[Illustration: Cathedral Church of St. Gudule, Brussels] YOUNG AMERICANS ABROAD; OR, VACATION IN EUROPE: TRAVELS IN ENGLAND, FRANCE, HOLLAND, BELGIUM, PRUSSIA AND SWITZERLAND. With Illustrations. BOSTON: GOULD AND LINCOLN, 89 WASHINGTON STREET. 1852. Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1851, by GOULD AND LINCOLN, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. STEREOTYPED AT THE BOSTON STEREOTYPE FOUNDRY TO GEORGE SUMNER, ESQ. , AS A SLIGHT TRIBUTE OF GRATITUDE FOR HIS KIND ATTENTIONS IN PARIS, AND IN ADMIRATION OF TALENTS DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF FREEDOM, THESE LETTERS ARE RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED, BY HIS OBLIGED FRIENDS, THE AUTHORS. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. * * * * * I. FRONTISPIECE--CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF ST. GUDULE, BRUSSELS. II. ICEBERGS SEEN FROM STEAMSHIP "ARCTIC, " APRIL 6, 1851, 24 III. PORTRAIT OF THOMAS CHATTERTON, 56 IV. PORTRAIT OF ROBERT SOUTHEY, 61 V. PORTRAIT OF SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE, 88 VI. VIEW OF ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL, LONDON, 148 VII. A FULL-LENGTH PORTRAIT OF DR. SAMUEL JOHNSON, 150 VIII. VIEW OF THE POET'S CORNER, WESTMINSTER ABBEY, 185 IX. VIEW OF THE COLONNE DE JUILLET, 196 X. VINTAGE OF THE RHINE, 275 XI. VIEW OF A SWISS COTTAGE, 305 XII. NAPOLEON'S SARCOPHAGUS, 324 INTRODUCTION One evening last winter a few private pupils were sitting in the studyof their instructor, when he stated his intention to pass the springvacation in Europe, and his wish to have two or three of his youngfriends as his travelling companions. An earnest and joyous desire wasexpressed by each lad to enjoy the gratification, and in the course of ashort period the arrangements were made which afforded him the pleasureto assure three boys that they should accompany him. The ages of theyoung travelers were twelve, fourteen, and sixteen. Their attention wasimmediately directed to a course of reading adapted to prepare them forthe beneficial use of the proposed tour; and during its progress eachboy kept a journal, which was useful as a reference in thecorrespondence kept up with friends and families at home. A companion instudy, left behind, and prevented by duty from joining the party, wishedto have constant advices of the movements of his friends; and theletters of the young travellers to a lad of sixteen are, at the adviceof many friends, now submitted to the perusal of those at that age. Nosimilar work is known to the authors of these letters; and at theforthcoming gift season it is hoped that the young of our country may beamused and gratified by these reminiscences of other lands. J. O. CHOULES. NEWPORT, R. I. , Nov. 25, 1851. CONTENTS. INTRODUCTION. LETTER I. Arrival at New York. LETTER II. Going on board Steamer. --Arctic. --Weather. --Passengers. --Loss of Lifeand Burial at Sea. --Icebergs. --Sabbath at Sea. --Land. --Excellence ofCollins Line. --Adelphi Hotel. LETTER III. Liverpool; Its Public Buildings, Docks, &c. LETTER IV. Birmingham. --Arrival in London. --Strand. --Temple Bar. --FleetStreet. --London Exchange. --London Coffee House. --Omnibuses. LETTER V. United States Minister in London. --His kind Attentions. --CrystalPalace. --London of other Days. --Monument. --The Bridges. LETTER VI. Villages. --Camberwel. --Accidents and Murders in England as common as inAmerica. --Greenwich Fair. --Gypsies. LETTER VII. Great Western Railroad. --Swindon. --Bristol. --Scenes of earlyLife. --Ancient City. --Clifton and Hot Wells. --RedcliffeChurch. --Chatterton. LETTER VIII. Bristol Cathedral. --Monuments andInscriptions. --Butler. --Mason. --Southey. --Cloisters. --Mayor'sChapel. --Dundry. --Vine Prospect. --School attended in Boyhood. LETTER IX. Clifton. --Avon. --Hot Wells. --Vincent's Rocks. --Robert Hall. --SublimeScenery. --Leigh Court Picture Gallery. LETTER X Bath. --Royal Crescent. --Queen Square. --Cathedral. --HotBaths. --Bradford. --Trowbridge. --Devizes. --Cricket. LETTER XI. Tower of London; its History. --Horse Armory. --Antiquities andCuriosities. --Executions. --Regalia, &c. LETTER XII. Thames Tunnel. --New Houses of Parliament. --House of Lordsdescribed. --Fresco Paintings. --St. Stephen's Hall. --House ofCommons. --Westminster Hall; its Associations, festive and criminal. LETTER XIII. British Museum; its fine Galleries, Pictures, Library, Autographs, andMSS. --The Place to study. --Lord Campbell. --Servant who resorted to it. LETTER XIV. Woolwich. --Naval Arsenal and Dock Yard. --Ships of War. --Yard. --TwentyThousand Cannon. --Greenwich. --Blackheath. --Lee Grove. --Golden Cross andits Host. --Mr. Lawrence's Soirée. --Duke of Wellington. LETTER XV. Exhibition. --Season Tickets. --Wet Weather. --One May fine. --CityStreets. --Throng around Palace. --Arrival of the Queen. --OpeningScenes. --Procession, &c. LETTER XVI. Fine Equipages. --Appearance of the Palace. --Walk through theExhibition. --American Contributions. --Greek Slave, &c. --MediævalCourt. --Kohinoor Glass Window. --Austrian Furniture. --Amazon ofKiss. --Crusaders. --Galleries. --Transept. --Glass Fountain. --Sculpture. --Veiled Vesta. --Machinery. --Models. --Model ofLiverpool. --Plate Glass. --Taunton Cabinet--Steam Power, &c. LETTER XVII. Royal Polytechnic Institution. --Lectures. --Egyptian Hall. --Panorama ofOverland Route to California. --Exeter Hall Sermons. --Wyld's greatGlobe. --Zoölogical Gardens. --Christ's Church Hospital; its Boys. LETTER XVIII. Windsor Castle; its History. --Interior of the Palace. --Pictures. --Waterloo Chamber. --St. George's Chanel. --RoyalTombs. --Edward IV. --Henry VIII. --Charles I. , Discovery of his Body in1813, Account of the Appearance, &c. --Terraces of the Castle. --EtonCollege. --Datchett. --Great Park. --Long Walk. --CelebratedTrees. --Virginia Water. --Cumberland Lodge. --Frogmore. LETTER XIX. Sir John Soane's Museum, House, Antiquities, Pictures. --Hogarth's"Rake's Progress, " and the "Election. "--Wonderful Economy of Room, &c. --Greenwich; Hospital, Chapel, Paintings, and Statuary. --Queen'sStables; Horses, Harness Room, State Carriage. --Soyer's Symposium;Description of its Rooms. --Dinner there. LETTER XX. The Temple Church and its historical Associations. --Steamboat onThames. --View of St. Paul's from River. --St. Paul's Cathedral; itsDome. --Statues: Johnson, Howard, Reynolds, Heber, West, Nelson. --Ascentof the Dome and Cross. --View of London. LETTER XXI. Westminster Abbey. --Early History. --Associations. --Poet'sCorner. --Chapels. --Monuments and Effigies. --Coronation Chairs. --Stoneof Scone Statuary. --Sermon in Abbey by Lord John Thynne. LETTER XXII. Hyde Park. --St. James's and Green Park. --Regent's Park. --Squares ofLondon. --Northumberland House. --Sion House. --St Margaret's Church. --St. Martin's in-the-Fields. LETTER XXIII. Mission House. --Lord Mayor's Day. --Royal Exchange. --Bank ofEngland. --London Docks. --Covent Garden Market. LETTER XXIV. Rev. Dr. Murray. --Dover Castle. --Passage across the Channel. --Calais. --St. Omer. --Douai. --Arras. --Amiens. --Clermont. --Paris. --Hotel Windsor. --A Mistake, and Loss of a Dinner. LETTER XXV. Gardens and Promenades. --Gayety. --Flowers. --Wrong Drawing-room. --NotreDame. --Interior. --Sacristy. --Robes and Relics. --Hotel de Ville. --Louvreshut. --Paris by Moonlight. LETTER XXVI. Palais Royal. --Garden. --Gay Scene. --Passage d'Orleans. --House oppositeto which Henry IV. Was assassinated by Ravaillac. --Molière. --Marat andCharlotte Corday. --Palace of the Luxembourg. --Paintings. --Gardens. --Statuary. --Chapel. LETTER XXVII Hotel de Cluny; History, Associations, Interior, wonderfulContents. --Julian's Palace of the Baths. --Mr. George Sumner. --Churchof St. Sulpice. --Statuary. --Ecclesiastical Fountain. --Bibliothèque St. Geneviève. --Church of St. Etienne du Mont. --History. --Monuments ofRacine and Pascal. --Christening an Infant. --Church of St. Germain desPres, (oldest in Paris); its Restoration going on. --Tombs of Descartes, Mabillon, Montfaucon, &c. LETTER XXVIII. Jardin des Plantes; Situation, History. --Cedar of Lebanon andPalm-trees. --Menagerie. --Cuvier. --Museum of Comparative Anatomy, &c. --Paris owes much to Henry IV. , Louis XIV. , Napoleon, and LouisPhilippe. --Pont Neuf. --St. Bartholomew's Massacre. --Bastile. --Column. LETTER XXIX. An amusing Fellow-countryman. --Père la Chaise. --Monuments. --Abattoir. --Consul's Office; his numerous Calls. LETTER XXX. Cirque. --Amusements. --Champs Elysées. --Hippodrome. --Arabs. --Sabbathkept in Parlor. LETTER XXXI. Pleasant Company. --Railroad to Brussels. --Jemappes. --Mons. --Brussels;History. --Hotel de Ville. --Cathedral Church of St. Gudule; itsMonuments. --First Communion. --Park. --Palace. --Hon. Mr. Bayard. LETTER XXXII. Lacework. --Money Matters. --An uncivil Banker. --Museum. --Paintings. --Burgundian Library. --Manekin. --Botanical Garden. LETTER XXXIII. Excursion to Waterloo. --Hongomont. --Relics. --Belgian Mound andLion. --Ivy from Waterloo for Mr. J. P. Hall. --Church. --King Leopold. LETTER XXXIV. Laeken. --Vilvorde. --Mechlin, or Mallnes. --Antwerp; History. --PlaceVerte. --Statue of Rubens. --Cathedral of Notre Dame. --InteriorPulpit. --Pictures by Rubens. --Tower of the Church. --Quentin Matsys'sfine old Houses. LETTER XXXV. St. James's Church. --Tomb of Rubens. --Paintings by Rubens andJordaens. --Vandyke. --Mount Calvary. --Monk of La Trappe. --Museum. --Chairof Rubens; his Pictures. --Other great Works of Art. --St. Andrew'sChurch. --Bourse. --Mr. Vesey, U. S. Consul. LETTER XXXVI. Dock Yards at Antwerp. --Steamboat Passage on the Scheldt. --Dort. --LostVillages. --Bergen op Zoom. --Van Speyk. --Rotterdam. --Erasmus. --Delft. --Hague. --Hon. George Folsom; his Kindness. --Scheveningen. --Museum. --Japanese Curiosities. --Historical Curiosities. --Gallery of Pictures. --Rembrandt, Paul Potter, Gerard Dow, &c. --King's Palace. --Brimenhoff. --De Witt. --Bosch. --John Adams's House. LETTER XXXVII. Dunes. --Leyden; History. --Harlem. --Church of St. Bavon;Organ. --Coster. --Flower Gardens. --Palace of late King. --PictureGallery. --Exhibition of Pictures by living Artists. --Amsterdam. LETTER XXXVIII. Mr. J. G. Schwartze. --Stadhuis. --Churches. --Jews. --PictureGallery. --Dutch School. --Columbus before the Council. --Artists' Club. LETTER XXXIX. Utrecht. --Lobith. --Ruhrort. --Meet with Americans on Return from theEast. --Cologne; History. --Cathedral. --Three Kings. --Relics. --St. Peter'sChurch. --Crucifixion of Peter, by Rubens. --Champagne for America. LETTER XL. TheRhine. --Bonn. --Drachenfels. --Godesberg. --Rolandseck. --Oberwinter. --Okenfels. --Castle Reineck. --Neuwied. --A Raft. --Castle ofSain. --Ehrenbreitstein. --Coblentz. LETTER XLI. Coblentz. --The Moselle. --Excursion to Stolzenfels. --Curiosities. --FineView. --Boat up to Mayence. --The Brothers. --Rheinfels. --LurleyRock. --Seven Sisters. --Pfalz. --The Rheingau. --Falkenberg. --Rheinstein. --Assmanshausen. --Ehrenfels. --Mausetherm. --Bingen. --Geisenheim. --Johannisberg. --Erbach. --Biberich. --Mayence. --John Guttemberg'sStatue--Austrian Troops. --An English Nobleman. LETTER XLII. Frankfort. --The Römer; its Portraits of the Emperors. --Mr. Bethman'sGallery of Statuary. --Ariadne. --Jews' Quarters. --Darmstadt. --TheBergstrasse. --Heidelberg. --Castle. --Baden. --Kehl. --Strasburg. LETTER XLIII. Cathedral; Its History; Interior Clock. --St. Thomas's Church. --Kleber'sTomb. LETTER XLIV. Vosges Mountains. --Vineyards. --Colmar. --Mühlhausen. --Basle. --BlackForest. --United States Consul, Mr. Burchardt. --Cathedral. --Tomb ofErasmus. --Chapter House. --Holbein Gallery. --University. --Library. --MSS. --St. Jacob. --Tea Party. LETTER XLV. Moutiers Valley. --Sublime Scenery. --Domach. --Arch. --RomanAntiquities. --Berne. --Mechanical Clock. --Cathedral; Organ, Choir, Bears. --Lausanne. LETTER XLVI. Mountain Scenery. --Hotel Gibbon. --Episcopal Church. --Signal. --Hotel deVille, and its kind Inhabitants. --Cathedral; its History. --Steamboatto Vevay. --Castle of Chillon. --St. Martin's Church and theRegicides. --Geneva. --Cathedral. --Museum. --Calvin'sMBS. --D'Aubigné. --Gaussen--Malan. --Evangelical Association; itsAnniversary. --Count George. --Soirée. --Mr. Delorme. --TheSalève. --Savoy. --Rousseau's Island. LETTER XLVII. Diligence for Dijon. --Fine Scenery. --Dijon; History. --Railroad toParis. --Sens. --Cathedral. --Fontainebleau. LETTER XLVIII. Methodist Chapel. --Madeline. --Pantheon. --Louvre, open. --Statuary andPaintings. --Versailles. --Statuary. --Series of NationalPaintings. --Portraits of distinguished Men. --Apartments. --Gardens andFountains. --Grand and Petit Trianon. --Passy. --St. Cloud. LETTER XLIX. Glass Depot--American Friends. --Good Intentions. --Hospital desInvalides. --Garden of the Tulleries; its Scenery. --TriumphalArch. --Chapel of St. Ferdinand. --National Library. --A Tradesman'sMemory. LETTER L. Calais; its Recollections. --Rough Passage of the Channel. --Dover. --Mr. Peabody's Entertainment on the Fourth of July described. --Company. --Apatriotic Act. LETTER LI. Entertainment at the Belgian Minister's. --Young Nobility. --A nobleBoy. --Craven Chapel. --Slavery. --Exhibition. --Pauper Labor. --Need of aTariff. LETTER LII. Kind Friends at Bristol, --Weston Super Mare. --Museum of BaptistCollege. --Highbury Chapel. --Old Houses of Bristol. --Fine Churches. LETTER LIII. River Avon. --Wye. --Chepstow. --St. Aryan's. --Wynd Cliff. --GloriousScenery. --Tintern Abbey; its History. --Ragland Castle;Appearance. --Marquis of Worcester. --Chopstow Castle. --HenryMarten. --Defence of the Parliamentary Party. --Severn River. --OldPassage. --Henbury. --Blaize Castle. --Birthday Lines. LETTER LIV. Leave Bristol. --Berkeley. --Cheltenham. --Birmingham; Manufactories. --Rev. John Angell James. --Mr. Vanwart. --Liverpool. --Chester; itsAntiquity. --Cathedral. --Rows and Pillars. --Englishmen and Americans havemuch in Common. --Royal Agricultural Exhibition at Windsor. LETTER LV. Passage Home in the Steamer Atlantic. --Claims of the CollinsLine. --Lessons taught by Travel in other Lands. --OurComforts. --Excellent Character of many of the English Nobility. --QueenVictoria and Prince Albert. --Prospect of Affairs in Europe. --Popery asseen in her proper Territories. Young Americans Abroad. Letter 1. ASTOR HOUSE, NEW YORK, April 1, 1851. DEAR CHARLEY:-- I have just arrived at this place, and have found my companions on hand, all ready for the commencement of the long-anticipated voyage. We regretthe circumstances which render it your duty to remain, and we all feelvery sorry for the disappointment of your wishes and our hopes. Youwill, however, feel happy in the thought that you are clearly in thepath of duty; and you have already learnt that that path is a safe one, and that it always leads to happiness. You have begged us all to writeto you as frequently as we can, and we have concluded to send you ourjoint contributions, drawing largely upon our journals as we move fromplace to place; and, as we have for so many years had pleasantintercourse in the family circle, we wish to maintain it bycorrespondence abroad. Our letters will, of course, be very differentin their character and interest, because you will bear in mind that outages are different; and we shall write you from a variety of points, some having a deeper interest than others. I trust that this series ofletters will give you a general view of our movements, and contribute toyour gratification, if not to your instruction. The weather isdelightful, and we are anticipating a fine day for leaving port. It isto all of us a source of pain that we are deprived of your sunny smile;and while we are wandering far away in other lands, we shall often, infancy, listen to your merry laugh; and I assure you, my dear fellow, that, wherever we rove, it will be amongst our pleasantest thoughts ofhome when we anticipate the renewal of personal intercourse with one whohas secured so warm a place in our affections. Yours truly, J. O. C. Letter 2. ADELPHI HOTEL, LIVERPOOL, April 14. DEAR CHARLEY:-- It is but twelve days since we parted, and yet we are actually in theold world, and the things which we have so often talked over on therock-bound shore are really before me. Yes, we are on the soil of OldEngland, and are soon to see its glories and greatness, and, I fear, itsmiseries, for a bird's eye view has already satisfied me that there isenough of poverty. You know we left New York in a soaking rain, and thewind blowing fresh from the north-east. We all felt disappointed, as wehad hoped to pass down the bay, so celebrated for its beauty, with thebright sunshine to cheer our way; but we had to take comfort from theold proverb, that "a bad beginning makes a good ending. " James, George, and I had made up our minds to a regular time of sea-sickness, and so wehastened to put our state room into order and have all our conveniencesfixed for the voyage. As soon as we had made matters comfortable, wereturned to the deck, and found a most formidable crowd. Every passengerseemed to have, on the occasion, a troop of friends, and all parts ofthe immense steamer were thronged. The warning voice of _"all on shore"_soon caused a secession, and at twelve o'clock we had the great agent atwork by which we hoped to make headway against wind and wave. Thecheering of the crowd upon the wharf was hearty as we dropped into theriver, and its return from our passengers was not lacking in spirit. TheArctic, you know, is one of the Collins line of steamers, and I was nota little surprised at her vast size and splendid accommodations, becauseI had only seen the Cunard boats in Boston, which are very inferior, insize and comfort, to this palace and tower of the ocean. We all anticipated a hard time of it, from the severe storm which ragedall the morning, and I, in common with all the passengers, was delightedto find it any thing but rough water outside the Hook. We kept steamingaway till we lost sight of land with the loss of daylight, and yet thesea was in less commotion than it frequently exhibits in Newport Harbor. The next morning, at breakfast, we had quite a fair representation attable, and I think more than two thirds presented themselves for duty. We boys were all on hand, and passed for "able-bodied men. " The routineof life on board was as follows: We breakfasted at eight, lunched attwelve, dined at four, took tea at half past six, and from nine tilleleven gentlemen had any article for supper they saw fit to order. Thisis quite enough of time for taking care of the outer man, and any onecareful of his health will be sure to intermit one or two of theseseasons. All the meals were excellent, and the supplies liberal. Thetables present a similar appearance to those of a first-class hotel. Inregard to our passengers, I think I can say, with confidence, that amore agreeable set of persons could not well have been gatheredtogether. It really was a nicely-assorted cargo. We numbered onehundred and thirty, and the various parts of our country were allrepresented. Philadelphia sent the largest delegation; from that city wehad more than twenty. I liked the looks of the passengers at the firstglance, and every day's intercourse heightened my estimate of theirworth and pleasantness. Amongst the company we had Professor Haddock, ofDartmouth College, going out to Portugal as _chargé d'affaires_. He wasaccompanied by his lady and son. Then, too, we had the world-renownedPeter Parley, with his accomplished family circle. Mr. Goodrich, after along life of labor for the youth of his country, for whose reading andinstruction he has done so much, has been honored by the government ofthe United States with an appointment as consul at Paris. Mr. Goodrichresided there for two or three years, and was in Paris during therevolution of 1848. He seems fond of the company of young people, and wespent a great deal of time on board with him, listening to his stories, some made up for the occasion, and narrations of the events in Februaryat Paris, and some capital anecdotes about the last war with England, during which he served his country in the army. The Hon. George Wright, of California, and her first representative in Congress, was also one ofour party; and his glowing descriptions of the auriferous regions keptgroups of audience for many an hour. The Rev. Arthur Cleveland Cox, ofHartford, favorably known as the author of some pleasant rhymes andsonnets, Mr. Cunningham, a southern editor, and several retired seacaptains, all contributed to enhance the agreeableness of the voyage. Iam sorry to tell you that, three days out, we had a sad occurrence inour little world. Just as we were sitting down to lunch at eight bells, the machinery stopped for a moment, and we were informed that WilliamIrwin, one of the assistant engineers, was crushed to death. Heaccidentally slipped from his position, and was killed instantaneously. In less than half an hour he was sewed up in canvas, and all handscalled to attend his funeral services! The poor fellow was laid upon aplank covered with the American flag, and placed at the wheel-house. Theservice was performed by Mr. Cox, in full canonicals; and I can assureyou that the white-robed priest, as he issued from the cabin andascended the wheel-house, really looked impressively. At the close, hewas committed to the deep. What food for thought was here! A man inhealth and at life's daily task, --alive, --dead, --and buried, --all theseconditions of his state crowded into thirty minutes! The poor man had amother who was dependent upon him. Dr. Choules drew up a subscriptionpaper for her benefit, and nearly five hundred dollars were at onceraised for her relief. This unhappy event, of course, gave a saddamper to the joyous feelings which existed on board, and which wereexcited by our fine weather and rapid headway. On Sunday we had twosermons in the cabin to large congregations, all the passengersattending, with the officers and many of the crew. The morning servicewas by Dr. Choules, and the evening one by Mr. Cox. [Illustration: Four Positions of an Iceberg, seen 6th of April. Estimated Height, 300 feet. Lat. 43. 04; long. 53. 11; at Noon. ] [Illustration: Icebergs seen from the Steamship "Arctic, " on the Voyagefrom New York to Liverpool, April 6, 1851. ] In the afternoon, April 6, we had the gratification to see a magnificenticeberg. We were in lat. 43° 4', lon. 53° 11' at twelve o'clock, and atthree the ice appeared at about ten miles' distance. The estimatedheight was about three hundred feet. One if the passengers took asketch. I also made one, and have laid it aside for your inspection. The berg had much the appearance of the gable end of a large house, andat some little distance there was another, of tower-like aspect, andmuch resembling a light-house. The effect of the sun upon it, as we sawit in various positions, was exceedingly fine. On Monday, the 7th, wesaw a much larger one, with several small ones as neighbors. This wasprobably one mile in length, and about two hundred feet high. We saw several whales frolicking at the distance of a mile, anddistinctly saw them spout at short intervals. After having had all reason to hope for a ten-day passage, we wereannoyed for four or five days with head winds, materially retarding ourheadway. The evenings of the voyage were generally spent on deck, wherewe had charming concerts. Seldom have I heard better singing than wewere favored with by eight or ten ladies and gentlemen. One universalfavorite was the beautiful piece, "Far, far at sea. " On Sunday, the13th, just after morning service, conducted by Mr. Cox, we made MizzenHead, and obtained a magnificent view of the north coast of Ireland, which was far more beautiful than we had expected. The coast is verybold, and the cliffs precipitous, in many places strongly reminding usof the high lands of the Hudson. A more exquisite treat than that whichwe enjoyed all the afternoon in looking on the Irish coast I can hardlyimagine. At night we had a closing service, and Dr. Choules preached. Every one seemed to feel that we had cause for thankfulness that we hadbeen brought in safety across the ocean, and under so many circumstancesof enjoyment We have made acquaintances that are truly valuable, andsome of them I hope to cultivate in future life. One of the greatadvantages of travel, Charles, seems to be, that it enables us tocompare men of other places than those we live in with our formeracquaintances. It brings us into intercourse with those who have had adifferent training and education than our own; and I think a man or boymust be pretty thoroughly conceited who does not often find out his owninferiority to many with whom he chances to meet. On board our ship areseveral young men of fine attainments, who, engaged in mechanicalbusiness, are going out to obtain improvement and instruction by acareful study of the great exhibition. A number of gentlemen with us areyoung merchants, who represent houses in our great cities, and go toEngland and France twice and three times every year. Some of these arethoroughly accomplished men, and, wherever they go, will reflect creditupon their country. In no country, perhaps, do young men assumeimportant trusts in commercial life at so early a period as in America. I have heard one or two Englishmen on board express their surprise atfinding large business operations intrusted to young men of twenty andtwenty-one; and yet there are some such with us who are making theirsecond and third trips to Manchester, Leeds, Paisley, and Paris, for theselection of goods. I ought to tell you that, on the last day of the voyage, we had a greatmeeting in the cabin, Mr. Goodrich in the chair, for the purpose ofexpressing the satisfaction of the passengers with the Arctic, hercaptain, officers, and engineer. Several good speeches were made, andsome resolutions passed. This has become so ordinary an affair at thetermination of a passage, as to have lost much of its original value;but as this ship had an unusual number of passengers, many of them wellknown to their fellow-countrymen, and as great opposition had beendisplayed, on both sides of the ocean, to this line of steamers, it wasthought suitable to express our views in relation to this particularship and the great undertaking with which she is identified. Every manon board was satisfied that, in safety, these ships are equal to theCunard line; while in comfort, accommodation, size, and splendor theyfar surpass their rivals. It really seems strange to us that Americansshould think of making the ocean trip in an English steamship, whentheir own country has a noble experiment in trial, the success of whichalone depends upon the patriotism and spirit of her citizens. TheEnglish on board are forced to confess that our ship and the line areall that can be asked, and I think that pretty strong prejudices havebeen conquered by this voyage. Every one left the ship with sentimentsof respect to Captain Luce, who, I assure you, we found to be a verykind friend, and we shall all of us be glad to meet him again on ship orshore. On Monday, the 14th, at three o'clock, we took our pilot, and at eighto'clock we anchored off Liverpool, and a dark-looking steamtug came offto us for the mails, foreign ministers, and bearers of despatches. Aswe came under the wing of one of the last-named class of favoredindividuals, we took our luggage, and proceeded straight to the AdelphiHotel. I ought to say that James was the first to quit the ship andplant his foot on Old England. It was quite strange to see it so lightat half past eight o'clock, although it was a rainy evening. I shall notsoon forget the cheerful appearance of the Adelphi, which, in all itsprovisions for comfort, both in the coffee-room and our chambers, struckme more favorably than any hotel I had ever seen. Although ourstate-room on board the Arctic was one of the extra size and every thingthat was nice, yet I long for the conveniences of a bed-chamber and awarm bath. I am quite disposed to join with the poor Irish woman who hadmade a steerage passage from New York to Liverpool in a packet ship; andwhen landed at St. George's pier, and seated on her trunk, a lady whohad also landed, when getting into her carriage, said, "Well, my goodwoman, I suppose you are very glad to get out of the ship?" Her replywas, "And indeed, my lady, every bone in my body cries out _feathers!_" Yours truly, WELD. Letter 3. LIVERPOOL. DEAR CHARLEY:-- Well, we have fairly commenced our travel, and yet I can scarcelyrealize the fact that I am here in Old England, and that, for somemonths at least, I shall be away from home and the occupations of theschool-room. The next day after landing we went to the custom-house tosee our fellow-passengers pass their effects, and really felt glad tothink of our good fortune in landing every thing at night and directfrom the ship. It was an exciting scene, and I was not a little amusedto observe the anxiety of the gentlemen to save their cigars from theduty imposed, and which amounts to nine shillings sterling per pound. All sorts of contrivances were in vogue, and the experiences of men werevarious, the man with one hundred, perhaps, being brought up, while hisneighbor with five hundred passed off successfully, and, as he clearedthe building, seemed disposed to place his finger on the prominentfeature of his face. I quite like the appearance of Liverpool. After walking through theprincipal streets and making a general survey of the shops, --no onespeaks of _store_, --I think I can testify to the extraordinary cleannessof the city, and the massiveness and grandeur of the public buildings. Our attention was first directed to the cemetery which had beendescribed, you remember, to us one evening in the study. It is on theconfines of the city, and is made but of an old quarry. I liked itbetter than any cemetery I ever saw; it is unlike all I had seen, and, though comparatively small, is very picturesque, I may almost sayromantic. The walls are lofty, and are devoted to spacious tombs, andthe groundwork abounds in garden shrubbery and labyrinth. Some of themonuments are striking. The access to this resting-place is by a steepcut through the rock, and you pass under an archway of the most imposingcharacter. At the entrance of the cemetery is a neat chapel, and theofficiating minister has a dwelling-house near the gate. I wish you could see a building now in progress, and which has takentwelve or fourteen years to erect, and from its appearance will not, Isuppose, be finished in four or five more. It is called St. George'sHall. The intent is to furnish suitable accommodations for the variouslaw courts, and also to contain the finest ball-room in Europe. It is ina commanding position. I know little of architecture, but this buildingstrikes me as one of exquisite beauty. We obtained an order from themayor to be shown over it and examine the works, and we enjoyed it verymuch. The great hall will be without a rival in England. The town hallis a noble edifice, and the people are quite proud of it. The interioris finely laid out, and has some spacious rooms for the civic revelriesof the fathers of the town. The good woman who showed us round feelscomplacently enough as she explains the uses of the rooms. The ball-roomis ninety feet by forty-six, and forty feet high. The dining anddrawing-rooms are spacious apartments. On the grand staircase is a noblestatue of George Canning, by Chantrey, whose beautiful one of Washingtonwe have so often admired in the Boston State House. In the building aresome good paintings of the late kings; one or two by Sir ThomasLawrence. The Exchange is directly behind the hall, and contains in thecentre a glorious bronze monument to Lord Nelson, the joint productionof Wyat and Westmacott. Death is laying his hand upon the hero's heart, and Victory is placing a fourth crown on his sword. Ever since I readSouthey's Life of Nelson, I have felt an interest in every thingrelating to this great; yet imperfect man. You know that illustratedwork on Nelson that we have so often looked at it contains a largeengraving of this monument. As Yankee boys, we found our way to the topof the Exchange, to look at the cotton sales-room. This same room hasmore to do with our good friends at the south than any other in theworld. The atmosphere would have been chilly to a Georgian planter, ascotton was down--down. The Necropolis is a very spacious burying-place, open to all classes, and where persons can be interred with the use of any form desired. Thegateway is of stone, and not unlike the granite one at Mount Auburn; andon one side is a chapel, and on the other a house for the register. Notfar from this we came to the Zoölogical Gardens, kept in excellentorder, and where is a good collection of animals, birds, &c. TheCollegiate Institution is an imposing structure in the Tudor style. St. George's Church, which stands at the head of Lord Street, occupiesthe position of the old castle, destroyed, I believe, more than onehundred and fifty years ago, and is a very graceful termination to oneof the best business avenues of the city. Several of the churches andchapels are in good style. But one of the best buildings is--as itshould be, in a city like this--the Sailor's Home, not far from theCustom House. This is a highly-ornamented house, and would adorn anycity of the world. The Custom House is thought to be one of the finest buildings in thekingdom. It occupied ten years in its erection. It is composed of three_façades_, from a rusticated pavement, each having a splendid portico ofeight Ionic columns. The whole is surmounted by a dome, one hundred andthirty feet high, and the effect of the building is excellent. The gloryof Liverpool is her docks, and a stranger is sure to be pointed to thegreat landing stage, an immense floating pier, which was moored into itspresent position on the 1st of June, 1847. This stage is five hundredand seven feet long, and over eighty feet wide. This mass of timberfloats upon pontoons, which have to support more than two thousand tons. At each end is a light barge. In the Clarence dock are to be found the Irish and coasting steamers, and to the north are the Trafalgar, Victoria, and Waterloo docks; thePrince's dock, and the Great Prince's dock basin. On the outside of allthese is a fine parade, of about one half a mile, and which affords oneof the most beautiful marine promenades in the world, and gives aninteresting view of the Cheshire shore, opposite the city. The Prince'sdock is five hundred yards long, and one hundred broad. Vessels, onarriving, discharge on the east side, and take in cargo on the west. Besides all these there is the Brunswick dock, Queen's dock, Duke'sdock, Salthouse dock, &c. The Royal Liverpool Institution is a great benefit to the inhabitants. It has a good library, fine collections of paintings, and a good museumof natural history. Many of these paintings belong to the early masters, and date even before the fifteenth century. We were interested to findhere a complete set of casts of the Elgin marbles. The originals werethe decorations of the Parthenon at Athens, and are now in the BritishMuseum. As we shall spend some time in that collection, I say no more atpresent about these wonderful monuments of genius. The Athenæum and theLyceum are both fine buildings, and each has a good library, lecture, and news rooms. We were disappointed at finding the Rev. Dr. Raffles, the most eloquentpreacher of the city, out of town. He was the successor of Spencer, whowas drowned bathing in the Mersey, and his Life by Raffles is one ofdeep interest. The great historical name of Liverpool is William Roscoe, the author of the Lives of Leo X. And the Medici. I must not omit totell you that, during our stay, the town was all alive with a regimentof lancers, just arrived from Ireland, on their way to London. They areindeed fine-looking fellows, and are mounted on capital horses. I havewatched their evolutions in front of the Adelphi with much pleasure, andhave been amused to notice a collection of the most wretched-lookingboys I ever saw, brought together by the troops. There seems to me morepauperism this week, in Liverpool, than I ever saw in New York in mylife. Truly yours, JAMES. Letter 4. LONDON. DEAR CHARLEY:-- Does it not seem strange that I am here in London? I can hardly tellwhat to write about first. I stand at the door of our hotel and look atthe crowds in the streets, and then at old King Charles, at CharingCross, directly across the road, and when I think that this is the oldcity where Wat Tyler figured, and Whittington was lord mayor, and LadyJane Grey was beheaded, and where the Tower is still to be seen, I amhalf beside myself, and want to do nothing but roam about for a goodmonth to come. I have read so much concerning London, that I am prettysure I know more about it than many of the boys who have heard BowChurch bells all their lives. We left Liverpool for Birmingham, where wepassed an afternoon and evening in the family of a manufacturer verypleasantly, and at ten o'clock took the express mail train for London. We are staying at a hotel called the Golden Cross, Charing Cross. Wehave our breakfast in the coffee-room, and then dine as it suits ourconvenience as to place and hour. We spent one day in riding about thecity, and I think we got quite an idea of the great streets. The Strand is a very fine business street, perhaps a mile long. Itwidens in one part, and has two churches in the middle of it, and anarrow street seems built inside it at one place, as nasty, dirty a laneas I ever saw, called Hollowell Street. I was very much delighted at theend of the Strand to see old Temple Bar, which is the entrance to thecity proper, and which divides Fleet Street from the Strand. It is anoble archway, with small side arches for foot passengers. The head ofmany a poor fellow, and the quarters of men called traitors, have beenfastened over this gateway in former times. Dr. Johnson was once walking in Westminster Abbey with Goldsmith, and asthey were looking at the Poet's Corner, Johnson said to his friend, -- "Forsitan et nostrum nomen miscebitur istis. " When they had walked on to Temple Bar, Goldsmith stopped Johnson, andpointed to the heads of Fletcher and Townley, hanging above, and slylyremarked, -- "Forsitan et nostrum nomen miscebitur _istis_. " I suppose you remember that the great dictionary man was a Jacobite inhis heart. The present bar was put up in 1670, and was designed by Sir ChristopherWren. The statues on the sides, which are towards the city, are those ofQueen Elizabeth and James I. ; and towards the Strand, those of CharlesI. And Charles II. They stand in niches. Whenever the monarch passes into the city, there is much ceremony takesplace at the bar. The gates are closed, a herald sounds a trumpet andknocks for entrance, the gates are opened, and the lord mayor of Londonpresents the sword of the city to the sovereign, who returns it to hislordship. The upper part of the bar is used by Messrs. Childs, thebankers, as a store room for their past account books. Fleet Street is thronged with passengers and carriages of all sorts. Just a few doors from the bar, on the right-hand side, is agayly-painted front, which claims to have been a palace of Henry VIII. And the residence of Cardinal Wolsey. It is now used as a hair-cuttingshop, up stairs. We went up and examined the panelled ceiling, said tobe just as it used to be. It is certainly very fine, and looks as if itwere as old as the times of bluff Harry. Of course we had our hair cutin the old palace. We followed through Fleet Street, noticing the offices of Punch and theLondon Illustrated News, till we came to Ludgate Hill, --rather anascent, --which is the direct way to the Cathedral Church of St. Paul's. It stands directly in front of Ludgate Hill, and the churchyard occupiesa large space, and the streets open on each side, making a sort ofsquare called Paul's Churchyard, and then at the rear you go intoCheapside. We looked with interest, I can tell you, at Bow Church, and, as the old bells were ringing, I tried to listen if I could hear whatWhittington heard once from their tingling--"Turn again, Whittington, lord mayor, of London. " At the end of this street, on the right hand, isthe lord mayor's house, called the Mansion House, and directly in frontof the street, closing it up, and making it break off, is the RoyalExchange; whilst at the left is the Bank of England. All these are verynoble-looking buildings, and you will hear about them from us as weexamine them in our future walks. We went to the counting-house ofMessrs. Baring & Co. , the great merchants and bankers for so manyAmericans, and there we found our letters and got some money. Mr. Sturgis, one of the partners, told us to take the check to the bank, No. 68 Lombard Street, and informed us that was the very house where thegreat merchant of Queen Elizabeth's time--Sir Thomas Gresham--used tolive. He built the first London Exchange, and his sign, a largegrasshopper, is still preserved at the bank. On Good Friday we had bunnsfor breakfast, with a cross upon them, and they were sold through thestreets by children, crying "One a penny, two a penny, hot cross bunns. "We took a carriage and rode to Camden town to visit a friend; thence wetook the cars, to Hackney, and called on the Rev. Dr. Cox, who somefifteen years ago made the tour of the United States, and wrote avolume on our country. We then returned to London, and took our dinnerat the London Coffee House, Ludgate Hill. This has been a verycelebrated house for one hundred years, and figures largely in the booksof travellers fifty years ago. It has a high reputation still, and everything was excellent, and the waiting good. You cannot walk about Londonwithout observing how few boys of our age are to be seen in the streets, and when we asked the reason, we were told that nearly all the lads ofrespectable families were sent to boarding schools, and the vacationsonly occur at June and December; then the boys return home, and the cityswarms with them at all the places of amusement. We seemed to be objectsof attention, because we wore caps; (here boys all wear hats;) and thenour gilt buttons on blue jackets led many to suppose that we weremidshipmen. The omnibuses are very numerous, and each one has aconductor, who stands on a high step on the left side of the door, watching the sidewalks and crying out the destination of the "bus, " asthe vehicle is called. There is a continual cry, "Bank, bank, " "Cross, cross, " "City, city, " &c. I must not forget to tell you one thing; andthat is, London is the place to make a sight-seeing boy very tired, andI am quite sure that, in ten minutes, I shall be unable to do what I cannow very heartily, viz. , assure you that I am yours, affectionately, GEORGE. Letter 5. LONDON. DEAR CHARLEY:-- After passing a day or two in a general view of the city, and makingsome preliminary arrangements for our future movements, we all calledupon Mr. Lawrence, the minister of our country at the court of St. James, which expression refers to the appellation of the old palace ofGeorge III. Mr. Lawrence resides in Piccadilly, opposite the St. James'sPark, in a very splendid mansion, which he rents from an Englishnobleman, all furnished. We were very kindly received by his excellency, who expressed much pleasure at seeing his young countrymen comingabroad, and said he was fond of boys, and liked them as travellingcompanions. I handed him a letter of introduction from his brother. Mr. Lawrence offered us all the facilities in his power to see the sights, and these are great, for he is furnished by the government of Englandwith orders which will admit parties to almost every thing in and aboutLondon. Amongst other tickets he gave us the following admissions: tothe Queen's stables, Windsor Castle, Dulwich Gallery, Woolwich Arsenal, Navy Yard, Sion House, Northumberland House, Houses of Parliament, and, what we highly valued, an admission to enter the exhibition, which isyet unfinished, and not open to inspection. After leaving the minister, we paid our respects to Mr. Davis, thesecretary of legation, and were kindly received. We walked on fromPiccadilly to the Crystal Palace, passing Apsley House, the residence ofthe Duke of Wellington, and soon reached Hyde Park, with its famousgateway and the far-famed statue of "the duke. " As we shall go into somedetailed account of the palace after the exhibition opens, I would onlysay, that we were exceedingly surprised and delighted with the buildingitself, and were so taken up with that as hardly to look at itscontents, which were now rapidly getting into order. The effect of thenoble elms which are covered up in the palace is very striking andpleasing, and very naturally suggests the idea that the house would, byand by, make a glorious green-house for the city, where winter'sdiscontents might be almost made into a "glorious summer. " A poor fellowwas killed here, just before we entered, by falling through the skylightroof. He was at work on a plank laid across the iron frame, and thattipping up, threw him on to the glass, and his death was instantaneous. We are more and more pleased at having so central a domicile as theGolden Cross, for time is every thing when you have to see sights; andhere we can get to any point we desire by a bus, and obtain a fly at anymoment. Very much that we desire to see, too, is east of Temple Bar, andour Mentor seems determined that we shall become acquainted with theLondon of other times, and we rarely walk out without learning who livedin "that house, " and what event had happened in "that street. " I fancythat we are going to gather up much curious matter for future use andrecollection by our street wanderings. A book called "The Streets ofLondon" is our frequent study, and is daily consulted with advantage. To-day we dined at the famous Williams's, in Old Bailey, where boiledbeef is said to be better than at any other place in London. It wascertainly as fine as could be desired. The customers were numerous, andlooked like business men. The proprietor was a busy man, and his eyesseemed every where. A vision of cockroaches, however, dispelled theappetite for a dessert, and we perambulated our way to the Monument. This has a noble appearance, and stands on Fish Street Hill. The pillaris two hundred and two feet high, and is surmounted by a gilt flame. Theobject of the Monument is to commemorate the great fire of London inCharles II. 's reign. It had an inscription which ascribed the origin of the fire to theCatholics; but recently this has been obliterated. It was to thisinscription and allegation that Pope referred in his lines, -- "Where London's column, pointing to the skies, Like a tall bully, lifts its head, and _lies_. " There are few things in London that have impressed us more than thefine, massive bridges which span the Thames, and are so crowded withfoot passengers and carriages. Every boy who has read much has had hishead full of notions about London Bridge; that is, old London Bridge, which was taken down about thirty years ago. The old bridge wasoriginally a wooden structure, and on the sides of the bridge werehouses, and the pathway in front had all sorts of goods exposed forsale, and the Southwark gate of the bridge was disfigured with the headsand quarters of the poor creatures who were executed for treason. The new bridge was commenced in 1825, and it was opened in 1831 byWilliam IV. And Queen Adelaide. The bridge has five arches; the centralone is one hundred and fifty feet in the clear, the two next one hundredand forty feet, and the extreme arches one hundred and thirty feet. Thelength, including the abutments, is about one thousand feet, its widtheighty-three feet, and the road for carriages fifty-five feet. The great roads leading to London Bridge have been most costly affairs;and I was told that a _parish and its church_ had been destroyed to makethese approaches. The men of different generations, who, for almost onethousand years, looked at the old bridge, would stare at the present oneand its present vicinity, if they were to come back again. SouthwarkBridge was commenced in 1814, and finished in 1819. It has three arches, and the central arch is two hundred and forty feet, which is thegreatest span in the world. In this bridge are five thousand threehundred and eight tons of iron. Blackfriars Bridge was commenced in1760, and opened in 1770. It has nine elliptical arches, of which themiddle one is one hundred feet in width. Recently this bridge has beenthoroughly repaired. I think this is my favorite stand-point for theriver and city. Nowhere else have I obtained such a view up and down theriver. Here I have a full prospect of the Tower, St. Paul's Cathedral, Somerset House, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, and perhapstwenty-five other churches! But the great bridge of all is the Waterlooone, commenced in 1811, and opened in 1817, on the 18th of June, theanniversary of the battle of Waterloo. Of course, the Duke of Wellingtonfigured upon the occasion. At this point the river is one thousand threehundred and twenty-six feet wide; and the bridge is of nine ellipticalarches, each of one hundred and twenty feet space, and thirty-five feethigh above high water, and its entire length two thousand four hundredand fifty-six feet. It is painful to hear the sad stories which have aconnection with this magnificent structure. It seems the chosen resortof London suicides, and very frequent are the events which almostjustify its appellation--"the Bridge of Sighs. " I love to walk this andthe other bridges, and look at the mighty city, and think of itswonderful history and its existing place in the affairs of the world;and I cannot help thinking of the reflection of the wise man--"Onegeneration passeth away, but the earth remaineth. " I have never felt myown insignificance so much, Charley, as when walking in one of thesecrowded streets. I know no one; I am unknown; I am in solitude, and feelit more, perhaps, than I should if alone upon a mountain top or in awilderness. I am sure I have told you enough for once, and perhaps youare as tired of my letter as I was in going over the places I havewritten to you about; so I will relieve your patience. I am yours always, WELD. Letter 6. LONDON. DEAR CHARLEY:-- All round London there are the most exquisite villages or towns, full ofcharming retreats, boxes of wealthy tradesmen, and some very fine rowsof brick and stone residences, with gardens in front. I am amused to seealmost every house having a name. Thus you find one house called, onthe gateway, Hamilton Villa, the next Hawthorne Lodge, whilst oppositetheir fellows rejoice in the names, Pelham House, Cranborne Cottage; andso it is with hundreds of neat little domiciles. I think the road up toSt. John's Wood is one of the prettiest I have seen; and there are in itperhaps two hundred habitations, each having its _sobriquet. _ Sincewriting to you last we have been to Camberwell, a very pretty place, twoor three miles from the city. We called on a gentleman who had a partythat night, and we were politely invited, and spent an agreeableevening. The supper was elegant, and the ladies were quite inquisitiveas to our social manners. One gentleman present had a son in Wisconsin, and he seemed to fancy that, as that state was in the United States, itwas pretty much like the rest of the country. We told him that Wisconsinwas about as much like New York and Massachusetts as Brighton, in 1851, was like what it was one hundred years ago. When we talk withwell-educated persons here, we are much amused at their entireunacquaintedness with American geography and history. I think animportation of Morse's School Geography would be of great service. Wevery often lose our patience when we hear about the great danger of lifein America. I find very intelligent and respectable persons who fancythat life is held by a slight tenure in the Union, and that law andorder are almost unknown. Now, the first week we were in London thepapers teemed with accounts of murders in various parts of England. Onenewspaper detailed no less than eleven oases of murder, or executions onaccount of murders. Poison, however, seems just at present theprevailing method by which men and women are removed. As to accidents in travel, we, no doubt, have our full share; but sinceour arrival in England the railroad trains have had some pretty roughshakings, and the results in loss of life and limb would have passed forquite ugly enough, even had they happened in the west. I very much wishyou could have been with us on Easter Monday, when we passed the day atGreenwich, and were at the renowned Greenwich Fair, which lasts forthree days. The scene of revelry takes place in the Park, a royal one, and really a noble one. Here all the riff-raff and bobtail of Londonrepair in their finery, and have a time. You can form no notion of theaffair; it cannot be described. The upper part of the Park, towards theRoyal Observatory, is very steep, and down this boys and girls, men andwomen, have a roll. Such scenes as are here to be witnessed we cannotmatch. Nothing can exceed the doings that occur. All the public housesswarm, and in no spot have I ever seen so many places for drinking asare here. The working-men of London, and apprentices, with wires andsweethearts, all turn out Easter Monday. It seems as though all thehorses, carts, chaises, and hackney coaches of the city were on theroad. We saw several enormous coal wagons crammed tightly with boys andgirls. On the fine heath, or down, that skirts the Park, are hundreds ofdonkeys, and you are invited to take a halfpenny, penny, or twopennyride. All sorts of gambling are to be seen. One favorite game with theyoungsters was to have a tobacco box, full of coppers, stuck on a stickstanding in a hole, and then, for a halfpenny paid to the proprietor, you are entitled to take a shy at the mark. If it falls into the hole, you lose; if you knock it off, and away from the hole, you take it. It_requires, _ I fancy, much adroitness and experience to make any thing at"shying" at the "bacca box. " At night, Greenwich is all alive--life isout of London and in the fair. But let the traveller who has to returnto town beware. The road is full of horses and vehicles, driven bydrunken men and boys; and, for four or five miles, you can imagine thata city is besieged, and that the inhabitants are flying from the sword. O, such weary-looking children as we saw that day! One favoriteamusement was to draw a little wooden instrument quick over the coat ofanother person, when it produces a noise precisely like that of a torngarment. Hundreds of these machines were in the hands of the urchins whocrowded the Park. Here, for the first time, I saw the veritable gypsy ofwhose race we have read so much in Bòrrow's Zincali. The women are veryfine looking, and some of the girls were exquisitely beautiful. They area swarthy-looking set, and seem to be a cross of Indian and Jew. Thosewe saw were proper wiry-looking fellows. One or two of the men werenattily dressed, with fancy silk handkerchiefs. They live in tents, andmigrate through the midland counties, but I believe are not as numerousas they were thirty years ago. You will not soon forget how we werepleased with the memoirs of Bamfield Moore Carew, who was once known astheir king in Great Britain. I wonder that book has never been reprintedin America. I am pretty sure that Greenwich Park would please yourtaste. I think the view from the Royal Observatory, and from whencelongitude is reckoned, is one of the grandest I have ever seen. You geta fine view of the noble palace once the royal residence, but now theSailor's Home. You see the Thames, with its immense burden, and, throughthe mist, the great city. As to the Hospital, we shall leave that foranother excursion: we came to Greenwich at present merely to witnessEaster Fair, and it will not soon be forgotten by any of us. Yours, &c. , JAMES. Letter 7. BRISTOL. DEAR CHARLEY:-- As we had a few days to spare before the exhibition opened, we proposedto run down to Bristol and Bath, and pass a week. We took the GreatWestern train first-class ears, and made the journey of one hundred andtwenty miles in two hours and forty minutes. This is the perfection oftravelling. The cars are very commodious, holding eight persons, eachhaving a nicely-cushioned chair. The rail is the broad gage; and wehardly felt the motion, so excellent is the road. The country throughwhich we passed was very beautiful, and perhaps it never appears to moreadvantage than in the gay garniture of spring. We left Windsor Castle toour left, and Eton College, and passed by Beading, a fine, flourishingtown; and at Swindon we made a stay of ten minutes. The station at thisplace is very spacious and elegant. Here the passengers have the onlyopportunity to obtain refreshments on the route; and never did peopleseem more intent upon laying in provender. The table was finely laidout, and a great variety tempted the appetite. The railroad company, when they leased this station, stipulated that every train should passten minutes at it. But the express train claimed exemption, and refusedto afford the time. The landlord prosecuted the company, obtainedsatisfactory damages, and now even the express train affords itspassengers time to recruit at Swindon. This place has grown up under theauspices of the railroad, and one can hardly fancy a prettier place thanenvirons the station. The cottages are of stone, of the Elizabethan andTudor style, and are very numerous; while the church, which is justfinished, is one of the neatest affairs I have yet seen in England. Thetown of Swindon is about two miles from the station, and I expect tovisit it in the course of my journey. You know, my dear Charley, howlong and fondly I have anticipated my visit to my native city, and canimagine my feelings on this route homewards. We passed through Bath, amost beautiful city, (and I think as beautiful as any I ever saw, ) andthen in half an hour we entered Bristol. The splendid station-house ofthe railroad was new to me, but the old streets and houses were allfamiliar as if they had been left but yesterday. The next morning Icalled on my friends, and you may think how sad my disappointment was tofind that a dangerous accident had just placed my nearest relative inthe chamber of painful confinement for probably three months. It was apleasant thing to come home to scenes of childhood and youth, and I wasprepared to enjoy every hour; but I soon realized that here all ourroses have thorns. Of course, in Bristol I need no guide; and the boysare, I assure you, pretty thoroughly fagged out, when night comes, withour perambulations through the old city and neighborhood. Bristol has claims upon the attention of the stranger, not only as oneof the oldest cities in England, but on account of its romantic scenery. The banks of the Avon are not to be surpassed by the scenes afforded byany other river of its size in the world. This city was founded byBrennus, the chieftain of the Gauls and the conqueror of Rome, 388 B. C. , and tradition states that his brother Belinus aided him in the work. Thestatues of these worthies are quaintly carved on the gateway of John'sChurch, in Broad Street, and are of very great antiquity. In theearliest writings that bear upon the west of England--the WelshChronicles--this city is called _Caër oder_, which means the city of the_Chasm_. This the Saxons called _Clifton_. The Avon runs through atremendous fissure in the rocks called Vincent's Rocks; and hence thename given to the suburbs of the city, on its banks--Clifton. Of thisplace we shall have much to tell you. Another Welsh name for the citywas _Caër Brito_, or the painted city, or the famous city. Bristol, likeRome, stands on seven hills, and on every side is surrounded by the mostattractive scenery. It has made quite a figure in history, and itscastle was an object of great importance during the civil wars betweenCharles I. And his Parliament. This city stands in two counties, and hasthe privileges of one itself. It is partly in Gloucestershire and partlyin Somersetshire. The population of Bristol, with Clifton and the HotWells, is about two hundred thousand. My first excursion with the boyswas to Redcliffe Church, which is thought to be the finest parish churchin England. This is the church where poor Chatterton said that he foundthe Rowley MSS. No one of taste visits the city without repairing tothis venerable pile. Its antiquity, beauty of architecture, and the manyinteresting events connected with its history, claim particular notice. This church was probably commenced about the beginning of the thirteenthcentury; but it was completed by William Cannynge, Sen. , mayor of thecity, in 1396. In 1456, the lofty spire was struck by lightning, and onehundred feet fell upon the south aisle. The approach from RedcliffeStreet is very impressive. The highly-ornamented tower, the west frontof the church, its unrivalled north porch, and the transept, with flyingbuttresses, pinnacles, and parapet, cannot fail to gratify everybeholder. The building stands on a hill, and is approached by amagnificent flight of steps, guarded by a heavy balustrade. In length, the church and the Lady Chapel is two hundred and thirty-nine feet;from north to south of the cross aisles is one hundred and seventeenfeet; the height of the middle aisle is fifty-four, and of the north andsouth aisles, twenty-five feet. The impression produced on the spectator by the interior is that of aweand reverence, as he gazes on the clustered pillars, the mullionedwindows, the panelled walls, the groined ceilings, decorated with ribs, tracery, and bosses, all evincing the skill of its architects and thewonderful capabilities of the Gothic style. The east window and screen have long been hidden by some large paintingsof Hogarth. The subjects of these are the Ascension, the Three Marys atthe Sepulchre, and the High Priest sealing Christ's Tomb. On a column in the south transept is a flat slab, with a longinscription, in memory of Sir William Penn, father of William Penn, thegreat founder of Pennsylvania. The column is adorned with his banner andarmor. The boys, who had so often read of Guy, Earl of Warwick, and of hisvalorous exploits, were greatly pleased to find in this church, placedagainst a pillar, a rib of the Dun cow which he is said to have slain. You may be very sure that we inquired for the room in which Chattertonsaid he found old Monk Rowley's poems. It is an hexagonal room over thenorth porch, in which the archives were kept Chatterton's uncle wassexton of the church; and the boy had access to the building, andcarried off parchments at his pleasure. The idea of making a literaryforgery filled his mind; and if you read Southey and Cottle's edition ofthe works of Chatterton, or, what is far better, an admirable Life ofthe young poet by John Dix, a gifted son of Bristol, now living inAmerica, you will have an interesting view of the character of thisremarkable youth. [Illustration: Thomas Chatterton. ] At the east end of the church is the Chapel of the Virgin Mary. A nobleroom it is. A large statue of Queen Elizabeth, in wood, stands againstone of the windows, just where it did thirty-seven years ago, when I wasa youngster, and went to her majesty's grammar school, which is taughtin the chapel. I showed the boys the names of my old school-fellows cutupon the desks. How various their fates! One fine fellow, whose name yetlives on the wood, found his grave in the West Indies, on a voyage hehad anticipated with great joy. I am glad to say that a spirited effort is now making to restore thisgorgeous edifice. It was greatly needed, and was commenced in 1846. I dowish you could see this church and gaze upon its interior. I haveobtained some fine drawings of parts of the edifice, and they willenable you to form some faint idea of the splendor of the whole. We haveto dine with a friend, and I must close. Yours affectionately, J. O. C. Letter 8. BRISTOL. DEAR CHARLEY:-- You have so often expressed a desire to see the fine cathedral churchesand abbeys of the old world, that I shall not apologize for giving youan account of them; and as they are more in my way, I shall take theminto my hands, and let the lads write you about other things. The nextvisit we took, after I wrote you last, was to the cathedral. This is ofgreat antiquity. In 1148, a monastery was dedicated to St. Augustine. This good man sent one Jordan as a missionary in 603, and here helabored faithfully and died. It seems, I think, well sustained that thevenerable Austin himself preached here, and that his celebratedconference with the British clergy took place on College Green; and itis thought that the cathedral was built on its site to commemorate theevent. The vicinity of the church is pleasing. The Fitzhardings, thefounders of the Berkeley family, began the foundation of the abbey in1140, and it was endowed and dedicated in 1148. The tomb of Sir Robert, the founder, lies at the east of the door, and is enclosed with rails. Some of the buildings connected with the church are of great antiquity, and are probably quite as old as the body of the cathedral. A gatewayleading to the cloisters and chapter-house is plainly Saxon, and isregarded as the finest Saxon archway in England. The western part of thecathedral was demolished by Henry VIII. The eastern part, which remains, has a fine Gothic choir. This was created a bishop's see by Henry VIII. It is interesting to think that Secker, Butler, and Newton have all beenbishops of this diocese, and Warburton, who wrote the Divine Legation ofMoses, was once Dean of Bristol. The immortal Butler, who wrote theAnalogy of Natural and Revealed Religion, lies buried here, and histombstone is on the south aisle, at the entrance of the choir. Asplendid monument has been erected to his memory, with the followinginscription from the pen of Robert Southey, himself a Bristolian:-- Sacred to the Memory of JOSEPH BUTLER, D. C. L. , twelve years Bishop of this Diocese, afterwards of Durham, whose mortal remains are here deposited. Others had established the historical and prophetical grounds of the Christian Religion, and that true testimony of Truth which is found in its perfect adaptation to the heart of man. It was reserved for him to develop its analogy to the constitution and course of Nature; and laying his strong foundations in the depth of that great argument, there to construct another and irrefragable proof; thus rendering Philosophy subservient to Faith, and finding in outward and visible things the type and evidence of those within the veil. Born, A. D. 1693. Died, 1752. We noticed a very fine monument by Bacon to the memory of Mrs. Draper, said to have been the Eliza of Sterne. We hastened to find theworld-renowned tomb of Mrs. Mason, and to read the lines on marble ofthat inimitable epitaph, which has acquired a wider circulation than anyother in the world. The lines were written by her husband, the Rev. William Mason. "Take, holy earth, all that my soul holds dear; Take that best gift which Heaven so lately gave. To Bristol's fount I bore with trembling care Her faded form; she bowed to taste the wave, And died. Does youth, does beauty read the line? Does sympathetic fear their breasts alarm? Speak, dead Maria; breathe a strain divine; E'en from the grave thou shalt have power to charm. Bid them be chaste, be innocent, like thee; Bid them in duty's sphere as meekly move; And if so fair, from vanity as free, As firm in friendship, and as fond in love, -- Tell them, though 'tis an awful thing to die, (Twas e'en to thee, ) yet, the dread path once trod, Heaven lifts its everlasting portals high, And bids the pure in heart behold their God. " In the cloisters we saw the tomb of Bird the artist, a royalacademician, and a native of Bristol. We were much interested with anoble bust of Robert Southey, the poet, which has just been erected inthe north aisle. It stands on an octangular pedestal of gray marble, with Gothic panels. The bust is of the most exquisitely beautifulmarble. The inscription is in German text. Robert Southey, Born in Bristol, October 4, 1774; Died at Reswick, March 21, 1843. [Illustration: Robert Southey] The cloisters contain some fine old rooms, which recall the days of theTudors. Here we saw the apartments formerly occupied by the learned andaccomplished Dr. Hodges, now organist of Trinity Church, New York. Thisgentleman is a native of Bristol, and is held, we find, in respectfuland affectionate remembrance by the best people of this city. Opposite to the cathedral, and on the other side of the college green, is the Mayor's Chapel, where his honor attends divine service. InCatholic days, this was the Church and Hospital of the Virgin Mary. Thisedifice was built by one Maurice de Gaunt in the thirteenth century. Under the tower at the east front is a small door, by which you enterthe church, and on the north another, by which you enter a small room, formerly a confessional, with two arches in the walls for the priest andthe penitent. In this room are eight niches, in which images once stood. The roof is vaulted with freestone, in the centre of which are twocurious shields and many coats of arms. In 1830, this chapel wasrestored and beautified. A fine painted window was added, and the altarscreen restored to its former beauty, at the expense of the corporation. The front of the organ gallery is very rich in Gothic moulding, tracery, crockets, &c. It is flanked at the angles with octagonal turrets, ofsingular beauty, embattled, and surmounted with canopies, crockets, &c. The spandrils, quatrefoils, buttresses, sculptures, and cornices areexceedingly admired. The pulpit is of stone, and the mayor's throne, ofcarved oak, is of elaborate finish. Here are two knights in armor, withtheir right hands on their sword hilts, on the left their shields, _withtheir legs crossed, _ which indicates that they were crusaders. In every excursion around Bristol, the boys were struck with the factthat an old tower was visible on a high hill. The hill is called Dundry, and it is said that it can be seen every where for a circle of fivemiles round the city. Dundry is five miles from Bristol, and fourteenfrom Bath, and it commands the most beautiful and extensive prospect inthe west of England. We rode out to it with an early friend of mine, whois now the leading medical man of Bristol; and when I tell you that wewent in an Irish jaunting car, you may guess that we were amused. Theseats are at the sides, and George was in ecstasies at the novelty ofthe vehicle. When oh the summit, we saw at the north and east the citiesof Bath and Bristol, and our view included the hills of Wiltshire, andthe Malvern Hills of Worcestershire. The Severn, from north to west, isseen, embracing the Welsh coast, and beyond are the far-famed mountainsof Wales. The church has a fine tower, with turreted pinnacles fifteenfeet above the battlements. We rode over to Chew Magna, a village twomiles beyond Dundry. Here I went to a boarding school thirty-eightyears ago, and I returned to the village for the first time. It hadaltered but little. The streets seemed narrower; but there was the oldtower where I had played fives, and there was the cottage where I boughtfruit; and when I entered it, Charley, I found "young Mr. Batt"-a man ofeighty-six. His father used to be "old Mr. Batt, " and he always calledhis son his "boy, " and we boys termed him "young Mr. Batt. " I came backand found him eighty-six. So do years fly away. I called on one oldschool-fellow, some years my junior. He did not recognize me, but I atonce remembered him. We partook of a lunch at his house. I was sadlydisappointed to find the old boarding school gone, but was not a littlerelieved when I heard that it had given place to a Baptist church. Iconfess I should have liked to occupy its pulpit for one Sabbath day. To-morrow we are to spend at Clifton, the beautiful environ of Bristol, and shall most likely write you again. Yours affectionately, J. O. C. Letter 9. BRISTOL. DEAR CHARLEY:-- Clifton and the Hot Wells are the suburbs of this city, extending alongfor a mile or two on the banks of the Avon. One mile below the city theAvon passes between the rocks which are known as St. Vincent's on theone side, and Leigh Woods upon the opposite one. These rocks are amongstthe sublimities of nature, and the Avon for about three miles presentsthe wildest and sweetest bit of scenery imaginable. These cliffs havebeen for ages the admiration of all beholders, and though thousands oftons are taken from the quarries every year, yet the inhabitants saythat no great change takes place in their appearance. The Avon has aprodigious rise of tide at Bristol, and at low water the bed of theriver is a mere brook, with immense banks of mud. The country all aroundis exquisitely attractive, and affords us an idea of cultivation andadornment beyond what we are accustomed to at home. In these rocks arefound fine crystals, which are known every where as Bristol diamonds. Weobtained some specimens, which reminded us of the crystals so frequentlyseen at Little Falls, on the Mohawk. The great celebrity of the HotWells is chiefly owing to a hot spring, which issues from the rock, andpossesses valuable medical qualities. This spring had a reputation as early as 1480. It discharges about fortygallons per minute, and was first brought into notice by sailors, whofound it useful for scorbutic disorders. In 1680 it became famous, and awealthy merchant rendered it so by a dream. He was afflicted withdiabetes, and dreamed that he was cured by drinking the water of thisspring. He resorted to the imagined remedy, and soon recovered. Its famenow spread, and, in 1690, the corporation of Bristol took charge of thespring. We found the water, fresh from the spring, at the temperature ofFahrenheit 76°. It contains free carbonic acid gas. Its use is seenchiefly in cases of pulmonary consumption. I suppose it has wroughtwonders in threatening cases. It is the place for an _invalid_ who_begins to fear_, but it is not possible to "create a soul under theribs of death. " Unhappily, people in sickness too seldom repair to suchaid as may here be found till the last chances of recovery areexhausted. I have never seen a spot where I thought the fragile anddelicate in constitution might pass a winter, sheltered from everystorm, more securely than in this place. Tie houses for accommodationare without end, both at the Hot Wells and at Clifton. This last placeis on the high ground, ascending up to the summit of the rocks, whereyou enter on a noble campus known as Durdham Down. This extends for somethree or four miles, and is skirted by charming villages, which renderthe environs of Bristol so far-famed for beauty. I never wished to have your company more than when we all ascended theheight of St. Vincent's Rocks. The elevation at which we stood was aboutthree hundred and fifty feet above the winding river which, it isthought, by some sudden convulsion of nature, turned from the moors _of_Somersetshire, its old passage to the sea, and forced an abrupt onebetween the rocks and the woods; and the corresponding dip of thestrata, the cavities on one side, and projections on the other, make thesupposition very plausible. A suspension bridge over this awful chasm isin progress. The celebrated pulpit orator, Robert Hall, always spoke of the sceneryof this region as having done very much in his early days to form hisnotions of the beautiful. In one of his most admirable sermons, preachedat Bristol, when discoursing upon "the new heavens and the new earth, "he indulged in an astonishing outbreak of eloquence, while he conductedhis audience to the surpassing beauties of their own vicinage, sin-ruined as it was, and then supposed that this earth might become thedwelling-place of the redeemed, when, having been purified from allevil, it should again become "very good. " Here, on these scenes ofunrivalled beauty, Southey, and Lovell, and Coleridge, and Cottle haveloved to meditate; and the wondrous boy Chatterton fed his muse amidthese rare exhibitions of the power and wisdom of the Godhead. A Romanencampment is still visible on the summit of the rocks. We were allsorry, to see such havoc going on among the quarries, where, to useSouthey's language on this subject, they are "selling off the sublimeand beautiful by the boat load. " [Illustration: Samuel Taylor Coleridge. ] Our favorite walk is on the downs. George seems really penetrated withthe uncommon beauty of the region, and wants to stop as long aspossible, and does not believe any thing can be more beautiful. We lookover the awful cliffs--gaze on the thread of water winding its deviouscourse at an immense distance below--watch the steamers from Wales andIreland shoot up to the city, and the noble West Indiamen, as they aretowed along. The woods opposite are charming, and contain nearly everyforest-tree belonging to the country. Dr. Holland, in his travelsthrough Greece, refers to this very spot in the following language: "Thefeatures of nature are often best described by comparison; and to thosewho have visited Vincent's Rocks, below Bristol, I cannot convey a moresufficient idea of the far-famed Vale of Tempe than by saying that itsscenery resembles, though on a much larger scale, that of the formerplace. The Peneus, indeed, as it flows through the valley, is notgreatly wider than the Avon, and the channel between the cliffsirregularly contracted in its dimensions; but these cliffs themselvesare much loftier and more precipitous, and project their vast masses ofrock with still more extraordinary abruptness over the hollow beneath. "We devoted a morning to visit Leigh Court, the residence of Mr. Miles, awealthy merchant and member in Parliament for Bristol. This is regardedas one of the finest residences in the west of England. The mansion hasan Ionic portico, supported by massive columns. The great hall is veryextensive. A double flight of steps leads you to a peristyle of theIonic order, around which are twenty marble columns, supporting a loftydome, lighted by painted glass. The floor is of colored marble. Thisresidence has been enriched with the choicest treasures from WansteadHouse, and Fonthill Abbey. To us the grand attraction was the PictureGallery, which has few superiors in the kingdom. A catalogue, withetchings, was published a few years ago. You may judge of the merits ofthe collection, and the nature of our gratification, when I tell youthat here are the Conversion of Paul, by Rubens; the Graces, by Titian;William Tell, by Holbein; Pope Julius II. , by Raphael; Ecce Homo, byCarl Dolci; Head of the Virgin, by Correggio; St. Peter, by Guido; St. John, by Domenichino; Creator Mundi, by Leonardo da Vinci; Crucifixion, by Michael Angelo; Plague of Athens, by N. Poussin; three Seaports, byClaude; and a large number by Rembrandt, Salvator Rosa, Paul Potter, Parmegiano, Velasques, Gerard Dow, &c. This has been a most gratifyingexcursion, and our visit here will be a matter of pleasant recollection. I forgot to say that at Clifton, and at various places near the rocks, we were beset by men, women, and children, having very beautifulpolished specimens of the various stones found in the quarries, togetherwith minerals and petrifactions. Of these we all obtained an assortment. Yours affectionately, J. O. C. Letter 10. DEAR CHARLEY:-- We have while at Bristol made two journeys to Bath, and I am sure we areall of opinion that it is the most elegant city we ever saw. A greatdeal of its beauty is owing to the fine freestone of which it is chieflybuilt. We were much pleased with the Royal Crescent, which consists of a largenumber of elegant mansions, all built in the same style. Ionic columnsrise from a rustic basement, and support the superior cornice. Thesehouses are most elegantly finished. All the city is seen from thecrescent, and no other spot affords so grand a prospect. Camden Place isan elliptical range of edifices, commanding an extensive view of thevalley, with the winding stream of the Avon, and the villages upon itsbanks. One of the principal features of Bath is its hills and downs, which shelter it on every side. The sides on these downs are very fine, extending for miles, and you see thousands of sheep enjoying the finestpossible pasturage. Talking of sheep, I am reminded how very fine thesheep are here; it seems to me they are almost as big again as ourmutton-makers. Queen Square, in Bath, pleases us all, as we are told it does every one. It stands up high, and is seen from most parts of the city. From northto south, between the buildings, if is three hundred and sixteen feet, and from east to west three hundred and six feet. In the centre is anenclosure, and in that is a fine obelisk. The north side of the squareis composed of stately dwellings, and they have all the appearance of apalace. The square is built of freestone, and is beautifully tinted byage. The first thing almost we want to see in these fine towns is thecathedral, if there be one. I never thought that I should be so pleasedwith old buildings as I find I am. Old houses, castles, and churcheshave somehow strangely taken my fancy. The Cathedral, or, as they herecall it, the Abbey Church, is a noble one. It was begun in 1495, andonly finished in 1606, and stands on the foundation of an old convent, erected by Osric in 676. It is famous for its clustered columns, andwide, elegantly arched windows. The roof is remarkable for havingfifty-two windows, and I believe has been called the Lantern of England. You know that the city takes its name from its baths. The great resortof fashion is at the Pump-room and the Colonnade. This building iseighty-five feet in length, forty-six wide, and thirty-four high. Thiselegant room is open to the sick of every part of the world. Anexcellent band plays every day from one till half past three. The King's Bath is a basin sixty-six feet by forty-one, and will containthree hundred and forty-six tuns. I have been much pleased with Dr. Granville's works on the Spas of England, and there you will find muchinteresting matter respecting Bath. We made some pleasant excursions in the vicinity of this beautiful city. We have visited Bradford, Trowbridge, and Devizes. Trowbridge is a fineold town, and we looked with interest at the church where the poetCrabbe so long officiated. His reputation here stands high as a good manand kind neighbor, but he was called a poor preacher. Here, and in allthe neighboring places, the manufacture of broadcloths and cassimeres iscarried on extensively. Devizes is a charming old town. We were greatlyinterested with its market-place, and a fine cross, erected to hand downthe history of a sad event. A woman who had appealed to God in supportof a lie was here struck dead upon the spot, and the money which shesaid she had paid for some wheat was found clinched in her hand. Thismonument was built by Lord Sidmouth, and is a fine freestone edifice, with a suitable inscription. Roundaway Down, which hangs over this ancient town, was famous in thecivil wars of Charles I. Here, too, are the relics of an old castle. Devizes has two great cattle fairs, in spring and autumn; and the marketday, on Thursday, gave us a good idea of the rural population. We haverarely seen finer looking men than were here to be seen around theirwheat, barley, and oats. We have been pleased to see the great Englishgame of cricket, which is so universally played by all young men in thiscountry. It seems to us that the boys here have more athletic games thanwith us. Prisoners' bass seems a favorite boys' amusement, and ninepins, or, as we call it, bowls, are played by all classes freely, and it isnot regarded as at all unministerial. We are going to London this week, and shall commence sight-seeing in earnest. Above all, we are to be atthe exhibition. When I have seen the lions, I will write you again. Yours affectionately, JAMES. Letter 11. LONDON. DEAR CHARLEY:-- The story goes that Mr. Webster, when he first arrived in London, ordered the man to drive to the Tower. Certainly we boys all wanted togo there as soon as possible. I do not think that I ever felt quite sotouch excitement as I did when we were riding to the Tower, I had somany things crowding into my mind; and all the history of England withwhich I have been so pleased came at once freshly into my memory. Iwanted to be alone, and have all day to wander up and down the oldprison and palace and museum, for it has been all these things by turns. Well, we rode over Tower Hill, and got directly in front of the oldfortress, and had a complete view of it. In the centre stands a lofty square building, with four white towers, having vanes upon them. This is said to be the work of William theConqueror, but has had many alterations under William Rufus, Henry I. , and Henry II. In 1315, the Tower was besieged by the barons who made waron John. Henry III. Made his residence in this place, and did much tostrengthen and adorn it. About this time the Tower began to be used as astate prison. Edward I. Enlarged the ditch or moat which surrounded theTower. In the days of Richard II. , when the king had his troubles withWat Tyler, the Archbishop of Canterbury was beheaded on Tower Hill, or, rather, massacred, for it said that he was mangled by eight strokes ofthe axe. When Henry V. Gained his great victory at Agincourt, he placedhis French prisoners here. Henry VIII. Was here for some time after hecame to the throne, and he made his yeomen the wardens of the Tower, and they still wear the same dress as at that day. The dress is veryrich, --scarlet and gold, --and made very large; the coat short, andsleeves full. The head-dress is a cap. We went in at what is called the Lion's Gate, because some time back themenagerie was kept in apartments close by. The kings of other days usedto have fights between the beasts, and James I. Was very fond of combatsbetween lions and dogs in presence of his court. All these animals weremoved several years ago to the Zoölogical Gardens. We passed throughstrong gates, defended by a portcullis, and on our left we saw what thewarden called the Bell Tower, and which was the prison of Bishop Fisher, who was beheaded for not acknowledging Henry VIII. To be the head of thechurch. I wanted to see the Traitor's Gate, and found it was on theright hand, having a communication with the Thames under a bridge on thewharf. Through this passage it was formerly the custom to convey thestate prisoners, and many a man in passing this gate bade farewell tohope. There is, just opposite to this gate, the bloody tower where Edward V. And his brother were put to death by the monster Richard, who usurpedthe throne. I would have given a great deal to have explored the Tower, but the things and places I wanted to look into were just what you arenot let see. The old Tower of English history you look at, but must notgo through. Still I have been delighted, but not satisfied. We found thespot where the grand storehouse and armory were burnt in 1841, and, if Irecollect rightly, the warden said it was three hundred and fifty feetlong, and sixty wide. Here, I suppose, was the finest collection ofcannon and small fire-arms in the world. We saw some few fine specimensthat were saved. Of course, we were curious to see the Horse Armory. This is a room one hundred and fifty feet in length, and aboutthirty-five wide. Some one has said that here is "the History ofEngland, done in iron. " All down the middle of the room is a line ofequestrian figures, and over each character is his banner. All the sidesof the apartment are decorated with trophies and figures in armor. I wasmuch gratified with the beautiful taste displayed in the arrangement ofthe arms upon the walls and ceiling. Some of the suits of armor werevery rich, and answered exactly to my notions of such matters. Here Isaw, for the first time, the coat of mail; and I think the men of thatday must have been stronger than those of our time, or they never couldhave endured such trappings. I was much pleased with the real armor ofHenry VIII. This suit was very rich, and damasked. And here, too, wasthe very armor of Dudley, Earl of Leicester, who figured at the courtof Elizabeth. It weighs eighty-seven pounds; and close by it is themartial suit of the unfortunate Essex. He was executed, you know, atthis place, 1601. Among the most beautiful armors we saw were the suitsof Charles I. And a small one which belonged to his younger brother whena lad. I think one suit made for Charles when a boy of twelve would havefitted me exactly; and wouldn't I have liked to become its owner! KingCharles's armor was a present from the city of London, and was one ofthe latest manufactured in England. I do not think I ever was in a place that so delighted me. I cannot tellyou a hundredth part of the curiosities that are to be seen s all sortsof rude ancient weapons; several instruments of torture prepared by theRoman Catholics, at the time of the Spanish Armada, for the conversionof the English heretics. One of these was the Iron Collar, which weighsabout fifteen pounds, and has a rim of inward spikes; and besides, wesaw a barbarous instrument, called the Scavenger's Daughter, whichpacked up the body and limbs into an inconceivably small space. Welooked with deep interest, you may imagine, Charley, on the block onwhich the Scotch lords, Balmerino, Kilmarnook, and Lovat, were beheadedin 1746. The fatal marks upon the wood are deeply cut; and we had in ourhands the axe which was used at the execution of the Earl of Essex. Ishall read the history of this country, I am sure, with more pleasurethan ever, after walking over the yard and Tower Hill, where so manygreat and good, as well as so many infamous, persons have suffereddeath. Only think what a list of names to be connected with theblock--Fisher, More, Queen Anne Boleyn, Queen Catherine Howard, Margaret, Countess of Salisbury, Cromwell and Devereux, both Earls ofEssex, the Duke of Somerset, Lady Jane Grey and her husband, the Duke ofNorthumberland, Sir Walter Raleigh, Strafford, Laud, --all perished onthe Tower Green or on the Tower Hill. The spot is easily recognizedwhere the scaffold was erected. The regalia, or crown jewels, are kept in an apartment built on purposeto contain these precious treasures. Here are the crowns that oncebelonged to different sovereigns and heirs of the throne. At the deathof Charles I. , the crown in use, and said to be as old as the times ofEdward the Confessor, was broken up, and a new one made at therestoration of Charles II. The arches of this crown are covered withlarge stones of different colors, and the cap of the crown is of purplevelvet. The old crown for the queen is of gold, set with diamonds ofgreat cost, and has some large pearls. There is a crown called "theDiadem, " which was made for James II. 's queen, adorned with diamonds, and which cost just about half a million of dollars. The crown of thePrince of Wales is plain gold. As for orbs, staffs, and sceptres, I can't tell you half the number. OneI noticed called "St. Edward's Staff, " of gold, four feet seven incheslong. At the top is an orb and cross, and a fragment of the Savior'scross is _said_ to be in the orb. Here, too, are all kinds ofswords--called swords of justice and mercy--and vessels to hold the oilfor anointing the monarch at coronation, and a saltcellar of gold whichis used at the same time, and is a model of the Tower. I thought allthis very fine; but I was most pleased with seeing such splendidspecimens of precious stones. Such diamonds, pearls, amethysts, emeralds, &c. , &c. , we Yankee boys had never seen, and probably maynever see again. I was very much delighted with a large silver winefountain, presented by Plymouth to Charles II. , and which is used atcoronation banquets; and also with the font, of silver gilt; used at thebaptism of the Queen. It stands about four feet high. Over all this showthat I have told you of is the state crown made for Victoria. This isvery brilliant, and in the centre of the diamond cross is a sparklingsapphire, while in front of the crown is a large ruby which was worn bythe Black Prince. Well, Charley, my boy, I would rather go toWashington and look at our old copy of the Declaration of Independencethan gaze for a whole day at this vast collection of treasure. There ismore to be proud of in that old camp equipage of Washington's up in thepatent office than in all the crown jewels of England--at least, so Ithink, and so do you. Yours affectionately, GEORGE. Letter 12. LONDON. DEAR CHARLEY:-- George has said his say about the Tower, he tells me; and I assure youit was a time that we shall often think of when we get back. On ourreturn, the doctor proposed that we should visit the Thames Tunnel, which was not far off; and so we went through a number of poor streets, reminding us of the oldest parts of Boston round Faneuil Hall. Thetunnel connects Rotherhithe and Wapping. This last place, you know, wehave read about enough in Dibdin's Sea Songs, our old favorite. Several notions about this great idea have been entertained in pastyears; but in 1814, Brunei, the great engineer, noticed the work of aworm on a vessel's keel, where it had sawn its way longitudinally, andhe caught an idea. In 1833, he formed a "Thames Tunnel Company, " and in1825 he commenced operations, but it was not opened till 1843 forpassengers. There are no carriage approaches to it, and it is onlyavailable to foot travellers. The ascent and descent is by shafts of, perhaps, one hundred steps. I think I heard that the great work cost thecompany, and government, who helped them, about half a million sterling. The passages are all lighted up with gas, and in the way you find rareeshows of a dioramic character, and plenty of music, and not a fewvenders of views and models of the tunnel. After leaving this rivercuriosity, we went to see the new Houses of Parliament, which run alongthe banks of the river, in close neighborhood to Westminster Abbey. Ifelt disappointed at the first view, it is altogether so much like avery large pasteboard model--such a thing as you often see in ladies'fairs for charity. To my notion, the affair wants character; it is allbeautiful detail. The length is about oho thousand feet. The clock toweris to be three hundred and twenty feet high. It is vain to describe thebuilding, which is far too immense and complicated for my pea. I neverwas so bewildered in a place before. As I think you would like to have acorrect idea of the House of Lords, I will quote from the descriptionwhich was handed us on entering, but even then you will fail tounderstand its gorgeous character. "Its length is ninety feet; height, forty-five feet, and width thesame; so that it is a double cube. It is lighted by twelve windows, sixon each side, each of which is divided by mullions into four, thesebeing intersected by a transom, making eight lights in each window, which are made of stained glass, representing the kings and queens, consort and regnant, since the Conquest. The ceiling is flat, anddivided into eighteen large compartments, which are subdivided bysmaller ribs into four, having at the intersection lozenge-shapedcompartments. The centre of the south end is occupied by the throne, each side of which are doors opening into the Victoria Lobby. The throneis elevated on steps. The canopy is divided into three compartments, thecentre one rising higher than the others, and having under it the royalchair, which is a brilliant piece of workmanship; studded round the backwith crystals. The shape of the chair is similar in outline to that inwhich the monarchs have been crowned, and which is in Westminster Abbey, but, of course, widely different in detail and decoration. On each sideof this chair are others for Prince Albert and the Prince of Wales. Atthe north end is the bar of the house, where appeals are heard, and theCommons assemble when summoned on the occasion of the opening ofParliament. Above the bar is the reporters' gallery, behind which is thestrangers', and round the sides of the House is another gallery, intended for the use of peeresses, &c. , on state occasions. "At the north and south ends of the house, above the gallery, are threecompartments, corresponding in size and shape to the windows, andcontaining fresco paintings. Those at the north end are 'the Spirit ofReligion, ' by J. C. Horsley; 'the Spirit of Chivalry' and 'the Spirit ofJustice, ' by D. Maclise, R. A. Those at the south end, over the throne, are 'the Baptism of Ethelbert, ' by Dyce; 'Edward III. Conferring theOrder of the Garter on the Black Prince, ' and 'the Committal of PrinceHenry by Judge Gascoigne, ' by C. W. Cope, R. A. Between the windows arerichly-decorated niches and canopies, which are to have bronze statuesin them. In casting the eye round the whole room, it is almostimpossible to detect scarcely a square inch which is not either carvedor gilded. The ceiling, with its massive gilded and decorated panels, presents a most imposing and gorgeous effect, and one of truly royalsplendor. The St. Stephen's Hall is ninety-five feet long, thirty feetwide, and sixty feet high; the roof is stone-groined, springing fromclustered columns running up the side of the hall. The bosses, at theintersections of the main ribs, are carved in high relief, withincidents descriptive of the life of Stephen. "This hall leads through a lofty archway into the central hall, whichis octagon in plan, having columns at the angles, from which spring ribsforming a grand stone groin finishing in the centre, with an octagonlantern, the bosses at the intersections of all the ribs elaboratelycarved. The size of this hall is sixty-eight feet in diameter, and it issixty feet to the crown of the groin. " The House of Commons, which is now in the course of completion, is quitea contrast to the splendor of the House of Lords. Its length iseighty-four feet; width, forty-five feet; and height, forty-three feet. An oak gallery runs all round the house, supported by posts atintervals, having carved heads, and spandrills supporting the main ribs. The strangers' gallery is at the south end, in front of which is thespeaker's order gallery. At the north end is the reporters' gallery, over which is the ladies' gallery--being behind a stone screen. Thelibraries are fine rooms, looking out on the river. I have no time totell you of the beautiful refreshment rooms, excepting to say that theone for the peers is one hundred feet long. I must not forget to saythat in the tower is to be a wondrous clock, the dial of which is to bethirty feet in diameter! We went to see these buildings by an order fromthe lord chamberlain. The total cost is estimated at between eight andten millions of dollars. It certainly is very rich, and looks finelyfrom the river; but it is unfortunately too near to the abbey, and wantsforce. After leaving the Houses of Parliament, we went to WestminsterHall, which has some of the finest historical recollections connectedwith any public building in England. Really, I felt more awe in enteringthis hall than I ever remember to have experienced. I cannot tell youthe size of it, but it is the largest room in Europe without a support, and the span of the roof is the widest known. The roof, of chestnut, isexceedingly fine. Only think, my dear fellow, what events havetranspired on this spot. The following trials took place here: Stafford, Duke of Buckingham, for high treason, 1521; Sir Thomas More, 1535; Dukeof Somerset, for treason, 1552; Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk, for hisattachment to Mary, Queen of Scots; Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, 1601, and Earl of Southampton; Guy Fawkes and the Gun-powder Plotconspirators; Robert Carr, Earl of Southampton, and his countess, formurder of Sir Thomas Overbury, 1616; Wentworth, Earl of Strafford, 1641;Archbishop Laud; Charles I. , for his attacks upon the liberties of hiscountry, 1649; the seven bishops, in the reign of James II. ; Dr. Sacheverel, 1710; in 1716, the Earls Derwentwater, Nithisdale, andCarnwath, and the Lords Widdington, Kenmure, and Nairn, for therebellion of 1715; Harley, Earl of Oxford, 1717; the Earls Cromartieand Kilmarnock, and Lord Balmerino, 1746, for the rebellion of 1745;Lord Lovat, 1747; William Lord Byron, for the death of William Chaworthin a bloody duel, 1765; Lord Ferrers, for the murder of his steward; theinfamous Duchess of Kingston, for bigamy, 1776; and Warren Hastings, forcruelty in his office as Governor of India, 1788. And besides all this, here have been the coronation feasts of allEngland's monarchs, from William Rufus, who built it in 1099, down toGeorge IV. , 1820. Sad times and merry ones have been here. We steppedfrom the hall into the courts of law, which have entrances from thisapartment, and we saw the lord chancellor on the bench in one, and thejudges sitting in another. The courts were small, and not very imposingin their appearance. Yours truly, JAMES. Letter 13. LONDON. DEAR CHARLEY:-- O, we have had a noble treat; and how I longed for your company, as wespent hour after hour in the British Museum. The building is very fine, but the inside--that is every thing. The entire front is, I think, aboutfour hundred feet, and I reckoned forty-four columns forming acolonnade; these are forty-five feet high. The portico is now receivingmagnificent sculpture in relief; and when the whole is finished, and thecolossal statues surmount the pediment, and the fine iron palisadoes, now erecting, are completed, I think the edifice will be among thefinest in the world. The entrance hall is most imposing, and the ceilingis richly painted in encaustic. The staircases are very grand, and theirside walls are cased with red Aberdeen granite, brought to an exquisitepolish. To describe the British Museum would be a vain attempt. In thehall are several fine statues. Especially did we admire the one ofShakspeare by Roubilliac, and given by Garrick. We soon found our way tothe Nineveh Gallery, and were wide awake to look after the relics ofNineveh dug up by Layard on the banks of the Tigris. Here is a monstroushuman head, having bull's horns and ears, many fragments of horses'heads, bulls, &c. , &c. The colossal figure of the king is very grand, and discovers great art. There is also a fine colossal priest, and thewar sculptures are of the deepest interest. Then we went to the LycianRoom. The sculptures here were found at Xanthus, in Lycia. These ruinsclaim a date of five hundred years before Christ. Here are someexquisite fragments of frieze, describing processions, entertainments, sacrifices, and female figures of great beauty. In the Grand Saloon are numerous Roman remains of sculpture. In thePhigalian Saloon are marbles found at a temple of Apollo, near Phigalia, in Arcadia, in 1814. The Elgin Saloon is devoted to the magnificentmarbles taken in 1804, from temples at Athens, by the Earl of Elgin, andwere purchased by Parliament for thirty-five thousand pounds. They arechiefly ornaments from the Parthenon, a Doric temple built in the timeof Pericles, B. C. 450, by Phidias. No one can fail to be impressed withthe great beauty of these conceptions. The famous Sigean inscription iswritten in the most ancient of Greek letters, boustrophedon-wise; thatis, the lines follow each other as oxen turn from one furrow to anotherin ploughing. There are five galleries devoted to natural history, and are named thus:the Botanical Museum, Mammalia Gallery, Eastern Zoölogical Gallery, Northern Zoölogical Gallery, and the Mineral Gallery. The specimens inall these are very fine. Nothing can be finer than the mammalia. Thepreservation has been perfect, and far surpasses what I have beenaccustomed to see in museums, where decay seems to be often rioting uponthe remains of nature. The department of ornithology is wonderful, and Icould have enjoyed a whole day in examining the birds of all climates. In conchology the collection is very rich. I do not often get such agratification as I had among the portraits which are hanging on thewalls of these galleries. The very men I had heard so much of, and readabout, were here lifelike, painted by the best artists of their day. Iwas much pleased with the picture of Mary, Queen of Scots, by Jansen; ofCromwell, by Walker; of Queen Elizabeth, by Zucchero; of Charles II. , byLely; of Sir Isaac Newton; of Lord Bacon; of Voltaire; of JohnGuttenburg; and of Archbishop Cranmer. As to the library and the MSS. , what shall I say? The collection of books is the largest in the kingdom, and valuable beyond calculation. It amounts to seven hundred thousand. We looked at illuminated gospels, Bibles, missals, till we werebewildered with the gold and purple splendor; and then we walked fromone glass case to another, gazing upon autographs that made usheart-sick when we thought of our juvenile treasures in this line. Ifever I did covet any thing, it was some old scraps of paper which hadthe handwriting of Milton, Cromwell, Luther, Melancthon, Erasmus, and along _et cætera_ of such worthies. You know how much we love medals andcoins; well, here we revelled to our heart's delight. Country aftercountry has its history here, beautifully illustrated. The museum hastwo spacious rooms devoted to reading, and the access to these treasuresis very liberal. If I could stay in London one year, I should certainly propose to spendthree or four months in study and research at the British Museum; nor doI imagine that it would be lost time. It seems to me that such a placemust make scholars; but I know, by my own painful recollection, thatopportunities for improvement are not always valued as they should be. Ihave been much struck lately with the thought that men of leisure arenot the men who do much in literature. It never has been so. Here andthere a rich man cultivates his mind; but it is your busy men who leavethe mark upon the age. While in the museum, we were shown Lord Chief Justice Campbell, theauthor of the Lives of the Chancellors, &c. He is a working-man, ifthere be one in England, and yet he finds time to elaborate volume uponvolume. I feel ashamed when I think how little I have acquired, how verylittle I know that I might have understood, and what immensely largeracquisitions have been made by those who have never enjoyed half myadvantages. There is a boy, only fifteen, who resorts to this museum, and is said to understand its contents better than most of its visitors;and a livery servant, some few years ago, used to spend all his hours ofleisure here, and wrote some excellent papers upon historical subjects. If I have gained any good by my journey yet, it is the conviction, Ifeel growing stronger every day, that I must work, and that every onemust work, in order to excel. It seems to me that we are in a fair wayto learn much in our present tour, for every day's excursion becomes amatter of regular study when we come to our journal, which is now keptposted up daily, as a thing of course. We are trying, at all events, tomake ourselves so familiar with the great attractions of London, that infuture life we may understand the affairs of the city when we hear ofthem. Yours affectionately, WELD. Letter 14. LONDON. DEAR CHARLEY:-- Ever since we reached London, I have wanted to go to Woolwich, the greatnaval arsenal and dockyard, because I expected I should obtain a prettygood idea of the power of the British navy; and then I like to comparesuch places with our own; and I have often, at Brooklyn Navy Yard, thought how much I should like to see Woolwich. Woolwich is one theThames, and about ten miles from the city. You can go at any hour bysteamer from London Bridge, or take the railway from the Surrey side ofthe bridge. We were furnished with a ticket of admission from ourminister; but unfortunately, we came on a day when the yard was closedby order. We were sadly disappointed, but the doorkeeper, a veryrespectable police officer, told us that our only recourse was to callon the commanding officer, who lived a mile off, and he kindly gave us apoliceman as a guide. On our way, we met the general on horseback, attended by some other officers. We accosted him, and told our case. Heseemed sorry, but said the yard was closed. As soon as we mentioned thatwe came from America, he at once gave orders for our admission, and wasvery polite. Indeed, on several occasions we have found that our beingfrom the United States has proved quite a passport. We had a special government order to go over all the workshops and seethe steam power, &c. , &c. I think I shall not soon forget the wonderfulsmithery where the Nasmyth hammers are at work, employed in forgingchain cables and all sorts of iron work for the men-of-war. We went insuccession through the founderies for iron and brass, the steam boilermanufactory, and saw the planing machines and lathes; and as to all theother shops and factories, I can only say, that the yard looked like acity. We were much pleased with the ships now in progress. One was the screwsteamer, the Agamemnon, to have eighty-guns. There, too, is the RoyalAlbert, of one hundred and twenty guns, which they call the largest shipin the world. Of course, we think this doubtful. It has been nine yearsin progress, and will not be finished for three more. It is to belaunched when the Prince of Wales attains the rank of post captain. Wesaw, among many other curiosities, the boat in which Sir John Ross wasout twenty-seven days in the ice. We went into an immense buildingdevoted to military stores, and in one room we saw the entireaccoutrements for ten thousand cavalry, including bridles, saddles, andstirrups, holsters, &c. The yard is a very large affair, containing very many acres; it is thedepository of the cannon belonging to the army and navy for all theregion, and there were more than twenty thousand pieces lying upon theground. Some were very large, and they were of all varieties known inwar. After a delightful hour spent in listening to the best martial music Iever heard played, by the band, we took steamboat for Greenwich, and, landing there, walked to Blackheath, where we had an engagement to dineat Lee Grove with a London merchant. Here we had a fine opportunity towitness the luxury and elegance of English social life. This gentleman, now in the decline of life, has an exquisitely beautiful place, situatedin a park of some sixty acres. The railroad has been run through hisestate, and, of course, has made it very much more valuable forbuilding; but as it injures the park for the embellishment of themansion, it was a fair subject for damages, and the jury of referencegave its proprietor the pretty verdict of eleven thousand pounds. At thetable we had the finest dessert which the hothouse can furnish. Our hostgave us a very interesting account of his travels in America more thanforty years ago. A journey from New York to Niagara, as related by thistraveller, was then far more of an undertaking than a journey from NewOrleans to New York, and a voyage thence to England, at the presenttime. In the evening, we took the cars for London, and reached our comfortablehotel, the Golden Cross, Charing Cross, at eleven o'clock. By the way, we are all very much pleased with the house and its landlord. Mr. Gardiner is a very gentlemanly man, of fine address and acquirements. Hehas been a most extensive traveller in almost every part of the world, and has a fine collection of paintings, and one of the prettiestcabinets of coins and medals I ever saw. He has a pretty cottage andhothouses four or five miles from the city; and his family residespartly there and at the hotel. The hotel is every thing that can bedesired. A few evenings ago, Mr. Lawrence had a splendid _soirée_. There wereprobably from two to three hundred present. Among the company were SirDavid Brewster, Leslie the artist, Miss Coutts, the Duke of Wellington. "The duke, " as he is called, is the great man of England. All the peopleidolize him, and he is known to be a great man. He has become moreidentified with the history of England for the last forty years than anyother man. Of course, he was to us Americans the great man of thecountry. Whenever I have read of Napoleon, I have had Wellington in myeye, and to see him was next to seeing the emperor. I never expected thepleasure, but here it is allotted me. He is quite an old man in hisbearing and gait. He was dressed in a blue coat with metal buttons, worehis star and garter, and had on black tights and shoes. He had been tothe opera, and then came to this party. Every one pays the mostdeferential homage to the old hero. Waterloo and its eventful scenescame directly before me, and I felt almost impatient for our visit tothe battle-field. A gentleman who knows the duke told us that he spends from four to fivehours every morning at the Horse Guards in the performance of his dutiesas commander-in-chief. Although he looks so feeble in the drawing-room, he sits finely on his horse; and when I saw him riding down Piccadilly, he seemed to be full twenty years younger than he was the day before atthe party. We shall always be glad that we came to England in time to see "theduke, " and if we live twenty or thirty years, it will be pleasant tosay "I have seen the Duke of Wellington. " Yours affectionately, GEORGE. Letter 15. LONDON. DEAR CHARLEY:-- I know how curious you are to hear all about the royal exhibition, so Ishall do my best to give you such an account of our visits to it as mayenable you to get a bird's eye view of the affair. Almost as soon as I arrived, I determined upon securing season ticketsfor the boys, in order that they might not only see the pageant of theopening on the 1st of May, but also have frequent opportunities toattend the building and study its contents before the reduced pricesshould so crowd the palace as to render examination and study nearlyimpracticable. However, there came a report through all the daily papersthat the queen had abandoned the idea of going in person to inauguratethe exhibition, and the sale of tickets flagged, and it was thoughtprices would be reduced below the three guineas, which had been therate. I left London for a few days without purchasing, and on my returnI called for four season tickets, when, to my surprise, I was told that, just an hour before, orders had been given from the board to raise themto four guineas. I at once purchased them, although I regarded thematter as an imposition. A few days after, Prince Albert revoked theaction of the board, and orders were issued to refund the extra guineato all who had purchased at the advanced price. This was easilyascertained by reference to the number on the ticket, and registered atpurchase with the autograph of the proprietor. Of course, we saved ourfour guineas. For several days before the 1st of May all London, I may say allEngland, and almost all the world was on tiptoe. Every man, woman, andchild talked of "the Crystal Palace, the great exhibition, the queen, and prince Albert. " For a week or two there had been a succession of cold rain storms. Winter had lingered in the lap of April. Men were looking at the 1st ofMay with gloomy anticipations of hail, rain, snow, and sleet. Barometerswere in demand. The 30th of April gave a hail storm! The 1st of Mayarrives, --_the day, _--and lo! "Heaven is clear, And all the clouds are gone. " It was as though the windows of heaven were opened to let the glory fromabove stream through and bless Industry's children, who are about tocelebrate their jubilee. The queen, it is said, has a charm as regardsthe weather. I heard many exclaim, "It is the queen's weather; it isalways her luck. " Such a sight as that day afforded was never beforewitnessed, and such a spectacle will probably never again be gazed upon. The streets were thronged early. Every westward artery of the great citypulsated with the living tide that flowed through it. From the far east, where the docks border the Thames, came multitudes, though not exactlystars in the hemisphere of fashion. Ladies in the aristocratic precinctsof Belgravia rose at an early hour, and, for once, followed the queen'sgood, every-day example. The lawyers rushed from Lincoln's and Gray'sInns of Court. The Royal Exchange was so dull at ten o'clock that thevery grasshopper on its vane might have been surprised. Holborn wascrammed at when in olden time people pressed, and struggled, and stroveto see Jack Sheppard, Joshua Wild, Dick Turpin, or any such worthies ontheir sad way to Tyburn. But it is no gibbet now allures the morbidmultitude. They are gayly, gently, and gladly travelling to the home ofindustry. Among all the pleasant sights that every moment delighted usnone were more pleasant than the happy family groups, who, on everyside, "push along, keep moving. " Just see that mechanic; he looks asproud as a lord, --and why shouldn't he be?--with his wife leaningtrustingly, lovingly on his arm. He, good man, has thrown away the saw, or plane, or any other tool of handicraft, and now his little boy--O, the delight, the wonder in that boy's face!--is willingly dragged along. Well, on we go, --driving across what you would call impassable streets, and lo! we are wedged up in a crowd, --and such a crowd, --a crowd of allnations. At length we reach the palace gates; and there, who can tell the pressand strife for entrance. Long and nobly did the police struggle andresist, but at length the outward pressure was omnipotent, and the fulltide of lucky ones with season tickets gained, entrance into, not thepalace, but the enclosure. Then came order, --breathing space, --ticketswere examined, and places assigned on cards, given as we entered intothe palace itself. We all obtained good positions--very good ones. Thiswas at eleven o'clock. At about a quarter to twelve, one standing nearto us remarked, "She will be to her time; she always is. " And he wasright; for scarcely had he prophesied before a prolonged shouting toldthat the queen was coming. "Plumes in the light wind dancing" were theoutward and visible signs of the Life Guards, who came gently trottingup. Then came four carriages, --the coachmen and footmen of which were sodisguised with gold lace, and wigs, and hair powder, that their motherswouldn't have known them, --and then the queen--not robed and trickedout like the queens in children's story books, so dreadful as toresemble thunderbolts in petticoats; not hooped, and furbelowed, andstomachered, and embroidered all over, as was Elizabeth; nor with a cap, like Mary, Queen of Scots; not with eight horses prancing before thequeen's carriage, but in her private carriage, drawn by two horses. Offwent all hats. I wish you could have heard the cheering as the queenentered the wondrous building. O, it was like "the voice of manywaters. " Such deep, prolonged, hearty cheering I never, heard. AsVictoria entered, up went the standard of England, and never before didits folds wave over such a scene. The entrance of majesty was the signalfor the organ to play; the vitreous roof vibrates as the sounds flyalong the transparent aisles; and we had musical glasses on a largescale. It would require the pen of our favorite Christopher North todescribe the magnificent scene when the queen ascended the throne, surrounded by all the elegance and nobility of her kingdom. Her husbandreads an address; she replies; the venerable archbishop dedicates theTemple of Industry. The queen declares the palace opened, and theprocession is formed to walk through its aisles. No small task this; butthen thirty thousand persons are waiting to gaze on the queen and hercourt. A ludicrous sight it was to see two of England's proudest peerswalking backward before the queen. The Marquis of Westminster and Earlof Breadalbane performed this feat, and glad enough must they have beenwhen they received their dismission. The heralds, some twelve orfourteen, in black velvet, looked finely. The queen walked like a queen, and bore herself nobly and womanly. She is a small figure, fair face, light hair, large, full, blue eyes, plump cheek, and remarkably fineneck and bust. She leaned upon her husband's right arm, holding in herhand the Prince of Wales, while Prince Albert led the princess royal. Iwas sadly disappointed in the appearance of the Prince of Wales. He isaltogether a feeble-looking child, and cannot have much mental force. The princess is a fine, energetic-looking girl. We stood within a yardof the royal party as it passed bowing along. Then came the members ofthe royal family; and then visitors from Prussia and Holland; the ladiesand gentlemen of the queen's household; the cabinet ministers; theforeign ministers; the archbishop in his robe, and the members of theroyal commission; the lord mayor of London, and the aldermen. There, too, was Paxton, the architect of this great wonder. It was his day oftriumph, and every one seemed to be glad for his fortune. All these werein gorgeous court dresses. I have seen all sorts and kinds of show, butnever did I witness such a spectacle as was this day afforded to thecongress of the world. The Duke of Wellington, and his companion inarms, the Marquis of Anglesea, walked arm in arm, "par nobilis fratrum. "It was Wellington's birthday. He is eighty-two, and Anglesea eighty-one. The Marquis walks well for a man of his age, and who has to availhimself of an artificial leg. They were most enthusiastically cheered inall parts of the house. In the diplomatic corps there was great splendorof costume, but no man carried himself more stately than did Mr. Lawrence, whose fine, manly figure admirably becomes a court dress. I donot think that I ever saw a collection of ladies so plain and homely asthe court ladies of Queen Victoria, who walked behind her in procession. The Duchess of Sutherland has been renowned for her majestic beauty; butshe is _passe_, and her friends are, I think, matchless for entiredestitution of personal charms. But there was enough present to atonefor the want of this in the royal circle. Some of the most exquisitefaces I ever saw were there in those galleries, and forms of beauty thatcan hardly be surpassed. I was much surprised at noticing in the vastcrowd, known to be about thirty thousand, that there were so few lads. Ido not believe there were more than ten or fifteen in the palace; and, as we have already said, the absence of lads is owing to their all beingat boarding-schools. Our boys, you may well suppose, are greatlypleased with having witnessed the greatest pageant of the age, and onethat can never be surpassed. We shall soon be at the exhibition again, and apply ourselves to a careful survey of its interesting contents. Yours affectionately, J. O. C. Letter 16. LONDON. DEAR CHARLEY:-- Now that the excitement consequent on the opening of the Crystal Palacehas in some degree subsided and curiosity to a certain extent satisfied, we are enabled to obtain more lucid ideas of this extraordinary buildingand its wondrous contents. The admission for several days was one pound, and at this high price the visitors were of the most fashionablecharacter. We have been much pleased in looking at the very fineequipages that throng the roads around the park. The carriages, horses, end liveries are in the best possible taste. When we entered, the palacewas no longer heightened in splendor by the presence of the sovereignand her brilliant court. The superb canopy which overshadowed the _dais_on which the gorgeous chair had stood, alone remained to indicate thatthere England's queen had performed the inaugural rites; but the greatfacts of the exhibition remained. The crystal fountain still played, themagnificent elms appeared in their spring garniture of delicate greenbeneath the lofty transept, and the myriad works of skill, art, andscience lay around, above, and beneath us. I entered the building by itseastern door, and, immediately on passing the screen which interposesbetween the ticket offices and the interior, the whole extent of thepalace of glass lay before me. Fancy yourself standing at the end of abroad avenue, eighteen hundred and fifty feet in length, roofed withglass, and bounded laterally by gayly-decorated, slender pillars. Theeffect was surpassingly beautiful. Right and left of this splendid navewere other avenues, into which the eyes wandered at will; for no walls, no barriers are to be found in the whole building; all is open, fromfloor to roof, and from side to side, and from the eastern to thewestern extremity. Proceeding westward, I saw the compartments allotted to our own country. The first thing I noticed was a piece of sculpture, --the dyingIndian, --a fine production, though perhaps a trifle overdone. Then camean American bridge, which painters were still at work upon; and then, backed by drapery of crimson cloth, that splendid creation of genius, the Greek Slave, which will immortalize the name of Hiram Powers. Ishall not, I think, be accused of national partiality when I assertthat this statue is, in sculpture, one of the two gems of theexhibition. Perhaps, if I were not from the United States, I should sayit was "_the gem_. " When I come to tell you of the Italian marbles, Ishall refer to that production of art which can alone be thought todispute the palm of superiority with it. Every one expresses the highestadmiration at the Slave, and a crowd is constantly around the spot. Oneold gentleman, who was in an ecstasy over the sculpture, very sharplyrebuked a person complaining of the paucity of the American productions, with "Fie, _there_ is one thing America has sent, that all Europe mayadmire, and no one in Europe can equal. " Turning aside from this"breathing marble, " I examined the American exhibition of products andmanufactures. I confess to you I felt mortified with the comparativemeagreness of our show, because it contrasts poorly with the abundanceexhibited by nations far inferior to us in skill and enterprise. Still, we have much to show; but the useful prevails over the beautiful. I amquite sure, too, that there are things here which will compel attention, and carry away calm, dispassionate approbation from the jurors. TheUnited States exhibits numerous specimens of tools, cordage, cotton andwoolen fabrics, shawls, colors, prints, daguerreo-types, silver and goldplate, pianos, musical instruments, harnesses, saddlery, trunks, bookbinding, paper hangings, buggies, wagons, carriages, carpetings, bedsteads, boots and shoes, sculls, boats, furs, hair manufactures, lithographs, perfumery, soaps, surgical instruments, cutlery, dentistry, locks, India rubber goods, machinery, agricultural implements, stoves, kitchen ranges, safes, sleighs, maps, globes, philosophical instruments, grates, furnaces, fire-arms of all descriptions, models of railroads, locomotives, &c. You may add to these fine specimens of all our produce, as cotton, sugar, tobacco, hemp, and the mineral ores--iron, lead, zinc, plumbago, tin, and copper, coals of all kinds, preserved meats, &c. , &c. I wish, Charley, you could go with me into a door south of the transept, over which, in oddly-shaped letters, are the words "MEDIÆVALCOURT. " The very name reminds one of Popery, Puseyism, and Pugin. This mediæval court absolutely dazzles one's eyes with its splendors. Auriferous draperies line the walls; from the ceiling hang gold andsilver lamps--such lamps as are to be seen in Romish chapels before thestatues of the Virgin; huge candlesticks, in which are placed enormouscandles; Gothic canopies and richly-carved stalls; images of he and shesaints of every degree; crucifixes and crosiers; copes and mitres;embroideries, of richest character, are all here--things which themother of harlots prizes as the chosen instruments by which shedeceives the nations. And truly beautiful are many of these things asworks of art; but it is only as works of art that any Christian canadmire them. As I gazed on the rich tissues and golden insignia, Imourned for poor corrupt human nature, to which alone such gewgaws couldbe acceptable. How would Paul or Peter have stared, had they beenrequired to don such glittering pontificals as are here to be seen!While I feel great respect for Pugin's ability as an architect anddesigner, I have profound pity for those who are deluded by thesegorgeous symbols of a gloomy, cruel, and heartless creed. There is a large golden cage, not altogether unlike a parrot's; andthere is a press, indeed. What calls such attention from the multitude?I join the gazers, and see what at first appears to be three pieces ofirregularly-shaped glass, white and glittering; one large piece, aboutthe size of a walnut, and two others a little larger than marbles. Whatrenders that bit of glass so attractive? Glass! no; it is "a gem ofpurest ray serene"--a diamond--the diamond of diamonds--the largest inthe world. In short, it is the Kohinoor; or, as the Orientals poeticallycalled it, "the mountain of light. " Its estimated value is two millionssterling--enough to buy the Crystal Palace itself, nine times over. Thehistory of this precious gem is romantically curious. It belonged toRunjeet Sindjb and is now an English trophy. Let us enter that partially-darkened chamber, and stand before a paintedglass window, the production of Bertini, of Milan. I can't describe thisextraordinary production. It is illustrative of Dante, and, forbrilliancy of color and harmony of combination, it is not surpassed bythe much-vaunted specimens of past ages. "From the sublime to the ridiculous, " said Burke, "there is but a step;"and at not much greater distance from this Dantean window is a Germantoy stand. It is amusing to observe a big, "Tenbroek" sort of son ofAllemagne, arranging tiny children's toys. The contrast between theGerman giant and the petty fabrics he is setting off to the bestadvantage, provokes a smile. Let us join the throng rushing into the suite of rooms furnished by theupholsterers of Vienna. These rooms are indeed magnificent, and mustafford a high treat to the lovers of wood carving. There is a bookcase, which is almost a miracle of art; the flowers seem to wave, and theleaves to tremble, so nearly do they approach the perfection of nature. Then there is, it is said by judges, the most superb bed in the world;it is literally covered with carvings of the most costly and delicatedescription. Since the time of the famous Grinling Gibbons, the Englishcarver, nothing has been seen like it. These Austrian rooms are amongthe great guns of the show, and will repay repeated visits. Here stands the glorious Amazon of Kiss, of Berlin. This group, ofcolossal proportions, represents a female on horseback, in the act oflaunching a javelin at a tiger which has sprung on the fore quarter ofher affrighted steed. This is a wonderful work of art, and places itsauthor in the first rank of sculptors. Nothing can surpass the lifelikecharacter of the Amazon's horse and the ferocious beast. As a tribute tothe genius of Kiss, a grand banquet is to be given to him by thesculptors and artists of England. Well does he deserve such an honor. Close by the Amazon is a colossal lion in bronze. This is the softestpiece of casting I ever saw; the catlike motion of the paw is perfectlylifelike. I turn back again to that Amazon. I could gaze on the agony ofthat horse for hours, and think I should continue to discover newbeauties. The Crusader, a colossal equestrian statue of Godfrey of Bouillon, isalso very imposing. The entire floor is covered in the centre of theavenue, from east to west, with beautiful statues, models, &c. We ascended to one of the galleries for the purpose of taking a bird'seye view of the gay, busy scene; and a most splendid scene was thrownopen to our gaze. Far as the eye could reach, the building was alivewith gayly-dressed people, who, amidst statues, and trophies, and trees, and fountains, wandered as in the groves of some enchanted land. As Istrolled onwards, I came to where a tiny fountain sent up its silveryjet of _eau de Cologne_, and an assistant of Jean Marie Farina, from alittle golden spoon, poured on my handkerchief, unasked, the odoriferousessence. Then we lingered to witness two of the noblest cakes, the sightof which ever gladdened the heart of a bride. Gunter, the great pastrycook, was the architect of the one which was a triumph of taste. Theother was adorned with Cupid and Psyche-like emblems. Then came waxflowers, beaded artfully with glass, so as to appear spangled withdewdrops. Then we inspected Cashmere shawls, on which I saw many a ladycast looks, of admiration, and, I almost fancied, of covetousness. Down again, and we are beneath the transept. Beautiful, head, far higherthan the tops of the huge elm-trees, is a crystal arch which spans thisintersecting space. Around are marble statues, which gleam lustrouslyamid the foliage of tropical plants, which, shielded from the chillingair without, seem to be quite at home here. And in the midst up risesOsler's crystal fountain--a splendid affair, twenty-seven feet inheight, and consisting of four tons of cut glass. So exquisitely is itarranged that no metal, either of joint or pipe, can be seen. It is "oneentire and perfect chrysolite. " From its lofty summit issues forth adome of water, which separates, and falls in prismatic showers into aspacious basin beneath. There are three other fountains, but this is themonarch of all. On either side of this beautiful production of aBirmingham manufacturer are two equestrian statues of the queen andPrince Albert, about which I cannot speak in admiration. Groups offigures line the sides of the transept, and there is a Puck which Iwould like all friends to look at. O, he is alive with fun, and theremarble speaks and laughs. We have been greatly delighted with the English room of sculpture. Thereis a fine portrait statue of Flaxman, from the chisel of Franks; a veryclever statue of John Wesley; but if I were to chronicle all thesculptures here, I may as well write a catalogue at once. But before Iquit the subject of marble, let me just allude to the Italian gallery. There the specimens are indeed exquisite, and remind us that the geniusof art yet loves to linger in the "land of the cypress and myrtle"--inthat beautiful country "Where the poet's eye and painter's hand Are most divine. " Among the gems of marble is one which I told, you was the only possiblerival of Powers's Greek Slave. This lovely production is "the VeiledVesta. " It represents a young and exquisitely-formed girl, kneeling andoffering her oblation of the sacred fire. Her face is veiled; but everyfeature is distinctly visible, as it were, through the folds which coverher face. So wonderfully is the veil-like appearance produced, thatmyself and others were almost inclined to believe that some trick of arthad been practised, and a film of gauze actually hung over the features. It was not so, however; the hard marble, finely managed, alone causedthe deception. Raffael Monti, of Milan, is the illustrious artist of"the Veiled Vesta. " One of the most interesting machines in the whole exhibition is theenvelope machine of Messrs. De la Rue & Co. , of London. In itsoperations it more resembles the efforts of human intellect than anything I have seen before in machinery. It occupies but a small space, and is worked by a little boy. In a second, and as if by magic, a blankpiece of paper is folded, gummed, and stamped, and, in fact, convertedinto a perfect envelope. As soon as finished, a pair of steel fingerspicks it up, lays it aside, and pushes it out of the way in the mostorderly manner possible. These envelopes, so made, are given to all whochoose to accept them. Opposite to this machine is the stand ofGillott, of steel pen celebrity. Here are pens of all sizes, and ofvarious materials. One monster pen might fit a Brobdignagian fist, forit is two feet long, and has a nib one quarter of an inch broad; andthere are others so small that no one but a Liliputian lady could usethem. Between these extremes are others of various dimensions, arrangedin a very tasteful manner. Something must be got out of this branch ofbusiness, for it is only a month or two since Mr. Gillott purchased anestate for ninety thousand pounds sterling. Here, too, is a novelty--themodel of St. Stephen's Church, Bolton, Lancashire. The model and thechurch itself are both composed of terra cotta. This material was alsoemployed in the construction of the principal fittings, such as thescreen, pews, organ gallery, pulpit, &c. This is a new adaptation ofterra cotta. The spire severely tests its capabilities, as it is of openGothic, or tracery work. A large model of Liverpool is beautifully constructed to scale, and mustbe the result of immense labor. It is twenty-five feet long, andexhibits at a glance a bird's eye view of the town, the docks, the RiverMersey, and the adjacent places. Hundreds of miniature vessels, amongstthem the Great Britain, crowd the docks; fleets of merchantmen are seenon the Mersey, sailing to and from the port; and in the busy streets, so minutely delineated that any particular house may be distinguished, numerous vehicles are seen, and hundreds, too, of pygmy men and womenare observed walking in the public ways. In short; it is Liverpool in aglass case, and no mean exhibition in itself. The Thames Plate Glass Company exhibit the largest plate of glass in theworld; its dimensions are eighteen feet eight inches by ten feet. Thereis not a blemish on its brilliant surface, and it is as "true" aspossible. It is placed in such a position that it reflects the wholelength of the main avenue of the Crystal Palace, and the effect producedis superb. A Catholic bookseller from Belgium makes quite a display ofhis editions of devotional works for every country under heaven; andthere, too, are the effigies of Cardinal Boromeo, Thomas à Becket, andthe late Archbishop of Paris, all arrayed in full pontificals. Theircrosiers are very richly jewelled. If the apostles of Christ couldrevisit the earth, they would never fancy that these were theirsuccessors in the work and patience of the gospel. Few things have impressed me more than the exquisite carvings andelaborate work of the cabinet ware; and I must, Charley, try to describeone piece of furniture which excites universal praise. It is a cabinetmade by John Stevens, of Taunton. It was prepared at great cost, and isthe gem of the carved work in the exhibition. The wood of which it wascomposed was a walnut-tree, which, not long ago, flourished nearTaunton. In order that you may not suppose, I praise every thing toohighly, and without sufficient ground for admiration, I shall give you aparticular description of this incomparable piece of furniture. Itrepresents, in four beautifully carved male figures, executed after thestyle of Gibbons, the periods of Youth, Manhood, Maturity, and Old Age, whilst other four (female) figures, beautifully brought up in goodrelief, are representative of the Passions. Here there was anopportunity for displaying some fine needlework; and Miss Kingsbury, alady of the town, who has received from the hand of royalty a reward forher talents, has turned the opportunity to good account, and producedsome appropriate work, displaying a skill truly astonishing. This is notthe least attractive portion of the cabinet, and, as we shall again, have to advert to it in its order, we leave it for the present. Thecarved figure of the Youth represents him at twenty years of age. Thecountenance is finely wrought, and marks the innocency and candor of theyoung heart; the open brow, the love-lighted eye, all exemplifyingcharacteristics of that period of life, untrammelled with care oranxious thought. In his hair, well brought out from the solid wood, isintertwined the violet, the primrose, and the cow-slip, emblematical ofthe season--being the spring time of life. In the right hand of thefigure is attached a portion of a festoon of carved flowers, whichconnects it with the other four figures. The left hand is extended, pointing to Manhood. This figure denotes the period when forty summershave ripened the man, and brought the noblest work of God to that stageof his more powerful intellect, his keener judgment, stronger frame, andmore lasting energy. These characteristics are most admirably depicted. In his locks are carved the rose, the lily, the pink, and the carnation, the strawberry and the gooseberry--emblematical of the summer time oflife. In the right hand the figure receives the festoon of flowers fromYouth, and in the left it supports the frame of the cabinet. The festoonis carried on to Maturity, which represents the time when sixty yearsbring him to the period of decline. Its right hand assists, with theleft of that of Manhood, in supporting the cabinet. Encircling his broware corn ears and wine cups, together with barley, wheat, grapes, andhops, the whole of which are most elaborately and finely chiselled. Thehand of Maturity points downward to Old Age. The furrowed brow, thesunken cheek, the dim and glassy eye observable in this figure, conveysthe mournful intelligence that the sand of life is fast approaching itslast little grain. The bent form and the thoughtful brow tell thatTime, the consumer of all things, has also ravaged a once erect andpowerful frame. The contemplation of this figure, beautifully executedas it is, intuitively inculcates a serious consideration of the valueand blessings of a temperate; and well-spent life; it induces athoughtful reflection that a life of goodness alone insures an end ofpeace. The holly, the mistletoe, the ivy, the acorn shell, the leaflessbranch, and the fruitless vine encircle the brow-fit emblems of theperiod which marks an exchange of time for eternity. All the figures arerendered complete by a carved lion's foot, at the bottom of each, andabove the feet is a connecting frame, to make that portion of the standperfect. Between the figures of Spring and Summer are carved flowers andfruit in great profusion, emblematical of the seasons, and forming afine piece of work; it represents the all-important fact that timeflies, by an hourglass borne on the wings of a splendidly-carved eagle, and suspending from the bird's beak are the letters, curiously wrought, forming TEMPUS FUGIT. This rests on a globe, representative ofthe earth, which is half sunk in a shell of water, overflowing the wheelof time, and shedding on fruit and flowers its refreshing dew. The spacebetween the figures of Autumn and Winter is filled with carvings of thechrysanthemum, holly, ivy, and autumn fruit, intertwined withconsummate skill and taste. The garland, or festoon, which is carriedthrough, and sustained, as before stated, by each of the four figures, is composed of every flower indigenous to this part of the land, andintroduced emblematically to the time in which they severally bloom. Above the figures, and resting on their heads, is a stand or frame toreceive the top part, containing the drawers, doors, &c. , and isconstructed in a peculiar manner on the bevel, that the eye may easilyrest on some beautiful lines from Thomson's Seasons. Over the head ofYouth, in this frame, is a basket of strawberries, cherries, raspberries, and early fruit, surrounded with leaf work, enclosing apanel of needlework, covered with bent plate glass, and the motto, -- "------ Chief, lovely Spring, In these and thy soft scenes the smiling God is seen. " Then follows the carved figure representing Summer. Over the head of itis a basket, containing currants, strawberries, gooseberries, apples, pears, peaches, and other fruits, enriched with leaf work, the lily andthe rose completing the centre. Between the Summer and Autumn basketsand a panel are the following mottoes, each season having one:-- "Child of the sun! refulgent Summer comes, In pride of youth; While Autumn, nodding o'or the yellow plain, Comes jovial on. " Then follows the Autumn basket, containing grapes, pears, filberts, &c. , surrounded with leaf work. The panel of needlework next appears forWinter, with these lines:-- "See! Winter comes to rule the varied year, Sullen and sad;" and over the head of the Winter figure is placed a basket of walnuts, medlars, &c. Here is the frame of the cabinet, which contains abouteighty drawers in fine walnut wood, enriched with fuschia drops insilver, and coral beads for drop handles; the wood work is relieved withsilvered plate glass; also small doors with plate glass for needlework, in wild flowers. This completes the interior of the frame. The exterior represents three carved doors, in fine relief: over Springand Summer is the convolvulus, entwined round the frame; then followsthe centre door, in fine relief--the grape vine, full of fruit, beingvery prominent. The door over Autumn and Winter is enriched withcarvings of barley and hop vine. Between each of these doors arepilasters, forming four female figures, holding in their hands theemblems of the seasons, and a newly-invented glass dome head, in anelegant form, for the protection of knitted flowers in Berlin wool. Thewood work is tastefully arranged, springing from each group of flowersover the heads of the female figures, with mouldings to receive thebent plate glass, and is enriched with fine carvings of fruit andflowers. At the extreme top of this glass dome stands a beautiful figureof Peace, with extended wings, bending over the globe, holding in onehand the olive branch, and with the other pointing to the Deity. Having thus given a description of the carvings of this splendidcabinet, let me turn your attention to the enrichments in needlework, worked on black velvet, from nature, by Miss Kingsbury. The mottoes inframe for the different seasons are worked in floss silk of variouscolors; the inside doors--five in number--with wild flowers; and infront are rich specimens of raised embroidery, extending to the inside, and protected with plate glass. Miss Kingsbury is a young lady ofTaunton, who has made this kind of work her peculiar forte. Above the doors, also, are knitted flowers in Berlin wools, which fillthe dome head, and are protected with bent plate glass. Almost everyflower, as they bloom, are to be distinguished in these rich bouquets, with which the honeysuckle and passion flower are beautifully entwined. Now, what think you of such a cabinet as this? Well, Charley, there arescores and scores of objects as much deserving a full description asthis. The department of machinery and steam power is entirely beyond myability to speak of in proper terms. I have little mechanical genius, and I never am more out of my element than When surrounded by flywheels, cylinders, and walking beams. If our friend Ike had been here, lie would have been perfectly at home;and his pleasure and profit in this department would have surpassed anyI could experience. I have only glanced at a few of the wonderful thingsin this wonderful place, and yet I have far exceeded the bounds of anordinary letter. Yours affectionately, J. O. C. Letter 17. LONDON. DEAR CHARLEY:-- One evening this week we spent very pleasantly at the Royal PolytechnicInstitution for the advancement of the arts and sciences in connectionwith agriculture and manufactures. There is a large theatre, where allsorts of lectures are delivered, at various hours, upon philosophicaland other subjects. Lecturers occupy the theatre in succession, and takeup about half an hour. These are generally men of respectable abilities. The building is full of curiosities. We saw the model of the human ear, about one hundred and forty times larger than the natural organ. We sawa diving bell in the great hall, which is frequently put into action, and visitors are allowed to descend. That evening several made theexperiment. The interior of the bell is lighted by thick plate glass. Avery large number of models are to be seen, and there is much tointerest the spectator. We heard a fine lecture respecting theexperiment of Foucault, by which the diurnal rotation of the earth issaid to be rendered visible to the eye. Foucault is a young Parisian, who, whilst engaged in some investigations with a pendulum in hismother's cellar, made this discovery, as he claims it to be. We saw theexperiment repeated here on the same scale as it has recently been shownat the Pantheon at Paris. A brass sphere, weighing about five pounds, was suspended from the lofty ceiling by a piece of music wire, and madeto vibrate in one plane over a table graduated into degrees. After a fewvibrations, the direction of the pendulum appeared to be changed, asthough the table had moved round on its owns axis. We passed an hour at the Egyptian Hall to see the opening of theAmerican Panorama of the Overland Route to California. It bids fair tomake a hit in London. Last Sunday, "great exhibition" sermons wereabundant in London. Exeter Hal, the largest place in London, holdingabout five thousand persons, is to be used for three months for theperformance of divine service, to accommodate the strangers who crowdthe city. We all went, Sunday evening, and heard the Rev. Thomas Binney, who has quite a reputation. The hall was as full as it could be, but wedid not think the discourse as good as it might be. It was ratherdeclamatory. You no doubt remember how much our curiosity was excited by hearing thatMr. Wyld was about to place a model of the globe, of giganticdimensions, in the great exhibition. Well, he was unable to obtain thespace required, and so he has erected a spacious building in LeicesterSquare. This building is circular, with projecting entrances at the fourcardinal points of the compass. From the centre rises a graceful dome. Here is placed the model of the earth, fifty-six feet in diameter. Thescale is about ten miles to an inch. The arrangement before used in theconstruction of globes is reversed in this case, and the continents, islands, and seas are seen on the _inner_ surface. This seems liketurning the world, not upside down, but inside out. The mountains andland are elevated to a scale. The spectators travel round the globe onwinding staircases, at the distance of a few feet from the surface. Iwent the other morning to the model, but was far less interested than Iexpected. The rest of the party were not present, and are willing totake my report. I heard that Mr. Wyld has spent twelve thousand poundsupon his undertaking. We selected a fine afternoon to visit the Zoölogical Gardens in theRegent's Park, and, of course, had a treat. I did not think much of thegardens as far as the horticulture was concerned; but the collection ofanimals was far beyond any thing I had before witnessed. There are morethan sixteen hundred specimens. The animals are finely housed, and theirhabits consulted in the arrangements of their homes. We had the pleasureto see the young elephant, only six months old, which had just beenreceived. It was about the size of a donkey. A hippopotamus had recentlybeen added to the collection, and we were sadly vexed not to see it. Itwas shut up at six o'clock, just as we reached its house. George had hisluck, and obtained a glimpse of the retiring quadruped. We have beengreatly amused with the sight of hundreds of boys about town, dressed inblue gowns, or long coats with belts, short knee breeches, yellowstockings, and shoes with tackles, but wear no caps or hats. In allweathers they are bareheaded. I find that they are the boys belonging toChrist's Hospital, a school founded by Edward VI. , in 1553, andgenerally known in London as the Blue Coat School. The scholarsgenerally range from one thousand to twelve hundred. The education, issaid to be of the best character, and many of the boys belong tofamilies of high respectability, and it is quite a matter of desire toobtain scholarship here. They look very funny in their old-fashionedrig. Each boy wears bands like a clergyman. The school is in NewgateStreet, and is a fine modern edifice in the Tudor style. The front isflanked by towers, and has eight noble windows, which are separated bybuttresses. Over one of the galleries of the hall is a fine picture, byHolbein, of Edward VI. Granting the charter to the Hospital, as it wasthen called. Some of the best scholars of England were educated here;and we remembered particularly Coleridge and our special favorite, Charles Lamb. To-morrow we are to have a treat of the highest kind. We are to spendthe day at Windsor. I feel pretty well acquainted with its history andassociations, but I shall spend the evening with George in brushing upmy information. There is nothing more unpleasant than to find yourselfin the presence of things and places of which you painfully feel anentire ignorance. If ever we meet again, how much we shall have to chatover on our favorite topics! Yours always, JAMES. Letter 18. LONDON. DEAR CHARLEY:-- It was a fine, clear morning when we started for Windsor by railroad, adistance of twenty-one miles. The country is fine; but our thoughts wereon the castle. At Slough we took an omnibus, and rode into the town. Itis a pretty, quiet place, of about ten thousand inhabitants. There aresome six or seven streets, and they present but few attractions. Thecastle is every thing. You know this has been the favorite residence ofmost of the English monarchs, and the scene of many a tournament in thedays of chivalry. The castle was the work of William the Conqueror. Johnlived at Windsor while Magna Charta was extorted from him by his baronsat Runnymede. Henry III. Did a great deal to the castle, but Edward III. Invested it with its great glory. This was his native place. Thearchitect he employed was the famous William of Wykeham, Bishop ofWinchester, a man of great genius. He built the noble round tower. Thiswas in 1315. Wykeham built him a palace worthy of the hero and his nobleson, the Black Prince. Edward IV. Built St. George's Chapel, and HenryVII. And Henry VIII. Both made important additions to the fortress. Young Edward VI. Resided here, and did not like its retirement andgloom. Elizabeth made the terrace and other improvements. When CharlesII. Was restored, he brought a foreign taste to the improvement of thecastle, and a great deal of elegancy was attempted, but which poorlyharmonized with the Gothic, baronial style of Wykeham's works. George IV. Was a man of exquisite taste, and he employed Sir JeffryWyatville to carry out the plans of Edward III. And his architect. Thiswas in 1824, and his immense labors have been successful. Theseimprovements cost two million pounds sterling. I ought to say thatWindsor Castle was the favorite home of George III. , who died here. Thispalace stands on a lofty chalk hill, and commands the valley of theThames. Around it is the finest, terrace in the world, the descent fromwhich is faced with a rampart of freestone extending about seventeenhundred feet. The whole building occupies about twelve acres. I shall not describe all the towers, for there are some dozen orfifteen. The round tower of Edward III. Is the chief one. Here herevived the round table of King Arthur, and established the Order of theGarter. From the battlements of this strong fortress you gaze upon noless than twelve counties. Prince Albert is constable of this tower. This was the old prison, or donjon of the castle. Here James I. OfScotland was a prisoner, and here he wrote his sweet verses andcelebrated Nature's beauties and the praises of his lady-love, JaneBeaufort. Here, too, Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, long suffered, andsung the sweetest lays. We had a ticket to see the state apartments. Suffice it to say that we went through the Queen's Audience Chamber, theVandyke Room, the Queen's State Drawing Boom or Zuccharelle Room, theState Ante-Room, the Grand Staircase and Vestibule, the WaterlooChamber, the Grand Ball Room, St. George's Hall, the Guard Chamber, theQueen's Presence Chamber. All these are very, very beautiful. I wasdelighted with the Vandyke Room. Here are twenty-two undoubtedproductions of this greatest of portrait painters. Charles I. AndHenrietta were favorite subjects with the artist. Here are several ofthem and their children, and they are to be found elsewhere. Theequestrian portrait of Charles I. Is a truly grand picture. You know thebeautiful old copy, of a cabinet size, which we have in the study athome: it will please me more than ever, since I know how faithful it is. That queen of Charles's who made him so much trouble with her Popery andtemper was a wonderfully beautiful woman. I should not soon be wearylooking at her portrait. She was daughter of Henry IV. Of France. Herfortune was hard, to lose a father by an assassin, and a husband by theexecutioner. The Gobelin tapestry, illustrating the life of Esther, inthe Audience Room, is very rich. In the State Ante-Room are the mostwonderful carvings of fowl, fish, fruit, and flowers, by GrinlingGibbons. They are thought to be unsurpassed in this department of art. On the Great Staircase is a noble colossal marble statue, of thatexcellent sovereign, but bad man, George IV. It is by Chantrey. TheWaterloo Chamber is adorned with thirty-eight portraits of men connectedwith Waterloo, and twenty-nine of them are by Sir Thomas Lawrence. St. George's Hall is two hundred feet long, thirty-four wide, thirty-twohigh, and contains some fine portraits of sovereigns by Vandyke, Lely, Kneller, Gainsborough, and Lawrence. On twenty-four shields are the armsof each sovereign of the Order of the Garter, from Edward III. ToWilliam IV. The Guard Chamber is a noble room, eighty feet in length. Immediately on entering, we were struck with the colossal bust of Nelsonby Chantrey, A piece of the mast of the Victory, shot through by acannon ball, forms its fitting pedestal. Here, too, we saw the busts ofthe great Duke of Marlborough by Rysbach, and the Duke of Wellington byChantrey, and their two banners, by the annual presentation of which tothe reigning sovereign, on the anniversaries of Blenheim and Waterloo, they hold the estates of Blenheim and Strathfieldsaye. There are figuresin armor representing the Duke of Brunswick, 1530; Lord Howard, 1588;Earl of Essex, 1596; Charles I. , when Prince of Wales, 1620; and PrinceRupert, 1635. These suits of armor are the genuine ones which were wornby these characters in their lifetime. One thing greatly delightedme--it was the gorgeous shield, executed by Benvenuto Cellini, andpresented by Francis I. To Henry VIII. At the Field of the Cloth ofGold. The workmanship is entirely beyond anything I had imaginedpossible for delicacy of finish. I hardly wonder that kings used toquarrel for the residence of this artist. I know, Charley, you are impatient to hear about St. George's Chapel, ofwhich you have so often expressed your admiration, when we have lookedat the beautiful engravings of its interior, at home. It is very fine, and should be seen to be comprehended. It is of what is called theperpendicular Gothic style. The interior is divided by a screen andorgan gallery, into the body of the church, and the choir. These haveside aisles, and in these are five separate little chapels. Two of thesemake up the place of transepts, and the other three, and the chapterhouse, form abutments at each angle of the chapel. Now, I think, youcan't fail to get an idea of the building. The choir is filled with the stalls and banners of the knights of thegarter. Each knight has his banner, helmet, crest, and sword. The great pointed window was _designed_ by our countryman, BenjaminWest. The altar-piece was painted by West. Here is the tomb of EdwardIV. , 1483. He lies under a slab of black marble. In 1789, some workmendiscovered his lead coffin, and it was opened, and the skeleton was ingood preservation, and measured seven feet in length. Horace Walpoleobtained a lock of his hair at this time. Here are the graves of HenryVI. , and of Henry VIII. And his queen, Jane Seymour. Also of Charles I. Lord Byron says of Henry VIII. 's tomb, "Famed for contemptuous breach of sacred ties, By headless Charles, see heartless Henry lies" On the 1st of April, 1813, the coffin of Charles I. Was found in HenryVIII. 's tomb; and I think you will be pleased with an account of what, transpired. I shall, therefore, copy a paper which is authentic: "On completing the mausoleum which his present majesty has built in theTomb House, as it is called, it was necessary to form a passage to itfrom under the choir of St George's Chapel. In constructing thispassage, an aperture was made accidentally, in one of the walls of thevault of King Henry VIII. , through which the workmen were enabled tosee, not only the two coffins which were supposed to contain the bodiesof King Henry VIII. And Queen Jane Seymour, but a third also, coveredwith a black velvet pall, which, from Mr. Herbert's narrative, mightfairly be presumed to hold the remains of King Charles I. "On representing the circumstance to the Prince Regent, his RoyalHighness perceived at once that a doubtful point in history might becleared up by opening this vault; and, accordingly, his Royal Highnessordered an examination to be made on the first convenient opportunity. This was done on the 1st of April last, 1813, --the day after the funeralof the Duchess of Brunswick, --in the presence of his Royal Highnesshimself; who guarantied, thereby, the most respectful care and attentionto the remains of the dead during the inquiry. His Royal Highness wasaccompanied by his Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland, Count Munster, the Dean of Windsor, Benjamin Charles Stevenson, Esq. , and Sir HenryHalford. "The vault is covered by an arch half a breadth in thickness; is sevenfeet two inches in width, nine feet six inches in length, and four feetten inches in height, and _is situated in the centre of the choir, opposite the eleventh knight's stall, on the sovereign's side_. "On removing the pall, a plain leaden coffin, with no appearance ofever having been enclosed in wood, and bearing an inscription, 'KingCharles, 1648, ' in large, legible characters, on a scroll of leadencircling it, immediately presented itself to the view. A squareopening was then made in the upper part of the lid, of such dimensionsas to admit a clear insight into its contents. These were an internalwooden coffin, very much decayed, and the body carefully wrapped up incerecloth, into the folds of which a quantity of unctuous or greasymatter, mixed with resin, as it seemed, had been melted, so as toexclude, as effectually as possible, the external air. The coffin wascompletely full, and, from-the tenacity of the cerecloth, greatdifficulty was experienced in detaching it successfully from the partswhich it developed. Wherever the unctuous matter had insinuated itself, the separation of the cerecloth was easy; and when it came off, acorrect impression of the features to which it had been applied wasobserved in the unctuous substance. At length the whole face wasdisengaged from its covering. The complexion of the skin of it was darkand discolored. The forehead and temples had lost little or nothing oftheir muscular substance. The cartilage of the nose was gone, but theleft eye, in the first moment of exposure, was open and full, though itvanished almost immediately; and the pointed beard, so characteristic ofthe reign of King Charles, was perfect The shape of the face was a longoval. Many of the teeth remained, and the left ear, in consequence ofthe interposition of some unctuous matter between it and the cerecloth, was found entire. It was difficult at this moment to withhold adeclaration, that, notwithstanding its disfigurement, the countenancedid bear a strong resemblance to the coins, the busts, and especially tothe picture of King Charles I. By Vandyke, by which it had been madefamiliar to us. It is true that the minds of the spectators of thisinteresting sight were well prepared to receive this impression; but itis also certain that such a facility of belief had been occasioned bythe simplicity and truth of Mr. Herbert's narrative, every part of whichhad been confirmed by the investigation, so far as it had advanced; andit will not be denied that the shape of the face, the forehead, an eye, and the beard, are the most important features by which resemblance isdetermined. When the head had been entirely disengaged from theattachments which confined it; it was found to be loose, and without anydifficulty was taken up and held to view. It was quite _wet_, and gave agreenish-red tinge to paper and linen which touched it. The back part ofthe scalp was entirely perfect, and had a remarkably freshappearance--the pores of the skin being more distinct, as they usuallyare when soaked in moisture, and the tendons and ligaments of the neckwere of considerable substance and firmness. The hair was thick at theback part of the head, and, in appearance, nearly black. A portion ofit, which has since been cleaned and dried, is of a beautiful dark-browncolor. That of the beard was of a redder brown. On the back part of thehead it was about an inch in length, and had probably been cut so shortfor the convenience of the executioner, or, perhaps, in order to furnishmemorials of the unhappy king. On holding up the head to examine theplace of separation from the body, the muscles of the neck had evidentlyretracted themselves considerably, and the fourth cervical vertebra wasfound to be cut through its substance transversely, leaving the surfacesof the divided portions perfectly smooth and even; an appearance whichcould only have been produced by a heavy blow, inflicted with a verysharp instrument, and which furnished the last proof wanting to identifyCharles I. After this examination, which served every purpose in view, and without examining the body below the neck; it was immediatelyrestored to its situation, the coffin was soldered up again, and thevault closed. " This state of things precisely tallied with the account which Herbert, the faithful servant of Charles, had given as to the place of hissepulture. In this chapel, too, is the cenotaph of the late Princess Charlotte, who was wife to Leopold, now King of Belgium. I do not much admire it. The exquisite beauty of the windows, and the gorgeous splendor of theroof, will always make this place live in my memory. The terraces arevery beautiful walks; and from Queen Elizabeth's terrace you have anoble view of Eton College. Of course, we were pleased to see "thedistant spires and antique towers" which are so celebrated in the linesof Gray. The college looms up finely, and greatly adds to the prospect. Eton was founded in 1440, by Henry VI. The number of scholars is abouteight hundred and fifty. This college has produced some of the greatestmen in England, and the young nobility are generally educated here. Thecollege has two quadrangles, and the chapel is a fine Gothic building. All this region is beautified by the Thames winding through the valley. Here is the gem of villages, Datchett, where Sir Henry Wotton and IzaakWalton used to enjoy the rod and line. No one who has any taste can cometo Windsor and not think of the immortal bard who has made so muchcapital out of this place. At all events, we wanted to see Herne's Oak. We took a carriage and passed the day in riding through the great park, and took our way through the well-known avenue, called the Long Walk. This is three miles in length, and has a double row of magnificentelms. It is directly in front of the south side of the castle, andterminates in a colossal equestrian statue of George III. , standing onan immense pedestal of blocks of granite. Nothing can exceed in beautythe beeches of this park, which contains three thousand acres. Immenseherds of deer are seen under the trees. Nowhere have I seen such fineold trees. Here is a beech-tree thirty-six feet round, seven feet fromthe ground! One oak of similar size is called William the Conqueror'sOak. We went to Virginia Water, the largest sheet of water--that is, artificial--in Great Britain. We saw the little cottage where George IV. Passed so much of his time. It is a pretty place, but it only shows thatthe mind is more likely to be pleased with the simple than the grand. The gardener at the cottage--which I think is called CumberlandLodge--showed us through the conservatory. We did not much admire theFishing Temple, or the floating miniature navy. The scenery is charming, and worthy of Poussin. The walk by the water, to the tavern, cannot besurpassed. On our return we passed Frogmore, the residence of theDuchess of Kent; it seems a pretty, unpretending place. Nothing would repay the tourist better than to pass three or four days, in this vicinity. Village after village, and villa after villa, claimsthe admiration of the traveller; and perhaps England has no morebeautiful rural scenery than may here be found. We had seven or eighthours of perfect delight upon our ride; and when we reached the WhiteHart, at Windsor, we were well prepared for doing justice to anexcellent dinner. Our pleasure at Windsor was much increased by thecompany of a gentleman of high literary reputation, and who isdistinguished as the author of several successful works. Affectionately yours, WELD Letter 19. LONDON DEAR CHARLEY:-- We are just returned from a most pleasant visit to Sir John Soane'sMuseum. This gentleman was an architect, and a most determinedantiquary; and when he died he left his wonderful collection to thenation, having obtained an act of Parliament for preserving it andendowing its maintenance. We obtained a government order, and went tothe house which was Sir John's private residence, in Lincoln's InnFields. Never did I behold such a sight. The house is spacious, butevery nook and corner--and it is full of unimaginable ones--is filled upwith precious matters. Here are Roman and Grecian relics; fragments ofvases from Herculaneum; and the far-famed Egyptian sarcophagus broughtover by Belzoni. The latter is made of one piece of alabaster, nearlyten feet long. It is inscribed all over with hieroglyphics, and cost SirJohn a large sum. I shall see nothing in all Europe that will take myfancy as much as this museum, I am sure. There are twenty-five distinctapartments; and if you can find a square foot in the house not occupied, you would do more than I was able to. The catalogue of this museum Ishall value highly, and that will give you a better idea than I can ofits contents. I had no common pleasure in finding here the originalpaintings of the Rake's Progress, by Hogarth, the engravings of which wehave so admired. These pictures were painted in 1734, and were bought bySir J. Soane, in 1802, for five hundred and seventy guineas. And here, too, are Hogarth's great paintings of the Election--a series of fourpictures. These unrivalled works of comic art were bought of Garrick'swidow by Soane, in 1823, for sixteen hundred and fifty guineas! Thecollection of paintings is by no means despicable, and we saw a fewpictures not soon to be forgotten. The Views of Venice, by Canaletti, are very fine; and there are some gems by Reynolds, Danby, Turner, Hamilton, Lawrence, and Bird. I must tell you how they have economizedroom in the apartment devoted to pictures. The ceiling is very richlyadorned with ornaments, forming arched canopies. On the north and westsides of this room are cabinets, and on the south are _movable planes_, with space between for pictures. So, in a room of thirteen feet eightinches by twelve feet four inches, there are as many pictures as couldbe placed on the walls of a gallery of the same height, forty-five feetlong and twenty broad. In the crypt is an ancient tomb, and models, incork, of tombs, at Capua. There are some precious _souvenirs_ of Napoleon to be seen, --asportraits, miniatures, pistols, &c. , --a fine collection of paintedglass, and a countless lot of antiques, intaglios, autographs, andwatches. If ever you find yourself in London, I charge you, get to thissame place for a long morning. In the afternoon we took steamer and Wentto Greenwich, five miles from town, to see the Hospital for Seamen. Charles II. Built this place for a royal palace, --and a noble one itis, --but William and Mary gave it up to the use of old and worn-outseamen; and as England owes every thing to Jack Tar, it seems fit that, when old and crazy, his last days should be made comfortable. A verylarge income arises from the exhibition of the fine picture gallery hereto be seen. Here is quite enough to please any one who is curious, andto gratify boys amazingly; and this you will credit when I tell you somethings that we saw. The coat and waistcoat worn by Nelson when he waskilled, on the Victory, at Trafalgar; models of celebrated ships;original painting of Sir Walter Raleigh; Sir Cloudesley Shovel, who waslost, with all his crew, on the Scilly Islands, in Queen Anne's reign;Admiral Kempenfeldt, lost in the Royal George, 1782; Lord Nelson; LordCollingwood; and almost all the great naval commanders of Great Britain. Then, too, there are large paintings of the great sea fights. One ofTrafalgar, by Turner, is very fine, and so is a large one of Nelson'sdeath. There is a room besides all I have alluded to, called the Nelson Room, and which illustrates all his history; and there are, all about therooms, some exquisitely fine colossal busts, executed by Flaxman, Bailey, and Westmacott. The chapel is thought to be one of the mostbeautiful in England. The entire of this great national glory is kept inthe cleanest manner; and the only thing to complain of is a want ofpoliteness in the guides. This is in contrast to other places; for wehave found the guides very kind and civil at all other places. We haverecently visited the Queen's stables, by order from Mr. Lawrence. Everything was very clean and spacious. Some of the horses were exceedinglybeautiful. The harness-room made a display. The cream-colored horsesbelonging to the state carriage are noble animals. I believe they arebrought from Hanover, or came originally thence. The state carriage isan immense lumbering affair, made of carvings and gold. It must be ofgreat weight. The sides are richly painted. It is never used but at theopening of Parliament and similar occasions. The queen's carriages whichare ordinarily used are numerous and very elegant, but in good taste. One of our number--you may guess who it was--sadly wanted a hair fromthe tail of the queen's favorite riding horse. The riding school isspacious, but not much better than a private one that we know in NewYork. We took dinner one day at Soyer's Symposium, at Gore House. Soyer is thegreat master of ceremonies in London for all matters of the _cuisine. _Gore House was once the home of Wilberforce and Lord Rodney, but isbetter known as the residence of the late Countess of Blessington. It isnow a hotel. The grounds are extensive, and the trees are some of thefinest around London, and I have never seen a lovelier spot of the samesize. It is alive with blackbirds, thrushes, linnets, and goldfinches. As you enter, you find a vestibule, which is called the cupola ofJupiter Tonans. Through this you pass to "the hall of architecturalwonders, " then to "the Blessington Temple of the Muses. " This apartmentleads to "the Transatlantic Ante-Chamber, " which is adorned with allsorts of American emblems. Then there are, in succession, "the Alcove ofWhite Roses, " "the Birth of Gems, " and other rooms of greatgorgeousness. One room is the "Palace of the North, " which is apparentlymade entirely of ice, and out of the wall of which is issuing a polarbear. In the pleasure grounds is a "baronial hall, " one hundred feetlong, fifty broad, and thirty high; and besides this an enormous tent, called "the Encampment for all Nations. " Here, at a table four hundredfeet long, fifteen hundred persons can be dined at a cheap rate. Atable-cloth for this affair cost Soyer two hundred pounds sterling. Wehad a very pleasant dinner with the Rev. Dr. Harris, President of NewCollege, whose works are so well known in America. The room we occupiedwas "the Alcove of White Roses. " The Symposium stands near to theCrystal Palace, and accommodates the strangers admirably. That dinnerwas two days ago, however; and I am reminded that another is necessarytoday, and must leave off to prepare for it. I am yours truly, JAMES. Letter 20. LONDON. DEAR CHARLEY:-- Yesterday we visited the two great ecclesiastical edifices of themetropolis, --St. Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey, --and I willendeavor to convey to your mind some idea of the impression which theyleft upon my own. These structures are by name familiar to you, and youhave seen engravings of the mighty dome of St. Paul's and the doubletowers of the Abbey. I had often gazed on these picturedrepresentations, but I find that they did not convey to my mind anyadequate notions of the originals. Like the Pyramids, or our ownNiagara, they must be seen to be understood. In so vast a place asLondon, it is absolutely necessary for sight-seers to adopt somethinglike system in their arrangements; so we agreed to devote one day to theexamination of the metropolitan Cathedral Church, and of the ancientedifice in which the monarchs of England are crowned. We quitted ourhotel at nine o'clock, and, pushing our way through the hurrying crowdsof the Strand, speedily arrived at Temple Bar. We then turned down adingy, narrow passage, on our right hand; this led us to the Temple, which is like a little town of itself, and is almost exclusivelyinhabited by lawyers. It was amusing enough to notice the gentlemen inpowdered horse-hair wigs and flowing black robes, like a clergyman's, who every now and then emerged from some open door, and flitted acrossthe courts, each having a bundle of papers tied with red tape, or a bookunder his arm. Whilst occupied in observing these Templars of moderntimes, the tones of an organ fell on my ear, for we were close to theTemple Church, one of the most beautiful sanctuaries in the world. Theearly morning service was not concluded so we entered without ceremony. Externally, the building has little in the way of architecturaldecorations to recommend it. It is low, destitute of tower or steeple, and surrounded by gloomy-looking lawyers' offices. But no sooner had wecrossed the threshold than a scene of surpassing beauty burst upon us. Ishould here tell you that this edifice, which is intended for theexclusive use of members of the Temple, is very ancient. The churchformerly belonged to the Knights Templars. It was built in 1185, and thechoir was added in 1240. For years and years the building was neglectedby the legal gentlemen; but in 1839 it was proposed to restore theformer glories of the place, and the outlay of seventy thousand poundshas caused it to stand out in all its pristine beauty. The form of thechurch is octagonal. The ceiling, sides, and altar are all decorated inthe mediæval style. The pipes of the organ dazzle you with their purpleand golden splendors. The floor is of encaustic tiles. On the walls aredisplayed the names and coats of arms of those members of the Temple whohave been raised to the dignity of judges. On all these objects thesunshine, streaming through superbly-painted windows, produced quite akaleidoscope effect. The _coup d'œil_ was almost too dazzling, andstrikingly contrasted in my mind with the primitive simplicity of ourNew England churches. In this church I found that some great men hadbeen buried. The learned Sir John, Selden, the author of "Table Talk;"Howell, whose old letters we have so much enjoyed together; Gibbon thehistorian, and Oliver Goldsmith, lie just outside the church. Thepreacher of this church is called the master of the Temple, and thegreat Hooker once held this post. Having gratified our curiosity by aninspection of this gem of church architecture, we quitted the building, and, after a pleasant stroll through the Temple Gardens, --a sweet spot, and spoken of by Shakspeare as the place where the distinction of theRed and White Roses was first seen, --embarked on one of the riversteamboats, which rapidly conveyed us to Blackfriars Bridge. The finest view of St. Paul's Cathedral is, unquestionably, from theThames. When seen from the streets, only portions of its colossalmagnitude can be observed. On all sides it is hemmed in by houses, which, pygmies though they be, prevent an uninterrupted view of thearchitectural giant. But from the middle of the Thames, the cathedral isseen in all its glory; towering above the surrounding marts of trade, itstands out the grand point of attraction. [Illustration: St. Paul's Cathedral. ] Here may be observed, to advantage, the surpassing beauty of the greatdome, which dwarfs the towers and steeples of the surrounding churchesalmost into nothingness. The general aspect of the cathedral is said toresemble St. Peter's, at Rome, but the symmetry of the dome of thelatter is acknowledged to be less beautiful than that of its Londonrival. We landed at Blackfriars Bridge Stairs; and, after ascending LudgateHill, arrived at the great northern door of the cathedral. In reply tothe rap of our knuckles at the huge portals, it slowly swung back on itshinges, and a grim, surly-looking face appeared. The figure whichbelonged to the face was clad in a rusty and seedy black robe, frombeneath which a hand was thrust forth, and the words, "two-pence each, "sounded harshly on our ears. Two-pence each was accordingly paid, andthen the surly janitor, or verger, as he is called, admitted us withinthe building. In a moment afterwards, we were beneath the dome of St. Paul's. If this part of the edifice has appeared imposing when viewedfrom without, how much grander did it seem now that we stood on themarble pavement below, and gazed upward into the vast concave which thegenius of Sir Christopher Wren had designed. The scene to my mind wasmost impressive, and the impressiveness was heightened by a continuousdull roar, which never ceased for a moment. This ceaseless noise wasproduced by the numerous carriages passing and repassing without. Theconcavity of the dome, I suppose, condensed the sound into a subduedthunder, like that which one hears at a short distance from the Fallsof Niagara. Against the huge pillars, and in various niches, were thestatues of eminent men; some of them erected by the nation, as acommemoration of naval or military services, and others as tributes togreat personal worth, or to public benefactors. Among the statues of themen of peace, that of Dr. Samuel Johnson, the great lexicographer, particularly interested me. The celebrated moralist is representedseated. One hand holds a scroll, the other rests upon a pedestal. Thelikeness is said to be well preserved. The sculptor was Bacon. There wasthe capacious forehead, the thick bushy eyebrows, the large mouth, thedouble chin, the clumsy person, and the thick, ungainly legs, which hadbeen rendered familiar to me through the portraits which I had seen inthe Johnsonia. As I gazed on that marble tribute to genius and worth, Icould not but remember, Charley, how Johnson had frequently walked thestreets of London all night, because he had not the wherewithal to payfor a lodging. Near to Johnson's monument was that of Howard thephilanthropist. We noticed a very fine one to Sir Joshua Reynolds; alsostatues to Bishop Heber, Abercrombie, Cornwallis, Sir John Moore, SirAstley Cooper, Sir Thomas Lawrence, and Benjamin West. [Illustration: Dr. Samuel Johnson. ] But the greatest attraction of St. Paul's is the sarcophagus, in whichrepose the remains of England's greatest naval hero, Lord Nelson. Situated immediately beneath the centre of the great dome is adiamond-shaped tablet, which marks the spot beneath which rests, afterhis career of glory, the hero of the Nile and Trafalgar. His body restsin a sarcophagus in the vaults below. Exactly beneath the tablet liesthe huge coffin, with the name "NELSON" engraven on its side. No epitaph, no labored panegyric, no fulsome praise; and Englishmen, Ithink, were right in supposing that the simple name of their hero wasenough for fame. This sarcophagus was made by Cardinal Wolsey; and hereNelson was placed, in a coffin made out of the mainmast of the Frenchship, L'Orient. The grim verger recommended us to ascend to the dome, and, after payingfresh fees, we mounted an enormously long and steep-winding staircase, which led us to the base of the dome. Here was a circular gallery, surrounded with a railing. Scarcely had we entered this gallery, whenthe attendant purposely slammed the entrance door, and immediately aloud peal, as of thunder, reverberated through the vast building; thenhe requested us to listen whilst he whispered against the smooth walldirectly opposite to us. The effect was startling; every word was asdistinct as though the speaker's lips had been close to my ear. This isknown as the Whispering Gallery, and is one of the great lions of theplace. We now prepared to ascend still higher, and, after a tedious journey, arrived at the gilded gallery, which surmounts the dome. From hence weenjoyed a magnificent view of London, for, fortunately, the atmospherewas comparatively clear, and the everlasting canopy of smoke whichoverhangs London was not so dense as usual. Spread out before us lay thegreat wilderness of brick and mortar, through which the shining Thames, like a huge snake, pursued its sinuous course, spanned at intervals bybridges, and bearing, on its broad bosom the gathered treasures of manya far-distant nation. The streets, diminished to mere lanes, lookedalive with Lilliputians; miniature horses and carriages appeared like somany German automaton toys which had been wound up and set a-going. Faraway to the westward patches of green, studded with trees, denoted theparks, in one of which glittered the glass roof and sides of the CrystalPalace; and still more remote were glimpses of the free, fresh, opencountry, along which, at intervals, would rush railway trains, bearinghundreds of passengers to various parts of England. Above my headglittered, in the brilliant sunshine, the ball and cross which, at aheight of four hundred and four feet, stands proudly over London, andmay be seen from various parts of the metropolis. Another fee securedour passage to the interior of this globe of gilded copper, and which isabout six feet in diameter, and will hold several persons. To reach it, I had to ascend a ladder and creep through an aperture at the bottom ofthe sphere. This was not worth the labor, but then we could say we hadattained the highest point of the cathedral. I hear that ladiessometimes venture into the ball; if so, their timidity is insufficientto baffle their curiosity. This accomplished, we retraced our steps, andvisited the portion of St. Paul's in which divine service is performed. About a dozen boys, dressed in white surplices, were chanting sweetly; adull-looking clergyman read the service indifferently; and a score ofpoor people, with one or two well-dressed persons, formed thecongregation. We then departed for Westminster Abbey, which must formthe subject of another letter. Yours affectionately, WELD. Letter 21. LONDON. DEAR CHARLEY:-- What shall I tell you about Westminster Abbey? I hope I may be able tosay enough to make you long to see it, and determine you to read all youcan about it. By the way, I have satisfied myself that I can learn thebest things about such places by carefully reading good histories andexamining the best engravings. This abbey claims to have been built, in616, by a Saxon king. It was enlarged by Edgar and Edward the Confessor, and was rebuilt as it now appears by Henry III. And Edward I. In thischurch all the sovereigns of England have been crowned, from Edward theConfessor down to Victoria; and not a few of them have been buried here. The architecture, excepting Henry VII. 's Chapel; is of the earlyEnglish school. Henry's chapel is of the perpendicular Gothic. Thewestern towers were built by Sir Christopher Wren. We entered at the door leading to the Poet's Corner. We gazed withinterest on the monuments of Chatham, Pitt, Fox, and Canning, PrinceRupert, Monk, Chaucer, Spenser, Beaumont, Fletcher, Ben Jonson, Cowley, Dryden, Dr. Watts, Addison, Gay, Sheridan, and Campbell. Here, too, aretablets to Barrow, South, Garrick, Handel, Clarendon, Bishop Atterbury, Sir Isaac Newton, and old Parr, who died at the age of one hundred andfifty-two. [Illustration: Poets' Corner, Westminster Abbey. ] The associations of this building are every thing to the stranger. Iwill just give you a list of names of the kings and queens buriedhere--Sebert, Edward the Confessor, Henry III. , Edward I. , QueenEleanor, Edward III. And his queen, Philippa, Richard II. And his queen, Henry V. , Henry VII. And his queen, Ann of Cleves, queen of Henry VIII. , Edward VI. , Bloody Mary, Mary, Queen of Scots, Queen Elizabeth, James I. And his queen, Queen of Bohemia, Charles II. , William III. And Mary, Queen Anne, George II. And Queen Caroline. We took the circuit of the chapels, beginning with St. Benedict. Heremany eminent churchmen have been interred. The next is St. Edmond's, which contains twenty monuments; the monument of the Earl of Pembroke, brother of Henry III. ; he died 1298. Here, too, are tombs of children ofEdward II. And Edward III. I noticed a very fine brass monument, whichrepresents a Duchess of Gloucester in her dress as a nun, dated 1399. There is, too, the effigy of the Duchess of Suffolk, mother of poor LadyJane Grey. The third is St. Nicholas's Chapel, where is seen LordBurleigh's monument. The fourth is the Virgin Mary's Chapel, calledHenry VII. 's Chapel, and the ascent to which is by twelve or fourteensteps. This glorious room consists of a central aisle, with five smallchapels and two side aisles. Here you see the stalls and banners of theKnights of the Bath, who were formerly installed in this chapel. Thealtar tomb of Henry VII. Is truly beautiful; Lord Bacon said, "It is oneof the costliest and daintiest tombs in Europe. " Here are tombs of hismother, and the mother of Lord George Darnley, and Mary, Queen of Scots, and the Duke of Buckingham, Queen Elizabeth, and Queen Mary. Here, too, is a sarcophagus, which is supposed to contain the remains of Edward V. And the Duke of York, discovered in the Tower in the seventeenthcentury, in a box. Charles II. , William and Mary, and Queen Anne are ina vault on the south aisle. George II. And his queen, Caroline, lietogether, a side being taken out of each coffin. The fifth chapel is St. Paul's. The most striking object here is a colossal portrait statue ofJames Watt, the great steam-engine perfecter, if not inventor. This isby Chantrey, and cost six thousand pounds, and seems quite out of place. Archbishop Usher lies in this chapel. The sixth chapel, called Edwardthe Confessor's, pleased me greatly. In the centre is the shrine of themonarch saint; it is rich in mosaic adornments. The altar tomb of HenryIII. Is very grand, and there is a noble bronze statue of the king. Edward I. Is here, and in 1774 his body was found almost entire. EdwardIII. And Philippa, his queen, have tombs. Here, too, was Henry V. , thehero of Agincourt, Richard II. And queen. We were delighted with the twocoronation chairs; in one is the old stone of Scone, on which the earlyScotch kings used to be crowned. Edward I. Carried it off, and it hasever since figured in English coronations. It is a large piece of redand gray sandstone, and claims to have been the veritable pillow onwhich Jacob slept. The seventh chapel is that of St. Erasmus, and leadsto the eighth, which is John the Baptist's. Here rest the early abbotsof the church. It contains a very fine monument to Lord Hunsdon, chamberlain to Queen Bess. Just outside, in the aisle, we found thenoble monument to General Wolfe, and the celebrated work of Roubilliacin memory of Mrs. Nightingale, where death is seen throwing his dart atthe wife, who falls into her husband's arms. All over this noble abbey did we wander again and again in repeatedvisits, and admire the finest statuary we have ever seen. Roubilliac wasa wonderful genius, and his monument to Sir Peter Warren is exquisite. The works of Bacon, Flaxman, Nollekins, Chantrey, and Westmacott havemade me in love with statuary; and I long to see the great works whichare to be seen on the continent. Many of the tablets and statues are only honorary, as the personscommemorated were not buried here; as Shakspeare, Southey, Thomson, Goldsmith, Dr. Watts, &c. I could spend hours looking at Roubilliac'smonument for the Duke of Argyle and his statue for Handel. We attended divine service one Sunday afternoon, and heard a very finesermon from Lord John Thynne. The abbey was crowded; the music the bestI ever heard in a church; the preacher was quite eloquent; and Dr. C. Observed that it was the most evangelical sermon he had heard inEngland. The subject was on justification by faith: I may forget many things that I shall see on our travels, but I thinkthat this abbey will never vanish from my recollection. I shall alwaysremember the very position of these great works of art and genius; and Iam more than repaid for all the labor of a voyage. Yours affectionately, WELD. Letter 22. LONDON. DEAR CHARLEY:-- No one comes to London without being told by every one to go and see theparks; so we have been to see these fine breathing places. Hyde Park isabout four hundred acres, and has as many as half a dozen greatentrances. Its position is high, and it is the great drive of the peopleof fashion. If you want to see London, you must come here on a finesummer day in June, at about four o'clock, and you will gaze on thefinest and gayest equipages of England. A very pretty piece of water isin this park, which is called "the Serpentine River. " The best skatingof London is to be seen here, we are told, in hard winters. The entrancefrom Piccadilly is by a fine threefold arch. Here is the great Achillesof bronze, in honor of Wellington, made out of the cannon which the dukecaptured in Spain. St. James's and the Green Park: this is the oldest inLondon, and was made by Henry VIII. A fine arch affords entrance fromPiccadilly, having a bronze colossal equestrian statue of the Duke ofWellington. You get grand views of the Abbey towers, Buckingham Palace, the York Column, and other objects of interest. The two parks are aboutone hundred and fifty acres. Regent's Park is one of the mostattractive spots in this great city. Here are villas of the finest kind. Some of the prettiest terraces and rows of houses about London are hereto be seen. This park contains nearly five hundred acres, and, amongother attractions, the Botanical and Zoölogical Gardens, and theColiseum. Victoria Park, near Bethnal Green, is a new one, of aboutthree hundred acres; but we did not visit it. Besides these, there are more than thirty squares, some of which arevery beautiful, and are finely planted and adorned. Belgrave Square isexceedingly rich in its appearance; the houses are built in theCorinthian order. Northumberland House, at Charing Cross, is the city residence of theDuke of Northumberland. This, externally, has no great beauty, but issurmounted by the lion of the Percy family. It was built in 1605. Thisnoble mansion has been politely opened by its proprietor to the visitsof the foreigners who are here at the exhibition. It is a princelymansion; and, although we had recently been to Windsor, and seen theroyal residence, yet we thought this palace home almost regal in itssplendor. The staircase is splendid, and the apartments are verymagnificent. The hall and drawing-rooms are quite equal, in decorationsand paintings, to the rooms at Windsor. We were much pleased with twolarge pictures--a fox and deer hunt, by Snyders; but there were somany, that it is difficult to single out those we admired. There aresome beautiful paintings of Napoleon, and exquisite carvings in ivory. In one of the saloons we were all struck with a large Sevres china vase, presented to the Duke of Northumberland by Charles X. , at hiscoronation, at which occasion the duke was present as ambassadorextraordinary, and made a most astonishing display of English wealth andliberality. Sion House, near Brentford, is another palace belonging to the duke. This noble mansion is on the banks of the Thames, and is composed offreestone. It is very gorgeously furnished, and the hothouses andconservatories are not much, if any, inferior to Chatsworth. Thismansion has also, been opened to visitors from abroad, and we receivedorders from the minister. One of the sweetest features about the metropolis, to my taste, is thevast number of charming villages that surround it. Go where you may, youfall in with cottages, villas, and mansions, that convey to the mind theideas of comfort, elegance, and wealth. I find from Weld that he forgot to tell you that we went to St. Margaret's Church, which stands only a few yards off from WestminsterAbbey. This is a very old building, and said to be of the days of EdwardI. In this very building the celebrated fast-day sermons of the LongParliament were preached, and I felt much interest in thinking how oftenCromwell, Pym, Peters, and Harrison had worshipped God in that house. Inthis church, too, the Assembly of Divines worshipped, and also theScotch commissioners, and took the covenant. This church boasts apainted window of exquisite beauty, which came as a present, fromHolland, to Henry VII. ; and the historical associations of this windoware very curious, and well worth your reading about. The monuments ofthis sanctuary are far from being devoid of interest. I may name, amongothers, those to Caxton, Sir Walter Raleigh, Sir James Harrington, author of the great book, "Oceana, " the wife of Milton, the mother ofCromwell, all of whom are here interred. While I am speaking of churches, let me tell you that, close by ourhotel, is a very fine one, that pleases me exceedingly. It is called St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, but is at present quite central as it regardsthe metropolis. I think the portico is to my eye equal to any piece ofarchitecture in London. It was built in 1726. A church stood here formany centuries; and in 1680, Baxter said that forty thousand people ofthe parish could not get into the church; and he adds that they "livedlike Americans, without hearing a sermon for many years. " This churchhas an exquisite chime of bells, and they very much amused me everymorning. Yours affectionately, JAMES. Letter 23. LONDON. DEAR CHARLEY:-- I have not written you for some time. But today I have seen a number ofthings which I am sure you would be pleased with, and so I will tell youabout them. Early in the morning we went to see the Mansion House. Thisis the dwelling-house of the lord mayor of London. It is a fine-lookingbuilding, but has a queer upper story, with small windows, which lookbadly, over the noble pillars and portico. The great room used forpublic occasions is the Egyptian Hall, for what reason does not appearfrom any thing about it. Here the lord mayor has his great feasts. Ishould like to be in London on the 9th of November, which is his day ofinauguration; and this is the great day for Londoners. He rides in alarge carved gilt carriage. I believe he goes to Westminster by water, in a splendid barge, and comes back in his coach. The salary is eightthousand pounds; but the expenses are beyond this amount, and somepersons refuse to serve, and pay a fine of five hundred pounds; butthis is a rare case, and enough are ready to pay for the honor. In thecity the mayor ranks before the royal family. The title of "yourlordship" ceases at the expiration of his office. Our next visit was to the Royal Exchange, a very noble quadrangle, whichwas finished in 1844. It stands finely between the Bank of England andthe Mansion House, and in front there is a sort of open space, orwidening of the streets. This is the third building which has occupiedthe same spot--the two earlier ones were both burnt down. The originalExchange was built by Sir Thomas Gresham, and opened by Queen Elizabethin 1570. It was copied from the famous Burse at Antwerp, which stillstands. It is singular that, in the great fires of 1666 and 1838, thestatue of Sir Thomas Gresham escaped uninjured. The Exchange is built ofPortland stone, and already has acquired, from the smoke of London, avenerable tinge. The portico, I am told, is the largest in the kingdom;but the one at St. Martin's Church I like better. Crossing over theroad, we were at the Bank of England. This is a truly immense affair. The walls measure fourteen hundred and sixty feet. It wad built in 1734, but has had many alterations and additions, and now covers four acres. We did not go into it. The docks of London are among the attractions of the place. They arecalled St. Catharine's, London, East India, West India, Commercial, &c. These are tar too great an affair for me to describe; and to look atthem, and then think of writing an account, is very much like a smallboy opening a book of mathematics and trying to understand it. What doyou think of the tobacco warehouse, at the docks covering five acres?Then the tea in bonded warehouses was worth twenty-five millions ofdollars; and there are ten millions of pounds of pepper, six millions ofgallons of wine, and other things in proportion. I inquired about theshipping, and was told that there were about four thousand seven hundredand fifty vessels, and eighty thousand seamen, employed in the foreigncommerce of the city; and beyond all this, twenty-one thousand coastingvessels, averaging five or six men to each craft. Nothing in Londonamazes us like these docks. Here you see Malays, Turks, Lascars, Chinese, Russians, Portuguese, Dutch, French, Negroes, and men of allnations. We went several times to walk through Covent Garden Market, and to seeit to advantage you must go very early in the morning. The supply offruits and flowers is perfectly astonishing, and the perfume is veryfine. You little imagine, Charley, the prices that early vegetables andfruits fetch. A cucumber and onion, wrapped up in grape leaves, will, in February, March, and early part of April, find purchasers at two, three, and four dollars. Strawberries, peaches, and pines are sold inearly season at what we should think "awful" prices. The hothouse grapesare very beautiful, and the vegetable productions are more carefullyraised, and in greater variety, than with us. If you want to know allabout Covent Garden Market, you must read Mayhew on London Labor--a nicebook. We boys had a treat the other day at an autograph collector's. Hiscollection was large and rare, but his prices very high. I have saved acatalogue for you. To-morrow we are off for the continent, and we are very busy in makingour arrangements; so I must close. Our next will be from _La BelleFrance. _ Yours affectionately, GEORGE. Letter 24. PARIS. DEAR CHARLEY:-- On a fine morning we left London, by rail, for Dover, in company withthe Rev. Dr. Murray, of New Jersey, and Dr. Chetwood, who made quite apleasant addition to our party. On reaching Dover, we were gratifiedwith the commanding position of the castle, which stands upon the whitechalky cliffs so celebrated by Shakspeare. The town lies in a charmingvalley. Dover boasts of high antiquity. The Saxons and Romans both leftenduring memorials of their residence. Its importance was felt at a veryearly day, on account of its being the best and authorized port to carryon intercourse with France. Dover Castle was a strong fortification whenWilliam the Conqueror landed. We found a steamer ready to start, and ina few minutes were all on board. The Straits of Dover are but twenty-onemiles wide; and yet, in this short passage of barely two hours, we allsuffered sadly from sea sickness. The boat was small, the passengerswere numerous, and all were thankful to plant their feet upon the soilof the republic. The examination of our passports, and refreshment atthe station-house, occupied about half an hour, and we again entered onour journey by the rail. I shall say nothing of the place, at present, as we fully intend to pass a day here, on our return, to examine thisinteresting old city. We found the cars good, the railroad excellent butevery thing looked strange. No farms laid out in fine fields, anddivided off by hedges, as in England; or fences and stone walls, as withus. We every where noticed women working in the field. We passed throughSt. Omer, a fortified town, of twenty thousand inhabitants. This is atown where many English Catholics have been sent for education. We thencame to Lille, which looked like a large city. It has about seventythousand inhabitants. The fortifications look very strong, and wereconstructed by the great Vauban. This place has been besieged severaltimes--once by the Duke of Marlborough, for three months, when itsurrendered under Marshal Boufflers. We were amazed at the vast numberof windmills--amounting to hundreds--every where to be seen around thetown; and the tall chimneys in the town tell plainly that this is agreat manufacturing place. The windmills are employed in preparing flaxfor linen. Douai was our next town. It has about eighteen thousand inhabitants, andhas a foundery for ordnance. The Theological Seminary here has beenfamous, and most of the Catholic clergy of England and Ireland wereformerly educated here. Arras is a town of about twenty-five thousandpopulation, and is celebrated as the birthplace of Robespierre. It issaid to be a very beautiful place, but we saw little of it. The carsnext passed through Amiens, a city of about fifty thousand inhabitants. It was at this city that a treaty of peace was made between France andEngland, in 1802. Clermont is a very neat little town, of about fivethousand inhabitants. It has a fine old castle, and every thing lookedlively and prosperous. Pontoise, on the River Oise, is a small town;and I should think that, from the upper part of the town, the prospectis very beautiful. We reached Paris in about eleven hours and a half from London. Really, this seems very strange, that I should breakfast in London and dine atParis. After having our luggage examined at the station, by the police, we repaired at once to the Hotel Windsor, on the Rue Rivoli. This wasthe hotel where Dr. C. Had his quarters, fifteen years ago; and is itnot strange that we have the same suite of rooms that he then occupied?We have a fine drawing-room, a dining-room, and three good chambers. Ourhotel is exactly opposite the gardens of the Tuileries, and is in thepleasantest part of the city. James, you know, was once here for threemonths; and he has quite a knowledge of the city, and seems perfectly athome. We take our breakfast in our apartments or the coffee-room, assuits us best, at about nine o'clock; our dinners in some good _café_, in various parts of the city, or at the _table d'hôte_, at Meurice'sHotel, which is just next door to us. In calling on one or two persons, we found them in old apartments, but quite noble rooms, as high up asfour and five stories; and we hear that many families live in the samebuilding, and that many very respectable people live in the sixth, andeven seventh story. This I should never like. Whenever we go out, weleave our key with the _concierge_ or his wife, who live in a snuglittle apartment just inside the great gate, which opens into awell-paved court. We have determined not to engage a guide in Paris, because it is often annoying to have a coarse, vulgar mind disturbingyou, when all you ask is silence and your own reflections. It is quite amistake to suppose that you cannot get along without a _valet deplace_--for in every hotel, and almost every large establishment, thereare persons to be found who speak English. We paid our respects to ourgood friend the consul, and found him very comfortably settled down inhis office, and residing in excellent style. A pleasant evening with hisfamily made us all think of our old times on board the Arctic. The dayafter we arrived was James's birthday, and he was to give us a dinner, and had invited the consul and his son to dine with us. Well, at five wemet at the consulate, and we boys walked ahead with Mr. G. , Jr. , leavingthe doctor and the consul to bring up the rear. He supposed that hisfather understood where he proposed to take us, and so we went onspeedily. In the Rue Vivienne they lost sight of us; we arrived at theCafé Vachette, on the boulevards, and ordered dinner for the party. Thegentlemen, however, kept walking the street for two hours. At last theygave up the matter as a bad case, and took refuge for a late dinner bythemselves in a neighboring _café_. At nine we all met, sadlydisappointed. The pleasant occasion had been quite disarranged, and somehard jokes passed upon our want of tact in not sending out scouts tosearch the Rue Vivienne, with the geography of which the doctor declareshe is now perfectly acquainted--having tramped it for two hours with theconsul. Of course, we all have to take their jokes upon our defraudingthem of a fine dinner. We have dined since at the _Trois FrèresProvençaux_, which has the reputation of being one of the best _cafés_in Paris. Our room commanded a perfect view of the quadrangle of thePalais Royal, and the spectacle was highly interesting. Theaccommodations of the room we occupied were very fine; and nothing couldsurpass the beauty of the table linen, plate, &c. We are about tocommence the sights of the city in earnest, and are this evening toarrange our plans. Yours affectionately, GEORGE. Letter 25. PARIS. DEAR CHARLEY:-- I like this city very much--every one seems so happy out of doors. Notonly the poor, but the wealthy, are fond of the open air; and a greatdeal of time is spent in the gardens and on the boulevards. Every placeseems to have provision made for the enjoyment of the people. Ices andlemonade are to be found wherever you go. The appearance of the streetsin Paris is much gayer than those of London. You see a much greaternumber of women walking out, and they are generally very neatly dressed. But the streets do not look as substantial as they do in London. Ifthere is more that is imposing, there is less that keeps up your wonder. I do not feel able to think that the people here have much business todo, for every one seems to be engaged in pleasure; and yet there aregreat concerns going on, and the fine manufactures of this city are onlyto be done by labor and attention. Nothing, at our first glances at thecity, have pleased us more than the profusion of flowers every where tobe seen. It is quite common to see men with a rose in the button hole, or a beautiful carnation. The roses are my admiration. I never saw suchbeauties before; and whether it is owing to the climate, or toscientific cultivation, I know not, but certainly I never have beheldsuch variety or perfection. In the flower shops you will find very largebunches of rosebuds, each bunch made up exclusively of buds of one size, from the dimensions of a pea in all gradations up to the diameter of ahalf dollar--not a leaf opened, simply a bouquet of rosebuds, and thewhole embowered in a delicate sheet of white paper. I reckoned thecontents of one, and found two hundred and sixty-seven buds not largerthan a common pea, and the price was only a franc. The moss roses arebeyond all my conceptions of floral beauty; and, go where I may, I findevery niche of ground adorned with standard roses of various hues, andthe walls and windows are beautified with brilliant geraniums, which areevidently great favorites. We had a funny affair yesterday. We all went to make a call upon Mr. D----, and found his residence in a splendid part of the city; but, instead of being ushered into his drawing-room, we were brought into thesaloon of no less a personage than the Lord Bishop of Jamaica! Hepolitely directed us to the next apartment, where we spent an agreeablehour with the family, and found that similar mistakes occur almostdaily. Our first tramp for a sight was to Notre Dame; and I shall never forget, Charley, my first view of this cathedral. The exterior is more strikingthan any church edifice that I have yet seen. No engraving can afford afair idea of its grandeur to one who has not seen it, though it willhelp my mind, to recall its beauties whenever I see the picture. You areso well read about Paris, that I hardly need tell you that eightcenturies have rolled away since Notre Dame was built. It is regarded asthe noblest Gothic pile in France, and is the pride of Paris. The frontis one hundred and twenty feet wide, and the richness of the carvingsupon the exterior is wonderful. I am really glad to see that great painsare taking to restore and adorn this church. The decayed stones aretaken out, and new ones replaced, and the carvings also are renewedwhere necessary, so that future ages may see what so delights us. Thetwo towers are forty feet square and two hundred high, and you ascend bya staircase of four hundred steps. The form of the church is that of theLatin cross. Its dimensions inside are four hundred feet by one hundredand forty, and the height is one hundred feet. All through the cathedralis a line of Gothic arches supported by columns, and, as you enter thegreat door, you see the entire edifice. The walls look bare to my eye, in spite of the paintings. We were much pleased at seeing the spot whereNapoleon was crowned; and George was in ecstasies, for you know howthoroughly he goes in for his beau ideal of the hero. Here are, thesplendid candelabra which the emperor gave on the occasion. We heardmass, but the service was very formal, and the priest might have been areal downeaster, for he had a horrid nasal twang, and his"_sanctissime_" was "_shanktissime_. " The history of these churches isstrange, and I think a pretty good book might be written on the romanceof church architecture. The portal of the north aisle of the choir waserected by a vile assassin, the Duke of Burgundy, who murdered hiscousin, the Duke of Orleans, in 1407. This, of course, was his penance, and fully expiated his crime. The great bell weighs thirty-two thousandpounds, and was baptized in presence of Louis XIV. , and is calledEmanuel Louise Therese, after his queen. I cannot attempt to describethe beauties of this building, inside or out. The exterior is all flyingbuttresses, crocketed pinnacles, and sculpture. Inside you see chapelafter chapel; and as to windows of painted glass, they are studies forhours. The rose windows are exquisite. We repaired to a small chapel used as a sacristy, or treasure-house ofthe church. Here we saw the coronation robes of Napoleon, and splendidcapes and embroideries, in gold and silver, given by Charles X. AndLouis Philippe; and here, too, is the vertebræ of the late Archbishop ofParis, who was killed in the revolution of 1848. The bone has a silverarrow tracing the course of the bullet, which lies beside it. This is intime to be a saintly relic, but it seems to me a filthy sight, and inwretched taste. But Popery knows well what to do with dead men's bones. For a minute description of this church, I would refer you to threevolumes, called the "History of Paris, " published by Galignani. On ourreturn we went to the Hotel de Ville, and had the company of M. O----n, whose kindness did much for us on several occasions. The Hotel deVille stands in the Place de Grève, where so much blood has been shed inother days. Here the martyrs of the Protestant faith have been put todeath. Here it was that Dubourg was strangled and burnt by order ofFrancis II. Dubourg was a noble character. His last words were, "Father, abandon me not; neither will I abandon thee. " This noble pile was begun in 1533, and only completed in 1841, and inthe modern improvements fifteen millions have been expended. The wholenow forms an immense quadrangle. The front is Corinthian, with pillarsand niches between the windows. A vast number of statues adorn thefront, and others are in preparation. It was at the doorway in the centre that Lamartine, "the noblest Romanof them all, " so gloriously withstood the mob in February, 1848, declaring that the red flag should not be the flag of France. I wish youcould see this palace, for such it is, though occupied by the cityauthorities. London has nothing to approach it in splendor. Thestaircases are gorgeous, and are so rich in sculpture that only asculptor could properly speak of them. We saw the room where Robespierreheld his council and attempted suicide, and also the window where ourLafayette embraced Louis Philippe, and presented him to the mob in1830. It is the same window where poor Louis XVI. Addressed the savages, when he wore the cap of liberty. By the way, I hate the sight of thatcap, which always reminds me of the lamp-post executions of the Frenchcapital in 1792-3. Its prevalence in our happy country is owing to theFrench mania which once possessed the people, and has very much diedout. The apartments are regal, and some of them, I think, quite superiorto those of Windsor Castle. In this building is a fine library, and hereare deposited the vast collection of American books obtained byVattemare, whom, you recollect, we saw at Washington. I cannot tell you how sorely vexed we are to find the Louvre shut up forrepairs and decoration; every week they say it is to be reopened, but Ifear we shall leave Paris ere it happens. How much we would all give to have you here; for, though we are glad totell you what we see, we feel there are scores of objects which interestus that we have to pass over, but which would make your eyes glisten, ifyou could gaze upon. Well, my dear fellow, stick to your business, makeyour fortune, and then come and look at the beautiful and fair in theold world; and who knows but perhaps we may yet chat cosily together inParis? O, I do love to wander through this city by moonlight, and gazeupon the bright, lofty buildings as they loom up so gloriously in themild lustre of a silvery night. God bless you. Yours affectionately, JAMES. Letter 26. PARIS. DEAR CHARLEY:-- We have been to dine at the Palais Royal, at the _Trois FrèresProvençaux_, of which I suppose the boys have told you; and I shall onlyspeak about the fine building, so renowned all over the world. ThePalais Royal is to Paris what Paris is to France. Its history is brieflythis: Cardinal Richelieu built it for himself; but the king, LouisXIII. , was jealous, and the wily old priest gave it to the monarch, and, after Richelieu's death, he moved into it. In 1692, it fell into thehands of Philippe, Duke of Orleans, as a gift, or marriage portion, fromLouis XIV. , and here the great Orleans collection of paintings wasgathered, and which was sold in 1789, at the breaking out of the greattroubles. In 1814, Louis Philippe obtained it as his inheritance, andlived there till 1831. The garden is very fine, and is about sevenhundred and fifty feet by three hundred, and has beautiful rows oflime-trees, trimmed into shape, as are most of these trees in Paris. Inthe centre are flower gardens and a basin of water, with a finefountain. In this open space are beautiful bronze and marble statues. One I admired exceedingly; it is Eurydice, stung by a snake. In thisgarden are hundreds of persons under the trees, on chairs, which arehired, where they read and take refreshments. Under the arcades whichsurround the area are the most tasty shops of Paris, and where you mayget any thing you please. A gayer sight than this same Palais Royal, or, as they now call it, Palais National, cannot be seen in this world. Ishall not attempt to tell you about the apartments of the palace, andwhich you can read of at your leisure. What a loss it was to the worldwhen, in February, 1848, six hundred thousand engravings, all classifiedby Louis Philippe, and making one hundred and twenty-two enormousfolios, were destroyed by the mob, and the queen's own library also! We lounged about from one shop to another, and made purchases of somepretty things, which we hope may serve to show friends at home that wedid not quite forget them. The Passage d'Orleans will never die out from my memory, nor shall Iever forget the Café d'Orleans, with its mirrors, walls, and ceilings, all radiant with a thousand lights. We find at every few steps themagazine for the Indian weed, and all varieties of pipe, from thecommonest _en bois_ to the elegantly carved _ecume de mer_, which wouldcost two or three hundred francs. Here, too, are the Theatres Françaisand Palais Royal, and other places of amusement. In our walks about the city we are sure to have all the notable placespointed out; and one morning, just after I had obtained a Henry IV. Silver coin, in fine preservation, we were taken home by a long walkthrough the Rue St. Honore. The house No. 3, in this street, is the onein front of which Henry IV. Was assassinated by Ravaillac. A bust of theking stands against the second story, with an inscription. In the RueVivienne, No. 34, we saw the house where Molière died, on which is amarble tablet, with this inscription: "_Molière est mort dans cettemaison, le _17_ Février_, 1673, _à l'âge de_ 51 _ans. _" At the corner ofthe same street, where a small passage way branches off, is a finemonument to the memory of the great poet and the noblest comic writer ofFrance. The statue is of bronze, in a sitting posture; on each side arefigures, --one humorous, the other serious, --both looking at the statue. At the foot of the monument is a basin to receive water, which flowsfrom three lions' heads. This work was put up in 1844, with publicservices, on which occasion the first men of France took a part. Anothermorning's walk led us to the Rue de l'École de Médecine, and in thisstreet Marat lived, at No. 20, and here it was, in a small room, that hewas stabbed, while bathing, by Charlotte Corday, in 1793. And in thissame street was held the old club of the Cordeliers. When I see the places of which I have heard so often it seems veryinteresting, and will forever identify the scenes with my futurereading. We all enjoyed a visit to the palace of the Luxembourg. This edifice wasbegun in the sixteenth century, and the present palace was chiefly builtearly in the next one, by Marie de Medicis, in imitation of one atFlorence. Bonaparte used it when chief consul. The old senate held itssessions there till its dissolution, in 1814. I never saw a buildingwhose proportions appeared to me so elegant. The court is aparallelogram of three hundred and sixty by three hundred feet. Thefront consists of two pavilions, joined by terraces, and in the centrerises a cupola, around which are statues. In such a palace fine roomsare to be expected, and here they are in great number. The SenateChamber or Chamber of Peers, is very suitable for its purpose. Thelibrary is good, and contains about fifteen thousand volumes. Thepicture gallery is large, and at present principally filled withpictures of living artists, and at his death the picture of each one isremoved to the Louvre. All the great paintings of Napoleon's battles aregone to Versailles; so we shall see them in the series. The chapel is anexquisite gem: it has, beyond all comparison, the most devotional airof any thing I have seen _of the sort_. The gardens are fine, and have some noble terraces, adorned with plentyof statues, some of which are quite old; but a great many new ones, byliving artists, are rapidly taking their places. The balustrades of theterraces are beautified with groups of children, athletæ, &c. Here aresome fine old orange-trees, which were throwing out their blossoms mostfragrantly; and I must not forget the noble clusters of chestnut-treeswhich are on the sides of the walks. The garden is a lovely spot, and Isaw hundreds of old and young, who seemed to enjoy themselves highly. Iam half surprised to find myself more delighted in Europe with thecompleteness and splendor of the gardens and public grounds than withthe palaces and their internal gorgeousness. If I could carry back to myown beloved country any thing from England or France, it should be theirgardens, their walks, their libraries and museums. As to the comfortsand elegances of life, we have enough of them for our good. The Muséed'Artillerie is quite a place of interest, and here are seen some finesuits of ancient armor. The arrangement is good, and an hour's attentionis well repaid. Yours affectionately, WELD. Letter 27. PARIS. DEAR CHARLEY:-- This has been a great day for enjoyment, and has made us all in lovewith Paris. We have seen, this morning, that which has pleased me morethan all else I have looked at in Europe. We spent several hours at theHotel de Cluny, in the Rue des Mathurins. I am surprised that so manyAmericans come to Paris and never see this castle of curiosities. Tounderstand our gratification, I must bore you a little with its history, and then you will see what a treat we enjoyed. This venerable pile waserected on the site of the Palais des Thermes, formerly thedwelling-place of the Roman governors of Gaul. Here Julian lived when hewas made emperor of Rome, in 360. Of the extraordinary remains of thispalace I shall tell you by and by. On this spot, then, in 1480, an abbotof Cluny commenced this building, and it was completed in 1505. Thismagnificent monastery--the city residence of the monks of Cluny--wasoften made the residence of royal and distinguished visitors. Here fortwo years lived Mary, the daughter of Henry VII. Of England, and widowof Louis XII. Of France, who, while here, married the Duke of Suffolk. Her chamber still exists, and we saw it in high preservation. Thismarriage, you will remember, laid the foundation for the claim of LadyJane Grey to the crown. Here, too, for a season, the excellent abbessand the nuns of Port Royal found a refuge. Some forty years ago, it cameinto the hands of M. Sommerard, a man devoted to antiquarian pursuits, and here he expended a large property in forming a vast collection ofall sorts of relics he could gather belonging to the medieval ages. Afew years ago, he died, and then the government wisely purchased thehotel and its unrivalled museum for half a million of francs; andadditions are constantly made to it of every curiosity that canillustrate the habits and manners of the early history of France andEurope. The building is very striking in its first aspect. It hasseveral Gothic turrets, and very rich windows, and the court yards andgarden are all in keeping. What good times those old abbots, and monksmust have had in their visits to Paris, in such a palace as this was!You pass from room, to room, all filled with the antique, till you getleg-weary. The floors are exquisitely beautiful--some in fine old blackoak, let in, in patterns; others are bricks and tiles, in mosaic. Thenthe old mantel-pieces are wonderfully fine. We saw plenty of tapestry, old as the hills; and one set of hangings was the history of David andBathsheba. Some of the bedsteads are very curious. One belonged toFrancis I. Perhaps the largest and most valuable collection of carvedWood furniture in the world is here to be seen. Such cabinets, chairs, tables, chests, I never imagined. The work is of the most delicate andcomplicated character. Then you find a wonderful collection of glass andearthen ware--cups and goblets belonging to men of note of every age inFrench history. One room is full of ancient armor, another of gems, enamels, &c, another of pictures of the most curious kind; and as tomirrors and looking-glasses, they are in great plenty; and china enoughto make some ladies in America whom I know break the commandment. You can fancy, Charley, what sort of a place this must be, when I tellyou that the catalogue of this collection is a volume of two hundred andforty octavo pages, and embraces eighteen hundred and ninety-fiveparticulars. I have the catalogue, and can assure you that it includessome queer antiquities, of which we cannot speak particularly atpresent. A word or two about the ruins of Julian's Palace of the Baths. Here isstill a vast hall, which was doubtless the place for cold baths. Thedimensions are sixty feet by thirty-five. In the cellars are the evidentremains of the warm baths. The walls are of immense thickness, and willprobably last as long as the earth on which they rest. This hall is theplace of deposit for any Roman sculpture that may be found in theexcavations of the city. I am sure that, next to the Crystal Palace, this has been our greatesttreat. We enjoyed this morning the more, because we had the company ofMr. George Sumner, who has lived in Paris so long that he is perfectlyfamiliar with every object of interest. I never met with any one whoappeared to have so much local knowledge as he possesses. He knows thehistory of every thing, and he seems at home on all names, dates, andfacts of other ages. Whenever we read up, after a walk with him, we findthat he knows all that is known; and in truth he talks like a book, butbetter than most books. The attention of this gentleman has been verygreat to us boys, and he seems never tired when doing us kindness. Butif Mr. S. Knows places well, he is no less intimate with men; andprobably no American has ever enjoyed his opportunities to cultivate theacquaintance of the best and greatest men in Paris. We have visited the Church of St. Sulpice, which was begun in 1655, andonly completed late in the last century. The portico is very grand, andis a double row of Doric pillars, forty feet high. It has two towers, which are over two hundred feet high, and on which are telegraphs. Thechurch forms a cross, and is four hundred and thirty-two feet inlength, one hundred and seventy-four in width, and ninety-nine inheight. The organ is finely carved, and is more elaborate in its workthan any I have seen yet. The statuary, both in bronze and marble, here, is beautiful, and the candelabra are greatly admired. As to pictures, Ican only say they are many and fine. The marble monument and statue toLanguet de Gergy, the former _curé_ of this parish, and who mainlycontributed to its erection or completion, is much admired, and on thistomb is the most elegant inscription of modern times. But I cannotinsert it here. Directly in front of the church, in an open square, is avery fine fountain, which partakes of the ecclesiastical in itsstyle--having in four niches the statues of Bossuet, Massillon, Fléchier, and Fénélon. In our walk we were all struck with an immense wooden pile, which wefound was the Bibliothèque St. Geneviéve. The front is very chaste, andhas very many arched windows. The library is more than three hundredfeet in length, and is covered on the exterior with the names of all thegreat authors of every age and nation. We saw the names of many of ourcountrymen--Washington, Franklin, Rumford, Clinton, Cooper, Prescott, Irving, &c. We were unable to enter, as repairs were in progress, butwere told that the library has two hundred thousand volumes, andseveral thousand MSS. We have all been much gratified with the Church of St. Etienne du Mont. It boasts an antiquity that dates back to 1131, and its tower and turretare known to be as early as 1222. The exterior is remarkable for astrange mixture of architecture, and some of the details are verybeautiful. The interior cannot fail to interest a thoughtful person, Ithink. The pictures are very fine indeed, and some of the marbles are ofthe highest excellence. We went into the little Chapel of St. Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris, where is the tomb of the saint. The tomb wasliterally stuck over with small tallow candles, and looked like a pieceof meat larded. The room was filled with worshippers, all on theirknees; and two women had as much anguish in their faces as I ever saw. All the people kneeling at this tomb seemed far more intent and inearnest than the hundreds at grand mass in the church proper. Just as westepped outside this chapel, we found on the wall the monuments ofRacine and Pascal, who are both buried in this church. The church wasfull of people, and in one little chapel the priest was baptizing aninfant. We went in and looked on. It was the first time I had everwitnessed this monstrous mummery in the Catholic church; and I called inthe Dr. And Mr. S. , who were looking at some statuary. The priest washardly decent at his work. He did it all in a hurry, --put oil andsomething else on the child, fore and aft, --and how men and women couldstand and let the stupidity take place on their children, I cannotunderstand. After seeing Pascal's grave, and thinking of his immortalworks, it was poor preparation for the mountebank exhibition, andawkward work of making Christians, that we witnessed. You know, Charley, that I am not a lover of Romanism, but I never felt so thankful as onthat day for being a Protestant. The pictures of this church are very well worthy of carefulnotice--especially two, said to have been given by the city to thesaint, who caused a famine to stay its ravages, and restored a sick kingby intercession. Now, pray, do not think me church mad if I carry you once more toanother old one. I am sure, if you had seen it, that it would cause youto talk about it often. Well, it is the Church St. Germain des Pres. This is regarded as the oldest in Paris, and was originally an abbey. There was a church here as early as 560. This was probably built aboutthe middle of the ninth century, and its completion was in the twelfth;for it was consecrated by Pope Alexander III. In this church was thetomb of Childebert, the founder of the first edifice. The abbey had arefectory, cloisters, &c, was surrounded by a moat, and had beenfortified. A large open field, close by, was the resort of duellists, and many a bloody affray has there occurred. Casimir, King of Poland, was an abbot of this church. The revolution was sadly injurious to thisfine sanctuary, and it was for a time converted into a saltpetremanufactory. Charles X. Repaired it, and after him Louis Philippecarefully superintended its restoration. The inside of the church is across, with a circular choir; and the arches are semi-circular, andindicate great antiquity. The restoration of the nave and choir has beenmost carefully done, at immense expense. The roof of the choir ispainted deep blue, with stars. The capitals of the columns are richlygilt, and the shafts are painted in red stripes--exact copies of the olddevices. Nothing can be finer than the marble altar and the carvedstalls of the choir. Nor does the church lack for historical names amongits dead. Here are the tombs of Earl Douglass, Descartes, Mabillon, Montfaucon, and Casimir of Poland, who died, abbot, in 1672. Every thinghere in ecclesiastical architecture is so different from all that wehave in our country, that I examine these noble relics with greatpleasure, and do not know but I shall soon become as antiquarian in mytaste as-you know who. Yours affectionately, JAMES. Letter 28. PARIS. DEAR CHARLEY:-- On a fine morning we rode over to the Jardin des Plantes, accompanied byMr. R----, whose long residence has made him very familiar with thislovely spot. I think we all looked forward to this excursion with greatanticipation, because we knew that this was the most famous garden inEurope; and then, in connection with it, are the richest cabinets in theworld of natural history, mineralogy, geology, and a noble collection ofliving animals from all countries. Ever since 1635, the world has beenplaced under contribution to enrich this spot. The greatest botanistsand naturalists of Europe have labored here. Buffon himself was thegreat man of the place in his day. Even revolutionary fury spared thisretreat and treasury of Nature. Bonaparte made it his pet, and when thetroops of Europe were at the walls of Paris, they agreed to respect andpreserve the spot so dear to science. This establishment is on the banksof the river, and there are many portals by which entrance may beobtained. The gardens are very large, but I cannot speak of their exactsize. They are in the neatest order. Every shrub and flower, plant andtree, is labelled, so that reference is easy. I was delighted to see, on a lofty eminence, the cedar of Lebanon. It is a glorious tree, andwas planted here in 1734, and is now about twelve feet round at itsbase. We also saw some palm-trees which were given by Louis XIV. Theywere, I should think, nearly thirty feet high. The Menagerie has long been famous, and is most admirably laid out inwalks and enclosures, so that the animals have plenty of room forexercise and pasture. Since the days of Noah's ark, I suppose therenever was such a collection of animals, clean and unclean. The bears, elephants, lions, and tigers are all what are called first-ratespecimens. We were pointed out the house where the celebrated Cuvier lived, andwhich was his favorite residence. Here was his life's labor, theZoölogical Cabinet, which he arranged according to his system. Onlyfancy a house about four hundred feet long, having three stories, andall filled up with nearly two hundred thousand specimens; and thepreparations are almost as fine as the animal was in life. The Museum of Comparative Anatomy, also, was the labor of Cuvier. Thecollections of mineralogy and geology are very extensive; but I did nothave much time to examine them, nor are they as much in my line as someother things. The specimens of precious stones were curious, and I waspleased to see amber containing perfect insects, perhaps antediluvianinsects. And so we employed three hours upon what I should have liked topass three whole days. But it would take years of diligent study tounderstand what is here to be seen. If a person walks about Paris and inquires much as to the history of thecity and its improvements, as we Americans say, he will soon find thatParis has been chiefly indebted for her grandeur to Henry IV. , LouisXIV. , Napoleon, and Louis Philippe. Bridges, places, arches, andfountains show how much Paris owes to these rulers. Of fountains thereare, I should think, nearly a hundred in the city, and some areexceedingly fine. The Seine is not much of an affair. With us, it wouldbe only a muddy brook. Some of the bridges that span it are fine. I haveseen nothing in Paris more picturesque than the prospect from the PontNeuf. It is my favorite stand point. Off to the right are the towers ofNotre Dame, and the long line of old houses which tell of centuries uponcenturies since they were built; and on the left of the river are theHotel de Ville, St. Germain L'Auxerrois; and some of the most venerablestreets. From the bell tower of St. Germain the signal was rung for theinfamous massacre of the Protestants, on St. Bartholomew's eve, 23d ofAugust, 1572. In the Rue de l'Arbre sec, at No. 14, was Admiral Colignymurdered on that occasion. It was formerly known as the Hotel Ponthieu, but is to be demolished in a few weeks, to make way for improvements. Wefelt a desire to see the spot where the Bastile formerly stood, andwhich was destroyed by the mob in July, 1789, and the key of which isnow at Mount Vernon, having been sent as a present to Washington. Thiswas the theatre of the greatest resistance made by the insurgents inJune, 1848; and here, too, it was that the Archbishop of Paris met withhis death. On the site of the Bastile, Louis Philippe laid thefoundation of a column which commemorates the revolution of 1830. Thiscolumn is of bronze, and is one hundred and sixty-three feet high, inaddition to the pedestal of white marble, supported by immense graniteblocks. The diameter of the column is, I believe, twelve feet, and itcost about twelve hundred thousand francs. There is no masonry in theinterior. The staircase is suspended, and the whole concern vibrateswith the passing breeze. I did not ascend, you may be sure. TheCorinthian capital, over which is a gallery with rails, is verybeautiful, and is the largest casting in bronze that is known--or, rather, was, for I _think_ that the Amazon at the London Exhibition willtake the palm for size. On the globe which surmounts the pillar stands acolossal gilt figure, which represents Liberty. On the bands whichencircle the pillar are the names of those who were killed in thethree days of July, amounting to fire hundred and four. All around andbeneath are interred the remains of these patriots. [Illustration: Colonne de Juillet. ] We are going to take the Cemetery at Père la Chaise for to-morrow'sexcursion; and the rest of the day I must devote to letters home, as thepacket day is close at hand. Yours, WELD. Letter 29. PARIS. DEAR CHARLEY:-- This morning, as we were taking a very comfortable breakfast at thecoffee-room of our hotel, and as I was reading Galignani's daily paper, I found a person at the next table addressing me, in nasal twang, "Stranger, is this fellow Galignani a reliable chap?" I assured him thathe passed for an authority. Laying down his paper on the table, hepathetically described the tramp which the programme for thesight-seeing of yesterday's paper had given him, and declared hisinability to keep up with the instructions for that day. Finding that hewas a character, I carried on the conversation; and he talked mostedifyingly to all in the room, as he spoke loud enough to be heard atthe very end. I inquired if he had been to London. His reply was, "Ireckon I have; why, I come on purpose to see the _Crystial_ Palace. ""Well, sir, " I said, "and how did you like it?" "O, that exhibition issome!" "And pray, sir, what did you think of the Greek Slave?" "There, now, stranger, I takes it that where she were raised _cotton wasdreadful scarce. "_ This, was too much and too good; and I think it is byfar the best thing I have heard about the exhibition. How the boysmanaged to keep quiet, I know not; but they did as well as could beexpected. The room was thoroughly awake, and I resigned our countrymanto other hands. After breakfast, we rode to the Cemetery of Père la Chaise. This spothas for centuries been celebrated for its beauty; and, for a period ofmore than one hundred years, the Jesuits had a country residence here. They had it early in the sixteenth century, or, perhaps, at the close ofthe fifteenth. Louis XIV. Made his confessor, Père la Chaise, thesuperior of the society; and in 1705 it was the head-quarters ofJesuitism in France. The present cemetery was consecrated in 1804; and the entire grounds arewalled in, and they are very nearly two hundred acres. You know how muchI admire Greenwood and Mount Auburn. Well, I still prefer them to thisGolgotha. The walks are some of them fine, but the tombs are too thick. There is no regularity. It looks as though there had been a rain stormof tombs and monuments, and they lie as they fell. This is the verymetropolis of death. Some of the monuments are elegant indeed, but oftentheir beauties are hidden. The most attractive spot to us was theresting-place of "the bravest of the brave. " Ney yet has no monument. The tombs of Casimir Perrier, the Countess Demidoff, Abelard andHéloise, General Macdonald, Lavalette, Gobert, Foy, Molière, Laplace, and Junot are some that pleased us most, and are exquisite specimens ofart. Many of these tombs have small rooms, with altars and glass doors. Opposite the altar is a chair, and we saw several mourners in devoutattitude at the shrine of affection. I have heard from a Parisian ofgreat intelligence, and who has been connected with the city government, that very nearly, if not quite, thirty millions of dollars have beenspent upon this cemetery. Of course, the expense of sculpture here hasbeen enormous, as the best talent of Europe has contributed to adorn thespot, and perpetuate the memory of the departed. On leaving this charnel-house of mortality, we drove to the Abattoir dePopincourt, which is the largest in the city, and occupies six hundredand forty-five feet by fire hundred and seventy. On entering, we foundfour slaughter-houses, each standing alone. Here, too, are sheds forfour thousand sheep, and stables for four hundred oxen. There are alsofour melting-houses. We also noticed a large building called the_Triperie_, for preparing tripe and the feet of animals. The week wewere there the statistics of slaughter were as follows: Eight hundredand seventy-two oxen, three hundred and fifty-six cows, seven hundredcalves, and two thousand eight hundred and seventy-five sheep. Nothingof the sort can be kept cleaner than this establishment. The water randown every channel, and very little blood could be seen, or effluvianoticed. When will New York have its _abattoirs_? No city in the worldneeds such an auxiliary to health and comfort more than she does. Perhaps the good people will call for one after a few more visitationsof cholera. There are four other similar establishments in Paris. We had a nice ride home round the boulevards, and, stopping at theconsul's office, found a famous budget of letters and papers, and withgreat pleasure we addressed ourselves to their contents. I am amused tosee how various are the demands made upon the time and services of aconsul. He needs to have the patience of Job; and if he answerssatisfactorily and authoritatively the questions which I have heardpropounded, he ought to have in his library the acts of every statelegislature in the Union. Marriage, death, removal of deceasedrelatives from their places of sepulture, rates of interest, value ofstocks, condition of railroads, and statistics of all sorts have beentopics which I have heard laid before him for advice and opinion. Veryfew men, however, possess more general knowledge of the United Statesthan our consul--Mr. Goodrich--does; and his kindness will lead him todo all he can to satisfy the querist. Yours, as ever, J. O. C. Letter 30. PARIS. DEAR CHARLEY:-- Yesterday we went to the Cirque, in the Champs Elysées. It is a verylarge building, with sixteen sides, and behind is another spacious onefor the horses. The intention of the builder was to represent a Moorishhall; and the pillars of iron are, with the panellings of the walls, gilt and frescoed. The roof is very elegant, and the largest chandelierin Paris is in the centre, blazing with I cannot tell you how many gaslights. The circus will accommodate about six or seven thousand people, and when we were there it was very nearly full. We paid two francs each, and had the best seats. The performances were very good, and some quitebeyond any thing I had before seen. There was one feat that was reallygreat. They placed planks upon supporters, from the centre of the circusup to the edge of the gallery, making an angle of about fifty feet. Well, Charley, a fellow walked in with a ball, about three quarters of ayard in diameter, and on this ball he trotted about on the ground forperhaps two minutes; then he marches it to the foot of this plank, stillstanding on it, and up he goes, --yes, he totes and coaxes the ball underhis feet, up, up, --till at last he stands on it on the gallery; andthen, did not the place ring again with applause? But then it is notover; for down he comes the selfsame way--and that is the tug of war;but he did it. This he did _backwards_, also, each way. I never saw anything before that would equal this, and I want to see him do it againbefore we leave Paris. The horsemanship was very good. But there was onefellow who threw himself into the very oddest attitudes you can fancy. He looked, as he moved about on the earth, like any thing but a human. We were all much amused with the audience. Entire families were there. You could see parties coming in where there was no mistake aboutgrandfather and grandmother, father, mother, and all the children. Itseems that all classes here have a taste for amusement, and pursue itwith much earnestness. The audience behaved very well--every thing wasquiet. I noticed a great many well-dressed women who carried roundcrickets to the ladies, for their feet, and for this they got a fewsous. As we returned, we found, in the grounds through which we walked, scoresof establishments for juvenile amusement--stalls where there areexhibitions of moving figures, and at which you may shoot with bow andarrow by paying a small price. Not far from the Cirque we met with anout-door concert, in a very tasty garden--the performers all occupying afine orchestra. The audience were seated at tables in the garden, takingice cream, lemonade, coffee, &c. Now and then one of the singers wouldpass round and take up a collection. This day we went to the Hippodrome, which is a very large enclosure, nearly opposite the Triumphal Arch. This is no less than three hundredand eighty feet in diameter, and will seat all of ten thousand persons, who are under shelter, but the course-ground is open to the heavens. This place is open from three to five during the warm weather, and isunder the same management as the Cirque. Our great object in coming wasto see the ball feat again, and also the skirmishes of some twentyArabs, who are here exhibiting their tactics. I never saw a morereckless, savage-looking set of fellows than they were. Only one lookedlike a venerable Arab--he did look patriarchal. They had several shamattacks, and rode about shooting helter skelter, looking as if theywould enjoy the real thing much better. These fellows are said to besome of the Algerine captives brought over by the French. Our friend Mr. Hodgson, who lived so long in Turkey, and speaks Arabic, talked withthem, much to their surprise. We have determined to leave Paris this week, and commence our journeythrough Belgium, Holland, go up the Rhine, and take Switzerland on ourreturn to Paris--and perhaps we may leave to-morrow. I ought not to omitsaying that we have had a very pleasant Sunday in our own parlor here. We did not feel much like going to the French church that morning; andthe doctor invited the Rev. Dr. Murray, Dr. Chetwood, Rev. Mr. Darling, Judge Darling, Rev. Mr. Hovey, Mr. King, and some other friends to joinus, and have a religious meeting. It was a very interesting one, too. Dr. Murray spoke about the state of France, the need the French had ofour Sunday, and how they could not be a free and happy people, and getalong without soldiers, till they had it. All the ministers took part;and I shall not very soon forget that day; and then I think we allthought a good deal about home, as each minister talked and prayed forour families. Our next letters will, I suppose, be from Brussels. Yours, &c. , GEORGE. Letter 31. BRUSSELS. DEAR CHARLEY:-- The fine weather, and the advantage of having pleasant company, hasinduced us to leave Paris and pursue our journey, leaving many things tosee in the great metropolis when we return. I forgot to tell you that inParis I had the pleasure to meet an English clergyman, a relative ofmine, who was there passing the honey-moon. This gentleman and his ladyjoined our party; and we are now to go together as far as Antwerp, certainly. We took the rail from Paris direct to Brussels, --a distanceof two hundred and thirty miles, --and passed through Amiens, Arras, Douai, Valenciennes, Quievrain, St. Jemappes, --here King Louis Philippe, with General Dumourier, in 1792, gained a battle over an Austrian army, and so gained Belgium to France, little thinking that his son-in-lawwould be its king, --Mons, Bruin le Compte, Halle, and so to Brussels. AtQuievrain we found the custom-house of Belgium, and the little river, called Aunelle, is the boundary of the republic. Mons is a fine-lookingplace, fortified strongly. The region is one entire coal field, andthere are many pits in operation. Ten miles from Mons Marlborough foughtthe battle of Malplaquet, in 1709. When we passed, the town was ingreat commotion with the trial of Count Bocarmé and his wife for themurder of her brother. She was by some means acquitted, but he wasconvicted and executed by the guillotine. As soon as we entered Belgium, we were struck with the improvement ofthe lands. The small towns look remarkably thrifty, and every placeseems to speak of manufactures and industry. At Brussels, we put up at the Hotel Bellevue, in the Place Royale. Thesituation is good. In a large square, and in front of our hotel, is themagnificent statue, in bronze, of Godfrey, Duke of Boulogne, the cast ofwhich we so admired as the Crusader, in the exhibition. In this squareLeopold was inaugurated King of Belgium. Every traveller enters Brussels with expectation of pleasure. He hasheard that it is Paris in miniature; and then Byron has thrown around ithis witchery of song. I can see but a dull and dim resemblance to Paris. Brussels, with its suburbs, which are quite large, has only a populationof one hundred and thirty thousand. The town is very clean, looks cosy, and has some very beautiful edifices. But you come here full of fancyabout "Belgium's capital, " "her beauty and her chivalry, " and the"windowed niche of that high hall, " and you see at first only a plain, good, comfortable town. However, there is quite enough of romance, after all, in this same place; and when you traverse it thoroughly, youfind enough to call out deep interest; and before you leave it you aremuch gratified, and, in all probability, feel desirous to see it again. I like to be in places that have a history; and this Brussels has. Letme tell you about this place. It stands on the brow of a high bill, andthe upper and lower towns are different affairs entirely. The summit iscovered with palaces, public buildings, boulevards, parks, &c, and thelower part is in the valley of the River Senne. Brussels was a city in709. In 976, the Emperor Otho held his court there; in 1044, it wasfortified and had seven gates; in 1405, a fire destroyed fourteenhundred houses; and in 1549, it suffered from two earthquakes. But stillit grew and flourished under the dukes of Burgundy, and became famousfor tapestry, lace, and fire-arms. In the days of Charles V. , the cityof Brussels was at its zenith. Philip II. , his son, and his infamousgeneral, the Duke of Alva, ravaged this city and vicinage. The peoplewere fanatical, and the rulers cruel. In 1695, the city was besieged, and four thousand houses destroyed by the bombardment. In 1794, Belgiumwas annexed to France. After the battle of Waterloo, the Prince ofOrange was proclaimed sovereign of Belgium. In 1830, the revolutiondisplaced the Orange dynasty, and Belgium broke off from Holland; andin 1831, the people chose Leopold for their king. The first thing Iwanted to see was the Hotel de Villa, which, many years ago, pleased meexceedingly; and I think all our party have been delighted with it. Thisis the noblest civil building in Belgium; it stands in a fine square, and is a glorious specimen of the Lombardy Gothic school. The spire isof open fretwork, and the sun shines through it. It has long beenesteemed as one of the most precious works of architecture in Europe. The extreme height is three hundred and sixty-four feet, and it waserected in 1444. On the spire is a gilt statue of St. Michael, seventeenfeet high, which turns with the wind. In front of this town hall CountsEgmont and Horn were executed, under the eye of Alva; but they werenobly avenged by William of Orange. At the head of a very steep andnarrow street stands a most imposing structure. It is the CathedralChurch of St. Gudule. The foundation was laid in 1010. The front view isvery much like that of Notre Dame, at Paris. This church is occasionallycalled St. Michael's in old writers, as it had a double consecration tothe archangel and Gudule. The interior of this cathedral is veryimpressive, although the architecture is simple. The pillars supportingthe roof are massive, and must receive the admiration of all spectators. There are brackets attached to them, on which stand finely-executedfigures of the Savior, the Virgin Mary, and the Apostles, executed bythe following renowned sculptors: Vandelyn, Quellyn, Tobias, andDuquesnoy. The pulpit is regarded as the finest in Europe, and is themost elaborate composition of sculpture in wood that is extant. It isthe work of the great Verbruggen, and was originally executed for aJesuit society at Louvain, in 1699. The art is exquisite, and farsuperior to the taste which is exhibited. The pulpit represents theexpulsion of Adam and Eve from paradise by the angel. Death is seen inpursuit of the guilty fugitives; and on the extreme summit is the VirginMary, bruising the serpent's head with a cross. On the steps andbalusters are various beasts and birds; the owl, ape, and peacock areconspicuous. We found preparations for a great church holiday, to beobserved the next day; and the Virgin Mary was gayly decked out inembroidery, lace, and jewelry. A monument to Count Merode, in a chapel, is a most exquisite production, and was executed by Geefs. Here Charles V. , in 1616, held a chapter ofthe Golden Fleece. The restoration of this beautiful church has beencarefully attended to lately, and the new windows of painted glass arevery fine; but some of the old windows, by Weyde, are grand indeed. In this church the famous sacramental wafers are placed away as relicsof inestimable value. Perhaps you recollect the story of the Jews whopurloined them, and profanely stuck the consecrated bread with knives;when, lo, a miracle! blood came from the incision, and the unbelieverswere smitten down. Of course, they were taken, and tormented, and burnt. This was at the close of the fourteenth century. The great celebrationof this Popish imposition of a miracle is kept up in July every year. All one side of this noble building is a set of mean, low, one andtwo-story shanties, which deface the appearance of the venerable pile. While in the church, we saw vast numbers of boys and girls, who had cometo make their confession and prepare for their first communion, to takeplace next day. We often saw in the streets of Paris and Brussels girlsdressed in white, with wreaths of flowers, and boys, with dresses thatlooked as if they were bound to a wedding; these were young people goingto communion. The poor children in this church looked as funny on theoccasion, sitting and chatting, waiting for their turn to confess, asthe priest looked tired and indifferent. We spent much of our leisure time walking in the noble park and gardens. O, when shall we have in America such care taken of our few green spots, in our great cities, as is here displayed? No lady can be more chary ofthe order of her drawing-room than are the authorities at Brussels ofthese beautiful promenades. Then, too, here are avenues of trees thatmake you in love with the city as you enter it. I do wish all our townswould raise committees of public-spirited men, who should undertake, byvoluntary contributions, or town action, to plant the roadsides thatform the entrances to these places. I was delighted, some months ago, tohear that a few gentlemen at Haverhill, in Massachusetts, had bandedtogether for this purpose. Charley, if you live to take an active sharein the business of life, try and do something for the place you live inthat shall appear after you have gone; make the spot of your residencebetter, because you have once lived in it. We are too selfish; we do notfulfil our duty to those who are to come after us; we do not, even inthe matters of this present state, live up to the great law of ourbeing--"No man liveth to himself. " Leopold's Palace is exceedingly plain and unpretending for a royalresidence. It was originally composed of two wings, through which astreet ran its course; but they are now united by a central building, with a handsome portico, having for its support six Corinthian pillars. The edifice is about three hundred and ninety feet in length; and, whilethe front is on the Park, the rear opens on an extensive garden. At theopposite side of the Park is the Chamber of Representatives. In thePark, and near to the Palace, is the prettiest glen and bit of miniaturewood I know of. We found our accomplished representative, the Hon. Mr. Bayard, kind andattentive. He lives in a charming part of the city; and his positionmust be a pleasant one, having good society in the place, and near toParis. Yours affectionately, J. O. C. Letter 32. BRUSSELS. DEAR CHARLEY:-- I like this city very much--it is so clean. The buildings in the upperpart of the town are new, and in pleasant contrast to the lower portion, which looks so very old. I think, from walking about a great deal, thatthere must be many English people here; for they carry their country intheir dress and manner. We spent a morning at the various shops, andprincipally at the lace and print stores. We purchased some verybeautiful engravings, lithographs, and illustrated works, which willremind us of our pleasant days in Brussels, and which I hope may amuseour friends. The lacework executed here is uncommonly rich, and, youknow, is very famous; but, I am sorry to say, also very expensive. Aperson may soon get rid of large amounts of money here. We made somepurchases for the ladies at home; but no doubt, if they had been withus, the bills would have been heavier than they were. The way we manage for getting money while we are travelling is by acircular letter from Baring & Brothers. On this we are introduced tohouses in the great cities through which our route lies, and the letterstates our credit at London; then from these houses we obtain what weneed, and have each house indorse the amount; so that, as we go fromplace to place, our financial position in London still appears. InBrussels we found the banker, or, at least, his agent, --for whether thebanker or his clerk we did not know, --a perfect specimen of vulgarityand rudeness. He was the most uncivil fellow that we have yet seen inEurope. His most pleasant words were grunts, and his motions andattitudes were almost threats. He looked like a Jew, but he acted like awild Arab; and his manœuvres would have been a godsend to the comic Dr. Valentine, if he had witnessed their display. His gray hairs did notcommand respect; and what made his rudeness so hard to bear, was thefact that nothing occurred to call it out. We probably met him at anunhappy moment. The Museum is in the old palace of the Spanish governors of the LowCountries, and long before their day it was the ducal residence of theBrabants. The building was begun in 1346, and completed in 1502. The pictures of Europe are one of my great objects of interest, and herewe begin to find them. We have left the London and Paris collections forexamination as we return. From the catalogue, we found there were aboutsix hundred pictures here, and some statuary. The chief attraction ofthis gallery is found in the few early Flemish paintings which itboasts. I think a Gerard Dow will long be remembered by me. It is aninterior, and the effect of the light in the room is admirable. Many ofthe paintings are styled Gothic; that means they were painted previousto the time of Van Eyck. An interior of the Antwerp Cathedral, by Neefs, is very fine; and I was much pleased with some large pictures byPhilippe Champagne, some' of whose portraits I have seen in New York. Here are four pictures by Paul Veronese. No. 285 is the Marriage ofCana. I think I never saw a picture in which I was so impressed with themagnificence of the coloring. The table is richly spread, and the lightappears on it, coming down the columns; the rich colors of the fruitscontrasting strongly with the white table and gay dress of one of thefigures. The management of light, by introducing various colors in thedresses, is wonderful, and the blue sky produces the happiest effect. Inever before understood how much a picture depended on the arrangementof color. The drapery of this composition struck me greatly; andalthough I know little of great paintings, yet I do know what I like, and this picture, as a whole, seems to me wonderfully fine. In 1695, when this town was bombarded by the French, fourteen churcheswere destroyed, some of which contained the best pictures of Rubens, Vandyke, and other great painters of that century. I observed here agood portrait of Henrietta, queen of Charles I. , who seems to have beena favorite with painters. I have seen a score of her faces by Vandyke atWindsor, Paris, and elsewhere. This was by Mignard. All make her verybeautiful. The Adoration of the Magi, by Van Eyck, the inventor of oil painting, iscurious; and a Descent from the Cross, by Hemling, who flourished about1450, interested me. Amongst the pictures by unknown masters I saw somegood ones. I thought the portraits in this class very spirited. One ofBloody Mary was quite a picture. In this building, too, the doctor found a treat in the great BurgundyLibrary, where are nearly twenty thousand MSS. , some of which are themost richly-illuminated vellums that are known. Some of the miniaturesof the early fathers and saints are of exquisite beauty. This preciouscollection has twice, I learn, been stolen by the French, as were alsothe best pictures. The library consists of about two hundred thousandvolumes. I saw some glorious specimens of Russian malachite. You would, I am sure, Charley, hardly forgive me if I had had so littleof your love of the curious as to go away from Brussels without a lookat the world-renowned fountain--the _Manekin. _ One day, when upon atramp, we inquired it out. The dirty dog is a little bronze figure, madeby the famous Duquesnoy in 1648. It stands at the corner of the Rue duChêne and the Rue de l'Etuve. He still maintains his ground; and thereseems no danger of his losing his occupation. The Botanical Garden lies on the side of the hill leading from the citytowards Antwerp, and is apparently kept in fine order. It is about sixhundred and fifty yards long, and I should think nearly two hundredwide. To-morrow we are to spend at Waterloo; and George is well nighdistracted. We have heard very little from him, since we reachedBrussels, but about Napoleon, Wellington, Ney, and Grouchy. Thelast-named marshal finds no favor at his hands, as he regards him as atraitor to the emperor at the critical moment. One thing is certain; heknows more about the battle than most persons, and will feel quite athome when he once makes out his stand-point. We all anticipate histransports with interest. We are to start early; so good-night. Yours, WELD. Letter 33. BRUSSELS. DEAR CHARLEY:-- I am thoroughly tired out with a day at Waterloo; and, though I shouldbe glad to retire at an early hour, yet, as to-morrow's mail takes allletters for the next steamer, we are all hard at the duty and pleasureof correspondence with our friends. I shall give you but a hurriedaccount of our visit to the great battle field of Europe. We were all upearly in the morning, and, after an excellent breakfast, we engaged acarriage and pair of horses for the day. The distance is about twelvemiles. After riding about two miles, we found the road touched theForest of Soignies, so well known in consequence of Byron's descriptionof the march of the army from Brussels to Waterloo. On the way we metseveral guides, who commended their services to our notice, backed up bytestimonials of former travellers. We selected Pirson, and he took hisplace beside the driver, and we arrived in two hour at the village. Passing by what is called a museum, we addressed ourselves at once to asurvey of the field. There are no signs of the past, excepting inmonuments and houses that are famous for their being occupied by thehostile parties during the battle. We turned our attention first to theChâteau of Hougomont, because, from our knowledge of the transactions ofthe great day, we regarded it as the grand point of attraction, and thecentral one for our observations. This farm is an old-looking affair, with out-buildings--a small chapel, twelve or fifteen feet long, and thegarden and orchard, having a strong stone wall around them. This was thestrong point of the British army; and if Napoleon could have gained it, he would have turned the flank of the enemy. To this he directed all hispower, and the marks of the conflict are yet very apparent. All day theattack was made, upon the farm by thousands, under the command of JeromeBonaparte. The wall was pierced with loopholes, and through these theEnglish Coldstream Guards kept up a most destructive fire upon theFrench troops. The exterior of the wall still shows what a terrificonset was made. We went into the house, obtained some refreshment, bought some relics, and, among other things, a neat brass crucifix, which hung against the wall. We then, went to look at the farms La BelleAlliance and La Haye Sainte--the famous mound where the dead wereinterred, and which is surmounted by the Belgic lion. This is an immensework, two hundred feet high; and from the summit we saw the entirefield. Of course, we all had our feelings excited at standing on a spotwhere the two greatest soldiers of Europe measured swords, and had acontinent for spectators of the conflict. When the French army marched through Waterloo, on their way to Antwerp, in 1831, they looked savagely at the Belgian monument, and one man firedhis musket at the lion, and the mark is still visible upon his chin. We were much gratified at the farm-house of Hougomont; and the hour wespent in its orchard and gardens will long be remembered by us all. Ihave read an account of the attack upon the house, which says, "TheBelgian yeoman's garden wall was the safeguard of Europe, whosedestinies hung upon the possession of this house. " The garden wall iscovered on the inside with ivy; and here we secured several roots of theplant, and, having bought a basket at the farm-house, we planted them inearth taken from beside the grave of a British officer, who fell in theorchard; his tombstone bears the name of J. L. Blackman. These plantswill give us trouble to carry; but Dr. Choules has determined uponcarrying them home for Mr. Hall, whose stone house needs ivy on thewalls, and he intends obtaining roots from various places of interest inEurope, to serve as mementoes of other lands. The church is a small affair, but is full of the testimonies of love andaffection from fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, wives, children, andfriends, to those who fell in the bloody conflict. We were annoyed by urchins, who beset our steps, eager to sell usgenuine relics of the field, which are likely to increase in number aslong as there is a demand for them. George, of course, was in hiselement, and he did little but plant the different sites in his memory, for the purpose of comparing notes, by and by, with Gleig, Headley, &c. , &c. I do not attempt to give you any thing like a description of the place, or an account of the battle, as you have books which are devoted tothese points. It is a circumstance worthy of notice that, in 1705, the Duke ofMarlborough came very near fighting a battle with the French, on thisground, but was prevented by the Dutch commissioners who were with him. We obtained some good engravings of the buildings that are famous fortheir connection with the battle, but they are nothing like as fine asthe folio illustrated volume of colored engravings which we have sooften looked over with interest. I tried to get a copy in London at anyprice, and would have given any thing in reason; but the work is out ofprint and the market, and can only be gotten at the sale of a collector. On returning to Brussels, and enjoying our dinner at a late hour, wepassed the evening in the Arcades, where we saw some beautiful goodsexposed for sale, and again examined some lacework. You will smile atthe idea of pocket handkerchiefs which cost from one hundred to onethousand dollars each. The embroidery of letters upon lacework iscostly; and we saw single letters which had required a week's work. We like this city, and, if time allowed us, should certainly pass a weekhere. I should not forget to say that we saw the king in the Park, nearto his palace. He looks like a man of fifty-five, and, I thought, had amelancholy air. Yours, JAMES. Letter 34. ANTWERP. DEAR CHARLEY:-- In company still with our friends from Bristol on a wedding tour, wetook the rail for Antwerp. The arrangements of the railroad in Belgiumseem to me as perfect as they can be made. All is order, civility, andcomfort. On starting for this place, we had the curiosity to inquire asto the number of passengers, and found thirteen first class, seventy-onesecond class, and one hundred and three third class. The road we tooklay through a level country, but cultivated to a great degree; and theproduce was chiefly clover, beans, potatoes, grain, and turnips. Onleaving Brussels, we noticed the fine botanical gardens on our right, and the Allée Verte, a noble avenue of trees which reaches to Laeken, apretty village, dating as far back as the seventh century, andcontaining a fine palace, where Leopold frequently resides. Napoleononce occupied this palace, and here it is said that he planned hisRussian campaign. The park is spacious, and the village has a celebratedcemetery; and here Madame Malibran reposes. The first stopping-place isat about six miles from Brussels, at Vilvorde--a very ancient town, having a population of not quite three thousand. It is known in historyas Filfurdum, and was a place of some consequence in 760. It was herethat Tindal, who was the first translator of the New Testament intoEnglish, suffered martyrdom, in 1536, being burnt as a heretic. TheTestament was a 12mo. Edition. It was published in 1526, and probablywas printed at Antwerp, where he then resided. Fifteen hundred copieswere printed, and they were mostly bought up by Bishop Tonstall, anddestroyed. The only copy known to exist is in the library of the BaptistCollege at Bristol. This copy belonged to Lord Oxford, and he valued theacquisition so highly that he settled twenty pounds a year upon theperson who obtained it for him. Both Tindal's assistants in this greatwork--Fryth and Roye--suffered martyrdom before his death. I am sorry tofind, by history, that Sir Thomas More employed one Phillips to go overto Antwerp and decoy Tindal into the hands of the emperor. The lastwords of the martyr were, "Lord! open the King of England's eyes. " SirThomas More was a bitter persecutor, and he was "recompensed in his ownways. " Not far from Vilvorde are the remains of the chateau of Rubens;and in the same vicinity is the house where Teniers is said to havelived. Mechlin, or Malines, is a fine-looking town, with twenty-fivethousand inhabitants, and it is spelt by early writers ways withoutnumber. The railroad just touches on its skirts, and, of course, wecould only look at it. Its cathedral church loomed up; and we longed tosee its interior, where Vandyke's greatest picture--the Crucifixion--isfound in the altar. The tower shows well at a distance. The otherchurches have some pictures of great merit, by Rubens. After passingMechlin, we saw at our right a large town, lying, perhaps, two milesoff, and then a still smaller one to the left, and a fine old castle, which looked in good preservation. The road led us through some finecountry residences; and, just before entering Antwerp, we passedBerchem, a sweet little village. And I would not omit to say that thesmall place called Vieux Dieu, before we came to Berchem, is famous forbeing one of the last places where heathenism retained its hold in thisport of Europe, and here was formerly an idol. Antwerp--or, as the French write it, Anvers--is a noble city on theRiver Scheldt, and is about twenty-seven miles from Brussels. Thepopulation is rather more than eighty thousand. The city is laid out inthe shape of a bow, and the river forms the string. The river here isone hundred and ninety yards wide. The tide rises about fifteen feet. This place is of very ancient origin, and its legends are mixed up withthe fabulous. Early in the sixteenth century it was an important town. It was fortified, and became one of the chief places of trade for thenorth of Europe. In 1520, the population was over two hundred thousand. Five hundred vessels daily came into and left the port, and two thousandothers were always lying in the river and basins of the port. The deathblow to this place was the treaty of Munster, which stipulated thatevery vessel entering the Scheldt should discharge her cargo in Holland, so that it had to be conveyed to Antwerp by land. The abolition of theSpanish power was severely felt at Antwerp. You know, I suppose, thatthis is regarded as one of the strongest fortifications in Europe, andhas been the scene of repeated sieges. The last and most celebrated onewas in 1832, when it was captured by the French, after a brave defenceof two months. You cannot easily fancy what a charming old city this is; but I shalltry to give you some account of it and our employments here. We put upat the Hotel St. Antoine, in the Place Verte, nearly opposite thecathedral, and it certainly is one of the best houses we have seen anywhere. The court yard is spacious, and has fine orange-trees around it. Our rooms are very elegant, and on the first floor. The coffee-room isadmirably attended, and the _table d'hôte_ is the best we have yet setdown to. A large part of our anticipated pleasure arose from the factthat here are the great works of Rubens; and in the city of Rubens, Vandyke, Teniers, Jordaens, and Quentin Matsys, we felt that we couldnot be disappointed. In the Place Verte we find a colossal statue ofRubens by Geefs; and passing on a few steps, at the corner we come tothe Cathedral of Notre Dame, which is so celebrated all over Europe asone of the grandest specimens of the Gothic order of architecture. Thereis much dispute as to the exact date of this church, but the evidence isin favor of 1422, and it is known to have been finished in 1518. Thischurch is four hundred and sixty-six feet high, five hundred feet long, and two hundred and fifty wide. The nave is thought to be the mostsuperb in Europe; and the side naves are double, forming two hundred andthirty arches, supported by one hundred and twenty-five magnificentpillars, and some of these are twenty-seven feet in circumference. HerePhilip II. , in 1555, held a chapter of the Golden Fleece, at whichnineteen knights and nine sovereign princes were present. In 1559, PaulIV. Made this church a cathedral; but, in 1812, Pius VII. Issued a bullby which it was made dependent on the diocese of Malines. The effect ofthe evening sun upon the painted windows is the production of a glorywhich no pen can describe. Charles V. Was once an actor here, for hestood godfather at the baptism of the great bell. The pulpit is carvedwork, and done by Verbruggen. It represents the four quarters of theworld, and, though elaborate, is not as beautiful as the one in St. Gudule, at Brussels. The glory of the church is the "breathing scroll"of Rubens, so often seen upon the walls of its solemn aisles. Here isRubens's great picture, --the Descent from the Cross. To this picturepilgrimages have been made by all the lovers of art from other lands, and all concede the grandeur of idea and the simplicity of the style. There is quite a story about this picture, in which Rubens and thecrossbow-men of Antwerp both figure, but which I have no time to tellyou at present. Nearly opposite is the Elevation of the Cross. TheSavior's face and figure are not to be forgotten by any one whocarefully gazes on this canvas. Both these pictures were carried off bythe French, and also the Assumption of the Virgin, which is the highaltar-piece, and were restored by the allied sovereigns in 1815. Thislast-named picture is said to have been executed in sixteen days, andhis pay was one hundred florins a day. I like it exceedingly; and _the_figure of the picture is more spiritual than any other I have seen ofthe Virgin. Its date is 1642. I advise you to read Sir Joshua Reynolds'sLectures, where you will find a critical description of these immortalpictures. The steeple or tower is regarded as unrivalled, and is one of thehighest in the world. It is four hundred and sixty-six feet high; andfrom the top we could see Brussels, Ghent, Malines, Louvain, andFlushing, and the course of the Scheldt lies beautifully marked out. Ihardly dare tell you how many bells there are. Our valet saidninety-nine; one local book of facts says eighty-eight; but I supposethere are eighty or ninety; and every fifteen minutes they do chime thesweetest music: Charles V. Wished the exquisite tower could be kept fromharm in a glass case. The tracery of this tower is like delicatelacework, and no one can imagine half its beauty. After we came down, weexamined, at the base, the epitaph of Quentin Matsys, once ablack-smith, and then, under the force of the tender passion, he becamea painter. The iron work over the pump and well, outside the church, ishis handiwork. All round the cathedral are the finest old gabled houses I ever saw, Charley. I never tire in looking at them. They were the great houses ofthe time when the Duke of Alva made Antwerp the scene of his crueldespotism, and when the Inquisition carried death and misery into men'sfamilies. The oppressions of the Spaniards in this city sent many of thebest manufacturers from the Low Countries to England; and QueenElizabeth received them gladly. Yours, &c. , WELD. Letter 35. ANTWERP. DEAR CHARLEY:-- I believe the lads have told you what they have seen in Belgium; and asthey are just now busily employed, I shall endeavor to tell you ourdoings and enjoyments for the last day in this noble old city. We havebeen to see St. James's Church, where the great attraction is the tombof Rubens. The altar is exquisitely fine, and was the work of Duquesnoy. Rubens brought it from Italy. Over the tomb is the famous Holy Family, in which Rubens has introduced himself as St. George, his father asJerome, his wives as Martha and Magdalene, his grandfather as old Time, and his son as the Angel. This wonderful creation of art was carried offby Napoleon to the Louvre, but was restored to the church in 1815. Fromhence we repaired to St. Paul's Church. It was built in 1679. It has anoble appearance, and retains its cloisters. In this building we noticedthe Flagellation, by Rubens; Jesus bearing the Cross, by Vandyke; theCrucifixion and Resurrection, by Jordaens; and the Adoration of theShepherds, by Rubens. As we left the church, we visited the Calvary, which is at the entrance, or, rather, off from it, at the right. It ismeant to represent the place of Christ's death. There are severalstatues of prophets and apostles, and a sort of grotto. At the end isMount Calvary, and the summit is the scene of the Savior's crucifixion. Beneath is the tomb, the body, and the stone rolled away; and at theleft are bars and flames, and poor creatures in purgatorial fires. Amore wretched-looking burlesque was never placed in the vicinage of artand the productions of genius. Popery employs such trickery unblushinglyin Papal countries, but withholds their exhibition from the common senseof England and America, waiting till our education shall fit us for thesimple, unalloyed system of delusion. We find the number of priests in Belgium much greater than in France. Wesee them in the cars, at the stations, and in every street. At onestation, on our way to Antwerp, we saw a most strangely-dressed man. Hewore a cloak, and the cape formed a sort of hat. His head was shaved, and his feet were bare. We learnt that he was a monk of La Trappe. Hewas as noble a looking man as I have seen in Europe. We devoted the morning to the Museum, which is so famous for containingthe richest productions of Rubens, Vandyke, Jordaens, and a host ofother great Flemish artists. As we entered, we saw, with interest, thechair of Rubens, which he used in his studio. It bears his name, and thedate of 1638. It is in a glass case. Rubens has sixteen pictures here, of high character, and Vandyke several. We were all delighted with No. 215--a Dead Christ on a stone table, and the Virgin mourning at hisside. No. 212 is a wonderful composition--Christ crucified between theThieves. The look of the dying penitent at his Savior is not to beforgotten. The Magdalene of this picture is a creation of beauty indeed. I have purchased a fine engraving of this picture, and several others byRubens, and I hope, by looking at them long, to retain the impression Ihad made on my mind as I gazed upon the originals. No. 221--theTrinity--is a profane and ungracious representation of a Dead Christ inthe arms of a stern old man, who is intended for the Father. Thispicture is wonderfully fine, as regards the foreshortening of the deadbody; and I never saw such an exhibition in this respect. No. 218---Christ showing his Wounds to Thomas--is fine; but the picture hassuffered from damp. Quentin Matsys has several of his productions here, and we looked withinterest at a fine Sir Thomas More, by Holbein; the Flight into Egypt, by Memling; Mater Dolorosa, by Albert Durer; and many interiors, byFlemish artists. I was greatly pleased with No. 382--the Death ofRubens, by Van Brée, who died in 1839. This is large, and I think a mosteffective picture. The two sons, the priest, the wife fainting, and thetwo scribes, are admirably disposed; and the open window, through whichthe cathedral spire is seen, seems to me exceedingly clever; but I fancyI admired it more than artists have done. On leaving this noblecollection, we stopped at St. Andrew's Church to see a portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots, over a monument to the two Ladies Curl, one of whomwaited on her at her execution at Fotheringay Castle. After dinner wesallied out to see the Exchange, or Bourse, and from which the firstLondon one was copied. Of course, this gave it an interest to us, as wecould fancy we saw the royal building in which Queen Bess made such adisplay, and of which Gresham had so much reason to be proud. It is apiazza of iron arches and granite pillars, surrounding a square twohundred feet long by one hundred and sixty wide. It was built in 1531. On returning home, we accidentally met with Mr. Vesey, the Americanconsul. He invited us to his drawing-room, and we had a very pleasanthalf hour. But when he found we were to leave next day, he insisted ontaking us to the outskirts and showing us the citadel andfortifications. In a few minutes he had us in a carriage, and became ourkind and efficient guide till the loss of daylight rendered it uselessto look around. I think we shall never forget the very great attentionand friendship which we all met with from this gentleman; and I wasgratified to hear him say that here, in Europe, nothing seemed tointerest him in relation to mere party strife at home; while the honorand union of the country seemed to him all and every thing. Mr. Veseyhas a good library and some fine paintings. He is a man of taste, andmarked by energy of character; and is just such a representative of hiscountry as she needs at such points as Antwerp and other large cities. Yours truly, J. O. C. Letter 36. HAGUE. DEAR CHARLEY:-- I assure you we felt sorry to leave Antwerp; it is such a thoroughlyfine old place, has so much of old Spanish history still bound up withits present aspect, and is so decidedly foreign in its appearance, language, &c. I have only time left to say a word about the docks ofAntwerp, which were a favorite project of Napoleon Bonaparte. They wereconstructed at an enormous outlay; and the emperor expected to make thisplace the great rival of London. At the peace of 1814, the dock yardswere demolished; but the great basins still exist, and are used forpurposes of commerce. They are useful in winter, to preserve vesselsfrom the ice which floats in the Scheldt. It was a lovely morning when, having parted with our English friends, who proceeded to Bruges, we entered on board an iron steamer for apassage of about eight hours to Rotterdam. The boat was neat and clean, though small, and the cabin was adorned with baskets and pots of flowersof various kinds. The view of the city and its fortifications was fine, as the boat receded from the shore. On our way we passed Dort, one ofthe finest towns of Holland, and from appearances, I think, one of muchtrade. Its population is twenty thousand. Here, in 1618, was held thefamous Synod of Dort, the great labor of which was to settle the claimsof the rival systems of Calvin and Arminius. At this synod, Bishop Hallwas a delegate from the English church; and he, good man, never dreamedof denying the validity of the ordination of his brethren in thatcouncil. We felt interested, as we sailed along this town, inremembering that here, in 1421, seventy-two villages and more than onehundred thousand persons were drowned by the incursion of water from thedike. The river stretches far away, and looks much like a lake. If any one looks at the face of the country, he will at once understandwhy these regions have been termed the Low Countries. We passed, as youmay see on the map, Gravendeel, Willeinstadt, and the far-famedfortress of Bergen op Zoom, which is one of the strongest places inHolland. You know that Antwerp stood a long siege in 1831, when itsuffered severely; and, as we passed Fort St. Laurent, we were pointedout the spot where a most gallant occurrence happened at that time. Agun boat, belonging to Holland, got on shore, and the Belgians hastenedto capture her, when her captain, a young man named Van Speyk, rushedinto the magazine, put his cigar upon an open keg of powder, and, in theexplosion, perished, with twenty-eight of his crew out of thirty-one. Hewas an orphan, who had been educated at Amsterdam. He has a finemonument next to Admiral De Ruyter's, and a fine ship of the Dutch navybears his name. On board our boat we found two young gentlemen, of aboutfifteen or sixteen, belonging to Rotterdam, who were going home forvacation. . They are pupils at a boarding school in Brussels. They spokeEnglish very well, and gave us a great deal of pleasing information. Thedinner on the boat was very excellent. On reaching Rotterdam, we merelyrode through it to take the cars for the Hague. It is a fine-lookingtown, has seventy-five thousand inhabitants, and some noble EastIndiamen were lying at the wharves. Many of the houses were like thoseat Antwerp, and told a Spanish origin. I here noticed looking-glassesat the windows, so that any one in the parlor can see the reflection upand down the streets. I was glad to be able to see the bronze statue ofErasmus, who was born here in 1467. We were delayed by the absence ofthe authorities to sign our passports, but were in time to reach theears, and then started for the Hague, which is thirteen miles fromRotterdam; and we were forty minutes on the way. The road is excellent. We passed through Delft, and here we could not fail to admire thegardens and country-houses. It was dark as we entered the town; and wetook up our quarters at the Doelen, which is a name indicating thatarchers have resorted thither. Whoever goes to this house will be sureto do well. We obtained capital rooms. Early next morning we called onMr. George Folsom, our _chargé d'affaires_. This gentleman is an oldfriend of mine; and he gave us a most cordial welcome, taking entirepossession of our party for the day. Mr. Folsom resides in very handsomestyle upon the Voorhout, the best street of the city, and which, likeevery other part of the place, is adorned with noble trees. It seemsstrange to call this place a city, it is so thoroughly rural in itsappearance. It hardly shows like a town of sixty-five thousand people onaccount of being concealed in shrubbery, cut up by canals, andovershadowed with forest-trees. Very early in the day we were kindly provided with carriages, and takento Scheveningen, a village about three miles off. Our road lay through afine avenue of trees. This is a great fishing-place, and a greatwatering-place. It has a large hotel, which we went to for lunch. It isthe great rendezvous of the fashionable part of society in Germanyduring the heat of summer. We could not help drawing a contrast betweenScheveningen and Newport, and not much to the advantage of the Dutchbeach. This spot has some celebrity, as the port whence Charles II. Embarked for England at his restoration. On our way back we saw theresidence of the queen dowager, sister to the Emperor of Russia, and ofwhom Mr. Folsom speaks highly, as a very excellent and sensible lady. Mrs. Folsom and the ladies of our party had visited the queen the daybefore. The house looked quite snug, and very unpretending. Onreturning, we at once repaired to the Museum, which is supposed to be, in many respects, the finest in Europe. Here, too, is the famous picturegallery, in which are the best productions of the Flemish and Dutchschools. You are aware that Holland has had extensive trade with Chinaand Japan, through her colonies; hence the richness of this museum, which, so far as Japan is concerned, is unrivalled. I have a catalogueof this wonderful collection, and to that I must refer you; for, as todescription of what I saw, it would be impossible to tell you ahundredth part. The Oriental curiosities are very rich and fine. A planof Jeddo, the capital of Japan, is very curious--made by natives. Thehistorical treasures are rich and numerous. Here we saw the armor of DeRuyter, and that of Van Tromp, well scored with bullets; the sword ofVan Speyk; a part of Czar Peter's bed; the dress of William of Orangewhen he was murdered at Delft; the pistol and bullets by which he fell, &c. , &c. We all expected much pleasure from the gallery of paintings, and I believe we experienced no disappointment; and how could we, withsuch treasures of art and genius? Here we noticed with most interestRembrandt's Surgeon and Pupils dissecting a dead Body. This is No. 127. The body is admirable, and the legs are thrown into shadow. Theportraits are lifelike. The portraits of Rembrandt's wives are finespecimens of coloring. No. 123 is the world-renowned Bull, by PaulPotter. The glory of this work is its minute adherence to nature. Theleaves and plants, and every appearance of vegetation, impresses thespectator with the idea of reality. This was carried off to the Louvre, although the Dutch offered twenty thousand pounds sterling to redeem it. I liked the pictures of De Ruyter and Van Tromp; but the treat of all tome was the show of small Dutch pictures, by Gerard Dow, thirty-five innumber; a Battle Field and Hay Cart, by Wouvermans, and many others fromhis studio; Flight into Egypt, by Vanderwerp; Fruits and Flowers, byBreughels; Interiors of Cottages, by A. V. Ostades; a Kitchen, byTeniers; and a very large Hunting-piece by Snyders, whom I greatlyadmire. As to portraits, they are in any number, and some are very fine. One of Laurence Coster, by Durer, is curious. We went to see the late King's Palace, and here we found only the relicsof the splendid gallery which was once to be seen. An auction hadrecently disposed of more than half the paintings. The late monarch wasa man of taste, but had sadly involved himself in its gratification. Many of the paintings here are exceedingly fine, and will be disposed ofin a public sale next October. After leaving this palace, we went withMr. Folsom to see the Brimenhoff. This is the place where the Dutchparliament meets. We went into the second chamber and heard the debates, which were not very edifying. The appearance of the members was verymuch like that of a New England assembly of legislators. The fine Gothic Hall here is said to be the oldest building in the city. It was on a scaffolding in front of it that Barneveldt, the grandpensionary of Holland, was beheaded, in 1618, at the age of seventy-two. We also saw the gateway of the tower in which Cornelius De Witt wasconfined, in 1672, on the ridiculous charge of conspiracy against thePrince of Orange. The populace feared his acquittal, and they by amanœuvre induced his brother John De Witt, the grand pensionary, tovisit him in prison. They then broke in, dragged them forth, and torethem to pieces under the gateway. We went to look at De Witt'sresidence, which is plain and unpretending. I do wish you could have been with us in our ride through the Bosch, afine park of forest-trees near to the town. The forest never looked morepleasant to me than here. May is a sweet month, and especially when, with all her verdant beauty, she is just about to rush into the arms ofJune. We all talked of you in the charming drive, and Mr. Folsom madekind inquiries after you. On reaching home, we went with our kind guideto see the house which was occupied by John Adams when he was at thiscourt negotiating a treaty with Holland in aid of our independence. We are to spend to-morrow and next day at Harlem, on our way toAmsterdam; and the boys will tell you what we see there. Affectionately yours, J. O. C. Letter 37. AMSTERDAM. DEAR CHARLEY:-- In order that we might enjoy an opportunity to hear the great organ atHarlem to advantage, Mr. Folsom advised us to spend a Sabbath day there, which we did, in company with his family. We took the rail to Leyden, ten miles. Here we saw the Dunes, or Sand Hills, which guard the Dutchcoast, and which are from one to four miles in width, and are fromthirty to fifty feet high. These immense piles would soon be scatteredby the strong winds if they were not regularly sown with reed grass, theroots of which often spread from twenty to thirty feet, binding thebanks, and the decayed vegetation furnishing good soil for potatoes. Theexistence of Holland and its population is only insured by perpetualstrife maintained against the sea and winds of heaven. We could not lookat Leyden and forget that the Pilgrim Fathers of New England were onceexiles at this place. They called it a "goodly and pleasant city, " andhere they spent twelve years; and we looked at the scenery with interestas we thought of their wanderings, and how much preparation was expendedin establishing the glorious foundations of our own New England. Thecity has about forty thousand inhabitants. Its University is stillfamous, and the hall of the institution is rich in portraits of thegreat and good. The Museum of Natural History is very large, and isquite curious in Oriental and Egyptian relics. In Japanese curiosities, the Dutch museums are far more affluent than any others of Europe, asthey maintain almost exclusive traffic with Japan. The history of Leyden is very interesting. In 1573-4, this town sufferedan awful siege from the Spaniards for four months, and lost more thanfive thousand inhabitants by war and famine. At last the elementsconspired in their favor, and an incursion of the sea destroyed theSpaniards and brought succor to the Dutch. Rembrandt the painter wasborn at Leyden, in a wind mill. By the way, there are literallythousands of wind mills in this country, and some of them are verypretty objects. The sails of these mills are immensely large, and Ithink I saw some that were quite one hundred feet long. Many of the bestmen of England have studied at Leyden; and if you read the lives ofEvelyn and Goldsmith, you will find they were much attached to thisplace. Boerhaave, the great physician, was a professor here, and go wereArminius and his rival Gomarus. Gerard Dow or Douw, Jan Steen, andVandervelde, the artists, were born here. Near Leyden the Rhine entersthe sea, by the aid of a canal and sluice gates; and here are great saltworks, carried on by evaporation. From Leyden we took the rail toHarlem, eighteen miles; and we found the road very good, and thefirst-class cars perfectly luxurious. We noticed on our right hand theWarmond Catholic Seminary for Popish priests, and saw the young men inlarge numbers, walking about. The road runs through a sandy tract ofcountry, and much of it is made land. Approaching Harlem, we found thecottages and country-houses very numerous and exceedingly pretty; and wewere pointed to the castle of the unfortunate Jacqueline, whose history, you know, has been so charmingly written by our friend Mr. T. C. Grattan. We made our home at the Golden Lion, and found the place comfortable andvery thoroughly Dutch. The landlady is a brisk, bustling body, andspeaks English tolerably well. Harlem has about twenty-fire thousandinhabitants. On Sunday morning we went to the Church of St. Bavon. Wefound a large congregation, and they sung most heartily. The dominie hada cocked hat hanging up behind him in the pulpit; and he was, beyonddoubt, a very eloquent man. The great organ, built in 1738, was longdeemed _the_ organ of Europe, but is now supposed to be excelled atFriburg. We heard it during service several times, and in a voluntary. It unquestionably is an instrument of great sweetness as well as power. It has five thousand pipes. The church is lofty, and looks plain enoughafter what we have seen in Antwerp. Of course, we went to see thestatue of Coster, who is said to have been the inventor of printing in1420-28, twelve years before Guttemberg made his experiments. The Dutchare strong advocates for their inventor; but I think evidence in favorof metal type lies with the man of Mayence. You may be sure that, when we were so fortunate as to be here early inJune, we did not fail to go into the nurseries and gardens, and see thehyacinths, tulips, narcissuses, anemones, ranunculuses, &c. We went tothe extensive grounds of Mr. Krelage, the first florist of Holland, No. 146 Kleine Houtweg; and here we were greatly delighted. The tulips wereexceedingly fine, and under cover they receive as much attention as ifthey were babies. The hyacinths surpassed in beauty and variety anything we are accustomed to. I noticed a double blue, called GloriaMundi; Van Speyk, L'Importante, same color; Goethe, double yellow;L'Eclair, crimson; and Emicus, white, which were particularly beautiful. But we were all, perhaps, most pleased with the extensive beds ofanemones and ranunculuses, which rarely do well in our hot climate, andhere flourish in a humid atmosphere. Certainly they are the prettiestflowers I ever saw; but they lack perfume. Here we saw them bythousands. The exquisite order and condition of these large gardenspleased us much. The young gentleman who kindly devoted three hours tous spoke English well, and was very courteous and attentive. I havebrought away a catalogue of the flowers, with the prices. The soil ofHarlem is every where a deep sand, and every thing appears to flourish. The vicinage of this place is very pleasant; and we rode for two hoursthrough a noble wood, fringed with sweet villas, and made a visit to apalace built by the great banker, Hope, of Amsterdam, and which was theresidence of King Louis Bonaparte. It is now a picture gallery, andcontains some good historical pictures, and many fine small ones, of thebest artists of Holland. I think the boys forgot to tell you that, atthe Hague, we found the annual exhibition of paintings by the livingartists of Holland, just opened, and the treat was very great. It isquite clear that the art is not lost here, and that rare excellence isstill to be found among the Dutch painters. We were all delighted with apicture of Charles IX. Of France, and his surgeon, Ambrose Paré. Thetime is just before the Bartholomew massacre; and Catharine is in theroom, plotting with her wretched son. Some of the portraits wereremarkable productions, and evince a power rarely seen in thisdepartment. Some of the interiors of houses and churches were quite inthe style of Ostade, Neefs, and Gerard Dow. A picture of the Virgin, and Jesus and John, by Schwartze, of Amsterdam, received general praise. Of this artist I shall have more to say. The great Lake of Harlem, which is thirty miles in circumference, is tobe drained; and for several years operations have been in progress tothis end. The immense works employed for this purpose are worthy ofnotice. After leaving Harlem, and taking leave of our kind friend the ministerat the Hague, with his amiable family, we again entered the cars, and, after riding twelve miles, reached Amsterdam. The chief feature on theway was the everlasting wind mill, employed here to grind wheat, &c. Wewent to the Hotel Doelen, and found it all that Mr. Folsom had said. This is a great city, of two hundred and twenty-five thousandinhabitants. The canals are immense affairs, and the ships and vesselsof all sorts give it a very active appearance. All round the city is awide fosse; and there are four great canals inside, with many minorcuts. Some of these canals are more than one hundred and twenty-fivefeet wide, and are edged with very fine houses; and the intercourse ofthe city is kept up by some two hundred and fifty bridges. The city isabout eight miles round. Every one seems actively employed. Yours affectionately, J. O. C. Letter 38. AMSTERDAM. DEAR CHARLEY:-- The next morning after reaching this fine, but queer city, we called onthe American consul, and he gave us a very friendly reception. He isquite a young man, but seems to be full of energy. At his house we met aMr. J. G. Schwartze, a native of Philadelphia, but who came to Hollandvery young, and has made this city his residence. He is highlydistinguished as an artist; and we saw a fine production of his at theexhibition at the Hague. Mr. Schwartze is a charming companion--full ofenthusiasm; and when he found that I was fond of pictures, he at oncevolunteered to be our guide to the galleries here; and in all ourmovements here our kind friend has been with us. The most imposingbuilding here is the Stadhuis, or Palace. It was finished in 1655, andused to be the seat of the town councils. Louis Bonaparte used it as hisresidence; and the king occupies it when he comes here. The marble hallis esteemed one of the noblest rooms in Europe, and is one hundred andtwenty feet long, fifty-seven wide, and nearly one hundred feet high. From the top of this building you get a capital view of the town, cut upinto artificial islands by the intersection of canals, &c. In thisbuilding is much fine statuary, and a few historical paintings. The churches are large, but look barn-like. The organ of the old churchis very rich in its decorations; and here, as at Harlem, men sit inchurch with their hats on, if they choose. The clergy wear a short, black cloak, and deep white ruffs on the neck. The Jews are quitenumerous, and have several synagogues. They live mostly in one part ofthe city. I do not think we shall any of us forget our visit to thepicture gallery at Amsterdam. Our attention was directed by Mr. S. Tothe best paintings, and the particular merits of the artists were kindlyexplained to us. The sight of a great picture is an event; and I thinkthat the day on which I first saw Rembrandt's Night Watch will long beregarded by me with pleasurable feelings. It is a company of archers, who are going out with their captain. The lights and shades arewonderfully introduced. The City Guards of Amsterdam, by Vanderhelst, isa large picture, with twenty-five portraits, and is esteemed as thefinest portrait picture in the world. But my favorite here is a smallpicture called the Night School, by Gerard Dow. I would cheerfully go ahundred miles on foot to see such a picture. The management of thelights upon the interior and figures is beyond any thing I haveimagined. His Hermit and Crucifix is another gem. The picture ofOfficers plundered by Peasants, by Wouvermans, and several landscapes ofhis, are still in my mind's eye; and several pictures by the twoOstades, Teniers, and Both are quite sufficient to make me understandhow it is that some men have found such fascination in collecting agallery. The best specimens of Jan Steen are in this city, and his Fêteof St. Nicholas would take wonderfully well with our good oldKnickerbockers at home. A Landscape, with cattle and figures, by AlbertCuyp, is strikingly beautiful; and how I wish you could see a Fat Boy, the son of a burgomaster, by Bartholomew Helst, dated 1648. Vandyke, whose portraits have never been equalled, has some of his best in thismuseum; and his Burgomaster of Antwerp, Vander Brocht, is as bold apicture as you could wish to gaze at. Hondekoeter's flowers and fruits, and Snyder's game pieces, are amongthe best of their kind in the world. Some of the finest things I haveseen in Holland, in the way of painting, are the little gems descriptiveof life as it lay about the artist--interiors of domestic abodes, andout-door scenes at the roadside. These, the patient, plodding Dutchmenhave worked up most elaborately. One or two of Nicholas Maes's picturesare wonderful. I saw one in a private collection, and it was a gloriousthing, though only a Kitchen, with two or three figures. O, how poor arethe things we often hear spoken of as fine pictures! The eye, it seemsto me, obtains its education rapidly in such a gallery as this. I amsure I shall look at works of art in future with new feelings. There was a most beautiful Jew boy, about eleven years old, that used tostand at our hotel door to sell matches, who regularly beset us with hiswares. His face was as striking as any fancy picture you can meet with, and his beauty and impudence made him a pretty successful merchant. Mr. Schwartze took us to a noble mansion belonging to a merchant prince, to see his great picture of Columbus before the Council explaining histheory. This is a first-class execution. The coloring is very fine, andthe drawing good; and we all felt pride in seeing such a picture fromthe easel of our countryman. I wish we had some good painting of his inAmerica. His portraits are excellent, and one of his wife has earned himhis high reputation in Holland. Through the kindness of this gentlemanwe were introduced to the Artists' Club, and spent our evenings there invery pleasant society. The artists belonging to it are probably aboutfifty, and the other gentlemen who mainly support it are about twohundred. I was much surprised to find nearly every gentleman we wereintroduced to speaking excellent English. We met here a very gentlemanlyand accomplished lawyer, Mr. Van Lennep, whose father is a man of greatwealth. His attentions were very friendly. While here, James was quitepoorly with some slight attack of fever; and both our friends and theconsul were unremitting in their services. The water is very poor; rain water is valuable indeed. The best drinkingwater is brought from Utrecht in stone demijohns. The bad water is oftenused, however, flavored with Schiedam. We saw several of thefloating-houses, in which whole families reside, and carry articles fromplace to place. The herring fishery, in its season, is a great matter inthe commerce of Amsterdam. Every thing here impresses the stranger withthe idea of activity, wealth, and great comfort; and I fancy that aperson would very soon become attached to the city as a place ofresidence. To-morrow, if James is better, we resume our journey, andstart for Cologne. Yours affectionately, WELD. Letter 39. COLOGNE. DEAR CHARLEY:-- We are strangely favored with weather; every day is fine; and we beginto think that the climate has been abused, for we have had anuninterrupted spell of bright, sunny weather. We started, afterbreakfast, for our journey to Cologne, and took the oars for Utrecht, which is twenty-three miles from Amsterdam. Our road was not one ofmuch interest, beyond the pretty gardens of the suburban residences. Breukelen and Maarsen we thought pleasant little places. Utrecht is alarge town, and has, I think, nearly sixty thousand inhabitants; and ofthese, one half are Catholics. It is rather on an ascent, and so isunlike any other place we have seen in Holland. The place is famous forthe treaty of 1713. Here is a university, and some very fine privateresidences; and the fortifications have been laid out in fine walks. TheMall, or public walk, is a noble avenue of trees, --limes, I think, --andthey are in six or eight rows. In this place is a cathedral, which weonly saw. From its tower is the best view of the country; and it is saidyou can see more than twenty towns from it. From Utrecht we continued, by railroad, to Arnheim, a distance ofthirty-three miles; and we saw more forest-trees than we had beforenoticed. In the cars were several Catholic priests, who smokedincessantly. Arnheim is on the banks of the Rhine, and is a prettylittle place, of about sixteen thousand inhabitants. We were, of course, reminded by Dr. C. That here Sir Philip Sidney died, in 1586, of hiswound received in the battle of Zutphen. The entire vicinity seemed tous a delightful spot, and we have seen no place where the houses appearso English and American. The scenery is very attractive; and we wouldhave liked to stay over a day, but the steamer for Ruhrort was ready tostart, and we had only time to get our tickets and go on board. We founda neat, comfortable boat, and met pleasant society. The Rhine here isbounded by flat shores, and has no points of interest, and affords nopromise of what it is so soon to be. We entered Prussia at Lobith, andhad a very thorough examination of our trunks by officers who came onboard. At Wesel--a town, I think, of some twelve thousand inhabitants, and having a very strong fortress--we stopped half an hour, and a crowdcame round the boat. Rapin, who wrote the History of England, lived herewhile engaged in the task. How singular it is that all the histories ofEngland, of any note, have been written by men not born in England! Theyhave been French, Scotch, Irish, &c. We reached Ruhrort in theafternoon, and left the boat. This is the great central depot where thecoal of the Ruhr is deposited. Here we crossed in a ferry boat, rode amile or two in an omnibus, and then took the cars for Cologne, afterwaiting some hour or two, in consequence of a delay--the first we havemet with on any railroad on the continent. It was dark when we passedthrough Dusseldorf; and we felt sorry not to stay here and see thewater-color drawings that remain in this collection, once so famous; butwe were told at Paris that the best of the drawings and pictures havegone to Munich. In the cars we met a gentleman and his lady who wereevidently Americans. We entered into conversation, and found they werefrom Nashville, Tennessee. They bad been travelling very extensively inEurope, and had been through Egypt, crossed the desert, and visitedSyria and the Holy City. I quite respected a lady, Charley, who hadtravelled hundreds of miles upon a camel. The journey had been verybeneficial to her health. We reached Cologne at about ten o'clock, aftercrossing over a bridge of boats fourteen hundred feet long, and went tothe Hotel Holland, on the banks of the river, and found it a very goodhouse, with a grand view of the Rhine; and the chambers are as good ascan be desired. Few places are more fruitful in the reminiscences whichthey furnish than this old city. Cologne has a Roman origin, and wassettled by a colony sent by Nero and his mother, who was born here, inher father's camp, during the war. It still retains the walls of itsearly fortifications, built as long ago as the twelfth and thirteenthcenturies. In Cologne Caxton lived, in 1470, and learnt the new art ofprinting, which he carried to England and introduced there. Its presentpopulation is about ninety thousand, having increased latterly, and, nodoubt, will rapidly increase, in consequence of its connection withParis, Strasburg, Berlin, Antwerp, and other cities, by railroads. We turned our steps very early to the Cathedral, and here we expectednothing less than a treat; but much as we had heard of it, and often asthe doctor had described it, we found it far beyond all ouranticipations. The church was commenced in 1248, and is still far fromcompleted. It is always thought to be one of the grandest Gothic pilesin the world. The name of the architect is not known. Gerhard is theearliest builder whose name is associated with this church, in 1252. Theplan was to build the two towers five hundred feet high; but theloftiest has only attained the height of about one hundred andeighty-five feet. Much of the external work is in decay; but great painsand cost have been given to repair the stone work, and the work is goingon with vigor and success. It is supposed that it will require threemillions of dollars to carry out the design. The form of the church is across, and "the arches are supported by a quadruple row of sixty-fourcolumns; and, including those of the portico, there are more than onehundred. The four columns in the middle are thirty feet incircumference, and each of the one hundred columns is surmounted by achapiter different from the others. " On one tower still exists the oldcrane which raised the stones that came from Drachenfels. The only partof the cathedral yet finished is the choir. This is one hundred andsixty-one feet high; and, whether you look at it outside, or gaze onits interior, you are lost in admiration. The stained windows are reallybeyond all others I have seen. All round the choir stand colossalstatues of the Apostles, the Virgin, and the Savior. In a chapel not farfrom the altar is the renowned shrine of the Three Kings, or Magi, whocame from the East with gifts to the infant Savior. These bones oncerested at Milan; but Frederic Barbarossa, in 1162, gave them to anarchbishop of Cologne. So here they are in a case, silver gilt, andarcades on pillars all round; and, inside the pillars, little goldprophets and apostles. The jewelry at this shrine has been formerlyvalued at six millions of francs; but in some of its transportations introublous times, it has met with spoliations; but it is still radiantwith gold and pearls, and gems of all descriptions. The restoration ofthe shrine is going on, and costly offerings are frequently made in aidof the undertaking. The skulls of these worthies are crowned with gold, and look ghastly enough, in spite of diamonds and rubies. Their namesare Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. We paid a heavy fee to see the rareshow; but it is well enough to understand the mummery that there is inthe world. We went the entire round of the little chapels, and saw somefine monuments to the great ones of church and state. I was much pleasedwith a bronze statue of Archbishop Conrad, of Hocksteden, who died in1261, and some exceedingly old paintings. We also saw the library andsacristy, and the sacred vestments, some of which were splendid enough. Here we saw a bone of St. Matthew some saint's shrine in silver, and thestate cross of the archbishop, with several of the very finest ivorycarvings that we have fallen in with. A look at the vast workshop wherethe stone carvings for restoration are made was quite interesting. While wandering through the aisles of the Cathedral, we met with a verypleasant family from New York; and, after introduction, we agreed tomake the passage of the Rhine together; and, as there are young peoplein the party, this will be very agreeable to us. We have rather alimited time to pass here, and so have concluded to neglect the Virgin'sbones, at St. Ursula's Church, of which we have read all the legends. Men and women trained up to worship these odds and ends are the peoplewho are flocking by thousands to our country; and there is a great dealfor such folks to learn before they will value and understand ourprivileges. We next turned our steps to St. Peter's Church, where Rubenswas baptized; and we saw the brass font, which is still there, and alsohis father's tomb. It was to this church that the great painterpresented his famous Crucifixion of Peter, which he thought the best heever painted; but artists differ with him in this estimate. The picturenow exposed to view is only a copy, which was made in Paris when theoriginal was in the Louvre; but the man in charge turns the picture, which is on a pivot, and you have the original before you. Peter's headis very fine, and much more striking than the rest of the body. Thelittle garden in the cloisters of this church is very sweet, and thereare some good bits of sculpture. The beautiful Church of the Apostles wecould not see, excepting outside, and its appearance is quite singular. The styles of architecture I thought strangely mixed up. Of course, wegot some cologne water at the genuine fountain head in Julich's Place;and in the evening we made an examination of a curiosity shop, where wefound a fine old engraving of Rubens's head, and two excellentengravings of Ostades's interiors. They are gems in their way, and, though very old, are perfect. We saw the house where the unfortunateQueen of France died, in 1644, respecting whose last days so interestinga fiction has been written; and we were told that it was also the veryhouse in which Rubens was born. At all events, it is a very plainestablishment for such celebrity as it possesses. We have also seen amilitary review here; but the discipline was poor, and only the musicgood. A gentleman here from America, engaged in the wine trade, has amused usall by his facts in relation to champagne, which is here manufacturedin large quantities, and is fabricated from a mixture of some ten ortwelve different wines. A very superior brand is the result, which thegood people of America will pay well for, with an appropriate brand dulyfurnished to order. On the roof of our hotel is a sort of room, or garden, called theBelvedere. In it are a variety of fine plants, in healthy condition. Theroses were very fragrant. The view across the river from this place ischarming; and the village of Deutz looks prettily, with its large hoteland plenty of smaller houses of resort. To-morrow we go up the Rhine;and we are all hoping for a fine day, and then we expect a pleasant one. Yours truly, JAMES. Letter 40. FRANKFORT. DEAR CHARLEY:-- It was on the Rhine that we all wanted you with us, and other friends, too, who were far away. This is no common, every-day stream, but onewhose name and renown have been associated with ten thousand pages ofhistory, song, and legend. We have read of the Rhine, listened to itssongs, drank its wines, dreamed of its craggy, castled banks, --and atlast we found ourselves upon its waters, rushing down from their homesin Alpine steeps and regions of eternal snow. The deposits of this riverhave made Holland what she is; and the rich plains of the Low Countrieshave been formed by the alluvial deposits of this noble river. Theenthusiasm of the Germans towards this stream is well known. They callit Father Rhine, and King Rhine; and well may they be proud of itsbeauty and its historic fame. We took our passage in a fine steamer, ona lovely morning, and it took us about eight hours to reach Coblentz. Leaving Cologne, we passed an old tower on the edge of the river, and, for some miles, the prospect was every day enough; and it was not tillwe approached Bonn that we were much impressed with the banks. We passedseveral villages, which appeared to have pleasant localities. I nameonly Surdt, Urfel, Lulsdorf, and Alfter. Bonn is an old city, of Romandate, and has figured largely in the wars of the Rhine. Its populationis about sixteen thousand. Bonn has a minster, which shows itself finelyto the voyager on the river, and is a Gothic structure of the twelfthcentury. The University here is famous for its library, and the greatnames formerly associated with this institution--Schlegel and Niebuhr. Both filled chairs in the college. Prince Albert was educated at thisplace. Beethoven was born here. If we could have spent a day at theSeven Mountains, I should have been glad; but we were only able to lookat them. They vary in height from one thousand and fifty to fourteenhundred and fifty-three feet. The most picturesque of the group isDrachenfels; and the beautiful lines of Byron you will recollect, wherehe speaks of "the castled crag of Drachenfels. " From this place thestone was taken for the Cathedral at Cologne. The summits of these sevenmountains are crested with ruined castles. Their sides are well wooded, and around them are spread fruitful vineyards. You know how famous theyare in the legendary lore of the Rhine. The view from Drachenfels issaid to be one of the finest on the river. After leaving Bonn and theruins of Godesberg, we soon came to Rolandseck, a lofty eminence, whereare the remains of a baronial fortress and a celebrated ruin of an arch. I should judge that the access to this place was by a charming road. Theruins of Rolandseck are immortalized by the ballad of Schiller. Tradition relates that the castle was destroyed by the Emperor Henry V. , in the twelfth century. At the foot of the mountain is the sweet littleIsland of Nonnenwörth, of about one hundred acres, and the ruins of aconvent. The rock here is basaltic, and the production of volcanicaction. Never did Nature present a fairer picture than we gazed upon atthis spot. The villages around are pictures of happiness and content, and the scenery such as only the Rhine can exhibit. Passing by thecharming, rural-looking Oberwinter, we soon came upon a woody height, where stands the Gothic Church of St. Apollinarisberg. Here is, or was, the saint's head; and it was formerly a shrine of great resort. Close byis the little tower Of Remagen, and opposite are basaltic rocky heightsof six or eight hundred feet, on the sides of which are vineyards--thevines growing in baskets filled with earth and placed in the crevices ofthe rocks. No square foot of soil seems to be wasted; and, to improvethe ground, you will find the plots for vines laid out like potatopatches, --some running this way, and others that, --making the sides ofthe hills and banks look very much like basket work. We now came, on our left hand, to the ruins of Okenfels and the prettytown of Linz. The ruins are very dark, and look as if they were pastredemption; whereas, some of these castles retain fine outlines. The redroofs of the town are in pleasing contrast with the green woods. Thistown seemed quite a business place; and I noticed several sloops andqueer-looking vessels at the piers. On the opposite side the Aar fallsinto the Rhine. Just back is a town called Sinzig, and story tells thathere Constantine and Maxentius fought the battle which resulted in thedownfall of paganism. Here it was that, the evening previous, Constantine saw in the heavens the figure of a cross, with theinscription, "_Εν τουτω νικα_. " [Greek: "_En toutô nika_. "] But otherlegends give the battle place on the banks of the Tiber. We were all pleased with a beautiful, modern, castellated building, erected out of the ruins of an ancient castle, of which a singlevenerable tower remains at a small distance. The name is the Castle ofReineck. It was built for Professor Bethman Holweg, of Bonn, and hereads his lines in pleasant places. It must have cost much money to rearsuch an edifice. Nearly opposite are the ruins of Hammerstein Castle, where, in 1105, Henry IV. Found an asylum. We next came to Andernach. This is an ancient city, and here you see towers and ruins standingamidst a wide amphitheatre of basaltic mountains. The place is spoken ofby various old historians, and under several names. The great trade ofthe place is in millstones, which find their way even to America. Hereis a celebrated Roman arched gate; but the lancet form would indicate alater date. On our left, we came to a pleasantly-situated town, calledNeuwied, with some five thousand inhabitants. The streets lie wide; thehouses looked bright, and very much like those in an American town. Hereis a Moravian settlement. On our right is a cheerful little place, called Weisenthurm, and an ancient tower stands near it. It is said thathere the Romans first made the crossing of this river. This was the spotwhere General Hoch passed in 1797; and on a height, at this village, isa monument to celebrate Hoch's achievement. Here we met with an enormousraft; and I assure you, Charley, it was a sight. We had seen two orthree small ones before, but here was a monster. These rafts come fromthe woods on the tributary rivers--the Moselle, Neckar, Maine, &c. Theseprodigious flotillas are bound to Dordrecht, and are there broken up. This one looked like a town. It had at least twenty-five huts, and someof them tolerably large shanties; and I should think there were all ofthree hundred and fifty persons upon it. On the raft were women, children, cows, pigs, and sheep. This one was thought to be sevenhundred feet long and two hundred wide, at the least. On our left, as weascended the river, we now saw Sain and Mühlhofen, just at the pointwhere two small rivers enter the Rhine; and on a hill top are the ruinsof a castle of the Counts of Sain. Farther up is the quiet-lookinghamlet of Engers; and we pass the islands of Niederwörth and Graswörth. On the former is a ruined convent, founded in 1242, and a population ofnearly seven hundred. They seem to have a fine old church. I very muchadmired the village of Kesselhein, and I think it must be a charmingspot. Close by it is the Palace of Schönbornhest, where the Bourbonfamily retreated at the revolution in the last century. It is now sadlydilapidated. Just as we were looking at Nuendorf, on our right, we wereall called, by a bend in the river, to gaze on the giant rock ofEhrenbreitstein, bristling to its very summit with fortifications. O, how it towers up, and smiles or frowns--which you please--upon Coblentz, sweetly reposing on the banks of the Rhine and the Moselle! I think theview from the deck of the steamer, up and down the river, and on eachside, is the noblest panoramic view that I have seen. Just before us isa bridge of boats, which connects the fortress with Coblentz; and, looking up the Moselle, is a fine stone bridge. We had our dinner on thedeck of the boat--a good arrangement, because we lost none of thescenery. This dinner was about midway between Cologne and Coblentz; andit would have amused you to have noticed the order of the variouscourses--soup, boiled beef, raw fish, ducks, roast pork, fowls, pudding, baked fish, roast beef, and mutton. Every thing was well cooked, and Inever saw people appear more disposed to do justice to a meal. There wasnot half the hurry and indecorum that you so often see in an Americanboat. One thing I observed--and that was, that no one used the left handfor the management of his knife. If any thing annoys me, it is to seepersons carve and eat at table with this wretched habit. I alwaysimagine that they were so unhappy as to have grown up without father ormother to watch over them. This may be my weakness; but I cannot helpit. We went to the Trois Suisses, a fine house on the river bank, andfrom our windows are looking, by moonlight, on the glorious fortress. Yours truly, J. O. C. Letter 41. FRANKFORT. DEAR CHARLEY:-- We had no more pleasant day in our excursion than from Cologne toCoblentz. It would be long before I grew tired of the scenery at thatfine old place. We walked about, in the evening, with our New Yorkfriends; and, though some parts of Coblentz are very filthy, there aresome exquisite plots in it, and all the vicinage is beautiful. We took apleasant stroll to the bridge which spans the blue Moselle with fourteenarches. The city stands on a point of land formed by the two rivers, andhence was known to the Romans by the name of _Confluentes_. Drususfortified this place and Ehrenbreitstein thirteen years before Christ. Its population is short of twenty thousand; but there are also fourthousand five hundred Prussian troops at the fortress. This is one ofthe strongest military posts in Europe. Its fortifications have been thelabor of long years; and the works here, united with those across theriver, are deemed impregnable. I believe Ehrenbreitstein is called theGibraltar of Germany. It mounts four hundred cannon, and the magazineswill contain provisions for eight thousand men for ten years. The formerElectoral Palace is now the Government House, and presents a very nobleappearance from the river. It is either stone, or stuccoed, with anIonic portico; and, with its wings, is five hundred and forty feetfront. All round this city, the heights are strongly fortified; and, look where you may, you see means of defence. We here determined upon an excursion to Stolzenfels, which is about fourmiles from Coblentz, and our party went in two carriages--the family ofMr. B. In one, and ourselves in the other. The ride was very pleasantalong the banks of the Rhine, and through orchards and vineyards--theheights towering away over us all the way. We came to the village ofCapellen, which is a poor little hamlet at the base of the loftymountain on which stood the noble ruins of Stolzenfels Castle, which hasbeen most admirably restored, and is now the summer palace of the Kingof Prussia. The ascent is very steep, but the road is admirable. Carriages are not allowed to go up, and travellers are supplied withdonkeys, of which we found plenty in waiting. Our party all obtainedthese patient beasts of burden, and I assure you that we made a funnycavalcade. I do think it would have amused you to see ladies, gentlemen, and boys, all escorted by ragged urchins, mounting the hill. The roadhas been made at immense expense, and winds along in the most romanticmanner--giving you, at every turn, the finest views and catches of theriver, up and down; while the walls are frequently at the edges ofprecipices, from fifty to two hundred feet over the ravines below. Thewoods were in all their glory, and I never saw a finer day. On arrivingat the castle, we rang a bell, and the servant in livery appeared--afine, civil fellow he was. On entering, we were all furnished with feltslippers, so that, in walking through the apartments, we might notinjure the polished oak floors. This castle was the residence ofArchbishop Werner, who, at the close of the fourteenth century, wasdevoted to alchemy. The old tower is an immense affair, and stillremains, and is likely to remain for ages. The new parts of the palacehave all been restored with constant reference to the originalarchitectural style. We wandered from one apartment to another, perhapsgoing into twenty or thirty apartments, none of which were very large, and many of them quite small and cosy. We saw the bed-room of the king. Every thing was plain, and the furniture generally made of oak or blackwalnut. His study table had pen and ink and paper upon it, just as ifhe had stepped out of the room. The queen's apartments were veryelegantly plain, and her oratory is as pretty a little thing as you canimagine. In all these apartments are fine pictures, and one is superblyfrescoed with allegory and history. The room in which the Queen ofEngland and Prince Albert lodged, in 1845, was shown us, and the statebed was still in it. The dining hall was finely ornamented withcarvings, old armor, &c. But a room devoted to antiquities pleased usthe best of all. Here were cups, bottles, and glass goblets of theearliest dates, --some as far back as the twelfth and thirteenthcenturies, --which had belonged to emperors and electors whom I cannotrecollect, they were so many. On the walls were the most preciousmementoes; and here we saw the swords of Marshal Tilly, NapoleonBonaparte, --the one used at Waterloo, --Blucher, and Murat, and the knifeand fork belonging to the brave Hofer, the Tyrolese patriot, who wasshot at Mantua. From all the windows of this gem of a palace we had thefinest views of the river, and could see, from the gateway and platform, Coblentz, Ehrenbreitstein, and eleven different ruins of castles andconvents. Directly in front of us, on a bend of the river, almost makinga peninsula, was Lahnstein and its ruined castle; off to its right, Braubach, and the Castle of Marksburg and Martin's Chapel; and, on ourown side, the pretty village of Rheus, where was once "the royal seat, "and where the electors of the Rhine used to meet, to elect or depose theemperors of Germany. All round the castle of Stolzenfels are thechoicest flowers and shrubs; and I wish some of my horticultural friendscould have seen the moss roses and fuchias in such luxuriance. We weresorry to leave the place; but the steamboat on the Rhine is as punctualas a North River boat; and we had to resume our donkeys, descend to thecarriages, drive briskly, and were just in time to get on board a boatbound to Mayence. In going up the river, we saw the palace again togreat advantage; and, whatever else I forget, this locality I shall keepin memory, I assure you. We again looked at Lahnstein, and the ruins ofSt. John's Church, built in 1100, and saw a curious ferry, from themouth of the Lahn over to Stolzenfels. It is made by five or six boatsanchored off, and the ferry boat goes over, wafted by the tide. We thencame upon Bopart, an old place, but strongly fortified, and having threeor four thousand inhabitants. A gentleman on board, who had been there, said it was quite an interesting place. Nearly opposite we weredelighted with the ruined towers of the Brothers, as Sternberg andLiebenstein are called. They occupy the two summits of a rock, everyinch of whose sides is sacred to vines. The story of the brothers wholived here you are acquainted with. Our next point of interest was theruin of Thurnberg, or the Mouse; while not far above is another, calledthe Cat. The view here grows more sublime, and the river grows narrower;and we had a fine prospect of Rheinfels and the town of St. Goar. Rheinfels grows up from the river's edge, and is, indeed, _the_ rock ofthe Rhine. The fortifications were immense, and this is the mostwonderful ruin on the river. A confederacy of German and Rhenish citiesbroke up this fortress at the close of the thirteenth century, and longafterwards it was made a modern defence. Here the river seems pent up, almost; and just above St. Goar there rises from the water a loftyprecipice, called the Lurley Rock. Nearly opposite, a man lives, who, when the boat passes, fires a pistol, and a very singular echo follows, as we can testify. Not far above are seven rocks, seen at low water, called the Seven Sisters. The legend says that they were hard-heartedgirls, --the Ladies Schonberg, --who trifled with the affections of niceyoung men, and so got their deserts by being turned into stones. Still, at the right, we came to Oberwesel, and we all thought it among thesweetest spots of the river. Salmon are caught in nets here, from therocks. A bend in the river shows us Schonberg, a fine ruin. This was thefamily spot whence the Marshal Schomberg, of the Boyne, originated. Justover the river is the noble Gutenfels. It was spared by the French, andoccupied till 1807, but is now roofless. Caub, on the left, is the placewhere Marshal Blucher crossed the river with his army, January 1, 1814. In the centre of the river is a castle called Pfalz, built about 1320, which was used as a toll-house by the Duke of Nassau. I think it hasbeen used as a state prison. On our right lies Bacharach, with its manytowers, and the fine old ruins of Stahleck Castle. Off this place is alarge rock, the Altar of Bacchus; and when the rock is exposed, it isthought to be the pledge of a good vintage. The region is celebrated forits wines; and the grapes of the slaty rocks have a highly muskyperfume. A gentleman told me that Bacharach resembles Jerusalem in itsaspect. Of course, it must be in miniature that the resemblance exists. Here we noticed St. Werner's Church, a most superb ruin of the floridGothic. Those lancet-arched windows are the admiration of all who passby. Lorchausen is a small place, and just away from it are the ruins ofthe Castle of Nollingen. On the other side, or right bank, are the ruinsof the old Keep Tower of Fürstenberg, destroyed in 1689. Here we enteron the region where the best Rhenish wine is produced. The Rheingau, orvalley of the river, is divided into upper and lower departments; andfrom about Lorch, on the left bank, up to Biberich, are the choicestvineyards. On our right lay the ruins of Heimberg, and the restoredCastle of Sonneck. Then comes old Falkenberg, and near to it is thesplendid Gothic Church of St. Clement. All these fortresses were theabodes of wholesale highwaymen, and then might made right. Most of thembecame such nuisances that, at the close of the thirteenth century, theywere hurled down, and their places made desolate. Here, too, isRheinstein, on the very bank of the river. Its early owner was hanged bythe Emperor Rudolph. One of the Prussian princes has fitted up thefortress in magnificent style; and I learn that there is no palace inEurope that can boast of such mediæval splendor. Every thing that canserve to illustrate the dark ages is carefully collected for thischarming spot, which seems a rival to Stolzenfels. Just across, on the opposite bank, is Assmanshausen, famous for hotbaths and red wine. Here you see terrace upon terrace, up to the summitsof the hills; and some of these, the guide books say, are one thousandor twelve hundred feet. You will often see fifteen or twenty of theseterraces supported by brick and stone fences, and the terrace is oftennot more than six feet wide; and the soil and manure have all to becarried up on the shoulders of the vine-dressers. The value of thisregion-arises from its aspect, owing to the bend of the river, whichgives _this left bank, as you ascend_, a direct exposure to the sun atmidday. The vintage of the Rhine, I am told, is generally gathered in duringOctober and November, but it is put off as late as possible. Grapes wereintroduced here by the Romans. We now came to Ehrenfels, in its venerable decay, the beautiful tower ofRosel, and the ruins of Bromseberg; while on our right are the ruins ofVautsberg, and just beyond we come upon "Bingen of the Rhine, " at themouth of the Nahe; and close by is the celebrated Mausetherm, or MouseTower, said to have been built by Hatto, the Archbishop of Mayence, inthe tenth century. Southey's fine ballad has immortalized the legend. Never did town present sweeter aspect than Bingen, at the foot of apyramidical hill, which is crowned by the ruined Castle of Klopp. In achurch here lies Bartholomew of Holshausen, who prophesied the fatalityof the Stuarts and Charles II. 's restoration, warning him not to restorePopery. Bingen has, I think, some five or six thousand inhabitants, andhas a great trade in wine, which is collected here from all thevineyards around. Rudesheim lies on the other bank, and its famous winecomes from grapes growing close to Ehrenfels. Next comes Geisenheim, also famous for wine, and soon comes the renowned village and vineyardof Johannisberg, or Mountain of St. John. Here the river is wideagain, --perhaps two thousand fire hundred feet, --and we begin to seefine meadows. This is where Prince Metternich has his seat, where oncewas a priory, and various have been its vicissitudes. In 1816, it wasgiven to Metternich by the Emperor of Austria. The mountain containsonly seventy-five acres, and the choicest wine comes only from vinesgrowing near the castle, on the crown of the bill. The wine of thevillage is very inferior to that of this estate. The place has but fewinhabitants--say five or eight hundred. The house is white, and not verycastle-like. The grape is called the _Riesslingen_. [Illustration: VINEYARD ON THE RHINE. --Pp. 175. ] Here we found several islands. Erbach and Hattenheim are both famous forvineyards, and between them grows the famous Marcobrünner; and theSteinberg vineyard, a fortune to the Duke of Nassau, lies upon a slopeof the hill close to the convent, of Eberbach or Erbach. This conventwas founded in 1131, but is now a lunatic asylum. The churches here arevery fine. Opposite the shore lies Rhine Island, and forms a noble park. Walluff, with few inhabitants, is regarded as the commencement of theRheingau, or wine district, along which we had coasted. Biberich, on theduchy of Nassau, now comes upon our view; and the noble château of theduke presents one of the finest mansions on the river. Here some of ourpassengers left for Frankfort, and took the rail; but we wished to seeMayence, and so went in the boat. The city looks finely, and its redtowers and steeples make quite a show. This city belongs to the Duke ofHesse Darmstadt, and is garrisoned by Austrians and Prussians, in equalforce, generally eight or ten thousand. Exclusive of these, thepopulation is nearly forty thousand. We walked about, and looked at thefine Cathedral, which was sadly shut up by houses and shanties. It wastoo late to enter it. You may be sure, Charley, that we found out themonument to John Guttemberg, the inventor of movable types. It is ofbronze, and was designed by Thorwaldsen, and stands in front of theTheatre, once a university. After perambulating the town till weary, wecame to the bridge of boats, sixteen hundred and sixty-six feet long, and which connects Mayence with Cassel, a strongly fortified place, where the railroad depot is located. At this bridge are several boatmills, or tide mills, where grain is ground by the tidal action. Theylook strangely, but work well. On the bridge we met many Austrianofficers in rich uniforms, most of them young, and, I thought, veryaristocratical in their bearing. Our dinner on board the boat was asprofuse as the day before; and I must not forget to tell you that we hadan English lordling, son of a former premier, on board, with his lady, on their matrimonial tour. He was the worst-mannered young man that Ihave seen in Europe; and when he had ogled the company sufficiently withhis glass, and manifested his contempt pretty plainly, he and his betookthemselves to the interior of his carriage. He was quite young, and maygrow better behaved. We took the ears at dark, and after ridingtwenty-two miles found ourselves at Frankfort, having passed throughHochheim, where the vineyards are so costly that the railroad companyhad to pay well for the passage-way. Here we put up at the HotelAngleterre. Forgive this long letter; but I could not well shorten it, and I want you to know just what we saw. Always yours, JAMES. Letter 42. STRASBURG. DEAR CHARLEY:-- James's long letter gave you a pretty correct view of our passage fromCoblentz to Frankfort. You will recollect that we went up the Rhine, which gave us more time to look about; but I fancy that in going downstream the shores would show to better advantage, if possible, than inthe ascent. From Coblentz to Mayence the river is narrower than before;and every rock more precipitous than its neighbor, has a castle. Howsome of these towers were built, or could be got at, seems a mystery. Ihad no idea of the number of these robbers' nests, for such they were. Much as I love the Hudson, yet I cannot help saying that the Rhine is_the_ river of the world, so far as I have seen the watery highways. Frankfort is one of the free towns of Germany, and lies on the Maine. Ithas about sixty-five thousand inhabitants, of whom seven thousand areJews. I like the city much, and think a residence here would be veryagreeable. Some of the modern streets are very handsome, and thedwellings are fine. The old part of the town is old enough. At our hotelwe found a sentinel on guard, in honor of an Austrian general staying atthe house. The house is a capital one, like all the other great hotelswe have yet seen on the continent. We all went to see the Römer, or TownHall, which was built about 1425, and which is quite famous for itshistorical associations. Here the German emperors were formerly electedand inaugurated. We saw the great hall where they were entertained andhad crowned heads for waiters. Here, on its walls, are all the portraitsof the series of emperors from Conrad I. To Francis II. , and eachemperor has his motto underneath. Some of these are quaint enough. Directly in front of this building is the Römerberg, or Market-place, inwhich the carousing incident to coronation used to occur; and it islarge enough to accommodate a vast assembly. We rode along the banks ofthe river, to see a pretty little palace belonging to Duke Somebody, andespecially to see the grounds and hothouses. They were exquisitelybeautiful. As we were here upon a holiday of the church, the Museum wasclosed, and we lost the sight of some good pictures. We were muchpleased with a visit to the garden of Mr. Bethman, a banker, where wesaw a pretty little collection of statuary, the gem of which isDannecker's statue of Ariadne. The building in which these are placed isneat. We, of course, went to see No. 74 in the Hersch-Graben, whereGoethe was born, in 1749. In the corner house of the Dom Platz, Lutheronce dwelt We rode through the Jews' quarters; and, of all thewretched-looking streets, I think the worst and filthiest is that inwhich Baron Rothschild was born. As we passed a Sabbath here, weattended the English Episcopal Church, a neat building. The service waswell read by the chaplain, and an excellent sermon was preached by astranger. After service I spoke to the chaplain, who was quite anxiousto hear about the prospects of Popery in America. He seemed to have veryjust views of the system, and anxiously deprecated its influence in ourCountry. We visited many shops, and found the richest collections of curiositiesand antiquities. Here we met with several American friends upon theirtour; and at Frankfort we took leave of our New York friends, whosekindness and agreeable company we had been favored with for a few days. We took the rail for Heidelberg, on our way to Strasburg. The whole ofthe first few miles was through a very flat-looking country, and ourinterest was not called out till we came to Darmstadt, a fine town, withthirty thousand inhabitants. We saw a tall column, but could not findout its historical allusion. This is the capital of the grand duchy ofHesse Darmstadt. In passing through Odenwald, we saw a tract of woodycountry; and off to our left we were quite sure that the scenery must bevery beautiful. The hills in the distance form the boundary on theeastern part of the valley of the Rhine; and the mountain ranges arerichly covered with vineyards and castles all the way, parallel with therailroad. This beautiful region is called the Bergstrasse, and I am surea week or two on these hills would amply repay the pedestrian. It is inthese wild regions of romance that the Castle of Rodenstein is found, some ten miles from Erbach; and not far from it Castle Schnellert, wherethe wild Jager is supposed to live, who haunts the forests and givesspectral forewarnings of battles. Off to our left there was a constantlyshifting panoramic view of hill top and ruins. Heidelberg is sweetly situated on the bank of the Neckar--a beautifulriver, and one that I long to trace by its course through wood and hill. This town is famous for its university and castle. It has about sevenhundred and fifty students. We could only see the castle, and admire itsexterior. The college was founded in 1386, and is very distinguished asa law school. The library is very large and excellent. The barbarianTilly is said to have provided litter for his cavalry from books andMSS. Out of this then magnificent collection. The ruin of this gloriousold castle dates from 1764, when it was burnt by lightning. It is builtof red stone. If I live, I hope to visit this place again, and make athorough exploration of this stupendous ruin. It is here, in a cellar, that the largest wine butt in the world is found, and it will containeight hundred hogsheads. It has long been empty, however. I never longedto follow a river more than I do this same Neckar--it is so clear, andall my glimpses of it have been so filled up with quiet beauty and wildscenery. We saw a hill, near the town, which affords the finest view, weare told, in Germany, and even takes in Strasburg Cathedral spire, whichis quite ninety miles off! From Heidelberg we again took the cars for Kehl, about four miles fromStrasburg, a distance of nearly ninety miles. The first-class cars arevery luxurious and reasonable; second class, excellent, and verygenteel-looking persons using them. Lord Cowley, father of Lady Bulwer, wife of the minister from England at Washington, was in the cars withus, and two of his children--one a beautiful little girl. They weregoing to Baden, and were accompanied by a governess. We found no more of the extraordinary beauty that had made our morningride so charming. Bruchsal seemed a dull place, as seen from thestation; and Durlach had not much greater attractions. Carlsruhe isquite a place, has some repute for its baths, and is the capital of thegrand duchy of Baden. Off to the south of this town we saw the skirts ofthe Black Forest. All around we saw a fine growth of poplars. PassingEtlingen and Muggensturm, we come to Rastadt--rather a pretty station, and the town is fortified. At Oos our passengers for Baden took a branchtrain, which, after three miles' ride, brought them into the famousBaden-Baden. We reached Kehl, which is a mere village on the Rhine, buthas seen enough of war. Here we took an omnibus and started forStrasburg, distant some four miles. When we reached the Frenchcustom-house, over the river, we had quite a searching time; and even aflask of cologne was taxed some twenty cents. We were weary enough, andglad to get into quarters, which we established at the Ville de Paris, a very superior house, with excellent rooms and elegant furniture, whilethe cookery was perfect. To-morrow we have enough to see and to do. To-night we shall retire early; but, go where we may, we shall furnishyou the promised account of our wanderings. Yours affectionately, J. O. C. Letter 43. STRASBURG. DEAR CHARLEY:-- Long before we entered this city, we obtained a fine view of its greatglory, the Cathedral spire. What an object! It does not seem as ifhammer and chisel had had any thing to do here. I can almost fancy thatthis spire was thought out and elaborated by mere intellect. It would belong ere I grew weary of looking at this wondrous work of man. The moreyou examine this edifice, the more you are impressed with itsmagnificence. Let me tell you about this same minster, as it is called. The spire is four hundred and seventy-four feet high--one hundred andforty feet higher than St. Paul's, and twenty-four feet higher than thePyramids of Egypt. The architect was Erwin of Steinbach, and his planssurvived him. He died in 1318, when the work was carried on by his son. The tower was not finished till four hundred and twenty-five yearsafter the commencement of the building, and then Hültz, from Cologne, came to effect the undertaking. The tracery of this lofty pinnacle isinimitably beautiful. We ascended the spire, and I can assure you thatthe prospect amply repays the trouble. We saw the winding, silveryRhine, the Black Forest, and the long line of the Vosges Mountains. Inever felt more keenly my inability to describe a place than when Iwalked through this gorgeous sanctuary. You must see it, to form anadequate idea of its grandeur. The nave was begun in 1015, and completedin 1275. The choir is yet older, and is thought to belong to the timesof Charlemagne. The large rose window, over the front entrance, isthought to be the finest specimen of stained glass now existing. Thestone pulpit of 1486 is the grandest we have yet seen, and in bettertaste than some of the carved wood pulpits in Belgium. The columns arevery massive. One of the chief attractions in this church is themechanical clock, which occupies a large space at the left hand as youenter the building. The true time to see it is at twelve o'clock, whenDeath strikes the hour, the apostles all pass before you, a large cockup above flaps his wings and crows admirably three times, flags arewaved, and the affair ends. Here, close by, is the architect Erwin'seffigy, in stone. We next went to St. Thomas's Church, to see the superb tomb of MarshalSaxe, which is a work of great merit. In a vault we saw the remains of aCount of Nassau and his daughter, who had been coffined down for--Iforget how long, but I think more than two centuries. It was here thatGuttemburg began his experiments in printing, which he perfected atMayence. We made some purchases here of embroidery, which we thoughtvery beautiful, and also cheap. General Kleber's tomb and monument arein the Place d'Armes. Of course, we did not visit Strasburg and forgetthat it furnishes _pâté's des fois gras_. We obtained some goodengravings of the churches and other points of interest, and, on a fineafternoon, took the railroad for Basle. Yours affectionately, GEORGE. Letter 44. BASLE. DEAR CHARLEY:-- We took the cars from Strasburg in the afternoon for this place. Thedistance is eighty-six miles; and, owing to some twenty way stations, wewere nearly five hours on the rail; but the beauty of the sceneryreconciled us to a prolongation of the time usually spent on such ajourney. The general route was over a flat country, with sundry bridgesover small streams; but, off to our right, we were close to the VosgesMountains, which kept us company nearly every mile of the journey. Isuppose you know that Strasburg is very strongly fortified. We saw itsworks to great advantage when leaving the city by the train. We weremuch assisted in our knowledge of places on the mountains by a finepanoramic volume of engravings which we bought at Strasburg, and whichreally gives a capital idea of the entire scene of travel. I will justname the principal places that we passed by and through, that you maytrace on the map and read about them, for some are important towns. St. Erstein is a place of four thousand inhabitants; Benfield is very prettyindeed; and close by is a fine-looking town, with a fine situation. Wesaw a noble spire off to our left. Schlestadt has ten thousandinhabitants, and is fortified. From it chimneys, we supposed it must bea manufacturing place. The view of the Vosges here is very imposing. They are generally with rolling summits; and upon some eminence, juttingout, stands a castle. The Hoher Königsberg is the largest castle of therange, and it was destroyed during the thirty years' war, in 1633. Herewe saw fine vineyards. Colmar looks like a very prosperous place. Itsmanufactories make quite a show, and all around we saw well-built cottonfactories; and the entire spot had a Rhode Island look. Dr. C. Turnedour attention to the village of Turckheim, about three miles off, whereMarshal Turenne beat the Imperialists in 1675. Egnisheim and itsthree-towered castle is a small affair. Bolwiller is a perfect vineyardall around, and the wines of this region are excellent. Nothing, hardly, seems to be cultivated but the vine. Opposite to this place is theloftiest of the Vosges; and my panorama makes it four thousand sevenhundred feet above the sea. Mühlhausen is a very active, busy-lookingtown, with a population of nearly thirty thousand. Here the fine cottonprints of France are fabricated. Much of the property is owned at Basle, we were afterwards told. This place has to obtain its cotton from Havreand Marseilles; and even coal has to come from a distance. It was dark when we took an omnibus at the terminus; and, after ridingover an old bridge, we were very soon established at a princely hotelknown as the Trois Rois. This house is on the banks of the Rhine, andits windows command a very fine view. The historical reminiscences ofBasle are interesting, and its position very commanding. Here the Rhineis bounded by the hills of the Black Forest and the Jura range. Next morning we took a stroll to see the lay of the land; and we foundourselves on a terrace overlooking the Rhine, and forming a part of thecathedral ground. O, it was glorious to look at, Charley. There, stretched away on the other side, were the hills of the Black Forest, whose legends we have so often pored over. This terrace is finely-woodedwith linden and chestnut-trees. We walked back to town, and called uponour consul, Mr. Burchardt, and found him very kind and friendly. He gavehimself up to us for the entire day, and became our guide to all theobjects of interest. He dined with us; and then we all went to hischarming country-house, about one and a half miles from town, and tooktea with his family. Our first object was the Cathedral. This is a redsandstone church, with two steeples, and was consecrated in 1019. Thecrypt, no doubt, is as ancient as this date. Here is the tomb of theempress, wife of Rudolph of Hapsburg. Here, too, we saw the tombstone ofErasmus, who died in 1536. In the cloisters, which are very noble, arethe monuments of Œcolampadius, Grynæus and Myer, the reformers. Thischurch is Protestant. It is plain, but venerable. In the chapter-house, which we visited, was held the Council of Basle, which lasted from 1436to 1444. The room is just as it then appeared, and the very cushions onthe seats are still preserved. Our next visit was to the HolbeinGallery, where the largest collection of paintings by this master is tobe seen. Here we saw the fragments of the Dance of Death, but whichsome say are of an earlier date than Holbein's day. I liked hisportraits better than his other pieces. One sketch of Sir Thomas More'sfamily is very fine. We also saw the library, and a large collection ofRoman antiquities. The portraits are very fine at the library; and wesaw those of Euler and Bernouilli, the mathematicians. At the universitywe saw the building, and received polite attentions from the librarianand Latin professor. We also saw the professor of chemistry, renownedfor his discovery of gun cotton. The collection of MSS. Is very largeand rich; and we had the gratification to have in our hands thehandwriting of several letters by Melancthon, Calvin, Luther, Erasmus, &c. , &c. I think this is a good place to live in for purposes of study. At Basle there is a large missionary seminary; and a great many of thebest missionaries in India and Africa were educated here. We alsovisited the private reading-room of a club, and found a very goodlibrary there. On the table were several American papers--the New YorkHerald, Express, and the Boston Mercantile Journal. After dinner we tooka carriage and repaired to St. Jacob, a quiet village, about one milefrom Basle. Here we found a neat little church, and, at the junction oftwo roads, a Gothic cross, to commemorate the famous battle of St. Jacob, in 1444, when sixteen hundred Swiss fought the French army underthe dauphin for a whole day. The French were over sixteen thousandstrong. Only ten Swiss escaped the slaughter. Lest you should think meat fault upon the numbers in this battle, I would say that I knowWatteville calls the Swiss twelve hundred, and the French thirtythousand; but I quote from Swiss historians, who are deemed goodauthority. We went into the little tavern and drank some red wine, whichgoes by the name of Swiss blood. We then ascended an eminence commandinga fine view of the city, the river, and the Jura Mountains. At thesummit we found a church; and the parsonage next to it looked very cosyand comfortable. The pastor's children were running about, and were verynoble-looking boys. We learnt that while the stipend of the pastor wasvery small, --as is the case in Switzerland, --yet he was a man of wealth. We were quite amused with the market day here. Droves of country peoplewere in the streets--the women in country costume; and on the groundthere were vast collections of crockery, which seemed one of the chiefarticles of traffic. A charming drive, late in the afternoon, took us to the consul'shospitable abode; and there, with his lady, we had a thoroughly Yankeetea-time. In the evening we walked back to the city, crossing the oldbridge. Yours affectionately, WELD. Letter 45. LAUSANNE. DEAR CHARLEY:-- We left Basle on a bright morning, at six o'clock, having places in the_coupé_ of the diligence for Berne, a distance of seventy-six miles. Wetook this route in order to enjoy the remarkable scenery which marks theMoutiers Valley, which is the most romantic in the Jura Mountain range. This journey entirely takes the palm, for enjoyment, of any in our tour;and I think I am more surprised and gratified than I was on the Rhine. Certainly the prospect was more constantly grand and awe inspiring. Westarted with six horses, --three abreast, --and jogged on, at about sixmiles the hour, over as good roads as I ever travelled. They are, also, the cleanest you ever saw. All along, at intervals, we saw men withbadges on their hats, who appeared to have charge of the highway. Everything on the road is scraped up; and at every quarter of a mile, orless, there is at the wayside an enclosure for manure, into which everything is turned. On all the line of travel in Switzerland, we werestruck with the careful way in which heaps of manure are protected bylarge bands of corded hay, twisted around. Then, too, in the villagesand towns we were all interested with the enormous stone troughs forwatering cattle. Some of these appeared to me full twenty feet long, and two or three deep. On our way from Basle we passed the battle groundof St. Jacob; and some way farther on we saw the battle field ofDornach, at which place the Swiss obtained a victory over the Austriansin 1499. A little before reaching Tavannes we ascended a hill, and cameto a wonderful archway across the road--perhaps natural. On it is aRoman inscription. The arch is, I should think, nearly fifty feet highand fifteen feet in depth. We then went on to Bienne; and apretty-looking place it is. We left it on our right, and our road wasvery hilly, really mountainous, and the air was sharp. As we walked fortwo or three miles to help the horses, we found the wild strawberriesoffered for sale very pleasant. We reached Berne late in the evening;and the entrance to the town, through a noble avenue of trees called theEngæ, was very pleasant. We repaired to the Faucon, and enjoyed therepose of a long night. Berne is a large town, with a population of nearly thirty thousand. Itlies on the banks of the Aar, which goes almost round the city. Thegreat elevation of the city--seventeen hundred feet above the sea--givesit quite an appearance on approaching it. Then the houses are all builtupon arched pathways, and they form arcades, very much like the old cityof Chester, in England. We noticed several watch towers, evidently veryancient; and one in the town, near our hotel, has a queer clock, which, like that at Strasburg, is mechanical. On striking, out comes a cock andflaps away with his wings, and then little images appear, and bears passby a puppet, seated on a throne. Bears seem to be the guardian angels ofthe place, and are the arms of the town. We were very much pleased withan extensive prospect of the Bernese Alps, from a terrace overhangingthe rapid river. I cannot tell you how many peaks we saw covered withsnow. Our panorama, purchased here, enumerates more than a dozen; andamong these are the Wetterhorn, Stockhorn, and Jungfrau. We greatlyenjoyed a fine sunset from this spot. The Cathedral is a noblestructure, built between 1421 and 1573, and from designs by the son ofthe architect of the Cathedral at Strasburg. Some of the work here isexceedingly fine. The great entrance is very imposing, and has richsculptures. Here, too, are some beautifully-painted windows--onedescribing the pope grinding the four evangelists in a mill, out ofwhich comes wafers, is very curious. The organ is very fine, and thecase one of the richest in Europe. It has four rows of keys andsixty-six stops. The font is of black granite, and has the date of 1525, which is three years previous to the church reformation in this canton. It has some finely-sculptured images of the Trinity, Virgin Mary, andSt. Vincent, the patron saint of the church. We were pointed out thecommunion table, of marble, which is an immense block, and before thereformation it was an altar at Lausanne. There are some fine monuments, having great antiquity. In the choir we were delighted with the old prebendal stalls, over whichwere figures of Christ and his apostles, and on the opposite sideprophets, all in carved wood. One of the prophets was a capital likenessof Luther. As we were leaving this noble edifice, we met a minister coming in; hewore a short, black gown, and had a deep white ruff on his shoulders. The library of the town embraces about forty-five thousand volumes--andwell assorted, too. What a reproach it is to us that, excepting inProvidence, hardly any small city has what can be called a library! The Museum we could not examine. I spoke of bears: well, the town keepsseveral of these fellows at a place called the Bärengraben. Much did we long to take a trip into the Bernese Oberland, but it wasnot practicable; so we started for Lausanne by diligence, a distance offifty-six miles, and were eleven hours on the way. We saw much finescenery, but nothing that would compare with the Munster Thal or Valleyof Moutiers, and which I think would pay any lover of nature to comefrom America to look at and travel through. The places we went throughwere Morat, famous for its battle in 1476; Avenches, the RomanAventicum; Payerne, &c. The last few miles were of great labor inascent; and as it was pitch dark for some miles, I cannot tell muchabout what is said to be beautiful. At Lausanne we went to the Hotel Gibbon, and a lovelier spot than therear of this mansion eye never rested upon. Again we were weary, andfound good beds very inviting. Yours, &c. , JAMES. Letter 46. LAUSANNE AND GENEVA. DEAR CHARLEY:-- We are staying in one of the most romantic and beautiful spots that Iever had the pleasure to visit. The population is seventeen thousand, and on the increase. It is the favorite resort of the English; and nowonder, for here are displays of the glory and of the power of theCreator rarely to be seen. The town stands on a mount, and descendsgradually to the lake. On every side are most precipitous ravines; andthe streets are the most break-neck-looking highways I ever saw. Putnam's Leap would be thought nothing of at Lausanne. Our hotel overlooks Gibbon's garden, and we saw his trees and seat. Here he composed his eloquent work on the Roman empire. His portrait isin the hotel dining-room. The prospect surpasses in richness all that Ihad fancied. Before us lie the Alps, with snowy tops; between us andthese is the glassy lake, and on its waters we notice a regatta, theboats all adorned with flags and the crews with ribbons. There are, Ishould think, from fifty to seventy-five boats in sight. Up in the Alpsthere is a fire in the woods; and the volume of smoke and flashing offlame form a fine addition to the scene. The temperature of the climate is very favorable to health; and now, inJune, it reminds us of our finest clear days at Newport. On Sabbath morning we repaired to a charming little Episcopal church, near the lake; and the walk of a mile down hill was delightful. On bothsides of the road were fine villas, and on the left one estate had itslong wall defended by a hedge of roses in full bloom; such a hedge israrely to be witnessed. We heard a prosy sermon from the old gentlemanwho has officiated there for some years. I noticed a lady and four sweetlittle girls who sat in the next pew to us, and was convinced that shewas an English lady; and when we overtook her ascending the hill, on ourreturn, I took the liberty to ask a question about the church. She verypolitely gave me the information, and a conversation commenced. She toldme, as a stranger, what I ought to see; and when we were leaving her, she politely offered us an invitation to join her family in the evening, to take a walk to the mountain overhanging Lausanne, known as theSignal, and from whence, in olden time, the watch-fire used to bekindled when the cantons were called to arm for liberty, or danger wasexpected. This kindness we accepted; and when she gave me her address, Ifound I had to call at the Hotel de Ville. Well, at half past six, thelads and I repaired to the mansion, a very venerable pile, and we foundthat our kind friend was no less a personage than the wife of thesyndic, or mayor of the city. We were most kindly received andintroduced to his honor--a fine-looking, elderly gentleman, who spoke noEnglish; but his family conversed generally in our language. We salliedforth, and took a walk up, up, up, --never will the boys forget thattramp; indeed, Charley, it was the hardest affair I ever went through;but after the ascent was achieved, the recompense was ample. Such asurvey of lake, shore, Alps, city, villages, vineyards, cannot beenjoyed elsewhere. It was very cold in these upper regions; and as wedescended, the shades of night were over us, and a beautiful moon madeits appearance. When parting from our friends, they urged our joiningthem at seven o'clock to visit the Cathedral, with the mayor as ourguide. I accepted the polite offer, but the boys were frightened at thethought of another ascent; for the minster is perched upon a cliff, andyou ascend some hundreds of steps to reach the platform. At seven we were on hand, and with the syndic and his sweet little girlwe visited the finest Gothic pile in Switzerland, which was built in1275, and consecrated by Gregory X. The form is that of the Latin cross. Formerly it had two towers; but one was destroyed by lightning, in 1825. Here are several fine monuments and tombs of interest; one an effigy inmail armor of Otho of Grandeson, and another of Pope Felix V. , whoresigned the papacy and became a monk, and a very beautiful one to thewife of Stratford Canning; the figures of which are eight in number, andtwo of them are by Canova; also the tomb of Bernard de Menthon, founderof the St. Bernard Hospice. We returned to the Hotel de Ville and took breakfast with Madame Gadaud, for whom and her kind family we shall long cherish gratefulrecollections. From Lausanne we took boat for Vevay. The port of Lausanne is the littlevillage of Ouchy. I ought to tell you that John Philip Kemble, the greattragedian, is buried two miles from this place. We found the excursionon the lake very agreeable, and passed many pretty villages on the leftshore till we came to Vevay, a sweet little town, of five thousandinhabitants, and is embowered in vineyards. It is about one mile and aquarter from the foot of the Alps. Here we had a view of the Castle ofChillon, and Byron was on our tongues at once. My great object in cominghere was to see St Martin's Church, for here are buried Ludlow, theregicide, and Broughton, who read the sentence of Charles I. Charles II. Could never get the Swiss to deliver these patriots into his hands. Inthe afternoon we took another boat and went to Geneva in about fivehours, and stopped at Ouchy, Morges, Rolle, Nyon, and Coppet. At Morgesis a fine old castle, in good condition. Nearly opposite Rolle we sawthe hoary head of Mont Blanc, towering above the giant brotherhood ofAlpine heights. We did not see Lake Leman in a storm, and thoughcertainly beautiful in its adjuncts, not more so than Lake Erie. AtCoppet was the residence of Madame De Staël. We reached Geneva in the evening at seven, and went to the Hotel L'Eou. Here we were delighted to meet again with the Rev. Dr. Murray and Dr. Chetwood, and also to find the Rev. Mr. Chickering and Rev. Mr. Jacobus, with his family, and other valued friends. The approach to Geneva from the lake is very imposing; but I was lesspleased with the town itself than I expected to be. Its position is verygrand. Its history is every thing, however. The Cathedral Church of St. Peter is a fine specimen of the Gothic of the eleventh century. Thesounding board is the same under which Calvin preached. The population is about forty thousand, including the suburbs, andthousands of tourists are every year residents for a few days. We had apleasant morning at the Museum, where are some good pictures and manycuriosities. In the library are Calvin's letters in MS. , forty or fiftyvolumes of MS. Sermons, &c. This same Calvin and this old town of Genevahave had much to do with our own blessed country; and we feel the agencyof this man and this town in all our ten thousand joys and comforts. I could not forget that here was the home of Merle D'Aubigné, thehistorian of the Protestant reformation, and that here, too, is theresidence of the learned Gaussen, the author of Theopneusty, and of thevenerable Cæsar Malan. Calling upon this last-named gentleman, I wasdelighted to find that the Evangelical Association of Geneva was inannual session. This is the great Protestant body with which theAmerican Evangelical Union is in alliance, and for whose operations ourfriend Dr. Baird has awakened so lively an interest. I went to thechurch where the meeting was convened, and was introduced to CountGeorge, a very pious Frenchman of fortune, who resides here and devoteshimself to the cause of the Protestant religion. He is a Baptist, but isconnected with the church which embraces several evangelicaldenominations. The count presided with great ability; he is a veryelegant man, about thirty-four, I should imagine. I had the pleasure to hear D'Aubigné give a report of his visit to GreatBritain. He spoke for two hours. He is quite the orator, and had entirecommand of the audience, who wept and laughed as he proceeded. Thehistorian is a very noticeable man, and strongly reminded us all ofPresident Wayland, to whom his resemblance is very striking. Dr. Murray made a few remarks on behalf of his brethren, and we were allinvited to a _soirée_ at the assembly-rooms in the evening. Perhaps twohundred and fifty ladies and gentlemen were present. Several addressesand prayers were made. I was announced for an address, but came late onthe list; and having no fancy to be translated by a man at my elbow, Iquietly withdrew at the fitting time. I was much pleased with ProfessorGaussen, who is a very accomplished gentleman. He looks aboutforty-five, but told me he was very much older. The clergy present at this convocation were from various parts of Franceand all the Swiss cantons, and I never saw a finer set of men in anyclerical assembly. Pastor Malan is exceedingly venerable in hisappearance. He is about sixty-eight years of age, his hair gray, andworn long in the neck, with a good deal of curl to it. His gait isquick, and he has much the manner of the venerable Dr. Beecher. Thispatriarch of Geneva is very cheerful, knows every one, and has a wordfor every one. He told me that he loved Americans, but that they hadspoiled his habitation by stealing two of his daughters, who, heexplained to me, were married to excellent clergymen in the UnitedStates. We met with great kindness in this city from Mr. Delorme, a gentlemanwho once resided in New York. He invited us to accompany his family onan excursion to the summit of the Salève, a mountain in Savoy, which isthree thousand one hundred and fifty feet above the lake. We went in twocarriages, and stopped at a village on the mountain side, where we hadcakes, coffee, and wine. Here, in a sweet little arbor, surrounded withroses, we gazed at Mont Blanc, and on a near summit could very clearlytrace the profile of Napoleon. He looks "like a warrior taking hissleep. " The illusion surpasses in accuracy of expression any thing thatI know of that is similar; there are chin, nose, eye, and the old cockedhat, while the eternal vapor over the summit of the peak forms thefeather. We looked down in a ravine and saw the Aar with its icy stream. Thecarriages went round to meet the party, and the ascent was made. Themountain seems to hang over Geneva, though several miles off. We weregreatly pleased with a few good houses, in fine positions; but Savoy isnot Switzerland. Here Popery is rampant and pauperism evident. Beggarsbeset our carriages, and the people looked squalid. [Illustration: Swiss Cottage. ] I forgot to tell you how much we were pleased with the cottages inSwitzerland; they are quite cheerful looking, --some very fineaffairs, --but many are not very unlike our western log-houses. We returned to Geneva at about ten, and found at our friend's house amost sumptuous repast provided for our entertainment. I never sat downat a more elegant supper table. Every luxury seemed placed before us, including the richest wines of the Rhine. The Roman salad, a peculiar kind of lettuce, which we saw in France, andhere again, seemed to us all as quite different from our ordinary kinds;and I have at Genera obtained four or five varieties of the seed forhome cultivation. While at this city we procured some good specimens of wooden ware, Swisscottages, &c. , and the boys bought watches, jewelry, &c. , for presents. We were all delighted with a little island in the centre of a bridgewhich goes across the lake; it was a favorite retreat of Rousseau, andthere is a statue to his memory. Calvin's residence is still to be seen, No. 116 Rue des Chanoins. We sawthe place where Servetus was burnt. The place and prospect were toobeautiful for such a foul desecration. But Calvin's virtues were hisown, and the faults he fell into belonged to the influence of the age. It was much so with those greatest and best of men, the New EnglandPilgrim Fathers. I know they had faults, but they were only spots uponthe polished mirror. God reared them up, a rare race of men, for a rarepurpose; and I do not like to hear them abused because they were notperfect. If Laud had come to Plymouth Rock instead of Brewster, Bonnerinstead of Carver, what kind of a community would have been establishedand handed down? In Geneva, too, we had the pleasure to meet a valued friend, Mr. B. , from Providence, who has been travelling extensively, and gathering upthe treasures of other cities to enrich the one of his birth. To-morrow we are off for Paris, and go by diligence to Dijon; thence byrailroad. Yours affectionately, J. O. C. Letter 47. PARIS. DEAR CHARLEY:-- We started from Geneva in the diligence for Dijon, a long drag of onehundred and twenty miles. The weather was oppressively hot, andcertainly the roads could not well be more dusty. We had two verygentlemanly companions, Swiss, who were going to London to visit theexhibition. We entered France about four miles on our way, and came toFerney, where Voltaire so long resided. We passed Gex, and ascended theJura; then to La Vattay. The view from the mountain of the lake and MontBlanc, together with the Alpine range, is never to be forgotten by onewho has the good fortune to see it. I feel that I am acquiring newemotions and gathering up new sources of thought in this journey, andthat I cannot be a trifler and waster away of life in such a world asthat I live in. I find in every place so much to read about, and studyover, and think upon, that I now feel as if life itself would not belong enough to do all I should like to effect. One thing is certain, Charley; I cannot be indolent without feeling that, with the motives andstimulus of this tour pressing upon me, I shall be very guilty. The scenery of this journey has set me thinking; and so I have writtenrather sentimentally, but truly. At St. Laurent we came to the French custom-house, and a pretty thoroughoverhauling they made. I believe the fellows hooked some of ourengravings, which they carried out of the room. Still up, till we reached Morez, the Jura's greatest elevation. The lasthalf was travelled in the night; so I cannot give you the line of march. We got to Dijon about eight in the morning, and only had time to get ahasty breakfast at the railroad station; but we had quite a look at thecity before entering the cars for Paris. Dijon is the capital town of the old Burgundy, and is a fine old place, with nearly thirty thousand inhabitants. Here is a great show ofchurches, and they seem built for all ages. The Cathedral is anoble-looking edifice. We had no time to see the old ducal palace, whichhas so many historical events connected with it. We saw some beautifulpromenades, but only glanced at them. Bossuet was born here, and St. Bernard only a mile outside the walls, in a castle yet standing. The new railroad had just been opened to Paris, and is one hundred andninety-six miles and a half of most capital track. We went throughVerrey, Montbard, Nuits, Tonnerre, La Roche, Joigny, Sens, Montereau, Fontainebleau, Melun, to Paris. Montbard gave birth to Buffon, thenaturalist. Nuits is famous for the vintage of its own name, Romanée, and other choice wines of Burgundy. Near Tonnerre is the château ofColigny d'Audelot, brother to the admiral massacred on St. Bartholomew'snight. Sens is famous for its Cathedral, which is apparently verysplendid; and here are the vestments of Thomas à Becket, and the veryaltar at which he knelt, all of which I wanted to see. Fontainebleau isbeautifully placed in the midst of a forest. Here is a palace, and atthis place Napoleon bade farewell to the Old Guard, in 1814. This placeis celebrated for its grapes, raised in the vicinity. Melun was knownin Cæsar's time, and in 1520 was taken by Henry V. , of England, and heldten years. We reached Paris on the evening of Saturday, and againoccupied our old quarters at the Hotel Windsor. I went off to myfavorite bathing-house at the Seine, and felt wondrously refreshed afterthe heat and dust of more than three hundred miles and two days'journeying. Yours affectionately, JAMES. Letter 48. PARIS. DEAR CHARLEY:-- We have again arrived at this charming city, and hope to pass a fewpleasant days, which will be chiefly devoted to purchases of clothingand some of the beautiful articles which are so abundant in the shops ofthis metropolis. Besides, we have some few places to visit before wereturn to England. On Sabbath day we went to the Methodist Chapel, nearthe Church of the Madeleine, and heard a capital sermon from Dr. Ritchie, the president of the Canadian Conference. In the evening Ipreached. The congregations were very good, and the preacher of thechapel seems a very gentlemanly and pleasant man. In the congregation Ihad the pleasure to meet with our eloquent countryman and my oldfriend, the Rev. James Alexander, D. D. , of New York, and I announcedthat he would preach on Wednesday evening. We went into the Madeleineand spent nearly an hour. The house is very splendid; but it does notappear devotional, or likely to inspire suitable feelings. I prefer theGothic pile, or a plainer temple. It is all painting, gilding, flowers, and form. Here Popery shows her hand, and outdoes every thing that shedares yet show in New England. The music was exquisite, and the voicesof the boys very sweet. Many of the people seemed in earnest. Thepriests appeared to me devoid of interest. We went one morning to thePantheon. This noble church was formerly known as St. Genevieve, and wasrebuilt, in 1764, by a lottery under the auspices of Louis XV. Theportico is an imitation of the one at Rome on its namesake, and consistsof Corinthian columns nearly sixty feet high, and five feet in diameter. The interior form is that of a Greek cross. Every thing here is grandand majestically simple. Above the centre of the cross rises a dome ofgreat beauty, with a lantern above. In this building are one hundred andthirty columns. The church is three hundred and two feet by two hundredand fifty-five. In this building are the tombs and monuments of some ofthe great men of France. Voltaire, Rousseau, Mirabeau, and Marat werehere buried, but were taken up by the Bourbons, at the restoration. LaGrange and Lannes also rest here. Here we saw seven copies of the famousfrescoes of Angelo and Raphael, in the Vatican, and several pieces ofstatuary. The vaults extend beneath the church to a great length. Ibelieve this is the highest spot in Paris. On leaving the place, Ilooked again at the dome, which greatly pleased me. It is three hundredfeet above the floor of the church; and the painting, by Gros, is veryfine. I think we have seen nothing of the kind that is so beautiful. Itis principally historical; and among the figures are Clovis, Clotilda, Charlemagne, St. Louis, Louis XVIII. , and the Duchess d'Angoulême, withthe infant Duke of Bourdeaux; and above all these, as in heaven, areLouis XVI. , Marie Antoinette, Louis XVII. , and Madame Elizabeth. We were all thankful enough to find that the Louvre is at last open. Wewalked there, looking with interest at the Tuileries, which I cannothelp admiring, although some think it devoid of architectural merit. Itswide-spread pavilions of one thousand feet, looming up withtime-darkened walls, always please me. The palace of the Louvre is anolder edifice than the Tuileries; the newer portion was the work of thereign of Louis XIV. The quadrangle is very fine, and the proportions ofthe entire building admirable. Our business was with that part calledthe Musée Royal, and here are the paintings and statues which havegiven such a renown to Paris. You must recollect, my dear fellow, thatwe cannot tell you all about these pictures, for the gallery is nearlyone third of a mile in length, and each side is filled up with canvas, and the rooms are lofty. There was a time when almost all thatcontinental Europe thought exquisite in art was to be found here. Bonaparte levied contributions on all the capitals he conquered, andhere he deposited his ill-gotten spoils. Once were seen in this placethe great masterpieces of Raphael, Guido, Titian, Domenichino, Murillo, Rubens, Rembrandt, Potter, and a host of other artists who createdbeauty; but when right overcame might, these pictures were returned totheir original owners. The catalogue we bought was a volume of fivehundred pages, and was only of statuary; and what could we do but walk, wonder, and admire? To examine would be a task and pleasure for threemonths. The department of statuary is very large; and here we sawsurprising fragments of the Grecian and Roman schools. The paintings byRubens here are numerous, but by no means as fine as those we saw atAntwerp and in the museums of Holland. All the great masters are here, and their works are finely arranged. We saw some of Claude Lorraine'sthat were beautiful; and some pictures that I missed, since I was herein 1836, have been transferred, I learn, by Louis Philippe, toVersailles and other palaces. The gallery has been thoroughly paintedand beautified; and I never saw a place more radiant with gilding andfrescoes. The ceilings are very gorgeous. We selected a fine day for an excursion to Versailles; and, that wemight have our pleasure consulted as to sight-seeing, we preferred aprivate carriage to the railroad. Versailles is about twelve miles fromParis, and has some twenty-five or thirty thousand inhabitants. HenryIV. Used to resort here for hunting. Louis XIII. Had a lodge here forhis comfort when following the chase. Louis XIV. Turned the lodge into apalace, and began operations in 1664. In 1681, he removed with his courtto this place. The Chapel was begun in 1699, and finished in 1710. TheTheatre was inaugurated at the marriage of Louis XVI. , in 1770. A newwing was built by Louis XVIII. Louis Philippe made great additions, anddevoted the palace to the noble purpose of a national depot of all thatis glorious in the history of France. What Louis Philippe did here youmay imagine, when I tell you that on the restoration and improvement ofVersailles he expended fifteen millions of francs. Why, Charley, thestables are like mansions, and fine ones, too. The grand court is threehundred and eighty feet wide, and the Place d'Armes, which leads to it, is eight hundred feet wide. The iron railings which divide these arevery richly gilt. On either side the court are ranges of buildingsintended for the ministers of the king; and here are sixteen colossalmarble statues, which I well remember, at the Pont de la Concorde, inParis. They are great names of old and modern renown. In the centre ofthe court is a colossal equestrian statue of Louis XIV. Now comesanother court devoted to royalty; and north and south are wings andpavilions, one built by Louis XV. , and the other by Louis Philippe. Nextwe see the Cour de Marbre, around which is the old palace of LouisXIII. , crowned with balustrades, vases, trophies, and statues. South ofthe Cour Royale is a small court called Cour des Princes, and dividesthe wing built by Louis XVIII. From the main body of the southern wing. The Grand Commun is a vast square edifice, enclosing a court. It has onethousand rooms; and when Louis XIV. Lived here, three thousand peoplelodged: in this building. The chapel is exceedingly beautiful. It is inCorinthian style, and is one hundred and forty-eight feet byseventy-five, and ninety feet high. The front of the palace ismagnificent in the highest degree. "It presents a large projecting massof building, with two immense wings, and consists of a ground floor, first floor of the Ionic style, and attic. The wings exceed five hundredfeet in length. The central front is three hundred and twenty feetlong, and each of its retiring sides two hundred and sixty feet. Thenumber of windows and doors _of this front_ are three hundred andseventy-five. " To describe the paintings and statuary would require avolume. Let me say that here on the walls is all the history of Francethat conduces to her glory. Every battle by land or sea, that she everwon, is here; but not an allusion to her defeats. I looked hard forAgincourt and Cressy; to say nothing of later conflicts, but they werenot to be seen. Some of these pictures have great merit, while othersare coarsely designed and executed. The historical series begins withthe Baptism of Clovis, in 495, and comes down to the present period, with the illustration of about eleven hundred subjects. Then there areabout one hundred views of royal palaces, and series as follows:Portraits of the kings of France, of French admirals, of constables ofFrance, and of marshals of France, to the number of some two hundred andfifty; of French warriors, of personages who became celebrated indifferent ways, which amount to nearly eighteen hundred; and here wefound several Americans. We noticed the likeness of Mr. Webster, byHealy; but the canvas is too small, and the picture has faded. It is notequal to the noble painting by Harding, which we saw just before we lefthome. These last portraits afforded us a great treat; and here we sawfine likenesses of the great ones of the earth. All the old pictureshave dates of death, and many of birth. The sculpture gallery is veryrich. There are more than six hundred figures, some of them exceedinglyexpressive and beautiful. I should think that more than two hundred andfifty of the historical paintings relate to events and persons connectedwith the power of Napoleon. A very conspicuous feature is the series illustrating the conquest ofAlgiers. These are four in number, and are immense as to size--I shouldthink thirty or forty feet in length. They are by Horace Vernet, and arevery effective. The apartments of the palace are perfectly regal. Theyquite come up to one's preconceived ideas of the days of Louis le Grand. I looked with interest at the door through which Marie Antoinette madeher escape, and whence she was dragged by the mob. The chamber of LouisXIV. Is just as it was in his time. Here the grand monarch died uponthat bed. There is the balustrade which fenced off the bed of majesty. The ceiling of this room has the noblest painting in France. It is Jovelaunching his bolts against the Titans, and was done by Paul Veronese. Napoleon brought it from Venice. There seemed no end to the apartments. We saw those of Madame Maintenon, the royal confessional, and thedining-room of Louis XIV. , which was the cabinet of Louis XVI. In thisroom Louis XIV. Entertained Molière when he had been ill treated orneglected by his ministers and courtiers. "I am told that the officersof my household do not find that you were made to eat with them. Sitdown at this table, and let them serve us up breakfast. " This was hislanguage to the great poet, when he had called him to his presence. Theking then helped him to a fowl's wing, and treated him in the mostgracious manner. He knew the worth of genius. The king could make amarshal, but he could not make a poet. All the innumerable rooms havebeautiful paintings and works of art. One room, called the Saloon of theCrusades, was delightfully interesting; and the great pictures of thatapartment did much to impress the events of the holy wars upon ourminds. George was in ecstasies with the _souvenirs_ of his idol the emperor;and as we shall leave him for five or six months in Paris, I expectthat, in addition to the vast amount of knowledge which he reallypossesses of the history of Napoleon, he will return home posted up withall the _on dits_ of the worshippers of the emperor. The Theatre is very fine. It is quite large, and would be admired in anycapital. It was built by Louis XV. , at the instance of Madame Pompadour. It was Used by Louis Philippe, and we saw his seat. The gardens are world renowned; so we _must_ admire them. They did notquite come up to my notions. The fountains, statuary, ponds, orange-trees, are all very grand; but I cannot say that I was as pleasedas the boys were. Perhaps I was weary; I know I was anxious. I had anold and valued friend living in Versailles, and was unable to ascertainher residence. We went to the Grand and Petit Trianon. The great Trianon is a palacewith one story, and having two wings. The little Trianon has twostories. Here royalty has loved to loiter when tired of the splendors ofthe stupendous palace close by. Here are some exquisite paintings, brought by Louis Philippe from the Louvre. We repaired to a good _café_ close by the palace, had a satisfactorydinner with Mr. Hodgson and his family, and then took our carriage forParis. Our route to Versailles was through Passy, where our Dr. Franklin livedin 1788, at No. 40 Rue Bass. Beranger resides in this village. It seemsa favorite resort for genius; for here have resided the ChancellorD'Aguesseau, Boileau, Molière, and Condorcet. We passed through Sèvres, where the beautiful china is manufactured, anddrove through the Park of St. Cloud, the palace being in sight. On our return, we drove leisurely through the Bois de Boulogne. Thesewoods afford a fine opportunity to the Parisians for exercise, either onhorseback or in carriages, and it is to Paris what Hyde Park is toLondon and the avenues are to New York, and much pleasanter than either. Here have been fought most of the duels which, in other days, have beenso numerous in Paris, but which, I am glad to say, are getting intodisrepute. The boys will write you before we leave Paris. Yours always, J. O. C. Letter 49. PARIS. DEAR CHARLEY:-- Our stay here at our present visit will be several days longer than weexpected. We have to get clothing and various articles which can beobtained here to more advantage than in England or at home. We have beento some large jewelry establishments and made selections of presents forour absent but remembered friends. One morning we spent very pleasantlyat a celebrated depot of glass manufactures. The display was very large, and also brilliant, and we made some pretty selections. The taste of theFrench is very great, and a large part of this population must live byfurnishing the rest of the world with mere matters of _bijouterie_. We have had the pleasure to meet several of the doctor's acquaintancesfrom America; and among others whom we have often met have been Rev. Dr. Alexander, Rev. Dr. Ritchie, Hon. H. J. Raymond, Mr. G. P. Putnam, Mr. Bunting, Mr. Herring, Mr. Howard, &c. I have been much gratified ingetting acquainted with Mr. Raymond, whom I have met several times. Heis quite a young-looking man for one who holds his important position ofspeaker of the New York House of Assembly. I should not think him to bemore than twenty-six or twenty-seven, though perhaps he is thirty. Mr. Putnam is the author of my favorite book, "The World's Progress, "--thebook of dates, --and one which I recommend you, Charley, always to keepon your table, within reach, for reference. If I live to return home, I have much to do that never before appearedto me of so great importance. I want to become thoroughly conversantwith English and French history; for, in a certain sense, thesecountries embody the history of the world. Not to know what happenedbefore we were born, is always to be children; and if my journey hasdone me no other good, it has very clearly shown me how little I know, and how very much I ought to understand, and must, if I would take myplace among intelligent, well-educated men. I am sure, too, that I haveacquired on this journey a desire to make improvement. Every where Ifind the records of intellect and genius, and I cannot, for very shame, be willing to go through life and enjoy the means of improvement, without deriving profit. We have met with very kind attentions from Mr. Hector Bossange, the great bookseller, who invited us to dinner. He is agentleman of great activity, and seems always engaged; and yet I havenoticed that such persons seem to have time for every one and everything. I have noticed this at home, as well as abroad. Some of these menwho have so much to do, and so many persons to see and be polite to, must work very hard at times, or else they understand the way to getthrough business in a patent method. These busy men seem to have readevery thing; and even in new books they keep up with the times. Theymust do it, I guess, by remembering our old copy, that "spare minutesare the golden sands of life. " George is going to stay here for four or five months, and the doctor isbusy in finding him a suitable home and getting him an outfit. You would perhaps like to hear a little about the Hospital desInvalides, where the old soldiers of France bring up when past labor. Itis a vast building, and covers sixteen acres, which, however, enclosefifteen various courts. It is governed and managed by the senior marshalof France, a lieutenant general, commandant of the hotel, a colonelmajor, three adjutant majors, three sub-adjutant majors, one almoner, two chaplains, one apothecary and ten assistants, twenty-six sisters ofcharity, and two hundred and sixty servants. There are about one hundredand seventy officers, and about three thousand fire hundred invalids inall. This is a truly magnificent building, both architecturallyconsidered and in its interior arrangements. The council chamber is veryfine, and here are some admirable portraits and the best statue ofNapoleon that is extant. The dome is very grand, but is at presentinvisible, on account of the alterations going on to complete the tombof Napoleon. This will be the grandest tomb, probably, in the world. Thesarcophagus is to rest on a platform, to which the access is by steps ofgreen marble. [Illustration: Sarcophagus at Napoleon's Tomb, and Key] Here is a good library and some MSS. Of the two prime ministers, Sullyand Colbert; a good picture of Napoleon and Louis Philippe; the cannonball which killed Marshal Turenne, and his equestrian statue in gold andsilver. My favorite stroll here is in the Garden of the Tuileries. I am neverweary of this place. Here are the finest flowers, the best walks, thegayest company, the prettiest children, and the densest shade, if youplease to go into it, in Paris. Then, too, there are groups of statuary, and fountains with lofty jet, and proud swans in the reservoirs. Iwould like to have you walking in that thick forest growth; there is nounderbrush; I can see from one side to the other. After a long walk, youcome to the noble portals, guarded by lions couchant, and just beyond isthe spot where Louis XVI. Was guillotined. I do not believe there is anobler view in Europe than now opens to the spectator. There before meis the Obelisk of Luxor, which was brought from Egypt, and now stands inthe Place de la Concorde, its history, its removal, its presentposition, all serve to delight me. In itself it is a noble object, andmy eye ever rests on it with pleasure. Just think, Charley, that you are at my side: turn round, and look atthe gardens we have left. There, see the long, low Tuileries, the palaceof the Bourbons, the home of Napoleon, the residence of the citizenking, and now the Palace National. Off to the right is the Seine and itslong line of quays; here is the bridge; and just across it is theChamber of the Assembly, with twelve Corinthian columns, I like thisbuilding exceedingly. To our left is a long, stately range, known as theRue Rivoli, in which we reside; it has an arched arcade in front; forfoot passengers, and some hundreds of columns to support and adorn it. At this end of it are public offices. Now turn and look at our left; andsee, a street cuts through this noble row, and at its end you see thepride of the city, the Madeleine. There it is, all white, and itsstately columns tell of Greece. Now, if you turn your back upon theTuileries, you will gaze upon the open space of the Champs Elysées, andlook down along through that splendid avenue, and there see the finestthing in France--Bonaparte's triumphal arch. One word about this arch. It is the work of the emperor, who ordered its erection in 1806, whenthe foundation was laid. In 1814 it was suspended, but in 1823 it wasresumed in honor of the Duke d'Angoulême's victories in Spain. In 1830its original intention was adopted, and in 1836 it was completed, andits cost was nearly eleven millions of francs. It is a vast arch, ninetyfeet high and forty-five feet wide, with entablature and attic. Itstotal height is one hundred and fifty-two feet, breadth one hundred andthirty-seven feet, depth sixty-eight feet. On the fronts are colossalgroups, in which the figures are eighteen feet. All these arehistorical, and tell of the great man in his fields of glory. You ascendthis wonderful work of art by two hundred and sixty steps, and get thebest view of Paris. Close by is the Hippodrome, of which some of us havetold you, I suppose, during our last visit. At less than a mile from this place is the Chapel of St. Ferdinand, built on the spot where the Duke of Orleans died, by a fall from hiscarriage, in 1842. It is a small building of stone, fifty feet long, andis of Gothic style. Here are many interesting objects--the marble groupdescriptive of the dying prince, and at his head an angel insupplication; this angel was the sculpture of his sister, the PrincessMarie. The painted windows are exquisite representations of the patronsaints of the royal family. Behind the altar is the room in which theduke died, now used as the sacristy of the chapel. Here, too, is apicture of the death bed. I am glad that I saw this, as the rest of theparty were not able to be there. The great National Library is in the Rue Vivienne. The building is adark-looking affair, five hundred and forty feet long and one hundredand thirty feet wide. Inside is a court three hundred feet by ninety, and that is flanked with buildings. The library is in five sections:first, manuscripts; second, printed books; third, engravings; fourth;medals, &c. ; fifth, marbles. Perhaps the best collection of earlyprinting that Europe can show is in this place. You will be surprisedwhen I tell you that there are here one million five hundred thousandworks. I cannot attempt to tell you the curiosities that are to be seenhere--gems, cameos, antiques, swords, armors, models, portraits, busts;and then, as for autographs, why, a collector could not fail to breakthe tenth commandment when he looked at the letters of this collectionin glass cases. The engravings alone are a study for months. I have to see my tailor, Mr. Woodman, who is a capital one; and then Imust go to Forr, the boot-maker, of whom let me tell you a story. Thedoctor went to be measured, when we first arrived, and the man told himit was not necessary, as he had his measure. "How so?" he inquired. "Why, sir, " replied the man, "I remember you fifteen years ago, at theHotel Windsor;" and taking down his book, showed him his name, number ofhis room, &c. This I think a pretty considerable proof of memory, andequal to what we are told of some of our American landlords, who aresaid never to forget a face. These engagements discharged, and I am ready to pack up. We all feel sadat leaving George, who has been a kind and amiable companion; but wehope soon to see him again. Let me tell you that we are to have a new teacher. Dr. C. Has engaged M. Oudin, a graduate of the University of Paris, to return with us. Thisgentleman is married; and we are all pleased with him and expect, ofcourse, to profit under his instructions. M. Oudin has taken us to see a very curious manufactory of fruits, fishes, &c. They certainly are lifelike. Then, too, there is a branchof this establishment devoted to the preparation of medicalrepresentations of disease, and the skill exhibited is very great. Ournext letter will, I fancy, be from Old England. I feel sad at leavingFrance, for I do like her capital; and then I cannot help a fear thatshe has dark days not very far off. She talks of liberty at all hercorners, but she seems to have none in her conduct of the daily press. There are too many soldiers here to please an American. At home we haveall the blessings of government, and do not see the machinery. We haveno soldiers to keep us moving along. I shall always think with pleasureof our month in this city; and if I ever come again, I have work chalkedout for three months, at least. Yours affectionately, JAMES. Letter 50. LONDON. DEAR CHARLEY:-- We had a pleasant time from Paris to Calais; and here we determined topass a day, and look at a city which has been so celebrated both in thehistory of France and England. We put up at Quillac's. The population isabout thirteen thousand. The town is strongly fortified, and has veryfew external attractions. The gate built by Richelieu in 1685, anddelineated by Hogarth, still stands. You know that England held thistown from 1347 to 1558; and, as a result, you can find several specimensof English Tudor architecture, especially the Hotel de Guise. The walksupon the fortifications are fine, and afford commanding views of thecliffs of the south coast of England. The place generally has some threeor four thousand English, many of whom are refugees on account of debt. At eleven at night we went on board a French steamer for Dover; and the_instant_ that she got outside the pier, she jumped like a mad thing. O, Charley, that was a horrid night! We were all sick, very sick indeed. Ittook us about three hours to get over, and we were thankful to land andtake refuge for three or four hours in the quiet of our bedrooms. Ateight we took the cars for London, and were at the Golden Cross, quietlysettled down in our old quarters, by twelve o'clock. I ought to tell youthat we hurried over in order to be here at the great entertainmentwhich Mr. George Peabody gives to his excellency Abbott Lawrence and hislady, on the evening of the 4th of July. We were invited, and feltanxious to be there; as, in addition to the other notable characters, "the duke" was to be present. All that day the subject of the eveningwas the great topic with Americans; and as more than nine hundredacceptances were received to invitations issued, it was expected thatthe party would be interesting, and that many, who failed to obtaintickets, would be disappointed. The entertainment was given at Almack's, Willis's Room, St. James's, and upon a scale of great magnificence. Itconsisted of a concert at half past nine, a ball at eleven, and supperat one. The idea of celebrating our national independence in London, under the peculiar circumstances which London presents at this moment, was a happy one; and though some wise men doubted the wisdom of themeasure, yet the result proved the prudence and practical good sense ofits originator; and perhaps few men possess more of this admirablequality than Mr. Peabody. The rooms at Almack's are very spacious, sothat there was ample space for the one thousand who proved to bepresent. At one end of the room were seen the portraits of the queen andWashington, surrounded by the flags of England and the United States;and around were placed busts of her majesty, Washington, Prince Albert, Franklin, Webster, and other celebrated men of both countries. Each ladywas presented, on her entrance, with a fine bouquet. At half past ninethe seats for the concert were entirely filled. The _programme deconcert_ was as follows:-- CONDUCTOR, SIGNOR ALARY. PARTE PRIMA. GLEE, Messrs. Lee, Geuge, Hill, Smith, and Howe. DUO, "Al perigli. " {Signor Gardoni, } {Signor F. Lablache, } _Donizetti_. SOLO, Violin. Signor Sivori, _Sivori_. MELODIE, "Jusqu'a toi. " Signor Gardoni _Schubert_. ARIA, "Non più audrai. " Signor Lablache, _Mozart_. ROMANCE, "Ah, mon fils. " Miss C. Hayes, _Meyerbeer_. DUO, "Ah t inebria nell' {Ma'mselle Cruvelli, } amplesso. " {Signor Gardoni, } _Verdi_. PARTE SECUNDA. TRIO, "Qual volutta. " {Miss Hayes, } {Signor Gardoni, } {Signor Lablache, } _Verdi_. ARIA, "Nel dolce incanto. " Mademoiselle Cruveli _De Beriot_. SOLO, Violin. Signor Sivori, _Sivori_. SERENADE, "Qual Suon. " {Miss C. Hayes, } {Signor Gardoni, } _Alary_. DUO, "Un Segreta. " {Signor Lablache, } {F. Lablache, } _Rossini_. TRIO, "Zitti, Zitti. " {Miss C. Hayes, } {Signor Gardoni, } {Signor Lablache, } _Rossini_. PIANO FORTE, Signor Alary. The glees and madrigals were by the first-named artists; and the pieceswere, "Spring's Delight, " "Come, let us join the Roundelay, " "Foresterssound the cheerful Horn, " and "The Winds whistle cold. " The band for the ball was Coote & Tinney's. The concert was very fine. Iwas most pleased with Miss Hayes, --and next with Lablache, whose voiceis the finest I ever heard. The duke came just at the close of theconcert, as the seats were being removed for the dancing. Mr. Peabodymet him in the reception-room, and led him to the upper end of theball-room, where he was cordially greeted by Mr. And Mrs. Lawrence. Theband struck up, "See, the conquering hero comes, " and I really felt thatsuch a reception to such a man, and under such circumstances, wassomething for an American boy to see; and, if I live thirty or fortyyears, it will be something to tell about. There were but fewcomparatively who danced. The company were in groups, in the differentrooms, taking refreshments. At one, supper was announced on the groundfloor of the house; and here the press was felt to be greater than upstairs. The tables were most gorgeously laid out with every delicacythat unlimited outlay of expense could secure. Perhaps you would like toknow some of the company who were present, belonging to England, and whocertainly were present for the first time to celebrate the anniversaryof American independence. There were the Duke of Wellington, Marquisesof Ely and Clanricarde, Lord Glenelg, Lord Charles Manners, Lord CharlesRussell, Lord Mayor of London and Lady Mayoress, Viscount Canning, Lordand Lady Dormer, Lord Hill, Lord Stuart, Baron and Lady Alderson, theChancellor of the Exchequer, and Lady Mary Wood; Mr. Justice and LadyColeridge, the Governor of the Bank of England, Joseph Hume, M. P. , andfamily, Lady Morgan, Miss Burdett Coutts, Admiral Watkins, the Countessof Eglinton, Countess Powlett, Lady Talbot Mala hide, and a very long_et cetera_. Mr. Peabody could not have served his country better thanby affording an opportunity for the great and distinguished of Englandto meet a large party of his countrymen on an occasion dear toAmericans, and especially dear when they are far away from theircountry, and feel that, under the broad flag of the stars and stripesthey are every where as safe as if they were in New York or Boston. Itwas very clear that hostile feeling had ceased, and that the greatAnglo-Saxon family can now meet any where and display the brotherhoodwhich they ought ever to feel. Such a meeting could not have taken placetwenty years ago; and perhaps this beautiful demonstration would neverhave been afforded, if the thought had not presented itself to our host, who had the means to carry out the idea with a nobleness that did honorto himself and his country. We left the rooms on a bright, starlightmorning, just as day was opening her eye, and were soon comfortablyhoused at our pleasant home. I write in haste, for we have much to dobefore we leave London. Yours affectionately, JAMES. Letter 51. LONDON. DEAR CHARLEY:-- We have had one of the most agreeable days that I have spent in England. We received a kind invitation from his excellency Baron Vanderweyer, theBelgian minister, to attend a party given by his lady to the youngnobility. The invitations were for five o'clock. We found the finestcollection of children and young people, from about four years old up tosixteen, that I ever saw gathered together. I should think there weretwo hundred and fifty. More beautiful children cannot probably be found;and they were dressed in fine taste, and some very richly. One littlefellow, about six years old, was, I think, the noblest-looking boy myeyes ever rested upon. Dr. C. Inquired of two or three persons whom heknew, who the lad was; and just then an elegant and fashionable-lookinglady expressed how much she felt flattered by the kind things said ofthe little fellow, and told him that it was her son, the eldest son ofthe Marquis of O----d, and then called him out of the dance, andintroduced the little Lord Ossory to him. Among the illustriousjuveniles was the future Duke of Wellington, and grandson of the IronDuke. He is now about four or five years old. I think the sight was oneof the prettiest I ever had the pleasure to witness. A few of theparents and older friends of the children were present; and in thecompany was Mr. Bates, whose kindness to us has been very great. One evening this week Dr. Choules preached at Craven Chapel, near RegentStreet, where he had been requested to speak about America, and he tookup Education--the voluntary principle--and Slavery. On the last topic hegave some truths that were probably very unpalatable. He stated that thegood people here knew next to nothing of the subject; that its treatmentamongst us could not be suffered by strangers; and that all interferencewith it by this nation was as impolitic, and in as bad taste, as itwould be for an American to visit England and commence a crusade againstthe expenditures of the royal household, as a crying sin, while therewas misery among the masses in many parts of the kingdom. He spoke ofthe extreme prejudice which he had met upon the subject, and therudeness's into which he had found men fall, who seemed to haveforgotten every courtesy of life. He gave them many facts, which, thoughperfectly correct, yet he said he supposed would be interpreted as aspecial plea on behalf of slavery--although nothing could be moreuntrue. The prejudice existing here is amusing. They seem to take it forgranted that every American raises cotton, sugar, and tobacco, and, therefore, is a slaveholder. However, I find most persons of candorready to acknowledge that it is questionable whether any good canpossibly result from sending English agents to agitate the slaveryquestion in the United States. There are a great many things which we have seen in London that are lessworthy of note than those we have written you about, and yet inthemselves are very useful and interesting; and we hope the remembranceof them will be of service to us hereafter. I have been much struck withthe prevalence of the same names in the streets as those which are sofamiliar to me on our signs and boards. We have most clearly a commonorigin, and there are no two nations in the world between whom there isof necessity so much sympathy on all great questions. We have visited the exhibition several times since our return, withfresh pleasure on every occasion. In point of show and splendor, we aredoing little in competition with the English, French and Belgianexhibitors; but we have a wonderful deal here that proves Jonathan to bea smart chap at invention, and no slouch at labor-saving operations. Wecannot afford to spend the labor of freemen, who own their houses andfarms and gardens, upon single pieces of furniture that would take sixmonths to complete. Our time is too valuable for this. The pauper laborof Europe will, I hope, long continue to be cheaper, than the toil ofAmerican mechanics. I do not want to see a man working for thirty centsa day. The people of England must laugh in their sleeves when they seeevery steamer bringing out our specie from America, and when they see ussacrificing our true interests to aid the destructive policy of freetrade. I have never thought so much about the tariff as since I havebeen here, and I am now convinced that we ought to give suitableencouragement to all kinds of manufactures in our country, and so afforda regular market for the products of the agriculturist. The Englishagents that flood our country are placing the land under a constantdrain; and our specie must go abroad, instead of circulating at home. Itis only in times of great scarcity that England will want much of ourwheat or corn; and the English very freely avow that they hope to beable, ere long, to get their cotton from the East. It seems to me thatour Southern States will need their New England constant market, andthat our true policy is to take care of ourselves. Certainly there is agreat variety of opinion here about free trade, and I hear gentlemendebate strongly against it. The reciprocity of England is a queer thing. All this yarn, Charley, grows naturally out of my starting-point aboutthe exhibition. We go to-night to Bristol, to visit our kind friends once more; thencewe run into South Wales, and afterwards set our faces homeward. Yours, &c. , WELD. Letter 52. BRISTOL DEAR CHARLEY:-- We have been here with the doctor's friends for several days, and had amost delightful time. Nothing can be more kind than their attentions tous; and the young men--I wish you knew them--have been constantly doingevery thing in their power to make our visit here agreeable. We were glad to find Mr. W---- recovering from his accident; and as thefamily were at Western Super Mare, a watering-place about seven milesoff, for his health, we went and passed a couple of days with them. Thisplace is on the banks of the Bristol Channel; the air is thought to bethe finest on the western coast of England, and is, we thought, verymuch like our Newport air. When the tide is in the scenery is pretty, and the Welsh hills; at sunset are beautiful. Off in the Bristol Channelare two islands, called the Flat and Steep Holmes. The houses here are neat, and the best are lodging-houses. Some of therows are very pretty, and are sufficiently cosy to accommodate smallfamilies. The true way to enjoy the seaside is to have your own snug quarters. Here the people are wise enough to build close to the sea, and rows ofhouses are found all round the bay. We had a charming ride to a lofty hill, about two miles off, and theprospect was very fine. Here, as on the continent, we found large numbers of donkeys, withdrivers, and ladies use them in their little excursions; and many ofthem are attached to Bath chairs, a small gig, and a very comfortableconveyance, too, as we proved. The vehicle is made for one person. I cannot say much for the bathing, which is greatly admired here, butwas far too muddy for our taste, after an acquaintance with the noblebeach at home. The museum of the Baptist College in Bristol is very fine, and thelibrary is large and one of great value. The collection of Bibles is thebest in the kingdom, and here is the only copy of Tindal's NewTestament. The miniature of Oliver Cromwell, by Cooper, is valuable, andhas been often engraved. We have several times attended worship at a very beautiful Gothic chapelat Bristol, called Highbury Chapel. It is a perfect gem, built in theGothic style of the fifteenth century. The edifice is of stone, theroof and wood-work of oak, the pulpit freestone, and over it is a finepainted window. It is one of the prettiest churches we have seen inEngland; and what gives great interest to the building is the fact thatit stands upon the spot where five martyrs were burnt, in the days ofPopery, when Queen Mary was on the throne. This burning of Protestantsonly happens when Catholics have power; they do not advocate the measurein America, although their boast is that their system knows no change. Inquisitions and martyrs' fires are the adult growth of Popery. If Iwanted to know how liberal institutions worked, I would look at themwhere they were established and flourished without hinderance; and if Iwanted to know what Popery is, I would go and look at it in its properterritories--Spain, Italy, and Austria. There Popery is intolerant. InFrance the wings of Romanism are clipped; and if the patronage of thestate were withdrawn, as very likely it may before long, the crumblingedifice would fall. The Rev. Mr. Thomas, the pastor of Highbury Chapel, is a man of superiorintellect, and we heard a very fine sermon from him. I never was in a place where there are so many local charities as I findat Bristol. Every ailment of man seems here to be provided with itsneeded cure; and as for orphan asylums and refuges for the aged, blind, strangers, &c. , they are every where to be found. The Infirmary is anoble institution, and always has two hundred patients in the wards; twothousand were received last year, and eight thousand out-door casesreceived treatment. A refuge for the houseless poor, opened in winter ateight o'clock, and supported by subscription, has been very useful. Ithink there are at least thirty different almshouses for the aged andindigent of both sexes; and some of these places are as neat as anything can be, as to their accommodation. We like Bristol--its fine old houses, its streets, that tell so plainlyof other days, its beautiful environs, and its generous citizens. I wishyou could see the prospect from the drawing-room window at a house wherewe have often visited, and always with pleasure. The house stands on avery high hill; the drawing-room has a large bay window, and outside abalcony. You look down into a charming garden, with fine trees andfountains, --the ground being on a great declivity, I should think aslope of fifty degrees, --and then from the balcony you have the entirecity laid out before you, down, down in the valley; while before you, and on either hand, stretch away the hills which adorn this noble city. The towers and steeples of the glorious old churches make the prospect, of a fine, clear summer evening, one never to be forgotten. Go where Imay, that room, and the kind faces of those who meet in it will oftenrise in memory. I have never had my feelings so enlisted by strangers as at Bristol; andwe all feel quite at home here. We are to go off to-morrow on an excursion to Monmouthshire, and seeChepstow, Tintern Abbey, and Ragland Castle, and expect that this lastof our wanderings will be very gratifying. I have not told you how much we have enjoyed the fruit in England and onthe continent. Cherries and strawberries have been daily on our tables, and of the best kinds. I do not think we ever enjoyed a fruit season somuch as this summer. In this humid climate the strawberry grows to animmense size; and the gooseberry, which is here in high favor, is a farfiner fruit than with us. Yours affectionately, JAMES. Letter 53. BRISTOL. DEAR CHARLEY:-- Let me tell you of a charming trip which we have had this week toChepstow Castle and its neighborhood. We have told you all about thebeautiful scenery of Clifton, and the Hot Wells at this place, and thefine old rooks. Well, now we took passage in a little steamer, and wentdown the Avon between these lofty rocks, and had a new and enlarged viewof this wondrous formation. The boat was well filled with tourists, asthis is a fashionable trip. The Avon for four miles is quite Rhenish inits aspect; and one or two old castled towers on its crags afford a sortof reminiscence of what we lately saw on the river of rivers. We soon got out of the Avon into King Road, and there met the tidesetting strongly from the Severn--a large river, which dividesMonmouthshire from Gloucestershire. We then stretched across theestuary, and were in the Wye--one of the most romantic rivers in thecountry, the scenery of which will occupy much of this letter. After going up the river a little way, we saw a town upon the left bankand a noble castle. This is Chepstow. It is finely ensconced in ahollow. The town is irregular, and depends for its prosperity on itscommerce. The castle is really a noble ruin and crowns a high bluffwhich rises from the river. I do not know how any one can ask for alovelier landscape than is opened to the view off the bridge which spansthe river. The castle was built by a relation of William the Conqueror. Its styleis Norman, with more modern additions. The tide rises here to anelevation of from fifty to sixty feet. This is owing to rooks whichstretch into the Severn near the mouth of the Wye, and, by hindering thetide, turn it into this small river. On landing, we engaged a carriage and pair of horses for the excursion, and were soon off. We stopped for lunch at St. Arvan's, a village onemile off, and a beautiful place it is--a perfect gem of a countrystreet. But the glorious scenery of the region calls off attention fromthe modest hamlet. How I should like, as in my boyish days, to makehead-quarters here for a week, and then strike out for dailyexplorations. We passed by the fine mansion at Piercefield, and devoted our time tothe glorious points of natural scenery on the banks of this mostcharming stream--for Americans can hardly call it a river. We walked nowabout two miles through an oak wood, in which is a sprinkling of ash andelm, till we came to the very edge of a cliff called the "Lover's Leap. "It overhangs an awful abyss, the depth of which is softened down by thewoods which cover the neighboring rooks. A little off from this we cameto the famous Wynd Cliff. Its summit is fringed with wood, and coversits declivities down to the river. To describe the scenery, my dear boy, from this spot, is quite beyond my ability. I wish that Sir Walter Scotthad attempted it, and made this region the scene of one of hisbeautiful creations. From this spot you see all the course of the Wye, with its numerous sinuosities--in one place cutting out a few acres intoa horse-shoe peninsula. As the eye follows down the river, you gaze onperpendicular, rocky cliffs, and can hardly persuade yourself that youdo not look at the immense fortifications of a town. But that peacefullittle peninsula at my feet; it is called Llanicut. Such a farm! suchelms! all forming a landscape unrivalled. But look beyond the Wye, and, just away there, is the noble Severn. Ay, that is a river. There itrolls and foams down through the rich county of Gloucestershire, andempties into the Bristol Channel. Then away, beyond to the right are thebold, swelling hills of Somersetshire. I cannot but wish that Claude hadseen the Wye and Severn; the noblest of his pictures would have beenillustrative of this region. When we had sufficiently delighted ourselves with the far-spread scene, we descended by a winding path through the woods and down the almostperpendicular rock. The road was a very zigzag. We came down threehundred and sixty steps, and, passing a rustic bridge, entered a mosscottage, the small windows of painted glass, the table the base of amighty oak, sawn off and polished. The walls are lined with moss. Herewe got refreshments, and talked of those who had been here with us onformer visits--some in America, others farther off; and yet perhapsnot; for we know not how, or where, some of our best friends exist; butwe know and feel that they do greatly live. In approaching Tintern, we passed the iron works, which at night throw asolemn glow over the entire village. The cottages around are very humbleresidences. The inn is a small but cosy affair, and is not destitute ofmuch real comfort. There is the abbey at the water side, and oppositethe rocky hill bank and hanging wood. The access to the abbey is poor, but this is quite forgotten as you enter this glorious sanctuary ofother days. There are few ancient edifices in Great Britain, now inruins, which attract so much attention from the curious traveller asTintern Abbey, on the Wye. The beauty of the river is proverbial, yet has never been adequatelydescribed; but the best idea of its diversified charms may be gatheredfrom "Gilpin's Picturesque Scenery and Observations upon the Wye. " Tintern was a Cistercian abbey, and was founded in 1131, by Walter deClare, and dedicated to St. Mary on its completion in 1287. The dress ofthe Cistercians was a white cassock, with a narrow scapulary, and overthat a black gown, when they went abroad, but a white one when they wentto church. They were called white monks, from the color of their habit. The dimensions of this church are as follows: length, two hundred andtwenty-eight feet, and the transept one hundred and fifty feet long;breadth of the aisles, each eighteen feet. There are in the sides tenarches; between each column fifteen feet, which is the span of thearches. The interior of this monastery presents the best specimen of Gothicarchitecture in England. The east window is a most magnificent affair, sixty-four feet high, and calls forth universal admiration. The veryinsignificant doorway was, no question, intended by the architect toform a strong contrast with the elevation of the roof. The abbey iscruciform; its ruins are perfect as to the grand outline; and I am surewe should like to pass the entire day within this venerable fane. Thewalls of the tower are seventy-two feet high, and covered with ivy, moss, and lichens, but show no indications of decay. Very few Americans visit this region; but I think that they can seenothing in England at all comparable to this ruin. Among the relics that are to be seen here is the effigy of a knight inchain mail, the remains of a virgin and child, and the head of a shavenfriar. Here, too, are several monkish tombstones. We were obliged to resume our places in the carriage, and ride sometwelve miles, in order to visit the finest baronial ruins in thekingdom. We reached the quiet little village of Ragland, and, puttingup our horses, gave orders for dinner, and then repaired to the castle, which we found near by, crowning a slight eminence with its statelytowers. We approached through a grove of truly venerable oaks and elms, and all at once we were at the warder's gate; and entering into theterrace, formerly the eastern court, a most splendid vision burst uponour sight. Here are three pentagonal towers, with machicolatedbattlements, and showing all the marks of war. This is the most perfectpart of the ruin, and seems likely to stand for ages. The ivy clustersover the towers most gracefully. Off to the left, insulated by a moat, stands the remains of a tower, once the citadel. We advance through theGothic portal into the second court, and here are shafts and arches, andgrooves through which the portcullis used to present itself to thebesiegers. Next is the paved court, where once were the men at arms withiron tread; now a velvet lawn is seen, and many a vigorous tree isspreading its roots. Here we get a fine view of the majestic window ofthe hall of state. Through an arch is the way to the kitchen. Thefireplace has a span of thirteen feet, and is made of two stones. Thenwe come to the baron's hall, of noble dimensions. On the walls are thestone sculptured arms of the Marquis of Worcester. The chapel was anarrow room; and, nearly concealed by ivy, are two effigies. Thesouth-west tower contained the apartments occupied by Charles I. Afterthe battle of Naseby, in 1645. The grand terrace is in tolerable order, and you proceed to it by a bridge. We ascended the towers and gazed onmajesty in ruins. We saw nothing on the continent finer than RaglandCastle. The prospect from the great tower is the finest that can beimagined, and I almost fear to tell you its extent. You may imagine that we felt unusually interested at this place, fromthe fact that here the Marquis of Worcester invented the steam engine. The castle was devastated by the parliamentary troops under Fairfax, having surrendered in 1646. The defence was gallant, but unavailing. The warder of the castle is a very gentlemanly man. He took us into hisapartments in one of the towers, and we found that he was a veryrespectable amateur in painting. Some of his oil paintings were verycreditable. An infant girl, of great beauty, his daughter, answered tothe name of Blanche Castle May, and was the first-born child under thatroof since its desolation. Here, as well as at Tintern Abbey, I obtained ivy roots for Mr. Hall, and hope to see them flourishing on the walls of his beautiful stonehouse in Rhode Island. We retired slowly from this romantic ruin, and at the hotel found anexcellent dinner. One dish was fit for a king--sewen, young salmon, or aspecies of salmon, for there is much dispute among naturalists as to theidentity of these fish. Any how, they are fine beyond any fish. Theywere about two and a quarter pounds each, and are so delicate that theydo not well bear transportation. We returned to Chepstow that evening, having a fine ride through a newpiece of scenery, and were quite ready for a sound night's rest. In themorning we looked at the castle in Chepstow, which is remarkably fine, and is of extreme antiquity; some of the arches of the castle chapelindicating clearly a Saxon origin. One of the priestly legends is thatthis chapel was built by Longinus, a Jew, and father of the soldier whopierced the side of Christ. This was the belief of the ancientpopulation of this charming region. All around this town Roman coins are frequently turned up; and Iobtained from a gentleman a very well-preserved Cæsar silver coin, dugup a day or two before. This castle was for more than twenty years the prison home of HenryMarten, one of the regicides. He is buried in the parish church, and inthe north transept is the following acrostical epitaph which he composedfor his monument:-- Here, September 9, 1680, was buried A TRUE-BORN ENGLISHMAN, Who in Berkshire was well known To love his country's freedom 'bove his own; But being immured full twenty year, Had time to write, as doth appear. HIS EPITAPH. Here or elsewhere (all's one to you, to me) Earth, air, or water gripes my ghostly dust None know how soon to be by fire set free; Reader, if you an old-tried rule will trust, you will gladly do and suffer what you must. My time was spent in serving you, and you, And death's my pay, it seems, and welcome, too; Revenge destroying but itself, while I To birds of prey leave my old cage, and fly; Examples preach t' the eye; care then, (mine says, ) Not how you end, but how you spend your days. Colonel Henry Marten was one of the noble assertors of English libertywho dared to oppose a weak, but cruel and capricious tyrant. If ever amonarch was a tyrant and despot, it was the first Charles. No Americancitizen who thinks that Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and George Washington were praiseworthyfor the resistance which they offered to the aggressions of George III. , can for one moment fail to reverence Eliot, Hampden, Marten, Whalley, Ludlow, Pym, and Cromwell for their noble opposition to Charles and histormentor general, that incarnation of sanctimonious cruelty, ArchbishopLaud. It is one of the signs that a "good time is coming" that publicopinion in England, as well as in America, is fast setting in favor ofCromwell and his noble coadjutors. They opposed measures rather thanmen; and what proves that they were right in expelling the Stuarts frompower is the fact that when, by infatuation, "the fated race" wasrestored, and again played over former pranks, the people had to oustthe family in 1688, and thus by another national verdict confirm thewisdom and patriotism of the men who had formerly dared to teach atyrant the rights of freemen. Marten was a noble spirit, but his moralswere not as correct as those of his political associates. The game now played by the advocates of high church and state notions inEngland and America is to represent the republican party as illiterateand narrow minded. A viler falsehood was never sworn to at the OldBailey. The leading men of the party who opposed the royal tyrant werescholars, and ripe ones. If any man doubts it, let him read theirspeeches, peruse their lives, and study their writings. Prynne did notlose his acquirements nor his brains when Charles and Laud cropped hisears, and, loving the sport, came back for a second harvest, and"grubbed out the stumps" remaining from the first operation. Read hisfolios, quartoes, and octavoes, and from one of these men estimate theothers. If you want to know the real character of Cromwell and hisparty, as to their knowledge and love of good letters, look at thepatronage which the government gave to learning. Owen was chancellor ofOxford, Milton and Thurlow were secretaries, and their friends werecalled into public life. Were these men barbarians and enemies tolearning? The men who were educated at Oxford and Cambridge at thisperiod were the ornaments of learning and religion for the next fortyyears. The day has gone by forever when Cromwell's name can be used assynonymous with fraud, ignorance, and hypocrisy. Kings and prelates mayhate him, but a liberty-loving world will enshrine his character in thesanctuary of grateful hearts and faithful memories. After crossing the Severn at the old Passage, or Aust, where it is twomiles wide, we took carriage to Bristol. This parish of Aust gave achurch living to the immortal Wickliffe, who received the appointmentfrom Edward III. The drive to the city was a rich enjoyment. Every acre is in the highestcultivation, and the charming villas of the merchant princes of Bristolmake the eleven miles an entire garden scene. Four miles from the city we came to Henbury, regarded by the citizens astheir finest suburban spot. It is indeed beautiful. There are here abouta dozen exquisite cottages, built in 1811, by Mr. Harford, who lives inBlaize Castle. The founder's object was purely benevolent--to provide acomfortable asylum for aged females, who had income enough to supportthem, if only relieved from house rent. The forms of these cottages areall different, but they were the earliest specimens in our times of theadoption of the old Elizabethan style. They are perfect _bijoux_, andthe taste displayed in the shrubberies is very great. Blaize Castle is a fine building, and surrounded by noble woods. Thecastle is a circle, flanked With three round towers. I ought not to omit that we had on this trip the pleasure of beingaccompanied by a gentleman from Bristol, whose taste and perfectknowledge of the ground afforded us much gratification. I allude, to Mr. Dix, author of "Pen and Ink Sketches, " which formerly appeared in theBoston Atlas. Mr. Dix was with us at Windsor Castle, and when he heardfrom Weld French or George Vanderbilt that Robinson's birthday wouldoccur shortly, he noted it, and sent James the following pretty lines, which reached him May 15th, in Paris. I think you will be pleased withthem. TO JAMES A. ROBINSON. When wandering neath old Windsor's towers We laughed away the sunny hours, You asked me for a simple rhyme; So now accept this birthday chime. No poet I--the "gift divine" Ne'er was, and never will be, mine; But take these couplets, which impart The anxious wishes of my heart, In place of more aspiring lay, To greet you on your natal day. Boy of that country of the brave, Beyond the Atlantic's western wave, I, dweller in the motherland, A welcome give with heart and hand; And on your birthday breathe a prayer That you may every blessing share; That your world journey may be blest With all that may prepare you best For the approaching eve of age-- The end of mortal pilgrimage. Upon your brow of youthful bloom I would not cast a shade of gloom; Yet did I say that life will ever Flow onward like a placid river, With only sunshine on its breast, That ne'er 'twill be by storms distressed, I should but flatter to deceive, And but a web of falsehood weave. Yet, checkered though life's path may seem, Life's pleasures are not _all_ a dream. What shall I wish you? I would fain That earthly greatness you may gain; But if that guerdon is not sent, Be with some humble lot content; And let this truth be understood-- Few can be great, _all may_ be good. Power, pomp, ambition, envy, pride, Wrecked barks adown life's stream may glide, Ruined by some fierce passion throe, E'er, reckless, o'er Time's brink they go; But if fair virtue grasps the helm, Nor storm nor wave can overwhelm. That many happy years be yours: Seek truth which every good insures; Press on, though clouds may intervene And for a moment veil the scene. Think of the great ones of your land, And, like them, strive with heart and hand To leave a name, when you depart, Which shall be dear to many a heart. Determine in life's early morn All good to prize, all ill to scorn, And aim to live and die as one Worthy the land of Washington! Yours affectionately, J. O. C. Letter 54. LIVERPOOL. DEAR CHARLEY:-- Well, this looks like the back track; and here we are at the Adelphi, ready to take our passage in the noble Atlantic, which is as good as newagain, and will sail on the twenty-third. We left Bristol with muchregret, for we there have formed acquaintances which we shall oftenremember with affection and gratitude; and I wish we could meet them inAmerica, and have an opportunity to reciprocate some of the manykindnesses we met with at their hands. We took the railroad forCheltenham, and passed through some charming country before we reachedthe old city of Gloucester. On our left were the flint towers ofBerkeley Castle, where the second Edward was so savagely murdered by hiswife's command. Cheltenham is about forty miles from the city of Bristol, and we foundit all that Dr. C. Had described it--a very nice modern town indeed. Itis like our Saratoga, but much more beautiful. The population is aboutthirty thousand, and the strangers who resort there in the season areprobably five thousand more. The waters are in high repute, and areregarded as strongly cathartic. The buildings are very fine, and theentire air of the place is unlike any thing we have seen in England. Other places seem old. This is new, and looks fresh and American in thatrespect, but vastly more elegant and permanent than our towns usuallyare. We had very kind attentions here from the Rev. Mr. Gilby, therector of the parish church, and who strongly urged us to stay over theday; but we resumed the cars, got to Birmingham at ten o'clock, and wentto our old quarters at the Hen and Chickens. The next day we devoted tothe survey of this vast toy shop. Our greatest gratification was at theroyal _papier maché_ and japan works of Jennens & Bettridge. To thisfirm we had introductions, and we went through every department of theestablishment. When we came to the show-rooms we were all tempted by thebeauty of the finished wares, and made several purchases. Here, too, areother manufactories for pins and pens; but I must pass them by. Wecalled on the Rev. John Angell James, who has lived here so long, andmade a world-wide reputation. He looks very hearty and vigorous, andshows no signs of age. He has lived in his house forty-five years. Weobtained his autograph. We also called on Rev. Mr. Swan, an old friendof the doctor in early days, and had a pleasant chat. Mr. Swan was oncea professor in the college at Serampore, in India. He is full of lifeand animation; and it seems to me that people here are more vivaciousand sprightly than with us--old folks and middle-aged ones certainlyare. We took dinner with Mr. Vanwart, brother-in-law to WashingtonIrving, and shall not soon forget the elegant hospitality of hismansion. He resides about two miles from the town; and his lawn gave usa fine view of the English thrush and blackbird, of which birds therewere plenty on the grass. It was so cold that we had to have fires, although the 19th of July. Mr. Vanwart was one of the saved, when theAtlantic was lost in the Sound, November 26, 1846; and he made thekindest inquiries after you and the family, and said that when he nextvisited America he should find you out. That evening we reachedLiverpool, and had a quiet Sabbath, but a very stormy one. It rainedharder than any day since we have been abroad. We attended church in themorning, and heard a very eloquent sermon from Mr. Birrel, and Dr. C. Preached for him at night. The Europa arrived on this day, and we metfriends from Boston--among others the Rev. Dr. Peck. On Monday we wentto Chester, the finest old city in England, with a population oftwenty-four thousand. It claims an antiquity equal to any city in theworld; for they say it was founded by the grandson of Japhet, twohundred and forty years after the flood! Any how, it was great in Romandays--great in the days of Alfred. No town in the country has a morethorough history; and we have two very interesting octavoes filled withit, and richly illustrated with antique engravings. It is a walled city, and has undergone many sieges and blockades. The castle has greatcelebrity, and is of Norman origin. Its walls are one mile and threefourths in length, and there are four great gates. The bridge over theDee has seven arches, and is as old as the Norman conquest. Thecathedral was built in the days of Henry VII. And Henry VIII. It iscomposed of red stone, and has a fine front. The chapter-house in thecloisters is universally admired by antiquarians. We went into one veryold church, which was undergoing restoration. The town, like Berne, hasrows in front of the houses, supported by pillars so that, in shopping, you walk under covered galleries. We returned to Liverpool, and dined with a gentleman who has been verypolite to us--Mr. Thomas Davies, a celebrated maker of gold watches. From him I obtained one, preferring an English to a Swiss timepiece. Here we saw the cultivation of plants in the house in greater perfectionthan I recollect elsewhere. To-morrow we are to take our departure; and, though very glad to returnhome, yet I feel sorry at leaving a country where there is so much thatis excellent and noble and beautiful. I have learnt, certainly, thatEngland and America have too much in common to justify the indulgenceof hatred and prejudice; and I find the tone of feeling here, among wiseand-good people, very kind towards America. I have rarely heard areflection upon our country, excepting upon our slavery. That they _musttalk_ about; and they are a little like the man who, having just got ridof the irritable affection supposed to trouble the North Britons, couldnot for his life help speaking of sulphur. An Englishman is sure to tellyou that he is free from this sin--yes, washed, but scarcely dry. Our hotel is filling up with Americans, and, we expect to meet manyfriends on board the Atlantic. I am much pleased with the appearance ofCaptain West; he looks every inch an admiral. And now, my dear fellow, Ishall see you, perhaps, before you read my letter; but I have kept mypromise to tell you what we saw and did. Of course many things willoccur to our memories when we get home, and will furnish matter forchitchat which I hope soon to have with you, as in days of old. Well, you are now at the business of life, and I am yet a little longer tospend my time in preparation for it. I wonder how we shall come out, Charley? But time will tell, and let us do our best. Yours affectionately, WELD. P. S. I must not forget to tell you that, while at Bristol, the doctorand I ran up to Windsor to see the royal agricultural exhibition, heldthis year in the Home Park. James stopped with our friends, and we wereanxious to see the great show of England in her farming interest. Thedisplay was very great, and the cattle were wonderfully fine in all thedepartments--Durham, Hereford, Devons, and Channel Island. The last arevery nice animals for a paddock, and give good milk. The horses weregood; and I longed to bring home one or two that I saw, and feltstrongly tempted. But the sheep and swine were the most remarkablethings there. Really, we know little about sheep. They are monstrous, and yet very symmetrical and beautiful; whilst there are pigs, strangeas you may think it, that have established high claims to beauty andperfection. I greatly preferred the Sussex breed to any other. Never wasa town so crowded as this same Windsor. Thousands upon thousands wereflocking into it; and how and where they fed I cannot divine. Moneyseemed useless, and waiters hardly looked at half crowns for retainingfees. Letter 55. NEW YORK, August 3, 1851. DEAR CHARLEY:-- We are, through the goodness of Providence, safely returned. We had agood voyage, in a capital ship, and under the charge of as good acaptain as ever sailed the ocean. Our passengers were about one hundredand thirty in number, and very agreeable--some few were our oldvoyagers in the Arctic. With an exception or two, our way was aspleasant as it could have been; and there were some cheerful spiritsthat knew how to create sunshine at all hours. I cannot tell whattravellers can desire in a steamer which they will not find in theCollins line. It seems to us that we have had the full worth of themoney paid for passage. How different it is to come to New York in tendays, instead of being on the ocean for sixty-four days, as I have in asailing packet! Well, this saving of time and feelings is worth thedifference of the passage price. I am at a loss to understand howAmericans who have to cross the ocean should think of supporting theEnglish steamers in preference to our own superior ships. The influenceof every English agent, of course, goes out in behalf of the old line;and all sorts of stories are told about winter passages, the importanceof boats especially built for strength, and the advantages ofexperience. Now, the history of the American line is a perfectrefutation of all this twaddle. The truth is, that all voyaging isconnected with exposedness to some danger; and up to this moment theAmericans have had, in all their ocean steam voyages, the full measureof success. They have lost no boat, they have sacrificed no lives, andthey present a fleet of steamships the like of which the world cannotequal. Whenever an American citizen takes his passage in a foreignsteamer, and an American one is at hand, he tacitly confesses thesuperiority of other lands, in ocean navigation, to his own country, andhe contributes his full share to depress American enterprise, and aidsso far as he can to insure its failure. The eyes of the English nationare upon our ships; and if we desire the spread of our national fame, weshould, every man of us, labor to sustain our own steamers andpropellers. And the government of our country should strenuously guardthe interests of this available arm of national defence; and the countryat large, would certainly sustain Congress in liberal support of thistruly American enterprise. Perhaps, Charley, you are ready to say to us, "Well, what do you think, after all you have been seeing in other lands?". I reply: We think thatwe return home with all our hearts more warmly attached to our belovedland than when we left her shores. We have seen lands, as fair, andfields as fertile, as our own. We have seen monarchies and republics;but nowhere have we seen man as erect and self-respecting as at home. Here we have equal laws, civil and religious liberty, no bishop tointimidate a day laborer who prefers to pass by his cathedral gates andworship his Maker in a humbler temple. Here our streets are not labelledwith "_Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité_, " but the things signified are_known_ and _felt_ by every man that traverses these avenues ofbusiness. Here we have not thousands of armed men in this great city topreserve liberty; but every man enjoys it, and sees nothing of thegovernment, which, though unseen, is all-powerful in the affections ofthe country. We come home grateful that we have such a country; and though we loveand admire much, very much, in England, yet we rejoice that we can callthe United States our land. We hope we are better prepared than beforewe started to do her service. I am quite satisfied, Charley, that Godhas not done for any other people what he has for us. We know nothing ofthe restless anxiety which depresses men in England as to the means ofprocuring the necessaries of life. We have our chief anxieties calledout in reference to the obtaining the _luxuries_ and _embellishments_ oflife; the _necessaries_ are almost certain to every man who has healthand character. But in England, toil is poorly requited; and a fatherand husband may, after unremitting labor, have to find his refuge, andhis only one, in that petition of the Lord's Prayer, which you and Inever employed _in pure faith_, "Give me this day my daily bread. " We_say so_; but _we know whence it is coming to us. He_ knows not; andwhat he knows not, he asks God after. A thoughtful and humane American cannot travel in Europe without havinghis sympathies daily called out in behalf of the sufferings of man. I amno apologist for slavery; I deeply lament its existence; but I believethat there is as much suffering in coal pits and manufacturing districtsof England as in our southern slave states. In regard to England, I feelencouraged. In an absence of fifteen years I see marked improvement. Manis more respected, as man, than he once was; the masses are coming up;and the wealthy and the noble are more considerate. It is a great follyand a wickedness to think that the nobility of England are weak, vicious, unfeeling, proud, and self-indulgent. Some of the noblestcharacters of England are to be found in the peerage--men who "fear Godand work righteousness. " Their homes are often centres of diffusiveblessedness; and were the nobility of England what too many here supposethem, the state could not last a twelvemonth. The queen is popular, andis clearly a woman of great tact. She would do at a crisis. PrinceAlbert is everything to her. He is a profoundly wise and prudent man, highly educated, and has very superior powers of mind. He is continuallymaking speeches, but they are all marked by _adaptation_. I have neverheard one disrespectful word uttered in England in regard to him. Hislabors for the exhibition, have been remarkable, and but for the princethe palace never would have been reared. England is happy indeed inhaving such a man to counsel and support the sovereign. Europe looks as though a storm were once more about to gather over herold battle fields. France is not in her true position. She would like tosee her armies employed; and I shall not be surprised to hear of hisholiness clearing out from Rome and seeking protection from Austria. Ifthat happens, France will sustain liberal views in the Eternal City, andthe contest will be severe. Popery has lost its hold upon the continent, and is seeking to regainits influence in England, and plant it in America. The people of Englandare Protestant to the heart's core. The folly of a few scholastics atOxford has created all the hue and cry of Puseyism, and invigorated thehopes of Rome. These men at Oxford have poisoned the minds of a few oftheir pupils, and in the upper walks of life some sympathy is seen withviews that seem at least semi-Papistical. But the great body of thepeople is sound. More than half the population is made up of dissentersand they, to a man, hate "the beast;" and there is about as much dangerof Popery being established in England as there is of absolute monarchybeing embraced as our form of government. Popery in America must spread by immigration. We have Ireland virtuallyin America; but here the Irish will gradually merge into Americans, andthe power of the priesthood will be less and less regarded by theirchildren. I have no apprehensions from the coming of Catholics to ourcountry. Let them come, and we must get Bibles ready for them, and Biblereaders to visit them, and schools to teach their children; and ifcardinal, or archbishop, or priest tell us that Popery is the friend ofscience, and that it never persecuted genius, imprisoned learning, norburnt God's saints, we will tell the deceiver that he lies in the faceof God and man and the world's history. I am not, my dear fellow, uncharitable; a man may be better than hiscreed; and I believe that some priests who have sung the song of themass will hereafter sing the song of Moses and the Lamb. But of Popery, _as it is seen in Italy, and Austria, and other parts of the old world, _I cannot but pronounce it a curse to the human family, a system allunworthy of God, and blasting to the happiness of man. The boys are in the enjoyment of health, and will soon see you. Theyhave been constant sources of pleasure to me, by their thoughtfulkindness and consideration; and nothing has transpired, to cause us tolook back with pain on any part of our wanderings from home. Yours, very truly, JNO. O. CHOULES. To Mr. CHARLES W. DUSTAN, Stapleton; Staten Island, New York.