic colunms, and finally under Westminster-bridge, near which immense pillars are erected, to which a new bridge, a suspension one, is to be fastened. Such a voyage is really very remarkable. To-day the steamers are doubly busy, for on Sunday many persons take ad- vantage of the opportunity of visiting Greenwich; and just as I left London-bridge, some boats set off quite overfilled with pas- sengers. Five or six were lying at the same time alongside the pier at which I landed. The passengers rush out and the steamer pursues its way. These vessels pass each other continually, like the pleasure boats on the Elbe. They rush past each other, steaming and hissing, and yet each one passes on its course undisturbed. 96 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. The service of these steamers is simple; just above the machine sits a boy, who continually calls out, according to a sign from the captain, " stop," or " go on," according as it is necessary; and thus they carefully get out of the way even of the little boats, which otherwise would often be swamped in such a mass of movement. My way back conducted me through the whole length of St. James's-park, and I enjoyed various views of Westminster Abbey, peeping out from behind splendid lime trees and oaks above the ornamental water in the park. It looks very beautiful in the midst of such a city, to see sheep pasturing on each side of the path, or swans, ducks and geese, come to the shore to be fed by the children. I should almost call these parks the pauses between the long sentences of London, they give a few resting-places in the midst of this eternal bustle. In the evening, his majesty, as the Emperor of Russia had now left London, was to dine more privately with the Duke of Cam- bridge ; and I had the honour of a long conversation with their royal highnesses. The duke, though no longer young, shares wil- lingly, and to a great extent, in all that affects life, either politically or aesthetically; her royal highness, with a freer spirit, and finer and more poetical feelings, endeavours to spread an unsought grace over all subjects of conversation, and succeeds admirably. XXI. London, June lOtli — Evening. To-day, we commenced our drives through the city with the contemplation of human misery and the deepest human abasement. Two large prisons opened their heavy iron doors to the royal traveller: — First, the New Bridewell, Westminster, a prison built ten years ago by the County of Middlesex, displaying exquisite cleanliness and order in its arrangements. Vagabonds, swindlers, cheats, pickpockets, and such Hke refuse of human society are here imprisoned either for the whole term of their punishment, or at least for some time at first, employed and instructed. We passed through the outer door into the court, which was for the most part formed of grass plot, planted round the edges with shrubs in flower. From this we passed into the division appropriated to the prisoners, and there every thing w^as arranged with the greatest symmetry and order; but every part of it was also provided with the strongest and smoothest walls, and the sharpest and firmest iron work for the security of the prisoners. 1 he building is divided into several wings, and each contains a number of cells, in which, for the most part, the prisoners are con- fined singly; others are, however, confined together, but are, as THE TREADMILL. 97 well as those employed in tlie several workshops, compelled to remain perfectly silent. The number of the prisoners at present in the building is 500, but as many as 800 can be received. The people did not appear at all ill; and as they receive good food, and the air is pure, I believe that the account given us is correct, that their health is not found to suffer. We looked into some cells, observed the work of picking oakum, or the threads of the outer coat of the cocoa-nut, and were present in one of their school-rooms. Every thing is done with a precision strictly military. The working men either walk on the treadmill, or sit in regular ranks; those called to the chapel or the school-room, march forward in regular order and with measured steps — even the exercise which they are compelled to take in a narrow court (for the preservation of their health) is performed with a regular step, and in perfect silence. The utility of this system was not yet perfectly decided upon — particularly in regard to the total isolation of the prisoners, which, as above remarked, is not carried out to its fullest extent. The silent system, on the contrary, appeared already to have produced good effects; and when we consider to what purposes the noble gift of speech is generally applied in houses of correction, this sort of deprivation appears decidedly to be useful. The most disagree- able impression made on my mind, was that produced by the tread- mill. In a long gallery are a number of small cells, capable of containing exactly one person, who stands upon a step of the wheel; every one of these steps passes along all the cells; each prisoner is obliged to step forward at the same time as the others, or the wheel would crush his legs in its revolutions. At the command of the gaoler, the doors of all the cages opened at the same time, and we saw the unhappy criminals ranged before us. There is something fearful in seeing a human being not only made a machine, but merely a weight for a machine ! The pri- soners pass their time between solitary confinement, carding flax, the treadmill, and a little instruction ! When will liuman society be so far advanced, as to hinder, and render almost impossible, the commission of crime, by a more perfect education, and a more beautiful and freer development of the human being ! The second prison we visited was the Penitentiary, situated on the Thames, and intended to receive convicts under sentence of trans- portation, and to prepare them for their future fate. The building, externally, looks like a bastille, and the arrangement of the several wings is very well managed. About 900 male, and 150 female convicts; and among both of these divisions are several young per- sons, who are said to receive regular and useful instruction. The food is here also good, and great care is taken to preserve the rooms clean and well ventilated. Out of 1000 prisoners, therefore, there were but fifty sick. The solitary system is here more consistently carried out, in consequence of the greater extent of the prison ; and we saw several of these cells fitted up like workshops, in wliich H 98 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. carpets were worked, weaving was carried on, carpenter's and tin- man's work done, and so on. When the prisoners assemble, as in the church or the school-room, or to their common occupations, strict silence is preserved. Lastly, we passed round the towers of this bastille, within the outer wall, and saw there a piece of land, laid out as a garden, which is used for giving instructions in gardening to such convicts as are destined for Botany Bay. We then drove to Bedlam; and on this occasion I examined, besides the lunatic asylum, a working school for neglected children. When one considers, that among the 2,000,000 inhabitants of London, 20,000 are entirely without habitations, it is easy to con- ceive how neglected a number of children must be, and how much remains to be done, before the evil can be eradicated. The in- stitution near Bedlam, fed, clothed, and instructed, perhaps a couple of hundred children ; but this is but a drop in the ocean ! The house is, on the whole, small, the rooms for sleeping, work- ing, and eating, rather low; but everywhere cleanliness and order; and there was even a garden, kept in order by the chil- dren themselves. The clothes and shoes are all made in the insti- tution. We were engaged to-day to lunch with Dr. Howley, the Arch- bishop of Canterbury, the first ecclesiastical dignitary in Great Britain. He lives in the Bishop's Palace, at Lambeth ; and in this old ecclesiastical building, his majesty was received by the arch- bishop and his lady. The entrance, through an old gate overgrown with ivy, was of itself remarkable ; the house itself has been several times altered, but still in the Anglo-Gothic style; the drawing- room enjoyed, from its handsome Gothic windows, a beautiful view of Westminster, over the trees in the garden; and the library, with its high Gothic windows, and its rich wainscotting, contains many historical and literary treasures. The collection of MSS. is par- ticularly rich. The firm hand-writing of Queen Elizabeth — firm as her character, was to be found on many a leaf already yellow with age. The first installation of an Archbishop of Canterbury was also interesting, as well as the copy of a celebrated Chronicle of St. Alban's, made in the fifteenth century. For myself, this little court of an English ecclesiastical prince ofiered several points of comparison with the rich courts of the Italian clergy, which I had formerly seen in Rome. The violet-coloured livery, in which all the servants were dressed, was the only point m which any resemblance was to be seen — every thing else was dif- ferent ; and the patriarchal appearance of the venerable couple^ sur- rounded by a grown-up family, produced a much more beautiful effect. After a very rich, but certainly domestic meal, we drove to the Surrey Zoological Gardens, the second great zoological institution m London, which is, however, properly a matter of speculation; THE SUEBEY GARDENS. 99 for not only is money paid to enter at the gates, to sec the really numerous and interesting animals, but other remarkable exhibitions are also introduced here. We first visited the cages containing the rarer sorts of animals. Every thing is much the same as in the Regent's-park, but the positions are almost more interesting, and the animals very well kept. Some of the rarer animals are wanting, as the rhinoceros, the orang-utang, and siren ; in fact, the gardens in the Regent's-park appear to be rather more of a scientific under- taking than these. Among the birds, I was particularly struck with a specimen of the rhamsastos, or pepper-eater (rhampsastos pictus), which adorns the woods of the equinoctial regions of America, with the splendour of its plumage. Also a rare specimen of water-fowl (fulica clihropus)^ a beautiful sort of heron [ardea capensis), and a rare vulture {yultur ecaudatus). Among the quadrupeds, the Carnivora were particularly remarkable; and to me a rare specimen of the ursine kangaroo (didelphis ursinus) from Van Dieman's Land, was new. I was also interested in a pair of beautiful wapitis, those large stags of North America, which have seldom been seen to such advantage on this side the Atlantic. Whilst we were thus wandering along among the cages of the wild animals, we turned a corner, and a most extraordinary spectacle presented itself before our eyes. Over an artificial lake a painting or scenic decoration was extended, skilfully painted and arranged, representing London before the fire of 1666. It was not easy to distinguish where to draw the line between the real scenery and the canvass, for a bridge was really thrown over the water, repre- senting the old London Bridge of that time; the tower, the old cathedral of St. Paul, Winchester Palace, and the Globe Theatre were really there; and it was easy, by the aid of printed descriptions, to discover several points in ancient London. In the evening the great fire is here represented, and I can well imagine that by proper arrangement, a very powerful effect may be produced. Every year, or every two years, a new piece is exhibited, and thus art, in addition to the wild beasts, helps to increase the profits of the shareholders. We drove now further and further towards the more remote dis- stricts of the city; the coachman, although undoubtedly well ac- quainted with the town, was several times at fault; sometimes the pavement ceased altogether, and instead of houses, we saw huts surrounded with gardens : in short we appeared to be in the most re- mote part of England, instead of London. This was on our way to the most gigantic work of modern London, the Tunnel. At last we arrived at the entrance, leading from the left bank down under the bed of the river; as yet, however, no carriage can penetrate these depths, but foot passengers only are admitted, on payment of a small sum, and are allowed to pass through. In order to be able to lay down a carriage road, much more ground would have to be bought, and the present owners demand enormous prices ; so that the matter is h2 100 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. as yet to be left alone. It is easily seen, indeed, from the very gradual development of those parts of London wliicli the Tunnel was intended to connect, that this enormous work is of little use, except to prove the determination of the Enghsh spirit in carrying out any idea once started. Should London ever become as populous in this part as it is more west, it ^vill not only be necessary to make it passable for carriages, but a new tunnel must be built — per- haps even a railway tunnel. It was particularly interesting to me that Mr. Brunei liimself was present, in order to show his majesty his plans of the work, and to explain by what means (vaulted shields, sacks covered with tar, and artificial layers of clay) he was enabled to protect this double arch of 1300 feet long, twenty feet high, and tliirty- five broad (each arch being fourteen feet across) against the Thames, here broad and deep enough to carry merchant vessels. Bnmel's physiognomy is characteristic; his figure is short and rough, the form of his head broad, with a large development in the forehead and back part of the skulL The conclusion of this productive day's work was to be the exami- nation of a large brewery, and that of Barclay and Perkins had been fixed upon. I was well aware that every thing here was on a co- lossal scale, and yet the reaUty far exceeded my expectations ; this brewery is in itself a small town, containing several courts and streets, with large and small buildings. VTe were first conducted to the store- rooms, in which the enormous stores of malt are kept. The brew- ery requires yeai-ly 112,000 quarters, i. e. as a quarter contains two sacks, 224,000 sacks, of malt; it is easy to conceive, therefore, that the store of this material must be enormous. There were thirty- six large cases, reaching through a couple of stories, out of wliich the malt could be immediately conveyed according as it was wanted, by means of a sliding door; each of these cases contained 1000 quarters, or 2000 sacks, so that the wliole store was worth about 180,000/. We were next shown the immense malting ap- paratus, where the moistened barley is freed from the husks by roUers driven by steam power; the grains are afterwards dried and browned for making porter, and then laid up for use in these large cases. Next came the mills, also worked by steam power, in which the malt is corned, and finally the enormous vats, in which the malt and hops are boiled. The wort flows from these by means of a very ingenious system of pipes, into the cooling-pans, and from thence into the enormous tuns, where it is mixed with yeast, and where fermentation takes place; and at length into the really enor- mous A^ats, of which there are one hundred and fifty. The smaller ones contain each 3600 barrels, each of thirty-six gallons; the larger ones reach from the ground to the roof of a considerable sized house. At the upp^er end there is a passage crowing these im- mense vats, one of which measured fifteen paces in diameter; and I could now imderstand what I had sometimes read, that when LEAVEN BLADDERS. lOl sucli a Gargantua's cask bursts, a sort of inundation in tlie neigh- bounng streets is tlie consequence. The value of the contents of one of these vats is about 3500/. Tlie brewery employs constantly 300 men, and 180 horses. The latter are of a particular breed, of very large size, in order to be able to draw the two-wheeled drays used to convey the casks of beer about the town. They are brought from Lincolnshire, and cost from 60/. to 70/. It was quite reasonable that at the conclusion of all these observations, we should pro studio et Lahore be conducted into one of the offices, in order to taste the ale and the porter. They were both excellent. The porter is of a heavy, solid, and sombre character; the ale, on the other hand, was handed round in Champagne glasses, and contains in its clear light brown waves a strong intoxicating spirit. If I were to make a remark in conclusion, it would be this: —-what a number of things the human mind can produce and originate ignorantly and unconsciously, so that at the end exactly the same effect is produced as if he had all along known what this result would be. Thus, for example, these men direct the preparation and fermentation of these pleasant and nourishing drinks, and do not at all know that by this means they give rise to a process of microscopic vegetation, and cultivate one of the most remarkable formations of plants. It has, indeed, only been known for a few years among scientific men, that yeast consists of an in- finite number of the most minute semina, and that fermentation is nothing but an organic conversion of a liquid, which conversion goes on at the same rate if left to take its natural course, and is deter- mined by an increase of the original bubbles, and by a development of plants, which again form fresh semina, or bubbles, being the yeast produced by the fermentation. The beer probably would not be better if the brewer understood all this; but it is different with the spirit, which is only to be satisfied with the principles of any phe- nomenon, and which increases by increased knowledge. Several useful appHcations, too, might be made of this theory ! This evening we again dined early, and the court drove, at eight o^clock, to the Philharmonic Concert, under the direction of Men- delssohn. The concert-room might be called small for London, and is not richly decorated. There were reserved seats for the court in front of the orchestra, covered with scarlet drapery. The orchestra seemed to be kept together principally by the skill of the conductor, for the several members of it did not seem to possess any great talent, in consequence, probably, of the want of musical taste among the Enghsh; more interest seems, however, to have been excited for these concerts by the exertions of Prince Albert and the Duke of Cambridge. A symphony of Beethoven's and some beautiful pas- sages from the " Midsummer Night's Dream," afforded me in this life of commotion an agreeable rest for the mind ; and I had also the pleasure of saluting the author of this '* Midsummer Night's" music 102 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. myself, wKen during the pause he entered the royal box, situated close to the concert- room, by command of his majesty, by whom he was most graciously received. XXII. London, June 11th — Evening. Early this morning a rendezvous with Professor Owen, at the College of Surgeons, on all sorts of Anatomica. I availed myself of the occasion to measure the proportions of the head of this English Cuvier for my craniological tables. I have never yet measured the head of any truly distinguished artist, scholar, or diplomatist, with- out having found its proportions in general favourable, and in the forehead especially, preponderating dimensions. So it was in this case, and in addition to a good head, the peculiar structure might be adduced as a proof of the correctness of physiological cranioscopy. On my return I passed through Co vent Garden market, the chief place for the sale of fruit and vegetables of all descriptions. Here there is a kind of covered bazaar, where there is stand upon stand in long rows, on which an endless variety of the finest vegetable productions are beautifully arranged. The masses of magnificent strawberries, the neat bundles of asparagus, and baskets full of the most various vege- tables, looked very inviting. Among other things the market was well stocked with the young stalks of rhubarb, which are regarded as great delicacies, and used to flavour soups, in consequence of their lemon-acid flavour. There, too, were to be seen what would be re- garded as something very unusual in our markets, large baskets full of oranges, and hampers of cocoa-nuts, much esteemed for their kernel and the sweet fluid which they contain. And, finally, there were numbers of baskets filled with unripe fruit for sale, particularly employed for a kind of pastry much used in desserts, and called tarts. There was no lack of the beautiful mixed up with the useful — whole stands full of the choicest flowers, and especially in the form of elegant bouquets, charmingly arranged and bound together by pretty cases made of ornamental white paper, furnishing every dandy with the most suitable morning ofiering to the mistress of his heart. I was obhged, however, to hasten back to the palace, in order ta accompany his majesty in his extensive excursions through London. Our first object was the Baker-street bazaar. In extent the place is enormous, and a multitude of articles of the most various descrip- tions are here exposed for sale in several large buildings ; among other things there are long galleries full of carriages, many second-hand^ sent here by their proprietors to be disposed of. On the whole^ however, it is deficient in the ornamental, multifarious, and varie- MR. hope's collection. lOft gated appearance, which is so interesting and makes such an agree- able impression in the Oxford-street bazaar. From Baker-street we proceeded to the Zoological Gardens in the Regent's-park, and I had great pleasure in seeing for the second time this choice collection of the varieties of animal life, and observed, too, several which had before escaped my attention. The third object of curiosity was the house of Mr. Hope, son of that rich banker who laid the foundation of Thorwaldsen's reputation by a great expenditure. The father has been long dead, and his widow married Lord Beresford as her second husband; the son is unmarried, and occupies this large and singular house quite alone. Curious enough, the late Mr. Hope, in the erection of this house, wished to furnish an imitation of the ancient Greek style of archi- tecture. It therefore appears from without dark and unadorned, whilst within it is decorated with columns, and the rooms and cham- bers are either lighted from the interior court, which is not indeed very clear, or from the top. The house contains a considerable collection of vases, and in the state rooms are some paintings, which are called masterpieces of the Italian painters, but which, however, have for the most part been baptised without conscientious god- fathers. Among the sculptures, I was most interested with that first and greatest of Thorwaldsen's works, the " Jason." The treatment of the marble itself is very beautiful, and it was remarkable to observe the struggle between the high artistical conception and the poor, dry compliance of nature. The latter was visible in the execution of the limbs. In the back and head the hard material had been more yielding under the hand of the artist. In the neighbouring small but richly adorned chambers I was struck with several paintings in oil, executed by Daniel, the author and illustrator of the great work upon India. The wonderful pa- godas, temples, and walls of Delhi, and other places, are represented in a somewhat broad, theatrical style, but rare, and by no means un- interesting. Finally, we came to a collection of pictures of the Dutch and Flemish schools, and here, indeed, are pieces of admirable beauty and distinguished excellence. I would especially name a picture by Van der Heist, representing the apprehension of Cornelius de Witt; the figures, it is true, are small, only about one-fourth the size of life, but are brought out nobly by the bold and skilful hand of the painter. We were next extremely amused by the wit and character displayed in an oyster feast, painted by Johann Steen. And further I was delighted with the picture of an old warrior just emptying his wine-glass, whilst standing over him, a trumpeter is blowing a vigorous blast from a silver trumpet, adorned with a blue flag richly embroidered. There are also some beautiful sea-pieces by Van der Velde, and by Adrian Van der Velde the large picture from nature of a sunny farm-yard with cattle, in which the ghttering of the leaves in the sun-light, the play of the shadows of the trees upon the wooden walls of the yard, and the lying and standing 104 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. cattle, upon tKc grass and in tlie water, are all splendidly delineated. The most perfect of all, However, is, perhaps, a picture by Cuyp, re- presenting cattle lying down in water. The brilliancy in the sunny air — the calm of the wide ponds — the transparent shadows and bright lights upon the reposing animals — fortunate may the collector esteem himself wdio has such a treasure in his gallery. Before returning home, it was his majesty's pleasure still to visit one of those large club-houses, which constitute a peculiar feature in London life. These club-houses are generally said to be a thorn in the eye of the London ladies, as they furnish so many compen- sations for the pleasures of domestic life, that a great number of men prefer remaining unmarried. A member of such a club enjoys every convenience for conducting his correspondence, books to read or consult, newspapers of all kinds, and meals at very mode- rate prices, so that in fact, he needs little more than a simple dwelling, more for the night than for the day. The club which •we visited was that called the United Service Club; a house at which the higher officers both of the army and navy, in service or out of service, regularly meet. This club-house is beautifully situated in Waterloo-place, and consists of a splendid building, with large reading, conversation, library, and dining rooms; the chief staircase is adorned with statues and pictures, and the house contains an extremely luxurious kitchen, where, behind a polished fire-screen full eight feet high, and before a powerful coal fire, all manner of roasts, placed upon perpendicular spits, turned by me- chanism, send forth the odour of their ripeness for the hungry palate. The cost on admission is 30/. sterling, and the annual subscription 61. The great heroes of the army and navy, Wel- lington and Nelson, adorn the stairs in portraits as large as life; and close by Nelson there is placed a very large picture of the Battle of Trafalgar, executed by Clarkson Stanfield. We here observed the Victory^ which we had visited at Portsmouth, in all her majesty. In the afternoon, the British Museum was to be visited. Before, however, we set out on this expedition, I received a visit in my quiet room from Prince Albert, that young and amiable prince, who was led to me by the interest which he takes in the science of nature, in order to see, under the microscope, the mysterious pro- ductions, previously spoken o£ called leaven bladders. The exhi- bition was very successful — the view of the process complete — and the lively interest taken by him in this remarkable discovery, is a proof to me, that science and its promoters in England, will infalli- bly be much indebted to the attention and zeal of his royal highness for the promotion of knowledge. On this occasion in the Museum, we commenced with the splendid library, which I had . not seen on my previous visit. The riches of these rooms in works of splendour and rarity, especially in Greek MSS. and Egyptian papyri, are well known to those ac- THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 105 quainted with sucli subjects; but in a hasty review, it was impos- sible to dwell on such things. We therefore immediately turned to the antiques — and first to the Egyptian, which I was now able to examine somewhat more in detail. What is very remark- able, is, that many of these most ancient monuments have been the trophies of very recent victories. They constituted a part of the large collections made in Egypt by the Erench savans, and fell into the hands of the Enghsh on the capitulation of Alexandria, in 1801, as a part of the spoils of war. Among them is the celebrated Kosetta stone, the most important key to the art of interpreting hieroglyphics which it has fallen to the lot of the present age to discover. This stone contains a eulogy on the services of Pto- lemy, engraved in the hieroglyphic, demotic, and Greek lan- guages. It is now preserved with reverence in the British Mu- seum, along with the tablet of Abydos, which contains the list of the succession of Egyptian kings. All the same thoughts which had been formerly suggested to my mind, on the view of these remnants of Egyptian greatness, again came fresh upon me ! — thoughts on the rigid immovable dimensions of these works of art, made as it were for eternity. And yet it was again as clear to me as ever, that nothing made by human skill, can indeed with- stand the consuming power of time; the power of the soul alone remains untouched. My eyes to-day were again involuntarily attracted to these massive ruins — those colossal heads, broken from their trunks — those giant hands sundered from their bodies — those Sphinxes maimed of their proportions. Amongst them lay a huge Scarabseus, but nothing appeared to be so well preserved, almost uninjured, and distinct in their hieroglyphical inscriptions, as the resting-places of the dead, the immense granite sarcophagi. It is very remarkable to observe the strict adherence to the one great and severe style pervading all, down to the smallest portions of these broken statues. The shadow of doubt never could arise in the mind, whether a single finger, or any other fragment, how minute soever, might not possibly be the production of Grecian art. The Egyptian character is stamped indelibly on all, and it is alwa;y'S the same, whether it be contemplated here in the small hieroglyphic figures of an animal or a sarcophagus ; or in the representation of the immense head of Rameses III., fully five feet broad, placed in the wall over the entrance. The Lycian monuments, too, which have been recently added to these collections, furnished materials for consideration. They contain bas-reliefs, representing the demolition of a city, and eight single statues, all brought from the ancient Xanthus in Lycia. The delineations are somewhat rude, but by no means deficient in lively imagination; near these are the wonderful specimens of architec- tural remains. They exhibit a singular half Persian, half Egyptian style, and already mixed with Christian symbols. A lofty tomb ia especially remarkable; an angel is represented, in its flat bas-reHef, 106 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. with a palm branch in his hand, as conducting the soul, which is re- presented under a very odd form. Tliese things invite to questions of peculiar study and research; but they are such as would, at least, be always more interesting to the historian than the artist. Now, however, to the Greeks, to whom the mind must always turn, when engaged in the search after what is artistically perfect. True, indeed, the figures of the Parthenon again powerfully at- tracted our attention; but the variety of objects to be examined, necessarily compelled us to bestow much of our time upon other objects of art or curiosity. Among the Grecian antiques, 1 was most struck with a Venus, draped from the hips downwards, very closely resembling the Venus of Melos. This statue was found in the baths of Claudius, at Ostia, and still exhibits all the perfec- tion of Grecian art in the highest degree. The bearing and beauty of the figure reminded me somewhat of the Venus of Aries. The collection contains a number of large and beautiful vases, adorned with Bacchanalian figures, splendid candelabra and frag- ments of columns; some beautiful terminal statues of Mercury, and a great number of other busts and statues of great merit. The small works belonging to antiquity, are preserved in the upper rooms, consisting of bronzes, small vases, ornaments, and the like. These rooms also would furnish subjects of examination for weeks. I can only attempt to notice or record the most remarkable. To this class especially belongs the curious glass vessel, known under the name of the Portland Vase, and found near Rome, about the middle of the sixteenth century, in a marble sarcophagus. The height of the vase is not much more than a foot; the material, a beautiful dark blue glass, adorned with reliefs of a milk white vitreous substance. The manner in which these reliefs have been attached to the substratum is a question, which has given rise to much discussion among archasologists. The work very much resembles that of the carved Roman cameos, in which the white mass of the shell is allowed to stand upon a yellowish ground, and it appears to me most probable, that in the case of this vase also, the white reliefs are artificially cut out from a mass of white glass matter upon the surface. We were further charmed with the examination of many rich golden diadems, and splendid bronze pieces of armour, formerly gilded, the exceedingly beautiful 'rehefs of which have been copied by Bronstedt (these were considered for some time as portions of the golden armour of Pyrrhus) : and to these must be added a highly interesting collection of cut stones and coins. The museum also contains much relating to the arts of the middle ages; as, for example, a small rich wood carving ascribed to Al- bert Durer, and several of those pieces of Martin Finiguerra, en- graven on metal lids, which are often regarded as the commence- ment of the art of copper-plate engraving, because they certainly give a very good impression upon paper. These were followed by the view of the great Hamiltonian collection of vases; and, finally, THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 107 the treasures of small Greek and Roman bronzes and terra cottas^ and tlie Egyptian antiquities, arranged in a suite of rooms. The last consists of furniture, ornaments, papyrus, &c. &c. The most curious article among those was an extremely well-preserved wig, made of strong brown and black hair. Whatever priest or prince of Egypt may have been the proprietor, it must have served to give him a very singular appearance. We next proceeded to the departments of natural history, and in the first of these, the mineralogical and geological department, I found an opportunity of making the acquaintance of the meritorious curator, Herr Kcinig — a German. He explained to us his plan for the exhibition of the whole collection; of which, however, a great part is not yet arranged, among which may be mentioned that of fossil fish. The Amphibia commence in the order of the subject, with the Salamander tribe, among which there is to be seen an im- pression of the head and spine of that colossal primitive sala- mander, which the old Swiss naturalist, Scheuchzer, regarded as a fossil human being, and has given as an evidence of the existence of the human species at the period of the earliest conditions of the earth. These were followed by the land and marsh Amphibia, such as the Teleosauri, Geosauri, Iguanodon, or gigantic crocodiles, found under Tilgate Forest, in Sussex; and the winged Amphibia {pterodactylus) ; and, finally, the marine Amphibia (enaliosauria), which are particularly represented in the diiferent species of Ple- siosauri and Ichthyosauri, the most splendid specimens of which have been found on the sea-coast, near Lyme Regis. Our attention was especially directed to an immense spinal column of an Ichthyo- saurus, quite detached, more than twenty feet long. The cases for the meteoric iron and stones, contain also very in- teresting specimens. The largest is a piece of iron, a part of the ce- lebrated mass of Otumpa, described by Don Rubin de Cells, which was estimated, in all, at fifteen tons' weight. The portion in the museum weighs 1400 pounds. Among these meteoric stones, is that historically remarkable one which fell from the air at Ensis^ heim, during the battle of the (at a later period) Emperor Maximihan against the French. It weighs 270 pounds. The rest are chiefly remarkable from having fallen in places beyond the limits of Eu- rope, in the East Indies, Africa, America, &c. The mineralogical collection, properly so called, could only be cursorily viewed. Among the very remarkable things here, is a small slab in the form of a table, presented by the Duke of Rutland, and singular, especially, on account of its very recent formation. In the lead mines belonging to the duke, in Derbyshire, there Avas found a stalagmite deposit of coloured calcareous concrete, inside an old water-pipe, which, when cut and polished, presented this very beautiful wavy, yelloAv-brown marble. Attempts are now said to be made to produce this marble by artificial arrangements made expressly for the purpose. 108 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. There still remained tlie zoological and botanical departments of tliis Museum Universum, wliicli is called tlie British Museum; and in order just to have a glance at the whole, we walked through these also. Mr. Gray, who is the curator of the former department, made the kindest offers for affording me every opportunity of ex- amining the collection more closely, and which, if I had been able to devote the necessary time to the subject, would have been very agreeable to me. We chiefly cast our eyes around among the legions of birds, and our attention was directed to a claw of that rare, extinct bird, the Dodo {clidus inaptus), as well as to the very remarkable play-ground nests of the Ptilonorhynchus nuchalisj found by Mr. Gould, and placed in the museum. These extra- ordinary birds, observed by this gentleman in New Holland, belong to the family of the Lanii (stranglers), are about the size of a black- bird, and are called by the English satin-birds. They build their nests in trees; but in addition to this, they build also upon the ground a kind of play-ground, made of small twigs, in the form of a httle bower, about a foot high. In this little bower, they amuse themselves by running about, adorn it with shells, which they drag thither for the purpose, and make even a kind of pavement with flat smooth stones; and it often happens that things which have been accidentally lost, such as knives, spoons, &c., are found ia these structures. This little edifice is remarkably well preserved, and interested me very much, as a proof and example of a very high degree of structural instinct, of very rare occurrence to such an extent among animals. The collection of quadrupeds, fish, am- phibia, shells, and insects, is also of immense extent. The botanical department is under the celebrated Sir Robert Brown, with whom I had the pleasure of a previous acquaintance, and contains a vast mass of valuable treasures. It was, of course, quite impossible to cast even a glance into the extensive Herbaria, from all parts of the world; but Ave found leisure to look over several large volumes, full of beautiful drawings of rare Orchideas; and the carpological collection furnished us with a sight of an immense variety of seeds and fruits. It was to me a matter of singular inte- rest, to have some conversation with the celebrated curator, respecting the vegetative power of the seeds and grains of corn taken from the Egyptian tombs. He alleged, that in all his numerous microscopical examinations of such grains, thousands of years old, he had always found the innermost germ completely dried up, and directly denied the fact of their vegetative power. Nothing, indeed, is thereby proved; but the matter deserves renewed consideration. The stem of a Brazilian fern hung up in the room, which had all the charac- teristics of a tree, is well calculated to give some idea of the mag- nificence of South American vegetation. It has a close resemblance to the stem of a moderate-sized pine. After this cursory glance, we left the Museum, in which hu- man knowledge is represented in a richness of objects, which, WHITEHALL. 109 perhaps, might be still more advantageously disposed in separate collections. On our return to Buckingham Palace, we paid a hasty visit to all that remains of the old royal palace of Whitehall — the banqueting and death-house of English kings. In the time of Henry VIII., Whitehall belonged to Cardinal Wolsey, as Archbishop of York. After his death, the king took it for his own residence, so that it continued to be used as a royal palace, till the chief part of it was burned down in 1695. The present palace of Whitehall is the whole which was saved from the flames. This portion constituted the banqueting-house, and was added to the original structure by James I. It was from a window of this hall of revelling that the unfortunate Charles I. was obliged to mount the scaffold, in the year 1649. From this time its appropriation as a banqueting-house ceased — and, as it were, to compensate for the bitter irony which had changed the very banqueting-hall into a bloody scaiFold — the great ball-room was afterwards converted into a church. In the entrance to the palace we saw a great variety of ground plans and drawings of the former arrangements of the extensive buildings and gardens of the ancient palace; at present there is nothing what- ever to be seen in the building, except an empty palace built in the usual florid Italian style, whose so called church even is not calcu- lated of itself to make any sacred impression on the mind (for it is still an almost unaltered ball-room), but the place produces a pecu- liar effect from the recollection of the dreadful event of which it was once the scene. The paintings on the roof, which are said to be by Rubens, but no doubt for the most part executed by his pupils, contain the " Apotheosis of James I.," and although this makes a singular enough impression in connexion with a Christian church, it however adds a pecuHar feature to the whole, when one thinks that the painted apotheosis of the father was formerly made a wit- ness to the actual execution of the son. After dinner, at nine o'clock, his majesty went to the opera to see the second act of " Lucia de Lammermoor." Persiani had the chief part, — a very skilful singer, but far less pretty than Grisi, and ungraceful in her action. The opera was followed by a ballet, " Undine," insignificant in invention and arrangement, and brought out with bad decorations. The great object of attraction was the moonlight dance, performed by Cerito towards the end, in which she has here raised such a furoi\ that on one occasion, when this dance was omitted, it gave rise almost to a riot in the theatre, wdiich w^as only put an end to, or rather turned into laughter, by an Italian presenting himself to the audience to lull the storm, and addressing the public in bad French in the follow^ing sin- gular manner: — '* Messieurs et mesdames, un accident est arrive a la machine de la lune." This moonshine was produced somewhat in a similar manner as in the hydro-oxygen gas microscope; the light was made to fall upon a milk-white glass, and certainly pro- 110 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. duced all the effect of tKe clearest moonsKine. In this light Cerito danced — coquetting with her shadow just as a young girl would do with her reflection in a looking-glass— bending herself down as she would embrace it, and then apparently flying from it again, and executing a hundred such fooleries, which, however, were all per- formed with admirable grace— called forth bursts of applause— and were very ao-reeable to see. Without waiting for the end of the ballet, we took our departure after this moonlight scene, and went home, but without any real moonlight in the sky. XXIII. London, June 12th — Evening. This day being wholly at my disposal for my own objects, I availed myself of the early hours to drive to the house of Mr. Gould, to whose ornithological collections my attention had been directed yesterday, for the second time, in the British Museum. I found him residing in a small but very elegant and agreeably furnished house, and had reason to be much pleased with a very kind recep- tion. It may be very truly said that he has done for the birds of Austraha what Audubon has done for those of America. His work on " Australian birds" is admirable for its drawings, and full in its text, and contains also drawings of many beautiful Australian plants. What treasures had he not to communicate! He even showed me some beautiful living birds from New Holland. One was a very small but most charming parrot, with a green and brown plumage — the melopsittacus undulatus — and Gould mentioned as an Australian peculiarity — for every thing there is usually so — that many of the parrots of New Holland are agreeable songsters — of which, however, those earlier known gave no intimation. Then he showed me an extraordinary rich collection of eggs and nests, and what was not capable of being preserved in natura, was care- fully delineated in oil paintings and accurate drawings. Thus I found with him a very well-executed oil painting of the play- ground of the satin bird, called by him chlamydera nuchalis^ which was accompanied with a representation of the dark-plumaged builder himself The drawings of the brood hills formed by the leipoa and melapodius belonging to the class of brush turkey, ap- peared to me very remarkable. They furnished the most singular pecuHarities respecting their mode of life. The leipoa ocellata^ a dark-coloured bird of the size of a grouse, heaps up a great mound of earth and sand to the height of from three to four feet. On the top the bird makes a hollow, in which the female lays eight very large eggs, and then the hollow is completely filled up with leaves, moss, and mould. The eggs are now committed to the process of PROFESSOR FARADAY. 1 1 1 nature — left to be hatched by the warmth of the sun — and the young, which arc very large, no sooner burst the shell, than with their strong feet they scratch an outlet for themselves through the leafy covering, and make their way to the light of day, and from that moment forward provide for themselves. In the case of the melapodms tumulus the hillock often reaches six feet in height. In most cases birds are regarded as patterns of care for their young, but these afford an example of complete indifference and forgetful- ness. This zealous collector has not confined his attention to the birds of Australia alone. A short time ago he received several new species of the kangaroo, and of the pretty little marsupiae — the tarsipus rostratus with its thread-shape echidna-tongue, and only two sharp fore teeth in the under jaw, and the cliairojpus with small claws and feet, almost Kke those of a jerboa. Natural history will no doubt be greatly enriched by the labours of this most industrious collector. From Mr. Gould's I drove to St. George's Hospital, which is a handsome building, admirably situated at Hyde-park comer, and contains a considerable anatomical collection. This institution is also the produce of voluntary contributions, and was rebuilt in its present form and dimensions about sixteen years ago. The arrange- ment of the wards and the care of th^ patients, are precisely the same as in St. Bartholomew's. We ascended to the flat roof, and, on a beautiful sunny day, I enjoyed from this elevated position a rich and interesting view of all that part of London which lay with- in the scope of my vision. Not long since, one of the nurses threw herself from the top on which we stood. Near the hospital is the anatomical school of Mr. Lane. Anatomical preparations of the most various kinds were heaped together in his collection; and Mr. Lane, on his own account, undisturbed by the government, which pays little attention to such things, gives instructions to students, who then visit the hospitals and become physicians, or at least apothecaries, who here, as is well known, practise medicine in spite of the physicians. This must be regarded as one of the excrescences of English freedom. I had now several medical consultations to attend, and with diffi- culty afterwards found time to pay a visit to the celebrated chemist Faraday, to whom we also in Germany are so much indebted. I found in him a man of vigorous frame, of middle size, and a form of head rather broad than long, corresponding to his knowledge. He received me with urbanity and kindness. He resides in the Royal Institution — an institution which was founded by Count Ruraford in 1800 — in which Sir Humphry Davy lectured and made his most important discoveries. Faraday also lectures here, and accompanies his instructions with the necessary experiments in the physical sciences. He received me in the room appro- priated to a mineralogical and geological cabinet, which contains 112 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. a well-arranged collection and some remarkable fossils. It is also furnished with what ought to be much more attended to in such collections, several oil paintings — views of places geologically re- markable (the artists indeed might have been better), of singular formation of trapps, great coal strata, remarkable chalk rocks, &c. The idea of a physiognomy of mountains has here also taken root. I was also anxious to see one of the benevolent institutions for the reception of pregnant women, and drove at leisure to the Lying-in- Hospital in the City-road. The fundamental law of this and of similar institutions is to receive only poor married women, but however the rule may agree with that kind of Christian feeling, from which these institutions have originated, it is certain, also, that the conse- quence is the deprivation of every place of refuge, inflicted upon those unfortunate persons who arc unmarried, the entailing of im- mense misery, and the sure means of producing horrible crimes of another description, which it appears to me it would be much more Christian to prevent, than to adhere to this fixed principle. "With the exception of this constitutional fault, the institution de- serves the highest commendation, and the appearance of the rooms, corridors, and garden, all gave me the impression of a domestic ar- rangement much more than that of a hospital. The results, too, speak for themselves ;■ for of 590 poor women who were confined in the institution during the year 1840 only six died. A matron presides over the establishment, and the whole of the necessary nursing and attendance is given by women. Dr. Clark, who is the physician to the institution, is very rarely called in. As far as it is possible the women are received about forty-eight hours before their confinement, on the recommendation of governors, and showing a certificate of their marriage, and remain three weeks after, during which time all the care, attendance, and food, are given without cost, except that, what appeared to me very characteristic of English life, each person is required to provide her own tea and sugar. Thirty-five thousand, four hundred and seventy-four children were born in this institution from the year 1750 to the close of the year 1840. On my return I prepared to visit another of the great lunatic asylums of London — St. Luke's Hospital. It is situated in Old- street-road, and outwardly has all the appearance of a fortress, sur- rounded by a ditch, and with a bridge to approach the door; it is also said that the old system of force and chains prevails here.* Whilst we remained in the entrance-hall, the physician who accom- panied me tried in vain to induce the apothecary who received us, to alloAv us to inspect the hospital. " Only allowed on a written authority from the governors," was the only reply; and as I had omitted to furnish myself with such a permission, we were obliged * This information of my conductor does not, however, correspond with the " Report on the Treatment of Lunatics" in the " Quarterly Review," for October, 1844, in which it is said " St. Luke's Hospital was found in abetter state than Bedlam." LORD WILTON'S SOIRJ&E. 113 to retire, regarding this unkind reception as giving no very favour- able impression of tKc mode of treatment pursued. At some distance from St. Luke's stands the House of Correction, Luilt about fifty years ago, on Howard's plan. Its outward appearance exhibits none of the traces of the humane Howard, but gives the passers by the impression of a terrible fortress, with its spiked walls, and chains, and iron bars, and therefore, among the people, it goes by the name of the Bastille. I did not see the interior. After all this, after passing through so many cross streets and lanes, I found myself again at sunset in my own quiet chamber in Buckingham Palace. The windows were open before my Avriting- table, and I rejoiced in the rural calm among the trees in the gardens; every thing felt as if one was altogether remote from a city, and especially from such a one as London. As I looked again, the idea was more and more realised by the appearance of a fawn feeding upon the grass which sprouted up under the walls close to my window ! It is only the possibility of finding such a buen retiro in many places of this vast city, which could make its noise and hurry at all endurable ! I was not, however, permitted even here long to indulge in these solitary reflections, for his mnjesty was about to proceed to a grand dinner at Lord Wilton's, from whom he had received an invitation. We drove thither, and in the evening there was not merely a large soiree^ but also a ball, which detained me till late in the night, as a spectator only it is true, but as a spectator whose time was fully and agreeably occupied in the contemplation of the very beautiful heads which passed in review before him. I cannot omit mentioning the impression left upon me by the Marchioness of Douro, the daughter- in-law of the Duke of Wellington. Her head is of great beauty, and when seen in profile worthy of the goddess Juno. XXIV. London, June 13th — Evening. This morning his royal highness Prince Albert honoured me with a visit for the second time, in order to examine some of Ehrenberg's microscopic discoveries respecting fossil Infusoria, which wxre observed with peculiar interest. Soon afterwards we set out for a drive to Richmond-park and to Kew, whither his majesty had been invited by the Duke of Cambridge. At the extremity of the suburbs, we arrived at a very ornamental suspension bridge, which crosses the Thames, here rather dimi- nished in width, and to our surprise, almost immediately on lea^'ing the town, came upon an extensive waste common, covered with thistle and broom. Were not England the country of so many I 1 14 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. striking contrasts, the appearance of such a waste so close to so large a city as London, would be still more difficult to explain; in tliis case, it is said to arise from circumstances connected ■with jurisdiction. The day was again dry and beautiful; the roads covered with dust, and hitherto I might say in general, that I had in Tain sought for this foggy, gloomy, rainy, smoky London, concern- ing which I had read and heard so many descriptions. This spring and summer, however, are said to be remarkable exceptions. After a short drive we reached Richmond-park, with its beautiful mea- dows and magnificent oaks. It makes a delightful impression after the noise and dust of the city and streets. The hills in this neigh- bourhood rise progressively; we alighted on Richmond-hill to view the prospect, which, among the English, is greatly admired for the extent and beauty of the landscape which it presents, and has furnished a theme for .many poets, and been especially celebrated by Thomson, who formerly resided there. The whole is a view from a low hill, over an extensive and well- wooded country — with the agreeably winding Thames in the foreground, and Windsor in the distance. No doubt very pleasing and pretty in fine weather, but for the rest, nothing very extraordinary. We entered the town of Richmond, which is much frequented by the people of London in the summer; the Thames here, merely a river, runs' at the bottom of the hill, on the declivity of which the town is buih. This stream suggested to me many reflections; when I remembered, that only a few miles further on its course, below London-bridge, it is covered with thousands of large merchant ships; and that, in this manner, it passes all at once by its mar- riage with an arm of the sea from the simplicity of childhood to an historical personage of universal celebrity ! Such instances, too, are sometimes repeated in human life ! We found Richmond crowded with carriages, in consequence of the races at Hampton Court. We drove rapidly through the town, and soon arrived at the residence of the Duke of Cambridge in Kew, where the duke and duchess received his majesty in a simple but elegant country-house. We soon proceeded to the inspection of the gardens, forcing-houses, and extensive park. Sir W. J. Hooker, formerly of Glasgow, has been recently appointed curator of the gardens, to preserve, increase, and describe the collection which it contains. I here saw a great number of interesting and partly new plants, such as statice maci^ophylla, jitsticia calmia^ cephalotus folliculans, dngelonia Gardenerina, and rondelatia multiflora; to which must be added the Daphne legata, the inner bark of which is woven into a remarkable species of ruffles, and the platycerhun grande, a species of fern, which sends forth its fine feathered tail from broad, colossal, massive leaves, which closely and significantly resemble the form of the Marchantia. My attention was necessarily attracted to the Kreysigia multiflora, by the remembrance of my late worthy colleague Kreysig, whose KEW GARDENS. 115 name it bears. As a memorial of my friend, who did not long survive his journey to England, I placed a small branch of this almost unsightly plant with its small white blossoms in my pocket- book. I did the same with the remarkable dammaraAustralis, but for a very different reason ; it is the noble tree which is found in New Zealand, and furnishes the English with such admirable masts. Among the beautiful New Holland pines, I here further saw the dacrydium elatum. This collection also contains the first specimen of the pines of the Cordilleras, brought to Europe from Chili, by Vancouver, the araucaria imhricata^ the stem of which is already four inches in diameter. In addition to these, there are immense spe- cimens of the Ginko hiloba growing in the open air, and beside them, also without protection, several fresh trees of black and green tea, with many other interesting plants. The forcing-houses contained some beautiful specimens of orchideous plants, among which the splendid saccolabium guttatum^ with its large pendant blood-red grape-like blossoms, was pre-eminent. Nor was a magnificent lofty palm-house wanting, made completely of iron and glass, in which a va- riety of beautiful palms and bamboos are protected and shown. Tlie dead stem of a xantophora (also a palm) was lying near, covered with curious black scales, in consequence of which it has received the name of the black hoy. The scales are resinous, and when burnt, emit an agreeable odour. In short, these gardens would furnish interesting and abundant occupation for a botanist for many days. During this visit, I was fortunate enough to enjoy a great deal of conversation with the son of Professor Hooker. Although still very young, he had accompanied Captain Ross, as botanist, on his expedi- tion to the North Pole, and is now publishing an account of the botanical novelties of the voyage. He had been absent four years, and sometimes for the space of 100 to 150 days seen no land. Notwithstanding the great anxieties and privations of the voyage, he spoke with pleasure and zeal, of the manner in which the crews of the two ships, by their cordiality and union, had in so many respects lightened the toils of the expedition; whilst the grandeur and strangeness of the phenomena gave them a rich recompense for the dangers which they encountered and their perseverance. How spacious is this park also ! — wide spreading meadows, along which the narrow Thames winds its course, stretch to a distance. We walked through small woods, past the most splendid old ches- nuts and limes, and met everywhere with ornamental grounds and gardens. Atone place. Professor Hooker directed our attention to a small town, called Brentford, at the other side of the Thames. It contains some large brandy and gin distilleries; and some idea may be formed of the immense scale upon which every thing is here measured, by the fact, that an establishment of this kind sometimes pays as much as 7000Z. duty in a single week. On our return, we joined the ladies of the household at a charm- i2 116 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. ing social luncKeon, after whicli tlie duke took his departure for London, to attend the House of Peers, whilst the duchess invited his majesty and suite to make a further visit to Sion House, a neighbouring seat belonging to the Duke of Northumberland. A very elegant carriage was brought to the door, the duchess took her seat and seized the reins of the noble steeds; a whip was handed to her, which was at the same time a parasol — the king seated himself beside her grace, and the light carriage sped quickly through the park. We followed in a larger carriage. On this occasion, the sky, which had been clear and sunny in the morning, suddenly became dark and lowering; heavy clouds encompassed the horizon, the heat became oppressive, and in Germany a severe storm would' have been the result; here, however, wdiere thunder storms are rare, there was merely a slight covering of clouds, afterwards a little rain, and then again a beautiful evening succeeded. On our drive we first passed through the small town of Brentford, and soon reached Sion House. A fat, well-powdered porter, clad in rich livery and with a three-cornered hat, stood at the entrance, and we soon drove to the front of this splendid mansion, whose corner towers and fa9ades are surmounted with elegant turrets. The interior arrangements are splendid ! The floor of the great entrance- hall is inlaid with black and white marble, and contains several large antique statues; on one side an Apollo, and on the other a beautiful bronze cast ofthe Dying Gladiator. The adjoining apartment, however, is the grand show-room of the house. It is surrounded by twelve Ionic columns and sixteen pilasters of verde antico^ which w^ere for- merly purchased in Rome, said for the most part to have been fished up from the bed of the Tiber. The floor and walls are made of polished stucco, and between each pair of columns there is a marble statue — an imitation of some celebrated antique. This is followed by a suite of splendid rooms and a large library ; from the house we re- turned to the park, in which there is a small building fitted up espe- cially for an observatory, and containing a large astronomical telescope. We walked through a portion of the grounds, and admired the luxu- rious vegetation, beautiful ponds, and splendid hot and green-houses. These houses were arranged with a degree of magnificence and luxury of which I had hitherto seen no example. The building re- sembles a palace, surrounded with the most beautiful gardens ; in the centre there is a cupolated building constructed of iron and glass, containing fan-palms, bananas, &c., in full bearing, and great varieties of the cactus tribe, among which a magnificent Cereiis^ which may have reached twenty-five feet in height, deserves particular mention. The house constitutes, in fact, a kind of artificial, primitive forest ! The other houses abounded in the most beautiful and luxuriant plants and flowers. The question naturally suggests itself, whether, in the midst of such a mass of comforts, as the air of these places breathe, w^here every wish meets with its ready and most luxurious indulgence, the mental MRS. LAWRENCE'S COLLECTION. ll? life, tlie productive stimulating impulse and energy of the mind is not likely to be lost? All that I see here and elsewhere presses this reflection on my mind. It is bad to possess too little, but it is per- haps still more dangerous to possess too much ! From Sion House we returned to London, proposing, however, on our way to visit the country house of Mr. Lawrence, in order to see the splendid collection of orchidcous plants belonging to Mrs. Lawrence. The elegance of the grounds does honour to the old, but not always true proverb: " Galenus dat opes." The fountains of all descriptions, the collection of parrots and monkeys in front of the house, the hot and green houses, are really extraordinary, not so much from their outward splendour as from their interior richness. Especially that which contains the orchidece! A large astrasscea grandijiora spreads its branches over ornamental water basins, en- livened by gold fish, and a lofty solandra wound its way with its tendrils through the more lowly calladice^ and pottros which were bursting into leaf; then, too, there were placed around upon old stems, and hung up in moss-baskets, the most splendid groups o^ essidendria , zygossateloe^ onciadia, and maxi/hria, and at the same time a beautiful dendrohium in full bloom. This collection embraces a variety of most charming plants, not only of the greatest interest to the ama- teur, but to the scientific botanist. The heath house was also splendid, and the varieties of white, red, yellow, and green flow- ering heaths, greater than I had ever seen before. Mrs. Lawrence herself acted as our conductor, — did the honours of her collection, and refreshed her guests before their departure, almost exhausted as they were with the view of such collections, with the most deli- cate ices and Champagne. We returned to London by a different road from that by which we had left it in the morning. Here, too, in all directions were new squares and grounds, and the most healthy structure of houses, all sur- rounded by their small gardens, built along w^ide roads, and enjoying the breath of pure, fresh air. Hyde-park was still full of company in carriages and on horseback. It, too, is ornamented by large pieces of water, and as accidents are of not unfrequent occurrence from bathing and skating, the Humane Society haA^e established a house on the banks, provided with all the necessary apparatus for saving and recovering those whom such accidents may have befallen. In the evening we dined with Lord Aberdeen. The party had a diplomatic character, and consisted of gentlemen only. Count Bjornstierna here presented himself to me in person, and quite re- covered, to whom, before having seen him, I had by letter given ad- vice and pointed out means of remedy. The physician sometimes makes acquaintances in a singular way ! Dinner was soon over, and we afterwards drove to the Haymarket theatre, at which comedies are represented, and saw one of Buck- stone's pieces, called " Married Life." The people in these repre- sentations see themselves caricatured! These domestic scenes of 118 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. married life, caricatures of tall Englislimen witli umbrellas, stout women with boas and singular bonnets, are to be seen in real life every day, and the people make merry and laugh at themselves. On the whole, that is not amiss, but the theatre, for London, was too bad ! The actors are not destitute of talent for such representa- tions, but often exaggerate and descend to vulgarities. These thea- tres are not well attended. XXV. Claremont, June 15th — Evening. To-day, again, a remarkable event of my journey ! I have seen Raphael's cartoons at Hampton Court, examined them with time and attention, both near, and at a distance ! — My old wish — an oppor- tunity of viewing and examining, at leisure, these great testimonials of that wonderful period of the arts — has been gratified, and I hasten, before every thing else, here to record the impression made upon my mind. They are hung in a long gallery, somewhat too high, and not well lighted. My eye was spoiled by the view of so many oil paint- ings previously examined, and required time to accommodate itself to tliis description of pictures. They are drawn upon strong paper with charcoal, shaded with brown Indian ink, and then painted with colours. The colours (as in a water-colour drawing) are more indi- cative, than perfect and bright ; much of the colour also is faded — especially red, probably lake — for in the picture of the " Miraculous Draught of Fishes," Christ appears sitting on the water in a white garment, whilst the dress, imperfectly reflected in the water, exhibits a red colour. For this reason, complete harmony cannot be reckoned upon, and if one has been long accustomed to examine finished pictures, the mind must be unstrung, in order not to be disturbed by such inci- dents, and in a condition to receive the pure impression; and then the longer they are dwelt upon, the stronger will be the effect pro- duced. These cartoons, as is well known, are seven in number: "The Peath of Ananias," " Elymas the Sorcerer," '' Peter and John heal- ing the Lame Man at the Gate of the Temple, which is called Beau- tiful," " The Miraculous Draught of Fishes," " Paul and Barnabas at Lystra," " Paul preachino- at Athens," and " Christ's Commission to Peter." We found Griiner, the copper-plate engraver, at work. He pro- poses to engrave the cartoons, and has already finished " Paul preaching at Athens," in the same size as the original, in order, afterwards, to reduce it for engraving and publication. In the exe- eaphael's cartoons. 119 cution of his work, he was necessarily obliged to examine the original near and minutely, and a scaflbld was erected for his conveni- ence, by which we w^cre enabled to view the originals closely, at least, that of " Paul preaching at Athens," and " Christ giving Charge and Commission to Peter." The outlines of the cartoons are pricked with needles (for the purpose of drawing patterns for weaving), and these literally punctured lines were often the only guide which the copyist could follow in order precisely to determine the outline. I devoted a considerable portion of time to each of the seven, cartoons — then examined them one after another — and still I am able to call the effect only great, and themselves very different from what I might have conjectured them to be from former em- broidery and tapestries ! Certainly, the feeling is decided that the whole is not drawn by Raphael himself; in the picture of " Paul and Barnabas at Lystra," an arm in the foreground is very much exaggerated and incorrect, as is the case, also, with the figure of the boy to the left between the columns in that of Peter and John. It would appear as if the swollen muscles, as Michael Angelo often represents them, had here produced too great an effect upon the mind of the pupil, although working under Raphael's eyes. This, however, only serves to give a stronger feeling of a certain genuineness of con- ception in all the rest. " The Miraculous Draught of Fishes," in par- ticular, appears to be drawn wholly by Raphael, and is the most correct in its details and execution, whilst the " Death of Ananias," *' Elymas the Sorcerer struck blind," and "Paul preaching at Athens," produced the strongest effect in the mass, and as pictures. There appear heads indicating deep speculative minds, brown masses of sha- dow of singular clearness, and striking movements of limbs, espe- cially the hands, — all which furnish subject matter for long and earnest consideration. How peculiar are the various kinds of audi- tors listening to Paul's preaching ! — one thoughtful, meditative, and wholly abstracted from outward things — another full of faith, catch- ing eagerly every word as it falls from the mouth of the apostle — and another still enumerating and weighing the reasons one against another! Who can describe all these things in detail. Enough that I have seen them, and have them deeply impressed upon my mind 1 Of so much on this occasion, I have become indisputably convinced; that these cartoons, especially, belong to what must be acknowledged to be the work of Raphael, if any correct idea of the universality of his genius is to be formed ; that, however, in general no genius exists, without a certain universality ; such as I w^ould call an original mind, is a point of which I have been long since con- vinced! What a difference, for example, between the " Sposalizio" and these cartoons, between the " Camere" and the story of Psyche, between " The Entombment" and " The Madonna del Sisto." The pecuhar tone which is adopted in these cartoons, is met with. 120 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. nowhere else in all liis works, and for that very reason tliey are, to ine, so remarkable. Having now recorded, especially, by far tlie most important inci- dent of tlic day, there is still time to take some notice, in order, of the other remarkable objects which have fallen under my notice. The road from Hampton Court passes through Richmond, and the day was again hot, windy, and dusty, so that the burnt up meadows strongly reminded me of Italy. We arrived at Hampton Court early in the forenoon. The great avenue by which it is approached is mag- nificent in its kind. The front of the palace w^as built by Cardinal Wolscy, — it is castellated Avith towers and turrets. The materials are brick — the windows and doors cased with stone. There is some- tiling peculiar in a number of medallions, let into the walls as orna- ments, which consist of busts, in relief, of the Roman emperors, ably executed in terra cotta, and said to have been a present from Pope Leo X. It is said, that Wolsey, then in the height of his poAver, and wishing to build a palace suitable to the dignity of his rank and influence, summoned the most celebrated physicians, even from Padua, to select the most suitable and healthy site for the edifice. They chose this property, which, at that time, was a priory belong- ing to the knights hospitallers of Jerusalem, with whom Wolscy im- mediately made an arrangement for the conveyance of the priory to himself The building w^as commenced in 1515, and that it must necessarily be of vast extent, will be evident from the fact, that at the height of his power, Wolsey was surrounded by a household of about eight hundred persons ! The splendour of the building excited envy, and was a matter of surprise to Henry YIII. himself ; for this reason, the prudent archbishop and high chancellor laid the whole property at the feet of his royal master, on wdiich the king made him a present *of the manor of Richmond, the former residence of Henry VII. From that time forward, Hampton Court continued to be almost always the residence of the royal court. Edward YI. was born there; it was often visited by Elizabeth, but William III. was the first wlio, in the seventeenth century, added to the palace, by causing the new garden front to be erected in the Italian style. This part of the building is much less imposing than the older por- tions, but contains some beautiful carvings in wood in its apartments. We first walked through the part of the park immediately adjoin- ing the palace ; the whole centre of the alley just opposite to it is occupied by an ornamental canal bordered with stone. This alley is formed by mighty lime trees, and, as it approaches the palace, by cedars. We next went to see the terrace along the bank of the Thames, which here flows gently in its narrow bed, as at Richmond^ along the side of the park. The next object of curiosity w^as an im- mense vine, which occupies a house built for itself, has already reached the extraordinary age of seventy-six years, is 110 feet long^ and often bears from 1200 to 1400 bunches of grapes. HAMPTON COUKT GALLERY. 121 From the park wc went to visit the endless suite of rooms in this very extensive building ; all appears to stand empty, although forty families reside within its circuit — families, most of whom had been previously at court, and here, by royal favour, find an asylum in poverty and age. There is space enough for several courts, but the ornaments and furniture of the rooms are old and somewhat fallen into decay. The rooms are crowded with an enormous multitude of pictures, few very valuable, some good, an innumerable quantity mediocre, and many — even portraits — falsely baptized and bad ; in short, a whole flood of pictures, two thirds of which I should have great pleasure in throwing into the fire. Among the most detestable of this description is a picture of " Joseph and Potiphar's Wife," by a person named Gentileschi, in which Joseph is represented as going out of the door with an entrechat which would do honour to a danc- ing-master. To the most remarkable pictures, on the other hand, belong a num- ber of Holbein's, such as Henry VIII., when a young man, admirably painted ; then Elizabeth, when a young princess, extremely interest- ing, both psychologically and for the physiognomy : a broad fore- head, delicate nose, and thin lips, the cheekbones somewhat promi- nent, and the figure, as far as it is possible to judge from the barbarous dress of the times, destitute of all youthful fulness. There is also a picture, on a small scale, of Henry VIII., and his two daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, which is historically remarkable. When Holbein painted these two daughters along with their father, who would have thought of the singular and great destiny which awaited them ! To these I must add Holbein's father and mother, painted by him- self. The tender loving countenance of the mother, especially, has been admirably portrayed by the son. Finally, there are some great historical pictures, by Holbein, in small figures, which are true and rare curiosa. Among these may be reckoned the battle of Pavia, the embarkation of Henry VIII. at Dover, and the meeting of Henry VIII. with Francis I. on the field of the cloth of gold. The whole is treated with the greatest care, and these pictures might "well furnish models for the arms and costume of tlie age. Of the other pictures I shall only mention, 1. A portrait of Shakspeare, hardly genuine ; the great poet seems more like a sol- dier. 2. A beautiful Leonardo da Vinci ; " Christ and John the Baptist," as children, extremely lovely, and full of meaning. 3. A baptism of Christ, by Francia, in which, particularly, the ministering and kneeling angels are of great beauty. 4. " The Shepherds' Thank-offering," by Palma Vecchio. 5. " Adam and Eve," as large as life, by J. v. Mabuse, a picture of great execution and power, although it cannot be called beautiful. 6. A glorious Claude, a sea-port— sunset, a picture in which all the beauties of the evening sun-light are poured upon a wondrous poetical world of ships, reflected from the clearest waves, and refracted by the splendid build- 122 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. ings whicli surround tlie haven. Compared with such a warm breath- ing scene as this, what is even the most faithful sea-pieces of our modern painters ! From this suite of rooms we came to the gallery containing the Raphaels, of which I have already spoken; and after that, into another small gallery, adorned by the justly-renowned triumphal procession of Julius Caesar, by Andreas Mantegna. The proces- sion is divided into nine tables, the figures not quite as large as life, and the whole painted upon canvass, in water-colours. This work deserves much longer time than I was able to devote to it. It is finely executed, and often adorned with charming conceptions, rich groupings, and splendid figures. Several of the tables have suffered injury, but not to such an extent as Raphael's Cartoons. After these great works, there were still other superfluous pic- tures to be seen — sea-fights, family portraits, and the like. My mind's eye still rested on the noble figures of Raphael and Man- tegna, and I w^as often better pleased to go to the window and look out into the blue air. i\t last the great picture show came to an end, and we went down to the great hall and the chapel. The hall is truly a splendid structure, and the execution of the wooden ceiling wonderfully rich, and in good keeping. Unfortunately for us, scaffoldings were erected in the hall, in consequence of some necessary repairs, and the tapestry, armour, and banners, were all either covered up or removed; the impression, therefore, was very imperfect, but still it was easy to form an idea of the size and splendour of the whole. This hall was merely planned by Wolsey, and completed by Henry VIII., it has been the scene of great festivities. It is said some of Shak- speare's pieces were first produced within its walls, and George I. caused a theatre to be fitted up, in which '' Hamlet" was played; and on the 1st of October, a piece was acted, entitled " Henry VIII., or the fall of Wolsey." Singular enough, that his fall should be scenically represented in the very house in which, whilst living, he had enjoyed the highest power! I must not overlook the fact, that the large Gothic parti-coloured windows of the hall, together with its side windows, painted with coats of arms, produce a splendid effect. The chapel is considerably smaller than the hall, but of similar Gothic architecture, and produced the same pleasing effect. It was an original and pertinent idea, that what are called the drops of the converging Gothic arches of the roof, are always prettily adorned "With small figures of angels playing on instruments of music. We had now obtained a very complete view of all that was worth seeing in this remarkable place ; and after having followed Prince Albert to partake of a luncheon prepared for us, we drove from Hampton Court to Claremont, the palace belonging to the King of the Belgians, built in a modern style, in the midst of a most ex- tensive park, containing some magnificent oaks and cedars. THE HORTICULTURAL society's GARDENS. 123 Pier Majesty the Queen had arrived the day before, and Pnnce Albert had arranged a grand cavalcade through the park late in the afternoon, for the pleasure of the king and some of the gentlemen of his suite; while I availed myself of the beautiful evening to enjoy a long and agreeable walk with Baron Stockmar in the park. Charming scenes in abundance ! I was particularly struck with a large fish-pond in the middle of a wood, completely sur- rounded with immense rhododendrons in full and splendid blos- som ; but everywhere Macadamized roads, closely -mown grass-plots, and that etiquette of nature, which is to me always doubly offensive in the midst of her luxurious productions. In the evening the usual dinner, with their majesties, at which only few persons were present, and a short evening. XXYI. London, June 15th — Evening. At Claremont I occupied a cheerful room, with an extensive prospect over the park. Large cedars stand upon the spacious lawns, whilst low woody hills bound the distant horizon. It is a very quiet place of sojourn, but, w4th all its elegance, made a certain melancholy impression upon my mind. The Princess Charlotte died here, in consequence of her first confinement. The account of this misfortune had previously occupied a great deal of my attention, as a remarkable fact, in a medical point of view. It was not, how- ever, the recollection of the calamity which gave the place this melancholy aspect in my eyes; the weather, too, was beautiful, and the situation charming 1 Perhaps what I yesterday called the etiquette of nature, worked more powerfully. After another short walk in the park, we drove through Richmond to Chiswick, to visit the gardens of the Horticultural Society, in which the great ex- hibition of fruit and fiowers was to commence to-day. We saw the exhibition before the gates were opened to the public, and surely it was a sight well worthy of being viewed quietly and at leisure, and not in the midst of a throng. The fruit and flowers were exhi- bited in the garden, in the open air, under a row of tents. The extent of the garden is great, and the whole arrangement worthy of London. The fruits of the finest kind and finest quahty were placed under the first tent, and consisted of pine-apples, peaches, grapes, melons, Persian cucumbers, &c. &c. In the following tents the plants were, for the most part, exhibited in families; for ex- ample, geraniums of the rarest and most beautiful forms and colours, then heaths, then calceolaria, which have been here cultivated so as to attain a great multitude of the most ornamental and variegated kinds; next, beautiful specimens of roses were set forth, and among 124 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. tliem, a great number of cut specimens, formed into small bouquets, with the names of the varieties and species; finally, and especially^ orchideous plants. Among these I saw several species scarcely yet known, even by name, in Germany, as the PhaJcBnopsls and Cynochus, together with the most splendid Catleyce^ Oncidia^ and more of a similar description. There was also a tent in which nothino- but rare and splendid plants of diiferent families were exhibited together, as the lubeUa longiflora^ the spring-like and ornamental stylidium fasciculatuin, with its rolling flowers, and many others. The society have here also some considerable conservatories — and a small specimen of the far-famed Upas (antiaris toxica), the poison- tree of Java, has been recently brought to their gardens — the first which has ever been conveyed to Europe. This was a small plant about a foot high, with dark green long heart-shaped leaves, and stood under a bell-glass. Its poisonous properties, however, have been greatly exaggerated, and the same may be said of it as is said of Mary Stuart by herself in Schiller, "It is better than its reputation !" Leschenault has proved that the tree may not only be approached, but branches broken from it, &c., without any danger. That, however, the sap, wlien brought into the blood of an animal, quickly proves mortal, is certain. I also saw there a beautiful tall specimen of doryanthes excesla. As we were leaving the garden a vast number of persons already thronged the en- trance, and during the whole of our hot and dusty drive to London, we met carriage upon carriage, all filled with persons eager to make exhibitions of themselves, and to see that of the plants of Chiswick. After luncheon I had proposed to myself to go with Dr. Freund to see the curiosities in the East India House ; the time of admission for the public was, however, already past, and - instead of East Indian, we turned our attention to West Indian products, by pro- ceeding to a tavern hard by, where they carry on a large trade in turtle, which are brought in great numbers from Jamaica, Ascen- sion, and other places, and killed and consumed in London. Some of the large reservoirs in which these giants are kept in salt water, were opened for my inspection, and it seemed frightful when the large gray monster, four or five feet long, raised his round, flat head from the water, and looked at me with his eyes. I remembered that I had helped to consume many of these creatures, of which the favourite turtle-soup is made, and contemplated these West Indians with a feeling of compassion, which are obliged to make a voyage oyer the ocean in order to shed their blood here for European kitchens, and the pleasure of English palates. We afterwards went to the Tower — the fortress of old London — I carried with me aft idea of imposing antiquity and power, and greatness, which the sight of the reahty speedily dispelled. The Tower is at present so encompassed by the trade and shipping THE TOWER. 125 of London and the Thames, that little more of its old fortress character remains than a few dark gates and doorways, and the dress of the heralds-at-arms, who act as guides to the visiters, and repeat their tale mechanically. The entrance is singular enough, through some old winding courts, and passages, into a room where the admission ticket is paid for, and visiters are obliged to wait till the full complement of twelve arrives, to whom the man-at-arms acts as a conductor. The first visit is paid to the horse armoury, a large room, in which a great number of weapons and suits of armour are exhibited — the latter partly placed upon figures, and mounted on wooden horses, as in the historical museum in Dresden. Among these are some very interesting suits, such as those of Edward IL, the sixth, seventh, and eighth Henries, Dudley Earl of Leicester, Earl of Essex, James I., and others. The whole number of such suits, however, is not very large. The arms contained in this and the rooms above, are very numerous, and some of them very rare; those of the upper rooms contain several various instruments of torture (said to have been chiefly taken from the Spanish armada), and several exe- cutioner's axes. Properly speaking, my chief object was to gain a clear and circumstantial idea of the Tower in general, and espe- cially of the ancient White Tower, which forms the centre of the whole building. Shakspeare's historical plays are of themselves quite sufficient to make one curious to see the room in which the messengers of death came upon the sons of Edward and the young Arthur. Unfortunately, however, the whole is not shown ; the Bloody Tower, in which it is said the young princes were smothered, as well as the Wakefield Tower, in which Henry VI. was murdered, were not opened, and we were only further conducted to the vault which contains the crown jewels. There the crowns of England, the sceptre, and a consecrated sword, together with golden keys and splendid cups of state, are exhibited, by the Hght of lamps, behind a wooden screen, and arranged in any thing but a tasteful manner. What recollections does the sight of these things suggest ? But the effect is greatly diminished by the narrow and inconvenient place in which they are exhibited. From the Tower we proceeded to the docks, those immense basins, surrounded by huge warehouses, and filled with the brackish waters of the Thames. These docks are certainly among the most remark- able phenomena of this metropolis of the world, and immediately suggest to the mind ideas of universal commerce and intercourse with all nations. We first visited the St. Katherine's, and afterwards the London Docks, unable to restrain our wonder and astonishment at the sight of the magnificent quays, the vast store-houses, the immense number of ships, and the incredible variety of wares, which were continually presented to our eyes. As I walked along the quays and looked at the rows of ships alongside, I was particularly im- pressed with the ideas suggested by the small boards affixed to the shrouds, on which the names of the places for which the several 126 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. sliips were destined were painted — Sydney, Hobart Town, Port Philip, New Zealand, Cape Town, New York, &c., were liere at- tached to the ships, jnst as one would see in Germany on a num- ber of Lohnkutscher's vehicles in one of our large towns — Berlin, Dres- den, Prague, &c. Surrounded by these objects, it is impossible not to feel oneself in immediate connexion with all quarters of the globe. The picturesque effect, too, with such an evening light, produced among the masses of ships, was very striking. The Claude which I had seen the day before at Hampton Court, was instantly suggested to my mind. I was, however, obliged to return to Buckingham Palace. His majesty had accepted to-day an invitation to dinner from Sir Robert Peel, and thither we proceeded at eight o'clock. I was very curious to know, whether I should be able to trace the effect of any of the pass- ing events on the face of the minister. The ministry had just sus- tained a defeat in parliament, which was thought to endanger its ex- istence. Nothing, however, of the kind was to be seen ; his coun- tenance exhibited the same intelligent serenity, which I had formerly remarked in him. Sir Robert Peel possesses and lives in a magnificent house, situ- ated on the banks of the Thames, and richly adorned with a vast number of paintings, selected with the best taste. In the evening, there was a large soiree, to which, not merely a great number of diplomatic persons and members of the aristocracy were invited, but almost all the distinguished men of learning and artists in London. The whole suite of apartments was thrown open, and I divided my time between reflections and observations on all the notahilities on and within the walls. Of the former, and among the works of modern artists, my atten- tion was first arrested by a large picture of Landseer's. The subject is a little daughter of Sir Robert with his large shaggy dog. The ' child is supposed to have just risen, still in its chemise — the good-, natured animal, accustomed to the children, comes to it, and the child, which is delighted with his presence and loves him, clasps him Avith her arms around the neck. The spirit of the whole is charming, and the picture is splendidly painted. Next, the portrait of Dr. Johnson, by Rejniolds. I had abeady seen many of this artist's works, which are highly praised, yet possess but little value ; this was the first which really gave me the impression of him as an able painter. Among the old artists, the Dutch are especially re- presented in their choicest and rarest works. First, the celebrated chapeau de "paiile of Rubens, purchased by Sir Robert at an enor- mous price, and truly of enchanting splendour. The fine and beau- tiful face looks forth from under the feathered hat with a most seductive glance ; and Rubens, in this picture, exhibits such a blend- ing and harmony of colour, as I have never before seen in any of his works. The collection also contains a large bacchanalian pic- ture by the same artist, which is of great value ; two children in the QUAKERS' MEETING. 127 foreground, are especially admirable. There is also a picture of a broad -water-fall by Kuysdacl, painted con amore; a cattle piece, witli water, by Cuyp, almost as beautiful as that one at Mr. Hope's ; and charming Ilooghes, Terburgs, Van dcr Veldes, and Wouver- manns, especially a painting with only one gray horse ! I would have wished very much to have had an opportunity of examining tliese and other treasures in this collection by daylight, and at leisure. Among the living notabilities , I here met the Bishop of Norwich, president of the Linnean Society, Professor Buckland, the Oxford geologist ; Hooker, the botanist ; Faraday, the celebrated chemist ; and Sir John Herschel, the astronomer, and his sister, who renders him such valuable assistance, both in making observations and calcula- tions; the directors of the British Museum, Dr. Clark, and others. It was a subject of great regret to me, not to have made Landseer's acquaintance ; I only heard of his being present, when it was too late. This selection of persons for his soiree on such an occasion, did great honour to Sir Robert Peel's judgment and taste. XXYII. London, June 17th — Evening. Yesterday morning (Sunday) was chiefly spent in consulta- tions, and in a few visits, from which I have ];eceived only one new and singular impression — the impression derived from being present at the celebration of the day in a Quakers' meeting-house. The house is situated near Trafalgar-square, and approached through a low narrow passage ; a few benches are placed near the door, for the use of those who come as strangers. Here one can sit down quietly, and observe the congregation. The men occupy one side, and the ■women the other; all remain perfectly still, deeply engaged in me- ditation; the women wear deep projecting bonnets, and the men, in like manner, keep on their hats. Those who preside sit upon raised cross-seats; no pulpit, no altar, no font. Thus arranged, all wait for some one to be moved by the Spirit. The person so moved-, then rises and addresses the meeting; but the whole time often passes without any one feeling himself called to speak. So it proved yesterday; there was scarcely a breath audible — all was still, but there was a peculiarly deep and solemn feeUng connected with the scene, and I must admit that it produced a more profound impres- sion on my mind than the psalmody of our public services. After some time, all rose from their seats, and the congregation left the house, as still as ghosts. I w^as also very glad of having been able at last to p ay a visit to, and enjoy a conversation with Mrs. Austin. She had just 128- ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. returned from Paris, and was residing with lier daughter, Lady DufF Gordon, also an authoress, in a small house, in a very agree- able, quiet situation near Westminster Abbey. _ She is constantly occupied in the study of our literature, and is the medium of makino- her countrymen acquainted with some of its most remark- able works, especially in the department of history. Distinguished as she is as a writer, she is of still more vahie, in my eyes, as an admirable and highly intellectual English lady. In the afternoon, some of the London picture-galleries were visited; first Lord Ashburton's, in his house in Piccadilly. The collection contains many large and beautiful pictures; the two of greatest attraction, in my eyes, were, a Leonardo da Vinci, brought from Spain — the subject, Christ and St. John, with the Lamb; then St. Thomas de Villa iiueva when a child, by Murillo. The young saint is represented amongst a number of poor children in the street, as pulling off his clothes, and giving them to cover the nakedness of a poor boy. The great pleasure which this painter took in delineating the little vagabonds about the streets in Madrid, evidently gave rise to this picture, which, under its title of saint^ would, no doubt, be much more readily purchased by some one belonging to the order of devotees, than his usual beggar-boys; but, in addition to this, it also possesses a peculiar psychological interest. The future saint, still a child, and without his upper gar- ments, is treated with as masterly a hand as the tattered little beggar before him, and the others around; the saint exhibits a certain noble extraction in his head and bearing, which leaves the spectator not a moment in doubt of the person designed. I have never before met with an attempt precisely of this description. Among the other pictures, I would particularly specify a Herodias, by Titian, and the admirable portrait of a Dutch lady, by Van der Heist. In addition to these, the noble lord possesses a number of small paintings by artists of the Low Countries, comprising pieces of Van der Velde, Ostade, and other masters. (There is here a picture by Ostade, of the same room, but with other figures, which represents his studio in a painting in the Dresden gallery.) There is also a beautiful copy of Thorwaldsen's representation, in marble, of Mercury killing Argus, which is not to be overlooked. The second, and far richer gallery, was that of the Marquis of Westminster, in Grosvenor House. The owner is, perhaps, the richest private individual in England; whole streets and squares belong to him, and many more will shortly fall into his hands. His income is now estimated at lOOOZ. per day! and it will, therefore, be easily understood how such a person may possess a real picture-gallery. The foundation of this gallery was laid many years ago, by the purchase of a Mr. Agar's collection, for 30,000/. The house is built m the palace style; towards the street a covered colonnade, with statues — behind that a court, and then the house, with a garden GROSVENOR HOUSE. 129 adjoining, in wliicli there is a separate, appropriate, and lofty gal- lery, adorned with pilasters, and lighted from the roof for the exhi- bition of the large pictures and sculpture. A special catalogue is printed for the information of visiters, and no private gallery in London at all approaches this, in the possession of great clas- sical works. It is such a disagreeable, tedious task to describe pictures, that I shall be here very brief, and only mention particular pieces, which struck me forcibly, and served to suggest remarkable thoughts; whosoever will learn more of the collection, must even see for himself. I must first observe, that the gallery contains some most extraordi- nary pictures by Claude, the Raphael of landscape painters ! Some of the size of those in theDoria collection in Rome, others smaller, such as those in the Dresden gallery, and of both kinds there are some, to which nothing in either of these galleries just mentioned is superior. There breathes a peculiar air in these pictures, all suggesting to my mind Calderon's " Daughter of the Air." And then tlmt broad, abstract, and yet so true handling of trees, meadows, water, and clouds ! It reminds me again of the antiques with their treatment of the human figure ! and this again reminds me of the Greek tragedy with its deli- neations of the human soul! Properly speaking, Claude stands quite alone in the treatment of his subject. A proof how difficult such a conception of the physiognomy of the life of the world is 1 Next there are some very remarkably large paintings by Salvator Rosa; with the exception of his " Conspiracy of Catiline," in the Florence gallery, I have never seen any thing of his so pre-eminent as here. There is a large picture, " The End of all Mortal Things," with a contemplating figure, which is said to represent Democritus. The picture is not overcharged, but drawn to the life ; it is the product of a profound conviction, and in the dark brown tone of its colour- ing, yea in every touch of the pencil by which the scattered ruins of all that usually surrounds man arc delineated, there lies a spirit disgusted with the world like that of Byron's. A " Diogenes throwing away his Pitcher" belongs to the same category. Further, the gallery contains some large and celebrated pictures by Rubens, as the " Four Evangelists" and the "Fathers of the Church," both painted for Philip IV. of Spain. In like manner there are masterpieces of Rembrandt, Murillo, and many others, and a " St. Luke painting the Virgin," and two other pictures, by Raphael, which I can do nothing more than recommend to the careful study of all who see the collection. I must on the other hand still mention two modern pictures — one a large picture, by Reynolds, representing Mrs. Siddons as the Tragic Muse. Such attempts as these are diffi- cult, and when made in our days, usually degenerate into affected parody: in this case, however, the bold conception presents some- thing magnificent, which gives a high poetic value to the whole, and this is the second picture by the same artist which has given me the K 130 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. impression of liis being a great artist, something after tKe manner of a Caracci, but better. Secondly, a picture by Landseer, altogetber admirable of its kind, such as I had not seen since I left Redleaf. The subject is a Newfoundland dog, retrieving a shot wild duck. The dog is swimming through the midst of the reeds, so that his head alone is seen above the water, with the duck in his mouth, but near and as large as life. All that a lively, vigorous, and circumstantial representation can effect on such things, is most charmingly shown in this picture. The sculpture in the gallery does not deserve particular attention. If private persons possess galleries of this description, what ought a grand British national gallery to be ! 1 Perhaps it would have been called into existence long since, but from the very idea that a gallery worthy of the nation, relatively speaking, could not have been collected. The commencement w^hich was made in 1823 is still far inferior to the single private gallery of Grosvenor House. In the evening the usual dinner, and then a midnight adventure. At twelve o'clock- the carriages were in waiting to carry us — whi- ther ? — to Printing House Square, the workshop of the Times ^ that enormous journal which, with its imperial folio, covers the break- fast table of every Englishman as punctually as his table cloth, and quite as large. Twenty thousand copies are set up and printed every night, and th(3 paper pays in stamp duties to the government every year, 35,000Z. It was far from uninteresting to cast a look upon this immense dispatch, which gives one an aversion for all that which in a tradesman's expression is usually called composition. A large, exten- sive building scarcely serves to hold the offices for the receivers of notices and advertisements, the rooms of the political as well as other writers, and of those occupied as compositors, of whom many are engaged at the same time, each on his own separate column. Others afterwards arrange the whole in suitable order, till at length the large sheets become full. When the whole is finally prepared, the type is placed under the printing presses worked by steam, and the printing is effected with an enormous rapidity, whilst the white damped sheets are continually supplied by an attending boy. When one only thinks of a great classical and scientific work requiring as many decennia for its tedious production as hours would be here employed, it gives rise to singular results. Those fu- gitive sheets now rule the world — the profound study of a single great intellectual work becomes more and more the property of the few. Whither does this wheel of time run! — up or down? — who is he that is able to come to a full and sound conviction upon this important subject? THE OLD BAILEY. 131 XXVIII. Same day — Evening' I PREFERRED not going with tlie king and his suite to-day to Woolwich and Greenwich, in order to have the opportunity of seeing and experiencing more of the operations of this ocean called London ! I was particularly anxious to get a correct idea of the so mvich cele- brated English law proceedings, and for this purpose drove to the Old Bailey, the court for the city of London and the county of Middle- sex. I gave my name and was shown into a box (a separate seat) in the hall, where trials were going on. A remarkable sight presented itself to my view. An old and not very large hall was surrounded with boxes similar to the one in which I was, arranged like an am- phitheatre, descending towards the centre; to the left, a similarly arranged space for the public. To the right, a raised gallery for the Lord Mayor, the sheriff (distinguished by the gold chain), the Com- mon Sergeant, and the Recorder (who sums up the facts according to the speech of the prosecutor, the evidence of the witnesses, and the speech of the defendant); opposite them the windows, and to the right of the bench a particular gallery for the jury. Below, in the centre, the table for the clerks and the places for the counsel; to the left, a sort of raised pulpit in which the accused stands, and beside him clerks and witnesses. I happened to hear a remarkable case. At the bar stood a man of middle age, fearful looking, and often holding his handkerchief to his face. The counsel for the prosecution represented pathetically, that this man, some years before, had sought the hand of a young girl of fourteen, finally carried her away from her parents, and mar- ried her at Gretna-Green, but had afterwards deserted her in Lon- don and had left her in the greatest misery. The effect of this speech on all present was visible, and the situation of the accused was wretched. I listened for some time, till the prisoner's counsel began to go into detail, called witnesses, &c., and my time was ex- pired.* If I may form an opinion from such imperfect grounds, I should say that such public proceedings certainly produce some- thing of that effect which might reasonably be expected from such a course of action ; it is, properly speaking, the continually repeated ad- vice to the multitude, '* Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall." We can in such respects only speak of the sharpening of the intel- lect or the judgment, the teaching to see clearly w^hat further actions are the necessary result of any one action — what is the end to which a certain course necessarily leads; after obtaining this knowledge, let each do that which he believes he must, or what he really must, and learn to be '' always ready." This is, however, only the external * I read afterwards, in the Times, that the man was condemned to two years' imprisonment. k2 132 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. Tiew of tliG case. The internal and more important one is the opi- nion of the accused formed in the minds of his judges. In this respect, however, also all tliat man can do has been done to insure an accurate and careful weighing of the pro and con. — What the Turks add to every sentence, '^ God alone knoweth better," ought indeed to be written in letters of gold in every court of justice, whe^ thcr sentence is pronounced according to verbal or written data! But when once the entire unreasonableness of the sentence of death has been generally recognised, when prisons are no longer dens of torment and corrupters of the soul, then a possible human error in the sentence may be considered as no longer irreparable. I think there- fore one must follow the instinct of the age. I cannot think that this can be founded on any error. Near the Old Bailey is situated the prison of Newgate; and in its old walls blackened with coal smoke, the window was pointed out to me, before which the scaffold was erected, and through which the con- demned felon w^as led out to be placed upon the flUal trap-door, the opening of which soon put an end to his life. But even here these disgusting executions are become much more rare. Another remarkable place in this region is West Smithfield, a large market-place surrounded by old houses, now the principal cattle-market of the town, and to-day (always on Monday) filled wutli several thousand sheep and beasts. This collection of quadrupeds looked comical enough, and the air was filled with bleating and lowing. It has been calculated that animals to the value of nearly 10,000,000/. are yearly sold in this market, that is, about 158,000 beasts, 1,500,000 sheep, 21,000 calves, and 60,000 pigs. What a stomach for thisGargantua — London ! The animals are now brought more easily to town by means of the railways, but a great deal of meat is sent up by the same means ready slaughtered. The beasts arc slaughtered very differently from the manner commonly used in our slaughter-houses; a pointed axe is the weapon here used. Smithfield was formerly the principal square in London ; — tourna- ments were held here and heretics burnt — this, too, being a well- known popular amusement during the Middle Ages — and several riots and tumults took their origin here. Wat Tyler, who, in the reign of Kichard 11. made a revolt, was struck dead in this place, by the Lord Mayor Walworth; and from this circumstance Walworth's dagger has been ever since adopted in the city arms. I was driven to the East India House, passing on my way Christ's Hospital, the well-known Blue-Coat School. This institution was founded by Edward VI., and boards and educates above 1200 chil- dren. The elder boys are educated here — the younger and the girls at Hertford. A donation of 400/. confers upon the donor the title of Governor of the Institution; and each governor has the privilege of presentation once in four years. I hear that the little Prince of Wales has been lately received among the governors. The India House was really open to-day, and I visited its remark- guy's hospital. 133 able collections. One enters and walks about witli a certain feel- ing of reverence, wKen one considers that in this building are contained the central offices whence emanate all orders for the government of the immense Indo-Britannic Empire ! Notwith- standing its blackened Ionic portico, it does look rather old and insignificant for a building of such importance. The rooms contain- ing the collection are low, and the objects of curiosity are only seen under dusty glass cases; in fact the house does not at all look as if it were the centre from which 170,000,000 of human beings are governed ! Among the collections here there is no doubt much that would reward a more careful study. One collection con- tains East-Indian national curiosities, another natural curiosities. Among the former are a number of disgusting-looking idols in stone and metals, several pieces of armour and arms (as the armour of Tippoo Saib, and a piece of his throne), inscriptions (a piece of stone from Persepolis with an inscription in the arrow-head character), sculptures, portions of dress, models, and a number of Persian, Turkish and Sanscrit MSS. Connected with this collection is a library containing works on India. The collection of objects of natural history is not considerable, and it was evident that no one well acquainted with such things had taken any interest in it, or an East India Company might have had a different sort of museum ! A new kind of Indian stag {cervus froiitalis) was pointed out to me as the most remarkable object : and I do not find it mentioned even in Cuvier. I had now to visit a few more hospitals, and I first drove over London Bridge to Guy's Hospital in South wark. This large and really splendid hospital with several wings, a garden containing several separate buildings (for example one for patients afflicted with disease of the eye), and a very rich anatomical collection, was founded by a private individual, the bookseller Guy, a man who began with a capital of 200Z. in 1668, and at a later period was enabled to leave to the hospital, which he had built, a sum of more than 300,000/. A curious anecdote, but not uninteresting in a psychological point of view, is told of the circumstances attending this foundation. Guy had long had a housekeeper whom he at last determined to marry. Shortly before the marriage he gave orders to have the pavement in front of his house repaired, and pointed out a stone as the limit of the reparation. During his absence the lady remarked a broken stone beyond the prescribed limits, and wished to have that repaired also. The workpeople hesitated, remembering Guy's orders: but she, in expectation of being shortly mistress of t;he house, repeated her wishes; adding, that if they told the gentle- man that it was by her orders, he would not be angry. Guy came back, saw, and heard: he immediately broke off the match, and left all his property to the hospital. Astley Cooper was for a long time surgeon here, and raised the character of the hospital. There are between 400 and 500 beds ; and the income arising from the 134 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. funds of the institution itself is about 30,000/. a year. The ar- rangement is in general quite the same as that of St. Bartholomew's Hospital. A bronze statue of Guy adorns the courtyard of the building, and it would be only fair to set up another of the unfortu- nate housekeeper. Not far from this — also in South wark — is St. Thomas's Hospital, founded by Henry VIII., but first carried out by Edward VI., whom Ridley so often persuaded to acts of beneficence. It contains about 300 beds, and in the courtyard is a bronze statue of Edward VI. The internal arrangements are large and roomy, and, in particular, the rooms for the nurses are A^ery cheerful and pleasant. In Astley Cooper's time, Guy's Hospital and St. Thomas's together, were used by the medical school, which now has its clinic in Guy's Hospital alone. I concluded my forenoon, after having made my way with immense difficulty through the tremendous crowds in Fleet- street, by an undis- turbed contemplation of the antiques in the British Museum. It is for this reason such a pleasure to have easy access to works of this kind, because one always finds here the systole after the diastole of life, and learns to penetrate deeper into the empire of the ideas here represented in stone. Once more — for I shall probably never again tread these courts and rooms — I fixed firmly and deeply in my mind the impression of the Greek poetry of motion, and of the Egyptian poetry of fixedness, and then contemplated with great delight for a long time the small bronzes and terra cottas in the upper rooms. The remarkable inge- nuitas of these objects always excites my astonishment ! This charac- ter can be only expressed by the word ingenuitas, which we cannot render by one word in German (English). For the same reason, we do not find this character in any of our present works of art. Our language would describe the word somewhat in this way, " an innate original character, expressing at the same time freedom, freedom of spirit, and unconscious naturalness." And yet, all this is united in the most successful of these little works of art; and even in the less successful ones, something of it is found ! When I recalled to my recollection the frightful forms of Indian deities, which I had seen at the India House, I could hardly think that both were invented by the same race of men. Strictly speaking, indeed, they were not ; for the Greeks are of the stock of the nations of day, the others from that of the nations of twilight. In the afternoon, I paid a visit to Mrs. Austin, and agreed to her proposal of visiting some exhibitions with her. We first visited the British National Gallery, in which there was an exhibition, not of the few old pictures belonging to this gallery, only commenced twenty years ago, but of an immense number of new paintings be- longing to the Royal Academy. After having seen for some time nothing but old paintings and works of art, the effect produced by entering at once into a room filled with new pictures, just come from the attelier, is very extraor- dinary. My first feeling among all these varnished and shining ob- EXHIBITION OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY. 135 jects was ratlier Chinese ! I looked round in the hope of discovering some really good historical work, to lay in the other scale against this immense number — but in vain ! Any thing, really satisfactory, does not reach into these regions, but is rather to be sought in copies of old buildings, generally very skilfully painted, but frequently illu- minated in rather too theatrical a manner ; then, in some sea pieces, particularly those by Stanfield, which represent the real element of an Englishman — the sea — in a very lively manner ; and lastly, some animals by Landseer. By the last artist, I particularly remember (which is always a good sign) a painting, representing a moon-light winter night in the Highlands. A large stag is represented in the foreground, stepping over a tree covered with snow. The moon is not represented, but is without the picture, and casts a sharp shadow on the snow. In the distance, other deer are seen swimming through the lake, and beyond them are seen the mountains and the stars glittering in the cold. One can almost feel the cold of the clear still night, and rejoice with the noble animal in his wild kingdom. In like manner, the painting of a church in Normandy, and a scene on the Nile, by Roberts, left a pleasing poetic impression behind them. Some landscapes also were painted with great cleverness, but I also saw a vast quantity of so-called still life, historical scenes and portraits, which have quite left my memory — and yet, not quite ! for some have retained their place by their absurdity, or exterior pathological softness. Among the former, I must reckon some sea pieces of J. M. W. Turner. If a bright coloured sea piece were to be painted on a wax tablet, then melted, and all the colours mixed up together, I fancy it would present much the appearance of this artist's paintings. I would give something to know how this painter sees nature, and what there is in his eyes that causes him to see nature thus ? Then, as to the second class, there are several affecting stories from Walter Scott, and others represented, where the spectator is obliged to read in the catalogue all that he does not see in the picture. But enough of this misery ! Among the paintings in water colours were some very skilfully done, and several portraits, particularly, treated in a masterly manner. Let me be allowed to pass over the sculpture in silence. A group by Gibson, a naked Greek Avith a spear, was the only piece that pro- duced any effect upon me. It is, however, easy to see what confused fancies are to be found in this branch of art, from the fact, that one artist has endeavoured to represent the statue of lago, in "Othello,'* another even, that of Laio. I could not help thinking of Tieck's " Puss in Boots," in which Law at one time appears like a bugbear, at another, is eaten up by the cat in the form of a mouse. Mrs. Austin afterwards conducted me to another exhibition of older works of art, the British Gallery. Rich individuals send pic- tures here from their private collections for a year or more, and then forward others in their stead. The money received for this exhibi- tion is appropriated for the encouragement of poor artists, and the 136 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. public, by tliis means, obtains a sight of many a bidden treasure. I was, however, too much influenced by the quantity of various and bright colouring to be able to bestow the proper attention on them ; a few paintings, however, made such an effect on me, that they re- mained fixed in my memory. One was a Ruysdael, the property of Sir Robert Peel : a wood, with a sheet of water, ahiiost like the picture at Dresden, but in some respects even more beautiful; an- other was " A Holy Family," by Titian. Finally, my amiable guide conducted me to the house of a rich private individual, to show me some rare works of art there. The gentleman's name was Rogers, and he has at his residence — the ar- rangements of which, although those of a small house, are thoroughly comfortable — a really remarkable collection. How many such con- cealed treasures must there be here ! The finest piece I saw, was a small painting by Titian, a Magdalene kneeling before Christ in a free and open landscape. It was a splendid piece, a richness and delicacy of colour, such as I had never seen, except in that painting of " Hea- venly and Earthly Love" (in Rome); the gracefully kneehng figure, with bright, expressive, deer-Iihe eyes, fearlessly yielding up her soul to heavenly love. I could hardly tear myself from it. There is also here a little drawing of Rapliael's of the "Entombment," a very curious piece ; and, lastly, I was struck with a portrait of Mem- ling (or Hemlin), painted by himself in the year 1462, while still in the cloisters at Bruges, looking, at the time, ill and weak. In the evening was a great dinner, at which the Duke of Wel- lington and Lord Aberdeen were present. During dinner Rossini's "Tell" was performed; and after dinner, ^YQ admired the large golden vessels taken from the Spanish Armada, and the splendid workmanship on the golden plates, and vases ornamented with alto relievos, and then passed to the rotunda, in which a concert had been announced. I saw her majesty converse long with Lord Aberdeen ; the crisis is not yet over, but people begin to hope that the ministry of Peel w^U remain in office. The concert began with Spohr's " A^eihe der Tone," in the second part of which the passages in Handel's style produce a good effect. Thalberg then played some pieces on a splendid pianoforte; and Mendelssohn's beautiful march from the " Midsummer Night's Dream," formed a suitable conclusion to the concert. XXLS. London, June 18th — Evening. The day now approaches when we must leave London ; and the time is,^ therefore,^ zealously used, in order to learn as much as pos- sible of this peculiar world ! First, his majesty the king was to be shown the new Pentonville PENTONVILLE MODEL PRISON. 137 Model Prison, built as a model, and at the same time for a trial of the complete system of solitary confinement. We drove out early to this building, only eighteen months completed, situated towards the northern extremity of London, Avliere tlie streets and buildings extend continually more and more into the fields, at an expense of 85,000/. (a pretty large sum for a trial). I was much interested in the arrange- ments; and a model of this model would have been very useful to convey to Germany, where the question regarding the better and more effective arrangement of prisons is so much agitated, but where hundreds of thousands are not always to be disposed of, in order to make such trials. The ground plan of this building is in so far like that of the Penitentiary, that the wings radiate like a star; but here only a half star is formed. Each of these four wings consists of a high and long hall, lighted from above, in which are an un- derground floor, and three stories of cells one above another. Four galleries run round each floor, and form the means by which the overseers visit the cells; and iron spiral staircases lead from one floor to the other. Each of the four wings can thus contain more than 100 cells, and 520 prisoners altogether can be placed here, each in his separate cell. Every thing is kept in the greatest order and cleanliness, the walls merely white- washed, and the iron painted black; and above, between the galleries, passes a sort of railway, upon which is placed the carriage which contains the food, as brought up from the under- ground story. The food is then distributed to the prisoners by the overseers, who open a trap in the cell-doors, and place upon it the ves- sels containing the food. In a quarter of an hour a few overseers can distribute food to 500 prisoners. Each cell contains a hammock, a chest of drawers, a table and chair, a metal washing-basin, and a gas-holder; also every prisoner can give notice, by pressing on a spring, that he wishes to speak to the overseer. The cells are well provided with fresh air, by ventilation, and are heated with warm air in winter. In every cell arrangements are made for some employment, as in the Penitentiary, so that the unfortunat'C man is enabled to resist the fearful solitude by some occupation, and at the same time to make reflections on his former life. We saw and tasted the food (bread, meat, soup), which is here good and nourishing enough.* The expenses of the establishment, indeed, amount to 13,000/. a year — a sum which, according to German ideas, is rather large for the support of 500 prisoners, particularly when the interest of the 85,000/., which the building cost, is reckoned in; giving a sum something like 30/. a year for each, a sum greater than that which most country physicians or schoolmasters have to live on in Germany. Order is preserved in the house with military strictness; and when * Each prisoner has, weekly, 28 ounces of meat, 140 ounces of wheaten bread, 8^ pints of soup, 7 pounds of potatoes, 7 pints of oatmeal gruel, 14 ounces of milk, 5] pints of cocoa, and 10^ ounces of treacle. 138 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND the prisoners assemble, either in cliurcli or for instruction, or to walk, which they are obKged to do within a walled court, or to any common labour — for example, pumping water — the most abso- lute silence reigns. Besides this, uiey wear a peculiar sort of cap, the shade of which falls over the face, and being provided with two holes for the eyes, forms a sort of mask, rendering all mutual recog- nition impossible ; here, also, no names exist, but each prisoner is denoted and called for by the number of his cell — he is, as it were, for the time of his penalty, no longer a person in the state, no longer a member of human society — -the state deprives him of that life which it gave him, and it has, undoubtedly, a right to do so; on the contrary, it can never have a right to deprive a human being of that life, which the course of Divine Providence has assigned to him. There are few punishments in the estabhshment, corporal punish- ment does not exist; the punishments are, an inferior sort of food, and confinement for one, two, three, or four days, in an absolutely dark and empty cell in the underground part of the buildings. This prison is only for men of from eighteen to thirty-five, and only such as are condemned to transportation of not more than fifteen years. In this respect, however, and because the establishment is not merely considered one of punishment, but, very rationally, also one of reformation, one arrangement appeared to me particularly praise- worthy, which causes the condemned to consider the future in the present, this is, the division of all the prisoners into three classes, according to their conduct and industry at their work, and their attention to the instructions they receive in religion, morals, and mechanical labour. According to their position in these classes, their future fate in Van Dieman's Land is determined. Those of the first class are allowed to follow a trade there, being merely under the surveillance of the police; those of the second class are compelled to labour at the public works ; but only those of the third class are sent to the worst and most dangerous places in the colony. The chapel of the institution presents a singular spectacle ! In semi-circular rows above one another, high wooden boxes are erected, which are so constructed, as to allow the prisoner in them a sight of the pulpit, but at the same time to render him perfectly invisible to any of the other prisoners. The passage to these boxes is up small flights of stairs; and the sight was particularly depress- ing, when, after our being conducted to a seat near the pulpit, sud- denly a number of boxes were filled with masked prisoners. As soon as they sit down, they throw back their mask, and their faces are seen for the first time. I asked some questions on the eflicacy of the system of solitary confinement, and whether cases of mental aberration had not frequently been the result of this system? The latter question was answered in the negative, and the answers to the other questions were in general favourable. Longer experience will tell us more. So much is, however, clear, that this strict regularity in their way of living, this impossibiUty of evil communication, and THE NEW POST OFFICE. 139 tlie continual employment — this sensibility of punislimcnt, and of the being shut out from all society, must be in the end, and for all time, the simplest and most rational form of punishment. The state can only show itself effective, however, en masse! — for all more delicate distinctions cease here. Above the chapel is a plat- form, from which one has a view of the as yet free and open posi- tion of the prison, and the range of hills to the north of London. It was a dull morning — every thing looked desolate round about — places for building were being prepared, and some smaller houses actually built, looking like newly settled colonics — whilst in the other direction every thing was lost in a mass of houses covered with mist and smoke — quite a November picture in the middle of June ! We now drove to the Post Office, in order to obtain an idea of that wonderful activity, by which the million of letters which pass through the London post-office every week, are all correctly delivered to their several addresses. Human ingenuity has proved itself won- derful in such matters as this ! If we consider all that is sometimes contained in a letter, what secrets of the internal hfe, and what im- portant commissions respecting the external one, how the whole fate of a man would be at once entirely changed, if a letter were to arrive at a wrong time, or were to fall into wrong hands ; when we consider, at the same time, the amount of trouble necessary to the collecting from 500,000 to 600,000 letters every week from the several receiving offices, and distributing them again into all the provinces of this country called London, it appears well worth one's while to cast a look at the internal arrangements of such an estab- hshment. The Post Office, situated in St. Martin's-le- Grand, is of great extent, and contains a large hall supported by columns, from which several entrances lead to the separate offices. When one enters the interior, one sees long rooms with tablets, above which are drawers, into which the letters which come in, and those which are to be sent out, are distributed. All these letters are stamped; and one may conceive with what swiftness these thousands of leaves pass through a man's hand, when I state, that a man whom I was looking at stamped 300 in one minute. At the same time arrange- ments are made for the quickest possible communication from one office to another; and thus, among other contrivances, there is a little tunnel, in which a covered box runs from one end of the house to the other. Letters and packets are thrown into this box through a trap, and the box is then sent to the other office ; there it is opened, the contents taken out, and other letters put in to be sent back again. We must at the same time consider, that by the present method of paying the postage of letters, much time and trouble is saved. In the post-offices and stationers' shops, stamped pieces of paper are to be had, which express the value of the postage, and are sold at this price. These pieces of paper are stuck on the letter in proportion to the general well-known charge for postage; the letter is then thrown into the letter-box, and is 140 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. certain to arrive safe and quickly at its destination. The English certainly liave the art of inventing, in all such matters, capital abbreviations for business, which would often take up much time. Thus there are always printed tables of every thing necessary for the house, the kitchen, or the cellar, so that a man, by looking over these lists, immediately sees what he has or what he wants. In the same way, no one keeps any large sum of money in the house ; his banker manages all that, and he has only a little book with cheques, out of which he has nothing to do but tear a leaf, write upon it the sum he owes, and give it to his creditor; and so of other matters ! Not far from the Post Office is Goldsmiths' Hall, and we went to take a view of it in order to see that all useful trades, which forward the advantages of the country and the city are held in honour. These trades form for the most part companies, which reckon among their honorary members the most distinguished persons in the kingdom, and collect funds often so considerable, that the Company of Merchant Tailors, for example, which reckons among its mem- bers Sir R. Peel and Lord Aberdeen, has caused to be erected in. Oxford, from their extra money, a large building for a collection in art, and for an institution for the learning of the modern languages. Every such company has a house of meeting or hall, and there are forty-nine of these in London. One of the most considerable of these companies is the Goldsmiths' Company, containing above 400 members, among whom are Prince Albert and the Duke of Wel- lington. Their hall is large, in the Italian style, and ornamented with Corinthian columns. In the lower floor it contains the offices, in which all manufactured silver has to be proved and stamped (as is well known, the English silver is distinguished by its great purity); from this floor a splendid staircase conducts to the first floor, where are the dining-room and ball-room, elegantly and splendidly adorned. Here the meetings are held, and splendid entertainments are given. The halls of the other companies are said to be similar. The Fishmongers' Company has lately (1832) built a new hall in the place of the old one, containing a room seventy-three feet long by thirty-eight feet wide. Next came the visit of his majesty to the Lord Mayor, at present a Mr. Magnay. The house inhabited by the Lord Mayor for the time being is the Mansion House, situated opposite the Bank. It was built about a hundred years ago in its present form, and is therefore in that false antique style, with staircases in the base- ment and Corinthian columns, the pediment of which contains a large relievo by Taylor, representing the personification of the city of London and of the Thames, quite in the old French style. Above this again is a heavy top, which fortunately is hardly re- marked, because the street isnot broad enough to admit of a general view. The Lord Mayor advanced to meet the King, preceded by two men in black robes of an ancient form, and with fur caps on THE WELLINGTON STATUE. 141 tlieir lieacls, and gold chains round their necks, carrying the city sword and mace. The sword is in a rich red velvet sheath, orna- mented with pearls, the crown fastened to a heavy gold sceptre. Servants, in scarlet livery richly adorned with ^-old lace, stood round, and we were first presented to the family in the drawing- room, and then conducted to the large hall, supported on columns, and adorned with banners. We slightly inspected it, and having just looked into the hall where smaller police cases are disposed of by the Lord Mayor in person, we got into the carriages and drove to the Old Bailey, as the king had expressed a desire to be present at a public trial. A trial w^as just going on: a man was accused of having stolen 500/. from the house of an old gentleman. We list- ened to the address of the prosecutor's counsel, a Mr. Wilkins, who had been first a merchant, then an actor, and lastly an advocate, ■who related the circumstances with great liveliness of gesture, and collected all the points which were intended to prove, and which appeared to me to prove in fact that no one else but the accused could have taken the money. The prisoner maintained his place rather impudently at the bar ; the formation of his head was such that he might easily have been found guilty of the theft on its evidence alone. The recorder then summed up the evidence in a speech that was rather long-winded and weak; we did not, however, wait for the conclusion,* but returned to the Mansion House, where a splendid luncheon awaited us, about three o'clock. We had not been long at table, however, when a deputation entered to invite the king and the Lord Mayor to witness the solemn unveiling of the Wellington statue, which has been erected by subscription, quite close to this, in front of the New Exchange. The invitation was accepted ; we rose ; and protected with difficulty by a number of po- licemen from the crowding of the people, we passed "^to a place where a circle had been kept free, and wdiere musicians had been placed round the statue still veiled. Now the great moment arrived, the covering is withdrawn, the equestrian statue in bronze, the model of Avhich was made by Chantrey, appears, and the people raise a shout hardly to be silenced! The chairman of the committee stepped forward and made a short speech, and during the playing of *' God save the Queen," we all returned through the immense crowd to the Mansion House. This was the first time that I had seen and felt a regular English crowd, and I can now fancy the conse- quences of any one's being drawn into such a mass of human beings ! These waves of a rude multitude have something about them more dreadful than the waves of the sea, and the former are not beautiful like the latter. The lunch was now concluded in peace, several toasts proposed as * I found afterwards that the accused was found guilty, and sentenced to transportation for seven years. 142 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. is usual on sucli occasions, after wliicli we drove to the Temple and tlie Temple churcli ; and tlie king had some difficulty in refusing the use of the Lord Mayor's state coach, which was already in waiting before the door, driven by a coachman in a livery of red and gold, a great wig and little three-cornered hat, and behind which were set up footmen in a similar costume, only without wigs, and richly powdered instead. The buildings of the Temple contain much that is curious. These were in olden time the possessions of the Templars, then very nume- rous and powerful in England : and even now the principal of St. Mary's church is called " Master of the Temple." When this bro- therhood was broken up, the " professors of common law" bought all this part of the city, reaching from Fleet-street to the Thames, in which now two of their guilds, those of the " Inner " and of the *' Middle " Temple are settled. We first examined the church, the oldest part of which was built about 1185. The entrance to it is somewhat solemn, a beautiful real Gothic vaulting receives us, the softened light of the old painted windows falls between columns which are not lofty, the organ resounds, and at the very entrance to the nave of the church, lie on the ground six Templar knights, stretched out like mighty iron corpses. This kind of raised carved grave stones, as if the armed knight lay as he had fallen in holy ground, I had never seen before, and they produce a powerful effect. The church is in other respects very simple, and not very large, but the effect of such an entrance is very great. We now passed on to the Inner and the Middle Temple. There is in one of these Inns a very fine old hall, where all the benchers dine in common, in which the arms of all the old jurists who have at various times read lectures here, adorn the walls ; there is also a large library of law works, some fine galleries, and a prettily planted garden with some beautiful views of the Thames. The day was to conclude Avith some exhibitions, and first the Exhibition of the Society of Painters in Water Colours. The English have, like the French, made great progress in this particular branch of art, more especially in architectural drawing; there were several pretty drawings of old Gothic churches, streets, and castles, but no idea of any greater or more profound striving after art. All the immortality hoped for appeared to be that of having the painting preserved in some princely collection. The second exhibition was the British Gallery, which I had visited yesterday with Mrs. Austin. To-day, I had a better opportunity of seeing it, and discovered some other very beautiful pieces. I first saw, that Raphael of the earliest time, which Passavant has had en- graved in his work on this master, " The Disciples sleeping on the Mount of Ohves." The painting is certainly important ; I have never seen any other in which Raphael appears so completely in his chrysaHs state. Only in particular traits does the beauty of his CAPTAIN MEYNELL. 143 future existence glimmer through, and yet, even that which is quite imperfect has a certain power of objective ndivett. Then, a large sea piece, by Ruysdael, was important to me. Accustomed only to see- ing wood, and field, and rivers by this artist, his waves were very interesting to me : but I still like his trees better. Further, I saw a little Murillo, " The Virgin being carried up to Heaven," hovering and surrounded by angels — splendid — lovely — yet soft ! It appeared to me a sort of preparatory picture to the large one in Soult's collection. The most important of all, however, was, no doubt, a large picture by Mantegna, painted gray on gray, the figures about one quarter the size of life, the whole about six or seven feet long. It repre- sented the triumph of Scipio, and displayed a beauty of drawing, so noble a character in the figures represented, and such a perfection of finish, that I was very much astonished never to have read anywhere of this piece. In the first place, a good sketch, and then a perfect engraving of this work, would be of great value for the artists of Germany. If a good star had guided me hitherto^ I was still more obliged to it in the evening at dinner, because, besides placing me opposite that English beauty, whom I have before mentioned as being the most perfect, in my mind, from the beautiful tracing of a counte- nance like a painter's Juno, it gave me for a neighbour Captain Meynell, with whom I very soon got into a highly interesting con- versation. He was one of those men who are only to be met with in large states. Frequently engaged in the most important historical events, in which England has always acted a principal part, he had been in the most opposite countries, and had been a member of various embassies. Two events in his life interested me particularly; he was one of Napoleon's conductors to St. Helena, and he had often seen and spoken with Gothe in the years 1816 and 1817. It was important to me, in reference to Gothe, to know what efiect his appearance had produced on such a man as Captain Meynell, an En- glishman employed in, and intimately connected with some of the most important events of the history of later times. When I asked him this question, he replied, that his first feeUng, after all he had heard of the poet, had certainly been disappointment ; but that the efiect of Gcithe's eye had soon been apparent to him, and from that time the whole power of his character had been clear to him. This evening, the court visited the Italian Opera, where we just arrived in time to hear of the death of Lucia di Lammermoor, and to see Mario die without any particular emotion. This evening, the great attraction was the ballet ; for Fanny Elsler had been sent for irom Paris, and as she was new to me, I was anxious to observe the efiect of her appearance. The subject of the ballet was, as usual, par- ticularly absurd. A young painter delights to dwell on the picture of a beauty whom he has formerly painted, and often consoles himself by contemplating her image. The mother finally seeks out the lost beauty in order to recover the devoted lover from his melancholy^ 144 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. One fine day, during his absence, tlie recovered one slips quietly into his room, and takes up her position within the frame instead of the picture. The lover arrives, sunk in melancholy, draws aside the curtain from before the supposed image — there stands the origi- nal herself — gives him a look lull of affection , and steps forth out of the frame to make him happy for life ; plots and intrigues of various kinds still follow. Elsler personated the lost beauty. She is no longer young, and never was beautiful, properly speaking ; but her perfect and admirable command of her body still gives her a peculiar charm. All the graces v/hich art can give are really combined in her movements. I shall never forget the beautiful manner, the graceful bendings with which she came forth from the frame — like a beautifully turned phrase from an educated mouth. Can there be, in reality, a peculiar music of motion in this play of the limbs, ruled by fine feelings? — A certain agitation of the whole orga- nisation in her last full bending forwards towards her partner in the dance particularly struck me. Like the well-timed shake of a singer, it worked so as to show the strongest emotion of the bosom under the influence of overpowering feeling. The foot really played the quaver ; then the bearing — the swaying of the whole body in the most graceful wavy curves ! Had the movement been supported by real beauty of person, the effect must have been irresistible ! XXX. London, June 19tli — Noon. I HAVE, to-day, a peculiar feeling, because I must leave London to-morrow; London, in which I have still so much to see, to learn, and to do. The feeling of to-day is half that of an expected libera- tion, and half that of a sensible loss ! The most important questions respecting the destiny of mankind, the relation of individuals to the whole body of the state, and the rights of both, are nowhere to be seen in such close and immediate connexion as here. None except those wdio have seen London, and lived there for a short time, will easily obtain any thing like a clear and distinct idea of the subject. Notwithstanding, I must acknowledge that I do not feel myself possessed of the organisation to live here. I feel too strongly that with its overwhelming power it would drive me from the very foundations of my own proper being, and to that no man should ex- pose himself. The morning was calm, dark, and cloudy, and being obliged to attend a medical consultation, I was afforded a further opportunity of taking a quiet survey of this great city. I passed by Westminster Abbey, which stood out dark and gloomy against the lowering sky. The town appeared to me like a slumbering giant, which might at any moment awake, and then resistance would be impossible. TOM THUMB. 145 Afterwards, I went into a printseller's to buy a few memorials of Lanclsecr, and I was fortunate enough to see there a large water-colour drawing by Haghe, the best which I have ever seen of the kind. Haghe is well known by his beautiful works on the interiors of English castles, and I expected much from his drawings ; but what I saw far exceeded my expectations. The drawing represented the portico and entrance of a Spanish cathedral, with monks in the vestibule distributing alms among the people. The extraor- -dinary skill in the drawing of the figures, the bold treatment of the subject, and the beauty and distinctness of the light and coloimng, must secure it the reputation of a master-piece. Why have the English no historical painters able to execute on a large scale, what this small historical picture does on a small one ? It may, perhaps, be said, the nation is too active and powerful merely to paint ^reat deeds and the expression of great thoughts ; if a man has a genius powerful enough to effect something great, he really brings it out somehow or other in life, and the course of ambition is here -open to the least and to the greatest. Mozart expresses himself -somewhat after this fashion in his letter on the various explanations iind sesthetical reflections respecting a musical work of art: " One of us would write it sooner." Numerous further considerations connect themselves with this ; in reference to Germany, also, which in con- sequence of its multifarious divisions has less room for great deeds, and therefore gives freer scope to its ideal tendencies. I will not, however, here lose myself in an ocean of reflections, where so much immediately impels to action. First of all I went to see an anthropological curiosum — Tom Thumb — the smallest of human beings, 13 years old — 25 inches liigh — fifteen pounds weight. He has been exhibited in London for more than a month, in the Egyptian Hall in Piccadilly, in the same room in which Catlin, the traveller, exhibited his North American Indians. During my life I have made acquaintance with many more small men than great ones, but such a one as this I have never seen ! He is a true remnant of the pygmies ! Withal he is well built, and the rounded form of the head, with the projecting forehead of childhood, well corresponds to the intel- ligent self-satisfied nature of the mannikin. He gives one the impres- sion of a piece of wound-up mechanism when he walks about hither and thither on the large table — imitates the position of the Borghese gladiator — takes off Napoleon — sings a boat-song in the character of a sailor, and such things. What singular aberra- tions human education sometimes presents ! The last public sight which I visited in London was the Chinese exhibition. This vast collection was made by a native of Philadel- phia, Mr. Nathan Dunn, who lived above twelve years in China, and enjoyed a high degree of popularity among the Chinese. It is really remarkably well worth seeing, and is quite sui generis. It has been exhibited in London for a considerable time in a. 146 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. large building near St. George's Hospital and Hyde Park Corner. The catalogue, ornamented with drawings by Mr. Langdon, oc- cupies 169 pages. It presents a complete collective picture of these singular people from the ceremonies used in their temples, with their colossal idols, to imitations, in carved wooden figures as large as life, of the different modes of living, trades, and customs — the most complete collection of all the single objects of necessity or productions of art — books, weapons, furniture, ornaments, porcelain, moneys and weights — carriages, models of ships, and productions of nature; — and after one has gone through the long hall and exa- mined the various objects which it contains, one is constrained to come to the lamentable conclusion, that the light of more elevated beauty has never shone upon a nation of more than 300,000,000 of men ! This view suggests a long series of melancholy thoughts. When one sees the high artistical skill of their works — contemplates the nature of their social relations — thinks upon the industry and inde- fatigable ingenuity of the people — one is disposed to exclaim : *' Why is light given to the miserable!" Is all that mass as it is here exhibited to be compared to a single work of Phidias — to a single noble free and deep thought of Plato, or to the perfect form of a Sixtine Madonna. And why have these millions been condemned to wander in darkness, and with their ridiculous world of ceremonies and most complete servility, to form the genuine type of a " Phi- lister?" And yet there blooms even there a peculiar fortune — there is evidence of a particular kind of science and art, and a peculiar phase of humanity is there developed. I must, however, curb the flights of thought, for time presses forward. Dr. Freund, my faithful guide in London, officiated as my con- ductor to the Chinese Collection. I separated from him with lively feelings of gratitude, and not without an earnest wish, that the great undertaking, of which he is the main spring — the foundation of an Hospital for all poor Germans in London^ may bear the richest fruits. Many liberal contributions have been already made by the rich and powerful, and the object appears to meet with more and more encouragement and support. Would that these words of recommendation may reach the eyes and stimulate the hearts of the wealthy and benevolent among ourselves, to co-ope- rate in this design ! XXXI. Same Day — Towards Evening. I HAVE taken leave of London ! — a twofold leave, most pro- bably never to see it again — and, therefore, peculiar emotions necessarily crowd upon my mind. One part of the leave-tak- ing was merely formal. When his majesty went to pay his DEPARTUEE FEOM LONDON. 147 visits on departure, I, with other gentlemen of liis suite, at- tended him m a second state-carriage, to the house of the Duke of Cambridge and to those of the queen's ministers. The etiquette, however, in such cases is, that the suite remain in the library and enter their names in a book left there for the purpose, whilst the crowned head alone takes his leave of the family in the drawing- room. These short drives, therefore, merely furnished opportunities of seeing the interiors of a few more houses, and I was happily soon released from this ceremonial. The other part of my leave-taking affected me more deeply. Alone, and once again reflecting calmly on all the peculiarities and greatness of the scenes by which I was surrounded, I took a solitary walk through some of the most splendid streets in the neighbourhood of the palace, such as St. James's Street, Piccadilly, and then through St. James's Park, where to-day every thing was remarkably still. The contrast between bustle and movement, quiet and repose, was very strik- ing. In such parks London, which everywhere appears great and mighty, may be called also beautiful. The extensive water, the sheep pasturing around, the large trees with their full foliage, and the lofty towers of Westminster Abbey majestically rising above them, all gave the impression, in the evening light, of some- thing both beautiful and grand ! Every thing appeared so peaceful, and at the same time so free and noble. A gentle rain fell upon the dry grass and renewed its verdure. I thought within myself — Shakspeare has probably trod this soil and viewed these scenes, and in him I felt myself more at home in the surrounding objects, of which on the morrow I must take my leave. A great mind, with whose feelings and ideas we deeply sympathise, always makes us more at home in and more intimate with the country in which that mind has been developed, its powers matured, and its fruits shed, than any thing else whatever. This is the circumstance which inspires us with such a feeling respecting Greece — and this, too, formerly gave to the whole western world such a longing after the scenes and recollections of the East. This it is which brings Italy nearer to us than its Apennines. And w^ho is there that has a longing to see any country whatever without a history ? London, June 20th — Early. Every thing is already packed; servants are busy carrying cloaks and portfolios. Two gentlemen of the suite return to Saxony in one travelling carriage, and two others are retained for our journey through England and Scotland. In one his majesty the king travels, accompanied by Privy-councillor v. Gersdorf, his ambassador in London; and the second is assigned to Major Reichardt, his majesty's equerry, and myself. Much of the travelling baggage also goes back direct to Dresden — therefore, there is nothing but hurry, running, asking questions, taking, and carrying ! After seeing my own affairs in order, I withdrew from the commotion, l2 148 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. wliicli always causes constraint and annoyance, to spend a quarter of an liour at my writing-table, in my agreeable chamber, in which I had become quite at home, and where the nicest paper and the best pens were always in readiness for me. — In the midst of such a scene, I think with pleasure on those of a very different character; for nothing sooner restores the equilibrium and impartiality of the mind, when disturbed by outward disquiets, than when, in the midst of the present, we transport ourselves to far other and different scenes ! On this occasion I represented to myself, how peculiar and different from this must be the morning preparations for departure of a travel- ling caravan in the East. The camels driven together to receive their loads — horses galloping about — negro slaves screeching — and seraskiers swearing — whilst, peaceful and glorious, the orb of day rises above the distant level horizon of the desert ! Time, however, advances. Order is restored, and I must take my leave — first of all of this peaceful chamber, in which, late in the evening, no sound of near disquiet interrupted reflection, and to which only that singular, incessant rolling of distant carriages forced its way, which proceeds from all the busy streets of London in a continuous sound, closely resembling very distant thunder, or the beating of the waves of the sea. I shall probably never visit this quiet room again. Now for a general parting. XXXII. JOURNEY THROUGH ENGLAND. Cambridge, June 20 — Evening. The first day of our journey has terminated most agreeably. At nine o'clock in the morning the carriages were in waiting at the pa- lace. Her Majesty the Queen, and Prince Albert, accompanied their royal guest to the great entrance hall, where we also were afforded an opportunity of paying our grateful respects to her ma- jesty and her consort, and immediately the carriages set off and we drove rapidly through London. The sky was gray — the air mild — and a gentle rain sprinkling the earth. We pursued the great north road, which passes under a lofty archway at Highgate, where a deep cutting is made to diminish the ascent, and a bridge thrown over to connect the two sides and form a cross road above. After passing the archway we entered upon an extensive open district, which, towards noon, changed into a half- wooded and half agricul- tural country, interspersed with meadows. Soon after we approached the entrance into a large park, deer HATFIELD HOUSE. 149 were lying under tlie lofty trees, and we found ourselves at Hat- field, a property belonging to the Marquis of Salisbury. The marquis, a vigorous and lively though elderly man, is a widower, and spends only a part of the autumn and winter at his residence at Hatfield House, an edifice of about two centuries and a half old. He had only just come here on this occasion to receive his majesty, and on our departure immediately rod(^ back to Lon- don to attend his duties in parhament. The house is peculiar, built of red stone in a quadrangular Gothic style, and covered in many parts with ivy. The very entrance hall is singular. The wall to- wards the garden is made of filigree work, but only in fact apparently open, for on nearer examination it was seen that panes of glass were inserted between the stones. We first remained for some time in the great drawing-room, with which the rich old paneled walls, the furniture a hundred years old, and the whole decorations all harmonised; and were then conducted by the marquis himself through the difiTerent corridors and apartments of his house. Haghe in his English residences has given many picturesque views of Hatfield. The wide rich staircases covered with carvings, pro- duce a particularly splendid effect. Above these is a very large gallery, the whole of the walls of which are also panneled. The rooms are hung with family portraits, immense carved wooden seats stand by the fire-places; and a spacious adjacent corner, was capable of being changed into a separate chamber by turning round a portion of the ornamental wainscotting, — every thing was peculiar. In addition, a certain peculiarly romantic air of old times was spread over these rooms. This air arises, properly speaking, from the re- pose of loneliness, and made a wonderful impression on my mind. I have been, indeed, in other ancient castles, where this peculiar odour, half balsamic and half suggestive of still and dry decay, pre- vailed — which points far backward into ages past, and suggests recol- lections of olden times; and, thus, has such a strong poetical in- fluence on the mind. In this reflective spirit, I wandered through the numerous chambers, viewed the lofty carved canopied beds — the variegated gold embroidery on the couches — entered the small domestic chapel; and, finally, descended into the courts and farm- yard, where a half-ruined tower of red stone still remains, in which Elizabeth, when princess, was once kept a prisoner. The marquis now ordered a carriage in order to show a part, at least, of the park. Our first drive was to the vineyard. The way thither led through lofty limes and oaks, and by the side of mea- dows and plantations; a few magnificent oaks stood quite alone, and spoiled by the weather of their loftiest tops, they had become of such strength and foliage as to call to mind bread-fruit trees. Here, too, there was more freedom — the etiquette of Nature had ceased — heaths and grass grew luxuriously — the old trees threw out their mighty roots afar — in the free enjoyment of the bounties Nature had provided. What is called the vineyard is a more orna- 150 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. mental and better kept portion of tlic park, situated behind a lodge overgrown witli luxuriant ivy and flowering honeysuckle, and it was quite charming at the very entrance, when the eye, looking through a vista of yews over green terraces, fell upon a clear pond, beyond which a free young plantation presented a most picturesque back- ground. We went as far as this plantation, loitered here and there by the way, and then returned to the house, where an elegant lun- cheon stood ready in the large ancient hall, adorned w4th flags and coats of mail. I was constrained frequently to cast my eyes around — the large family portraits — the ancient gallery richly carved in dark coloured wood— the coats of arms — the great sideboard, and the marquis himself in a green old age; the old-fashioned powdered servants — the whole again formed a picture in itself in most har- monious keeping. Immediately after lunch we departed, and drove through the village of Hatfield, across an open agricultural country, and con- tinually brighter weather, through the town of Stevenage to Cam- bridge. It had become a very cheerful and beautiful evening, as we drove through the green pleasure-grounds around the city, and entered Cambridge, in which there was a delightful feeling of the quiet of a town of 20,000 inhabitants, after all the hurry and noise of the streets of London. A still spirit of silence seems to breathe around. Immediately on driving into the town, we passed the New Museum of Arts, built in the Grecian temple style, but not yet quite finished. This building owes its origin to a legacy left for the purpose, by the late Earl Fitzwilliam, who bequeathed a sum of 100,000/. for its erection. Several of the old colleges next pre- sented their gray walls, crowned with turrets and ornamented Gothic panels — the slender Gothic church of St. Mary's was seen; and through the quiet streets, illumined by the evening sun, we drove into the first and richest of the colleges. Trinity, in which, since the days of Queen Elizabeth, it has been the custom for monarchs, as they journey, to sojourn. Our host was Dr. Whewell, the present master. Almost without any time for preparation, we followed our hos- pitable host, in order to obtain the clearest possible idea of the buildino's and arrangements of this remarkable and celebrated old university. The spacious courtof Trinity College, with its yellowish stone colour and lofty old Gothic architecture, produces a splendid effect. It was first founded in 1546, by Henry VIII. (Cambridge, m general, is so old, as to have been destroyed as early as the ninth century by the Danes.) The college contains about 400 students. The gate, especially, is in beautiful style — lofty, castellated, and ornamented with towers crowned with pinnacles ; it harmonises admirably with the adjoining buildings, which are very little lower. An ornamental Gothic fountain, in the open space within, has the very best effect. TRINITY COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE. 151 The arrangement of these colleges is, moreover, very peculiar; there are not less than seventeen of them, of which the oldest, St. Peter's, was founded as early as 1257. From 1700 to 1800 stu- dents, in all, reside within their walls ; but each college has its own foundations, is regulated according to its own laws, and, by means of its teachers, called fellows, gives instruction to its own students in the ancient languages, mathematics, and theological morals, whilst the whole of the students are, in common, at liberty to attend, and do attend, the lectures of the university professors in the various faculties, according to their particular objects of study or professional views. The time of our visit was out of term, and but few students were in college. They all Avear black gowns and caps, the fellows and masters a long black robe (almost like our clergy), and black cap, which has a broad, flat, square top. It is said that no small jealousy and rivalry exist among the various colleges; and I myself heard one of the fellows compare the state of feeling between Tri- nity and St. John's, to that between Athens and Sparta. We visited the gardens behind Trinity, and found the clear and broad waters of the Cam, which runs into the Ouse, and thus connects Cambridge with the sea. In these waters the students enjoy the most splendid opportunities of boating and rowing, which is seized upon with avidity, and the young men become adepts in the art. We next returned to the college buildings, in order to see the hall and the library. This college is proud of having ranked Newton amongst its fellows; a marble statue and a portrait of the great philosopher adorn the hall, and reliques of various descriptions are contained in the library. A portion of his hair, some manuscripts and instru- ments belonging to him, were shown to us; and among the last- mentioned, the earliest and imperfect form of his " Refractor." Among the MSS. were letters from foreign men of learning; and among the rest a letter from Voltaire, written in very correct English. The college is not less proud of Bacon of Verulam, w^hose portrait hangs beside that of Newton. In addition to these pre-eminent names, Ray, the naturalist, Dryden, Barrow, and other celebrated men of literature and learning, were formerly students, and Richard Bentley, master of the college. The present master, Dr. Whewell, is a man of solid learning, and among other languages so well versed in Ger- man, as to give to his countrymen a flowing translation of " Hermann and Dorothea," without being deterred by the difficulties of English hexameters. From want of time, it was impossible to devote at- tention to any more of the numerous curiosities which the library con- tains, than these already mentioned. There is here a copy of the Gospel, which is, undoubtedly, very valuable in the history of the arts ; it contains a number of pictures in the Byzantine mosaic-style, and is supposed, by Waagen, to be of the date of the eighth century. Some MSS. of Milton were also shown us, consisting of letters and other papers ; but the most interesting of all was the first plan of his 152 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. " Paradise Lost," sketched in the form of a drama. The evening^, however, was advancing, and it was time to dress for dinner. After our numerous state dinners in London, our comparatively" quiet repast in the society of men of learning and a few highly edu- cated ladies was a true refreshment. The master had invited several fellows, Dr. Paget, a physician, and Dr. Clark, professor of anatomy^ The conversation was lively, and the order of the entertainment it- self had in it something original. The system of carving at table^ usual in all English houses, I first saw here regularly practised;; a number of dishes are put upon tlie table at the same time, and every person carves the dish immediately placed before him, and helps the other guests. At the conclusion of the various courses^ of which the dinner was composed, a large silver bowl, filled w^ith rose -water, in which was placed a silver spoon, was set upon the- table, and sent round, in order that each might take a portion upon a small plate, to dip his napkin in for the purpose of refreshing the face and hands ; this custom had something to me quite- oriental in its observance. After this, the cloth was removed ; a silver tree-shaped service was placed in the centre of the polished table, laden with small dishes filled with confectionary and preserves^ Li addition to this, there were dishes of fruits both dry and fresh, and a great variety of cakes and ornamental sugar work. Among the cakes, a portion of bride cake was particularly pointed out. This cake was a part of that wdiich had been made after the w^edding of the master with his very polite and agreeable lady, and w^as, a& such cakes in general are, rich, dry, and highly baked. They are often partly preserved for years, brought forward on great festive occasions, and eaten in small portions. The ladies having now retired, and the master having taken the seat of the lady of the house next his majesty the king, a small silver waggon, with cut decanters filled with port and sherry, was put in circulation on the smooth table, always from right to left, so as to allow every one to help himself according to his pleasure. Finally, the gentlemen, too,, rose from table, followed the ladies into the drawing-room, found a sideboard with tea and cofi'ee in an adjoining room, and thus a genu- ine English dinner was completed. As I have already said, I felt a particular pleasure in again finding^ myself in the company of men of learning alone, and especially, as I found, that I myself was already well known here through my works. My " Physiology" and " Comparative Anatomy," had not only been studied by the medical professors, but it furnished me, at the same time, wdtli an opportunity of conversing upon other im- portant phenomena in our literature with Mr. Worsley , a lively young man and fellow of Trinity. He had read, for example, and highly valued Tieck's " Vittoria Accorombona." Moreover, just whilst I was engaged in a lively discussion with Drs. Paget and Clark upon the nervous system, a second Carus was introduced. He was a the- ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE. 153 ologian — also a fellow — and had been in college already seventeen years. On this occasion, I learned that several families of the name are to be met with in the north of England. Some curiosity was expressed to hear how I pronounced the name, which proved to be very different from the English usage. It is probable these, too, are descended from Roman stock ; but which of us can lay claim to descent from the Emperor Carus, it would be difficult to discover ; it would, perhaps, be easier for me to establish a connexion with Titus Lucretius Carus, the poet of nature. — We did not separate till a late hour. XXXIII. Woburn, June 21st — Evening. We lingered till after midday in Cambridge, and I have there learned and seen much, which seems to me indicative of the com- mencement of a new and fresh impulse in this otherwise anti- quated university. Of means of study, there is no deficiency; the quiet of the place, the non-permission of theatres, and the non-ex- existence of manufactories and trade, are all favourable to the undis- turbed pursuit of knowledge. May the free spirit of knowledge more and more throw off those chains, in which Puritanic theology has so strictly bound almost every thing in England ! I was present at a characteristic scene in the house of the master of Trinity, at the customary early morning service before breakfast. It is the custom for the whole household to assemble ; the servants come in and seat themselves upon a row of seats near the windows. The master of the household takes his seat at a small table, with the Bible and prayer-book before him, reads a prayer, and then some chapters from the Bible ; next, whilst all kneel, he reads a long, long litany, which in almost the whole of its parts corresponds with that of the Catholic Church. The service finished, all rise, the servants depart, and then comes the breakfast, which in England, as is well known, is a very rich and multifarious affair. As for myself, the cus- tom was interesting for once; as a question of daily use, it must become tedious and ineffective, and presumes much time to spare. After breakfast, Dr. Whewell conducted the king and us to St. John's College, which contains about 300 students, and has been very recently rebuilt. A portion of the buildings lie on the further side of the Cam, and a covered bridge, constructed so as closely to resem- ble a Gothic corridor with glass windows, connects the two buildings. We next proceeded to the large university library, which contains- 170,000 volumes, and a great many curious works; among others, the first book published in England, in the year 1462, an important MS. codex of the New Testament, the poems of Hafiz, very ornamentally "written in minute characters, and merely as the filling up of the per- 154 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. son's name to whom the copy is dedicated, and several things of a similar kind. From thence we went to visit King's College, founded by Henry VI., as early as 1441, and especially for the reception of the Eton scholars. Its slender, lofty chapel (St. Mary's Church) is regarded as one of the finest Gothic buildings in England. The style differs completely from the German Gothic architecture. It belongs to the commencement of the sixteenth century, and by the rich interior deco- rations of its stone roof, reminds the spectator of Henry VII.'s chapel in Westminster. In my youth I had once made a drawing of this church after a copper-plate engraving, and longed anxiously to see the original. Now it was before me — slender, lofty, and light. As we entered the organ was played, and a very happy effect was pro- duced by the sunlight subdued by the lofty stained-glass windows. Thus it is that many of our expectations in life are fulfilled with a surprising richness, whilst many others not less or still more eagerly desired are destined never to be realised. By means of a wind- ing staircase in one of the towers, we ascended to the top of the singularly-constructed roof. Notwithstanding the low pitch of the roof, it is, nevertheless, very strong, and like that of the Cathe- dral of Milan, may be ascended by steps to the ridge. In the briglit sunlight and clear sky the view over the town, with its nu- merous Gothic buildings, gardens, and the agreeable country round, was very beautiful; the stone dome beneath us — the blue firmament — the immense dome above us, and the richness around, produced upon my mind a more solemn impression than the litany of this morning ! Not far from the church is the mineralogical and geological col- lection of the university. Neither is very large ; the latter, however, contains some very interesting specimens, among the rest a large fossil deer, an admirably preserved Plesiosauras, above nine feet long ; and what for the first time I had seen in such perfect form, several spe- cimens of spiriferce, fossil shells, first described by Buckland, which between their valves contain a kind of skeleton or detached spiral, whose physiological value has not been yet clearly determined. We next examined the botanical garden, which appears as indif- ferently supplied as the museum of comparative and pathological anatomy. As, however, I happened to have time to remain here a little longer than in other departments, I discovered one among the pathological preparations, whose importance had hitherto escaped Dr. Clark himself.* This collection also contains some very inte- resting skulls of savages, of which the curator presented me mth one belonging to a New Zealander, which, as an anatomical vade mecum was henceforth to be my carriage companion during the rest of our excursions. * Th\s yf?i%2i c?ise oi Graviditas uterotuharia, of whose remarkable conditions and transition to Graviditas interstitialis, English physicians appear hitherto to have Httle or no knowledge. WOBURN ABBEY. 155 I now went to St. Peter's, whither his majesty also came, after having, in the mean time, visited the observatory, and after partaking of a rich lunclicon in this college, the carriages drove up, and we were soon again en route. The weather was beautiful; and as we drove across the level and well-cultivated country, we had a free view of the atmosphere, and it struck me forcibly for the first time how peculiar the structure of the clouds of the cumulus and cirrus region are, which appear over this island ; their difference from those of other countries is difficult to describe ; but when seen their peculiarity is not to be mistaken. The next considerable place on our route was Bedford, where the arrival of the king collected a great crowd of people, notwithstanding his incognito, and soon after we came to the avenues leading to Wo- burn Abbey, the noble possession of the Duke of Bedford, who was then absent. The abbey is approached under lofty trees and through extensive pastures, covered with herds of deer. On our way thither, I know not why, but probably merely led by the name, I had imagined the ruins of an old and picturesque building, but found myself completely de- ceived when I saw before me a long, uniform, and heavy palace build- ing, erected some fifty years ago, whose interior, moreover, presented nothing more extraordinary than its externals. The long suites of rooms contain many family and other portraits, as well as many land- scapes, among which there is only one good, but that is really pr^c/ows, by Caspar Poussin. I had never previously seen any thing like it from the hand of this artist; the whole tone of the picture is so mild, clear, and pure, that it might be ascribed to Claude. Daylight is just departing over distant water; it recalled to my recollection that passage in Dante, in which he says of the pilgrim, that he heard the evening bell from afar " Che paja '1 giorno pianger, che si muore." Adjoining the gardens there is a gallery of antiques and sculpture, in which there are some interesting things. A relief by Thorwald- sen is very beautiful, representing " Achilles being supplicated for the Body of Hector;" not less so is the Torso of an antique Bacchus. I was also much interested with a copy of the large and celebrated Warv/ick vase, with its comic masks; and, finally, I must not omit to mention among the remarkable objects, a large Roman sarcophagus with reliefs^ of rather rude workmanship. The grounds themselves had, in ray eyes, something desultory. What struck me as prettiest was the view from the terrace near the house, when the eye wanders over the extensive grassy park, on which were pasturing deer lying in groups, and a wide pond of clear water stretched out before the view. There was a beautiful sunset, but before it began to grow dark, we still found time to have a look at the duke's forcing-houses, which lie at some distance from the abbey. These long rows of houses 156 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. contain the most excellent grapes and peaches, and are so arranged as to liave fruit always ripe, in order that whatever time the owner passes at his residence here, the noblest fruits may be always at hand. I thouglit tliese houses, in every sense, more tasty than the situa- tion and arrangements of the abbey itself. Woburn, where we spent the night, is close to the park of the abbey, and appears to be a very small place, in which, in the evening, a genuine, simple English tea with some cold fowl and other addi- tions, formed a welcome substitute for the late dinners of which we had hitherto partaken. XXXIV. Bakewell (Derbyshire), June 22nd — Evening. A TRUE railway day ! How would it be possible to traverse such apiece of England as from AVoburn through Chesterfield to this place with such rapidity, were it not for these fiery chariots ? We left Woburn at six o'clock in the morning, with fine clear weather, and driving through a hilly and well-cultivated country, reached the large station of the London and Birmingham railway at Wolverton, at a quarter before eight o'clock. The carriages were im- mediately placed upon the proper trucks ; the train from London arrived. His majesty preferred our remaining in the open carriage on the truck^ and immediately after eight the train started which brought us through Leicester to Derby at twelve o'clock. Riding in an open and shak- ing carriage so elevated was at first somewhat startling ! Dragged along backwards by the snorting engine with such rapidity, under thundering bridges, over lofty viaducts, and through long dark tun- nels filled with smoke and steam ! By and by, however, we became accustomed even to this, and came to look with composure upon the extensive, pretty, and quickly changing country, the loaded boats a& they passed on the canals, the roaring and whistling trains as they rushed past (one with a whole lierd of oxen, penned in carriages), and the wonderful pushing, going and coming, getting out and getting in, carrying and bringing at the different stations. Did time permit, there were materials for extended considerations. A sentimental journey a la Yorick, becomes more and more impos- sible ! The latest newspapers were constantly offered at the stations; we bought some, and the rapidity with which news is here circulated may be guessed from the circumstance, that the Times of this morn- ing just arrived, gave a full and minute account of his majesty's visit to Platfield House yesterday ! In this manner, all that takes place- at the court in^ London, visits, invitations, excursions, &c., are par- ticularly chronicled and printed in all the newspapers, and now I see that the reporters, even on their journey, report with the same DERBY STATION. 157 rapidity. At every station a person in one of the nearest carriages kept continually looking towards our carriage, and fixed his eyes upon us as if he were working upon a sketch of the travelling equipage for a wood cut in the Illustrated News! I confess that all this spying and universal small talk of the newpapers seems to me to be doubly mischievous : first, to the people who are thus ac- customed to trouble themselves about a multitude of trivial circum- stances, family affairs, and the most ordinary events ; and, secondly, for those who are the objects of such incessant prying and observa- tion. Such a people as the English should be far above such lit- tleness ! A wonderful place is the immense station at Derby ! There was half an hour's delay, because several railways cross each other, and the trains are separated and re-formed for their further destination. We availed ourselves of the time, in order to obtain a more complete idea of the various arrangements of the station. Every thing is on an immense scale. A great number of railways cross this colossal court, intended to accommodate several companies. About 100 en- gines are always ready; and in the middle of the court there is a large round building with a cupola, into which the engines which have just been used are pushed, and placed concentrically on a large revolving metal plate, and easily turned round, so as to be readily replaced upon any of the converging radial lines, on which they are next to be employed. Not less than sixteen engines were standing in this immense rotunda, and I compared the whole to a colossal stable built for the reception of these snorting and roaring railway horses. Close by these is a hospital, too, for the lamed or diseased cattle, to which they are sent in case of need. Engines which are in any respect defective, or have received injuries, are sent thither to be examined and repaired; and, as may naturally be supposed, the workshops for the construction or repair of these steam-engines, have their own machinery put in motion by steam. At the end of the half hour our train left Derby, and we then entered upon the calcareous region which contains coal-beds. The limestone forms immense layers, which are either passed by very deep cuttings, such as we passed through before reaching Leicester, or penetrated by tunnels. The works in such cases are very fa- vourable to the study of natural history ; by their means many very interesting fossils have been discovered, which now adorn the various English collections. The country, too, is here upon a grander scale — diversified with hills, and well- watered valleys — lofty broken rocks, and long chains of hills alternate agreeably with one another. At half-past one we arrived at the Chesterfield station, where we left the railway. This small ancient town is situated upon elevated ground, and is remarkable for the crooked steeple which terminates the tower of its church, said to have been built in the thirteenth century. It happened to be a fair time at Chesterfield, and every 15B ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. tiling gave distinctive evidence of the peculiarity of a small country town, in the centre of England, witliout any considerable manufac- tures or trade, and in a hilly district. Before the windows of the inn at which we stopped, all the small dealing and bargaining of the country people making their purchases was actively going forward. We enjoyed a true English dinner — excellent beef and capital claret. In the mean time the carriages had been brought up, and the horses put to, and an excursion was undertaken to an ancient neighbour- ing seat belonging to the Duke of Devonshire — Hardwick Hall. The way thither proceeds chiefly along high ground; the weather was splendid, the view over the green valleys charming, and the pure clear air, after the smoky atmosphere of the railway, very refreshing and agreeable. After a short ride over hill and dale, we soon reached one of the numerous gates, which separate the divisions of the park. These were opened by a groom who gal- loped on before, and the surrounding scenery became more and more beautiful. I must here add a word on these divisions in the English parks. The vast number of deer, as well as herds of cattle and flocks of sheep which are enclosed in diflerent parts of the park, render such gates indispensable. In order, however, that the obstruction on the roads may not be too great, a species of wooden railed gate has been adopted, which opens wide on a hinge, and is so constructed, as, when let go, to close of itself. The fastening consists merely of a latch, so made, that a person on horseback can readily raise the bolt with a hook attached to the handle of his whip, and thus open the gate. He is no sooner through than the gate shuts of itself, and the latch resumes its position. It is usual to meet with many such gates in every English park. As we skirted the hill, we soon came in sight, from a distance, of the Hall and its picturesque scenery. The trees around are splendid, and it rejoices one to see how the old time-beaten oaks, with their dry knotty branches, are preserved with reverence. On the hilly pas- tures were deer in abundance — and, finally, the castle itself It con- sists of two parts ; one is a complete ruin, and thickly overgrown with ivy; the other is still habitable, but very rarely inhabited. Both present a most peculiar physiognomy. The older part was the residence of the Hardwicks in the reign of Henry YIL ; the more modern was built in the latter half of the sixteenth century, by Elizabeth Countess of Shrewsbury, who inherited this possession as female heir of the Hardwicks, and died in 1607. This lady was four times married — ^inherited large possessions from her husbands ; and by this means, as well as the prudent marriages of her children, she brought together an enormous property, and laid the foundation of four dukedoms. Her first husband was a Cavendish, and her last that Earl of Shrewsbury to whose keeping Mary Stuart was committed as a prisoner. The unfortunate queen long occupied apartments in a part of the castle, now in ruins, and in the neigh- bouring Wingfield manor-house, now gone to decay. This building HARDWICK HALL. 159 bears all the characteristics of the time of Elizabeth, with its high lattice windows, thickly clothed around on the outside with ivy, its stone floors covered with straw mats and carpets, its old worked tapestry and curiously- carved furniture — every thing had the colour- ing of that age. I may say that this was the first building which com- pletely corresponded to my idea of the great simplicity combined with the knightly grandeur of old " Merry England 1" In the hall there is a statue of Mary Stuart, of but inferior execution, with the inscription — " A siiis in exilium acta 1568 Ab hospita neci data 1387." In a little chamber above, the furniture of which had been brought from the old castle, were shown the fringes of a bed-curtain, em- broidered by the unfortunate Mary herself, and marked with the initials, M. S. The large upper room is particularly remarkable, with its worked tapestry and parti-coloured bas-reliefs over the doors; in the side wall there is a colossal fire-place, above which are placed the arms of Queen Elizabeth, with the old Norman-French motto above, "Dieu eist mon droit." In the middle of the room there stands a large old wooden table inlaid with various coloured woods and curiously wrought. A kind of Quodlibet appears scattered about upon the table — maps, coats-of-arms, and mottoes — (that of the Cavendish family " cavendo tutus") — draft-boards and musical instruments of different kinds, accompanied by music books, on one of which a psalm is set for three voices, in very old notes. These things might be not unimportant in the history of music. In addition to the one just mentioned, there is another large room, in which the Duke of Devonshire has hung about 200 historical portraits — very few of them are even tolerably executed. It was, therefore, much more interesting to me to follow our conductor up to the almost flat roof of the house, where, between the highly- ornamented stacks of chimneys, four detached chambers are built somewhat in the fashion of corner towers. The galleries of the plat- form, as well as the flower-beds in the garden, surrounded with box wood, are everywhere marked with the letters E. S. (Elizabeth Shrewsbury). The view is extensive and beautiful; — the rich woods of the park — the old ivy clad ruin opposite — below, grassy meadows and fields, with the distant villages and blue hiUs in the horizon — all appeared very beautiful in the warm afternoon sun- light. Finally, we proceeded to the old ivy-clad castle almost completely overgrown with trees ! What studies might be here made ! The old lofty corner towers without a roof, covered with grass and foliage — young trees pusliing their tender shoots through the broken stone muUions of the windows — the dilapidated walls — the court of the castle overgrown with luxuriant trefoil, affording food and pastime for multitudes of humming-bees, busy in the warm sunshme. It 160 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. was difficult to know whitlier first to turn one's eyes. Tliere is still a room above almost in ruins, and readied with difficulty by an unstable stair wliich is peculiarly beautiful, witli its open windows clad with ivy,- and its reliefs still partially visible. There is also an old chimney-piece remaining. Here, on a warm moonlight evening, the room lighted by a fire flickering upon the hearth — without, the balmy night air, and within a select society of persons. Here is a place to become absorbed in the most multifarious recollec- tions ! With these impressions we left Hardwick, enjoyed a last beautiful look back upon the Hall proudly seated on its elevated situation, and were immediately borne from its sight by a bending in the road. We drove back to Chesterfield, where in the mean time the news of the king's arrival had brought together a multitude of people round the inn, who did not suffer the exalted traveller to depart without hearty cheers. From Chesterfield, the road hither led us more and more into the Peak district. Large quarries by the way side showed us that we were in the region of the calcareous strata, often visibly consisting of conglomerate shells, which, on rubbing, emit the smell of sulphur ore. The features of the country become more mountainous, the lofty ridges more imposing, and there are extensive mountain slopes so overgrown with thick, dark-green heath, that the black rocks and this violet-green present a striking contrast. It was already becoming dark when we arrived at this place, which, although small, has an elegant inn, and afforded us excellent accommodation. XXXV. Bakewell, June 23id — Evening. To-day is Sunday — the morning brought repose and quiet, and, left to myself, I was free to indulge in a solitary walk upon the heights above the little town. The morning was very clear, and the air delightful. The little town below lay before me in all its beauty, with its old Gothic church steeple springing up above the surround- ing lime-trees, the slightly wooded ridges of the limestone mountains stretched afar, with their green valleys between. Near me were spread out large green meadows, separated from one another by stone walls, in which the cattle were pasturing without a herdsman. The dew was still upon the grass, and the larks singing in the sky. I examined the stone of these rudely- constructed walls, and the whole was. composed of nothing else than a thick conglomerate of shells; the limestone here and there crystalHne. Thus it is that habitations serve for habitations again, and through the endless series, the waxing and waning of living races are intimately wound up CHATSWOKTH. 161 with one another; one thing alone always shows itself, the observa- tion of the conscious mind, which everywhere thus proves its im- mortality ! But what is immortal? — it is '• Der Gehalt in Deinem Busen, Und die Form in Deinem Geist !" ** The substance in thy breast, and the form in thy intellect." The repose and solitude of this early walk produced a most agreeable effect, and I entered the carriage with cheerfulness, when his majesty, in the afternoon, resolved to proceed to Chats worth, another seat belonging to the Duke of Devonshire, and one of the largest and most magnificent country-scats in England. The way thither was beautiful, and led through a green, well- watered valley, richly planted with trees. Then came the view from a distance of Chatsworth itself, in every sense magnificent, situated on a gently rising ground. The main edifice is adorned with channeled pilasters of the Ionic order; adjoining it is an additional structure of somewhat less elevation, terminating in a lofty open hall with columns, which represents the flag-tower. Both the main edifice and its wing are surrounded by a court, entered by a splendid gate, which is closed by a gilt grating and richly adorned with columns. The windows also in front of the palace have gilt frames, and under the windows runs a terrace along the river side, protected by balustrades on which there is a fountain, whose waters fall in spray into basins of white marble. We drove through the gilt gate, and foimd the house itself a most princely mansion. In all directions marble walls and pillars, statues, gold, and painting, met the eye. A luxurious lunch stood ready in a chaste and cool apartment, in which the water trickles into a gray polished marble basin, and large white stalactites hang down from colossal Champagne glasses on a marble slab, representing as it were the foaming Champagne itself suddenly changed by enchant- ment into stone. The view of the splendid apartments, and of the large and not less splendid library was rendered particularly interesting by the celebrated " Liber Yeritatis" of Claude, which is preserved in the latter. We hastily looked through the whole volume of about three fingers* breadth, in which, as it is said, are to be found sketches of all his pictures. I found in it both our Dresden Claudes, which appear to be executed almost with more genius in the sketch than in the finished picture, especially " The Coast of Sicily." I recognised many others, also, but in many, too, the sketch may never have been finished. Some are done with extraordinary haste, others are treated somewhat more carefully, and are very beautiful as drawings. In a corridor adjoining the library (too much exposed to the sun and light), there is a large collection of drawings glazed and framed. It contains several very remarkable pieces by Raphael, Michael Angelo, Salvator Rosa, Rembrandt, Claude, Albert Diirer, and others. This M 162 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. collection alone would require a whole day's study ! In tlie other apartments, there are also many old and new oil paintings, especially splendid portraits by Van Dyck, and one of singular excellence by Kembrandt. Among the recent paintings, the most distinguished is the " Return from the Hunt," by Landseer, in which the dead stag is most admirably treated. Notwithstanding these beauties it was impossible to restrain the eye from gazing through the immense window panes upon the beautiful surrounding objects, the magnifi- cent garden, and the lofty fountains of dazzling whiteness, the largest of which was still unfinished at the time of our visit. In the glorious sunlight this was indeed an enchanting prospect, and at the same time through other windows a view was presented of a large cascade rolling and foaming through the surrounding foliage of the hills over broad steps of marble — nothing but enchantment and beauty ! Among the ornaments of this room, I must particularly mention the admirable wood carvings by Gibbons — especially some carved birds. Over one of the chimney-pieces, around a compartment, as it were a field of the wall, there was a garland of thrushes and part- ridges represented in a row, just as a sportsman would bring them home. The different situations of the dead birds, the falling of the wings, the softness of the feathers, are all so beautiful as to excite sur- prise and astonishment at the execution of such objects in wood. A piece of the bird-net, also worked in wood, has not been forgotten by the artist, as the proper appendage to the groups. We now de- scended to the lower rooms — on one side opens a magnificent bath, which is so large as to admit of swimming, whilst on the other side lies the great marble sculpture gallery, where the duke has brought together and splendidly arranged a great number of modern works : — a " Venus" by Thorwaldsen is the most important; next to that, " the Mother of Napoleon," and a " Hebe" by Canova. The last mentioned is, perhaps, the best work of the artist. The collection also contains an " Endymion" by him, which, however, is not so satisfactory in itself, nor to be praised on account of the too brightly polished surface. Besides these, there is statuary in masses, Bartolini would say " une fortt de statues" and among other vases a large and splendidly polished granite basin by Cantian of Berlin. The beauty of the exhibition is increased by the gallery opening immediately into a large Viridarium, in which oranges, araucarise, rhododendrons and camelias, with their deep green, offer an excellent background for the white marble statues, all the year through. Through this viridarium we passed into the garden, and proceeded immediately into a conservatory, where the rarest plants, such as ca- suarias, acacias, and glycinas (of enormous size) spread out their branches on a lofty wall, heated from within in winter, and covered externally with matting. This spot was an extremely favourable point, as affording a general view of the whole palace and grounds — a view which, in the bright sunlight, reminded us of the enchanted gardens of Armida. Before us lay the extensive, splendid palace, above CHATSWORTH. 163 which, was seen the outline of the hills ; there sparkled the fountains richly adorned with Tritons and sea-horses; and here sprang up from the midst of hedges of roses in full bloom, marble statues and Grecian columns entwined with beautiful roses, at the foot of gently sloping lawns ; whilst on one side the copious waters of the mountain stream rushed foaming over its marble steps, from the midst of the woods. In the happiest dreams something so fairy-like may have presented itself to mortal vision; such a reahty I had never seen before ! We now proceeded further to the giant hothouse, which had been previously concealed from our view by a wood, in which the duke is at present forming an artificial rocky valley. Such beauties are wanting in the immediate neighbourhood, and in order to combine this charm, with all the others which his grounds present, no cost has been spared by the noble owner; enormous blocks have been brought in multi- tudes to the spot, and rocks heaped upon rocks, so as to furnish no bad imitation of the Ottowalder Grund, in what is generally called the Saxon Switzerland. This is none of those petty rockeries which are to be seen in many so-called English gardens in Germany; but an actual scenic and wild rocky valley, among lofty beech trees, will be here presented to the eye. The largest of all the conser- vatories stands immediately behind these still uncompleted grounds ; the structure is made wholly of glass, wood, and iron, after the plan of Mr. Paxton, the curator of the duke's gardens, by whom all these improvements have been planned, and under whose supervision they are executed. It corresponds completely to the character of the park, which contains 1121 acres, is eleven miles in circumference, and in- cludes three villages. The building is 277 feet long, 122 wide, and sixty high. It has been calculated that the glass measures 62,000 square feet ; that the frames would reach forty miles, and that the whole of the water and steam-pipes together are six miles in length. The house contains a gallery running round the whole of its ex- tent, and it would be quite possible to drive into it with a coach and four 1 Within the conservatory there are rockeries with tropical plants, artificial marshes with the lotus and papyrus ; Italian gardens, Indian shrubberies, American productions of the torrid zone, ferns, immense climbers, palms of the most various kinds, &c. The whole has been only completed about three years ; how splendid will it be- come in the course of a short time, when the magnificent plants which it contains are more developed ? The artistical existence of the duke is undoubtedly great and impor- tant ; may his natural existence also bring him happiness ! He is said to be very beneficent and good. He has remained unmarried, as it is said, for family reasons. This property was conferred by William the Con- queror upon his own natural son, called William Peveril; at a later period it came into the possession of the Cavendishes, and was also im- proved by the Countess of Shrewsbury. The present house was built by the first Duke of Devonshire, in 1702, after the plan of an m2 164 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. architect named Talman. Queen Mary Stuart during her imprison^ ment often passed her time in Chatsworth, and a small stone alcove in the garden, projecting into the water, is still called Queen Mary's hoicer. The present duke gave a series of splendid entertainments' to the queen, when she paid a visit to Chatsworth a few years ago^. and the illumination of the park and house especially is said to have "been one of the most splendid things ever seen. The kitchen gardens and greenhouses lie at some distance from the house, and, under the guidance of Mr. Paxton, we drove there as well as to the model village. In the forcing-houses we found the largest grapes and peaches becoming ripe, and the smaller ones con- tained many remarkable plants; the amherstia nohilis was especially pointed out to us as a great rarity. At some distance from and op- posite the house lies a kind of model village, consisting solely of small ornamental stone cottages, built at the expense of the duke, in the Anglo-Gothic style, and let out to occupiers at low rents. This being Sunday it looked particularly pretty ! All the families, the people in their holiday dresses, were collected before the doors. The neat houses lie back, the doors frequently adorned with roses, and all of them have small and pretty gardens planted with laurels and other evergreens. Near this village again is situated the large farm-yard, which belongs to the duke's demesne, and in which the arrangements for breeding and feeding cattle are extraordinary. The doors of some of the stalls were opened, and the poor creatures brought out, many of which are loaded with enormous masses of fat, for the benefit of the cook. A prize cow, and a fatted hog, which had also been a suc- cessful candidate for honours, were exhibited, as well as a cow of a year or a year and a half old, with its fine bones and smooth broad back. In short, we here received a full proof of the manner in which farming and useful operations are especially carried on in connexion with all that is great and beautiful. I could not take my departure from this magnificent seat without a number of reflections on the unequal manner in which the goods of fortune are distributed ! Leaving Chatsworth in the evening, we drove through beautifully green and well-watered valleys to Had- don Hall, an ancient uninhabited seat belonging to the Duke of Rutland, which, desolate and romantic, aflbrded the strongest con- trast to the full and detailed splendour of the preceding. Morrison has published a particular work on Haddon Hall, which contains a number of admirably lithographed views of these old walls, treated in a most ornamental style. This seat in early times belonged to the Avenels, and from them came to the Vernons. Sir John Vernon, the last of this family, on account of his magnificent hospitality and open house, was called the " King of the Peak." His daughter is said to have been carried ofi" by one of the Manners family. By her the possession came into this family, of which the Duke of Rutland is the head. Nothing whatever has been added to the building since the sixteenth century, and the hall has been by degrees altogether HADDON HALL. 165 forsaken, and so it has now stood for two hundred years empty, with the exception of some remnants of ancient furniture. The house is, however, protected against complete decay, and upon the mind of the lonely stranger produces all the effect of a tradition of the olden times. The hall stands on the decHvity of a wood, on the steep, ■rocky banks of the little river Wye. The ancient gray towers shoot 4)oldly up, thick ivy covers many of the walls, the old doors in the inte- a-ior of the house are riven, pieces of ancient tapestry still hang upon the walls, and a peculiar death-like air breathes through the narrow .passages and small chambers. Spirits must have their dwelHng there ! In the twilight a bat was wheeling its course through the kitchen, .and the dark- green of the surrounding woods looked wonderfully curious through the old windows. I could have employed hours ^lone, drawing and dreaming in the midst of these scenes ! How wonderful every thing appeared in the old hall ! A few helmets were lying scattered about, and the real wooden table was still there, .at which many asknight and squire may have sat in olden times; and in one of the panes of glass the year 1586 was cut. Add to all this, that the deep glow of the evening shed a peculiarly warm light through the windows, and within, it began to assume a ghostly ob- ■scurity ! No more favourable moment could have been selected for •visiting this fragment of the remote history of England. We ascended the tower called the Eagle Tower, which is, how- ever, not very high. The view of the gardens and chapel, of valley, mountain, and woods, with their noble foHage, was splendid ! We •descended, and went to visit a spot not far from the hall, where the 'Warder of this empty quiet castle has his small and peaceful dwelling. How gladly would I have remained a few days with him ! But the ■course of our journey dragged me away. The evening was beau- tiful, the crescent moon rose on our left, and an agreeable valley