NOTES BY TEE WAY-SIDE, 
 
 ON 
 
 $ %mx for Jcaltjj ani Itaatitm, 
 
 ON THE SEA 
 
 IN ENGLAND, FEANCE, AND BELGIUM. 
 
 BY GEORGE SMITH FISHER. 
 
 NtftD-jJork: 
 
 DERBY & JACKSON, PUBLISHERS, 
 
 NO. 119 NASSAU-STREET. 
 1858. 
 
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 HOV2 2 1 
 

 THE DEAR COMPANION OF HOME, 
 
 |tl.[0to-lraijckr a u ir €ttmfatUx S&ort, 
 
 THIS SMALL VOLUME 
 
 MOST AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED, 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The following pages were written to while away some 
 passing leisure hours, and to preserve the impressions and 
 scenes of a brief journey undertaken for the recovery of 
 health, rather than with any view to enter into critical 
 discussion on the objects which principally attract the tra- 
 veler's attention, or to make strict inquiry and careful 
 comparisons, as to the matters which naturally present 
 themselves for philosophical investigation. 
 
 Almost every traveler writes his book, and many of 
 ability, and some of glowing interest, are constantly being 
 issued from the press ; yet we venture to issue still 
 another, without, we trust, being thought presumptuous 
 or egotistical. 
 
 While seeking health, information, and recreation 
 amidst the cities and scenes of Europe, delighted and in- 
 terested by the novel and changing landscape, the various 
 phases of life, the antiquities, noble edifices, splendid and 
 
VI PREFACE, 
 
 immortal works of art, and various other things, the 
 writer of this volume could not refrain from communicat- 
 ing to a few friends the thoughts that were suggested, 
 descriptions of the places and districts he passed through, 
 and of the most interesting objects with which he met. 
 The Letters thus written are now republished with the 
 intention and expectation of preserving cherished reminis- 
 cences, and of gratifying a somewhat larger circle of 
 friends, than they could reach without the aid of the press. 
 We do not all see the same things in the same aspect ; and 
 even without hoping to satisfy the critical few, or the 
 mass of general readers, we may still hope to meet with 
 some who may find pleasure, and perchance profit in our 
 humble work. 
 
 "We have in these Letters told the simple, plain, unvar- 
 nished truth, and endeavored to picture everything as it is. 
 "We tried to see with our own eyes, exclusively, and with- 
 out prejudice or partiality ; everywhere admiring the beau- 
 tiful, with our whole hearts, and wishing to look at the 
 pleasant side of things. Yain speculations and extrava- 
 gant or fulsome adulation, we never indulge in, at home 
 or abroad. Praise, flattery, sneering, denunciation, we 
 have no occasion to employ, and have avoided at all times 
 and in all places ; and nothing of the kind, we hope, has 
 crept into this volume. 
 
 Some may wish that more details had been given, and 
 that more technical language had been used in the des- 
 
PREFACE, Vll 
 
 criptions of building, pictures, &c. ; but as plainness is 
 always practicable, and we desired to be comprehensible 
 to all our readers, we have avoided these as much as 
 possible, consistently with clearness and truthfulness. 
 There will doubtless be many errors discoverable — these 
 we can only hope may be covered with the mantle of 
 charity. 
 
 Most of those who will meet with, and, perhaps from 
 friendly feeling rather than for its own sake, read this 
 book, are aware that we left our much-loved home en- 
 feebled in body, and depressed in mind, by a long and 
 painful illness— disease too literally gnawing at our vitals. 
 "We found no little pleasure in jotting down and sending 
 to our friends this correspondence, and if those for whom 
 it was originally intended were as much pleased, we were 
 amply repaid. If we shall be the means of affording some 
 little amusement or instruction to a few more friendly 
 readers, we shall again be well satisfied with the result of 
 the trouble we have been at in giving this humble produc- 
 tion a wider circulation. 
 
 If any think that we have put things in too favorable a 
 light, or exaggerated the superiority of Europe in its edi- 
 fices and works of art, as compared with our country, let 
 them remember that a young republic needs not, and 
 can hardly expect to possess, the splendor and luxury of an 
 old monarchy ; and that though there is in the countries 
 we visited abundant material for the bitterest criticism, 
 
Vlli PREFACE. 
 
 the object of our journey made us seek what was most 
 agreeable. We should make no excuse, even if convinced 
 that we had depicted in too glowing colors the good qual- 
 ities of those by whom we were treated with so much 
 kindness and cordiality. 
 
 The obligations of writer and reader should be mutual, 
 and may we not be permitted to hope that both may find 
 some pleasure and benefit in the acquaintance here com- 
 menced ? 
 
 THE WRITER. 
 
 Ottawa, November, 1857> 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
 
 LETTER I. 
 
 Author's reasons for traveling — New York Bay — Daily speed of 
 the Persia — Cape Race — No Icebergs — Phosphorescence of the sur- 
 face of the Ocean — The Church of England Service read on board on 
 Sunday — The reproach and inconsistency of American Slavery — An 
 awkward subject for the American Traveler — Amusements. 
 
 LETTER II. 
 
 Feelings in mid-ocean — The Table, miscellaneousness of the Com- 
 pany, good fellowship, &c. on board — Anticipations — " The merry 
 homes of England "— " A Whale !"— First sight of land— The Isle of 
 Man — At anchor — Liverpool — The shortest passage ever made — Cus- 
 tom House Officers — " The Feathers." 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 LETTER III. 
 
 Apparently unprotected situation of Liverpool — The Docks — The "U < 
 S. Steam-frigate Niagara taking the Cable on board — Singular names 
 of Hotels — Origin of the name of Liverpool — Dingy appearance of 
 the City — Amount of population — General appearance of the People — 
 Absence of the ruddiness of Complexion for which the English have the 
 credit — The plan and streets of the City' — Surprising number of drink- 
 ing houses — Misery and drunkenness met with in the streets — Neal 
 Dow expected; much wanted — Public buildings of the city — Capacity 
 and magnificence of the Liverpool Docks — Quantity of shipping and 
 extent of the commerce of the City — The Exchange — The Post 
 Office — Seaman's Home — St. George's Hall — Railway Depot — The 
 Town Hall — Zoological Gardens — Mortality and sanitary condition of 
 the population of Liverpool — Rapid growth of the City — Comparison 
 with New York — Appearance of the country — The live hedges- 
 Abundance of trees. 
 
 LETTER IY. 
 
 From Liverpool to London — Beautiful appearance of the country 
 passed through — Smithfield — Fine statue to Stevenson the railroad 
 engineer — Visit to St. Paul's Cathedral — Tombs, monuments, statues 
 there — Moral value of such memorials — The Tower of London — The 
 Traitor's Gate — Bloody Tower — White Tower — Collection of arms of 
 all kinds and periods — Dungeons — Relics — Effigies in ancient armor 
 — Beauchamp's Tower — The.Crown Jewels — The Royal Exchange — 
 The Bank of England — Mansion House — London Bridge — The Thames 
 — Its size, shipping, traffic — Kew Botanical Gardens — Visit to a wheat- 
 field — The English farmers. 
 
CONTENTS. XI 
 
 LETTER V. 
 
 The Surrey Zoological Gardens — Julien and his band of one hun- 
 dred and fifty performers — Fire-works — Good order — Visit to the 
 Foundling Hospital — Dr. Cummings — Windsor Palace — Ceesar's Tow- 
 er — The Queen's Audience Chamber — The Ball Room — Van Dyke 
 Room — Drawing Room — The Waterloo Chamber — St. George's Hall— 
 The Terraces — St. George's Chapel — The beautiful Cenotaph to the 
 Princess Charlotte — The Round Tower — The magnificent view from its 
 summit — The Royal Stables — Windsor Park — The Long Walk — a 
 little Yankee guessing — Prince Albert's farming operations — Madame 
 Tussaud's Historical Wax-work Gallery in London — A surprising and 
 interesting Exhibition — Its numerous figures — Relics — Chamber of 
 Horrors, &c. 
 
 LETTER YI. 
 
 The Bridges over the Thames — Somerset House — The New Houses 
 of Parliament — The Victoria Tower — Large Bell — The House of 
 Commons — A Debate — The House of Lords — Westminster Abbey — 
 Monuments, ancient Tombs, venerable and impressive appearance 
 — The Lungs of London — St. James's Park — Buckingham Palace — 
 Green Park — Hyde Park — St. James's Palace — The W'est End — Na- 
 tional Monuments — Regent's Park — The Regent's Zoological Gardens 
 — Grand Concert for the benefit of a colored lady, Mrs. Seacole — 
 " God save the Queen"— A London Cattle Market — The Prices— Co- 
 vent Garden Market — The Crystal Palace at Sydenham— Grandeur 
 and variety of the exhibition — The Beautiful Gardens of the Palace. 
 
 
Xll CONTENTS. 
 
 LETTER VII. 
 
 London from the Dome of St. Paul's — The Brewers' Horses — Car- 
 riage Horses — Clumsiness of the London vehicles — London Bridge — 
 London fogs — Taste of the London atmosphere — Climate — Cost of 
 living in London — Health of the population constantly improving — 
 Exclusiveness tof Society — The Poor — Begging — Dodges — Training 
 Thieves and Pickpockets for the profession — Historical Associations— 
 The Great Eastern (now the Leviathan) — Greenwich Hospital — 
 Anglo-Saxondom — English superciliousness and self-importance — The 
 united Anglo-Saxon race irresistible. 
 
 LETTER VIII. 
 
 Delightfulness of the landscape in Kent and Surrey — Ramsgate, the 
 favorite Watering-place — The Downs — The Goodwin Sands — The 
 original Bleak House — The Parks of the Nobility — Habit of secluding 
 residences from public observation as much as practicable — Love of 
 home and retirement — The Fens of Lincolnshire — The city of Lincoln 
 — The Cathedral — Glorious Architecture of the Dark Ages — Stained 
 glass Windows — The moderns inferior in the art of staining glass — 
 Specimen of the Mosaic Pavement of the Romans — Lincoln Castle — 
 Roman remains and road — St. Mary's Stowe — Cost of living in the 
 country in Lincolnshire — Appearance of the country people — Sheffield 
 — The manufacturing districts — Manchester — Appearance of the City 
 — The Manchester Exhibition of the " Art Treasures of Great Britain." 
 
CONTENTS. Xlll 
 
 LETTER IX. 
 
 The Manchester Exhibition — English Railways and Locomotives — 
 Dover — France — Calais — Number of military men — Different appear- 
 ance of the country in France from that of England — Absence of 
 hedges and fences — Planting the roadsides with trees — The rural pop- 
 ulation gathered into villages, not scattered as in England and America 
 — Women and Children at work in the field and towing canal boats — 
 Fields of the sugar beet — Windmills — Paris — Prepossessing appear- 
 ance of the City— The Rue Rivoli— The Palace of the Tuileries— 
 The Palace Gardens — Surpassing magnificence of some of the saloons 
 of the Palace— Triumphal Arch— The Hotel de Ville— Notre Dame 
 — Columns and roof of a Cathedral papered — High Mass in Notre 
 Dame— The Madeline— Cheerful appearance of Paris— Fondness of 
 the people for being out of doors — The Cafes and Restaurants — The 
 Boulevards — Soldiers everywhere — Cheapness and habitual use of 
 wine — Horse meat 
 
 LETTER X. 
 
 The Place Vendome — Noble Triumphal Column of the metal of cap- 
 tured cannon — The Pantheon — Tombs of Voltaire and Rousseau — 
 The Jardin des Plantes — Palace of the Luxembourg — The Chamber 
 of Peers — The magnificence of the Salle du Trone — The Galleries of 
 Paintings — Palace Garden — Scene of the infamous execution of Mar- 
 shal Ney— The Tomb of Napoleon— Hotel des Invalides— No Me- 
 morial of Josephine — Evening scenes in Paris — The Champs Elysees 
 — Place de la Concorde — Site of the Guillotine — The Boulevards of 
 
XIV CONTENTS. 
 
 p ar i s — Boulevard des Italiens at night — The Column of July — Ri- 
 vo li — Church of St. Roche — Admirable Painting of the Crucifixion 
 —The Magnificent Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile— The Bois de Bou- 
 logne — Military School — Church of St. Sulpice. 
 
 LETTER XI. 
 
 Visit to the Louvre — Gallery of Paintings over thirteen hundred 
 feet in length — Value of some of the pictures — Murillo's ^Immaculate 
 Conception of the Virgin — Relics and Antiquities — The Bourse — The 
 Gobelin Manufactory — Surprising Tapestry Work — Palais du Justice 
 — Scenes famous in the Reign of Terror — Visit to Versailles — A De- 
 serted City. — The Palace a national exhibition of French works of art 
 — Picture of the Retreat from Russia — The surprise of the Arab 
 Camp, by Horace Vernet, one hundred feet in length — Curious Clocks 
 Splendid apartment — Gallery devoted to pictures of battles — Salle 
 Napoleon — An instance of the popularity of the Anglo-French Alli- 
 ance — Six miles of Galleries and Saloons — The Grounds and Gardens 
 of the Palace — Incredible cost of forming and ornamenting them — 
 Efficiency of the Paris Police — Omnipresence of the Secret Police — 
 Regulation of the Public Vehicles — Few beggars — Apparent happi- 
 ness and contentment of the Parisians. 
 
 LETTER XII. 
 
 Brussels — The country roads lined with fine trees — Opposite charac- 
 teristics of the English and French— English love of seclusion — 
 French love of display — The Cathedral at Brussels — Grand represen- 
 tation of the Judgment on stained glass — The Boulevards of Brussels 
 
CONTENTS. XV 
 
 finer than those of Paris — Parliament Houses — Statues and Fountains 
 — Character of the population of Brussels — The Hotel de Ville — 
 Surprising number of beggars — Lace Manufactures — Verses from 
 Byron — Visit to the Field of Waterloo — Sergeant Munday — A fair 
 field — Strategy of Wellington — La Haye Sainte — The Imperial Guard 
 — The Highlanders — "Up, Guards, and at them!" — Hogoumont — 
 Wellington's Position — The red walls mistaken for red coats — The 
 British Lion — Museum of Relics — Reflections on the battle — Beggar 
 Children — Abundance of soldiers — Fine appearance of the men — Visit 
 to Antwerp — Fortifications of that city — The celebrated Cathedral of 
 Antwerp — Statues and paintings — Great pictures by Rubens of the 
 Descent from the Cross, and the Elevation of the Cross — Museum — 
 Statue of Van Dyke — Church of St. Jerome — Church of St. Jaques 
 — Monuments of Rubens and his Daughter — Surprising Sculpture of 
 the Crucifixion — Antwerp Exchange — Markets — Ghent — Appearance 
 of the country — Field work mostly done by women and children — 
 Anomalies — Disregard of the Sabbath — Comfort and prosperity of the 
 people of Belgium. * 
 
 LETTER XIII. 
 
 Dover — Queen Elizabeth's Pocket Pistol — Few soldiers in England 
 — Deal — Sandwich — Roman remains at Richboro — Recession of the 
 sea from an ancient port — Roman Masonry — Reflections — Curious coat 
 of arms — Epitaphs — Freshness of the verdure compared with that of 
 the Continent — Canterbury — The residence of the first Christian 
 Missionaries to England — Canterbury Cathedral — The Shrine of 
 Thomas a Becket — Canterbury Pilgrims — Curious arrangement for 
 playing an organ at a distance — Tomb of Edward the Black Prince — 
 An old chair — Irish bog-oak, curious facts with regard to that wood — 
 
XVI CONTENTS. 
 
 Curious epitaphs — The First Christian Church in Britain — The British 
 Museum — Its fine collection of specimens of animals, &c. — Its anti- 
 quities — Layard's Exhumations The Bank of England — Manufactur- 
 ing money — Visit to the vaults of the London Docks — Eleven acres of 
 barrels and puncheons of wines and brandies under ground — London a 
 great wine-producing district — The Thames Tunnel — Croydon — A 
 Birthday Celebration — English love of home pleasures — Englishmen 
 at home — Business cares left at the place of business — The Crystal 
 Palace again — The delightful fountains — The Wellingtonia — London 
 Club Houses — Mr. Spurgeon— His eloquence and independence — The 
 " Old Hundred," sung by the congregation of ten thousand— South- 
 ampton — Homeward Bound. 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 LETTER No. I. 
 
 At sea, on board the Royal Mail Steamer 
 Persia, July 14£A, 1857. 
 My Dear Father £***** : 
 
 You will well remember that when we left home on the 
 25th ultimo, we were feeling quite as ill as ever at any 
 time since life here dawned upon us ; hut as it was in pur- 
 suit of health and nothing else, our hope was still large and 
 our spirits cheered with the fond belief (being buoyant in 
 expectation naturally) that, with the travel by land, the 
 voyage over the deep, change of climate and scenery, and 
 an entire relaxation from care and business, we would find, 
 measurably at least, the relief we sought and so ardently 
 and anxiously longed for. We did enter on our journey 
 with feelings such as we never before experienced, and such 
 as we never expected to have in our life ; feelings that, per- 
 haps, our last adieus had been spoken to loved ones behind, 
 and some fears that feeble health might wax into declining 
 
12 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE, 
 
 and irretrievable waste of mind and body, and the grave 
 claim its hopeless victim. Hope, however, was not all 
 gone, and we confidently entered upon our journey. 
 
 Health, you know, is all that life is worth, next to living 
 as mortals should live, with some end in view besides that 
 supreme self that is the idol of at least one half of man- 
 kind. And if we are to live for self alone, having no care, 
 thought, or desire for the welfare and prosperity of others, 
 individually or collectively, then surely we were created 
 for a small purpose, not to say a most miserable end. That 
 man who so lives — and our every day's experience teaches us 
 there are many, many, such, even in our limited acquaint- 
 ance, and who seemingly have not even a care how others 
 live : whether they live or die ; not a thought of any one 
 but self — their own supreme self — is certainly not to be 
 envied, though he be rich as Croesus. He is bound to die as 
 the fool dieth. The flattering unction that such men lay up 
 for their souls will be bitter, even to the "bitter end," ere 
 they give up the ghost of this life.; and we will not think 
 they certainly cannot) of the everlasting. 
 
 The cars roiled us away from our parting view, our 
 friends and our home, in almost a twinkling, and on to the 
 emporium of the Great West, Chicago, in the usual time, 
 without special incident, and our thought too deep for much 
 utterance. And having reached there without particular 
 fatigue, the evening being pleasant and giving promise of 
 a beauteous night, and that it would be far more agreea- 
 ble to pursue our way while the bright stars were keeping 
 their vigils, and the silvery moon shining full in her strength 
 and queenly pride, than beneath the blaze and glory of a 
 noontide sun, with its sweltering heat and burning rays — 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 13 
 
 for it promised to be exceedingly hot and dusty the next 
 day — we pushed on the same evening to Toledo, via the 
 Michigan Southern Railway, reaching there at 8 o'clock 
 in the morning, and laid over there from that time to 4 
 o'clock P. M., at which time we went on board the boat 
 and on her proceeded to Buffalo. The good steamer, 
 Southern Michigan, cut through the water at a vigorous 
 rate, having left Toledo at half past 4 o'clock, and we were 
 landed at the dock in Buffalo at half past 8 o'clock the fol- 
 lowing morning The crops through the State of Michi- 
 gan looked sickly enough, with the exception of the win- 
 ter wheat, which gave good promise of an abundant 
 yield. 
 
 Having recruited by a cheerful two days' rest with our 
 dear friends at Buffalo, we, on Monday the 29th, while the 
 dews of heaven were gently distilling their soft showers 
 along our iron pathway, much to our relief and comfort 
 from dust, evenly pursued our way to the old Knicker- 
 bocker town of Albany, and there stowed ourselves for a 
 night's rest by "tired nature's sweet restorer, balmy sleep," 
 on the splendid steamer, Isaac Newton. The almost noise- 
 less paddles rocked us to sweet slumbers, and having awak- 
 ened from our couches we found ourselves in the great me- 
 tropolis of New- York at 7 o'clock the next morning. Of 
 course we missed the magnificent scenery of this more 
 than Rhine of the Western World ; but having seen it 
 often before, though always refreshing to the eye, and the 
 more seen the more enjoyed, we did not feel as those 
 might be supposed to feel who had read vivid descriptions 
 of it and not seen it. 
 
 The crops of cereals through the " Empire State" 
 
14 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 were barely beginning to show themselves above ground, 
 the golden Ceres just peeping out here and there ; but 
 winter wheat looked uncommonly thrifty to our eye, and 
 its lovely green matted blades gave promise of an ample 
 return for weary labors of the industrious husbandman, un- 
 less destroyed by some unforeseen calamity. Making a busi- 
 ness tour into the State of Connecticut, from the windows 
 of the cars, so far as could be seen, the crops there looked 
 exceedingly well — indeed quite as forward as any we had 
 seen in our own fair Illinois, and from all appearances 
 quite as neatly attended to. Wheat, oats, rye, barley, 
 potatoes, and " Weathersfield apples," too, looked remark- 
 ably promising. 
 
 On the evening of the 7th instant we embarked on board 
 this " good ship," then lying at anchor in the middle of the 
 stream, North River side of New-York, and at half past 8 
 o'clock the next morning, with a clear and beautiful sky, 
 a sweet and delightful atmosphere, a gentle sea breeze and 
 calm waters, weighed anchor and proudly steamed down 
 the beautiful bay. How charming, indeed, is that unsur- 
 passed sheet of water, dotted over with white spreading 
 sails of every nation, hurrying steamers and darting ferries, 
 pleasure-going yachts and swift-handed row boats ; the 
 lovely hillsides and slopes of Long Island, Staten Island, 
 Governor's Island, with great Manhattan and her hundreds 
 of spires, the City of Churches, the quiet Jersey shore, 
 the pleasant cottages, noble mansions, villas, avenues and 
 gardens, and the frowning batteries of her numerous forts. 
 New- York bay is a lovely mirror of beauty in a sweet 
 summer's morning. 
 
 At twelve o'clock, having left behind us the Narrows 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 15 
 
 and lost sight of spire and city, and almost our native land, 
 we discharged our pilot and bore away over the blue of the 
 deep with as pleasant a load of passengers as ever left our 
 shores, numbering in all two hundred and thirty-two souls, 
 beside the officers and crew of one hundred and sixty-four 
 men ; some seeking more genial climes for health to bright- 
 en cheek and heart ; some pursuing pleasure on foreign 
 shores, and some on business, bent after the " almighty 
 dollar," but all with pleasant faces, beaming with joy- 
 ful hopes. Fortunately the wind was light, and no sea of 
 great rolling waves to disturb the steadiness of the ship 
 or the equilibrium and equanimity of the passengers. 
 
 How we enjoyed the sniff of the sea air ! It was really 
 delicious, and the pulse's maddening play truly once 
 again, 
 
 " Thrills through the wanderer of the trackless way." 
 
 Our anticipations of a heavy and saddening account to 
 settle with old Neptune did not banish our pleasurable 
 hopes, and our enjoyment was not much marred with fears 
 of the future. Really we did enjoy the prospect ahead. 
 
 " My soul was full of longing 
 For the secret of the sea, 
 And the heart of the great ocean 
 Sent a thrilling pulse through me." 
 
 Truly for once we felt that we had found the philoso- 
 pher's stone ; we had found a most precious beginning of 
 what we were seeking for ; the hopes and fires of life 
 
16 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 "burned "brighter ; our bosom fairly glowed with a new joy, 
 and to-day, on this 14th day of July, in the year of our- 
 Lord, eighteen hundred and fifty-seven, we are breathing 
 freer and better than at any time during the last three 
 years. 
 
 " Aye there is a fairer sky above us ; " 
 
 the waste and wearisome hours and days, darkened with 
 trying illness, have broken, and we have satisfying evidence 
 that the buds and blossoms of health will as surely return to 
 us with the continued smiles of Providence, as the blooming 
 flowery spring returns after the bleak and icy winter. 
 
 Though we may not learn the secrets of the chambers of 
 the great deep, though we may not fathom its influences 
 upon our weary frames and on our health, and though we 
 may not consult its mermaid doctors in their bright coral 
 mansions, that are so full of life and beauty, and an un- 
 ceasing wonder deep down below, yet we can love and still 
 wonder and sing praises of it. 
 
 ' Wouldst thou,' so the helmsman cried, 
 Learn the secret of the sea 1 
 Only those who brave its dangers 
 Comprehend its mystery !' 
 
 The comprehend iug the deep, perhaps is only for " old 
 tars," not such landsmen as we are ; yet we can emphati- 
 cally say, that that secret, whatever it may be, has caused 
 our blood once more to bound in its coursing through, our 
 veins, and our heart once more to leap with a flow of spirits 
 such as it was wont to have in boyhood days, and to hope 
 that, for a while at least, we have seen the last of doctor's 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 17 
 
 pills and nostrums of all kinds, not to say the last of doc- 
 tors. But this last we could not well say, for there are 
 still on the earth some " kind physicians," as we know from 
 ample experience of two, one at home and one in New- 
 York, for whom we would ever hear grateful and cheerful 
 testimony of their uniform urbanity, gentleness and ability, 
 that will ever win the heart's affections, and soothe many a 
 gloomy chamber, and calm and cheer and comfort the 
 restlessness of weary sufferers in the pains of sickness and 
 death. 
 
 We have sped along over the deep, at a rapid rate, so 
 far ; notwithstanding the ship's depth, and weight of coal, 
 making 343, 319, 331, 329, 328, and this day 350 miles, 
 says our log ; and this may be called steaming at a wonder- 
 ful rate, indeed. 
 
 The second, third, and fourth days out, we had some 
 rolling sea, and it operated slightly and favorably upon us. 
 
 On the third day out, about 5 o'clock, P. M., we passed 
 Cape Race, the point, on this continent, where the ocean 
 telegraph is to be secured, within about one mile of its bold 
 and rock-bound headland ; and it was quite pleasing to see 
 the dull, green coast, like an oasis in a great desert. The 
 booming cannon from the land, answered by ours on board, 
 acknowledged in proper salute the royal standard of Great 
 Britain, as it waved at mast-head, and from flagstaff, on 
 ship and on shore. 
 
 It seemed almost as if we could step on shore, and it 
 was an incident that pleasantly relieved the beginning 
 monotony of a sea-voyage ; for make it inside of nine days, 
 or in ninety days, it will, to a certain extent, be more or 
 less monotonous, after the first novelty wears off. Th 
 
18 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 same rolling, restless, upheaving ocean, is ever before you : 
 
 " The blue, the fresh, the ever free, 
 Without a mark, without a bound ;" 
 
 and though ten thousand sail float on its main, days come 
 and go and not a shroud relieves the eye ; and scan it by 
 the horizon, or only the length from how to stern-post, still 
 it is but water — the wide, wide waste of water — the bil- 
 lowy bosom of the ocean, wild or mild. And night brings 
 no relief from it. The blue arch above, with its my- 
 riad lanterns hung out to light our pathway, is beautifully 
 reflected in the blue mirror of the deep, and you seem to be 
 floating along, in an ocean of stars, instead of an ocean of 
 waters ; for, as Mrs. Welby so charmingly expresses it — 
 
 " Every wave, with dimpled face, 
 That leap'd upon the air, 
 Had caught a star in its embrace, 
 And held it trembling there." 
 
 In walking the deck, over three hundred feet, all clear, 
 how exhilarating to the spirits and bracing to wearied nerves 
 is the breath of the ocean ! It is laden with fragrance, and 
 spiced with health, and we seem to live anew. And God 
 grant that this may not be the temporary calm before 
 the storm, but the forerunner of years of health and vigor. 
 We will ask no greater boon from Him who rules the 
 storm, — "who holds these waters in the hollow of his 
 hand, and tempers the wind to the shorn lamb." 
 
 So far, we have been blessed with the cheering sun by 
 day, and the silvery moon by night. No fogs, no 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 19 
 
 clouds. The doleful sound of the fog-bell, or the " minute 
 gun at sea," disturbs us not. We are sailing on, and sail- 
 ing on, with scarce a ripple on our stream. This is an 
 uncommon voyage, even at this season of the year. We 
 have not seen even the semblance of a fog. We plainly 
 saw Sable Island : a bleak, sandy, island waste, some sixty 
 miles long, by about eleven miles wide — a sight that but 
 one of the officers of the ship had ever seen before, though 
 they had passed, several times, within five or ten miles of it ; 
 such is usually the intensity of the fog, in this latitude. 
 And Cape Race had never before been seen so distinctly 
 by any one on board, and not at all by two of the officers, 
 though they had passed within three to ten miles of it, 
 many times. 
 
 We shall now make the " Northern Passage," doubling 
 the northern part of " Erin's Green Isle of the Sea," and 
 make Liverpool, via the North Channel. This will save 
 us from four to six hours time, and if so, probably make 
 this trip of our noble steamer the shortest, by some eight 
 hours, ever before made. Should we do this, it will be an 
 item worth talking about, and we all, American as well as 
 British passengers, hope it may be done ; and to our hon- 
 ored commander, Captain Judkins, and his hitherto unsur- 
 passed steamer, be all the honors, with a bumper, and three 
 times three ! 
 
 How pleasant, of an evening, it is to watch the phospho- 
 rescent lights, sparkling upon the crest of the waves, and 
 the foam caused by the motion of the vessel, as she plows 
 along. And it is an item of not a little curiosity ; it affords 
 quite agreeable entertainment, and chit chat as well as 
 speculation to while away many an hour. But we are too 
 1* 
 
20 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 far north to see this phenomenon in its greatest brilliancy. 
 It is said that a passage up the Mediterranean Sea reveals 
 this phenomenon in all its sparkling variety and "beauty ; 
 and it is described as astonishingly vivid and luminous, at 
 times. It may also be best seen, when lashing storms stir 
 up the surface into a crest of sparkling foam. 
 
 "We are to go as high as 56 degrees of North latitude, 
 and this would fearfully put one in mind of Dr. Kane's ex- 
 plorations in the icy regions of the North Seas, if it were 
 in any other season but this. The thought brings on al- 
 most a shivering. 
 
 "We have seen no ice-fields or icebergs, and shall not 
 now, as to-day we have passed the region where we were 
 likely to see any. "We had hoped to get at least a distant 
 view of an iceberg — distance would lend enchantment to 
 that view — but we shall not have that pleasure, if pleasure 
 it can be, unless we see one on our return, which will not 
 then be likely, as their bergships will then be out of season, 
 i. e., out of fashion, for this year of grace. 
 
 On Sunday the 12th instant, all on board, at the usual 
 hour of Divine worship, were assembled in the main saloon, 
 and service was read by the Captain, in accordance with 
 the established forms of " the Church," and the regulations 
 of the Naval Board of the British Admirality. We all quite 
 heartily participated in the reading of the prayers and res- 
 ponses for the " Royal Sovereign, Victoria," the Queen, 
 and Royal family, as if she had been our sovereign indeed. 
 The assembled congregation were solemn and dignified — the 
 reading of the prayers, and a sermon, most excellent. It 
 was a most agreeable sight, indeed, to see the ship's crew — 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 21 
 
 the old " sea dogs" — walk in in such perfect order, with 
 their clean linen trousers, wide blue turned-down shirt 
 collars, and bright tarpaulins with broad black streaming 
 ribbons, in hand, held by their side. Every man was in 
 his place, order being perfect everywhere. 
 
 This was the first time we had ever participated in the 
 Church of England service, in this peculiar form, and as 
 we invoked the form of blessing we felt quite loyal sub- 
 jects, pro tempore, to Her Majesty ; for, though she be a 
 woman, on an earthly throne, and wielding the powers of 
 the head of government which we only acknowledge 
 within the prerogative and capacity of man, she is a 
 woman respected and honored throughout the civilized 
 world, and is, by far, the most honored and exalted sover- 
 eign in Europe, and rules a free and liberty-loving people, 
 in every sense of the word. Though she be a royal per- 
 sonage, in the vocabulary of kings, queens, emperors, and 
 royalty, she rules over no slaves ; nor in her vast dominions, 
 on which the sun now never sets, lawfully clank the chains 
 of the slave gang, nor is heard the plantation driver's lash. 
 
 In the pleasantry of conversation or discussion, it is very 
 humiliating, indeed, to have it thrown into our teeth, that 
 our " Free and Independent States," forsooth the only (?) 
 real foothold of liberty and true republicanism on earth, 
 are cursed with slavery of the direst form, tolerated- and 
 countenanced by law, and protected and defended by 
 it, against all reason, justice, or equity. We could not 
 defend our country, in this respect, as we desired to, and 
 could but confess that it was a system of unmitigated 
 shame, cruelty, and barbarism, unworthy the age ; despi- 
 
22 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 cable, beyond defence or justification, in the abstract, and 
 unworthy, indeed, the feeblest defence. We found that if 
 we do not realize our position at home, we certainly do 
 when we go abroad. Yes, Columbia ! " Dear land of 
 liberty !" the only republican, or, if you please, democratic 
 government in the world, we confess it brings to our cheek 
 a tingle of burning shame, when allusion is made to that 
 black stain disfiguring the face of thy fair land below the 
 too well known Mason and Dixon's Line. And how can 
 we, at this day and age of the world, excuse or justify 
 American slavery, though it were formerly a colonial legacy 
 from our British forefathers ? "We cannot ; and it is a 
 shame and disgrace that it still remains. "When that line 
 of demarcation is wiped out — when every slave is un- 
 shackled and permitted to go free — then there will be 
 no spots upon the sun of our meridian ; our flag will, in- 
 deed and in truth, be a shield and defence to the brave 
 and the free, and- everywhere our loved land will be known 
 and acknowledged as an asylum and home for the op- 
 pressed of all nations — a land of liberty — a " home of the 
 free," in every sense of the word. No great reproach will 
 remain against any portion of our country, people, or 
 government ; but we shall be more united at home, and 
 more honored and respected abroad. 
 
 "We have traveled, you know, by steamboat, rail-car, 
 plodding stage-coach, monotonous canal packet, and in 
 every conceivable way, and even some on our own two 
 feet, but never with more real enjoyment and easy com- 
 fort than on this occasion; more particularly since the 
 roll of the ship has ceased to produce sea-sickness, and we 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 23 
 
 can stand and walk with safety and pleasure upon the 
 deck. Deriving the benefit we have, how much more agree- 
 able, far more agreeable, thus to write, than full of tire- 
 some complaints of distress by sickness, and continued en- 
 croaching disease, slowly, but surely, eating out constitu- 
 tion, temper, and every genial faculty of the heart and 
 soul. 
 
 "We cannot but note how nobly the ship holds her course 
 and how proudly she lifts her bows and cuts the waves, 
 riding triumphantly over the long swells, like a thing of 
 life. 
 
 To enliven us, and make the hours fly faster, we have 
 an excellent band of music on board, discoursing, every 
 evening, voluptuous sounds ; always infusing new life and 
 spirit into all, and usually ending with the national airs 
 G-od Save the Queen, Rule Britannia, Hail Columbia, 
 Yankee Doodle, and, occasionally, the soul-stirring Marseil- 
 laise. The "light fantastic toe" also catches the merry 
 sound, and keeps time to the music, by lightly skipping 
 o'er the deck. Those -we barely note, as " extras " by the 
 wayside. 
 
 We are already beginning tq have longings for the sight 
 of terra firma once more, and it will be good for our eyes 
 when we behold it, and somewhat better for our appetites 
 when we plant our feet upon it — on the rock-bound shores 
 of our ", old mother England," who has always been pre- 
 sented to our thought as a staid, immovable, and noble 
 matron, happy in the love and admiration of her own 
 children, and commanding the respect of all, whether friend 
 or foe. 
 
24 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 But we shall soon behold her, and until then 
 
 " Our way is on the bright blue sea, 
 Our sleep upon its rocking tide, 
 And many an eye has followed us, 
 
 Where billows clasp the worn sea side." 
 
 To you, and all the dear ones, as well as friends includ- 
 ed in the last two lines above, we send, greeting, the love 
 of our hearts ; and wishing you all the good wishes possi- 
 ble, we wish you now, most especially, the same pros- 
 perous and favorable voyage through life, that we are now 
 enjoying upon the briny sea. 
 
LETTER No. II. 
 
 At sea, latitude 56° North, on board Royal Mail 
 Steamer Persia, July 16th, 1857. 
 Dear Father M***** : 
 
 We "begin to feel and realize that we are indeed up in 
 the world, being nearly fifteen degrees of latitude, due 
 North, from where you are, and can easily imagine that 
 from our altitude we can look down upon the " rest of 
 mankind," and, as if on a wide plateau below us, taking 
 such a survey as you landsmen never dream of ; yet, when 
 we look out, the utmost of our vision from the deck of the 
 ship will not extend more than from fifteen to sixteen 
 miles, and from the level of the sea only about seven miles. 
 Then we feel hedged in — narrowed down to, and enclosed 
 within, a small compass, and our extended and far-reach- 
 ing vision in imagination, dwindles into comparative insig- 
 nificance. From the loopholes of our retreat, we can look 
 out, but our eyes return with the constantly recurring 
 thought, that though 
 
 " All the world's a stage, 
 And all the men and women merely players," 
 
 as Shakspeare wrote, and, doubtless, believed 
 
 " The world's a stormy sea, 
 Whose every breath is strewed with wrecks of wretches, 
 That daily perish in it." 
 
26 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 In our boyhood days our old dog-eared geography taught 
 us, with the aid of Birch, the school-master, that "the 
 world is round like an apple," and when we are at sea 
 how fully and clearly we realize and comprehend this sim« 
 pie truth ! AVe seem to he constantly going round and 
 round, on an increasing, and then decreasing scale, de- 
 scribing the segments of a circle, 
 
 We have not yet seen the mountain waves, though 
 we are plowing through an immense rolling sea that rocks 
 us not unlike an easy cradle. The swells seem to be from 
 land north-east towards the south and south-west; and when 
 the wind blows, of which we have had a few gentle puffs this 
 morning, fresh from the chambers of the north, it lashes 
 the crests of the waves into an ocean of foam that is as 
 white as the pure driven snow ; and yet the great upper 
 current of the ocean here flows to the north-east, while there 
 is a great under current flowing to the south-west, ming- 
 ling with, if not forming, the great Gulf Stream current on 
 our whole Atlantic coast. This is regarded araons: nauti- 
 cal men, we understand, as quite a phenomenon. 
 
 The wheels of our steamer make suds, indeed, of the 
 briny deep, as we move so triumphantly along ; and as they 
 revolve on their immense shafts they cast behind them al- 
 most like lightning bolts, the whistling, seething, and ed- 
 dying, foam, and it sparkles, hisses, and flies away again, 
 and mingles and vanishes in its native blue. Truly 
 it is a magnificent sight to behold this wonderful rapidity 
 of motion, annihilating space, and this boiling, whirling, 
 eddying, lashing water, foaming as if enraged that it has 
 been so suddenly disturbed by this Fulton Grenius, bounding 
 o'er it like a thing of life ! 
 
JJOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 27 
 
 And truly what a sea monster is this ! "What an evidence 
 of the divinity that dwells in man, and with genius en- 
 dows the human mind ! How surpassingly great, indeed, 
 was that intellect that first conceived the idea, and cunning- 
 ly contrived the application, of the power of steam, to navi- 
 gate, without regard to wind or tide, these wondrous 
 seas ! 
 
 The marine engine of our present ocean-going steamers 
 is the perfection of inventive genius and mechanism. The 
 fact that for so many successive days these ponderous arms, 
 pistons, levers, valves, conductors, pumps, &c, &c, can 
 he kept invariahly and unceasingly in their place, and work 
 without the slightest accidental variation, though rolled 
 and tossed ahout "by wind and howling storm, is altogether 
 wonderful, and shows the power of the mind of man over 
 matter. And then again the realization of the fact that in 
 the vessel's centre are forty furnaces (and on this ship 
 there are just this numher, ten on each side of the vessel, 
 fore and aft of the engine,) constantly red with heat, 
 for ten or more successive days and nights, shows the 
 perfection of the construction of the machinery, the 
 engine, compartments, and flues, the complete triumph 
 of the genius of man over the elements of nature, and his 
 power perfectly to control and govern these particular ele- 
 ments of which men stand most in fear, fire and water. 
 
 Taking a survey of our fellow-passengers affords us con- 
 siderable amusement. We have Britons, Americans, 
 Frenchmen, Old Castilians, Swiss, Cubans, Germans, 
 Scots, Mexicans, Hibernians, Italians, Africans, and last, 
 though by no means the least consequential and important. 
 
28 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 Virginians, even one of the F. F. V's, which initials, we 
 have heen told, signify First Families of Virginia. We 
 hear the languages of almost all nations, and, throughout 
 the voyage so far, no sound of discord. From morning 
 gray to evening tide, gentleness, unanimity and good fel- 
 lowship prevail on every side, and a genial flow of spirits 
 sympathetically unites, for the time heing, the representa- 
 tives of many nations into a sociable and amiable family. 
 The arrangements and comforts of the ship are unexcelled, 
 and the wants of all, and particularly the inner man, are 
 provided for most sumptuously every day. 
 
 We are now, indeed, afloat on the broad expanse of the 
 deep, and we quite enjoy it, and can fully realize the senti- 
 ment of the poet when he says, 
 
 " The sun came up upon our left, 
 Out of the sea came he ; 
 And he shone bright, and on our right 
 Went down into the sea." 
 
 To-morrow morning's deck walk will, we hope, reveal to 
 us the head-lands of Ireland, that land of song, — the 
 land of "sweet dhreams" to many in all parts of the 
 * world — the land where neither snakes nor the Grallic lux- 
 ury, frogs, are found. And, as we have seen quite enough 
 of the "broad expanse," we are all looking forward to the 
 moment when we shall catch the first sight of it, as it will 
 be one of unfeigned and real pleasure, and fill our hearts 
 with emotions of gratitude that so far we shall have been 
 brought in safety, and that we are in such near proximity 
 to the haven we are bound to. 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 29 
 
 Our first glimpse will be of Tony Island, a small island 
 near the most north-western head-land of Ireland, then 
 the mainland and Malin Head, and thence as near the shore- 
 as safety will permit, till we enter the North Channel, 
 passing, and, in the far distance, seeing, the famous Giant's 
 Causeway, Belfast Lough, Fair Head and Donaghadee, 
 rounding the rocky and hilly Isle of Man, through the 
 Irish Sea, to our destination, Liverpool, in the Mersey. 
 
 On this route we shall get distant glimpses of some of 
 old Scotia's shores, and some of her lofty hills ; though Glen 
 Fuin, Glen Luce, Loch Lomond, Ben Lomond, and the 
 Alpine Heights, may not greet our vision, nor yet those 
 old " Grampian hills," on which "my father fed his flocks," 
 we do hope to see the distant blue of some of the Highlands, 
 if not of those Scott-honored places and the evergreen pines 
 that crown them, which are renowned both in prose and 
 song. 
 
 We are now more than half seas over, i. e. we mean, 
 nearly over the sea, and our heart really gushes out with 
 joy at the fruition of our childhood's and manhood's desire of 
 some day seeing the soil of that "merry old England" of 
 our fathers' fathers, and so cheerfully and delightfully de- 
 scribed by our still dear old friend, Peter Parley, and others. 
 This ancient land — the old soil from whence our fathers 
 came, the same England immortalized as well as embalmed 
 in song and prose of her thousand poets and historians, and 
 which the sweet Cowper, with all her faults, could not 
 help loving, — by the continued smiles of that kind Provi- 
 dence that so far has watched over and protected us, we shall 
 soon behold. "We shall indeed soon see— 
 
30 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 " The stately homes of England, 
 
 How beautiful they stand ! 
 Amidst their tall, ancestral trees, 
 
 O'er all the pleasant land ! 
 The deer, across the greensward bound, 
 
 Through shade and sunny gleam, 
 And the swan glides past them with the sound 
 
 Of some rejoicing stream. 
 
 " The merry homes of England ! 
 
 Around their hearths by night, 
 What gladsome looks of household love 
 
 Meet in the ruddy light ! 
 How woman's voice flows forth in song, 
 
 Or childhood's tale is told, 
 Or lips move tunefully along 
 
 Some glorious page of old ! 
 
 " The blessed homes of England ! 
 
 How softly on their bowers 
 Is laid the holy quietness 
 
 That breathes from Sabbath hours ! 
 Solemn, yet sweet, the church bells' chime 
 
 Floats through their woods at morn, 
 All other sounds, in that still time, 
 
 Of breeze and leaf are born." 
 
 This proud and highly- favored old land, the common 
 mother, whom we all cheerfully (and may we not say 
 proudly ?) acknowledge as the progenitor of all the true lib- 
 erty-loving civilization of the world, we cannot but respect, 
 not to say revere. She who, out of the rudest Druidical cruel- 
 ties and barbarisms, has, in the process of years, generated 
 the loveliest of characters that have adorned the race of 
 man and made for themselves renown in the world — the 
 noble land of a pure Christianity — of noble chieftains, 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 31 
 
 eminent statesmen, earnest divines, and renowned warriors, 
 and of many good as well as tyrant kings and cruel 
 queens — of lordly halls, splendid palaces, lofty cathedrals — 
 of the gentle flowing Ashton, Avon, Tay, and Thames — 
 the land that gave "birth to and is' made glorious by Newton, 
 Shakspeare, Bacon, Locke, "VVilber force, and a galaxy of 
 bright and equally sparkling stars, whose names illumine 
 every page of her brilliant literature, and whose number is 
 truly a host — this land— where liberty is not unmeaning 
 cant, a by- word and a reproach, but where freedom is the 
 proud boast of all, in hut and palace, in Parliament 
 and out of Parliament, enjoyed alike by peasant as by 
 prince and sovereign — next will burst upon our view. 
 And we will greet her, and we desire to do obeisance to 
 her. "We cannot sing, "Rule Britannia," nor "John 
 Anderson, my jo, John," knowing but one song, and that 
 imperfectly — " Yankee Doodle" — or we would burst forth 
 in a song of greeting. Neither have we a trumpet, where- 
 with to blow a joyful bugle blast in honor of Albion's 
 shore ; but with our feeble voice and heart we will greet it. 
 We expect to pass Torry Island about nine o'clock this 
 evening, and by daylight to-morrow morning round the 
 Ptathlin Island, and be steaming down the North Channel, 
 and across the Irish Sea, to our destined port, which we 
 hope to reach by one o'clock, P. M. From Liverpool, we 
 shall give you such particulars of its world-wide commerce, 
 its renowned docks, its business, quaintness, and popula- 
 tion, et cetera, as compared with our Yankee cities, as op- 
 portunity will permit. Our ideas of Liverpool are not an- 
 cient but modern. It is undoubtedly justly celebrated for 
 its high commercial importance and standing, as it cer- 
 
32 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE, 
 
 tainly stands unrivaled in some respects either in the Old 
 or New "World. 
 
 But now, as we are gliding along so nicely, all we can 
 think of is 
 
 u A wet sheet and a flowing sea, 
 
 A wind that follows fast, 
 And fills the white and rustling sail, 
 
 And bends the gallant mast ;" 
 
 and this, with a full head of steam to push us along, like 
 a skimming curlew, over the ever-rolling deep, is excite- 
 ment enough, with the anticipated views before us, to keep 
 our thoughts too busy to concentrate them on paper. 
 
 Indeed we rejoice now in the wind, and how delightful 
 it has become 
 
 " When the glad waves foam around 
 And the wind blows fair and free." 
 
 It is no longer a matter of anxiety to us if the waves are 
 mountain high, or if 
 
 " A thousand miles from land are we, 
 Tossing about on the roaring sea ; 
 From billow to bounding billow cast, 
 Like fleecy snow, in the stormy blast." 
 
 Though we are longing for terra firma, yet we feel that 
 this 
 
 " Up and down, up and down, 
 From the base of the wave to the billow's crown," 
 
 is just the sensation that is not one of the worst of all dis- 
 agreeables, particularly after we get used to it. But, per- 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 33 
 
 haps, we are braver sailors the nearer we approach the 
 haven of our hopes and the land upon which we are to 
 tread. 
 
 The Persia does not run so fast, it is said, as she did before 
 she was last taken into the dry dock, and refitted. We 
 learn from one of the officers she has had not far from four 
 hundred tons added to her weight, and, of course, this must 
 make some difference in her speed, and perhaps more 
 than has been anticipated, or allowed for, in her outward 
 voyages. This present passage will, we think, be made, 
 from bar to bar, outside Sandy Hook, New- York, and to 
 the mouth of the Mersey, Liverpool, in nine days. When 
 we left, it was believed that we would perform the voyage 
 in nearer eight than nine days. But nine days will do, 
 and, for ourselves, we much question whether successful 
 voyages across the Atlantic ever can be made in much, if 
 any, less time. That, however, is a question yet to be de- 
 termined. If the ratio of speed by steam power progresses 
 with improvements for the next fifteen years in proportion 
 as it has for the last thirty years, who can approximate, 
 even, what it will not do ? Time, of course, will not be 
 annihilated by its progression, but space will literally be, 
 and to a degree now not even dreamed of. We can but 
 believe that this wonderful problem is not more than half 
 solved, and that the future is still full of great things, in 
 connection with improvements in the use of steam-power. 
 
 This afternoon the cry of "A whale ! a whale !" aroused 
 all on board almost as much and quickly as if the cry had 
 been " Fire ! fire !" and all rushed to the sides of the ship in 
 hot haste to catch a glimpse of his majesty, who was spout- 
 ing away, as quietly as could be, about a half mile to star- 
 
34 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 board. Sure enough there he was, spouting and sporting 
 himself like Leviathan of the deep, without let or hindrance, 
 his head appearing now and then partly above water as he 
 made his dips ; but when he found out our proximity, and 
 that we could spout and flounder too as well as make some 
 small thunder that he could not make, he very quietly 
 withdrew to deeper sailing, without so much as a" good 
 evening " to us. About nine o'clock, by the twilight, we 
 thought we could see the coast of the Green Isle of the Sea, 
 and half an hour later the fine light on Torry Island, faint- 
 ly as a star above us, glimmered in the distance. This was 
 a most agreeable night-cap to us, and we turned into our 
 narrow couches in our state-room, with sweet contentment 
 and bright anticipations of the morrow's light. 
 
 11th July. — This morning's earliest dawn found us on 
 the upper deck, the ship running quite close in shore ; Ire- 
 land on our right and Scotland on our left, opposite Dona- 
 ghadee. And sure enough there was that same " ould coun- 
 thry " " away over the wather " with its dim green shores 
 and white cottages, plainly to be seen, and which our long- 
 ing eyes had so much wished to see, and of which we have 
 heard and read so much. Our noble steamer was plowing 
 the water at fifteen knots per hour, all sail clewed up. 
 "We had passed the famous Griants' Causeway and Belfast 
 Lough a few miles to the right of us. The frequent lights 
 still burning were evidence of the care and attention of the 
 G-overnment to afford every protection possible to all mari- 
 ners navigating her seas and about her shores. 
 
 About eleven o'clock A. M. we passed the Isle of Man, 
 with its high, bold, rocky, and partially sterile surface, dot- 
 ted here and there with farms and neat white-looking farm- 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 35 
 
 houses and hamlets. In its little havens and sheltering 
 places were anchored an immense number of fishing smacks, 
 and the small coal traders, that don't carry coals to New- 
 castle, but almost everywhere else. A little after one 
 o'clock, P. M., we found ourselves at anchor off the outer 
 bar of the Mersey, waiting for high tide, making our pas- 
 sage, hy the ship's time, from New- York to the Bar, al- 
 lowing for latitude, in exactly nine days and thirty min- 
 utes — the. shortest passage ever made over the Atlantic, 
 notwithstanding the weight added to the vessel as before 
 mentioned, and which it was so much feared would, and 
 probably does in some degree, retard her speed. 
 
 While waiting here for high tide the steamer " Erics- 
 son," that left New- York on the 4th, four days before us, 
 steamed up the bay and anchored by our side. At four 
 o'clock, P. M., the water being high enough, with a burly 
 pilot on the " bridge," we steamed up the river, and an- 
 chored in the stream. Before our vision was Liverpool, 
 with her forests of shipping, her unequaled docks, her im- 
 mense store-houses, (which must form part of the subject 
 matter of our next letter,) and we were land-locked and 
 within the embrace of the arms of old England. But we 
 could scarcely realize that we were on British soil, in the 
 merry England of our early dreams. It did not seem possible 
 that we had reached its shores in nine days, traversing 
 three thousand miles of ocean — that we were in eleven 
 traveling days, by rail and steamer, over four thousand 
 miles from our loved ones at home. It was * more like a 
 dream, a pleasant dream indeed, than reality. But it was 
 even so. 
 
 Her Majesty Victoria's officers of customs were speedily 
 
 2 
 
36 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 on board, and all our luggage having been examined as soon 
 and as hurriedly as possible, and withal in a quiet and very 
 gentlemanly way, after the rather informal examination 
 we were transferred to a lighter, and at half past eight 
 o'clock the same evening found ourselves at the Feathers 
 hotel, Clayton Square, very comfortably off for rooms, with 
 all the English quietness of a cosy country house. Here 
 we settled down for our stay in Liverpool, right glad, indeed, 
 of our comforts and the attentions of our neat, white- cap- 
 ped servants, who were attentive with the utmost civility 
 to every want, and we felt thankful at being again on shore 
 in safety, and in comparatively better health than we could 
 possibly have hoped for so soon. 
 
 As we proceeded to our dock we caught a slight view of 
 the " stars and stripes," the flag of our country, from the 
 mast of the U. S. Frigate Niagara, lying about a half mile 
 from the Persia's anchorage, and now engaged in taking in 
 her part of the Atlantic Telegraphic Cable, of which,- 
 we understand, she has already coiled on board some nine 
 hundred miles. We hope to visit her on the 20th, and after 
 that to have some more particulars that may be of interest 
 to you and all. 
 
 Near by we also noted the beautiful yacht of Prince 
 Napoleon, late of our army, who is on a pleasure tour, and 
 making complimentary visits to this and some of the other 
 important sea-ports of her Majesty. 
 
 But for the present we must say adios. 
 
LETTER No. III. 
 
 Liverpool, England, July 20th, 1857. 
 Dear Friends C. and H : 
 
 Our approach to, and sight of, the shores of England, 
 and our entrance into this wonderful port, were with min- 
 gled feelings of surprise and admiration. 
 
 The " First flower of the earth and first gem of the sea," 
 afforded us refined pleasure and enjoyment ; but of the 
 country at large we shall speak more particularly here- 
 after. 
 
 The first sight of the great and magnificently capacious 
 docks, all constructed of solid masonry, the forests of ship- 
 ping, and the location, is rather pleasing than otherwise. 
 The entrance to the city does not frown with bristling 
 cannon and formidable batteries and forts, and for a won* 
 der, it would seem, has but one small and certainly inferior 
 looking fort, to protect it in case of a hostile fleet appearing 
 before it ; and to all appearance that is not deserving the 
 name of a fort and could not be of particular service in 
 case of an attack. However, such is the natural location 
 of the city, that the approach of a hostile fleet that might 
 possibly threaten it with danger, would be heralded soon 
 enough for such formidable obstructions to be sunk in the 
 narrow channel at the mouth of the Mersey, that would 
 keep out all intruders in that direction. Besides, the 
 
38 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. « 
 
 " wooden walls " of England's navy, ever on the alert, are 
 another barrier that might be rather formidable and diffi- 
 cult to pass in any emergency. 
 
 The city and its docks are about eight miles from the 
 outer bar, which can only be crossed by large vessels, with 
 any degree of safety, at high tide. . As our noble steamer 
 rapidly plowed her way up the stream to her anchorage, 
 we passed our own noble and splendid steam frigate, 
 Niagara, with her flag gaily flaunting in the breeze, (though 
 we did not see her till we were on the lighter, being so 
 intent on the other sights before us,) engaged, as we wrote 
 last, in her great mission as a pacificator ', coiling on board 
 the iron wire that is to be a new and still more powerful link 
 in the great chain of events to bind our nations more firm- 
 ly together than ever before. This monster " Yankee 
 ship " of ours, acknowledged here to be the finest war ves- 
 sel afloat, is attracting a large share of public attention, 
 and her officials are both feasting and being feasted. She sits 
 on the water like a duck, and her beautiful model hull, taper- 
 ing masts, and rig, are unecrualed specimens of naval archi- 
 tecture. Her machinery, finish of cabins, officer's mess- 
 rooms, and general accommodations, are each perfect in 
 their way and construction, and much admired by all 
 who see them. 
 
 After having our baggage passed by the customs, as 
 before written, we were transferred to a small lighter, and 
 by it reached the dock and shore. And now we stood upon 
 the soil of our forefathers — our old Pilgrim forefathers — 
 upon the soil of boasted England, and we involuntarily 
 bowed our heads in humble gratitude and acknowledg- 
 ment to G-od that we were thus permitted to do so. 
 
 On reaching the shore we found that our baggage had 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 39 
 
 preceded us to the "Waterloo Hotel, where we intended 
 stopping, and where Americans most do congregate ; but 
 there we found we could not get rooms. Thence we went 
 to the Adelphi, the royal and first hotel of Liverpool — but 
 not to be compared with the Tremont at Chicago — and 
 that we found overflowing and swarming. From this we 
 proceeded to the Queens, and found there was no chance 
 there — that was full ; and we were about to go to a private 
 boarding-house, on the recommendation of a friend, when 
 another friend kindly came to us, and informed us we could 
 get good rooms at the Feathers hotel : " But," said he, 
 " if you cannot, just come round the corner to the Stork, 
 (another hotel,) and he was sure we could get in there." 
 The singular (to us) names of the hotels made us good-na- 
 tured, not to say anything of the prospect of an immediate 
 resting-place. We secured very comfortable quarters at 
 the Feathers, and at once made ourselves at home, having 
 good rooms and beds, and our meals, as is usual at the 
 English hotels, in our own room ; there being no table 
 d'hote, as is customary with us. The races of the week 
 had filled the hotels with people from far and near, and 
 accounted for our trouble in finding rooms. . These sports 
 of the field are highly enjoyed by the English people, who 
 always enter into them with great delight and animation. 
 The week had been a holiday one for all classes, and the 
 population of the country, as well as city, had visited the 
 scenes almost en masse. We did not have the opportunity 
 of seeing any of the " blooded nags," as the day of our ar- 
 rival was the last day of the week's sport. 
 
 Liverpool was named, it has been stated, from a bird 
 known as a " liver," which formerly bred in this location 
 
40 XOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 (then called a ;; pool.") in vast quantities, as do the com- 
 mon wood-pigeons in some sections of our country : hence 
 the place was named, and still is called. Liverpool. We 
 note, however, that ornithology, or natural history, to the 
 best of our recollection, does not mention any such bird 
 either in the Old or New World. 
 
 The general appearance of the city is not. on the whole, 
 unsatisfactory, though it is too ding}'. The population 
 now is not far from a half million of souls. In traversing 
 the streets, we first noticed, more particularly than any- 
 thing else, the complexion, dress, and general appearance 
 of the people — the masses that throng the streets, particu- 
 larly of a Saturday night : and the want of that alwavs 
 praised, and so oft and repeatedly spoken of. English rud- 
 diness of complexion, was particularly remarkable. AYhere 
 was it ? We looked in vain to see it here, and certainly 
 it was not to be seen in the streets and promenades of 
 overworked Liverpool. The p- far as we have 
 
 seen them in nearly three days perambulations of the c 
 have not more ruddy, healthy or rosy countenances, than 
 the people of New-York. This, we think, is a plain and 
 palpable fact. 
 
 The streets of the city are both regular and irregular, 
 some quite narrow, though, comparatively speaking, new- 
 ly built. There are some spacious, airy, and tolerably 
 elegant ones, though not so much so as we expected to see 
 in such a rich and modern built city : the greater part of it 
 having been built, or greatly improved, within the memory 
 of the oldest inhabita. 
 
 And how soon we noticed the multitude of drinking 
 establishments here ! It is not exaggerating to say, that 
 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 41 
 
 almost every other building or shop, certainly every corner 
 of street and alley, in the older or lower part of the city, as 
 well as the central, is a " wine and spirit store ;'' and in a 
 two hours walk through a large number of the common 
 streets and alleys, we witnessed more drunkenness and 
 downright misery than we ever saw in traversing New- 
 York a whole week. This we thought quite remarkable, 
 and to be attributed only to strong drink, because " beer " 
 does not (it is said) often intoxicate a people, and certain- 
 ly not the multitude. Never before had we seen in such a 
 short walk three wretched mothers imploring — with tears 
 in their eyes, poverty the most abject in their countenances, 
 and babes in their arms — miserable, reeling, drunken fathers 
 and husbands to " go home, and save their money for 
 bread!*' "We quite bled at heart, and really thought that 
 Neal Dow, and his Maine Liquor Law, were needed 
 here if anywhere, and were glad to hear he was even 
 expected. But moral suasion never has and never can 
 reach this class of men, and, probably, only the strong arm 
 of the law will. But, then, will liberty-loving John Bull 
 submit to such a law ? Would not Magna Charta be in- 
 fringed upon ? King John and Runny meade would an- 
 swer that, would they not ? 
 
 The public buildings of the city are an especial honor to 
 her. Those six miles in length of docks are of unparal- 
 leled capacity, stretching along on both sides of the river 
 now, and enclose, in perfect safety, against both wind and 
 tide, the largest monarch of the sea, as securely as one of 
 our canal locks does an ordinary canal-boat. No wind or 
 storm can possibly affect them. Indeed, they seem as 
 well secured as if each vessel were really walled in ; an 
 
42 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 they are literally enclosed in masonic chambers of docks 
 if we may use the expression. The massiveness of these 
 stone walls are an honor to all England as well as Liver- 
 pool ; for no such docks are anywhere else to be seen. 
 Their solidity and massiveness, as well as capacity, are well 
 worthy of imitation by New- York, and it is to be hoped 
 the day is not far distant when that city will have such ; 
 for she much needs them. The facilities they afford for 
 commercial enterprise are incalculable, compared with any 
 docks we have, and are invaluable. 
 
 It is said it would be difficult to name a frequented or 
 known, port, in any part of the world, that one cannot take 
 a passage to from this place, and without much, if any, 
 delay. Her ships and commerce truly visit the very ut- 
 termost parts of the sea, even the ends of the earth, and 
 all nations pay and bring some tribute to her treasury. 
 Liverpool is, indeed, a merchant for the whole world. 
 Earth, air, and sea bring hither of their richest goods, al- 
 most an unbroken stream. 
 
 The great warehouses of the city are almost on as grand 
 a scale as the clocks, and are constantly filled with untold 
 millions of wealth. Cotton and corn and wine, in bale, 
 bag and cask, are piled up here in mountainous bulk. 
 The varied products of every clime lie around you in pro- 
 fusion. The commerce and exchange here, with all the 
 earth, are indeed, vast, and counted only by hundreds of 
 millions, and millions upon millions, giving constant em- 
 ployment to a large population of industrious citizens, and 
 the wealth of numbers of the greatest capitalists of both 
 hemispheres. 
 
 The Exchange is a fine quadrangular building, having a 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 43 
 
 colonnade inside the court, with a tesselated pavement of 
 marble, diamond shaped, gently sloping to the sides, to 
 carry off the water both from the peristyle and the court. 
 In the centre of the court is a very beautiful monu- 
 ment to the immortal Nelson, with very fine bas-relief 
 figures and sculpture on each of the four sides of the 
 base, which no one should pass through Liverpool without 
 seeing. 
 
 The Post Office is an old and massive building, the cen- 
 tre supported by immense Ionic columns, but it stands on 
 too low ground to show to good advantage. The Sea- 
 man's Home, near by, is a modern building, somewhat 
 Elizabethian in style, of considerable size, and tasteful 
 in all its parts. There are numerous churches of all de- 
 nominations, but nearly all old and dingy, and present- 
 ing nothing in architectural design that strikes the eye as 
 particularly impressive. 
 
 St. George's Hall we noticed as a very magnificent 
 structure indeed, and it may be called beautiful in all its 
 parts, in design, perspective and proportion. We found 
 ourselves surveying this truly majestic Hall with ad- 
 miration, if not love and surprise. It is the just pride of 
 the citizens of the Borough, who take pleasure in pointing 
 out to the stranger its lofty proportions — but without osten- 
 tation, which might be excused, indeed, since it is one of 
 the finest edifices in England. So far as we could judge from 
 our cursory view, we gave it the palm of all buildings we had 
 ever seen in the United States or Mexico, except the new 
 Capitol at Washington. The State House at Nashville, 
 Tennessee, for real beauty of architecture, comes nearest to 
 it, except as above ; but it does not compare in size and 
 
 2* 
 
44 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 detail of composition. The great organ in the Hall is un- 
 equaled in size and unexcelled in sweetness of tone ; and 
 to gratify the public, concerts are given upon it twice in 
 each week. The Hall is daily open to visitors, and its ca- 
 pacity for an audience is immense, being one hundred and 
 sixty-nine feet long, seventy-seven feet wide, and, from 
 floor to the top of the arched ceiling, eighty-two feet high. 
 There are also two law court-rooms, whose dimensions, 
 each, are eighty-five feet by fifty, and forty-five feet high. 
 These, with the ante-rooms, vaults, library-rooms, com- 
 mittee-rooms, offices, &c, all in proportion, will give 
 you some idea of its great size. The whole is vast and 
 magnificent in the extreme, because it is simple in all its 
 grandeur and beautiful details. The frieze and entabla- 
 tures are admirable, and there are, at each end of the 
 portico or colonnade, some noble sculptured lions. There 
 are also two on either side of the principal gateway or en- 
 trance, that do honor to the sculptor, whose name we did 
 not learn. 
 
 Immediately opposite this is the depot of the London 
 and North-Western Railway, a large and tolerably fine 
 structure of brick, iron and glass. The front towers up 
 like a noble palace, and displays its architectural propor- 
 tions to great advantage. The building, however, we did 
 not think as capacious as the Illinois Central Rail Road 
 Company's depot, at Chicago. 
 
 The Town Hall, public baths, charitable schools, and 
 workhouses, and many other buildings, are worthy of note, 
 but we have not time to describe them. 
 
 The Zoological Gardens here are not one of the Seven 
 Wonders of the present world, (perhaps they might be un- 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 45 
 
 der Barnum'scare,) and, judging from what we saw there, 
 are a place of recreation for the working class alone, 
 though the charge for entrance is sufficient to warrant the 
 supposition that it is a place of entertainment for all classes, 
 and where one can get one's money's worth. An ordinary 
 brass hand discourses music every afternoon, at three 
 o'clock, and considerable numbers of the visitors join in the 
 mystic mazes of the light fantastic toe, on a circular plat- 
 form, erected near the centre of the grounds for that pur- 
 pose. There are a few animals in the garden, of which the 
 mischievous monkeys afford the principal amusement to 
 the people visiting. 
 
 The mechanical work of the city is enormous. Iron 
 ship-building is carried on to a great extent and perfec- 
 tion. The anvil and hammer are constantly ringing out 
 hideous sounds upon the air, and a thousand furnaces 
 glow with melting heat. A large number of ships, steam- 
 ers, ocean and river, lighters, tugs, &c, are constantly on 
 the ways, and in course of construction. There are also 
 here about three thousand persons engaged in the manu- 
 facture of watches of every description now in use. Be- 
 sides these, there are numerous other manufacturing es- 
 tablishments of different kinds, giving employment to many 
 thousands of people of both sexes. 
 
 This city is also a great entrepot for Ireland, the collier- 
 ing and mining interests of Wales, and the immense 
 manufacturing inland towns of most of the kingdom, es- 
 pecially the city of Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, 
 Sheffield, &c, &c, whose wealth and trade are almost 
 fabulous in amount. And here, too, the great proportion 
 of the cotton of our country finds its mart, as well as the 
 
4G NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 surplus grain and flour, and other needed manufactured 
 produce of our States and the Canadas, as well as the sur- 
 plus of the old world. 
 
 The suburbs of Liverpool are handsome, and many beau- 
 tiful residences may be seen on both sides of the river ; 
 the principal ones are on the east side. Toxteth Park is 
 very fine, and second to none in the realm. It is most 
 charmingly laid out, and its grounds and noble trees are 
 beautiful beyond description. 
 
 The health of the city, of late years, has not been con- 
 sidered so good as formerly. It has been stated, by Lord 
 Ebrington, that the mortality of Liverpool, before the 
 Public Health Act, was double in proportion to that of any 
 other country town (meaning out of London) in England ; 
 and that, though since the passage and enforcement of the 
 provisions of that Act, the ratio of mortality has evidently 
 decreased, and the sanitary condition of the people largely 
 improved, and is still improving, according to the latest 
 returns of the bills of mortality, yet there is great room 
 for further improvement. "We should say, less strong drink 
 and more cleanliness would greatly aid such improvement. 
 
 The city is growing quite rapidly, though we do not see 
 the numbers of buildings going up, in every direction, 
 that we do either in New- York or Chicago. The pro- 
 gress of the place is unmistakably great, and its popu- 
 lation and business are daily increasing at as rapid a rate as 
 any city in Europe, if not faster, so that it may be truly 
 said to be in a hopeful condition. And now, while ship- 
 ping and commercial business is so dull on our side of the 
 water, and, it is said, large numbers of ships are disman- 
 tled and lying idle at our wharves, the shipping here seems 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 47 
 
 to be fully employed, or at least nearly so, and it soon will 
 be fully, as vessels are now in demand for transport service 
 to India and China, on Government account. 
 
 The principal streets are tolerably clean and smoothly 
 paved, but the narrow streets, courts, and alleys, are quite 
 as filthy as is usual in our larger cities. The population 
 is composed of large numbers of foreigners, and almost 
 every tongue may be heard. Sailors may be seen in 
 swarms from every clime. 
 
 "We should not a think Liverpool a desirable place of 
 residence. The principal merchants and business men 
 live out of town, or in the suburbs, parts of which 
 are very beautiful. The society is said to be con- 
 siderably Americanized, and the city more of an Ameri- 
 can city than any other in Europe. But be this as it may, 
 we do not know of a city of importance in America in 
 which it would not be more agreeable to live. As to the 
 city's improving as fast as New- York, as we have heard 
 more than once asserted, our impression is, that .there are 
 now at least twenty buildings going up in New- York to one 
 in Liverpool, the cost and beauty, in proportion, in favor of 
 New- York ; and we believe it true, so far as we could see and 
 judge in our perambulations, that this proportion is likely to 
 remain so for a long time to come. In saying this, we would 
 not disparage the advantages of either, and it is hoped none 
 of you will think, for a moment, that the comparisons are 
 odious ; for both cities are very great in their way, moving 
 in their own orbits, .and exercising their peculiar functions, 
 so to speak, on each continent. The business of both is 
 intimately connected. Reverses in either city are felt 
 equally in each, and prosperity in one, in our opinion, is 
 
48 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 prosperity in the other. Liverpool is to Great Britain, 
 not to say Europe, what New- York is to America. 
 While the latter place is to become to America what 
 London is to the whole Eastern world, Liverpool never can 
 be. The progress of New- York, as the great money centre, 
 must be in far greater ratio than that of Liverpool ; and in 
 command of real wealth, cash, in a very few years, she 
 will only be secondary to London, if not her equal. In- 
 deed, the wealth of New-York is immensely ahead of 
 Liverpool, notwithstanding the enormous commerce here. 
 
 On Tuesday we leave for London, via the London and 
 North Western Railway, and we have bright anticipations 
 of such a lovely ride as we never had in our lives. We 
 will there add a few lines to these, for we cannot finish 
 now. 
 
 London, July 22d. — We reached our lodgings here, Mr. 
 and Mrs. Hoflesh's, No. 8 Queen-street Place, after one of 
 the pleasantest rides one can imagine, and found our dear 
 friends prepared to receive and welcome us. 
 
 The country the entire route is enchantment itself, and 
 the wide-spread landscape has the appearance more of a 
 continuous garden, than of a farming country. The fields 
 are small, but beautifully green with soft and tender grass, 
 hedged, and highly cultivated, with fine shade trees, oaks, 
 elms, and others, left here and there in almost every field, 
 and in the hedgerows, so that the scene is constantly chang- 
 ing and picturesque in the extreme, and the eye is every 
 moment delighted and regaled. The lawn-like fields of 
 various kinds of grass, the ripening grain, and the dark, 
 verdant parks and forests, afford a changing panorama, 
 such as we have not. Here and there loom up in the dis- 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 4 
 
 tance, some lofty ranges of hills ; almost hidden away in 
 the depths of the green wood, some old mansion or castle, 
 that has stood through the wars and sunshine and tem- 
 pests of ages ; and then those sweet and embowered cot- 
 tages, multitudes of them, that are such hallowed looking 
 nests of peace, that any aching heart could be at perfect 
 rest and peace in them. But time now remonstrates and 
 forbids a longer epistle, and you must patiently await our 
 time to write further. We hope we are still improving in 
 health, and again bid you adieu. 
 
LETTER No. IV. 
 
 London, England, July 25th, 1857. 
 
 Dear Sister J. 
 
 Our delightful ride from Liverpool to this great and 
 wonderful metropolis, was a new and exceedingly interest- 
 ing chapter in the history of our existence, affording us a 
 pleasure such as we never before experienced, except in 
 the fanciful conceptions of dream-land. You know how, 
 when enwrapped in sweet slumber, the soul seems to go 
 out, at times, after the "beautiful, and spend its rosiest 
 hours there, basking in the very sunshine of bliss. Some 
 such transport of pleasure was ours on this route, we en- 
 joying the reality instead of awakening to the disappoint- 
 ment that we experience after our rosiest dreams. 
 
 On nearing London, the first evidence of oar proximity 
 is the hovering cloud of smoke that can be seen for miles 
 distant in a clear day. When we left Liverpool in the 
 morning, a gentle rain was lazily falling oe'r the earth, but 
 by the middle of the afternoon the sky had cleared off 
 beautifully, with here and there a soft floating cloud, and 
 we entered beneath a smiling sky, reaching the great iron 
 and glass station, with its lofty brick front, in Euston 
 Square, at aquarter past four o'clock, P. M., when we took 
 a cab for our quarters at No. 8 Queen-street Place, South- 
 wark Bridge, in our way passing through the famous 
 
52 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 Smith-field, over the very ground made sacred by the 
 blood and martyrdom of Latimer and John Rodgers, and 
 many others sacrificed at the stake by slow, consuming 
 fires, during the fury and tyranny under bloody Mary ; 
 thence through sundry wide and compactly built streets, 
 into Cheapside, and down Q,ueen-street to our stopping- 
 place. 
 
 The life-like and splendid statue of Stevenson, the great 
 rail-road man and engineer, in the station house, attracted 
 considerable attention, and is justly considered a very fine 
 piece of work. 
 
 Having brushed the dust from our garments, we sallied 
 forth — notwithstanding the slowly descending "London, 
 shower," which had sprung up and come down as if by 
 magic, (and these are said to be one of the great pecu- 
 liarities of London,) and which rapidly increased to quite a 
 heavy rain — first to pay our respects to St. Paul's Cathe- 
 dral, the second finest cathedral of the world, and with 
 great delight and admiring wonder viewed its magnificent 
 proportions, from the pavement to the topmost heaven- 
 pointing cross. The dome and front on Cannon Street, as 
 well as the principal front towards Ludgate Hill, are 
 exceedingly effective. The statues of the Apostles and 
 the emblematic figures are life-like in the extreme ; and 
 towering over one hundred feet above you, weatherworn, 
 begrimed with smoke and age, venerable, indeed, with 
 time, speak with their marble lips and eyes of the long 
 past. The statue of Queen Elizabeth, on a pedestal in the 
 centre of the court of the main entrance, is very good and 
 expressive. The effect of light and shade on the columns 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 53 
 
 and walls, casements and windows, cornices and whole 
 entablature, is very agreeable, and adds not a little to the 
 pleasing picturesqueness and grandeur of the venerable 
 pile. The genius of the builder, who in this work alone 
 immortalized his name, Sir Christopher Wren, can never 
 be imagined or fully estimated without seeing this mas- 
 terpiece. Grazing on the gigantic structure, we cannot 
 but wonder at the art that can fashion out of such rude 
 materials a work of such magnificence and exquisite 
 beauty. But the grandeur of this immense structure 
 only half reveals itself outside. Ascending a fine flight 
 of stone steps, now considerably worn, and standing be- 
 neath the massive doors of the cathedral, you are awe- 
 stricken ; its beauty and boldness, its grace and symmetry, 
 swell before you, like, as it were, arches of rainbows. The 
 perfectness of detail, the chasteness of form, and the grand 
 perspective, are wonderful, and far beyond comparison with 
 any building we have ever before seen in the United 
 States or Mexico. On the great windows are full length 
 figures of the Apostles, in stained glass, so perfect in 
 feature and in drapery you exclaim unconsciously, " How 
 wonderful ! how wonderful !" Glorious work of genius ! 
 Surpassed only by the works of the Almighty ! There one 
 might gaze and gaze again, till the morning light had 
 faded into gloomy night, and not be satiated. We re- 
 turned to our lodgings quite gratified for the time being, 
 thankful, indeed, for what our eyes had beheld, and with 
 new ideas of the beautiful and the grand of earth. No 
 poet's pen had ever told us the half that our eyes had now 
 seen, and we had partaken of a feast for the soul. 
 
54 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 Beneath this, England's great Cathedral, under the cen- 
 tre of the princely dome, is the mausoleum, containing the 
 remains of her most glorious dead, her two most illustrious 
 heroes, who had achieved her greatest triumphs by sea and 
 land, and participated in her greatest honors — Nelson and 
 Wellington. 
 
 Their tombs, whose sculptured marble and grateful 
 inscriptions speak of their noble daring and honorable 
 deeds, are shrines to the Queen and subject, lord and 
 peasant, rich and poor alike. There is an ever-burning 
 lamp suspended in the crypt. 
 
 Many of the marble statues, groups, basso relievos^ 
 and monuments, commemorating the lives, genius, and 
 achievements of England's departed but well remembered 
 heroes, are extremely beautiful and impressive. No 
 wonder that Englishmen love England, since the noble 
 deeds and virtues of her faithful sons are thus com- 
 memorated in enduring monuments, . exquisitely moulded 
 into forms that live in the hearts of the people, ever 
 speaking to the generations that grow up succeeding 
 one another, as the living characters they represent 
 did to the generations in which they acted. No pen 
 and ink sketch will fully convey an idea of the just 
 proportions, graceful draperies, life-like expression, and 
 wonderful effect on the spectator of these master-pieces 
 of beauty and art. 
 
 After our night's rest, our first steps were directed to the 
 Tower, that old historical Royal Castle that has so many 
 associations of prison, palace, and fortress. This monu- 
 ment of ancient times is situated on the bank of the 
 Thames, as you will doubtless very well remember, on 
 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 55 
 
 what is known as Tower Hill. It undoubtedly owes its 
 origin to the Romans, who here constructed some kind of 
 fortifications, and, it is supposed by some, a mint for mould- 
 ing the coins they then used, as in some of the early ex- 
 cavations coins were found, and a bar of silver marked 
 with a Roman stamp. William the Conqueror, however, 
 erected the first of the present buildings when with the 
 fierce Normans he swept England like an avalanche ; and 
 here have been the royal residence and state prison, in 
 years gone by ; and here have been what great joys and 
 royal pleasures, and pomps and processions, and heart 
 sicknesses and cruelties, and death-sorrows ! Dark shad- 
 ows of the past literally enshroud this gloomy pile. 
 
 On arriving at the outer gate, we are passed in by the 
 sentinel, whose predecessors have trod their rounds these 
 thousand years probably, on the same spot ; we then meet 
 one of the "beef-eaters," dressed in the gay livery estab- 
 lished by Henry VIII., with mace in hand, (usually old 
 veterans that have served the country faithfully through 
 many wars and years of hardships,) and are conducted by 
 him, for a small stated fee, through the places of greatest 
 interest to visitors. Having entered at the south-west 
 corner we cross the moat, now dry, and which has not 
 been filled for many years, on a stone bridge, and are at once 
 within the most ancient walls of this old fortress, which is 
 protected at all points with bristling cannon. The moat 
 is very deep, and when filled with water, supplied through 
 heavy gates from the Thames, makes an almost impregna- 
 ble barrier. "We passed through the gate called the Traitor's 
 Gate, through which state prisoners used to be brought 
 in, and thence underneath the Bloody Tower to the 
 
56 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 horse armory, where are so tastefully arranged the won- 
 derful equestrian statues of the kings and warriors of an- 
 cient times. It will he recollected "by you, that in the 
 Bloody Tower were so inhumanly confined and mur- 
 dered the royal children, two sons of Edward IV., in 1483, 
 whose hones were exhumed one hundred and thirty 
 years ago ; "being then found while making some ex- 
 cavations for subsequent foundations, having lain there 
 near two hundred and fifty years, in a very good state 
 of preservation, side by side, as buried by the cruel 
 wretches, under the direction of Tyrrell, suborned by the 
 infamous Duke of (xloster. They were removed to 
 Westminster Abbey, where their bones now lie, and over 
 them is placed an exquisite monument in marble, forever 
 sacred to their memory. 
 
 From the Bloody Tower we entered the White Tower, 
 three very lofty stories high, built in the year 1080 — 
 a grand specimen of Norman architecture. Its outer 
 walls are fifteen feet thick, the partitions seven feet, and 
 the roof covered with thick lead. The smallest room is 
 known as Queen Elizabeth's room, and she here sits in her 
 robes of state, as worn by her at her coronation, with ail 
 her state jewels ; the small palfrey on which she rides being 
 led by two beautifully attired pages. This and the other 
 rooms are decorated with, as it were, a tapestry of arms 
 of all kinds known in the warfare of man. There are also 
 some fine specimens of painted and stained glass here — a 
 curious old specie chest recovered from the famous armada, 
 queer looking old cannon, shot, chains, slugs, &c. Out of 
 Queen Bess's room, we were shown into the cell in which 
 Sir Walter Raleigh was so infamously confined thirteen 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 57 
 
 years, and where he wrote his celebrated History of the 
 World. Here, also, is the veritable block on which rested 
 the heads of the beautiful Lady Jane Grey and Anna 
 Boleyn, Lord Dudley, and others of the great and good, 
 and the axe that severed their heads from their bodies ; 
 and as one gazes on the very marks of the edge of the 
 horrid instrument, an involuntary shudder runs through 
 the body and chills the blood, as we remember those 
 by-gone days when were sacrificed so many innocent vic- 
 tims to passion and revenge. 
 
 The arrangements of arms in the horse armory room in 
 rosettes, orders, stars, coats of arms, &c, are very neatly 
 done ; and as we look on the long line of burnished steel 
 and brass and gold armor once worn by kings and knights 
 and their steeds, and the rich caparisons, all ready for the 
 fierce rencontre with daring foe or friend of the chivalry 
 of olden time, we realize what we have read about the 
 fierce times of the Plantagenets and the Crusaders, and 
 seern better to comprehend the days of chivalry and knight- 
 errantry, when might made right, and the strongest ruled 
 the weak — ages now so happily passed away, we trust, 
 forever. 
 
 There are also here the armor of Crusaders, (one set 
 known to be six hundred years old,) archers, swordsmen 
 and bowmen, Mameluke's arms, Chinese and East Indian 
 arms, in all their variety, as used in barbaric and civilized 
 ages. And here are ancient British Saxon arms, and 
 monstrous horns, spears, cross-bows and arrows, bat- 
 tle axes, and specimens of all conceivable weapons ever 
 used in war. Here we see Edward I., of the year 1272, in 
 a suit of armor such as worn on the fields of Dunbar and 
 
58 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 Bannockburn; Henry VI., in whose time the armor was 
 so valuable that prisoners were commonly sacrificed for 
 the sake of the spoil ; Edward IV., of from 1464 to 1483, 
 equipped with the tilting lance and the armor for the tour- 
 nament ; Richard III., with the perfection of armor, such as 
 was worn at York, Lancaster and Bosworth Field ; Henry 
 VII., with his ancient sword in his right hand and battle 
 axe hanging from his saddle bow ; Henry VIII., in his un- 
 equaled armour, made of Damascus steel inlaid with gold, 
 now in a fine state of preservation, with a short sword dang- 
 ling at his saddle bow, and a six foot bladed sword at his 
 side — the horse caparisoned as beautifully and richly as 
 the royal rider ; Edward YL, of 1552, with russet-colored 
 armor, inlaid with gold, and covered with very rich ara- 
 besque work ; James L, in his plain armor, with an im- 
 mense tilting lance, that one would suppose no one arm 
 could wield ; of Charles I., on a suberb dun-colored char- 
 ger, in his suit of gilt armor, the gift of the city of London ; 
 — and numerous others that it would take pages of paper 
 to describe, renowned in the pages of history, some for 
 goodness and noble deeds, and some for great cruelty and 
 heartlessness, painful to think of even at this late day. 
 Here we might have spent the whole day with great 
 interest, but the visitor cannot tarry, as the guide has 
 passed on to Beauchamp's Tower, and thither we must 
 follow, or lose the old fashioned song of his story. Here we 
 mount up the narrow, circular staircase of stone, and as 
 we do so, memory goes back to persecutions and cruelties 
 that humanity recoils from and shudders to think of — to 
 Essex, Dudley, Raleigh, Mary Queen of Scots, Lady Jane 
 Grey, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, and a host of others, 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 59 
 
 who have here suffered and died. On these walls we now 
 read their names, and many inscriptions cut by their own 
 fingers. The very spot in the court-yard where the lovely 
 Lady Jane Grey was beheaded, and by the axe before 
 mentioned, was pointed out to us. Tears of sympathy 
 started to our eyes as we called to mind her character, 
 loveliness and beauty, and the horrid cruelties she so pa- 
 tiently endured. Here, also, in 1536, only three short 
 years after her magnificent and pompous entry as a royal 
 bride, the beautiful Anne Boleyn was grossly abused and 
 inhumanly imprisoned by the reckless tyranny of that 
 unscrupulous and unfaithful king, Henry VIII. , — led 
 forth like a lamb to the slaughter, and executed, by order 
 of her husband, who will always be known as " the 
 woman butcher," and her body then cast into an old iron 
 chest and buried beneath the vaults of the chapel of the 
 Tower. Neither sex, age nor condition have been regarded 
 or spared here. Passion, revenge and malice have truly 
 rioted, with blood-stained hands, heedless of the most 
 piteous cries for mercy, or the goadings of a guilty con- 
 science. From one of these dungeons the good and venera- 
 ble Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, then eighty years of age, 
 his head as white as the pure driven snow, wrote to the then 
 Secretary Cromwell : "I have neither shirt nor sute to 
 wear, but that bee ragged and rent so shamefully ; my 
 dyett also, Grod'knoweth how slender it is many tymes." 
 
 Turning from the remembrance of these scenes, we made 
 our way to the Crown Jewel Room, rebuilt and refit- 
 ted for the purpose of their safe keeping, in 1842. Here 
 are collected and kept some of the jewels of the kingdom. 
 First of all is the great diamond, TCoh-i-Noor, or Mountain; eiT 
 
 3 
 
60 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE, 
 
 Light, taken in India, and claimed as a government trophy. 
 It is not so brilliant as we expected to see, nor so large, and 
 has been very badly ground or cut. Indeed it has really 
 been injured by the lapidary, and had better not have been 
 cut at all than to have been cut as it is. The next is the 
 crown of her Majesty, Queen Victoria. It is brilliant 
 and resplendent with large and valuable diamonds, and 
 other precious stones, and the centre of the cross that sur- 
 mounts it is an -'inestimable sapphire," so called. In the 
 band is a heart-shaped ruby, of great beauty and value, 
 once worn by the celebrated Black Prince. The other 
 articles, crown of the Prince of Wales, crowns of Anne 
 Boleyn and of Mary Queen of Scots, the diadems, staves, 
 and royal sceptres of ivory and gold, the swords of Mercy 
 and Justice, coronation bracelets, anointing vessel, bap- 
 tismal font and sacramental plate, are very magnificent, 
 and resplendent with gems of fabulous value. The whole 
 value of this jewelry and plate is enormous indeed. None 
 of it is ever used, except at coronations, and the baptismal 
 plate at the baptism of the royal children. 
 
 It will be remembered by you, perhaps, that a great fire, 
 about 1840 or 1841, did considerable damage to this part 
 of the Tower buildings, but now all has been substantially 
 rebuilt, and is considered fire-proof. "Within the walls are 
 also vast stores for the army, and at all times the barracks 
 contain a body, one thousand strong, of the flower of the 
 British army, for guard duty. This morning we were too 
 late for "guard-mounting," which we much regretted, as 
 it is always a pleasant sight. 
 
 The veteran by whom we were conducted through the 
 Tower, and with whom we had the pleasure of consider- 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 61 
 
 able conversation, was one of the Duke of Wellington's 
 oldest body servants, and a very intelligent and active old 
 man. He related his story with a pride and self-satisfaction 
 that pleased us highly. He also pointed out to us several 
 winding stairways, dungeons, and passages, into which 
 visitors are not now permitted to go, and some that have 
 not been opened or entered for many years. 
 
 Imagination would constantly picture to us these prem- 
 ises as solemnly still, bat-haunted, and dilapidated, not- 
 withstanding the scrupulous neatness everywhere to be 
 seen, the presence of the guards, the various government 
 officers, with their numerous employees, and the constant 
 thronstins: out and in of visitors : — at least we could not 
 divest ourselves of this feeling. The sufferings and perse- 
 cutions of all classes of people would constantly come up 
 before us. During the reign of Edward III. alone, six 
 hundred Jews were inhumanly incarcerated within these 
 walls, and suffered a lingering death, by the slow poison 
 of the damp dungeons, in order that their money and es- 
 tates might revert to the use of the Crown ; and here the 
 infamous and wretched Jeffries (we thought of Cato), paid 
 with his life the penalty of some of his crimes. 
 
 We next visited the Royal Exchange, an edifice of the 
 Grecian order of architecture, of considerable beauty, and 
 great solidity. The principal front is towards Cheapside, 
 and exhibits a fine tympanum, with splendid allegorical 
 figures, and the noble inscription, 
 
 " THE EARTH IS THE LORD'S, AND THE FULLNESS THEREOF." 
 
 On the opposite side is the Bank of England, and not 
 far off, just at the entrance to Cheapside, the Lord Mayor's 
 
62 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 residence. Neither of these buildings are particularly 
 beautiful, but both are very substantial, especially the 
 Bank, which is the plainest of the three ; but as it has the 
 gold inside, it matters not so much about the outside. 
 Having an order to go through it, we will defer any further 
 description till we have done so. The Lord Mayor's resi- 
 dence is spacious in its dimensions, and displays some very 
 good architectural points, particularly the great portico ; and 
 though it is open to visitors, we had not time to examine its 
 interior, the day having been mostly spent in our visit to 
 the Tower. 
 
 Passing to our quarters, over Cornhill, and down Grace- 
 church and King William streets, we pass a noble statue 
 of William IV., and also the great Monument — built by Sir 
 Christopher Wren, in commemoration of the Great Fire 
 that, shortly after the Great Plague, swept with fearful 
 havoc the devoted city, — and arrive at London Bridge, the 
 greatest thoroughfare of London. The structure is im- 
 mense, and the crowd ditto. It is constructed entirely ^f 
 stone, is wide enough for four carriages abreast, and a foot- 
 walk for pedestrians each side, and is a perfect work of its 
 kind. 
 
 The river Thames is not so large a stream, independent 
 of the tide, as the descriptions most frequently given of it 
 lead one to believe ; neither is the traffic of sea-going ves- 
 sels as extensively displayed as we expected to see. But 
 there is an immense amount of tonnage in the great 
 Docks, not observable from the river. Great numbers of 
 small boats, wherries, and steamers, constantly ply up and 
 down and across the stream, conveying crowds of men, 
 women and children. At low tide, when the river shows 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 63 
 
 its natural banks, it is not wider than the Illinois is at low 
 water immediately in front of Ottawa. The immense tide 
 of eighteen to twenty feet makes it the "noble Thames" 
 it really is at high tide, and gives it depth to float most 
 vessels ; and when you get as far down as Greenwich Hos- 
 pital and Black wall, its depth increases to the draught of 
 the largest ships that float. The amount of shipping to 
 be seen by one standing on London Bridge, compared with 
 New- York or Liverpool, is nothing. Chicago harbor often 
 contains considerably more than we could see in the 
 river. 
 
 On the following morning we made our way, via the 
 steam-wherry, to Waterloo Bridge Station, and by the 
 Southwestern Railway to Kew- Bridge and the celebrated 
 Kew G-ardens, laid out with great taste, under the patron- 
 age and superintending care of George III., who here 
 built, and occupied for some time, quite an ordinary three- 
 story brick house, and called it a palace. 
 
 The grounds are beautifully laid out, and the old park 
 is filled with very fine trees, noble foresters indeed, whose 
 towering tops and wide-spreading arms have often shaded 
 and echoed the foot-steps of royalty in privacy, and rung 
 with the regal sports of the chase in the olden time. The 
 grounds wind along the left bank of the Thames for about 
 two miles, and afford a refreshing resort and daily delight 
 to all who promenade there ; and as the grounds are open 
 to the public every day, without expense, and so near to 
 London, it is a favorite pleasure excursion, and many thou- 
 sands frequent it daily. 
 
 The Botanical Gardens at Kew contain specimens of 
 every known plant, and are very beautifully laid out, with 
 
64 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 broad and winding avenues and walks of gravel, rolled as 
 hard and smooth as if made of cast-iron plates. The green- 
 houses are tastefully arranged, and heated in winter hy 
 steam, conveyed through pipes, from a distance of nearly 
 half a mile. The beautiful pond of water in front of the 
 Botanical Museum is well stored with large and graceful 
 white swans, and some other species of water-fowl, that 
 disport themselves here to the infinite amusement of num- 
 bers of children, who keep them always well fed. In no 
 garden in the world is there to be found a greater variety 
 of evergreens from every clime, and among them all the 
 American arbor vitre is truly the most beautiful, and is en- 
 titled to be called their queen. It grows in perfection here, 
 and we could and did point to those "Yankees" with no little 
 pride. They were the finest specimens we have ever seen 
 cultivated, at home or abroad. The climate, culture and 
 moisture, have given them charming color and stature. 
 The only Indian Corn we have yet seen growing in Eng- 
 land was here. 
 
 Near Kew, on the invitation of a friend, we visited a 
 field of wheat of one hundred and fifty acres, which was 
 considered a fine specimen of the practical and scientific 
 farming of the country. It was a splendid field of grain, 
 put in with the drill ; it stood full breast high to an ordi- 
 nary-sized man, and was very even and full-headed. Not a 
 weed was to be seen in it, and its golden color, softened by 
 the evening sunlight, made it look rich indeed. The har- 
 vest had just commenced in it, and the farmer thought it 
 would yield about fifty bushels to the acre. The expense 
 of raising crops of this kind, and, indeed, of all kinds, is 
 considerable ; yet the farmer reaps his reward, netting, even 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 65 
 
 here, on this crop of wheat, after paying his high rent, and 
 every item of expense, about six guineas, or thirty dollars, 
 per acre. No wonder farmers here are the gentlemen of 
 the realm, riding their blooded horses over their fields, 
 making their daily survey of the progress of their work, 
 while the laborers, at a shilling, or two, at most, per diem, 
 do the drudgery, in fact all the real labor of the farm, the 
 landed proprietor and the farmer reaping the profit. Every 
 farm is a garden, and the cultivation of the soil, if properly 
 supervised, is always remunerative to the cultivator. 
 Would it not also be so with us ? But at present we must 
 again bid you adieu. 
 
LETTER No. V. 
 
 London, England, July 30^, 1857. 
 Dear Sister S. * # * * : 
 
 Resuming our pen, we will direct this to yon, though 
 intended for all, and resume our sketches of sights and im- 
 pressions of England, where we left off on the evening of 
 the 25th instant. 
 
 Finding ourselves considerably refreshed after our tea, 
 we made our way to the Surrey Gardens, for an evening's 
 entertainment, and there heard the world -renowned or- 
 chestra leader, Julien, and his band of performers, at least 
 one hundred and fifty strong. The place is capacious, ele- 
 gantly lighted, comfortably seated, well ventilated, and. will 
 accommodate about ten thousand people. That evening 
 there was said to be four thousand five hundred people 
 present. The music was grand, and many of the pieces 
 truly sublime ; we all acknowledged we had never before 
 heard " Grod save the Queen." The garden is very finely 
 lighted, the walks well-graveled, and the scenery agree- 
 able. After the concert there were fire-works, far surpass- 
 ing any we had ever before seen — the grand " finale" giving 
 us some idea of that "infernal fire" that Grortschakoff ex- 
 
 3* 
 
68 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 perienced at SebastopoL The Chinese bombs, rockets, gold 
 and silver fountains, the falling stars, and fairy scenes of 
 variegated lights, were very beautiful. The principal 
 beauty to us was the complete order and ehasteness of all 
 that was displayed for the benefit of the public. There 
 was no rowdyism there, and every disreputable charac- 
 ter is excluded, as near as is possible in popular assem- 
 blies. 
 
 The 26th, next day. being Sabbath, we made our way 
 in the morning to the celebrated Foundling Hospital, found- 
 ed by the liberality of George the Third, for the protec- 
 tion, education, &c., of foundlings of the city. It is a 
 large brick and stone structure in the Gothic style of archi- 
 tecture, with a large open court in front, and sheds for 
 play-houses for the children, and a fine garden, in the rear. 
 There are about 300 boys and girls, all in peculiar uniform, 
 who occupy raised seats in the gallery during service — the 
 bovs on one side, and the girls on the other — entering and 
 taking each their allotted seat with military precision. 
 They form the choir. by their teachers, and led by 
 
 competent leaders. The singing is very fine, some of the 
 voices uncommonly good, and the organ has long been cele- 
 brated for its sweetness of tone. It is indeed one of the 
 sweetest organs in the world, and we were charmed with 
 its lovely tones and harmonies. In the rooms, drawing- 
 rooms, sitting-rooms and offices, are a number of very fine 
 old paintings, well worth the attention of visitors. 
 
 In the afternoon we visited St. Paul's Cathedral, for the 
 purpose of attending service, but being a minute or two 
 too late, could not get seats in a locality to hear well, such 
 was the crowd. One of the venerable Deans was the 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 69 
 
 preacher, but we could not hear well. The singing was 
 good and occasionally grand, as it combined with the rich 
 tones of the great organ, and reverberated through the 
 lofty arches. 
 
 In the evening we made our way to the church of Dr. 
 Cummings, of world-wide fame for his remarkable lectures 
 on the Apocalypse and on Romanism. Though the build- 
 ing was crowded to its utmost capacity, we succeeded in 
 getting " good sittings," as they say here, and heard him 
 with great pleasure. His voice is rich and soft like an 
 seolian, and his language like the even flowing of a clear 
 and white-pebbled river. Eloquence is a natural gift to 
 him, and gushes out of his pleasing mouth like the waters 
 out of the wonderful fountains of Sydenham. His mind 
 is apparently well stored with all that is lovely, beautiful, 
 grand and soul-stirring, having on his tongue's end the 
 gems of ancient and modern literature ; and yet his 
 style is of such simplicity and plainness that a child can 
 comprehend every word and sentence of his preaching. 
 He abounds in personal application, touching and simple 
 appeals, and is so clear, forcible and practicable, that we 
 could have listened to him for hours without tiring. 
 
 The next morning, Monday, the 27th, we took the rail- 
 road to visit Windsor Palace and Park, the proud residence 
 of the Sovereigns of England for centuries past, now the 
 chief residence of Victoria, and containing in all about 
 9,960 acres in gardens, farms and parks, the buildings 
 covering alone over thirty-two acres. Plere royalty has 
 had its habitation long anterior to the days of the Conquest, 
 even the old Saxon kings having dwelt at Windsor ; and 
 the building of a great part of the present castle dates 
 
70 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 back to the reign of William the First. Here, then, after 
 a lovely ride of twenty miles, is 
 
 " Windsor's stately court," 
 
 and we of course will now 
 
 " Explore her halls, her towers, her sacred fane, 
 And treat our eyes with grandeur. Look around, 
 And mark the teeming landscape strewed with gems 
 Of architecture, mansions, villas, domes — 
 Replete with art and science, taste and beauty." 
 
 Just hefore reaching the depot we had a very fine view 
 of the Castle as it stands in grandeur on a lofty eminence. 
 The engraved pictures we have seen of it at home repre- 
 sent its noble outside appearance quite correctly, and its 
 outward show is striking and effective, view it from what 
 point we may. The inside finish of the buildings, many 
 English people say, compares so unfavorably for beauty 
 with many of the palaces and mansions of the noblemen 
 and gentlemen of England, that though this is the only 
 one of the royal palaces of the realm fit for the Queen to 
 live in, yet it is not such a palace in all respects as it 
 ought to be. 
 
 Before entering, however, the State apartments, (for 
 which we have an order from the Lord High Chamberlain, 
 the private apartments not being opened to the public or 
 visitors, except when her Majesty the Queen is, as now, 
 absent at Osborne House, Isle of Wight, her usual sum- 
 mer residence, with the whole royal family,) we will first 
 take a hasty look at an old circular fortification on the 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 71 
 
 southwestern side to the left of the grand entrance, consi- 
 derably in ruins, marked as " Caesar's Tower" — having "been 
 built, it is said, in the time of Julius Caesar. The inside 
 is now partially in a good state of preservation, but outside 
 it needs considerable repair, which is about to be com- 
 menced. It bears the marks of age, and ought by all 
 means to be preserved as a venerable relic of the past. 
 There is one very interesting vaulted chamber in it, hav- 
 ing what is called a groined ceiling, of excellent workman- 
 ship, some of it quite elaborate ; and this is believed now 
 to be the most ancient room in England. 
 
 Entering the small vestibule up the way to the State 
 apartments, we first register our names, and then pass 
 through a very narrow side passage to an ante-room as 
 plain almost as a Dutch farmer's kitchen, where we have 
 to sit on wooden benches such as we used to sit on in the 
 old log school houses, until the under steward in waiting 
 makes his appearance as conductor, and introduces us 
 thence into the Queen's Audience Chamber. This is 
 not a large sized room, but the walls are very chastely 
 adorned with beautiful Grobelin tapestry- work, representing 
 the history of Esther and the final triumph of Mordecai. 
 On the ceiling is a fine allegorical painting, in fresco 
 of Queen Catherine as Britannia, proceeding to the 
 temple of Virtue, in a beautiful car drawn by white swans, 
 and having for her maids of honor several of the mytholo- 
 gical goddesses. The next room was formerly known as 
 the old Ball Room, but now it is called the Vandyke Room. 
 It is long, like a gallery, and takes its name from being 
 hung with a rare collection of this great artist's most su- 
 
72 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 perb paintings, the majority of them portraits of royal per- 
 sonages known in English history. From this we passed 
 into the Queen's Drawing-room, which looks not unlike the 
 East Room at the President's Mansion at Washington. 
 There are some fine paintings here by Zuccarelli : particu- 
 larly noticeable are the Meeting of Isaac and Rebecca ; 
 the Finding of Moses by Pharaoh's Daughter ; the portraits 
 of the kings Greorge the First, Second, and Third, and of 
 Henry, Dake of Gloucester, when a child — a very sweet 
 picture — and of Frederick, Prince of Wales. The view 
 from the windows is very fine, and on a clear day extends 
 for many miles over a most pleasing landscape. Adjoin- 
 ing this is the great State Ante-room, which exhibits some 
 very elegant specimens of wood carving in fruit, flowers, 
 fish and fowl of different kinds, and on the ceiling a splen- 
 did allegorical fresco of the Banquet of the gods. The 
 grand staircase and vestibule are quite lofty apartments of 
 very good design, decorated with military trophies : a sta- 
 tue of Greorge the Fourth, suits of ancient armor, and a 
 very curious clock, having a good toned organ in the centre 
 of the case. From here we passed into the Waterloo 
 Chamber, a fine room, used as a banqueting-hall. This 
 is well decorated with paintings of the^principal characters 
 that were present and distinguished themselves on the 
 field of Waterloo, besides a large number of the leading 
 Kings, Emperors, noblemen and gentlemen that have been 
 prominent actors in State and Church for centuries past, 
 and up to the present time. All the doors, picture-frames, 
 chimney-pieces, wainscoting and panelings are adorned 
 with rich carvings of various designs. 
 
 The great Presence Chamber is of respectable size, 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 73 
 
 and is ornamented very richly in the style of Louis the 
 Fourteenth. It has been called surprisingly grand, and a 
 gorgeous room ; but this is extravagance. The room is a 
 beautiful one, in the strictest sense of the word, but not 
 such a room as we expected to see, or as it ought to be, in 
 such a large palace ; comparatively speaking, indeed, for 
 the place, it is small ; certainly it might have been much 
 larger, and thus made truly grand. The walls are mag- 
 nificently hung, with rare specimens of Gobelin tapestry 
 that are probably not excelled in England, representing the 
 story of Jason and Medea : his carrying off the Golden 
 Fleece ; his Marriage ; the Flight of Medea, &c. — on which 
 we could have delightedly gazed for hours. There are also 
 here some large and elaborately worked vases in granite, 
 and a malachite one of great beauty, presented to the 
 Queen by the late Nicholas, Emperor of the Russias. 
 
 Next we enter St. George's Hall, which is a grand 
 room in its dimensions, being 200 feet in length, 34 feet 
 wide, and 32 feet high. In the east end is the Queen's 
 throne of richly carved oak and crimson velvet, and here 
 the old knights and chivalry of England from time im- 
 memorial have assembled, and paid their honors to the so- 
 vereign, and respects and pledges to each other. Their 
 arms, in gold and brilliant colors, emblazon its ceiling and 
 panels. The walls are covered with line portraits of the 
 sovereigns, and the names of the knights are all painted 
 or gilded on the side panels of the windows. Adjoining 
 this is the Guard Chamber, a good sized room, very in- 
 geniously embellished with collections of various kinds of 
 arms and old armor on the walls and ceilings, making 
 what may not inappropriately be called frescoes of arms. 
 
74 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 In this room are deposited a portion of the foremast of the 
 " Victory," Lord Nelson's flag ship at the bloody battle of 
 Trafalgar, with a hole through it made by a cannon shot 
 from the enemy ; a chair made from an elm tree that grew 
 on the field of Waterloo, and was riddled by shot in the 
 battle ; another made out of a beam from " Alloway's auld 
 haunted kirk, " celebrated in Burns' immortal " Tarn 
 O'Shanter ;" a very beautiful shield of steel, inlaid with 
 gold, presented by Francis the First, King of France, to 
 Henry the Eighth, and carried by him at the celebrated 
 tournament and meeting on the " Field of the Cloth of 
 Gold ;" two brass six-pounders taken from the Sikh ar- 
 tillery in the early wars in India, that are remarkably 
 elaborate, and as beautiful guns as can be made. There 
 are in addition to the above, two smaller ones taken in 
 some battle in India, that exhibit a skill in working metals 
 such as is very seldom seen, being inlaid with gold and 
 mother of pearl, and mounted on carriages of carved ma- 
 hogany, elaborately finished and brilliantly polished. 
 There are also displayed here some rich trappings and 
 houdahs for elephants from India, sedan chairs, ivory work, 
 &c, &c. 
 
 From the view of the State apartments we proceeded to 
 the terraces, 1,870 feet long, commenced by Queen Eliza- 
 beth and continued to completion by Charles the Second. 
 The view from here is very beautiful indeed, the old town 
 of Windsor and the famed Eton College being plainly seen, 
 and the new flower-garden, quite profusely ornamented 
 with bronze and marble statues, and the fountains and the 
 orangery — all exquisite in their way. 
 
 Thence we retraced our steps, and proceeded to St. 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 75 
 
 George's Chapel, long justly celebrated as one of the most 
 delicate and splendid specimens of architecture to be found. 
 It is built of a fine white free stone from foundation to the 
 cross, with a roof of the same. The inside has always 
 been greatly admired. The stained glass smaller windows 
 and the great west window are very beautiful ; also the 
 ceilings, arches, columns, emblazoned devices, carved 
 work, canopies, arms, &c, &c, are all magnificent in 
 their way, and can only be truly appreciated by being 
 seen. They seem to be the perfection of art, and no one 
 can look upon them without admiration, if not astonish- 
 ment and wonder. 
 
 Here are buried Henrys the Sixth and Eighth, Edward 
 the Fourth, Jane Seymour and Charles the First ; and 
 there are several beautiful monuments and sculptured 
 tombs of kings. But above all is that remarkable sculp- 
 ture, the unequaled cenotaph to the Princess Charlotte, 
 which no person should come to England without seeing. 
 Its fame is already world-wide, but we mast add a word 
 or two. 
 
 The beautiful Princess is represented lying on a bier, 
 with a female attendant at each corner, weeping with the 
 deepest sorrow ; in the back ground two angels with their 
 wings poised for flight, one holding in his arms the new- 
 born dead infant child, the other looking through sorrow- 
 ful smiles on the death-stricken mother. Above is a very 
 elegant canopy of clouds and gilded work. The drapery 
 of the Princess, and the long veil or shroud through which 
 you apparently see her lovely form and features, as well as 
 the drapery of the attendants, and the folds of the hangings 
 in the back ground, all of white marble, are so natural, so 
 
76 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 graceful, that you gaze on them with astonishment. "We 
 never saw anything so touching or effective. The thrill of 
 pleasure that fills the soul in looking upon it, attests that it 
 is a work of uncommon genius ; and we questioned whether 
 art could have done any more to make a perfect work. 
 We regretted we did not learn the artist's name, and left it 
 with a lingering look behind us, for we could have happily 
 passed even hours there. 
 
 Beneath the chancel is the present last resting-place of 
 the Kings and Queens of England and the royal family, 
 and where her present Majesty will doubtless be entombed 
 when she puts off this mortal form. 
 
 From the chapel we mounted the two hundred and 
 twenty-five steps to the top of the celebrated Round 
 Tower, whence there is a view on a clear day (and it was 
 one when we were there) of great extent and magnifi- 
 cence. Twelve whole counties can be seen from the sum- 
 mit of this tower, presenting a panorama not often equal- 
 ed. It is almost a fairy landscape: lawns, parks, deep 
 woods, villages, churches, cottages, mansions, fields, rivers, 
 hills and dales, as far as the eye can see — and we enjoyed 
 it fully. To the level of the Grreat Park it is two hundred 
 and ninety-five feet, and from this elevation it can be seen- 
 in all its extent and grandeur. The first flight of steps up 
 to a landing numbers just one hundred, and here you meet 
 a cannon staring you full in the face, said to be always 
 loaded, and only wanting the match to be applied to sweep 
 the stairs at one discharge. 
 
 Descending again to earth, we were conducted to the 
 Royal Stables — very extensive and neat. To enter here, we 
 had to procure a separate order from the " Master of the 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 77 
 
 Horse." There were some passably good horses — none 
 extra, except a pair or two of Arabians, very pretty, and 
 some ponies belonging to the Prince of "Wales, and Prince 
 Alfred, the best being either in London, or taken by her 
 Majesty to the Isle of "Wight. There is stabling for 100 
 horses. The carriages were ordinary ; many drivers in 
 New- York, even in Chicago, own and drive handsomer 
 carriages than can be numbered among those we saw here ; 
 perhaps the best have heen taken to Osborne House. The 
 state carriages and part of the horses are at the stables at- 
 tached to Buckingham Palace, St. James' Park, London. 
 The stud, when here, fills all the stables, one hundred 
 horses and ponies being in use for the Queen, Prince Al- 
 bert, and the children. The riding-room, used by the chil- 
 dren in wet and inclement weather, is a fine one, being 
 170 feet long, 52 feet wide, and 40 feet high. There is 
 also near the castle a great kennel for the dogs and hounds ? 
 of almost every variety, and an aviary containing a rare 
 and excellent collection of birds of every clime. 
 
 Having wearied ourselves with walking, we took an 
 open carriage, and entered the Park at the entrance of 
 the Long Walk — a noble avenue, three miles in length, 
 having on either side a double row of majestic elms, 
 planted in 1670. The avenue is nearly three hundred 
 feet wide, and the road is made of fine gravel, rolled as hard 
 as it can be. At the entrance the vista is charming, and the 
 colossal equestrian statue of Greorge III. is plainly to be 
 seen, though it stands at the end of the Walk. Through 
 this avenue we drove to Virginia "Water in the Park, 
 six miles from the Castle, and the whole way is delight- 
 ful and refreshing with beauty The natural lake here, 
 
78 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 aided by art and science, is made almost like enchant- 
 ment, and having reached it we alight from our carriage 
 and walk around the margin full one mile, and then 
 again take onr carriage. About midway between the two 
 points, a miniature brig, named the " Yictorina," full rig- 
 ged, rides at anchor near a beautiful pavilion descending to 
 the water's edge, built by William IV., And here a very 
 pleasing incident occurred in connection with the brig. 
 "When opposite it, surveying her pretty model and remarking 
 how like a duck she sat on the water, we asked our little 
 Georgie if he would not like to ride in that brig, and who 
 he thought was her commander. Quicker than thought, he 
 answered, " I can't ride in that ship — I guess the Prince 
 of Wales is the captain of her !" Our question was 
 answered, but how the happy thought should so quickly 
 occur to him was curious, as the Prince's name had not 
 been mentioned in connection with her, and it turned 
 out he was right in his answer, though we did not know 
 it at the time. The Prince here takes his lessons in nau- 
 tical affairs and practical navigation. 
 
 The cascade, artificially formed of the ruins of a Saxon 
 cromlech or altar, is pretty, and quite refreshing to look 
 upon. There is also an archway of marble and granite 
 and large blocks of porphyry, brought from the Levant and 
 Greece, forming a very ornamental old ruin, called the 
 Temple of the Gods. The wood walks and lawns here 
 afford a most refreshing and quiet retreat. 
 
 Belvidere Fort, the Royal Lodge, formerly the summer 
 residence of George IV. ; Frogmore House and grounds, 
 the residence of the Duchess of Kent ; Cumberland House ; 
 the great equestrian statue of George III., and the nu- 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 79 
 
 merous old trees, drives, and avenues, deserve attention and 
 description, but must be seen to be appreciated. 
 
 There are many thousand deer in the Park, large herds 
 of which we saw quietly grazing in the distance ; some we 
 drove very near to, and they remained looking as uncon- 
 cerned, natural and easy as if on our wide prairies, and we 
 a thousand miles off. We also drove by the model farm of 
 his Royal Highness, Prince Albert, and, so far as we could 
 see, everything looked complete, tasteful, and in a very 
 high state of cultivation ; the buildings, fences and hedges 
 in excellent preservation, and the crops giving a most 
 abundant promise of reward for the careful husbandry. 
 
 The Prince, it is said, does well everything he under- 
 takes, and has been the direct means of promoting great 
 improvements in the economy of farming. Pie has built 
 well ventilated and comfortable lodging houses for the poor, 
 introduced improvements in the care, raising and feeding 
 of cattle and sheep, and has elevated the standard of the 
 practical education of the children of the whole country. 
 Royalty does not seem to dazzle him so much that he can- 
 not see that the governed masses of the country have 
 wants and rights to satisfy and protect as well as the no- 
 bility. Under the nourishing administration of Victoria, 
 and the counsels of Albert, and the able Ministries that 
 she has usually called around her, England is better gov- 
 erned, and, notwithstanding her immense debt, more pros- 
 perous in her commercial, agricultural and mechanical 
 relations, and the masses happier, than ever before under 
 any other king or queen. The people, too, love and 
 pay cheerful homage to their sovereign, and honor her 
 consort. 
 
SO NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 But we must no longer linger at lovely and stately 
 Windsor, nor pay too much devotion to royalty, for it is 
 not all gold that glitters, whether in (rod's earth or in his 
 creatures. The day we spent here will be long treasured 
 up in our memory as one of rare enjoyment, and the op- 
 portunity and privilege of doing so an uncommon one. 
 "We bade the noble palace and charming grounds adieu 
 with a last fond, lingering look, and our hearts filled to 
 overflowing with the pleasure of its grandeur and beau- 
 ties. 
 
 Returning to London in three quarters of an hour's ride, 
 and having refreshed the inner man with a cup of tea, 
 eight o'clock found us at the Historical Gallery of Madame 
 Tussaud & Sons, in Baker-street, a wonderful collection of 
 wax figures of men and women, and numerous relics and 
 curiosities, unrivaled in the world. Here are kings, 
 queens, emperors, generals, admirals, governors, cardinals, 
 lords, statesmen, divines, and all the most eminent and 
 illustrious men the world has produced in statesmanship, 
 arts, science, letters, war or the pulpit, in full length, and 
 as they lived and walked and acted among their fellow 
 men ; so perfect and natural, that, had they tongues in 
 their mouths, they might, it would seem, speak to you. 
 
 Entering the small ante-room, where lies in state the 
 body of "Wellington, with the insignia of his rank and Or- 
 ders properly displayed about him, and also, on the couch 
 he used, the great Napoleon slumbering the sleep that 
 knows no waking, we humbly made obeisance to the so- 
 lemnity and sanctity of the impressive scene. From these 
 we turned to our immortal Washington, standing with the 
 Constitution in his outstretched hand, his countenance 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 81 
 
 beaming with benignity, and his bearing that of nature's 
 own monarch, a man truly in the image of his Maker. 
 Near by are Brougham and Fox, Pitt, and others, in earn- 
 est conversation. 
 
 In the centre of the main saloon sits her Majesty the 
 Queen, his Royal Highness Prince Albert, and the Royal 
 Family, as they are at home — a fine group indeed. Be- 
 hind Victoria stands the noble and magnificent Duchess of 
 Sutherland, her face beaming with love, dignity, and the 
 perfection of feminine grace. She is certainly the finest 
 looking woman in this wonderful collection, and Mrs. Har- 
 riet Beecher Stowe has not in the least exaggerated as to 
 her appearance, judging by this splendid figure. Sweet- 
 ness sparkles in her every glance. 
 
 In various groups, or alone, we see Ney, Blucher, Omar 
 Pacha, Menschikoff, Lord Raglan, Canrobert, and numbers 
 of the great military heroes of the past and present, in their 
 costume of the field. Kossuth, in his quiet and stern dig- 
 nity ; Luther, Calvin, and John Knox, dressed as they 
 were, in the clerical costume of their day : the latter, with 
 all his vehemence and earnestness, preaching to Mary 
 Queen of Scots, who so thoughtfully sits before him, that 
 you can almost imagine she will next moment turn her 
 keen eye upon him, and exclaim, with all her vivacity, 
 " Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian !" A little 
 farther on is the now affianced Princess Royal and the 
 Prince Royal of Prussia, to be united in marriage the 17th 
 of January next, a fine looking couple ; the Princess hav- 
 ing a lovely form and sweet expression of countenance, 
 that betoken her a beautiful girl. And near by, in a 
 
32 
 
 group o: is the Emperor Xapoleon III., and her 
 
 Imperial oia, a fine lookii.. not 
 
 The 
 Emperor Francis Joseph I . and his En. 
 
 iifnl an :: g looking couple; also her 
 
 majesty the late Queen Charlotte, in full court dress with 
 hoops : and the Pri: in 
 
 :k and feature. The Emperor Alexander of Rus- 
 sia also stands near, and the severe old ioh, 
 St Arnaud and Peili- :he great, physically 
 spe:. ith his -. ~hree ra:.. 
 on either side, standing : and hov nl and conspicu- 
 .inne Boleyn — though all have quite 
 remarkahle : sre each in their time called 
 beautiful. In near proximo the Cardinal 
 habited in fa ical robes and scarlet cap. and on the 
 opposite side his Holiness Pope Pius IX. At the end of 
 
 room is a gigantic Russian drumn. . feet an I 
 
 inches high, with the renowned General Thi Thumb 
 
 ling on his hand, lookin. ^ike a hnmrn: :..- 
 
 bird perched on a broad snnflc 
 
 And here, also, is that iron man, England's _ 
 chi- if not be: ..well, in his an- 
 
 cient armor, his countenance and position as firm and im- 
 movabl: is his loved conn And 
 
 tand the poets of poets, Shakspeare and John 3Iil- 
 litUe further on Yoltaire and John Y- and 
 
 then Father Matthew, with all his geir nd good 
 
 looks, with temperance medal in hand : Richard III., in a 
 magnificent suit of armor ; Wilherforce. Daniel : Connell 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 83 
 
 the Liberator, and the fireside friend, Walter Scott; the 
 great Arab Chief Abdel-Kader ; Hume, Wesley, Cob- 
 den, Joan of Arc, Palmerston, Russell, and a multitude 
 more that we cannot now enumerate. 
 
 An anecdote, that actually occurred at our expense while 
 in this room, will truthfully illustrate how faithful and 
 life-like the figures are. William Cobbett is in a sitting 
 position just in front of the group of the present Royal 
 family. While turning in the crowd between his position 
 and the guard of silk cord, strung on the gilded stanchions 
 about three feet high round the group, to go to another 
 part of the room, and stepping back, we accidentally, and 
 very innocently, put the heel of our boot on the toe, as we 
 supposed, of some poor unfortunate, and at once, with all 
 the grace we could command, stepped back and begged par- 
 don, (for is this not always the least we can do ?) and were 
 passing on, unconscious of anything but our regret, 
 when all around us arose a tremendous laugh, at our ex- 
 pense. It was CobbelVs pardon we had been begging ! 
 The joke was capital. In his natural position, genuine 
 Quaker dress, broad-brimmed hat, and goodnatured ex- 
 pression, for all the world he looks a living man. We had 
 no idea it was a wax figure, but supposed it was some quiet 
 old Quaker, who had sat his weary-with-sight-seeing body 
 down to rest, and never should have known the difference, 
 perhaps, but for this joke, which all, including ourselves, 
 enjoyed quite heartily. His eyes and body also have a 
 motion as natural as life, but now seldom move. We were 
 afterwards told that some years ago, when there was a box 
 of snuff in his right hand, which he would reach out to 
 visitors, the following laughable anecdote occurred : 
 
 4 
 
84 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 A very respectable married lady sat down on the form 
 by his side, leisurely admiring the royal family, when the 
 gentleman beside her quietly reached out his hand and 
 the open box of snuff before her. She responded in a res- 
 pectful tone of voice, " No, I thank you, sir." Shortly 
 afterwards the hand reached tliQ box of snuff again, and 
 she returned the same answer, " No, sir ; no, I thank you ;" 
 and the hand as quietly as before withdrew. Presently 
 again the hand reached the box to her, when she hastily 
 got up, and went to her husband, in another part of the 
 room, in considerable agitation, and told him a gentleman 
 where she sat down had been very rude to fcer, in asking 
 her to take snuff with him, and after she had twice de- 
 clined asrain had thrust his box before her face, and seemed 
 determined she should take snuff with him, whether she 
 would or no. On returning to the person for an explana- 
 tion, to know what he meant by the indignity, the choleric 
 husband and injured wife enjoyed the laugh, with others 
 who had gathered round, and poor Will Cobbett was 
 spared from a drubbing, that time. This was a fact. 
 
 The Hall of Kings, being the house of Brunswick, from 
 the time of George the First, is filled with as faithful like- 
 nesses of the distinguished dead as the other rooms, and 
 show the costumes of their times, and the national Orders 
 of the G-arter, Bath, &c, as they were originally estab- 
 ished and adorned. 
 
 The Golden Chamber, or New Rooms, as they are called ? 
 contain a large number of the relics of the great Napoleon ; 
 his camp bedstead and equipage, used last at St. Helena ; 
 his couch, military cloak and coat, watch, eating service ; 
 his atlas, with the plans of the campaigns, particularly the 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 85 
 
 one to Moscow ; his garden chair, in which he often sat, 
 and in which we sat ourselves ; the mattress and pillow 
 on which he died ; his gold snuff-box, presented to Lucien ; 
 glass cases of under-clothing, and numerous presents from 
 friends, and the carriage in which he made the celebrated 
 campaign to the Russias, captured, it is said, on the eve of 
 the battle of Waterloo. This carriage looks as if it might 
 be genuine, and is historically known as containing draw- 
 ers, and all the necessaries of a cabinet, and where many 
 of his bulletins, proclamations, orders, and letters were 
 written. In it we took our seat where • he had sat, and 
 opened the outward and inward secret spring drawers, and 
 leaned on the sliding desk where were written those fiery 
 bulletins and dispatches, that once so intensely stirred up 
 the nations of Europe, and fairly electrified the whole 
 world. We also sat in the carriage that was taken on the 
 field of Waterloo after the rout of the French had com- 
 menced, and the one he used and last rode in at St. 
 Helena. 
 
 Here, too, is a splendid figure of the Imperial Josephine, 
 in royal robes ; both the coronation robes worn by her and 
 Napoleon, when he crowned her ; three original French 
 golden eagles, taken at the battle of Waterloo ; the cradle 
 of his son, the king of Rome ; paintings of Josephine and 
 Maria Louisa, and others of the Bonaparte family, particu- 
 larly his mother, who was a splendid looking woman, be- 
 sides a hundred other things that are sacred as connected 
 with the memory of that most wonderful man, his career, 
 family aud death. These are interesting relics, and as 
 doubtless the most of them are genuine, what associations 
 they recall ! How are the mighty fallen ! That master 
 
86 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 genius succumbed to a prison home on barren St. Helena. 
 No other could contain him ! A solitary island and a sim- 
 ple guard effected what armies and combinations of kings 
 could not, on other grounds. How truly his life 
 
 " Shows how an empire grew, declined, and fell ;" 
 
 and that it took " the wrath of gods and men" to tame his 
 ambition. 
 
 Attached to this exhibition is what is called a " Chamber 
 of Horrors," where are likenesses, figures, busts and heads 5 
 of the great hung, and some of the unhung- villains, rob- 
 bers, and murderers, that have disgraced and outraged hu- 
 manity ; the horrid guillotine of the French Revolution, with 
 its knife and paraphernalia, all complete, that decapitated 
 Louis XYI. and the lovely and beautiful Maria Antoinette? 
 Elizabeth, the sister of Louis XVI. , the Duke of Orleans, 
 Robespierre, Danton and others of the best and worst blood 
 of France. There is here also a model of Charlotte Corday 
 stabbing Marat in his bath, and of the old States Prison, 
 the Bastile, where few entered ever again to breathe the 
 pure air of this world. And in one of these is shown to us 
 
 the aged Count , who is sitting at the rough-hewn 
 
 board table, on a stool, eating his meal of mouldy bread- 
 with mice running over it, and his tin cup of water by his 
 side. This venerable and good man was cruelly incarcera- 
 ted, without cause, for thirty years, and when taken out 
 at the destruction of this horrid place, in 1789, his flesh 
 and hair bleached by the long years of his imprisonment, 
 finding his property, family, friends and children all gone, 
 he begged and cried to be put back again in his dungeon, 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 87 
 
 that he might die in peace. He lived only six weeks after 
 being taken out ; and died poor and wretched, of a broken 
 heart. The world had changed — he knew it not, and 
 could not bear its glitter, its comforts, nor even its light. 
 
 This room is rightly named. No visitor to the Old "World 
 should omit seeing this extraordinary museum of Madame 
 Tussaud's. It is one of the most lively, interesting places 
 to be found in London's great curiosity shop, and we shall 
 take the opportunity of going there again if possible. 
 
 We need not tell you that we found our beds at twelve 
 o'clock at night very pleasant to our weary bodies after 
 the fatigues of this day. One more such would lay us up 
 for a week. The visitor should take at least two days for 
 Windsor and one for Tussaud's. To-morrow we want to 
 visit Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, and 
 then to take a stroll and carriage ride through St. James's 
 Park and Hyde Park, all of which we will describe to you 
 as faithfully as we can when we write again. 
 
 With the distribution of our love, &c. to all, good- 
 by for the present. 
 
LETTER No. VI. 
 
 London, England, July Zlst, 1857. 
 Dear Brother Charles : 
 
 Resuming the course of our narrative at where we left off 
 when closing our last to S., the next morning, after rather 
 a late breakfast, found us at St. Paul's Church-yard boat 
 station ; and taking our passage on one of the numberless 
 little steamboats, we proceeded to "Westminster Bridge, in 
 our way passing beneath Blackfriars and Waterloo Bridges — 
 fine specimens of stone-masonry, that looked as enduring 
 as the granite of which they are constructed. The latter 
 bridge is the finest specimen of the art we have ever seen, 
 and is certainly the best over the Thames. One looks upon 
 this structure with not a little admiration. 
 
 On the right hand side of the river, going up, we pass 
 Somerset House, a noble pile of buildings, one of the most 
 magnificent of London. The grand front, which is toward 
 the Strand, a leading thoroughfare, parallel with the 
 Thames, is supported by Corinthian columns and adorned 
 in alto-relievo, with emblematic figures of the ocean, the 
 principal rivers of England, statues of Justice, Truth, 
 Valor and Moderation, and the Grenius of Britain. The 
 terraced side, towards the river, is supported by arches ; a 
 huge figure, emblematic of the Thames, stands, or rather 
 
90 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 is seated there. The palace covers five hundred by six 
 hundred feet of ground, having a court in the centre, and 
 is proportionately lofty. The windows, cornice, friezes, &c. 
 are excellent specimens of Italian architecture. The 
 building is now occupied by the Revenue Department of 
 the Government. 
 
 Having reached our landing, we ascend from the river 
 by a flight of stone steps, deeply indented and foot- worn 
 by the millions upon millions that have walked up and 
 down them, and we are at once beneath the shade of the 
 new Houses of Parliament ; a magnificent pile of orna- 
 mental work in stone, that seems to have no end to its 
 commencement ; yet it is beautiful and presents a very 
 pleasing appearance to the eye. The Victoria Tower is a 
 tower of strength, as well as of great beauty, and seems 
 to loom into the blue of heaven as one stands in the street 
 and looks up at it. The gilding is now being commenced, 
 or rather just beginning to show, and when complete it 
 will be gorgeous in the extreme. The faces of the great 
 clock are not yet uncovered, except partly on one side, just 
 being completed ; when finished it will be quite a remarka- 
 ble piece of work, and the time will be visible from all parts 
 of this great city. Large numbers of men are now em- 
 ployed at work on the tower, but, as with all public works, 
 the labor does not go far nor very rapidly to completion- 
 The pay is too good. About £3,000,000 sterling or 
 $15,000,000, have already been expended and it will take 
 some millions of dollars more, to finish all. 
 
 The stone-cutting is elaborate and elegant — beyond com- 
 parison with any building we know of, because unlike any 
 that we have ever seen in America or England. Yet we 
 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 91 
 
 think we have seen more truly beautiful buildings. To 
 the eye admiring true beauty in architecture, our new 
 Houses of Congress when complete will be more chaste and 
 beautiful by far, though costing scarcely one-eighth as 
 much as the new Parliament Houses. 
 
 The enormous bell, not yet raised into the tower as- 
 signed for it, is, next to the great bell of Moscow, the 
 largest in the world, and is well worth a visit. The ma- 
 chinery, timber, &o., that will be necessary to raise it to 
 its destination would suffice for a large building of itself. 
 
 The principal entrance to the grand vestibule and new 
 House of Commons and the Chamber of the Peers is very 
 effective, spacious, and chastely beautiful. The arches and 
 niches are colossal. The statuary is among the finest we 
 have seen, and Chatham, Pitt, Walpole, Wilberforce, Lord 
 Mansfield and several others equally distinguished, whose 
 voices in olden time thundered within the old walls of Par- 
 liament, now mouldering with England's great dead, stand 
 out here in such living reality as almost to command you 
 to " listen while we speak." They are astonishingly and 
 admirably, if we may so pile adjective on adjective, attrac- 
 tive and imposing. The very men are there in living char- 
 acter, — the clothes they wore, the look they bore, their 
 gesture and action ; the whole animated man, as you 
 would like to look upon him and as he was, is reproduced 
 in marble, and only needs breathing the breath of life into 
 the lips to animate him, and to see the man step bodily 
 down from his pedestal and once again tread these halls 
 and make the arches of these noble chambers echo with 
 his clarion notes. 
 
 Entering the grand vestibule, at first it appears toodark ? 
 
 4# 
 
92 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 but the light gradually strengthens the longer you linger, 
 heightening the effect of the lofty arch, and relieving the 
 exquisite work with surprising effect. On the left you 
 pass to the House of Commons, which cannot be entered 
 during the session of the House without a member's auto- 
 graph ; and having procured one, you are at once ushered 
 into the stranger's gallery by one of the ever-polite police 
 of the country, very neatly uniformed, and always to be 
 seen when and where wanted. The stair-case is of stone, 
 gentle of ascent, broad, airy and well lighted. The gal- 
 lery is comfortable, though not large, and the seats covered 
 with green morocco leather and well stuffed. 
 
 The " Public Health Bill " was before the House,— the 
 attendance of members not more than one quarter of the 
 whole number. Sir Greorge Grey, the honorable Under- 
 Secretary of the Home Department, was addressing the 
 Chair. The Speaker sits under a canopy of oak nearly in 
 the centre of the House with his head covered with the 
 venerable looking old wig, still clung to as one of the 
 ornaments of the ages past, we suppose. In front of the 
 Speaker sit the two principal clerks, also under curled wigs 
 of grey, though their features betoken but few of the signs 
 of age. But to return to the honorable Under-Secretary, 
 who was speaking on the merits of the bill in discussion. 
 He is in stature and personal appearance not unlike the 
 great commoner of our country, the world-renowned Hen- 
 ry Clay, and is one of the leading and popular members 
 of the House on the Government side — a pleasant speaker 
 with a clear and distinct utterance, and rapid command of 
 language. Mr. Gladstone, Lord Ebrington, Mr. D'Israeli, 
 and others, were speakers, in a rather amusing and running 
 
 ! 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 93 
 
 debate of ordinary interest. The principal sittings and 
 great debates are in the evening, when, we think, all hon- 
 est folk should be courting the god Morpheus. The House 
 is usually then well attended, but it was too inconvenient 
 for us to stay. 
 
 The hall is not very large, nor finished with any degree 
 of extravagance, though it is what we admire : neatly 
 plain and paneled in oak — the whole presenting an air of 
 solidity and firmness that looks as if it was not built to be 
 renewed to-morrow. The inner arrangement is altogether 
 different from our present House of Representatives, there 
 being no desks, and the seats in long cushioned benches 
 where the members sit as boys on a form in school. The 
 noise of the two Houses is about the same. The divisions 
 of the House and voting are by going out of the House and 
 coming in on the right or left side, according as the mem- 
 ber votes aye or no, passing between and being counted by 
 appointed tellers, on returning through the entering aisles. 
 Members sit with their hats on, and only remove them 
 when they rise to the motion, or address the Chair and 
 House. The hum of talking and buzz of whispering are 
 quite as disagreeable to the hearer as in our rowdy House 
 of Representatives, and only unlike it in that there is no 
 whittling or filthy tobacco-spitting in it, making a stable of 
 the floor and aisles. The voice does not reverberate here, 
 but the intonation is always uniform and easy, and the 
 ventilation is agreeable and refreshing. 
 
 On the right of the Central Hall and vestibule is the en- 
 trance to the House of Lords, the magnificent chamber of 
 the Peers of the realm, open only to visitors on Wednes- 
 days and Saturdays ; but by special privilege (pronounce 
 
94 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 that word special without the last two letters) we were 
 conducted through a side gallery to the private entrance of 
 the Lords, through the glass door of which we had a very 
 good view of the throne and the great chandelier, the for- 
 mer being as beautiful as it is grandly decorated, and the 
 whole room, so far as we could hastily see, superb and 
 magnificent in all its parts. All that lavished wealth can 
 do to make a noble and grand place has been done, and 
 the artists executing the work have brought into requisi- 
 tion bright colors, gilding, the most highly polished mar- 
 bles, and enamel and beautiful stained glass in rich profu- 
 sion. Sculpture of noble lions and unicorns, crowns, scep- 
 ters and shields, wreaths of flowers and leaves of England's 
 oak adorn the walls, ceilings and cornices, and the whole 
 is truly gorgeous and sparkling with great beauty. The 
 windows and doors, so far as we could see, were true spe- 
 cimens of refined architecture. The main entrance is 
 guarded, in addition to the heavy doors, by a splendid pair 
 of gates constructed of brass, weighing about two tons 
 each. 
 
 Several of the committee rooms being open to the pub- 
 lic, we entered some of them. Most of them are on the 
 throne side, and those we saw were splendidly furnished and 
 adorned, with historical and other paintings of great value 
 and extraordinary finish, worth close attention, and would 
 richly repay one for hours of study. There are large num- 
 bers of niches for statuary in the aisles and entrances not 
 yet filled; also panels to be filled with paintings in most 
 of the committee rooms, vestibules and stairways. There 
 is also an extensive gallery, to be exquisitely finished, ex- 
 clusively for historical paintings, by the great masters of 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 95 
 
 England. The extensive library and rooms we had not 
 time to visit properly, and did not go into them, nor into 
 the splendid rooms of the Chancery and higher law courts. 
 Connected also with the House of Commons are extensive 
 kitchens ; and if we mistake not, there are a number of 
 suitable rooms, where members can entertain their friends 
 and give private suppers and dinners. 
 
 Leaving this great pile of grandeur, we crossed the 
 street, and were at once at the side entrance, known far 
 and wide as the Poet's Corner of Westminister Abbey — that 
 familiar, yet revered old Abbey — so widely known and cele- 
 brated among civilized people of every tongue and nation. 
 
 This venerable and sacred edifice, renowned in prose 
 and verse, honored by sweet song — 
 
 " The bliss of poets and the praise of saints," 
 
 which we have longed to see as far back almost as we can re- 
 member, and of which we have so often read so much in won- 
 der and delight, now rises and towers before our vision in all 
 its beauty and ancient grandeur and magnificence. No, it 
 is not a dream ; it stands before us — aged, begrimed, moss- 
 grown, towering and majestic, though in some places moul- 
 dering and crumbling beneath the great hammerings of 
 Time. Here, where Jmce stood the Temple of Apollo, and 
 music, poetry and the sciences were honored and adored — 
 here rises, in the sublimity of architecture, man's noble 
 work, a temple for the service and glory of the living G-od. 
 Many of the most illustrious dead of Britain are interred 
 here, and here too all the Kings and Q,ueens are or have 
 been formally invested with the powers of the crown and 
 government, from the time of William the Conqueror till 
 
96 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 now. The outward appearance presents a variety of light 
 and shade, the old parts, including the cloisters and 
 monks' dungeons, comparing darkly enough with the newer 
 portions, which are as light and airy as the finest modern 
 palaces. 
 
 Entering and passing through and around, you view a 
 succession of narrow tomhs where lie crumbling and crum- 
 bled into dust the most distinguished dead, from the Con- 
 queror to the present day — long rows, even tiers of kings, 
 queens, princes, princesses, dukes, duchesses, lords, gene- 
 rals, admirals, bishops, cardinals, ladies, &c, &c.,' — monu- 
 ments of marble and bronze, alabaster and iron, and nu- 
 merous chapels built as special depositories for royal fami- 
 lies and pious devotees — from William Rums down. 
 
 The multitude of beautiful sculptures and cenotaphs re- 
 presenting naval and military scenes and engagements and 
 civic triumphs, in which the heroes they commemo- 
 rate, took part — the many exquisitely chiseled monuments 
 and inscriptions to individuals of high moral and Christian 
 integrity and worth — the scores of tablets, and full length 
 carved marble and wrought iron and bronze figures of 
 kings lying in state, encased in full armor of their times, 
 with their queens in full dress beside them, and of cele- 
 brated knights and squires and warriors, with their ladies — 
 the vast number of standing figures, half figures, busts 
 and heads with the plain marble tablets and inscriptions ; 
 all are well calculated to impress one with deep veneration 
 and awe. The truth forces itself upon us that we are in 
 a world where there are more dead than living ; and in the 
 midst of the decay and dust of ages we feel our own insig- 
 nificance. 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 97 
 
 And now we cast our eyes upward, one hundred feet, to 
 the noble arched ceiling, and then down an aisle over three 
 hundred feet in length ! On our left. hand lies the tomb of 
 Edward the First, of heavy blocks of porphyry and granite? 
 six hundred years old, and still as well preserved as any tomb 
 in the Abbey. It was opened a few years ago, out of cu- 
 riosity, when the body and features were found entire, and 
 in excellent preservation, but as soon as the air penetrated 
 it, it crumbled forever—" faded like the baseless fabric of 
 of a vision." Near by it is the tomb of Edward the Con- 
 fessor, an upright obeliscal monument, formerly of consi- 
 derable magnificence, being inlaid with gold, but now very 
 little of it can be distinguished by the closest examination, 
 visitors having, from age to age, picked it out, and carried 
 it away for relics and souvenirs. The chair of state he 
 once occupied is also here — an old time-honored relic, and 
 as rough as it is aged and venerable. In this chair Queen 
 Victoria was crowned, and invested with the sceptre of her 
 royal authority, as were all her predecessors. The tombs 
 of Edward the Third and Mary Queen of Scotts, are very 
 chaste and beautiful, and will endure for ages and ages yet 
 to come, undiminished, and none the less impressive. 
 
 An accurate and adequate sketch of Westminster Abbey, 
 would fill pages, even a volume, of the deepest interest, and 
 none but the pen of a ready writer can half do justice to 
 it. In our wanderings through the old cloisters, and 
 amidst the tombs, the oldest inscriptions we were able to 
 decipher were dated 1011 and 1082; the names and other 
 parts of the insculpture having been worn out by passing 
 feet, and faded away for ever, ages ago. 
 
98 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 In the Cathedral, and its attached religious houses and 
 former cloisters, are various old crypts, passage-ways, cells, 
 dungeons, and vaulted chambers, in which no human foot- 
 step has resounded for long gone years, and where visitors 
 are not allowed to go. These old places are marked by 
 dampness, decay, and mouldering ruin, and much need 
 repair, as do some portions of the main walls, cornices, tur- 
 rets, and spires. We noticed, however, that where resto- 
 ration has been commenced, the original is strictly adhered 
 to, and when complete looks as beautiful and new as when 
 first finished. 
 
 "We left the old Abbey with a feeling of deep regret that 
 our visit to this sacred and interesting structure, was ne- 
 cessarily so short. We would willingly have devoted days, 
 instead of the few hours we spent there, had we been able 
 to command sufficient strength and time ; but as we had 
 not either, we bade a long and fond adieu to this dear and 
 venerated edifice, consecrated by time, by numberless asso- 
 ciations with events of deep interest, and by the memen- 
 toes and ashes of so many of the illustrious dead — hoary 
 and sacred with honorable associations, both in Catholic 
 and Protestant reigns ; loved and venerated at home, and 
 respected where ever the English language is read. We un- 
 conciously retained our hat in our hand, till over the outer 
 threshold, and into the air of this world again ; for it 
 seemed as if we had for a time been in the vestibule of the 
 other world, if not in its most sacred precinofcs. We again 
 looked up and down, and around us, and then behind to 
 the closed door, and in our heart bade the Abbey adieu 
 — while the impressive though quaint words of an old poet 
 occurred to our mind, imbued as we were with a feeling of 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 99 
 
 solemnity and veneration by the scenes amidst which we 
 had just been wandering : 
 
 " Mortality, behold and fear ! 
 What a charge of flesh is here ! 
 Think how many royal bones 
 Sleep within these heaps of stones ; 
 Here's an acre sown indeed, 
 With the richest royal seed ; 
 Here are wands, ignoble things, 
 Drop't from the ruin'd sides of kings ; 
 Here's a world of pomp and state, 
 Buried in dust, once dead by fate." 
 
 But memory recalls the impressive truth, where'er we 
 roam, that 
 
 " These are the annals of the human race— - 
 Their ruins since the world began, 
 Entailed by sin through God's first man." 
 
 And man never has, and never can, if he presumptuously 
 would, reverse the heaven-born, irrevocable decree : 
 
 11 Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust !" 
 
 Finding ourselves once more in Parliament-street, we 
 took an open carriage and drove our way through St. 
 James' Park, rilled with wide-spreading and noble old oaks 
 and elms that may have stood a thousand years, with a 
 beautiful sheet of water in its centre, by her Majesty's 
 town residence, Buckingham Palace, which in our humble 
 way of thinking, is a very beautiful as well as substantial 
 looking building, though many English people say it is not 
 
100 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 fit for her Majesty to reside in ; indeed some go so far as 
 to call it shabby ! It is a modern palace, and certainly to 
 all appearance outside, is a very superior structure, and 
 magnificent enough in all its dimensions even for royalty 
 to inhabit. "We never heard that the Queen complains of 
 it. *It is surrounded by a splendid iron railing, with hand- 
 some lofty arched gateways, and now guarded by some of 
 the grenadiers, who are splendidly uniformed, and usually 
 large, trim and athletic men. The view of St. James' 
 Park and the Green Park is always unbroken and very 
 cheerful and fine. Not having taken the trouble to pro- 
 cure tickets for admission we did not go inside. 
 
 From here we drove on through Hyde Park, one of the 
 great " Lungs of London," and here amidst fresh verdure 
 and lofty trees, the people can partially, at least, inhale 
 heaven's atmosphere in something like its native purity. 
 Around these parks are many of the finest residences of the 
 " West End," the fashionable part of the city, and num- 
 bers of them are palatial indeed. 
 
 St. James' Palace is an old but still a fine looking build- 
 ing, perhaps more so in our eyes, because of its being so 
 long celebrated for its universal cognomen and associations 
 as the original of the " Court of St. James " — so also the 
 "War Office, the Horse Gruards and the banqueting house, 
 Whitehall (opposite which Charles the First was be- 
 headed,) the Treasury buildings, and several others. 
 
 The Duke of York's column, circular and massive, tow- 
 ering 140 feet into the air, and surmounted by his noble 
 statue, is a proud testimonial to his virtue and public ser- 
 vices. Trafalgar square, Regent-street and Regent Circus 
 are well built, and present successive massive fronts that 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 101 
 
 are much admired and give one a good idea of the solidity 
 and of the greatness of London. The Nelson monument in 
 Trafalgar square is a very chaste and elegant affair, and 
 you admire its proportions with full satisfaction. It is an 
 honored and honorable column erected by the love of a 
 grateful people who revere the name of Nelson, 
 
 " Who trod the ways of Glory, 
 
 And sounded all the depths and shoals of fame," 
 
 and will live in the hearts of the people while memory 
 lasts. 
 
 Why have we no such memorials of our nation's heroes 
 in Washington, or in the commercial metropolis — New- 
 York ? That we have not, seemed to us a strange and 
 humiliating fact ; however, we hope another half century 
 will improve our people's taste in this respect, and that our 
 great cities as well as the legislative Capitol of the nation 
 will have many of these noble witnesses attesting to the 
 virtues of our great dead that we may point the stranger 
 to with pride. 
 
 Proceeding on our way, we drove through Regent's Park, 
 the great park of London, and it is magnificent in all its 
 proportions. Alone, it will accommodate the city's vast 
 population ; and thousands, and at times tens of thousands, 
 daily breathe and walk and run beneath its delicious and 
 refreshing shades. Here the cares and sorrows of life are 
 softened, griefs assuaged, secret wounds soothed, deep ha- 
 treds cooled, and men's overworked brains and bodies are 
 refreshed and invigorated. 
 
 Here too is the largest Zoological Garden in the empire, 
 
102 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 and every variety of animal, bird and reptile that can be 
 acclimated and kept, is to be found. Among these we 
 must enumerate the beautiful white Polar bears, luxuria- 
 ting in artificial ponds of cool water ; our own American 
 black bruins, with their mouths ever open for nuts and 
 sweet meats, not refusing the children's ever popular gin- 
 gerbread ; and the finest collection of lions, tigers, leopards 
 and panthers ever before brought together for exhibition. 
 The monkeys are of every known variety — and what a 
 variety ! with their endless tricks and grimaces, always 
 attracting and interesting a crowd. There are elephants, 
 rhinoceri, cameleopards, zebras, giraffes, several new 
 species of animals from South America, camels, dromeda- 
 ries ; a great variety of the eagle, condors, vultures, &c, 
 &c, making it in all a place of great interest and a school 
 invaluable to children, both old and young. "We must 
 note that our dear little Greorgie invested a penny for an 
 airing on the back of one of the dromedaries, to his great 
 amusement, and without hesitation or the slightest fear 
 rode around quite a large grass plat, the bystanders as 
 much pleased as himself, and exclaiming on all sides, " See 
 | the little American boy !" By the way, he is always quite 
 attractive of public attention, and known as an American 
 everywhere from his dress. Saturday, however, is the 
 best time to visit this place, as then the band of the First 
 Life Guards plays for the entertainment of the visitors to 
 the gardens. A day can at any time be spent here with 
 great delight and profit, and you are always sure to be free 
 from the annoyance of a crowd, as there is an abundance 
 of room. 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 103 
 
 Returning to our lodgings, the day being well nigh gone, 
 we made our way through Oxford street, drove by the Bri- 
 tish Museum, and the Colisseum, thence to] Drury Lane — 
 a place not unknown to fame — into Fleet street, down by 
 the Old Bailey, into Newgate street, and through St. Paul's 
 Church-yard, Cannon street and Queen street, home. 
 
 Having refreshed ourselves by our tea, we knew that a 
 better evening's entertainment could not be found than 
 at the Surrey Gardens, listening to the wonderful musical 
 combinations of the renowned Julien, and, on this occasion, 
 his orchestra of six hundred performers. Thither we went, 
 and enjoyed a feast such as we never enjoyed before ; and 
 the gardens were thronged, there being at least ten thou« 
 sand persons present. It was a benefit night for Mrs. Sea- 
 cole, a colored lady who performed real prodigies of labor 
 and self-sacrifice, in connection with England's beloved 
 Miss Florence Nightingale, in relieving the sick and 
 wounded in the pestiferous hospitals at Scutari, and in the 
 Crimea, during the late war. The enthusiasm was quite 
 unboundod, real Anglo-Saxon, of an unexampled character 
 to us, and the good-natured and good-looking middle-aged 
 lady received a bumper. The whole affair was a feast of 
 reason and a genuine flow of soul ! The music was grand, 
 and its voluptuous sounds rolled out over that assembled 
 multitude, with great effect. Every part was perfect, and 
 in the grand military quadrilles, marches, &c, eleven 
 military bands, detailed from as many regiments of the 
 army to be present on this special occasion, ( Mrs. Seacole 
 being almost as popular in the army, and at the Horse 
 Guards, as Miss Nightingale), helped to swell the loud 
 but melodious strains. The power of music filled that 
 
104 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 immense hall with such a swell of stirring sound and har- 
 mony, as mortals seldom hear. The brazen trump and 
 spirit-stirring drum ; the shrill fife and silver-noted flute ; 
 the tingling harp and hoarse bassoon ; the twanging viols 
 and mellow horn ; the soft clarionet and jarring cymbal — all 
 combined gave such thrilling notes and sweet cadences, 
 such martial and melting airs, as we never imagined, and 
 could not have comprehended the effect and power of, with- 
 out hearing. The finale of Rule Britannia and God Save 
 the Queen, (national airs and anthems always close con- 
 certs here, and we think it a beautiful custom, that it 
 would show good taste in us to imitate), were soul-stirring 
 in the extreme. That immense audience standing, with 
 heads uncovered, and those majestic, and surpassingly 
 sweet strains, with not a jar of the slightest discord in the 
 whole six hundred instruments, filled every heart with an 
 unbounded glow of enthusiasm. "We too felt a glow 
 of pride that this was a genuine outflow of Anglo- Saxonism, 
 in acknowledgment of true merit, though the subject of it 
 was a colored woman ; and we loved our race more than ever 
 before, and felt in our inmost soul that though an ocean of 
 water separates us and our countries and nations, an ocean 
 of blood unites us in indissoluble bonds of sympathy, 
 thought, and feeling. We have a common language, and 
 a common religion, as well as a common destiny. The 
 power, the beauty, and the majesty of reason, should bind 
 us together, and that it ever hereafter will, we would fain 
 hope and trust none but the foolish and narrow-minded 
 will deny. Every soul there seemed good-natured ; plea- 
 sure beamed from every countenance, and we certainly 
 left the Grarden as well pleased with ourselves, and with all 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 105 
 
 we had seen and heard, as ever we were in our lives. Oh ! 
 what a charm to soothe has soft music ! The rolls and 
 sweet swells of that symphony, still reverberate delicious 
 harmony in our ears, and we shall never, never, forget them. 
 The following morning we took our way to Islington 
 Cattle Market, to see some of the provision for London's 
 myriads of stomachs. This is one of the best of the many 
 markets of England, containing several acres of ground, 
 handsomely graded and paved, and divided off into an im- 
 mense number of pens, for cattle and sheep, with large 
 sheds for calves and pigs, the whole surrounded by a beau- 
 tiful and most substantial iron fence, with bastions of brick 
 at the four corners, and fine arched gateways. In the 
 centre of the Market is a pretty brick building, in Tudor 
 style, of octagonal form, used as a station for the superin- 
 tendent and clerks, and having several brokers' offices in 
 it, for the convenience of dealers. 
 
 That morning there were in market about seven thou- 
 sand cattle, eleven thousand sheep, one thousand calves, 
 and one thousand two hundred pigs ; yet one of the clerks 
 told us it was a bare day. The great market day is 
 on Tuesday ; and on the Tuesday morning previous there 
 were in the pens for sale, the, to us, astonishing number of 
 eleven thousand cattle, twenty-seven thousand sheep, two 
 thousand calves, and as many pigs ; and this, we were told, 
 is about the usual number on that day of the week the 
 year round ! 
 
 The prices have certainly attracted our attention — we 
 thought them quite enormous. Cattle were sold from 
 fifteen to thirty guineas each, sheep from two to three guin- 
 eas each, and calves and pigs in proportion. Farmers, as- 
 
106 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 suredly, ought not to complain here — they get remunei> 
 ating prices for all their produce. Seventy-five to one 
 hundred and fifty dollars for a fat bullock, or ox, and ten 
 to eighteen dollars for lambs and sheep, is a good price for 
 meat by the gross. Every part of the grounds was in 
 prime order, and all the business seemed to be conducted 
 in an expeditious and equitable manner. All questions of 
 dispute are settled by arbitration, or reference to custom, 
 and for every article bought the cash is paid before the ani- 
 mals are driven from the pens. 
 
 Returning by rail into the city, we were quite early 
 enough for Covent Garden Market. Here are displayed 
 vegetables, fruits and flowers of all kinds in great perfec- 
 tion — not surpassing, however, St. John's Market at Liv- 
 erpool, where we saw the finest display of garden vegeta- 
 bles and some kinds of table fruit we ever beheld. There 
 were strawberries there larger than the largest hen's eggs, 
 We thought we had seen strawberries in America, but 
 these took the palm ; and our eyes were not deceived, for 
 they were really enormous, and as delicately flavored as 
 they were large in size. Peaches, nectarines, apricots 
 and cherries, currants, grapes and gooseberries, were also 
 in great perfection. Pears and apples were very small 
 comparatively, and in these, as in peaches, for flavor; if 
 not size, our country must always surpass them. The 
 cherries were beautiful and are unsurpassed in size and 
 delicacy of flavor, the climate being perfectly adapted to 
 this kind of fruit. It will be borne in mind, however, that 
 much of the choice fruit here is carefully nurtured and 
 grown in hot-houses. The prices of all kinds of fruit are 
 considerably higher than with us. 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 107 
 
 Taking the first train for the " Crystal Palace," we 
 spent the day at Sydenham. This is about eight miles 
 from London Bridge station : being the highest ground 
 about London, and the most eligible situation that could 
 have been chosen for it. The surface elevation at its high- 
 est point is about three hundred feet above the level of the 
 plain, and imagination cannot picture a more pleasing and 
 diversified landscape. The great city, London, in the 
 range of vision, with its many embowered suburbs, and 
 the pleasing variety of hill and dale, woodland and plain, 
 garden and lawn, variegated with sweet light and soft 
 shade as far as the eye can see, make it a place of almost 
 incomparable beauty and loveliness, aside from the attrac- 
 tions of the Palace. 
 
 But the Palace. Here all that art and science can do 
 has been or is being done. Every age and clime have 
 poured in their contributions to adorn it and the grounds, 
 and when nature, with a few more years of time, shall 
 have improved the stature and verdure of her outward 
 adornings, an enchanting and fairy-like scene will strike 
 the beholder with unbounded admiration and sweet sur- 
 prise, and he will exclaim in the fullness of his heart, 
 
 " And oh ! if there be an Elysium on earth, 
 It is this, it is this !" 
 
 Every glade, every mound, every terrace, every espla- 
 nade, every bower ; the artificial hills, vales, ravines and 
 ponds ; the wondrous fountains, great and small ; the flow- 
 ing rivulets and leaping and dashing cascades ; the beauti- 
 ful parterres and great vases of flowers, so uniquely ar- 
 
 5 
 
108 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 ranged and charmingly fresh along the grand terraces, 
 wherever they ought to be and never where they ought not 
 to be — all combined present a truly magnificent scene, 
 and one feels the most perfect satisfaction and glow 
 of delight in looking upon and walking amidst so much 
 beauty. The walks are of the finest gravel, rolled hard 
 as iron ; the descents from terrace to terrace by broad and 
 elegant flights of stone steps. The grass plats have that 
 smooth and velvet softness you nowhere else see except in 
 England. 
 
 But we enter the Palace, and now the eye beholds, on 
 every side, in every nave and aisle, from foundation to 
 loftiest dome, wonders and beauties unceasing. It would 
 take volumes to describe all the sights intelligibly, if pen 
 could do it at all. Certainly no description yet extant will 
 give the faintest true conception of this noble colisseum 
 (if we may use the expression) of the wonders of every age 
 and the beautiful of all times. 
 
 Here are the first buds, blossoms, and full blown roses of 
 the rare and curious, chaste and beautiful, of ancient and 
 modern art — of fabulous times, and the times that have 
 tried men's souls. Here is statuary of every age — huge 
 Egyptian, Babylonish, and exhumed Nineveh's colossal 
 figures — so enormous that man looks a pigmy beside them 
 — to the most delicate articles of vertu, the choicest pro- 
 ductions of Italia's gifted artists. Around us we see the 
 great and good and noble men and women that have lived 
 in all ages — full lengths and busts ; some on pedestals, 
 others on proud steeds ; orators, gladiators, statesmen, 
 kings — in every form and position in which they can 
 be placed, in exemplification of the calling, condition, 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 109 
 
 or position, in which they moved and acted in their several 
 great parts in the drama of life. Then there are allegorical 
 scenes and representations in profusion. This collection is 
 as vast and rare as it is beautiful. The great practical 
 object — to give every visitor a clear and comprehensive 
 view, at a glance, of the sculpture and architecture of 
 every age — has been carefully studied, and has been ac- 
 complished with wondrous effect. Everything is in its 
 order, and no discord offends the eye or disturbs the har- 
 mony of the whole. 
 
 In the various courts are to be seen Egyptian, Assyrian, 
 Byzantian, Greek, Roman, Moorish, G-erman, English, 
 Mediaeval, Italian, and all the more modern specimens and 
 styles of architecture, — nowhere else to be seen collected 
 in successive groups, chronologically, as they have arisen 
 in the progress of the world's history, running through a 
 period of near four thousand years ! And what variety, 
 what changes we behold ! How extraordinary and mar- 
 velously beautiful are some of the oldest styles ! 
 
 The Assyrian Court and the Alhambra are the most 
 beautiful, notwithstanding the different ages in which their 
 styles were originated, and perfected. The latter is en- 
 chantment. The enduring color of the exhumed columns 
 and marbles, copied from the palace of Sennacherib, are as 
 clear and perfect as when built, about 700 years before 
 Christ. 
 
 The splendor and richness of the decorations of the 
 Alhambra, the almost marvelous combinations of colors, 
 the light arabesque work in colored stucco, the peculiarly 
 soft and mellow and most wonderful effects of light and 
 shade ; the beautiful, not to say unrivaled, fountains in the 
 
110 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 inner courts, the fine mosaic pavement, and admirable ar- 
 rangement of flowers, emitting an aroma of most delicate 
 perfume, — all combine to make a most lovely, almost be- 
 witching spot. The whole is here — a perfect copy (brought 
 from the south of Spain) of the original Alhambra, which 
 has been made of world-wide celebrity by the graphic pen 
 of our own dear writer, Washington Irving. The artistic 
 skill and taste of the Moors must have been exquisite in 
 the extreme. "We can only dream of such sweet combi- 
 nations of beauty. 
 
 Every court, gallery, and transept here has its own at- 
 tractions ; but time would fail us to tell of half that is to 
 be seen in this magnificent and marvelous temple of iron 
 and glass. 
 
 The picture-gallery, in the north end transept and wing, 
 must be seen to be enjoyed. The specimens of art and 
 genius, by British, Grerman, French, and Italian masters, 
 are many of them transcendently beautiful. Here were 
 gems that we could have spent a week looking at, with 
 pure delight. 
 
 The rooms devoted to agriculture and machinery, the 
 court of kings, the botanical department, very beautifully 
 displayed, and the galleries of manufactured articles, of 
 every useful as well as ornamental kind, we have not space 
 to notice, and we must pass them by, as each would make 
 a chapter too long for us to write. 
 
 The grand concert of the afternoon was a great attrac- 
 tion, taking into consideration the lateness of the " season" 
 — fashion and beauty having their " season" here, as well 
 as the migratory songsters of the wood. Still there were 
 large numbers of the beauty and fashion of London present, 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. Ill 
 
 and we had a good opportunity of seeing the clear and soft 
 complexion and fine development of English ladies. We 
 quite coincided with the generally conceded opinion that 
 their skin and complexion are incomparable, among 
 the strictly higher classes, but for real beauty, a display 
 of ladies, in the season, at the Academy of Music in New- 
 York, cannot be surpassed, even in England, or at least 
 was not on this occasion. And this by no means detracts 
 from the beauty of English women, which we admired 
 there with great satisfaction. 
 
 The Crystal Palace orchestra is a very fine . one, and 
 good music by them may be heard every afternoon. On 
 this occasion, the celebrated Grrisi and Mario both sang, in 
 their sweetest strains, and were loudly encored. The sing- 
 ing and choruses were charming. 
 
 Englishmen may well be proud of the Sydenham Palace. 
 It is the finest place we have seen in England, and cannot 
 be excelled, we should think, by any in the world. "What 
 a delightful resort, to soothe and gladden the hearts 
 of the weary millions of London ! Here recreation and 
 cultivation of intellect go hand in hand, and children of 
 sorrow, misanthropes, and pleasure-seekers, may court and 
 find the solace of their hearts' troubles. And here, how 
 much in history, geography, geology, botany, &c, may be 
 learned ! Not the least charming sight is the pre-adamite 
 formations and animals, in one corner of the grounds, 
 so arranged and displayed that you look upon nature itself. 
 Great ingenuity has been displayed and developed here ; 
 the huge monsters of earth and sea, that existed pre- 
 vious to the days of man, are arranged in such perfection 
 that you fancy earth as it was before Grod created His no- 
 
112 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 blest work, and see these masters of His creation crawl- 
 ing forth from their rocky caverns and watery play-rooms. 
 It is a remarkable display, arranged with the accuracy of 
 nature, and you look with wonder at the various life-like 
 leviathan monsters. 
 
 The formations of the different strata of rocks, clays, 
 veins of coal, iron, lead, and other metals, are perfect, and 
 exceedingly interesting and instructive. 
 
 We lingered here till dark, and bade adieu to the Palace 
 and grounds with great reluctance, but shall visit them 
 again. "With remembrances to all, as usual, adieu. 
 
LETTER No. VII. 
 
 London, England, August 25th, 1857. 
 
 My Dear Father F*^ ## ; 
 
 "We will direct this to you, though we have determined 
 to devote the subject-matter of the letter to London, its 
 immensity, business, population, manufactures, docks, 
 buildings, and matters and things in general, so far as we 
 have been able to see and form any opinion, that may be 
 called tangible or correct ; for we do not, and shall not, 
 write of what we do not see ; we shall " nothing extenu- 
 ate, nor set down aught in malice," nor from imagination, 
 but write only of what we see and know. 
 
 Truly we have before us a magnificent and wonderful 
 panorama ! From a lofty height, like the dome of St. 
 Paul's Cathedral, in a very clear morning, you look upon 
 what may not unappropriated be called an ocean of houses. 
 The eye cannot discern the confines of this vast sea of 
 buildings, even in the clearest day, such is the immense 
 cloud of smoke that always hovers over the city — at least 
 during the day. And this sea of buildings is of every 
 hue and variety, from the most squalid hovel and rickety 
 stall to the majestic colonnades, terraces and palaces. 
 
 The variety of architecture, of almost every age, — pic- 
 turesque, quaint, mediaeval, and modern — the lofty ware- 
 
114 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 houses, that look as if they had stood a thousand years, 
 begrimed with London smoke, — the old embattled church- 
 es, some with towers, and some with lofty, airy spires, 
 standing like sentinels, or like solemn monitors, ad- 
 monishing the multitude so enthusiastically and de- 
 terminedly plodding, not for the " almighty dollar," but 
 for the mightier sovereign, that men and women have souls 
 as well as "pounds of flesh," and that there are interests 
 eternal as well as earthly, that require attention — the 
 princely dome, the beggar's garret, and the proud arcade — 
 the lanes, alleys, narrow and winding streets, broad roads, 
 far- stretching avenues, great parks, fields, courts, gardens, 
 and squares — the serpentine Thames, like a monstrous 
 sewer, as it really is, winding its snake-like course through 
 the centre of the city, spanned by its seven magnificent 
 bridges of iron and stone, and alive with its multitude of 
 small boats, from the little light wherry to the almost light- 
 ning-sped crowded steamers, that dart up and down with 
 their loads of comers and goers, with a rapidity that is 
 quite remarkable — the endless moving throng of people, 
 from lily-white to darkest shade, from every kindred, 
 tongue, and tribe, from the uttermost parts of the earth, 
 and the most distant isles of the sea — the immense num- 
 bers of vehicles, of every variety, shape and fashion, that 
 ever have been invented and used, from the days of 
 Adam till now, and drawn by men, dogs, donkeys, goats, 
 Shetland and Welsh ponies, and by horses, English, Amer- 
 ican, and Arabian — the full-blooded and the great elephant- 
 like London dray horses, that nowhere can be seen but 
 in this metropolis— fashion and famine, pampered and 
 powdered flunkeys, squalid poverty and rags, gold and 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 115 
 
 glitter and splendor — all this, and much more, combines 
 to make a London. 
 
 Aye, those London draught horses are monsters, and as 
 Shakspeare has placed them with those 
 
 " Long-hoof <J, short-jointed, fetlocks shag and long, 
 
 Broad breast, full eyes, small head, and nostril wide, 
 High crest, short ears, straight legs, and passing strong, 
 Thin mane, thick tail, broad buttocks, tender hide," 
 
 before us, we will only add, that we never realized their 
 size and massiveness till now. Our largest Pennsylvania 
 houses, and those used between Albany and Buffalo, in days 
 not long gone by, and such as may now be seen on the 
 Cumberland Road, out of Baltimore, though large horses, 
 cannot compare with these huge creatures, many of them 
 beautifully formed, and always fat and sleek. It is said 
 that the brewers' horses here are daily given their mug 
 of beer or porter, the same as their drivers, and that we 
 heard some give as one reason why they are so large and 
 powerful. Truly you must " stand from under" when one 
 of these great wagons, loaded with from five to six tons, 
 drawn by six of these elephant horses, in tandem, comes 
 thundering along with its mountain-topped load of boxes 
 and bales. They are apparently as irresistible as a loco- 
 motive and train at full speed. We thought we had seen 
 heavy dray horses in New- York and Boston, but those of 
 London beat the world ; and they are well made, clean 
 limbed, and always beautifully groomed. 
 
 Before some of the carriages we see some very fine ani- 
 mals, but not surpassing the carriage horses of our country. 
 Many of the finest horses here are American, and it is well 
 
 5* 
 
116 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 known that Louis Napoleon imports from our country 
 some of his best carriage horses, and has, within the last 
 month, received, by steamer, a pair of splendid matched 
 bays. We have seen but two of the "thorough bred" 
 English hunters, but those were very fine animals in- 
 deed. 
 
 The carriages, carts and wagons are clumsily built, and 
 display less taste and neatness of construction than those 
 used in American cities. They are comparatively heavy 
 and lumbering, which struck us as more remarkable, as 
 the English roads are usually hard and smooth. The axles 
 of carriages and wagons are no stronger than with us, yet 
 the bodies are made from two to four times as heavy as 
 an American mechanic would make them. Many a one- 
 horse wagon here, seems of itself enough for the animal to 
 draw, without any load in it, and the burdens, too often 
 piled upon them, looked to us excessive and cruel. 
 
 The number of omnibuses in London, is now about 
 seven thousand, and of cabs over eleven thousand. We 
 saw one numbered eleven thousand three hundred and sev- 
 enty ! There are also a large number of " Hansoms," drawn 
 by one horse. And yet no one street in London presents 
 such a show of " busses," as Broadway, New- York. Nor 
 is the incessant, overpowering noise of Broadway any- 
 where else to be heard, not even on London Bridge, the 
 greatest of the great thoroughfares of the city, on which 
 the crowd is literally a moving mass, so that the least check 
 brings it to a stand, and creates a large crowd of pedes- 
 trians and vehicles, with a confusion of tongues like the 
 Babel of old. This confusion is, at times, " worse con- 
 founded," and the carriage-way is blocked up with car- 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 117 
 
 riages, drays, and busses, and the pavement crowded with 
 passengers, all stopped, perhaps, by a dead horse on the 
 centre of the bridge, as was the case a few days ago, when 
 we were there. Both ends, and the streets leading thereto 
 are almost immediately as thoroughly blockaded as if 
 Grortschakoff, and his hordes of Russians had done it, and 
 the hurrying thousands, who are making the best of their 
 way, without a minute to spare, to railway stations and 
 boat stations, bank engagements, &c, &c., are all suddenly 
 brought up standing, and confounded indeed, and "con- 
 found" the dead horse and his driver with some expressions 
 not quite appropriate for ladies' or other sensitive ears. 
 However time works wonders, and aided by the police and 
 good-natured passers-by, the dead horse is at last removed, 
 and the currents of life proceed as usual. (And you know 
 there are " dead horses," of various kinds, that clog the af- 
 fairs of men, causing infinite loss of time, anxiety and 
 distress, till by some means removed.) 
 
 The crowd on this bridge, after being blocked up, as 
 it sometimes is, for many minutes, is wonderful, and when 
 it breaks away it is like the bursting of long pent-up wa- 
 ters — the accumulated masses move on, in opposite direc- 
 tions, like an endless chain, only gradually ceasing after 
 night has set in, and the vast dark wilderness of houses is 
 lit up by the numerous gas lights, and the starry lamps of 
 heaven. 
 
 We have stood on this great artery, and watched, with 
 curiosity, interest and wonder, the tide of the river below, 
 running almost like a race-horse, as well as the rapid tide 
 of life that flows over it. What a contrast, and yet what 
 a similarity ! The one bound for an ocean of wide waste 
 
-DE. 
 
 wa* other for an ocean of eternity — of weal or 
 
 woe! From ea: _ morn into the 5 jht. the 
 
 moving re a sight well w ng. 
 
 aerly this bride 9 and 
 
 . all the way across the r; 
 
 nd private dwellings, and at one time a chapel 
 
 in the centre, dedicated to Thoma- 
 
 towers at each & Is and battlements, on 
 
 which til 
 
 nas been 
 charmir.. ndon. and we ha »ped in 
 
 any of * :ful an-: _ fogs that s and 
 
 son . 
 
 h a shroud, and in mid-day make it r. for the 
 
 gas to be lighted in the s. How 
 
 - _ • ould be to ns to be groping our way at mid- 
 
 day, through dark, dimly-lighted hile the sur. 
 
 ag the rest of our half of the 
 world ! 
 
 But we hav :he thick cloud of smoke, 
 
 that ar nere. and which has dinsied 
 
 and d the brick houses and the finest edifices alike, 
 
 with the sooty deposit, accumulating for years and a_ 
 
 uilding an appearance far more antiquated 
 than the time it has stood, lvng as that often is. would 
 have produced. 
 
 -eason the sun shines here in its full force, though 
 
 ys so of a •. on 
 
 our side of the Atlantic. The nights are invariablv cool 
 
 and rei- -.. . _ _ .:le bree: fai as our experience 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 119 
 
 goes, always rising after sunset or night-fall. Sleep is, 
 therefore, highly refreshing and invigorating, and conduces 
 much — how much who can tell ? — to the health of this 
 great city. 
 
 The cost of living in London is. comparatively speaking, 
 much higher than in New- York. Food is much dearer, 
 and. considering the house rents, ground rents, church 
 rates, and poor rates. — the cost of fuel and lights, and the 
 thousand and one et ceteras of house-keeping. — the con- 
 stant and, perhaps, unparalleled i of the population 
 of this modern Babylon is marvelous. The boundaries are 
 constantly extending, wider and wider, till not half the Lon- 
 doners themselves know the extent and limits of London. 
 
 The great concentration of wealth here, has virtuallv 
 made London a great maelstrom. — a social whirlpool. — 
 drawing to its immense multitudes all that come near it. 
 whether they will or no. The love of being metropolitan, 
 the love of display, parade, pomp, and flunkeyism, brings 
 many into the vortex. 
 
 The manufactures, commerce, and miscellaneous busi- 
 ness are increasing with astonishing rapidity. }[oney has 
 a power here such as can scarcely be realized by us. and 
 the abundance of it is almost beyond computation, if not 
 absolutely Aladdin-like ; but it may be accounted for by 
 considering the immense profits of a world-wide commerce, 
 and also by the careful, economical accumulations of ag 3. 
 So far as we have seen, all kinds of labor here are highly 
 profitable, and in far greater proportion than with us. The 
 laborer does not get the profit, but the employer and capi- 
 talist do. 
 
 The perfect system of under-drainage and sewerage 
 
120 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 makes this city, comparatively, the healthiest in the world. 
 The decrease, proportionately, of the bills of mortality of 
 London for the last few years, say ten, compared with the 
 ten preceding years, is very remarkable, and well worth 
 the attention of all reflecting men. Here, while the popu- 
 lation has been largely increasing, the anomaly is pre- 
 sented of a constantly decreasing proportion of deaths ; 
 the statistics, carefully taken, compiled and compared, 
 showing far less mortality now than formerly. The health 
 of the city is constantly improving, in a faster ratio 
 even than the population increases, and seems to be es- 
 tablishing the principle that the larger the city the more 
 healthy it is. Does the smoke of the city conduce to the 
 health of the people ? Does it not keep away other efflu- 
 via and miasmatic influences, that operate more injuri- 
 ously than smoke upon the epidemics that so often prevail ? 
 Facts and figures, we are told, are stubborn things, and 
 they, of late years, have demonstrated the truth of these 
 statements. This is certainly a new and strong argument 
 in favor of large cities, and in direct opposition to what has 
 been heretofore the opinion of philosophers and scientific 
 men. Instead of cities being a curse, the larger the city 
 the more blessed the people ! 
 
 We do not remember to have seen or read the statement 
 of any writer or traveler in regard to the expense of living 
 in London, compared with New- York, while engaged in 
 purely sight-seeing. For traveling about the city in cabs, 
 carriages, and omnibuses, and on the boats on the river, 
 the fares are about the same. If there are but two to ride 
 the " Hansoms" (a two- wheeled chaise, set low) are the 
 cheapest conveyance in the city, and, taking speed and 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 121 
 
 convenience into account, as cheap as omnibus riding. For 
 lunches, dinners, tea, &c, everywhere we really pay 
 double New- York prices. For all kinds of fruit the price 
 is double, and sometimes treble. 
 
 Good accommodations can be had, by the day or week, 
 at first class commercial and family boarding-houses, for 
 about our highest city prices ; but no hotel can be found in 
 London to compare with the Astor House, Metropolitan, or 
 St. Nicholas, nor one that furnishes half their variety, at 
 anything near their charges, if at all. Indeed, such a din- 
 ner as the five o'clock ordinary of the St. Nicholas affords, 
 would cost at least a guinea ; and the far-famed London 
 Tavern would probably charge two ! 
 
 In perambulating the city we have yet to find a restau- 
 rant, lunch-room, or saloon, that will bear comparison 
 with Delmonico's or Taylor's. 
 
 The club-houses, (one of the remarkable features of 
 London), are, some of them, beautiful in outward appear- 
 ance, and we are told are extravagantly fitted up ; but as 
 they are shut up to the world, as much as if they were 
 monasteries, we cannot speak of the good or bad things 
 they may have in them. The great breweries and porter 
 houses and gin palaces, are each peculiar in their way. 
 The latter adorn every corner, and are almost endless in 
 number.. And what a dead weight, expense, and curse to 
 the city ! 
 
 Society in London is very exclusive, and " No admis- 
 sion" is as sternly decreed by those who guard its portals, as 
 ever Roman mandate was, without the passport of real 
 wealth, or the introduction of influential friends who move 
 in its circles. Every man's house is truly his castle, in 
 
122 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 England — a secluded castle, jealously guarded. Society 
 seems divided into various aristocracies, mainly of money 
 or of birth, all rigidly exclusive to the rest of the world, 
 outside of their own circle — except, perhaps, to those be- 
 longing to one of the acknowledged superior spheres. 
 
 The public buildings are all on a grand scale. The 
 tradesmen's halls are also quite magnificent. The Gold- 
 smiths' Hall, Fishmongers' Hall, Ironmongers' Hall, and. 
 many others, are equally splendid. 
 
 Of course, in such an immense and densely populous 
 city, crime, vice, and poverty, in the extreme, abound 
 Luxury is spread upon many boards, but keeps itself for the 
 sole enjoyment of those who ean afford it, while poverty 
 stalks abroad. There are occasional beggars, beseeching a 
 penny for bread, and troops of poverty-stricken children 
 are to be seen in the poorer districts of the city — Shore- 
 ditch, Spitalfields, St. Giles in the Fields, and around the 
 docks, &c, and yet it is said that none, even in this 
 great city, need beg. But some are by nature beggars — 
 would starve, perhaps, if they were not beggars — while 
 others are taught and trained to it systematically. And 
 yet, from the immense sums of money annually given here 
 in charity, by noble individual liberality and goodness of 
 heart, by private philanthropy, and princely generosity, 
 by the poor rates, and in the shape of munificent dona- 
 tions, by the Church, the State, and by every religious 
 denomination, and by an incredible number of charitable 
 institutions, all ought to be well provided for. But there 
 are too many beggars " to the manor born," who could not, 
 if they would, refrain from the pleasure they have in prac- 
 ticing their calling. But what a pleasure ! 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 123 
 
 In illustration of the noble munificence of private gen- 
 tlemen of London, when called upon to assist the poor of 
 the city, we may mention that at a dinner given at the 
 London Tavern, two years ago last winter, for the " bene- 
 fit of the poor," livelve thousand pounds sterling (sixty 
 thousand dollars) was contributed by the gentlemen then 
 present. A friend of ours, who was one of the party, told 
 us the fact. What volumes it speaks for the liberality of 
 the merchant princes of London ! 
 
 The number of those who live by crime of every variety 
 is almost incredible. Many of them, burglars and pick- 
 pockets especially, have regular times and places when and 
 where lessons are given in their " arts," the same as at a 
 school of law oiyxiedicine. It is well known by the police 
 that there are among them professional gentlemen, leaders, 
 who realize ;£2,000 per annum, planning robberies, bur- 
 glaries, &c, and that though so well known by the police, 
 they cannot catch them, because they never actually en- 
 gage in executing their own schemes. New "dodges" for 
 raising the wind, are continually being contrived. The 
 last was related to us, as follows : — Poor and beggarly c!ad 
 children, usually girls, go from house to house, represent- 
 ing their mother as a poor widow, penniless and destitute, 
 but whom a kind gentleman, fond of collecting curious 
 things, old and new, has kindly promised to procure, in 
 some named charitable institution, a place for her, (the 
 child), if she will get him one million postage stamps that 
 have been passed through and canceled by the Post Office 
 department, and begs of the " kind lady to be so good as 
 to save all she can get, to help the poor orphan procure the 
 required number, so that she may be provided for by the 
 
124 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 good and kind gentleman." The child further assures the- 
 hoped benefactress, " she will, she thinks, soon have 
 enough, as Mrs. So and So, Lady This, and the Honorable 
 Miss That, have interested themselves, and promised 
 mamma she shall have all they can get," and every letter 
 stamp that can be secured from A, B, C, and D, fathers, 
 husbands, brothers, and neighbors, is carefully saved, and 
 handed to the grateful little unfortunate. But some " old 
 fogy," (there are said to be some on this side of the Atlan- 
 tic), on being solicited, asks, " What for ? Ah, I see ! 
 Very ingenious trick — very ! Oh, no, no ; that'll never 
 do. D'ye see, 1,000,000 stamps is 1,000,000 pennies," 
 (two cents of our money), " and how many pounds sterling 
 is that? Ah, very clever trick that !" and the old gentle- 
 man is full of glee over his discovery, while the interested 
 solicitor gradually opens her eyes, " Dare say, you see 
 now," and the old gentleman quietly suggests that " that 
 charity is capital, indeed !" The mover of this little ope- 
 ration behind the curtain, would very quietly, and in a 
 little time, by some chemical process, clear the stamps of 
 of all black marks, and clear to himself, at the same time, 
 on these stamps so charitably given to the innocent stool 
 pigeons, four hundred and sixteen pounds sterling, or in 
 our currency, two thousand round dollars. And we are 
 assured that many thousands of stamps had been gathered 
 and delivered, before this " game" was discovered. 
 
 Of course, in our rapid peregrinations, we have not 
 been favored with time or opportunity for seeing every 
 thing and place a traveler would like to see ; but as we 
 did not cross the briny deep so much for pleasure and 
 sight-seeing as for health, we cannot be expected, and 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 125 
 
 we shall not be able, to be very minute in our researches 
 or descriptions — for which we neither have the leisure nor 
 ability, at present. 
 
 London, you know, is rich in places of deep interest, as- 
 sociated with numerous historical reminiscences, which 
 it is always pleasant to hear or read about — legendary cor- 
 ners, lanes, houses, and church-yards, many so vividly 
 sketched by Dickens, and popular writers of every age — 
 besides the birth-places, residences, and most frequented 
 resorts* of celebrated characters and writers, who have 
 stamped their immortal names on the past. 
 
 We have had the pleasure of visiting one of the most in- 
 teresting of these localities, the Parish Church of All-hal- 
 lows, corner of Watling and Bread streets, where John 
 Milton was baptized and christened. The church is plain 
 and solid, and in a very good state of preservation, as also 
 the house in which Milton was born, in Bread-street, only 
 a few steps from the church ; on the corner of which 
 church is inserted a slab of white marble, with the follow- 
 ing inscription upon it, transcribed for your benefit, as it 
 will doubtless be as interesting to you as it was to us, 
 though at first we did not recognize it : — 
 
 " Three Poets, in three distant ages born, 
 Greece, Italy, and England did adorn, 
 The first, in loftiness of thought surpast ; 
 The next in majesty ; — in both, the last ; 
 The force of Nature could no further go : ^ 
 
 To make a third, she joined the former two." 
 
 There are about five hundred churches in London, and 
 fifty- three of them were built by or under the superinten- 
 dence of the great architect, Sir Christopher Wren. There 
 
126 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 are many of them we should like to be able to visit, but 
 we shall not have time. 
 
 The buildings of the great East and West India Com- 
 panies, the Banking Houses of the Rothschilds, of the 
 London Joint Stock Companies, and of many of the private 
 Bankers, some of the Assurance and Steam Navigation 
 Companies' Offices, &c, are all worth seeing, though it 
 would, perhaps, be tedious to the reader to give descriptions 
 of them. 
 
 As the place where the building of the leviathan steamer 
 Great Eastern is going on is within the limits of London, 
 we will notice it briefly in this place. A full description 
 of it would make a considerable volume. It is indeed a 
 monster ship, and is one of the wonders of this age of un- 
 paralleled invention and enterprize. If this is not the 
 Alpha, it certainly is the Omega of ships. The model 
 looks perfect ; to all appearance she will " walk the waters 
 like a thing of life," and on the 
 
 " Starry sea, wave after wave, 
 Roll over, in her mountain march," 
 
 striding the long heaving billows with the pride and majestic 
 pomp of an ocean monarch. We hope she will prove that 
 the undertaking was not conceived in fool-hardiness, nor so 
 preposterous as some would like to have it. That the 
 Great Eastern will remunerate the stockholders with any 
 thing like liberal dividends for their outlay, can hardly be 
 expected ; still, it may be that the investment will pay. 
 Her immense length, power, size, and strength — she is 
 much larger than Noah's ark — will enable her to encounter 
 gales and storms with much less straining, danger, and loss 
 of time, than a smaller vessel. Her five water-tight com- 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 127 
 
 partments will almost insure her against a total loss by 
 shipwreck. Her length of seven hundred feet, breadth 
 seventy-seven feet, her great depth of hold, give her a ca- 
 pacity for freight and passengers that is astonishing. The 
 fact that she will be able to carry an army of eight to ten 
 thousand men around the world, with all their necessary 
 equipments, provisions, ammunition, artillery, in fact 
 a complete siege train, gives us an idea of her dimensions. 
 We all know the capacity of our largest steamers, and so 
 can approximate to a just comparison between them and 
 this leviathan of the deep. 
 
 Many doubts have been expressed about her being safely 
 launched ; but Mr. Brunei, her engineer, entertains no 
 doubt on the subject, though it will take two or three days 
 to accomplish it, without straining her. The 5th day of 
 October next, is the time fixed for the commencement of 
 launching. # 
 
 Mr. Brunei is now engaged in raising a great tubular 
 iron railroad bridge, in Wales, each of the pieces of 
 which is of the enormous weight of eleven hundred tons, 
 and is to be elevated some sixty feet above highwater 
 mark, at the rate of three feet per day, by means of hy- 
 draulic pressure ; and this magnificent project and unpre- 
 cedented undertaking will, from all appearances, be suc- 
 cessfully accomplished. Certainly if this can be done so 
 safely, and, apparently, easily, the Great Eastern, under 
 the guidance of his mechanical genius, will, we need not 
 fear, be set safely afloat. The cost of this huge vessel, 
 thus far, is over one million pounds sterling, or five million 
 
 * This marine monster has since been successfully launched, 
 
128 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 dollars. The expense of launching her, alone, it is estima- 
 ted, will be fifty thousand pounds, or about two hundred 
 and fifty thousand dollars. 
 
 Everything connected with this vessel, is on a grand and 
 unprecedented scale. All hoisting and removing of cargo, 
 is to be by a small steam engine, and it is contemplated 
 laying down a railway track on her decks, from stem to 
 stern — certainly a novel idea, but perfectly practical, and 
 one, if carried into effect, that will much facilitate the bu- 
 siness of the ship. Her propelling power consists of two 
 side wheels, and an enormous screw paddle. 
 
 As she now stands her wheels look small, in comparison, 
 and it does not seem possible that she will have sufficient 
 propelling power for her great length, and immense weight 
 and draught. It is expected, however, by her builders, 
 that she will prove a fast vessel ; in this, perhaps, they 
 may be disappointed, though it is to be hoped not. Every 
 part of her machinery, and all the work about her, and all 
 the material, are said to be as good and perfect as possible. 
 If she is successful as a sea-boat, and as a merchant vessel, 
 what a revolution is at hand in the commerce of the whole 
 world ! Such monsters as this, propelled by wondrous 
 steam, and 
 
 " The free winds of heaven, 
 Sweeping immense, from land to land, 
 With speed unutterably grand," 
 
 will drive all the craft that now swarm our docks and har- 
 bors and enliven every sea and ocean, entirely off the face 
 of the waters. The great experiment will soon be tried, 
 and then we shall see— what we shall see. 
 
 From Mill wall, the place where the Great Eastern is 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 129 
 
 building, it is but a short ride by steamboat, to the re- 
 nowned Greenwich Hospitals, and Woolwich Dockyards 
 and Arsenals. These we barely looked at, but hope to visit 
 them minutely and particularly, before returning. The 
 Hospital is a very large and splendid edifice, a beautiful 
 and extensive Park adjoining, and affords a home to the 
 poor, infirm, and battered old veteran sailors, who have 
 served in the British navy, that Britain may point to and 
 speak of with just pride. The docks, yards, armories, 
 foundries, arsenals, &c, at Woolwich, are on a magnificent 
 scale, and we are told there are now stored in them the 
 almost incredible number of thirty thousand pieces of can- 
 non, and mortars of all kinds, notwithstanding the con- 
 sumption of the late war with Russia, which necessarily 
 used up large numbers. Small arms, cannon balls and 
 shells, are in mountainous piles. We hope to visit them 
 again, and thoroughly inspect them. 
 
 We have yet to visit the London, the East India, the 
 West India, and the Victoria docks, as well as many other 
 places of great interest and celebrity. The number of pro- 
 menades, gardens, exhibitions, monuments, manufactories, 
 markets, &c, worth the attention of visitors, but which 
 we have not yet seen, is quite astonishing. Health permit- 
 ting, we hope at least to take a hasty look at many of 
 them, before we quit these shores. There are sights 
 enough here, and the more we see, the more we want to see. 
 
 This little crowded Island is full of objects of interest, 
 memorials of past events, scenes of transactions become 
 historical, many of them as important to and as closely af- 
 fecting Americans as they do Englishmen. We rejoice 
 that we, too, have a just right to exult and take a pride in 
 
130 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE, 
 
 all the evidences of past and present grandeur that we see 
 around us, as inheriting the language, the best of the in» 
 stitutions, the blood of this our mother land— we feel that 
 we are not foreigners, but entitled to share in all the glory 
 of Anglo-Saxondom. 
 
 The people here would enjoy life more, were it not for a 
 certain distance and almost arrogance of manner and bear- 
 ing, which more or less pervade every class, but which, 
 doubtless, are derived from that which is regarded as the 
 highest. To this class, identifying itself with all the great- 
 est events, all that is most illustrious in English history, 
 standing socially and politically at the head of this vast 
 empire, looking down on all other classes as their inferiors, 
 by law, by custom, by birth — to this class, we say, we 
 trace that calm, unconscious, insolent superciliousness, 
 which is only to be found among Englishmen. Not that 
 this is by any means a general characteristic of the nation ; 
 it is but a vicious and excessive development of that pride 
 and self-confidence that distinguish our race, but which in 
 our republican land dare not show themselves so offen- 
 sively. 
 
 However, this self-esteem and self-confidence, which 
 thus in too many individual cases are exaggerated into ar- 
 rogance and imperturbable conceit, are undoubtedly essen- 
 tial elements in the national character of the people that 
 have built up the mighty empire we now behold. Those 
 qualities were indispensable to England's greatest achieve- 
 ments, and to command the respect which her name and 
 power have so long inspired among the nations. 
 
 Who shall calculate what this little England has done 
 for freedom, art, science, and civilization ? Perhaps it is 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 131 
 
 her mission to subdue, enlighten, rule and Christianize, 
 the many barbarous races and nations of the eastern hemi- 
 sphere ; just as it seems to be our task to give Anglo- 
 Saxon law, order, language and institutions, to the west- 
 ern half of the world. 
 
 The destiny of the one is parallel with the des- 
 tiny of the other, but in different spheres ; and they are so 
 widely separated, that there is no cause for a clashing of 
 interests. A unity of feeling and sympathy should exist, 
 as there is a unity and bond of blood and kindred. Side 
 by side, and shoulder to shoulder, their power would be ir- 
 resistible by all the powers of the earth united ; and since 
 Providence has imposed upon our Anglo-Saxon race duties 
 so high, and labors so onerous, ought we not to forget all 
 minor differences, and petty rivalries, and devote ourselves 
 earnestly and sincerely, to our evident and glorious mission 
 — the civilizing and christianizing of the nations, and 
 bringing about that era when all the people shall . be 
 blessed, and when every where shall reign " Peace on earth, 
 and good- will towards men ?" 
 
 The marked position they each now occupy — being the 
 only nations of the world where freedom of speech and the 
 p r e SS — .freedom of conscience in the worship of Grod, and 
 in the exercise of the inalienable rights of man, are en- 
 joyed — the fact that they now possess the two great central 
 sources of the precious metal which has become the me- 
 dium of commerce and exchange, and the standard of 
 value, and that they exercise a paramount and increasing 
 control over the whole commercial system of the world — 
 all this surely indicates to us that the two nations are des 
 tined to run a parallel career of greatness, and to exercise a 
 conjoint and similar influence on the whole world. 
 
132 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 England has been said to be poising on the pinnacle of 
 her greatness, and it may be so ; but truly she is on a pin«- 
 nacle that all nations may envy, and that few can rea- 
 sonably hope ever to reach. We know that America is 
 young, fresh, strong, and eager for the race, and has only 
 just entered on the course of greatness and renown. Still, 
 we confess to be content to hope and believe, that in the 
 grand march of civilization, old England and young Amer- 
 ica may move on, hand in hand, and the world will 
 follow ! 
 
 Our next will be of the green fields, forests, and homes — 
 the rural life and aspect of England. We shall tell you of 
 the beautiful landscapes, of the flocks and herds, and farms, 
 and, perhaps, of some of the antiquities we have seen in 
 our railway flights through the ever delightful, fresh, and 
 changing scenery. 
 
LETTER No. VIII. 
 
 Townley-House, Ramsgate, EnGLANDj 
 September 2d, 1857. 
 
 Dear Sister H * # # # : 
 
 We took the cars at the London Bridge Station, South- 
 Eastern Railway, on the first of August, enfroute for this 
 place, and after a rapid and delightful ride, through an en- 
 chanting country, found ourselves, in four hours, at this old 
 and favorite watering-place and resort for Londoners, in 
 the midst of our dear relations, who gave us that genuine, 
 hearty and overflowing welcome which always warms and 
 touches the tenderest sympathies of the heart. But this 
 only en passant, as it interests us personally more than 
 you, though you will be happy to know of the kind recep- 
 tion we met with from our dear friends. We will speak 
 of this when we meet again, face to face, and have inter- 
 changed our greetings and " welcome from a foreign 
 shore." 
 
 Our road lay through the rich counties of Surrey and 
 Kent, the latter, in many respects, one of the best culti- 
 vated counties in England, if not the very best. The track 
 was smooth, and in excellent order, and the cars comfort- 
 able. But we will now write only of 
 
 " Britannia's sweetly-perfumed vales, 
 * * * * green fields, 
 Balm-laden galea," 
 
134 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 and impart, as far as we can, their delightful influences to 
 those who will doubtless love to hear something of them, 
 and to enjoy them with us, if only in imagination. 
 
 We emerged from the smoke and bustle of the great 
 modern Babylon, with a feeling of relief and thankfulness, 
 much as we had been pleased and interested there ; and it 
 was exceedingly delicious to quaff in the sweet breezes, 
 that came laden with such freshness and balmy fragrance 
 from the soft green fields that continually meet the eye on 
 every side, when you get into the country. The gentle 
 wings of the south wind wafted to us an incense of unal- 
 loyed pleasure, and to look upon those sweet fields, " dress- 
 ed in living green," was as exhilarating as listening to the 
 eeolian strains of sweet and harmonious music, or the 
 flowing and soft murmuring of rippling waters, as they 
 leap joyfully over the pebbled bed of some crystal stream. 
 
 As we swept along, over vales, through meadows, and 
 under the hills, darting at fearful speed into the bowels of 
 the earth, through tunnels and out again, to catch a pass- 
 ing view of the beautifully diversified landscape, — wood- 
 lands, the "dear green fields," and the gathering harvests, 
 noble mansions, embowered villas, pretty humble cottages, 
 and the multitude of flocks and herds grazing on the plains 
 and hills, in the closes and glebes, enclosed with the dark 
 green hedges, with the glimpses, now and then, and here 
 and there, of the spire or turrets of some retired and shaded 
 ivy-clad village church — the wide-spreading park, and the 
 succession of villages and towns — all this, together with 
 the mingled bright sunshine and soft shadows, floating over 
 the whole, combined to make us feel that, if not on the 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 135 
 
 road to Paradise, we were at least as nearly so as we ever 
 shall be while riding on a railway, in this world. 
 
 The hedges around the fields give a finish and an air of 
 "beauty to the face of the country such as ours cannot boast 
 of; they are grown along the road-side, and over hill and 
 dale, bounding the fields, the stately parks, and wide- 
 spreading lawns, like beautiful fringes, finishing the land- 
 scape and scenery with the last touches of gracefulness 
 and art, such as the artist gives to his master-pieces, ere 
 made complete, and ready for the gaze of the admiring 
 multitude ; and this not alone in one county, but wherever 
 we go. The villages, hamlets, and towns, studding the 
 country here and there, in quick succession, looked quite 
 thriving. The largest we passed through were Tunbridge, 
 Ashford, and the ancient, venerable, and famous old city of 
 Canterbury — each of which looked well built, and quite 
 flourishing. The vast and time-honored Cathedral of the 
 last mentioned place, towers above the town with stately 
 grandeur and considerable magnificence, and we gazed upon 
 it with mingled feelings of admiration and respect, as we 
 remembered its remarkable history — its sieges and slaugh- 
 ters — its great patron saint, Thomas a Becket — its fall, 
 decay, and rise again and again. But of Canterbury and 
 Canterbury Tales hereafter, when we have observed 
 
 11 The strength, the light, the why and when it was erected ;" 
 
 and, still walking amidst its solemn shades, 
 
 " Meet some new matter to look upon and wonder." 
 
 We first saw the old Cathedral at a very favorable time : 
 just as the rays of the evening sun cast a soft and mellow 
 
136 
 
 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 light over the towers, and revealed in the boldest relief 
 every turret, carving, antique pillar, and storied window, 
 with the most agreeable effect. 
 
 Ramsgate is an old, and, much of it, ancient-looking 
 place. The house we are now at, the Duchess of Kent and 
 the Queen, when Princess Victoria, spent many of her 
 summers in while a girl. The town is tolerably well built 
 of brick and stone, and lies between and on the summit of 
 two high chalk cliffs. The streets are narrow, and wind- 
 ing, but very well paved. The harbor is a royal one ; the 
 piers, constructed of heavy stone, are kept in excellent re- 
 pair at a great expense. It is more a harbor of refuge than 
 for business or commerce, though it is at almost all times 
 difficult of access when most wanted. The harbor-master, 
 Captain Martin, is an exceedingly clever man, in the Eng- 
 lish sense of the term, and is always as kind and humane 
 as he is entertaining. All visitors to this port are sure to 
 be cheered by his genial face, and amid sunshine and storm 
 he is ever at the post of duty. The many who suffer ship- 
 wreck on the Groodwin Sands, a few miles distant, invari- 
 ably find him a friend indeed, as his life-boats and men are 
 always there when wanted. 
 
 This being one of the nearest watering-places to London, 
 and always to be reached by steam packet or railway, at a 
 low cost, there being considerable competition, large num- 
 bers come here, and " The Sands," a splendid beach under 
 the cliffs, immediately in front of the town, are daily alive 
 with thousands, who have come down to enjoy the delight- 
 ful luxury of sea-bathing, and to inhale, in all their 
 freshness, the salt gales of the deep. 
 
 Four miles from Ramsgate, Caesar and his first Roman 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 137 
 
 army landed, and there are still fine old ruins to be seen of 
 their fortifications, and often coins, arms, and other Roman 
 relics are exhumed by the ploughshare and mattock. 
 Fourteen miles distant is the old town of Dover, with 
 Walmer Castle near by, whose turrets we can see every 
 clear day. And not far out to sea are the " Downs," 
 where 
 
 " the fleet lay moored, 
 
 The streamers waving in the wind, 
 
 When black-eyed Susan came on board." 
 
 We can see them plainly, and now, as of yore, large 
 numbers of vessels lie there, it being close under the lee of 
 the South Foreland, and pretty well protected from all but 
 easterly and north-easterly winds, and the anchorage being 
 excellent. 
 
 On a clear day the shores of La Belle France are dis- 
 tinctly visible, and the Calais light gleams over the channel 
 almost every night. In every direction the roads and 
 drives are very pleasant. Broadstairs, Minster, Margate, 
 (another watering-place,) are each pleasant villages, with 
 interesting historical associations. At the former place 
 there was pointed out to us, standing on the very brink of 
 the cliff, a tall and unsightly-looking house, which was 
 erected, and for some years inhabited, by Mr. Charles 
 Dickens. It is believed to be the veritable Bleak House. 
 It stands isolated on one side of the village, and looks, from 
 its exposed and lonely situation, as if it might have sug- 
 gested, or even have been the original, whence the distin- 
 guished novelist drew his description of that most uncom- 
 fortable dwelling. He has not lived in it of late. In this 
 case, though the novelist had his bed and board there so 
 
138 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 long, the association seems to have caused estrangement 
 from the place. Lack-a-day ! Little Dorritt and Bleak 
 House are the merest penny-a-line compositions compared 
 with his Pickwick Papers, Nicholas Nickleby, Master 
 Humphrey's Clock, and his earlier productions. 
 
 We had but just commenced our delightful peregrina- 
 tions hereaboufs, when we were taken down with our old 
 complaints, and were completely bed and house bound by 
 severe chills and fever, for four whole weeks, only being 
 able to get out four days ago. This was a disarrangement 
 of all our plans, and has compelled us to forego the pleas- 
 ure we so much anticipated, of a week in the Highlands, 
 among old Scotia's noble sons, her hills and valleys, rivers 
 and lochs, — and another week on the Green Isle, about the 
 old city of Dublin, and on the banks of the Lakes of Kil- 
 larney. But some other time, we hope, Providence per- 
 mitting, to enjoy a long ramble among those beautiful and 
 romantic scenes. 
 
 To-day we hope to return to London, having recovered 
 sufficiently to travel, and we hope and trust permanently 
 so, and thence once more betake ourselves, on the swift 
 railway, to the north, passing through the counties of 
 Essex, Hertford, Bedford, Huntingdon, and the corner of 
 Northampton, into Lincoln, to visit our friends and see the 
 sights. 
 
 Having spent the night in London, and feeling quite re- 
 freshed from our night's rest, we left at nine o'clock the 
 following morning for Lincoln, and thence to Manchester, 
 where we shall finish and mail this letter to you. 
 
 The scenery along the road was lovely, and as exhilara- 
 ting as when we first trod these shores. On every side, as 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 139 
 
 far as we could see, was the ever-changing and delightful 
 panorama, 
 
 " With opening views of hill and dale, 
 Which sense and fancy do regale. 
 Thou seest the clover, pea, and bean, 
 Vie in variety of green ; 
 Fresh pastures, speckled o'er with sheep, 
 Brown fields the fallow Sabbaths keep, 
 Plump Ceres' golden dresses wear, 
 And poppy top-knots deck her hair ; 
 And silver streams through meadows stray, 
 And Naiads on the margin play, 
 And lesser nymphs on side of hills, 
 From plaything urns pour down the rills ;" 
 
 and the unfrequented hedge-bordered lawns and shaded 
 roadways, winding here and there over the land, like deli- 
 cate veins over the hand, but time-hardened and trodden 
 for centuries, look so smooth and inviting, that, had we 
 time, we should . greatly prefer to travel and stroll over 
 them at our leisure, instead of being drawn through them 
 by the swift steam courser, over the iron track. The po- 
 etry of nature in England is voluminous and varied, every 
 page sparkles with gems of loveliness. The whole land 
 gleams and smiles beneath the gentle sunbeams, that so 
 serenely shine in mid-summer. We have hit exactly the 
 right time to see all the beauty of English scenery. 
 
 The majestic and far-stretching parks here, covering, in 
 not a few instances, thousands of broad acres, are first 
 among the beauties and wonders of this queen of islands. 
 And the number of them is astonishing, when we think of 
 
 6* 
 
140 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 the whole area of the country, and the population who 
 live off the land actually under cultivation. True, every 
 acre that is cultivated is well and scientifically cultivated, 
 and yields a great abundance of the fruits of the earth ; 
 and to such a degree as would astound some of our coun- 
 try's farmers beside the " Hoosiers." Nevertheless, it is 
 one of the evils of this rich and highly-favored country, 
 that so much of its best lands should be set apart, by the 
 enormously wealthy landowners and proprietors, to pleas- 
 ure-grounds, wide-spread lawns, parks, and forests ; if 
 three-quarters of these were put under the same state of cul- 
 tivation as the rest of the country, the beauty of the scenery 
 would not be materially lessened, if at all, the real wealth of 
 the landed proprietors, and of the country at large would 
 be immensely enhanced, and its poor benefited. People 
 are the most happy when they do the most good : and here 
 is a chance to do immense good — to promote, practically 
 and unmistakably, the greatest good of the greatest num- 
 ber, and at the same time enrich themselves and the whole 
 country. 
 
 It seemed to us one could never grow weary of traveling 
 through this country — there is so much to please the eye, 
 so many things exciting reflection, so many objects of inter- 
 est ; ancestral halls, lofty castles, ruined abbeys, and an- 
 cient mansions ; the comfortable farm houses, beautiful 
 rural cottages, everywhere to be seen peeping out from 
 amid bowers of roses and evergreens ; splendid parks, with 
 their noble old forest trees, and green-sward slopes ; quiet, 
 old-fashioned villages ; all this must be seen to be realized. 
 Reading of it does not place it before the eye. You 
 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 141 
 
 know the poet Campbell once on a time told the 
 world 
 
 " 'Tis distance lends enchantment to the view, 
 And clothes the mountain in its azure hue." 
 
 But however true that may be, we know that 
 
 " Near, near to us now is everywhere seen 
 The fairest of landscapes — so sweet and serene : 
 The charms of enrich'd nature all around yield 
 Enchantment that distance can lend to no field." 
 
 We notice particularly (and this, perhaps, is a national 
 characteristic) that where the English gentry can hide 
 their dwellings from public gaze, they almost invariably do 
 so. High stone and brick walls, clumps of trees, or thick 
 live hedges, shut the world out from view, and many a 
 beautiful and noble pile is entirely secluded, and, to all but 
 its inmates, 
 
 " Wastes its sweetness on the desert air." 
 
 Thus the poet sings : — 
 
 " The stately homes of England, 
 How beautiful they stand, 
 Amid their tall ancestral trees, 
 O'er all the pleasant land." 
 
 Seclusion, quiet, a home of peace, is the acme of the 
 true Englishman's ambition, and having attained it he en- 
 joys it. This testimonial of their love of home and privacy 
 we give with pride and pleasure, as that feeling may be 
 
142 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 regarded as one of the most pleasant features of the life 
 and character of our common race. 
 
 On our way to Lincoln we passed through many places 
 of interest. Peterborough, Boston, Huntingdon, Tatter- 
 sall, and others. At each of these places we noticed some 
 fine-looking buildings and towering church spires. At 
 Boston there is a very beautiful Gothic spire, that attracts 
 the attention of all passers-by, as it points its lofty and 
 beautifully symmetrical proportions heavenward. At Tat- 
 tersall Station, you can very distinctly discern its tall and 
 ancient castle, still in very good preservation. 
 
 For a long distance before we reached the city of Lin- 
 coln, our way was over reclaimed lands, which, a few 
 years ago, were only known as the Fens of Lincolnshire. 
 They were then overflowed ; now they are drained by 
 means of steam- pumps, and considered among the very 
 richest lands in the kingdom. The surface of the country 
 is as level as Chicago prairie, and not at all unlike it in 
 general appearance, except that this is now cultivated like 
 a garden, and, judging by what we see of the ricks and 
 stacks of grain, wheat, oats, barley, and beans, that are 
 thickly gathered around the great teeming barns and yards 
 of the farmers, and from the numerous green fields of tur- 
 nips, the alluvial deposit or soil is exceedingly rich, and 
 abounds in that nourishment so necessary to the ample re- 
 ward, promised of old, to faithful stewardship and indus- 
 trious husbandry. 
 
 The city of Lincoln is on high ground, the base of which 
 was, in olden time, washed by the sea, and overflowing the 
 Fens, we just mentioned. Its very beautiful and lofty 
 cathedral may be seen for many, many miles. The fine old 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE, 143 
 
 castle, near the cathedral, is also conspicuous, and a land- 
 mark for a long distance. This is a fine old city — one of 
 the most ancient places in England, and its cathedral is 
 justly considered by many to be equal to York Minster, 
 while others contend for its superiority, with the exception 
 that the Minster is more celebrated for its wonderful col- 
 lection of antiquities, monuments, and relics. This vast 
 building is called by architects a very superior work of art, 
 scarcely surpassed by any of the old churches in the king- 
 dom, and, in respect to solidity and fine work, exceeding 
 the Minster. In size they are about the same, the Minster 
 being only two feet longer, and nine inches wider. The 
 vast front, adorned with numerous figures of the Apostles 
 and Saints, the immense and beautiful towers, the great 
 central one particularly, which has been studied and copied 
 to a considerable degree in the erection of the Yictoria 
 Tower of the new Houses of Parliament, are wonderful 
 specimens of the skill and genius of the architects — living 
 and working as they did, too, in the " Dark Ages !" 
 
 This Cathedral was founded and mostly built by the 
 Bishop Remigius, and .completed by Bishop Bloet. The 
 style of architecture is mixed, the Italian prevailing in the 
 outward adorning. The turrets, pillars, columns, with the 
 entablatures and windows,, and massive projecting cornices 
 are all finely sculptured. The nave, chancel and transept, 
 are each triumphs of art and wonders of the age in which 
 they were built, and one cannot look upon them without 
 the greatest astonishment and admiration. The large 
 organ is very sweet toned and highly ornamented ; the 
 seats and canopies of old oak, are curiously carved with 
 figures of animals, fruits, leaves and flowers, no two alike ; 
 
144 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 exquisitely executed, and considered very peculiar and un- 
 surpassed anywhere. The arches supporting the roof are 
 very finely turned, and the windows under the roof over 
 the chancel are each superbly ornamented with extraor- 
 dinarily light, but perfectly symmetrical columns, sur- 
 rounded and enriched with carved oak leaves and flowers, 
 that are believed to be the best specimens of this kind of 
 work now existing. The angels at the corners of the bases 
 of these windows have some very curious old musical in- 
 struments in their hands, and are quite remarkable. 
 
 There are many old tombs here, among which we noted 
 more particularly the tomb of Remigius, the first bishop, 
 and founder, of this cathedral ; the tomb of the wife of 
 the celebrated character, John of (xaunt, and those of some 
 ancient warriors, probably superior officers, surmounted 
 by sculptured stone figures, encased in armor. 
 
 The beautifully proportioned Chapter House attached is 
 circular, the roof of which represents a wide-spreading 
 palm-tree, being supported by a single column in the centre, 
 exquisite in the extreme, and is both unique and a remark- 
 able specimen of delicate architecture. In the troublous 
 times of the Reformers they took from here all the shrines, 
 crucifixes, &c, &c, made of silver and gold, weighing 
 over six thousand ounces of the former, and four thousand 
 of the latter. The hole in which the foot of the great 
 silver cross was placed was shown us. 
 
 The Library Room is fine and large, and contains a 
 magnificent collection of books and old manuscripts, in 
 huo-e volumes, all of which were written with the most 
 wonderful precision and elegance, by the monks, previous 
 to the Reformation. The capitals of the old manuscripts 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 145 
 
 are illuminated in colors which are now as bright as when 
 first written, some of them many centuries ago. 
 
 The chaste and highly- wrought galilee, or porch, with its 
 perfect arches, and the exquisitely stained glass windows, 
 particularly the larger circular ones, at each end of the 
 transept, and a small one inserted in one of the large win- 
 dows of the south side of the cathedral, representing the 
 presentation of our Saviour in the Temple, a most extra- 
 ordinary gem, are all worth special study, and will be 
 admired by every lover of the beautiful and sublime. The 
 smallest circular stained window was put in about the 
 middle of the thirteenth century, and is claimed here as 
 the first specimen of this wonderful art in England. Cer- 
 tainly no such stained glass can now be made. The soft- 
 ness of the coloring, combined with the transparent bril- 
 liancy, is very remarkable, and produces a beautiful effect. 
 Looking upon these fine productions we felt a greater re- 
 spect for ancient art and artists. At the present day we are 
 unable to equal those admirable colors ; for more than a 
 hundred years numerous attempts have been made to do 
 so, but none have succeeded in attaining their perfection, 
 or any real proximity to it. 
 
 There are numerous chapels attached to the cathe- 
 dral, that are beautifully ornamented with carvings in 
 stone, and once contained paintings and shrines, which 
 have been destroyed or removed. There are some screens 
 here of carved stone work, that are executed in the highest 
 style of art, and have received the highest encomiums of 
 the first artists in the world. We never before saw leaves 
 and flowers, and delicate tracery, so finely produced, even 
 in marble, much less in comparatively coarse stone. 
 
146 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 We were also shown here a tomb, in which, it is said, is 
 the skeleton of a Christian child, whom, according to tradi- 
 tion, the Jews of this city crucified in an old Norman 
 house, still standing, and pointed out to visitors. It is al- 
 leged that it was a custom of theirs to do so annually, at 
 some of their religious rites or festivals. That the hones 
 of a child are actually there, or were a few years ago, is 
 undeniable ; but that they are the bones of a child crucified 
 by the Jews is only a myth, and undoubtedly originated in 
 the terrible persecutions that people have suffered when- 
 ever their hoarded wealth has been coveted by unscrupu- 
 lous tyrants. 
 
 The old cloisters, monks' houses, and religious establish- 
 ments, are in ruins. The old Bishops' Palace is also crum- 
 bling away, and will soon disappear. In one of the courts of 
 the cathedral, between it and the arcade of the old cloisters, 
 we were shown a beautiful, but fast decaying, specimen of 
 the wonderful tesselated pavements of the early Romans, 
 which is believed to be full seventeen hundred years old ! 
 The colors are still bright and clear, though the mosaic is 
 beginning to crumble and fade away, by exposure to the 
 air. This beautiful relic of ancient art was discovered 
 only some twenty years ago by accident, about twelve feet 
 from the surface, by a man who commenced to sink a. well 
 there, and it has since been carefully preserved. The spe- 
 cimens in the British Museum, and at York Minster, are 
 about the only ones known here now. 
 
 Having done the cathedral as well as we could, we visit- 
 ed and passed under some old Roman walls and archways, 
 still well preserved. These are quite solid, though more 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 147 
 
 than one thousand years old, and will probably stand a 
 thousand years hence. 
 
 We visited the Castle of Lincoln, by permit. It is very 
 clean, and kept in excellent order. The great walls are of 
 perfect masonry work, and the massive entrance is as 
 strong as stone and cement can make it, while the old 
 sally-ports, with their heavy barred doors, are apparently 
 impregnable. The parapet and ramparts show the effects 
 of time, but could be easily put in complete order. Within 
 the walls is a prison for the shire, kept in very nice order. 
 There, also, is a fine building of stone, in which are cham- 
 bers for the county and circuit courts. The grand-jury 
 room in this building we admired very much indeed ; it is 
 very spacious, and well adapted to the purpose for which it 
 is used, as well as fitted up in quite a comfortable manner. 
 The old moat and ditch are now entirely filled with accu- 
 mulated rubbish, and the temporary buildings of poor 
 people — a sort of squatters. The citadel is in the best 
 state of defence, and ready to be manned for a siege. It 
 was formerly supposed that this fortress could safely defy 
 every foe ; but the Parliamentarians, under the indomi- 
 table Cromwell, once took it, and held it, after a bloody 
 struggle. At the same time he used the great nave of the 
 cathedral as a stable, for his terrible and irresistible 
 cavalry. 
 
 As the friends we intended to visit resided at Scrampton 
 parish, seven miles from Lincoln, in the midst of the remains 
 of one of the encampments of the old. Roman legions, in 
 their first invasions of England, and within a few rods of 
 a spot where once stood a Roman villa, and also close 
 to the great military road, (known in modern times here- 
 
148 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 abouts as Tillbridge lane,) built by those all-conquering 
 warriors, we had a favorable opportunity for exploring 
 these great curiosities. The villa, once quite extensive, is 
 now entirely destroyed, but excavations occasionally turn 
 up some relic of it. The Roman road is in excellent preser- 
 vation, regularly laid out on an air line, to the nearest point 
 of the river Trent ; it is four rods wide, the same width as 
 our great public roads, — the only one of that width we 
 have seen in England. 
 
 While sojourning a few days here with our friend, the 
 rector, we had the pleasure of visiting the ancient Sidno- 
 caster, now called St. Mary's Stowe, three hundred 
 years older than the cathedral at Lincoln, having been 
 founded in the year of our Lord 672. This is one of the 
 most remarkable old churches in England, and truly a 
 place full of the deepest interest. The history of near 
 twelve hundred years clusters around it. We looked upon 
 it with reverence and respectful curiosity. 
 
 Ethelrida, daughter of Amra, king of East Anglia, mar- 
 ried first to Tonebert, one of the princes of the Southern 
 Gryrvii, and afterwards to Egfrid, a king of Northumbria, 
 left the latter husband (as the tradition says, and some his- 
 torical sketches seem to confirm,) in order to devote herself 
 to a more pious life, and traveled on foot, attended only 
 by two maidens, till, in her weary pilgrimage southward, 
 having become exhausted and foot-sore, she thrust her 
 walking staff into the ground, and lay down beneath the 
 shade of some trees to sleep. When she awoke, behold ! her 
 staff had taken root in the ground, and sent forth vigorous 
 branches, covered with fresh green leaves ! This was 
 thenceforth a sacred spot. And having determined upon a 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 149 
 
 religious life, this was so remarkable an incident, such a 
 manifest evidence of the favor she enjoyed of heaven, that 
 she at once named the place " Ethelrida Stowe," and 
 vowed to erect a minster on the very ground, and dedicate 
 it to the Virgin Mary. The present structure is believed 
 to be a part of that old Minster, though since the original 
 erection, wars, rapine, and burnings have twice or thrice 
 laid it in a heap of ruins. During the wars which Saxons, 
 Danes, and Normans, waged with each other, and which 
 were at last brought to a close by the victories of Canute, 
 the Danes once reduced this church almost to ashes. The 
 Normans also once nearly destroyed it ; and the marks of 
 these fires are now quite plainly visible. 
 
 In these ancient walls may be seen a curious amalga- 
 mation of the work of the builders of three distinct eras. 
 The foundations, and a little above them, are of old Saxon 
 construction, then the Norman repairs and additions, and 
 the more modern Saxon, or perhaps, properly speaking, 
 early English, or both. The distinctions are clear and ob- 
 vious, and the solidity, indestructibility, and excellent ma- 
 terial and workmanship of these several specimens of 
 ancient masonry, are not only instructive memorials of the 
 skill and labor of our predecessors, but of the reverence 
 and affection of the people for these edifices, so manifestly 
 displayed in thus preserving this church from age to 
 age. 
 
 The chancel, choir, transept, and nave, are each worthy 
 of a particular description ; but we cannot take the time it 
 would require to describe them satisfactorily. The arches 
 of the tower on the centre of the transept are very solid, 
 and present the unparalleled circumstance 6f one being 
 
150 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 built within the other ; the early Saxon, and the latter 
 Norman, both perfect in their structure. The arches, win- 
 dows, interlaced columns, and groined roof, are the most 
 admirable productions of the genius of the Normans we 
 have ever seen, and, at a little distance, are as beautiful as 
 a painting. Indeed we have never met with any creation 
 of the noble art and science of the architect, which we 
 have looked upon with more interest, admiration, and lively 
 satisfaction, than we felt while viewing this ancient 
 church. 
 
 The excellent and gentlemanly rector, the Rev. Mr. 
 Atkinson, has been engaged since 1850 in restoring and 
 preserving the whole church, and, so far as he has been 
 able to proceed in his praiseworthy undertaking, every por- 
 tion is afac simile of the old structure. In making exca- 
 vations and taking down walls, he has obtained a complete 
 knowledge of the plan and designs of the original building, 
 and also indisputable evidence of the almost total ruin it 
 sustained in the time of the earlier Saxons, and again by 
 the Danes. 
 
 Thus, when the restoration is completed, the edifice will 
 exhibit, in the nineteenth century, the ideas and designs of 
 the seventh, and some of the work of the eleventh centu- 
 ries. The stranger visiting this most interesting relic of 
 ages long gone by — the mother of the Lincoln Minster — 
 will be amply repaid. "We left it reluctantly, regretting 
 greatly that we could not devote to it at least an entire 
 (lay. 
 
 The expense of living in the country here is worthy of 
 note, as Lincolnshire is purely an agricultural county, and 
 confessedly one of the best in England. The prices here, 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 151 
 
 therefore, may be considered a fair index of the prices for 
 the country generally. We were much surprised at the 
 great difference between living here, and in the country at 
 home. Beef is furnished to families at the door, at from six- 
 teen to eighteen cents per pound — mutton and lamb, four- 
 teen to sixteen cents — common ducks eighty cents per 
 pair — chickens, sixty-five to eighty cents per pair — butter 
 thirty-seven cents per pound — eggs from two to three cents 
 each, the year round ; and flour seventy-five cents per 
 stone of fourteen pounds, equal to ten dollars and fifty 
 cents per barrel. With these prices, scarcely ever varying 
 from year's end to year's end, farmers must be able to 
 live, comfortably, not to say anything of luxuries, if trades- 
 men, mechanics, and laborers cannot. 
 
 We had the pleasure of seeing Lincoln on a great mar- 
 ket and fair day. The streets were filled with genuine 
 John Bulls, and the simplicity, robustness, and good-nature 
 everywhere prevailing, were quite pleasant and exhilarating. 
 The rustic maiden and the blue-frocked swain — the burly 
 farmer and the " gude hus'wife" — the jolly market woman 
 and the keen tradesman, with produce, wares, all kinds of 
 odds and ends, but no care, apparently, except, perhaps, to 
 make a good bargain — all helped to form an animated, and, 
 to us, novel scene, and afforded us not a little amusement. 
 
 From Lincoln we took our way to the Manchester Ex- 
 hibition, via the Manchester, Sheffield & Lincoln Rail- 
 way, through Nottingham, and a corner of Yorkshire, and 
 into the eastern part of Lancashire. The ride Was as de- 
 lightful as usual ; the same variety, if we may so speak, 
 of country-seats, parks, farms, and rural scenery in gene- 
 
152 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 ral, presenting themselves in too rapid succession to our 
 eager eyes. 
 
 "We had fifteen minutes at Sheffield, and that was quite 
 long enough to revel in the thick, dark atmosphere of 
 smoke, mingled with a variety of fumes and gases, which 
 literally pours out of a thousand chimneys. It looks a 
 well built, business-like, and very flourishing place, and it 
 undoubtedly is what it looks, for the wares and merchan- 
 dize of this town are known and used wherever there is 
 civilization. The hardware, cutlery, and silver plating of 
 Sheffield are familiar in almost every part of the world. 
 But bright, handsome and useful as are its manufactures, 
 still it certainly is a black and uninviting place, constantly 
 enveloped in clouds, also of its own manufacture, which 
 must be almost impervious to the rays of the sun. 
 
 All the way to Manchester, the road, except over the 
 moors, in the southwest corner of Yorkshire, is lined with 
 manufacturing establishments of every kind. Many of 
 them are very extensive, and of the most substantial work- 
 manship and material. 
 
 Before we reached Manchester we passed through a tun- 
 nel nearly four miles long, mostly rock, the transit occu- 
 pying just eight minutes. It seemed like going into the 
 lower regions, and we felt as if the bowels of the earth 
 had opened and taken us in. Near Manchester the scenery 
 is broken, but very pretty. 
 
 The general appearance of this city pleased us, for 
 though the streets are dirty, they are well laid out, and 
 substantially built. The manufacturing, mercantile, and 
 business buildings are usually what are called first class. 
 The residences of the merchant princes, cotton lords, and 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 153 
 
 active business men, are, we need hardly say, of modern 
 construction, and look very convenient and pleasant. The 
 Exchange, and several of the churches, are noble speci- 
 mens of architecture, and do the city, and her industrious 
 population, great credit. It is astonishing to think how 
 extensively the fabrics of cotton, wool, silk, &c, here 
 manufactured, are used throughout the world, by civilized 
 and savage alike ; by Hindoos, New-Zealanders, Hotten- 
 tots, and Broadway belles. This Manchester spins indus- 
 triously, unceasingly, for them all, and will spin and 
 weave for as many more as are able to pay. On every side 
 there is an air of thrift and prosperity, that speaks well for 
 the solid advancement of the city and her citizens to a 
 still higher position and standing among the great centres 
 of trade and business of the world. 
 
 The Exhibition here, is now the great object of attrac- 
 tion, and is truly a magnificent affair — such a display as 
 never has been held before, and probably never will be 
 again. The building is large, of brick, iron, and glass, and 
 well adapted for its purpose. In it are gathered, and well 
 arranged, all the gems of the ancient and modern masters 
 of the fine arts, owned in Great Britain ; the exhibition, 
 you will remember, being exclusively of the " Art-Treasures 
 of Great Britain." Here are the rarest productions of 
 carving, in wood, ivory, and metals — the most curious and 
 interesting furniture ; cabinets, dressing-cases, plate chests, 
 treasure cases, and jewelry boxes, of ivory, ebony, silver, 
 gold, and various kinds of rare woods ; old styles of valu- 
 able jewelry ; precious stones ; watches of all shapes and 
 sizes ; ancient armor ; armorial bearings in gold, bronze 
 and steel, and steel inlaid with gold ; weapons of every 
 
154 
 
 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE, 
 
 age, form, and description — -queer relics and antiquities, 
 rare, priceless, unique, and matchless — contributions by the 
 Honorable East India Company, of the productions of 
 Hindostan, and of fine work in gold, silver, ivory, sandal* 
 wood, porcelain, alabaster, &c, some of it of exquisite 
 delicacy and beauty of workmanship. Valuable Grobelin 
 tapestries ; portraits and miniatures on ivory ; drawings 
 and paintings in water colors — indeed a vast collection of 
 everything that is chaste, elegant, and tasteful. Rembrandt, 
 Murillo, Salvator Rosa, Rubens, Van Dyke, Velasquez, 
 and all the old masters, and every modern one of note, 
 are represented, and every first-class painting in the king* 
 dom may be here seen. 
 
 Such a feast for taste, imagination, and the love of 
 beauty, was never till now spread before human eyes. 
 What an entertainment for the painter, the poet, the sculp- 
 tor ! for all who retain and cherish an appreciation and 
 feeling for the beautiful, the poetical, the ideal ! We 
 brought away, treasured up in our mind, countless ideas, 
 thoughts, images, scenes, the memory and effects of which 
 Time himself will never, we think, be able to erase. 
 
 We left the Exhibition with sincere regret, that our time 
 permitted us to give only parts of two days, to what 
 might have occupied as many weeks with the greatest 
 satisfaction and profit. The multiplicity of rare, curious, 
 and useful articles, and of paintings, elegant sculp- 
 ture, and relics, presented a field for study that we would 
 be well pleased to enlarge upon, for our own edification as 
 well as yours ; but we cannot, without extending too 
 much, and you must wait till we meet at "our ain fire- 
 side." 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 155 
 
 And now adieu for awhile ; for to-morrow we shall he off 
 for Paris, where we shall remain ten days or two weeks, 
 and then prepare to return to our native land and loved 
 home, which we hegin to long to hehold once more, not- 
 standing the pleasant times we are having here. You will 
 distribute our love as usual. 
 
LETTER No. IX. 
 
 Paris, France, September 16th, 1857. 
 Dear Mother F * * * # : 
 
 We last sent you our adieu on leaving Manchester, and 
 its Exhibition, but did not say the half we wished to 
 about it or the city, and shall not now be able to, though 
 we shall doubtless say as much as you will want to weary 
 yourself with reading. 
 
 The collection of paintings, statuary, and curiosities 
 there, was so remarkable, so extensive, and so unlike any 
 other ever before gathered together, or likely to be, that a 
 few words more about it will not be amiss. You know 
 there is an aroma in a beautiful flower garden, a delicate 
 perfume from a sweet bouquet, and a peculiar charm in a 
 circle of refinement and beauty ; so there was there, so to 
 speak, an atmosphere of beauty and genius ; and the va- 
 riety of beautiful objects diffused over and through us, and 
 all others we heard speak of it, a peculiar feeling and en- 
 joyment, such as we never before experienced. There was 
 poetry hanging on the walls, poetry in all the halls, indeed 
 poetry everywhere. These lovely emanations and embodi- 
 ments of genius, are the private property adorning the 
 many mansions of the gentlemen and noblemen of the 
 kingdom. Paintings, ancient and modern, the oldest and 
 
15S NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 noblest of the art, as well as those of our own day, pro- 
 ductions not unworthy of modern genius, were to be seen 
 by hundreds and thousands ! And how lovely and life-like 
 were the pure marble forms, almost breathing and speak- 
 ing ! filling the soul with inexpressible pleasure ! 
 
 The glorious forms of gods and goddesses, kings and 
 queens, heroes and heroines — faithful representations of 
 howling storms ; dark, sublime night ; fierce tempests ; the 
 fiercer passions of man, rage, hate, envy ; wan, grim-visaged 
 despair — the soft, cheerful, and delicate landscape — the 
 peaceful lake and gentle river — the rushing flood, and the 
 raging sea, in all its moods — the serene and golden sunset 
 over peaceful rural scenes, or rugged and snow-capped 
 Alpine peaks — of wide-spreading plains and deserts, and 
 mountain ranges of towering grandeur — and then the heav- 
 enly Madonnas, the Holy Children — faces humorous and 
 sad — visions of angels, forms of demons, dark woods and 
 daisied lawns, spring's cheerful green, autumn's ripening 
 harvests, falling leaves, and splendid hues — in short, earth, 
 heaven and hell, and imagination itself, seem to have been 
 ransacked for scenes and objects real and ideal. And yet 
 this most magnificent exhibition, it is said, is not properly 
 appreciated by the British people, and does not pay the ne- 
 cessary expenses attending it ! If this be true, how devoid 
 of taste — how insensible to the charms of the Fine Arts — 
 such a people must be ! The " Times" thunders forth its 
 anathemas against this indifference at a tremendous rate, 
 and berates the Manchester people severely for not having 
 the Exhibition in London. 
 
 Eve at the Fountain, Three Cherub Children at Play, 
 the Dead Child, Paul and Virginia, Adam and Eve before 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 159 
 
 their expulsion from -Paradise, and again after their ex- 
 pulsion ; the Greek Slave of Powers, the Flower Girl, 
 Spring, Autumn, Summer, Winter ; and many others 
 too numerous to enumerate, show the perfection of the 
 wonderful art of the sculptor. We looked upon them with 
 many new ideas of the pure and beautiful and lovely of 
 earth, and so we think must every one that has capacity 
 to appreciate either. 
 
 Plow happy we would have been to have had you all 
 there ! Indeed it is a pity that the spectacle cannot be 
 witnessed by all civilized people. The refining influence 
 of such a display of the glorious achievements of art is in- 
 calculable ; the thousands and tens of thousands that wit- 
 ness it are filled with wonder and the deepest admiration. 
 Our memory often recurs with the greatest pleasure and 
 satisfaction to some striking picture, some beautiful design 
 we saw there, and we hope through life to be able con- 
 stantly to draw pure and elevating pleasure from what we 
 brought away in our mind from the Art Treasure Exhi- 
 bition. 
 
 Leaving Manchester we reached London by the express 
 train of the North-western Railway, which we found to be 
 the best road we had been over in England. The track 
 was uncommonly smooth, and we rode the (to us at least) 
 astonishing distance of eighty-two miles without stopping 
 the engine or relaxing our speed of thirty-five miles per 
 hour ! This was surely a long pull. Coke is exclusively 
 used for fuel, and the tanks or tenders to the engines hold 
 more than ours, though ordinarily they do not look so large. 
 The display of brass and ornamental work on the engine 
 is very sparing ; generally, indeed, there is none at all. 
 
160 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 The country scenery was even more beautiful, if pos- 
 sible, than any we had yet passed through, and our ride as 
 delightful as heart could wish. On the route we noticed 
 several noble mansions, lordly castles, and lovely parks. 
 Traversing this route we were but a few miles distant 
 from the celebrated Warwick Castle and grounds, and the 
 still more celebrated birth-place of the Bard of Avon. "We 
 almost felt as if we were doing wrong to pass it so near 
 without stopping to pay our homage to his memory ; but 
 sickness had taken from us the time we had set apart 
 for this and many other pleasures. 
 
 After an unwilling day's rest, (for the period allotted for 
 our rambles on this side of the Atlantic was rapidly com- 
 ing to a close,) we hurried over to this gay and brilliant 
 metropolis of fair France. To get here we took the South- 
 eastern Railway to Dover, which we reached at 12 M. ; 
 we were obliged to stay there till 4 P. M. So we looked 
 round the town — a quaint old place, most of it lying under 
 the towering cliffs of chalk. Before it is the very fine har- 
 bor, above is the commanding and famous castle. The 
 day being rainy and stormy, we were much inclined to 
 prolong our stay on terra firma : not that we found it so 
 pleasant on land, but we feared it would be still less pleas- 
 ant at sea, although the passage across is a short one — ac- 
 cording to the saying we heard, that " a pie hot in Dover 
 is just cool enough to eat, at Calais." Finally, however, 
 we ventured on board the steamship " Queen," and on our 
 way across the Channel had such a rolling and tumbling 
 as we never wish to have again. This Channel, you know, 
 is proverbially rough, and it happened to be in its roughest 
 condition when we were crossing it. We manfully re- 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 161 
 
 mained on deck during the whole time, defying the furious 
 wind and admiring the foaming, tossing, tumbling waves. 
 The sea was indeed a glorious sight. One might easily 
 fancy there was 
 
 " A spirit in the storm, and a voice in every blast." 
 
 The waves 
 
 " Seemed mad with bliss ; they rose in glory crowned 
 Then sank into the vast abyss in reverence profound." 
 
 But our excellent steamer seemed to care little for wind 
 or wave. In two hours and a half she was moored at the 
 Calais wharf. The custom-house officers took about half 
 an hour to make their examination, which they conducted 
 in a polite and gentlemanly manner, looked at and recorded 
 our passports, and we found comfortable quarters at Meu- 
 rice's Hotel, a passably good house, nearly in the centre 
 of the town of Calais, a distinguished and ancient seaport 
 town, in the dominions of His Imperial Majesty Napoleon 
 III. 
 
 La, Belle France now lay all before us, and its genial 
 skies above our head, and we trod upon her soil with grati- 
 tude, and not a little respect, for we remembered how the 
 blood of her warlike sons was freely poured forth and her 
 treasure generously bestowed, in helping to make free our 
 loved native land. "We remembered, too, that, though tyr- 
 anny had often held its sway over her generous people, and 
 the counsels and passions of frenzied men had sometimes 
 divided her vast energies, still a Lafayette and a Ro- 
 chambeau, and many noble and admirable men, were born 
 
162 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 beneath her skies ; and that among her sons were many 
 good and great men, of genius and worth, and renown, dis- 
 tinguished in arts and arms, by the pen and by the sword, 
 by the power of mind and by glorious deeds — men, whose 
 names are written high upon the roll of fame, and con- 
 spicuous among the good and true of earth. 
 
 One of the first things that struck us on entering France 
 was the soldiery. You meet soldiers everywhere, perform- 
 ing police as well as military duty. 
 
 Groing from the custom-house to our hotel we passed 
 the outer wall of the fortifications of the city — over the 
 ditch and drawbridge — all kept in a good state of repair. 
 The streets of the city, though narrow, were quite clean, 
 but roughly paved with round stone. The houses were of 
 brick and stone, with red-tiled high-pointed roofs, and usu- 
 ally built with courts in the centre, in the old semi-Moorish 
 style of architecture. The place is of considerable im- 
 portance as an entrepot for the trade and travel between 
 France and England. It has several lace manufactories of 
 considerable magnitude, that give employment to a large 
 number of people of both sexes. The other fortifications 
 are not on a very large scale, but are immensely steong, 
 and said to be well arranged. 
 
 From Calais we took the early morning express train, 
 and in nine hours we reached Paris, a distance of two 
 hundred miles, considerably tired. The ride was very 
 pleasant, and the appearance of the country, (unlike Eng- 
 land, for want of green hedges, and the incomparable eme- 
 rald green fields,) so closely and carefully cultivated, and 
 so beautifully planted with long avenues of trees, with 
 green hedges at considerable distances, is very agreeable, 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 163 
 
 open, and cheerful. The great farms and plantations, not 
 being fenced or bridged, no marked divisions to be seen, 
 gives to the face of the country, to us, a singular appear- 
 ance, particularly after traveling in England ; the gently 
 undulating and rolling character of the surface, forcibly 
 reminded us of our own vast prairies : in fact, the resem- 
 blance is so remarkable that one would suppose the coun- 
 try, at least from the city of Lille to Douai, to have been 
 prairie at one time. When our western lands of this de- 
 scription become as closely and extensively cultivated the 
 resemblance will be perfect. 
 
 The cultivation of the soil here is most excellent ; every 
 farm looks like a garden, and is kept surprisingly clean, 
 and free from weeds. The land must be easily tilled, as 
 we frequently noticed one horse plowing land on which in 
 England probably three would have been employed. 
 
 So far as we have seen, the distinguishing features of 
 the country are, its similitude to the surface of our own 
 Prairie State — its exceedingly close and careful cultivation 
 — its want of division fences — the absence of flocks and 
 herds, compared with England, or indeed with our own 
 country — its extensive arboriculture — its solid paved roads 
 through the country, with very beautiful avenues of trees 
 on each side of them, all as straight as a line could be drawn, 
 often stretching, for miles and miles, from town to town, 
 and many of them very lofty, and undoubtedly very valu- 
 able. The tout ensemble is delightful, and imaged to our 
 mind our own loved State, in fifty or a hundred years 
 hence. 
 
 It was very singular to us to notice that the cultiva- 
 tors of the soil, those who perform the farm labor, all live 
 
 7# 
 
164 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 in hamlets, villages, and towns, instead of, as with us, and 
 in England, in Cottages and farm-houses, scattered over the 
 land. In many places one can see, for miles and miles, 
 these closely-cultivated grounds, and not a house, barn or 
 shed, for man or beast, all being clustered together, with 
 their multitude of stacks and ricks, at the village. This 
 must be inconvenient for the laborer, and waste much 
 precious time, and certainly is not evidence of good man- 
 agement or economy in any sense. 
 
 We saw several fine canals, and occasionally beautiful 
 lawns, parks, and forests, as well as pretty chateaus and 
 neat cottages. We saw women and children in the fields 
 everywhere, and even tugging away at the tow-rope of the 
 canal boats, quite heavily laden, which caused our ideas of 
 French civilization, not to say anything of their proverbial 
 gallantry and politeness, to fall somewhere about to zero. 
 Large fields of sugar beets are frequent, and extensive 
 mills, with towering chimneys, for manufacturing the 
 sugar. 
 
 We passed through several fine old towns, among which 
 we noticed particularly Lille and Douai, both fortified, and 
 looking quite flourishing, having extensive manufacturing 
 establishments of various kinds, and beautiful cathedrals 
 and churches, whose spires and turrets rose high above 
 the embowering trees, and long streets of comfortable look- 
 ing dwellings. At and near Lille there were a multitude 
 of windmills ; in one view we counted no less than eighty- 
 three, with their great outstretched arms, turning round 
 and round, ready for a combat with any Quixotic foe that 
 might chance to come along. It was a singular sight, and 
 put us in mind of the worthy Don and his faithful Sancho 
 Panza. 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 165 
 
 bearing Paris, we entered the charming valley of the 
 Seine ; the nearer we approach the city, with the ex- 
 ception of some barren lands, a few miles from it, the more 
 and more closely cultivated is the undulating and beauti- 
 ful country. Towns- and villages succeed each other on 
 both sides of the gently flowing river, and the earth devel- 
 ops its richness in valley, and on hill-side and plain, judg- 
 ing by the fine gardens, the orchards of delicious looking 
 fruits, and the full-bearing vineyards. The harvest already 
 gathered and garnered has been abundant, and from the 
 appearance of the fruit, and the vine, we judge the whole 
 land has this year, as in our own country, yielded its pro- 
 duce freely and abundantly. 
 
 About five o'clock, P. M., we arrived at the depot, Place 
 de la Dunkerque, a very large and convenient one, having 
 a court 156 feet long, and 120 feet wide, flanked by two 
 lofty porticoes, supported by cast-iron pillars, and a vesti- 
 bule 165 feet long and 36 feet wide. The front is Ionic, 
 and very tasteful indeed. There are also large waiting 
 rooms, baggage rooms, &o. The principal waiting-room 
 is 108 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 27 high. The building 
 under which the trains stand is 300 feet long, sup- 
 ported by 25 cast-iron columns, and 19 heavy arches. 
 After a second informal examination of our baggage, we 
 were placed in a buss, and rolled away over the pavements 
 to our quarters. The streets through which we passed, 
 Rue Lafayette, Faubourg Poissonniere, Rue Richelieu, 
 and Rue St. Honore, were rather narrow, well, but 
 roughly, paved, built upon each side with high, clean, and 
 solid-looking buildings of stone and brick, and most of 
 them painted white. 
 
166 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 Our hotel being in the Rue St. Honore, almost in 
 the centre of the city, and hut a few steps from the 
 Palace of the Tuileries, the Louvre, Place du Car- 
 rousel, or Place Napoleon, and splendid Rue Rivoli, after 
 partaking of a short dejeuner, we sallied forth to see what 
 we might, hy way of introduction to the city ; and though 
 we were prepared to see much splendor, we were con- 
 siderably surprised at the outward magnificence of the 
 "buildings, and the brisk and business-like appearance of 
 the streets we passed through. The public buildings 
 above-mentioned, pleased us highly ; and that street of 
 streets, the Rue Rivoli, is truly grand. The long massive, 
 yet elegant, arcade, on the right, as one looks westward, 
 constitutes one of its principal features ; and the old and 
 new Louvre, the Place du Carrousel, or Place Napoleon, the 
 Tuileries, with its splendid garden and handsome iron 
 railings with gilt points, and the lovely Champs Elysees, 
 on the opposite side, form a vista such as is nowhere else 
 to be seen ; and no person can fully realize how charming 
 the view is without seeing it. Well may the Parisian 
 love Paris, and point to it always with pride and enthu- 
 siasm. In many respects it has no parallel. Her private 
 buildings are palaces, and her royal residences and public 
 buildings cities of themselves ; while her gardens, places, 
 the Bois de Boulogne, and the extensive boulevards, where 
 beauty, wealth and fashion display themselves, all com- 
 bine to form a scene of varied beauty and attraction of 
 which one never wearies. 
 
 The first public building we notice is the royal residence 
 of the present dynasty, the Tuileries. It was com- 
 menced, and partly finished, by the celebrated Catherine 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. , 167 
 
 de Medieis, in the year 1564, and has "been the residence 
 of the kings and emperors from that time till now, with 
 some short intervals. It is an irregular, but a very 
 splendid pile of buildings, and excites the liveliest interest 
 for its numerous historical associations. It is finished 
 with wonderful beauty, though not constructed with 
 uniformity in all its parts, having been built at different 
 times, and by several different architects. The extreme 
 length is over one thousand feet, and one hundred and 
 eighteen feet wide, extending from the famed Rue Rivoli 
 to the river Seine. The stories are each very different 
 in style ; still the whole is unique, and produces an uncom- 
 monly fine effect— the first being Ionic, the second Corin- 
 thian, and the upper and last a mixture of both. The 
 lofty windows, and still more lofty and steep-sided roof, 
 the antique and exceedingly chaste and ornamental 
 pilasters, the entablatures, columns, scrolled, carved, and 
 figured work, altogether present a most remarkable com- 
 posite building. The interior is exceedingly magnificent. 
 The paintings, vases, tapestries, elaborate furniture, gild- 
 ing, and frescoes, altogether give to the interior a splendor 
 that can scarcely be excelled, (xenius would seem to 
 have exhausted itself in some of the wonderful decorations 
 in these halls. The Tuileries have long been acknowl- 
 edged to surpass every palace in Europe except Versailles ; 
 and the present Emperor, aided by the exquisite taste of 
 Eugenie, which is undeniable, notwithstanding her patron- 
 age of the favorite sport of her country, the bull fight, 
 has greatly increased its former magnificence. What 
 astonishing changes, what startling events have transpired 
 within these splendid halls — and that almost within these 
 
168 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 comparatively few years. Here royalty has sat in all its 
 show, and pride, and state, and indulged in mad midnight 
 revelries ; here the nobility, the statesmen, the reigning 
 beauties of France, have met and paraded and intrigued ; 
 the times change, and it becomes a hospital, and the dis- 
 eased and dying occupy its apartments ; or a terrible 
 tribunal meets in it, ruling France, astonishing Europe, by 
 the sword, by the guillotine, by a Reign of Terror ; then 
 Napoleon appears and plays his part ; and Josephine — 
 so strangely elevated, so cruelly humiliated — here she long 
 dwelt in splendor, in uncomplaining sorrow. Well, let us 
 enter this interesting edifice. 
 
 At the grand entrance, the Imperial Gruard, in his 
 splendid uniform, attracts particular attention, for he is a 
 model soldier. At a side office, after exhibiting our 
 tickets, (to be procured only by personal or written applica- 
 tion to M. Le General Rolin, the Adjutant- General of the 
 Imperial Palace,) we were conducted up one of the minor 
 side staircases, the escalier de la chapelle, to the state 
 apartments only. The private apartments are now never 
 opened to the public, except by an extraordinary vise of 
 his present Imperial Majesty Napoleon III., or when per- 
 sonally introduced by him or the Empress. 
 
 The state apartments are, indeed, gorgeously decorated 
 with gold, and crimson, and green velvet hangings, and 
 richest embroideries, with the fleur-de-lis and the little 
 "busy bee," (national emblems with the French,) and 
 great splendid chandeliers, and magnificent fresco paintings, 
 and gems of art and taste that still sparkle in our minds 
 like the glowing light of diamonds — figures whose lovely 
 forms and features are so striking and perfect, that, 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 169 
 
 gazing upon them, we have, in almost unbounded rap- 
 ture of admiration, satiated all our capacity to love and 
 wonder. 
 
 The Empress's chapel, within the Palace, is small, but 
 very beautiful, and contains some extraordinary, and 
 almost invaluable, paintings. The seats are all cushioned 
 with crimson velvet. There is also a very elegant theatre, 
 with a vaulted ceiling, supported by Ionic columns, 
 around the entire room ; it has two tiers of boxes and 
 a pit. 
 
 The view of the garden of the Tuileries, from the win- 
 dow nearest the top of the grand staircase, is very fine, 
 and we thought could hardly be surpassed ; we were mis- 
 taken, for, going a little further on, and stepping out on 
 the grand window or semi-balcony, the spectator looks 
 over a scene that is quite elysian. He beholds fountains 
 casting their silvery spray into the scented air as high as 
 the tops of tall trees ; numerous marble statues of nymphs, 
 heroes, gods, and goddesses ; the parterres of fresh bloom- 
 ing flowers, perfuming the atmosphere with delicious 
 fragrance: the extensive Champs Ely sees; the grand Arc 
 de Triomphe — all combining to form such a landscape, 
 such a delightful mingling of the beauties of art and 
 the attractions of nature as can nowhere be found but 
 in La Belle France. 
 
 The central saloon, called the Marshal's Saloon, is a 
 stately hall, of a remarkable and grand design, and we 
 thought it the noblest apartment of all, perhaps because 
 it contains the "noblest Romans" of them all. It is 
 square, and two stories in height, with a handsome gallery 
 on each side. It is adorned with full-length portraits of 
 
170 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 Napoleon's great marshals, painted by the best French 
 masters. Under each portrait, stands also a marble bust 
 of the same personage, raised on a fluted pedestal. The 
 fresco, gilding and cornices of this saloon are extraordinary, 
 and are so arranged as to increase very considerably its 
 apparent height. In one of the apartments, we observed 
 a magnificent painting of the present Emperor ; he is re- 
 presented on horseback as Marshal of France. It is a 
 faithful likeness, and is considered one of the finest pic- 
 tures that have been produced by the artists of the present 
 age. 
 
 We would like to give you some adequate idea of the 
 splendour of the Ball-room, and the Throne-room — a 
 splendor that actually surprises one, even by daylight, 
 and which must be wonderfully enhanced when the im- 
 mense chandeliers give forth their thousand flaming jets, 
 causing the countless pendants to sparkle with an infinity 
 of rays, and brilliantly illumining the paintings, statuary, 
 rich tapestry, and all the gorgeous and delicate furniture 
 and ornaments — the whole multiplied and reproduced by 
 the enormous mirrors. 
 
 One experiences a feeling of relief on emerging from 
 amidst all this show, luxury, and artificial grandeur, and 
 standing in the open air, beneath the blue sky. Fronting 
 the main entrance of the Tuileries is the justly celebrated 
 triumphal arch erected by the first Napoleon in 1806. It 
 is supported by eight columns of Lauguedoc marble, with 
 bases and capitals of bronze. Surmounting the arch is a 
 fine colossal representation of Victory — a car and four 
 horses — in bronze. And statues of Victory and Peace, His- 
 tory and France, stand upon the great gate columns. 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 171 
 
 This entrance also faces the Place de Carrousel, the Place 
 Napoleon III., and the west front of the old Louvre, the 
 noblest pile of buildings that can be seen in the whole 
 world. Here we took our stand and surveyed the un- 
 equaled scene in wonder and admiration. We had never 
 imagined that architecture could produce such grand 
 effects. "We scrutinized, examined, and gazed upon this 
 most extraordinary facade with a sense of unmingled satis- 
 faction ; never had we seen any work of "art or of nature 
 that so strongly appealed to our sense of the beautiful. 
 This you may think an excess of enthusiam, but not so 
 those who have stood upon this spot and surveyed this 
 scene, and who can justly appreciate the noblest works of 
 God or man. The old Louvre and the Tuileries have 
 always been pronounced by the most competent judges of 
 architecture to rank among the finest buildings in the 
 world ; but these, combined with the new Louvre, the 
 Place de Carrousel, or Place Napoleon III., now externally 
 complete, present, in one view, a varied, extensive, and 
 beautiful architectural display that is unrivaled. 
 
 We are told that at the building of Solomon's Temple — 
 
 "No hammer fell, no ponderous axes rung : 
 Like some tall palm the mystic fabric sprung. 
 Majestic silence !" 
 
 So the new work here ; and such was the magical 
 rapidity of its execution, by day and by night, without 
 any cessation, that thousands of Parisians scarcely knew 
 the time of the commencement of the work, when the 
 whole was outwardly finished, and presented such beauty, 
 uniformity, and solidity, and gave such satisfaction to all 
 
172 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 beholders, that people almost fancied it an illusion! It 
 was the consummation of the union of the Louvre and the 
 Tuileries — a project long desired by successive rulers — 
 effected, as it were, in a moment, by the wand of an en- 
 chanter. The whole now stands finished, grand and 
 beautiful, doubtless to endure as long as any other human 
 work — a noble and enduring monument of the sagacity 
 and indomitable energy of the Emperor Napoleon III. 
 
 The finishing of the Rue Rivoli, the beautifying of the 
 Place du Carrousel as well as the old boulevards, the open- 
 ing new boulevards and thoroughfares — these and other 
 improvements are continually adding to the beauty of this 
 fine city, at a cost which would be almost incredible and 
 quite preposterous to the citizens of our economical coun- 
 try. 
 
 The present Emperor, Louis Napoleon, to whom Paris 
 is indebted for these alterations, is as great a man in his 
 way as was the great Napoleon ; and though we all may 
 have despised his conduct and character, and looked upon 
 him as a chance king or emperor, as well as an impudent 
 and brazen-faced interloping usurper, every hour may 
 be said to give fresh proof of his far-seeing sagacity and 
 his prudence. By improving and adorning Paris (and 
 Paris is France, recollect,) he provides labor for the poor. 
 Evidently his ambition is to place the nation over which 
 he rules foremost among the nations of the earth, even on 
 the highest pinnacle of national power. And this man 
 has risen by his own resources of intellect from nobody, as 
 it were, to be one of the first potentates of the world. Every 
 day now witnesses the strengthening of his influence at 
 home, and the extension of his power abroad. He is a 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 173 
 
 "bold, and, no doubt, an unscrupulous man ; never hesi- 
 tating as to means if they will but enable him to attain 
 his end ; cool, sagacious, calculating, in all his plans- 
 He seems to know the wants of Frenchmen, and so 
 far, under his administration of the laws, notwithstand- 
 ing his enormous assumptions and usurpations, has man- 
 aged to tickle their fancy, satisfy their vanity, and play 
 the various factions and parties against each other very in- 
 geniously, while at the same time he has consolidated the 
 powers of government, strengthened and enlarged the re- 
 sources of France, elevated her in the scale of nations, not 
 forgetting to feather his own nest, and reward his own 
 labors and services by surrounding himself with luxury 
 and pomp, and wielding the imperial sceptre over the 
 destinies of the nation that arrogates to herself the honor 
 of leading the van of civilization. The pages of history 
 do not present his parallel. Indeed, his is a master 
 spirit — the diplomacy of Europe feels it at every pulsation 
 and at each political movement ; and while the world and 
 statesmen at large were looking upon him with sneers and 
 derision, if not contempt, he has moved on, apparently 
 without fear or favor, and has been the guiding spirit of 
 the storms and whirlwinds of the political atmosphere of 
 one hemisphere at least — the other not being entirely be- 
 yond his influence ; for instance, in that " spec of war" 
 which threatened on the western horizon, in the late diffi- 
 culties between Spain and Mexico. However, we did not 
 intend to eulogize or criticize the character of this or that 
 man ; but the stranger, and no doubt the citizen also, and 
 still more palpably, sees everywhere in Paris the hand of 
 Louis Napoleon. 
 
174 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 To return : passing up the Rue Rivoli we came to the 
 Hotel de Ville, a very magnificent pile, in the Rennaissant 
 style of architecture, forming, as near as may be, a paral- 
 lelogram, towered at the four corners, and is one of the 
 finest and largest buildings of Paris. Its historical asso- 
 ciations in the various civil and religious commotions of 
 France, are known to all readers of history, but especially 
 will this renowned place be remembered as the council 
 house of the horrible Robespierre, and his blood-thirsty 
 crew — the immediate neighborhood of the infamous mur- 
 ders of the awful Bartholomew's Eve — the place where 
 Louis Phillippe was presented by the great Lafayette to 
 the French people as their king, in 1830, and of Lamar- 
 tine's heroism in 1848, when he, at the risk of his life, 
 proclaimed to the excited and frenzied populace, assem- 
 bled in tens of thousands, fierce for blood and plunder, that 
 the red flag should never be the national flag of France. 
 
 Just east of this palace are situated the great Napoleon 
 barracks, the largest in Paris, and usually filled with troop* 
 of the line and National Guards ; and near by is the cele- 
 brated Church of St. Grermain, whose bell first sounded the 
 tocsin for the massacre of St. Bartholomew. The church 
 contains nothing particularly remarkable, except its old 
 bell ; and unless repaired it will, in a few years, be 
 little else than a ruin. On its outside wall, immedi- 
 ately over the entrance, may be traced the inscription, 
 " Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite." It suggested a train of 
 terrible associations ; destruction and blood we could read 
 upon its walls, as well as this mocking inscription ! And it 
 seemed to us not a little singular that these memorable 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 175 
 
 words should remain here, when obliterated almost every- 
 where else ; for we have seen it in but one other place. 
 
 A few minutes' walk brought us beneath the shade of the 
 renowned Notre Dame : an immense and imposing edifice ! 
 Its remarkable associations with the greatest historical 
 events of France, its vast, massive, and lofty proportions, 
 end its antiquity, make it an object of deep interest. Its 
 magnitude may perhaps be better estimated when you re- 
 member the length of time it was in building — nearfy 
 three hundred years — though the work was not proceeding 
 all the time, as during the wars, revolutions, and insurrec- 
 tions its progress was completely suspended, The form is 
 that of the Latin cross, with enormous buttresses, and two 
 lofty towers, the front being elaborately ornamented with 
 figures, and sculptures of saints and patriarchs, represent- 
 ations of important events in the history of the Church of 
 Rome and of the Old and New Testament. 
 
 In some respects, Notre Dame is to France what "West- 
 minster Abbey is to England. But it is not so honored and 
 hallowed by the remains of distinguished and great men, 
 for many of the kings and princes, and eminent statesmen 
 and soldiers, lie buried at St. Denis ; and there are, com- 
 paratively speaking, but few tombs, monuments, statues, 
 and tablets to be seen in the French cathedral. 
 
 On entering by the great doors, you behold before you 
 the extensive nave, divided by two long rows of pillars, 
 numbering in all a hundred and twenty, supporting high 
 pointed arches, forming, in fact, three naves. The transept 
 is one hundred and forty-four feet wide. The roof is vault- 
 ed, and is one hundred and two feet from the mosaic mar- 
 ble floor. It is composed of stone, cement, and chesnut- 
 
176 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 wood. "We were somewhat disappointed with the appear* 
 ance of the interior, after having had our expectations and 
 imagination excited by the grandeur of the exterior. 
 
 The lofty finely proportioned columns and arches 
 are papered — yes, actually papered — and with very 
 tawdry and flashy paper, too ; which in many places had 
 broken and pealed off, and was hanging dangling in the 
 air, presenting to the visitor a strangely poverty-stricken, 
 wretched appearance, instead of the grandeur and beauty 
 and solidity, he expects to find, corresponding with the ex- 
 terior, and in so famous a cathedral, where kings and em- 
 perors have been, from time immemorial, crowned, or 
 where they have crowned themselves. The vaulting of the 
 roof has been covered with sky-blue paper, and from leak- 
 age has become water-soaked, moulded, and sadly discol- 
 ored. The iron work on the great doors, the iron railing 
 about the stairs, the high altar of Languedoc marble, with 
 the rich canopy above it — the groups of fair sculpture, 
 representing the Descent from the Cross — the numbers of 
 paintings on the walls and in the chapels, scenes in the life, 
 passion, death, and resurrection of the Saviour, by eminent 
 masters — the four rose- windows, of fine stained glass, each 
 thirty-six feet in diameter, representing scenes in the life 
 of Christ — the numerous private chapels — the immense 
 organ, forty-five feet high, having three thousand four hun- 
 dred and eighty-four pipes — the handsomely carved wain- 
 scoting, and some quite elaborate tracery work, though this 
 has been considerably mutilated by time and the sacking 
 of 1793 — the magnificent chancel, and the carved work of 
 the old stalls, with decorated bas-reliefs of the principal 
 events in the life of the Virgin — all these things are well 
 worthy of examination, and give a high degree of attrac- 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 177 
 
 tion and interest to the structure, notwithstanding the 
 dilapidated appearance that strikes and disagreeably sur- 
 prises the stranger. The vestments of the priests and offi- 
 cers, however, are rich and in good condition, and of these 
 there is an uncommonly abundant quantity, and many of 
 them sparkle with very valuable jewels. The sacristy is 
 decorated with splendid portraits of twenty-four of the 
 bishops, and cost over a million of francs. On the great 
 high altar are seven enormous golden candlesticks, and an 
 immense gold cross. We also, while here, had the privi* 
 lege of hearing and seeing the celebration of high mass, 
 which was gorgeous and imposing. The singing was sub- 
 lime, swelling with solemn grandeur through the lofty 
 arches, and dying away in sweet cadences, as it seemed to 
 descend and float around and among the congregation. 
 The bold and mellow tenor, the deep-toned bass, the 
 sweet and floating alto, and the delicate and melodious air, 
 rose and fell, and melted away so strangely and softly 
 around us, that we were willingly absorbed in listening to 
 the sweet and solemn sounds. 
 
 We left this venerable old cathedral with almost a feel- 
 ing of commiseration for it. Certainly it is much to be re- 
 gretted that so grand and important an edifice should 
 suffer such neglect, disfigurement and, dilapidation. And 
 still, notwithstanding what it has endured from time and 
 from man, there is much about it that is solemn and beau- 
 tiful, and it attracts the attention of every passer-by, 
 thoughtful and frivolous, Christian and infidel. 
 
 We next took a cab, and made our way to the Madeline. 
 It is really magnificent, and displays in all its chaste 
 beauty, the architectural glories of ancient Greece, The 
 
178 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 front view, with the peristyle in perspective, is certainly- 
 one of the finest imaginable. The whole building is three 
 hundred and twenty-eight feet long, one hundred and 
 twenty-eight feet wide, and is approached by a grand flight 
 of twenty-eight stone steps, both front and rear. The 
 facades are all exquisite. The roof is supported by fifty- 
 two fluted Corinthian columns, each fifty feet high, twelve 
 feet in circumference, with appropriate pedestals, and caps 
 of elegant workmanship. The alto-relievo on the southern 
 and principal front is remarkably beautiful, representing 
 the Last Judgment, and nothing can £>e more elaborate in 
 detail or more perfect in symmetry and execution. We 
 looked upon this extraordinary work of art with wonder. 
 The whole building is deservedly one of the most attrac- 
 tive in Paris to most visitors. Midway between each 
 column, round the entire building, are niches in the walls, 
 in which are placed life-sized figures of the Saints. The 
 roof is of iron ; the massive doors are of bronze, richly 
 ornamented, and it is said there is not a particle of wood- 
 work about the building. 
 
 On entering the lofty doors, a scene of unwonted beauty 
 and splendor bursts upon the vision. The light is from 
 above, entering through three noble domes, decorated with 
 superb frescoes ; the whole inside is of marble, with pro- 
 fuse gilding ; the effect is grand and magnificent beyond 
 description. We looked and looked upon it again and 
 again with admiration and delight ; no defect, no excess, 
 nothing to wish for, nothing to interfere with the perfec- 
 tion of grace and proportion and grandeur of the noble 
 edifice. 
 
 In the construction of the building, every variety of 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 179 
 
 marble work, and marble of almost every shade and 
 hue, have been employed. Near the high altar railing are 
 four panels on each side, which are supposed to be painted 
 representations of running streams of blood. In reality, 
 they are entirely composed of marble, no painting being 
 used. At a short distance, the effect is quite surprising. 
 The altar-piece, Mary and the Child Saviour, in pure 
 white marble, supported on either side by adoring angels, 
 of the same material, and all of the size of life, are in- 
 deed beautiful, as also are the statues of Christ, the Virgin 
 Mary, and St. Paul and St. Peter. The few paintings 
 are among the best we have seen. The baptismal font- 
 piece of Christ and St. John the Baptist at the Waters of 
 Jordan, and the Marriage piece, are among the finest pro- 
 ductions of the painter's art. The choir, organ, colonnaded 
 gallery, and frescoes are all in keeping. Our visit to the 
 Madeleine gave us new and enlarged ideas of the splendid 
 and beautiful effects capable of being produced by the 
 architect. It produced upon our minds and senses an im- 
 pression quite distinct from that experienced while gazing 
 on the grand old abbeys, and cathedrals, and gorgeous 
 palaces we had visited. We turned from it with the 
 usual regret we experience that we can take but a 
 glance at such master-pieces of genius ; but we have so 
 much to see before we leave this city so full of sights — 
 if indeed one can be said to see things in such hurried 
 visits. 
 
 So far as we have seen Paris, we are highly pleased 
 with it ; truly there can be but one Paris. Most of the 
 houses are well built, many of them elegantly ; the pri- 
 vate dwellings and business houses are substantial ; the 
 
 8 
 
180 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 streets are usually well paved with stone blocks, or 
 asphaltum, and kept clean and fresh. There is no inter- 
 minable smoke or dense fog, but a clear, bright, and 
 blue sky above ; and the atmosphere is as pure to 
 breathe as a city's atmosphere can be. The masses of 
 people look as well and as healthy as those of other large 
 cities. We must notice, however, that, generally speak- 
 ing, the citizens are not so clean as their city. 
 
 On every side there is an air of cheerfulness and gaiety. 
 The people seem to live very much out of doors, taking 
 their meals at cafes and restaurants; very few seem to 
 live much at home. In this respect, how unlike Americans 
 or Englishmen, or any people, in fact, who have any ideas 
 of comfort ! "We very much doubt whether a genuine 
 Parisian knows what we mean by home. 
 
 The Boulevards, gardens, promenades, places of amuse- 
 ment, streets, and parks, are literally filled with women 
 and children, who apparently regard houses as mere 
 dormitories. 
 
 The fountains surpass any we have ever before seen ; 
 those in the garden of the Tuileries, Place de la Con- 
 corde, and Palais Royale, are indeeed beautiful, and 
 afford immense delight and entertainment to admiring 
 thousands. 
 
 The police of the city form a fine-looking body, and are 
 usually very attentive to their duties, and to the enquiries 
 of all strangers ; they carry swords, and have more of a 
 military look than would be altogether pleasant to Ameri- 
 cans and Englishmen. 
 
 Soldiers are everywhere to be seen in full uniform. 
 There are always from 40,000 to 100,000 in barracks in 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 181 
 
 Paris ; those we have seen being a very good-looking set 
 of men. Their uniforms are far better than we had sup- 
 posed any army equipped with ; many of them are really 
 splendid, and we have yet to see a soldier's dress shabby 
 or the least out of order. 
 
 The expense of living here is not so high as in London 
 or New- York, and people live on a much less quantity of 
 food. Wines are plentiful, and of every quality and price. 
 Bordeaux is as plentiful and as commonly used as beer 
 in England, and we had almost said, as water with us. 
 The markets are well stocked with animal food, and we 
 have seen and tasted the finest veal here we ever saw in 
 any part of the world ; but the beef is not so good as 
 John Bull's. Horse meat, which is eaten here consider- 
 ably, we have not been able to recognize, nor have we 
 seen any hind quarters of the Frenchman's ugly dainty, 
 the croaking frog, though they can be had at every 
 respectable cafe or restaurant. Bread here is almost 
 always good, and in all sized and shaped loaves ; some we 
 saw full six feet long ! These may be really called 
 the staff of life — -they are not much unlike walking- 
 sticks. 
 
 Order reigns in Paris ; every department of public busi- 
 ness moving on like clock-work. The people apparently 
 have plenty to do, and contentment and cheerfulness are 
 generally displayed in the countenances of the ceaseless 
 crowd. The army is believed to be unusually loyal and 
 devoted to the reigning dynasty. The Emperor is now 
 at the encampment at Chalons, personally in command 
 of 24,000 of the choicest troops of his "grand armee;" 
 thither we intended going to see some of his reviews, but 
 
182 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 time will not permit us, unless we choose to forego the 
 pleasure and profit of visiting some of the many places we 
 have made up our minds to see. 
 
 We must now bid you a loving adieu. Our next will 
 be about the Pantheon, some of the Churches, Napoleon's 
 Tomb, the Hotel des Invalides, Place de la Concorde, and we 
 hardly know what else — there are so many things worthy 
 of attention and examination— so much we should be 
 sorry to leave behind us unseen, in this most splendid and 
 interesting city of Paris. 
 
LETTER No. X. 
 
 Paris, France, September 20th, 1857. 
 Dear Father M * * * * : 
 
 Taking our staff in hand (not one of the long loaves men- 
 tioned in our last, but a plain walking stick,) we next 
 made our way through the Rue St. Honore to the Plaice and 
 Column Yendome, erected by order of Napoleon the Great, 
 in the year 1806, as a triumphal pillar in commemoration 
 of the brilliant successes of the armies of France in the 
 Austrian and Prussian campaigns. It is as beautiful as it 
 is colossal : formed of nearly 300 plates of bronze metal, 
 cast out of twelve hundred pieces of cannon taken from the 
 Austrians and Prussians. On these plates, arranged in a 
 spiral form, are bas-relief representations of the greatest 
 events and battles of the campaign of 1805, up to the 
 bloody field of Austerlitz. Its height is 140 feet, ascended 
 by 174 steps within the masonry of the column, and the 
 top is surmounted by a splendid statue of Napoleon I. — a 
 magnificent memorial of that astonishing campaign, and of 
 the mighty genius by whom it was conducted. From the 
 top of this towering column is a very fine view of the cen- 
 tral parts of Paris, and of some of the environs. The 
 buildings around it are fine, large, and substantial. 
 
 Having ascended and descended this proud ornament of 
 Paris, we took an open carriage to the Pantheon, formerly 
 
184 
 
 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 a temple, where were to repose the philosophers and other 
 great dead of the country, now a magnificent church where 
 mass is daily said, and where many of the learned, noble, 
 and aristocratic attend. It is a vast and imposing build- 
 ing, and as we stood in the open court or square before it, 
 it loomed loftily and majestically upward. The great 
 porch and tympanum of the portico are exceedingly fine. 
 Twenty- two immense fluted columns support it. The large 
 allegorical figures representing Grenius and Science on 
 either side of France are very imposing and striking. On 
 the right are Rousseau, Voltaire, Lafayette, Fenelon, Mira- 
 beau, and many other illustrious men, and on the left are 
 statues of the most distinguished commanders and soldiers 
 of the Republican and Imperial armies. At the feet of 
 France are seated History and Liberty inscribing on ever- 
 lasting tablets the names of her most illustrious sons, and 
 weaving crowns of glory for their reward. Under the 
 portico are other bas-reliefs of Grenius, Science, Art, Legis- 
 lation, and Patriotism. The whole front is splendid and 
 effective. The figures are of colossal yet perfect propor- 
 tions. That of France is full fifteen feet high, while all 
 the others are in due proportion, and the light and shade 
 are made to fall upon them so as to produce the finest pos- 
 sible effect. The church is in the form of a Greek cross. 
 
 The inside is not profusely ornamented, but its triple 
 dome is a masterpiece of architecture, and as vast as im- 
 posing. On the great central dome are frescoes represent- 
 ing Justice, Napoleon I., France, and Death. There are 
 pictures, many of them among the finest specimens of art, 
 representing historical epochs of France, and several of her 
 most important personages, covering in all the space of 
 3,723 square yards ! The great dome is surmounted by a 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 185 
 
 magnificent lantern four hundred and fifty feet above the 
 level of the Seine. In the vaults or crypt beneath the 
 marble floor of the church lie entombed Voltaire and 
 Rousseau. Their tombs and those of many others, whose 
 ashes are here preserved, are very beautiful. 
 
 In this neighborhood are many old and narrow streets 
 in which several sanguinary conflicts occurred in 1848 be- 
 tween the soldiers and the people. The insurgents at one 
 time having obtained possession of the strong walls of this 
 church, and barricaded its massive bronze doors, heavy 
 pieces of artillery were brought to bear upon it, and after 
 several discharges dislodged them. The effects of the shot 
 and all signs of violence upon it and upon the buildings in 
 the neighborhood have been obliterated. Considerable 
 damage was done inside as well as out. The copies of 
 the works of Michael Angelo and Rubens, executed by 
 able French masters, are considered uncommonly good. 
 How much there is in this single edifice inviting and 
 worthy of examination ! "We loved to linger among its 
 splendors, to admire some single masterpiece, or to view 
 from various points the harmony and grandeur of the 
 whole. 
 
 We next went to the Jardin des Plantes : a great botani- 
 cal and horticultural garden of nearly every living and 
 known plant, tree, and flower, and containing a zoological 
 collection, in which is found nearly every living animal, 
 also museums, library, amphitheatre, immense chemical 
 laboratory, and physiological lecture room. The scientific 
 men of France as well as the government take great in- 
 terest, in this grand establishment. BufTon and Cuvier, 
 and many other distinguished names, have contributed 
 
186 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 much towards making it what it is. It is kept in excel- 
 lent order, fragrant with thousands of flowers from all 
 quarters of the globe, and is daily frequented by admiring 
 crowds, who can hardly fail to be benefited by such a pleas- 
 ing and instructive exhibition. The collection of trees 
 from foreign countries is large, but we thought not so fine 
 and flourishing as in the Royal Kew G-ardens. The foli- 
 age is now falling quite rapidly, many of the trees are quite 
 bare, at which we were rather surprised, as it is at least 
 two or three weeks sooner than the fall is so far advanced 
 with us, or even in England, though so near by. This, 
 somehow, quite attracted our attraction in this and other 
 gardens, as well as in the Champs Elysees and Bois de 
 Boulogne. "We saw here for the first time a black panther, 
 perfectly jet, and a very pretty creature. Among the ani- 
 mals is a huge elephant, the largest we ever beheld, and 
 two great hippopotami. These monstrous and ungainly 
 animals were disporting themselves in a luxurious bath 
 constructed for their comfort ; after frolicking a while in 
 the water they quietly lie down, with their great heads 
 peeping out, and take a comfortable nap. We also saw 
 here some beautiful gazelles, with their large, soft, and 
 melting eyes, and they were really dear creatures ! Tom 
 Moore's sweet words recurred to memory : — 
 
 And ever thus, since childhood's hour 
 
 I've seen my fondest hopes decay ; 
 I never loved a tree or flower 
 
 But 'twas the first to fade away ; 
 I never nursed a dear gazelle 
 
 To glad me with its soft black eye, 
 But when it came to know me well 
 
 And love me — it was sure to die ! 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 187 
 
 As in the Regent's Zoological Gardens, London, there 
 are here lions, tigers, leopards, bears, monkeys, &c. "We 
 observed sheep of various breeds ; Cashmere goats, lamas, 
 the four-horned antelope ; storks, ostriches, and numerous 
 birds and reptiles abound ; there are several specimens of 
 the yak, or Thibet ox, with long soft hair, and silky and 
 bushy tails, dragging on the ground ; some fine sheep with 
 enormous fleeces, and tails so fat that when boiled they 
 yield fifteen pounds of tallow each — sent from Asia Minor 
 to France by the renowned chief Abdel-Kader ; the 
 cream-colored Hungarian oxen, very slim built, but with 
 elk-like, wide, branching horns, tapered at the points like 
 needles, and the noble giraffes, with their long necks, 
 reaching nearly twenty feet high — these, and many other 
 animals were very interesting and curious novelties to us. 
 We were necessarily hurried in our observations, for we 
 were determined to see all we could see. 
 
 The garden is rather contracted for its extensive collec- 
 tion, and must be often considerably crowded. The walks 
 are less carefully attended to than any other garden we 
 have had the pleasure of going into, and were quite 
 dusty. 
 
 Having seen all we conveniently could at the Jardin 
 des Plantes, we made our way to the Palace of the Lux- 
 embourg, the present Senate Chamber of the Peers of 
 Prance. The facade of this palace struck us, as we ap- 
 proached it, as being very beautiful and bold. It connects 
 two large pavilions by terraces, as well as two arcaded 
 corridors, from the centre of which grandly rises a splendid 
 cupola, adorned with fine statues. This was once a favor- 
 ite royal residence, then for a time a ruin, and is now occu- 
 
 8* 
 
188 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 pied by the Senate. Here Catharine de Medici lived, 
 also Louis Eighteenth ; and Josephine Beauharnais, after- 
 wards the Empress, and her first husband, were con- 
 fined here. The infamous Directory was held here, and 
 here, too, the Chamber of Peers was created. 
 
 The grand staircase is very lofty and effective. Ascend- 
 ing its easy steps, we entered the state apartments, now 
 used by the members of the Senate. The first room is 
 called the Salle des G-ardes, and is adorned with statues of 
 Solon, Cicero, Aristides, Cincinnatus, Leonidas ; and also 
 those of some distinguished French statesmen, all very 
 much to be admired, as they will bear the severest scru- 
 tiny. Next is the Salle d'Attente, with a splendid statue 
 of Julius Csesar, the first conqueror of ancient Graul ; and 
 some excellent paintings in fresco. Adjoining is the Salle 
 des Messages, adorned with a few choice gems of painting, 
 marble busts of numerous distinguees, and still more 
 charming frescoes, representing Aurora, Prudence, Charles 
 the Ninth receiving the keys of Paris, Charlemagne, &c. 
 The softness of the coloring and delicacy of shading in this 
 room are unsurpassed. 
 
 "We next entered the Salle du Trone. You can form no 
 true idea of the gorgeousness and splendor, the truly regal 
 magnificence of this room, without seeing it. Its sculpture, 
 delicate carving, gilding, frescoes, and treble ceilings, 
 one above, and again above, the other, forming almost an 
 arch, are indescribably beautiful. Indeed we could but 
 think of the magnificent hanging gardens, and exclaim, 
 with Milton, 
 
 'V^ot Babylon, 
 Nor great Alcairo, such magnificence 
 Equalled in all their glories. " 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 189 
 
 It is adorned with some celebrated paintings. The one 
 representing Napoleon I., when elected Emperor, the 
 display of the forty flags taken in the battle of Austerlitz, 
 and his visit to the Hotel des Invalides, among his war- 
 worn veterans, are exceedingly attractive. 
 
 The library, which is a gallery the whole length of one 
 fagade, is well-filled, and handsomely fitted up, as is also 
 the bust-room, indeed ail the galleries are pleasant as art 
 can make them. 
 
 The Salle du Senat, where the Chamber of Peers as- 
 semble, and hold their official sittings, is semi-circular, 
 with a light vaulted roof, allegorically painted, representing 
 Law, Wisdom, Patriotism, and Justice. The vaulting is 
 supported by graceful Ionic marble columns. The recess 
 for the President of the Senate's chair is very fine, .and 
 around it are arranged statues of several noble and learned 
 men. There are also numerous niches filled with marble 
 statues of statesmen and military heroes. The furniture 
 is not extravagant, and the tout ensemble of the chamber 
 is substantial and agreeable, giving the place an appropri- 
 ate air of solemnity, dignity, and order. 
 
 There are other rooms equally splendid with those we 
 first entered, and hung with delightful paintings, among 
 which we particularly noted one of Napoleon I. distri- 
 buting the Eagles of -France to the Army, a very splen- 
 did picture by an eminent French artist ; also another, of 
 Napoleon Third returning from the Palace of St. Cloud ; 
 and a third, representing his marriage with the Empress 
 Eugenie — all master pieces. 
 
 Descending a side staircase, we entered the once private 
 room of Catherine de Medici, in the same order in which 
 
190 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 she left it at her death, and decorated with some fine 
 paintings by Rubens, Campana, and Poussin. The 
 centre-piece of the ceiling is also by Rubens, and very 
 beautifully executed. The chairs, &c, are covered with 
 gold and crimson velvet, and the cornices and panels 
 richly painted and gilt. In the chapel are some very line 
 paintings ; one we particularly examined and admired, the 
 Adoration of the Shepherds, by White, an American artist. 
 There are medallions, representing angels, each holding a 
 symbol of the Passion ; the Angel and two sweet chil- 
 dren ; the Marriage of the Virgin ; but the most surprising 
 to us, partly on account of the subject, was the magnifi- 
 cent altar-piece, representing the Throne of God ! 
 
 We saw in one of the apartments the arm-chairs used 
 at the coronation of the first Napoleon ; we also were shown 
 a room in which the marriage contracts of all the senators' 
 daughters are signed and ratified. 
 
 We again ascended to the fine old picture galleries, libe- 
 rally supplied with specimens of the oldest and choicest of 
 paintings. There were originally about thirty of Rubens' 
 best here, collected by Maria de Medici, and the walls are 
 now hung with some by Paul de la Roche, Horace Yernet, 
 and one or two by Michael Angelo. The most of them, 
 however, are the works of modern masters, noted for gen- 
 ius ; but all these pieces are continually changing to the 
 Louvre, it being a rule to remove those hanging here, on 
 the decease of the artist, for exhibition at the Louvre. 
 
 On leaving these regal halls and galleries, so replete 
 with the labors of genius, we felt the regret we have so 
 often experienced, that our time was so limited. But 
 these are flowery fields of beauty, only to be hastily flut- 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 191 
 
 tered over, as the little Lee hovers over the sweet blooming 
 flower garden ; but some of their beauties will be treasured 
 up, brought forth from the cells of our imagination, and, 
 one by one, lingered over to our heart's entire satisfaction. 
 
 The garden attached to this palace is the most artistic- 
 ally arranged of any in Paris. The groves of noble trees, 
 the fine terraces, the multitude of statuary, the admirable 
 fountains, and the delightful parterres and orangery, 
 all combine to form a pleasure garden in which even royal 
 luxury may find pleasure. There are also several hand- 
 some avenues, and one " grande avenue," that is quite 
 charming. About half-way down the extent of the latter 
 is a noble piece of marble statuary recently erected to the 
 memory of Marshal Ney, who was barbarously shot on the 
 same spot forty years ago. He stands erect, leading his 
 gallant soldiers into action, by his own example encourag- 
 ing them to deeds of valor. It is a fine memento of the 
 gallant Ney, and arouses sorrowful and indignant thoughts 
 of that intrepid and heroic chieftain, so meanly and vin- 
 dictively butchered for the devotion he had displayed to- 
 wards his beloved commander. His enemies attempted to 
 justify their infamous revenge, by pleading that it was ne- 
 cessary to make a fearful example. But how many have 
 thus been immolated whose blood cries aloud from out of 
 the earth, even unto heaven, for vengeance ! 
 
 After our too brief visit to the Palace of the Luxembourg 
 — which may justly be considered as one of the best build- 
 ings of Paris, as well as most beautiful and interesting to 
 all visitors and strangers, — we hastened towards the most 
 remarkable of all the places yet visited by us, the Tomb 
 of Napoleon. Our approach to it was from the Place 
 
192 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE, 
 
 Vauban, whence we took a brief survey of the structure, 
 the total height of which is near three hundred and fifty 
 feet from the surface of the ground. The allegorical 
 figures, the projecting buttresses, the beautiful and graceful 
 composite columns, the statues, highly wrought pediments, 
 pilasters, and balustrades, the lantern, gilt spire, and the 
 great drum of the dome, formerly covered with lead, and 
 highly gilded — the gilding now nearly all removed by the 
 elements — present a magnificent appearance. But on en- 
 tering beneath the ^reat outer doors the beholder is aston- 
 ished by the sublimity that bursts upon his vision. With 
 head unconsciously uncovered, we gazed upon the scene. 
 Art and genius have here erected a monument to the favor- 
 ite hero of a great nation, that is worthy of him, and im- 
 presses the beholder with a feeling of reverence. Above 
 the spectator is the lofty dome, from which a strangely soft 
 and delicate light is thrown upon the remarkable fresco of 
 the Four Evangelists ; then, dropping the eye a little lower, 
 the fine bas-relief of Charlemagne, Dagobert, Philip Au- 
 gustus, St. Louis, the Louises XII., XIII. and XIV., and 
 Henry III., and some others, stand out as if they were liv- 
 ing men. Beneath this lofty, and we may say, wonderful 
 dome, is the grand mausoleum, with its beautiful red Fin- 
 land marble sarcophagus, that is to contain the body of the 
 great Napoleon. 
 
 The mausoleum describes a perfect circle or open crypt, 
 and is constructed of the purest white marble. Its depth 
 is about twenty feet, supported by marble columns, and 
 beween each of these, standing against the pilasters, are 
 twelve splendid statues, representing as many victories, 
 each facing the sarcophagus. The pavement is a splendid 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 193 
 
 work in mosaic. The rays of an aura, or glory, of golden- 
 colored marble encircle the tomb, and within that a most 
 delicate and exquisite wreath of laurel, of extraordinary 
 beauty, the color surprisingly natural. This wreath en- 
 circles the celebrated victories of Rivoli, Marengo, Jena, 
 the Pyramids, Wagram, Austerlitz, Friedland, and Moscow. 
 The cover to the sarcophagus alone weighs one hundred 
 and thirty-five thousand pounds, and was polished by a 
 powerful steam engine. The place for the body is a single 
 block, and is twelve feet long and six wide, resting upon 
 two solid plinths of green granite, set within the centre of 
 the circle of names of the victories. The whole will 
 be about fourteen feet high, and is a mansion for the dead 
 grander, probably, than he whose dust it is to receive ever 
 expected to occupy. 
 
 A balustrade, or more properly speaking, enclosure, 
 around, about waist high to an ordinary man, surrounds 
 the sarcophagus that is to contain all that remains of 
 Napoleon Bonaparte : brought from the place of his dreary 
 exile on sterile St. Helena, and resting for ever on the 
 banks of the Seine, on the soil of that France he loved so 
 much and raised for a time so high, and for which he 
 would freely have given his blood and life. Here let the 
 precious ashes lie till the last great trump shall sound, and 
 re- animate them, and awaken to life and judgment the 
 dead, the great and the humble alike — all who have 
 lived on earth. His last battle was fought long ago ; and 
 though the surging ocean moaned around his dying hour, 
 and the final death struggle was in dreams of battle, his 
 mortal remains lie where he would have chosen, and 
 over them, for many years to come, sympathetic tears 
 
194 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 will be shed by the enthusiastic children of the land that 
 so adores his name. Here the admirers of the wonderful 
 genius that once animated his mouldering clay, will with 
 reverence and love look upon this his tomb, and acknow- 
 ledge that, great as he was, this is the last of earth ! 
 
 At present his remains lie in a recess, or small room, to 
 the left of the entrance and crypt, protected by a strong 
 iron gate, through which we looked upon his coffin, covered 
 with a rich pall, surmounted by his military hat, the 
 clothes he wore, and his sword. The walls are also hung 
 with fine black cloth, and a golden lamp is constantly 
 burning. It is a plain but an impressive scene, and the 
 eager crowd, really a vast multitude, constantly thronging 
 and passing by it, between a file of police, hurrying them 
 along, attests the veneration and respect his greatness and 
 memory still excite. All have to take place at the end of 
 the moving column, and pass the gate in turn ; none can 
 stand still, but look as they move with the mass. 
 
 People of all nations visit this place, displaying an al- 
 most unexampled respect and eagerness. Jerusalem and 
 Mecca, perhaps, had such a crowd daily thronging to their 
 gates. 
 
 On either side, right and left, as you enter, are the tombs 
 of Vauban and Turenne, with very beautiful cenotaphs, in 
 white marble. Beneath Napoleon's sarcophagus and the 
 pavement are buried several of his distinguished marshals. 
 Duroc and Bertrand have also tombs here. 
 
 There are also here four circular chapels, each having 
 lofty arched entrances, and each one beautifully decorated 
 with magnificent marble work and paintings in fresco. 
 The high altar-piece is in every way worthy of the edifice. 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 195 
 
 The altar-table and the side supporting columns of the 
 magnificent gilt canopy are of raven black marble, highly 
 polished. The windows over the circle of the altar are 
 painted, and so arranged that the whole has a peculiar soft 
 appearance, like the mother of pearl ; its beauty 
 
 " Steals o'er the soul like sunshine o'er the skies." 
 
 On either side of this altar are marble staircases, wind- 
 ing down into the old chapel proper of the Hotel des In- 
 valides, the home of the old soldiers, which is hung with 
 flags taken by Napoleon, and other generals, in the various 
 wars of France, the last being the Russian flag, taken 
 from the flag-staff of the MalakhofT, at Sebastopol. 
 
 Before the battle of Waterloo, and the entrance of the 
 allied armies into Paris, there hung here over three thou- 
 sand flags, eagles, and banners ; but large numbers of 
 them were then burned, and the Sword of Frederick the 
 Great, a trophy from the battle field, broken in two pieces 
 by order of Joseph Bonaparte, the eve before the allies en- 
 tered the city, who, he probably thought, would not be 
 much gratified by the sight there of the evidences of the 
 victories achieved by the French, so conspicuously dis- 
 played. 
 
 The Hotel des Invalides is an asylum for the poor, 
 infirm, and wounded soldiers of the Empire. We saw 
 numbers of the pensioners who had fought in the old wars, 
 grey-haired veterans, who had gone through all Napoleon's 
 campaigns ; some were without arms, some with one leg, 
 or no legs, scarred, crippled, frozen, bruised and maimed 
 in every imaginable way ; and we looked upon them with 
 sincere respect, as being relics and comrades of the mighty 
 
196 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 dead we. had just been contemplating, and who once 
 led them in serried battalions over conquering fields, and 
 endured with them almost unearthly privations and suffer- 
 ings — burning suns and fierce storms, the hot and burning 
 sands of Egypt, the bitter cold of Russia, the forced 
 march, the bivouac, starvation, plagues, retreats, and glo- 
 rious victories. 
 
 These scarred veterans are cared for as men, and we 
 have not yet seen an institution in Europe, (of course ex- 
 cepting Greenwich Hospital, in England,) which so nearly 
 comes up to our idea of the retreat for the infirm and dis- 
 abled of our brave soldiers and sailors, that we should like 
 to see provided by the United States. It is surely nothing 
 too generous that a government should give its defenders, 
 infirm, improvident, scarred, war-worn, the certainty of a 
 home when they need it, with ample pensions, where every 
 reasonable want may be provided for, and where they can 
 recount their battles, renew their youth, and finally die in 
 peace. We consider such a provision would be but just, 
 and it certainly would be politic. 
 
 The great kitchen, dining rooms, sleeping halls, council 
 rooms, library, &c, are in perfect order. The food is 
 nicely prepared, and as fit for kings as subjects. The 
 flower-garden in front of the hotel, attended to exclusively 
 by the old men, is as beautiful as it can be made, and it 
 is gratifying to see the pleasure with which they inhale its 
 perfume as they tread its graveled walks. 
 
 Arranged along the inside of the front moat are several 
 old cannon, taken in the various wars, some of them enor- 
 mously large guns of brass, and two lately added from 
 Sebastopol. This is, and always has been, a sacred spot 
 
NOTES. BY THE WAYSIDE. 197 
 
 to the French people ; and amid all their tumults and up- 
 heavals it has never been disturbed. Its inmates have re- 
 mained in peace and safety in the retreat which their coun- 
 try has provided for them. It was a most interesting 
 place to visit, and the remarkable fact continually occurred 
 to our minds, that though Napoleon spent his last years 
 and drew his last breath so far away from his adopted land, 
 pining in inaction in lonely exile, still the mouldering dust 
 that once formed the earthly vestment and instrument, as 
 it were, of his wonderful mind, at last again reposes amid 
 the remains of that military grandeur and power of which 
 he was the soul. Many of his marshals lie around him, 
 sleeping with him the sleep that only the last trumpet 
 shall ever disturb. Old veterans, who spent their prime in 
 his service, now near him rest from their toils and dangers : 
 soon all those he commanded will join their old comman- 
 der, and all the memorial they will leave will be an inter- 
 esting chapter in the world's history. 
 
 " The garlands wither on every brow ; 
 Then boast no more of mighty deeds ; 
 Upon death's purple altar now 
 The war-worn victor bleeds ! 
 All heads must come 
 To the cold tomb. 
 Only the actions of the just 
 Smell sweet, and blossom in the dust." 
 
 The only thing that disappointed us, in connection with 
 our visit to the tomb of Napoleon, and the home of the 
 Invalides, was, not seeing a tablet, inscription, memorial, 
 or sculpture, sacred to the memory of Josephine ! One 
 would suppose that she, Napoleon's first wife, and best 
 
198 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 counselor, own grandmother of the present emperor, who 
 is superintending the erection of all this work, would either 
 have been placed by the side of Napoleon, or at least in 
 one of the chapels, with appropriate inscriptions and deco- 
 rations. The omission is quite remarkable, and seemed to 
 us totally inexcusable ; though perhaps there are " reasons 
 of state" for it, which we do not understand. The present- 
 emperor is descended from Napoleon I. through her line of 
 descent : a fact not a little singular, when we remember her 
 career. Aye ! cannot the great Napoleon's rapid descent 
 from the height of his power be traced from the hour even, 
 when he so ambitiously, wantonly, and barbarously, caused 
 that noble woman to sign their articles of separation and 
 divorce ? That was his first fatal mistake, the first step 
 down from his pinnacle of fame ; and from that moment he 
 began to waver, and became blinded by his own glory and 
 excessive self-confidence, till finally he perished by his mad 
 ambition. It would be but simple justice to give to the 
 dead Josephine all possible honor and respect ; the whole 
 world would applaud him who should pay due homage to 
 her memory by a monument worthy of the faithful wife 
 of the great Napoleon. 
 
 Having walked and looked till we were wearied, and 
 hungry as half-famished wolves, we again took a carriage, 
 drove to the Palais Royal, and soon seated ourselves at one 
 of the tables of the Cafe de Foy, where hundreds daily 
 dine. From the window where we sat, our view took in 
 the whole garden and three facades of the palace, with its 
 handsome arcades, the fine fountain, and the seemingly 
 gay thousands of people, young and old, high and low, who 
 had gathered beneath the shady lime trees, to enjoy the 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 199 
 
 delightful music of the band of the Imperial Guard, 
 which at this season of the year performs on alternate eve- 
 nings, here and at the Place Yendome, from five to seven 
 o'clock, for the benefit of the people. It was a lovely- 
 evening and a pleasant scene, and it was really delightful 
 to dine at one's leisure, with such an animated pros- 
 pect to look out upon, and to listen to the stirring and vo- 
 luptuous music of this excellent band. And when the sun 
 had gone down the numberless gas lamps were lit up, the 
 crowd kept increasing, and the scene became still more 
 brilliant, interesting and fascinating. To us it was stri- 
 kingly novel, and had a strange fascination. We could 
 almost fancy it was 
 
 " One of those rainbow dreams, 
 
 Half-light, half-shade, which fancy's beams 
 Paint on the fleeting mists that roll, 
 In trance or slumber, round the soul." 
 
 Under the arcades are some of the finest jewelry shops 
 and bazaars in Paris ; and when brilliantly lighted, and 
 filled with people, as it usually is in the evening, there are 
 but few more attractive and animated places — just fit to 
 pass an idle hour or two. Gro where you may, pleasures 
 of every kind seem to invite on every hand, and the myr- 
 iads that fill the streets, and places, and theatres, and 
 saloons, seem all to be enjoying themselves. Paris in the 
 evening is quite turned inside out ; the gardens and prom- 
 enades are thronged with all classes, rich and poor, civil- 
 ians and soldiers, gendarmes and chevaliers d'industrie, 
 noblemen and laborers. We will once more, to see the 
 sights, take an open carriage, with a lazy cocker, of course, 
 
200 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 and drive through the cele orated Champs Elysees, Boule- 
 vard des Italiens, Boulevard Poussoniere, &c, to the 
 Column of July, in the Place de la Bastile, and thence 
 down the Rue Rivoli, and so back to our hotel. This will 
 finish our day with a regular feu de joie. 
 
 We have seen few more charming sights than that of 
 the Champs Elysee when brilliantly lit up in the evening. 
 The lofty and fine old trees towering above, the thousands 
 of burning gas lights illumining the dense wood, the nu- 
 merous walks and magnificent roadways ; the gay throngs 
 on every side, engaged in amusing themselves and each 
 other, and forgetting for the time all life's business and 
 anxieties ; some dancing, some singing, others riding, 
 jumping, and swinging; while along the great central 
 avenue, to and fro, rolls a process'ion of elegant equipages 
 and carriages, of every description — except those used for 
 carrying goods, and other like business purposes ; — then 
 the jugglers, temporary billiard tables, pantomimes, strag- 
 gling puppet-show players — -the three movable theatres, 
 the Cirque huperiale, the brilliantly lighted and tempting 
 cafes and restaurants ; — the three or four oriental and 
 pagoda-like temples, classically hung with wreaths of 
 flowers, and illuminated, so that around them it is almost 
 as light as noon-day, and where there is always good in- 
 strumental music to be heard, and gaily and tastefully 
 dressed ballet-girls to be seen, looking so charming and 
 young, and gay, by gas light — all these things, and much 
 else, which we need not enumerate, and cannot recall, you 
 will imagine must form a surprising and attractive ever 
 changing panorama. It is understood that these out-of- 
 door amusements for the million are kept up at the joint 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 201 
 
 expense of the cafes and saloons in the neighborhood and 
 the Imperial Government. 
 
 As we drove along we could not help admiring the Place 
 de la Concorde ! This is a large open space, nearly square, 
 separating the Garden of the Tuileries from the Champs 
 Ely sees, and the Seine from the Rue Rivoli. At the cor- 
 ners stand immense allegorical figures in marble, repre- 
 senting eight of the principal cities and towns of France, 
 with appropriate designs and patriotic inscriptions or mot- 
 toes, and with two incomparable allegorical bronze foun- 
 tains, formed of the figures of tritons, water-nymphs, and 
 sea gods, from whose mouths copious streams of water rise 
 and fall, covering the whole group, producing a pleasing 
 sound, and cooling the air with the unceasing and numer- 
 ous cascades. In the centre stands the beautiful obelisk, 
 brought from Egypt in 1833, and placed on the pedestal it 
 now. stands upon by Louis Phillippe, in 1836 — being a 
 single block of granite, seventy-two feet three inches high, 
 weighing one hundred and twenty -two tons, covered with 
 Egyptian hieroglyphics, and the same that once stood in 
 front of the great temple of Thebes, in the reign of 
 Sesostris, fifteen hundred and fifty years before the com- 
 mencement of the Christian era. All these, with the 
 splendid rows of tall iron and gilt lamp-posts, each very 
 handsomely decorated with fancy castings and double 
 lamps, and its being a favorite promenade, made it a de- 
 lightful place, of which the Parisian is justly proud. 
 
 Here was erected the horrible guillotine, in revolution- 
 ary times, by the inhuman Robespierre ; here Louis XVI., 
 Maria Antoinette, Charlotte Corday, and a multitude be- 
 sides, and at last the wretch Robespierre himself, suffered 
 
202 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 death by it. Now the grand displays of fire- works are 
 made here on extraordinary occasions. 
 
 Thence, by the classic Madeleine, (and how beautiful is 
 its front, seen by the artificial light, or by the gentle shade 
 of evening !) we enter upon the famous Boulevards, pecu- 
 liar to Paris. These are wide, airy, and elegant thorough- 
 fares, both for pedestrians and carriages. They are triple 
 avenues — very wide walks on each side, and a broad car- 
 riage way in the middle — the same as our own streets, 
 only very wide, say from two to three hundred feet, 
 with rows of trees planted at regular intervals, on the edge 
 of the curb-stones, between the roadway and the walks. 
 These Boulevards are at the same time a protection (worth 
 tenfold more in this respect than the ramparts of the city, 
 that have cost almost untold millions) and a pleasure to 
 the citizens, who mostly regard them as among the first of 
 the advantages and attractions peculiar to Paris. And 
 the present Emperor likes these wide streets and open 
 boulevards, paved with asphaltum and wood, with which 
 enthusiastic young France is unable to construct those 
 revolutionary barricades, in which he had become so expert. 
 And then the artillery would sweep so effectually those 
 long straight avenues ! The Parisians tell you that Paris 
 leads France, which leads the world — that Paris is the 
 centre of civilization and revolution ; but the ardent spirits 
 of that great city will have to discover a new mode of ex- 
 pelling the rapidly worn out dynasties of France, or Paris 
 will cease to be a source of anxiety and uneasiness to the 
 crowned heads of Europe. 
 
 The Boulevard des Italiens is the most fashionable and 
 most frequented one in the city. We saw it to advantage 
 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 203 
 
 one fine evening, when every gas burner was in requisi- 
 tion, and emitting its brilliant light. The luxury and 
 beauty of the shops, hotels, cafes, and restaurants, were 
 fully displayed, and the architectural proportions of the 
 buildings, mostly white free stone, or painted imitation of 
 white stone, stood out in bold relief. In front of the cafes, 
 hotels and restaurants, were thousands of men and women 
 sitting at the small deal tables, eating, drinking, chatting 
 and smoking ; the walks apparently jammed with a mov- 
 ing mass of people, and the roadway filled with carriages 
 and equipages, whose occupants were all bent on display- 
 ing and amusing themselves. 
 
 We had to confess that Broadway, and all other ways 
 we had ever seen, were totally eclipsed by this Boulevard 
 des Italiens. Only in Paris, with its taste, its love of out- 
 door life and outside display, its good humor and gaiety, 
 could such a spectacle be kept up. And for over two miles 
 the scene continues of the same character, yet with suffi- 
 cient change and variety to keep all on the qui vive. 
 
 At the crossing of the Rue St. Denis, midway to the 
 Place de la Bastile, is a very fine fountain, and a noble 
 triumphal arch, erected, we believe, in the reign of Louis 
 Phillippe. 
 
 The Column of July stands on the spot where once 
 stood the old blood-stained fortress of the Bastile, and was 
 erected in commemoration of those who fell victims of the 
 terrible " three days," in the year 1830, and whose remains 
 are deposited underneath the granite pedestal. You will 
 probably remember that the key of this ancient and hor- 
 rible prison was sent by Lafayette to Washington, and for 
 a long time hung, as we believe it does still, in the hall of 
 
 9 
 
204 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 the old family mansion, at Mount Vernon, on the green 
 banks of the Potomac. 
 
 The height of the column is one hundred and eighty- 
 four feet, constructed of plates of bronze, with lions' heads 
 and other figures upon them. Not being supported by 
 masonry within, it vibrates with the wind. The top is sur- 
 mounted by a large gilt figure of the Genius of Liberty, 
 holding a torch lighted in one hand, and a broken chain in 
 the other, and standing on one foot, with wings expanded, 
 as if about to take her flight. Here the Rue Rivoli ter- 
 minates, though it will probably be extended still farther 
 eastward. We drove down through it to our lodgings, 
 well satisfied with our day's labor. 
 
 The next morning, having refreshed our weary man by 
 
 " Tired nature's sweet restorer, balmy sleep," 
 
 and strengthened the body by some excellent substantials, 
 we first made our way down the Rue St. Honore, to the 
 Church of St. Roche, which is of plain external appear- 
 ance, except the double row of Doric and Corinthian col- 
 umns in front, but one of the richest and noblest churches 
 in Paris. It is well endowed, and is attended by wealthy 
 worshipers, and has some special privileges. The walls, 
 though aged, are strong and well proportioned, and in a 
 very good state of preservation. 
 
 Among the paintings, we noticed particularly Christ 
 Blessing Little Children, the Raising of Lazarus from 
 the Grave, the Daughter of J aims, Jesus purging 
 the Temple, and Jesus disputing with the learned 
 Doctors in the Temnle at Jerusalem, — which are very 
 fine. 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 205 
 
 The altar-piece of this church is lofty and grand. The 
 statuary on it, particularly of the infant Saviour in the 
 manger, with Joseph and Mary kneeling, is quite remark- 
 able. There is a shrine here of cedar of Lebanon, orna- 
 mented with gilt bronze mouldings, and containing the 
 relics of the church, and several small pieces of stained 
 glass that are very old and brilliant, and well worth look- 
 ing at. There are but few chapels attached to this church, 
 but each of them should be visited by the stranger, as they 
 will richly repay him for the time he may devote to them ; 
 and if he be fortunate enough to visit it during high mass 
 he will hear some of the very best singing in Paris. The 
 chapel of the Holy Sacrament is magnificently decorated, 
 to represent the Holy of Holies of the Mosaic tabernacle, 
 and all the ornaments and utensils of the Jewish ritual 
 are displayed here. The chapel of the Virgin is consider- 
 ed unsurpassed, and the fresco of the Assumption a speci- 
 men of art the equal of which is seldom to be seen. 
 These figures are so life-like and beautiful that it was diffi- 
 cult to believe that they were merely composed of colors 
 on a flat surface. 
 
 But most remarkable •£ all is the Chapel of Calvary. 
 In a large niche is represented the rocky hill of Calvary, 
 with the body of our Saviour hanging on the Cross, and 
 Mary Magdalene at its foot weeping. The effect of this 
 scene is truly wonderful. We were cmite awe-stricken, as 
 we gazed upon the vivid representation of the grandest and 
 most solemn event that human eyes ever beheld. We 
 seemed to be transported back to the time of Christ, to 
 stand upon the now sacred Mount ; there before us was the 
 Saviour, His hands, feet, and side pierced, His flesh livid 
 
206 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 with the hue of death, bearing upon Himself the sins of 
 the world ; and nature seemed to lament the crime of man. 
 At the right of the hill is the mouth of the cavern, in 
 which is a supposed fac simile of the tomb of Joseph of 
 Arimathea. Well may the scene affect the senses ! It is 
 sublime and heart- touching. These magnificent decora- 
 tions, paintings, statuary, and displays of pomp and splen- 
 dor, as well as of the deepest solemnity and terror, are 
 well calculated to enchain the minds and fascinate the 
 affections of the men, women, and children, who see them 
 and who have been taught to look upon them with the 
 deepest veneration. 
 
 We experienced almost a feeling of surprise on turning 
 from this truthful, life-like and absorbing representation, to 
 find ourselves, after taking a few steps, again in the midst 
 of the life and business and sunshine of Paris. We took 
 our way up the grand avenue of the Champs Elysees, to 
 the Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile. This structure was com- 
 menced by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1806, to commemorate 
 the victories he had then achieved, and the entry into Paris 
 of his new and high-born bride, Maria-Louisa, her for 
 whom he had discarded a faithful and truly noble wife. 
 Louis Phillippe completed the enormous pile. Its foun- 
 dations are twenty-five feet deep in the earth, its height is 
 one hundred and fifty-two feet, its width one hundred and 
 thirty-seven feet by sixty-eight. 
 
 The quantity and variety of sculptured figures and 
 scenes on this splendid arch are astonishing. There is the 
 Genius of War, summoning the nation to arms — a won- 
 derful composition ; the National Deputies around the altar 
 of their country, distributing flags to the troops, as they 
 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 207 
 
 march to the Battle-Field ; warriors, in their various cos- 
 tumes, arming and hurrying to the conflict ; the young 
 man defending his native country, his wife, children, aged 
 sire, and fire-side, against invaders ; a colossal figure of 
 Napoleon receiving a crown from the hands of Yictory, 
 while History is recording his achievements, and conquered 
 cities and nations lie at his feet. Some of the work, that 
 representing the peace of 1815, probably was not contem- 
 plated by Napoleon, when he began to erect this magnifi- 
 cent arch. We have enumerated but a portion of the nu- 
 merous sculptures. There is a fine representation of the 
 Sheathing of the Sword of Battle ; also the Battle of 
 Austerlitz, the Surrender of Mustapha Pacha at the Battle 
 of Aboukir, and the passage of the Bridge of Lodi. All 
 around the heavy frieze is sculptured a fine composition, 
 representing the conquering armies of France returning 
 from their victorious campaigns, and offering to their coun- 
 try the fruits of their glorious victories. Beneath are 
 carved the names of ninety-six battles, in which the arms 
 of France were triumphant, and the names of the three 
 hundred and eighty-four generals whose valour, and skill, 
 and genius, led the legions of their country to victory. 
 
 Doubtless, as a work of art, this triumphal arch is the 
 most splendid and magnificent thing of the kind, not only 
 in Paris, but in the world, and is an enduring monument 
 of the ability and talent of the French in the noble arts of 
 sculpture and architecture. As we sat in the shadow, ex- 
 amining some of the details — and this is not a mere sight, 
 but a grand and complicated work, or series of works, 
 worthy of study and contemplation — as we sat in its 
 shadow, viewing this pictorial record, sculptured in endur- 
 
20S NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 ing material, of France's military glory, we could not but 
 think of the rivers of blood that had been shed in those 
 ninety-six battles — the sufferings of the wounded — the 
 pangs of the dying — the widows and orphans, to whom 
 their share in such dearly purchased national glory was a 
 cruel mockery. 
 
 We imagined the groans, the sighs, that those mutual 
 slaughters of man by fellow man had caused — those mur- 
 derous conflicts depicted so vividly before us, and constantly 
 visited and admired by gay crowds — we thought, could the 
 cries of the wounded and dying be heard altogether, how 
 fearful a sound they would make — an overpowering sound 
 of anguish, amidst which the loudest thunder of heaven or 
 the roar of Niagara would be lost — and which would cause 
 this proud and solid Arch of Triumph to tremble and rock 
 to its deep foundations. 
 
 We ascended to the top of the arch by the spiral stair- 
 case of two hundred and sixty-one steps. The finest view 
 of Paris is to be had from this point. Before us lay the 
 whole city and valley, the Bois de Boulogne, Montmartin, 
 St. Cloud, St. Denis, and all the suburbs. The sun was 
 illuminating the spires, turrets and domes of the city, the 
 whole wide valley, and the distant hillsides with its richest 
 golden splendor. The avenues and streets were swarming 
 with busy people, hurrying hither and thither to their 
 business or pleasure ; and we felt well repaid for the labor 
 of walking up so many stairs. The solidity and massive- 
 ness of the whole form no little part of the grandeur of the 
 structure. 
 
 From this point to the Bois de Boulogne, has recently 
 been opened the Avenue of the Empress, three hundred 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 209 
 
 feet wide, with fine graveled walks and roadway, and 
 grass plats planted with young forest trees. It is a favorite 
 street, and through it thousands of carriages daily roll to 
 the refreshing shade of the wood, just on the other side of 
 the lino of fortifications, where we too will go and refresh 
 our weary selves. 
 
 The trees of the Bois do Boulogne arc not large, being of 
 recent growth, having been planted within the memory of 
 many of the citizens. The old forest was partly destroyed 
 in the Revolution, and the remainder was cut down in 
 1814, to clear the way for the defence of the city against 
 the approach of the allied armies. It was here the English 
 army under Wellington encamped after the battle of 
 Waterloo. This wood is the only one about Paris that 
 approximates to Hyde Park or Ptegent's Park in London, 
 and it is in scarcely any respect equal to them. It is the 
 fashionable drive; the people, many with their families, go 
 to spend the day there, to enjoy the shady walks, or recline 
 beneath the spreading oaks or lime trees, on the grassy 
 banks of the beautiful artificial sheets of water, formed by 
 the present emperor. Winding paths and broad roadways are 
 constructed on a grand scale, and constantly kept damp by 
 the police stationed here to prevent the rising of dirt. The 
 islands in the artificial lakes, the delightful rustic cascades, 
 the elegant temples and kiosks, give beauty and variety to 
 the place, and numerous awnings, iron chairs and benches 
 are provided and placed in all the most pleasant spots for 
 the accommodation of the thousands and tens of thousands 
 who find a refreshing change from city life, in this quiet, 
 yet always cheerful and lively place of resort. 
 
210 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 There is moored in the stream that ornaments the Bois, 
 a beautifully modeled screw-steamer, a present to the 
 young Prince Imperial. The wood is about two miles 
 long, and from one to one and a quarter of a mile wide. 
 Artificial mounds, temples, cafes, grass plats and lawns are 
 charmingly intermingled ; forming just such a place as the 
 Parisian loves, where he can promenade in the open air, 
 surrounded by agreeable objects, and not too retired — for 
 he would find little enjoyment where he may not see and 
 be seen. This wood too has long been a favorite ground for 
 gentlemen and others to give and take satisfaction ; heal- 
 ing their wounded honor by means of cold steel or gun- 
 powder. 
 
 Returning thence along the left bank of the Seine, after re- 
 entering the line of fortifications, we crossed the river on one 
 of the seven splendid stone bridges by which it is spanned, 
 and stood upon the famous Champs de Mars — a smooth 
 open space, three-fourths of a mile long, and a quarter of 
 a mile wide, where military exercises and reviews take 
 place. On this ground Napoleon Bonaparte had his grand 
 fete, in 1815, previous to his setting out on his campaign 
 into Belgium ; and here Napoleon III. distributed the 
 eagles to the army in 1852, when there were sixty thou- 
 sand troops of all arms present. At the south end of it is 
 the Ecole Militaire, a large building in the renaissant style 
 of architecture, instituted as a school for the education of 
 the sons of poor noblemen, but now used as a barracks, and 
 usually well filled. The ground around is kept extremely 
 smooth and hard, not a blade of grass being visible. 
 
 We next visited the Church of St. Sulpice, an old and 
 very interesting place indeed. The paintings, frescoes, 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 211 
 
 statuary, and stained glass are all excellent. The high 
 altar is surrounded by some beautiful statuary of the 
 Apostles, and has some unusually fine gilt ornamentation. 
 A statue of the Virgin, in one of the chapels, is one of the 
 very finest we have seen. The dimensions of the build- 
 ing are : 432 feet long, 174 feet wide, and 99 feet high ; 
 the front ornamented with Doric and Corinthian columns. 
 In the tower are three very large bells, the aggregate weight 
 of which is thirty thousand pounds. The pulpit is quite 
 a curiosity, being sustained only by the stairs. It is orna- 
 mented with some very good figures of Faith, Hope and 
 Charity. At the bottom of one of the aisles there is a 
 meridian line, which marks the spring and winter solstices. 
 The rays of the sun pass through a small hole in a metal 
 plate in the window of the south transept, and form on the 
 pavement a luminous circle, nearly one foot in diameter, 
 which moves across the line, and at noon is bisected by it. 
 We almost forgot to mention two immense shells, the largest 
 known, that were a present to Francis I. by the Republic 
 of Venice, now used as basins for holy water, and stand- 
 ing at the entrance of the nave. There were some rich 
 paintings here, that we wished to examine more closely, 
 but inexorable time did not permit ; and still time is press- 
 ing upon us, for we must now close or be too late for the 
 next mail. 
 
 Our next letter will be about the Louvre, the celebrated 
 Grobelin tapestry manufactory ; Versailles ; other things 
 and places, perhaps ; and our next move will be to Bel- 
 gium, Brussels, Waterloo. 
 
 9* 
 
LETTER No. XI. 
 
 Paris, France, September 23c?, 1857. 
 Dear Daughter A # * # * : 
 
 At the hour of the opening of the palace of the Louvre, 
 we were among the first at the door, eager to enter and 
 view its splendors. This, you may remember, was one of 
 the first of the edifices erected within the city for the resi- 
 dence of royalty, having been commenced by Francis I. 
 and finished by Napoleon. Before the city extended over 
 this ground, the old monarch Dagobert had a hunting- 
 lodge here, and that old building, with improvements made 
 by Phillip Augustus, in 1200, was used for a state 
 prison. Charles V. fitted it up with considerable magni- 
 ficence, as a residence for distinguished foreign princes 
 when visiting him. Charles IX., the cruel and bigoted 
 fanatic, who so bitterly persecuted the Huguenots, re- 
 sided here ; and Henrietta, the widow of the decapitated 
 Charles I. of England, lived here ; but since the decease 
 of Louis XV., the Louvre has not been used as a royal 
 residence, except temporarily on the occasion of some un- 
 usual state ceremony. 
 
 The front of the building is very superb, and is adorned 
 with a fine colonnade of twenty-eight double Corinthian 
 columns, fronting a spacious gallery, and is justly consid- 
 ered as one of the best specimens of the architecture of the 
 times of Louis XIV. and Francis I. The central part of 
 
214 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 the colonnade, with its splendid porticos — the handsomely 
 decorated pilasters and immense windows, the light and 
 shade afforded by the columns and figures, cornices and 
 frieze, and the magnificently bronzed gates, placed there by 
 order of Napoleon, combine to give the whole front a most 
 excellent effect. There are some remarkable pieces of 
 stone here, forming the cornices over the entrance or gate- 
 way, each piece fifty-two feet long, and three feet thick ! 
 How such enormous stones were ever got out of the 
 ground and placed where they are without breaking, is 
 almost as much a mystery to those who have never seen 
 such inmense blocks raised, as the construction of the 
 Pyramids of Egypt. 
 
 This immense and beautiful palace is now and has been 
 for many years used as a museum, or gallery of sculpture 
 and painting, and no one should think of visiting Paris 
 without going to see this splendid collection. 
 
 The rooms and halls are long and lofty, and everywhere 
 resplendent with beauty. They afford a continuous walk 
 of not less than three miles, we should think. The whole 
 building was formerly richly decorated and furnished, but 
 under the present emperor it has been wonderfully im- 
 proved, and still more splendidly embellished. All the 
 decorations are in good taste ; tawdriness is avoided, and 
 though some of the rooms are sumptuous, there seems 
 really no superabundance — nothing that one thinks might 
 as well be away. 
 
 The rooms on the front or first floor are devoted to sculp- 
 ture, and there sre large numbers of fine pieces both 
 ancient and modern. Many of the older pieces were muti- 
 lated, some quite badly, (as too many of the finest produc- 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 215 
 
 tions of the old masters are ; and it often struck us 
 as strange how they could have been so neglected and 
 damaged;) hut they still show their delicate points and 
 wonderful artistic merit. Changing from hand to hand, 
 revolutions, wars and time, have all helped to deface these 
 still beautiful and valuable works. 
 
 Justinian delivering the Code of Laws to Rome ; Minerva 
 displaying the olive branch of Peace ; allegorical paint- 
 ings of Prudence and other virtues on the walls ; Prome- 
 theus giving life to man by the aid of the heavenly fire, 
 are exceedingly fine, and richly worth close scrutiny. The 
 marble columns, pilasters and decorations of the walls and 
 floors are also most excellent; but several of these rooms 
 were undergoing repairs, and we did not visit them, 
 though they are rich with antiquities. 
 
 Ascending the splendid staircase, which is almost wide 
 enough for a platoon of soldiers to ascend, we first found 
 ourselves in the Salle Ronde, a small-sized room, with a 
 lofty ceiling in fresco and gilt stucco, and a fine mosaic 
 pavement. In the centre of this room stands a very beau- 
 tifully sculptured vase, of pure white marble, that is wor- 
 thy of close inspection. The ceiling represents the fall of 
 Icarus, Hercules stifling Anthems, iEolus mastering the 
 Winds, Vulcan exhibiting the Arms he has made for 
 Achilles, and Achilles invoking the aid of the Gods against 
 Scamander and Simois. 
 
 From this room we enter the gallery of Apollo, a mag- 
 nificent hall, being one hundred and eighty-four feet long, 
 and seventy-eight feet broad. The gilding, frescoes, carv- 
 ing, cornices, and painting are quite astonishing. Indeed 
 it seemed more like the works which in our childhood we 
 
216 
 
 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 read of, constructed by fairies and genii ; but though we 
 half-believed in those edifices of the imagination, we never 
 expected to walk in apartments in which the work of 
 fancy is so nearly realized. On the south side of this 
 room, overlooking the small flower-gardens and the Seine, 
 are twelve windows, and opposite each window is a door, 
 but all now were sealed up, being covered with splendid 
 paintings, by native masters of France. Besides the mag- 
 nificent frescoes of the Triumph of the Earth, and the 
 Triumph of the Waters, by Le Brun, the ceiling is adorn- 
 ed with medallions, representing each of the months of the 
 year, with most appropriate designs ; the Muses, Aurora 
 in her Car ; Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter ; and 
 Evening, sweet, soft and fair; the Zodiac signs of the 
 of the Heavens ; chain and wreathed work, boquets of 
 flowers, arabesques, and fleur-de-lis, with the Triumph of 
 Apollo, by Delacroix, all admirable. 
 
 In this room were several artists copying figures, ro- 
 settes, and different patterns of border-finishing, for decora- 
 tions of buildings being erected for private gentlemen. 
 What a privilege this to artists ! At all times they are 
 permitted to copy, and in almost every room may be seen 
 one or more artists, of both sexes, taking advantage of 
 this wise liberality on the part of the government. 
 
 Out of this room we passed into a small room that re- 
 sembles a kind of ante-room to the celebrated Long Gal- 
 lery ; this latter, to our regret and disappointment under- 
 going repairs and closed to the public, is over thirteen 
 hundred feet long and forty-two feet wide — the largest, 
 longest, and most majestic hall in the world, and contain- 
 ing about two thousand most valuable paintings. 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 217 
 
 We examined the fine paintings in the small room. Their 
 value we are almost afraid to tell you. There are six, not 
 very large ones compared with many, which together are 
 valued at the sum of one hundred and fourteen thousand 
 pounds sterling — more than a half million of dollars! and 
 it is said would bring this amount of cash any day they 
 might be sold by auction at the Bourse. 
 
 We could willingly have sat down here for the re- 
 mainder of the day, and feasted our eyes. Murillo's Im- 
 maculate Conception of the Virgin is in this apartment — 
 one of those pictures one never tires of beholding ; indeed, 
 looking upon it you forget it is a picture. All thought of 
 artist, and colors, and canvas, are lost in a delightful feel- 
 ing of admiration. We could not look upon it with, eyes 
 large enough. The Marriage Feast at Cana of Galilee, 
 by Paul Veronese ; Magdalen Wiping the Feet of the 
 Saviour, by the same painter ; and the Sleep of Antiope, by 
 Correggio, are also beautiful, and filled us with inward 
 rapture of soul. Then there is Raphael's St. Michael 
 treading the Dragon under his Feet : a masterly picture. 
 
 There is also an extraordinary Shipwreck piece here that 
 attracts attention. The spectator unconsciously holds his 
 breath as he looks upon it. The iron-bound coast is lashed 
 with a furious storm, a vessel is dashing to pieces amidst 
 the breakers, and an immense surge has thrown -a spar 
 upon the rocks, with a young, athletic husband and his 
 precious ones upon it. He has placed one child on the 
 rock before him, and with another on his back reaches 
 down, grasps the long, water-matted hair of his wife's 
 head, and draws her partly before him. The wild wave is 
 coming in upon him with impending destruction, and with 
 
218 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 Herculean bound he grasps the branch of a stunted dwarf- 
 ish shrub, that has feebly grown out of the rocky bed. 
 Just at the moment he has grasped it, and is saved, with 
 all his precious charges, though the wife has fainted, and 
 not yet drawn from the water, the father of the young 
 man, a haggard, hellish-countenanced miser, half-dressed 
 and half-drowned, is thrown in by a wave, and clutches 
 his bare and trembling right arm around his son's neck, 
 with his bag of gold extended in the left hand, when the 
 additional weight breaks the limb, and the whole are sus- 
 pended over the watery grave that yawns beneath them ! 
 The look of despair, of hope forever lost, and the heart- 
 broken agony in that young father's face, are terrible. A 
 thrill of horror and compassion rushed over our whole 
 body, and we involuntarily closed our eyes upon the scene. 
 The deep swallowed them up ! Grold, that 
 
 " Sow'd the world with ev'ry ill, 
 And taught the murderer's sword to kill," 
 
 succeeded in destroying those who had escaped the horrors 
 of shipwreck and the fierce rage of wind and waves. 
 
 The Raft at Sea is another most striking and affect- 
 ing piece. The dead and the starving, the haggard and 
 the hopeful, some abandoned to despair, others engaged in 
 prayer, the signal rag fluttering on a raised oar, with a far 
 distant sail bearing down o'er the blue sea, form a pic- 
 ture that almost brings tears of sympathy to one's eyes- 
 We remember to have seen an engraved copy of this scene, 
 but it does not do justice to the original. 
 
 Passing out of this room we retrace our steps, and were 
 shown out on to the balcony of the window at which 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 219 
 
 Charles the Ninth stood, and fired upon his own subjects, 
 on the never-to-be-forgotten eve of St. Bartholomew. 
 
 The next rooms we entered were filled with caskets and 
 vases, adorned with rare and valuable gems, church in- 
 signia and utensils, set with precious stones, antiquated 
 silver and gold ornaments and jewelry, ivory work, and 
 delicate alabaster boxes, chased silver vases and urns, and 
 a silver statue of Henry IV. when a child, and a great num- 
 ber of old and splendidly cut cameos, carbuncles, and 
 stones. One of the caskets, set in sparkling jewels, is es- 
 timated to be worth two hundred and fifty thousand francs, 
 or fifty thousand dollars ! This suite of rooms, comprising 
 four in number, is filled with cases of ancient and valuable 
 curiosities, beautiful paintings, and superb frescoes, gold or- 
 naments of distant ages — Etruscan, Egyptian, Roman, 
 Saxon, Norman ; portraits and miniatures on ivory and 
 boards ; models of ships, fire-arms, specimens of marble, 
 old stained glass, &c. Here there are several rooms con- 
 taining books of the earliest date, written and printed ; one 
 beautifully bound, as early as the year 852, in a good state 
 of preservation ; a chair of the King Dagobert ;. toilet arti- 
 cles of Marie Antoinette and Catharine de Medici ; the 
 sword and sceptre of the monarch Charlemagne ; the 
 swords and armor of various old kings and emperors ; 
 robes of Napoleon, and his coats when he was colonel, 
 general, consul, and emperor ; his tent, bed and clothes, 
 and some small articles of apparel he used at St. Helena ; 
 and his saddles, equipages, swords, housings, &c, &c, 
 worn in his Egyptian campaign, many of them presents 
 from kings, princes, and pashas, and profusely ornamented 
 with valuable jewels and precious stones. These are all 
 
220 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 enclosed in glass cases, and are looked upon with curiosity, 
 almost with enthusiasm, by thousands. The very clothes 
 he wore are seemingly held in the deepest veneration, judg- 
 ing from the crowds that constantly fill these rooms, and 
 look upon their contents so earnestly and affectionately. 
 
 Besides these there are immense rooms of etchings and 
 designs ; Grecian, Roman, Assyrian, Egyptian, and Ameri- 
 can curiosities ; great sphinxes, images, &c. ; colossal frag- 
 ments of columns, and huge exhumations, all well worth 
 seeing, and profitable for study and reflection. 
 
 "We next made our way to the Gobelin Manufactory. 
 On our way we drove by the Bourse, one of the most 
 chaste and classic pieces of architecture in Paris. It is 
 about two hundred and twenty-five feet in length, and one 
 hundred and twenty-eight feet wide, quite lofty, and sur- 
 mounted by a noble gallery, supported by sixty-six Corin- 
 thian columns, forming an immense arcade, or more prop- 
 erly speaking portico, beneath which fortunes are daily 
 made and lost. A splendid flight of marble steps runs 
 along the whole western front ; at the corners are magnifi- 
 cent statues of Agriculture, Commerce, Industry, and Jus- 
 tice. The principal room is one hundred and sixteen feet 
 long and seventy-six feet wide, with a double tier of ar- 
 cades finished with marble, the prominent cornice having 
 inscribed medallions upon it, with the names of the most 
 important commercial cities of the world. The ceiling is 
 adorned with appropriate frescoes, and the niches with 
 statuary. All the money, stock, bond, and important 
 business transactions of the city and country transpire 
 here. 
 
 A little farther on we passed the Bank of France, for- 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 221 
 
 merly a hotel, an unpretending and unnoticeable building, 
 but for the soldier of the National Guard on duty at its 
 main entrance. In truth, it is not very rich, outwardly 
 or internally, as it ought to be, and but for paying enor- 
 mous premiums for "the coin," would, it is believed by 
 many, long since have suspended specie payments. 
 
 Having arrived at the gate of the Gobelin Manufactory, 
 we were admitted on exhibiting our passport, and first 
 conducted into rooms hung with wonderful specimens of 
 this noble art, wrought in the 16th and 17th cen- 
 turies. From this we went into two rooms hung with 
 more modern specimens, some of which are quite as ex- 
 quisite as the finest paintings, and are admired with enthu- 
 siasm by all who are privileged to see them, as extraordi- 
 nary and astonishing works of this most delicate art. 
 There is a large allegorical piece of the Gods in the Clouds ; 
 the Saviour Crucified, His flesh, wounds, limbs, hands, 
 fingers, nails, and expression of anguish, as perfect 
 as if the dead body were actually before us — the Holy 
 Family of Judea — the Portrait of Charles the First — and 
 of Napoleon and Josephine at their divorcement, are ex- 
 pressive, and wonderfully beautiful. Then there are the 
 gems of Jupiter and his Love, the Three Graces, and the 
 Ram brought for Sacrifice in the place of Isaac, all wor- 
 thy of a longer and closer examination than we could be- 
 stow on them. 
 
 That the hands of man can weave worsted and silk 
 threads into the human form divine so accurately, produ- 
 cing by this ingenious and intricate process the finest color- 
 ing and the most delicate shading, and every variety of 
 expression of countenance, is quite surprising, and no one 
 
222 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 can "believe and realize the perfection to which this art has 
 here attained without seeing it for themselves. Passing 
 through the rooms of the establishment we saw pieces on 
 the frames in all stages of progress. The workman has 
 the picture or portrait to be copied suspended behind him, 
 and reproduces the figures inverted, not being able to see 
 the same while at his work, and indeed not at all, unless 
 he walks around to the front, outside the warp. All the 
 cuttings and fastenings are down on the back, or wrong 
 side of the work. The exceeding care, constant judgment, 
 and nice discrimination, required to be exercised in the 
 selection of the shades of colors to form the exact expres- 
 sion, can only be acquired by the most severe discipline 
 and extraordinary caution. There were several beautiful 
 compositions and pieces on the frames. We noticed par- 
 ticularly the portraits of the present emperor and empress, 
 both of which, so far as finished, are fine specimens of this 
 art. That of Eugenie is exquisite. The coloring is match- 
 less, the lovely form is life itself, and every portion of her 
 dress, the folds, ribbons, laces, and magnificent jewels, per- 
 fectly truthful. It does not seem possible that a repre- 
 sentation so minute, delicate and natural, can be produced 
 from such comparatively coarse materials as worsted and 
 silk, skillful and delicate as we know the hand and work 
 of the artizan to be. Only one arm and a part of her bust 
 were finished. She is standing so as to display her round, 
 soft and delicate arm, beautifully shaped hand, tapered and 
 elegant fingers, resting easily upon a rich crimson velvet 
 cushion. The true living appearance of the flesh, with all 
 its soft and rosy hues, is admirably given ; it is emphat- 
 ically one of the most wonderful specimens of art we have 
 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 223 
 
 ever seen. At a little distance it would, by a connoisseur, 
 be pronounced one of the finest of paintings. The portrait 
 of the emperor is equally good in coloring, expression, and 
 position. 
 
 We were also conducted through the carpet rooms. In 
 'constructing these the workmen have the copy of their 
 work immediately before them, and do all their work on 
 the right side. In working paintings and portraits all 
 their work is inverted, and at every movement of a thread 
 the workman is obliged to turn his head half-round, and is 
 thus constantly swinging his head ; his keen, highly-culti- 
 vated perceptive faculties being unceasingly active, while 
 his fingers are as closely employed by his delicate, and ap- 
 parently intricate, and difficult work. The carpets now 
 made here exceed the finest Persian. The entire estab- 
 lishment is supported by and under the supervision of the 
 government, its productions being used to adorn the rooms of 
 the Louvre, and other palaces. The workmen are paid regu- 
 lar salaries, and retire on pensions, neither of which to us 
 seemed very ample remuneration for the beautiful and in- 
 tricate work done by them. 
 
 On our way back to our hotel we passed by the Palais 
 du Justice, one of the oldest and finest edifices in the em- 
 pire. The facade is on a grand scale, and adorned by 
 Doric columns and allegorical figures in marble, of Justice, 
 Prudence, and Force. This vast building is composed of 
 an immense centre and two wings, enclosing three sides of 
 a court. It was a public building before the invasion of 
 Gaul by the Franks ; and may justly claim to have done 
 the state some service, seeing that it has been in use as a 
 public building ever since. 
 
224 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 Here the higher courts are held. There is one grand 
 room two hundred and sixteen feet long hy eighty-four 
 broad, supported by Ionic columns — a magnificent court 
 room indeed. The towers, high conical roof, elegant iron 
 railings, with gilded points, the great clock, the first ever 
 seen in Paris, and the immense stone steps, altogether give 
 a substantial and quite imposing appearance. Here the 
 old monarchs of France lived for nearly four hundred 
 years. 
 
 Just at the west end of the north wins' is the Tour 
 Bourbon. During that most remarkable of all reigns, the 
 era of " Liberte, Fraternite, Egalite," the Reign of Terror, 
 when the terrible Robespierre, himself ever laboring under 
 the fear and suspicion he spread around, presided for a 
 time over the moral and political chaos into which the 
 nation had fallen, and gay chivalrous France was governed 
 by means of the guillotine, — during that ever memorable 
 reign the carts that carried the " aristocrats" to execution 
 called here for their loads of victims. Behind this Tour 
 is another gloomy building, the old Cornier gerie, within 
 whose walls have been immured the good and the bad, 
 the vilest with the purest, in all ages, since it was built. 
 Some of the noisome dungeons are far below the level 
 of the river, and are as damp, dark, and unwholesome, as 
 even a tyrant could wish the dungeons of his enemies to be. 
 
 Near by, towering heavenward, is to be seen the gilded 
 spire of the Sainte Chapelle, said to be one of the most 
 elaborate and highly-finished churches in the city, but we 
 had not time to visit it. It is also said to contain several 
 wonderful relics, viz. : some of the thorns from the crown 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 225 
 
 of our Saviour, a piece of the cross, and the spear-head 
 that pierced his side ; but there are so many spear-heads, 
 thorns, &c, exhibited besides these, and in so many differ- 
 ent places, that we suspected there was some mistake as 
 to these as well as the other relics — that they were not the 
 original and genuine, and so we had not curiosity enough 
 to go and look at them. 
 
 Having been fully satiated with sight-seeing in town, 
 we felt a desire for a day's recreation in the country, so 
 we made our way to the railway station in the Place du 
 Havre, for a trip to St. Cloud and the grand palace, gar- 
 dens, and famous wood of Yersailles. On our way we 
 joined company with some friends, and finding we could 
 not visit both with any degree of comfort to ourselves or 
 justice to the places in the time we had set apart for them, 
 we, although very unwillingly, passed by the beautiful 
 palace of St. Cloud and grounds — with the more regret, as 
 it was the favorite residence of Napoleon and Josephine, 
 more especially the latter — and continued on to Yersailles. 
 
 The entire distance is about sixteen miles, and the 
 scenery of the country we passed through uncommonly 
 fine. Leaving the large and handsome station, we described 
 three-quarters of the circuit of the city, with magnificent 
 views of the Bois de Boulogne, the winding silver Seine, 
 beautifully laid out gardens, and grassy lawns, the 
 monuments, towers, Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile, and 
 church spires of the city, with here and there sweetly em- 
 bowered cottages and lordly mansions, and the richly laden 
 vineyards black with thick clusters of luscious-looking 
 grapes. 
 
 On the route we also passed under the walls and frown- 
 
226 NOTES BT THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 ing batteries of the apparently impregnable Fort Valerien, 
 which is on the highest ground about the city, and over- 
 looks its entire circuit. 
 
 The station-house at Versailles is quite extensive and well 
 built for business, but entering upon the street that leads 
 to the avenues of St. Cloud, terminating at the entrance 
 gate of the palace, we were particularly reminded of Gold- 
 smith's " Deserted Village." The lofty and once splendid 
 buildings, residences, and business houses, are now mould- 
 ering and crumbling into ruins, uninhabited, and fast be- 
 coming untenantable. The city itself once contained one 
 hundred thousand inhabitants, large numbers of whom 
 were connected in some capacity with the different courts 
 of Europe, with the embassies, ministers, legations, repre- 
 sentatives, &c, of all the nations of the world, all more or 
 less lavish in expenditure. This population, with the 
 presence of the French court, then principally at the 
 palace, contributed very largely towards making it a place 
 of considerable business, as well as a magnificent city. 
 
 Now there is no court here, foreigners and large num- 
 bers of the citizens have left it, and it will soon be (saving 
 the palace and grounds) a city of nothing but magnificent 
 ruins. The streets are wide and regularly laid, but roughly 
 paved. The avenues are still more spacious than the prin- 
 cipal streets, and planted with rows of noble elms, whose 
 graceful limbs interlace each other at the top, and form 
 most delightful shady arbors, each of them converging to 
 and terminating at the palace entrance. Entering the 
 great gate, we are in the paved semi-circular outer court, or 
 esplanade, surrounded by a splendid iron railing. This, as ' 
 well as being a court, was a place d } ar??ies, with ample 
 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 227 
 
 capacity to accommodate a thousand caparisoned horse- 
 men. Near by and opposite the entrance are great bar- 
 racks erected for both infantry and cavalry. The smaller 
 court is quite well filled with some magnificent statuary, 
 representing France victorious over Austria and Spain, also 
 figures of Richelieu, Jourdan, Massena, Lannes, Duquesne, 
 and others. In the centre is a colossal equestrian statue 
 of Louis XIV., that is admirably executed, and is con- 
 sidered one of the best of the kind ever made. 
 
 The palace front is irregular, but well built, having com- 
 paratively but few decorations outwardly, but it is exten- 
 sive and lofty. The grandest front is westward, and 
 surveyed from the wide terrace presents an imposing ap- 
 pearance. The ballustrades, windows, cornices, peristyles 
 of Ionic columns, allegorical figures and Corinthian pilas- 
 ters, are all on a magnificent scale. It is not so much for 
 its architectural beauty that the palace is remarkable — 
 though it certainly is a beautiful structure — as for extent 
 and grandeur, in which it far surpasses any of the numer- 
 ous fine edifices we have already seen in France. 
 
 We entered at the right wing, under the inscription 
 " A toutes les Gloires de la France" signifying the pur- 
 pose for which this palace is now used : that of a general 
 depository of the works of art belonging to the French 
 nation. 
 
 "We entered the spacious vestibule with great expecta- 
 tions ; nor were we disappointed. Indeed, much as we 
 anticipated, the reality exceeded all that we had imagined. 
 The half had not been told us. The first gallery we en- 
 tered was filled with statuary, heads, busts, and full- 
 lengths ; some casts, and others of marble. Then there 
 
 10 
 
228 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 are several saloons that were formerly the State apartments 
 of Louis XIV., and in these are recorded by the artist's 
 brush the most remarkable events in the history and lives 
 of the kings and emperors of France, including the whole 
 line from Pharamond to Louis Phillipe. These paintings 
 are noble monuments of genius, and are much admired. 
 There are seven rooms containing paintings of the times 
 of Louis Phillipe. 
 
 The chapelle within this wing is quite large, and fitted 
 up with considerable splendor. The gallery and ceilings 
 are supported by beautifully sculptured columns, and it is 
 paved with costly marble, divided into regular compart- 
 ments wrought in mosaic. The ceilings are exquisitely 
 painted in fresco. The high altar is a beautiful piece of 
 work, executed in black and white marble, and in part 
 richly gilt ; the whole has a very fine and striking effect. 
 It is also adorned with figures of the Virgin and child 
 Jesus, and surrounding cherubic heads. There are a few 
 choice paintings on the walls, and the organ is said to be 
 the largest in France. 
 
 From here we passed into another long gallery of statu- 
 ary and plaster copies, among which were many gems. 
 Among the marbles we noticed particularly the very beauti- 
 ful one of " Joan of Arc" by the Princess Maria d'Orleans, 
 who has executed besides this some remarkable pieces, 
 that rank her among the highest masters of this beautiful 
 art. Notwithstanding her manly deeds, she (Joan) has 
 a sweet and gentle womanly face. It is true that energy 
 and a determined spirit are quite marked in her features, 
 but the heroine of the siege of Orleans, of Compiegne, and 
 of Paris, would naturally be supposed to be more mascu- 
 
NOfES BY THE WAYSIDE. 229 
 
 line, athletic, and powerful than she is here represented, 
 She stands with a coat of mail on, probably intended as a 
 representation of the armor she wore at the coronation of 
 Charles VII. This fine production gave us a differ- 
 ent and perhaps a more correct idea of the heroine than 
 we had previously entertained. 
 
 From this gallery we passed up a fine flight of stairs 
 into the rooms, where are represented the times and deeds 
 of the bold Crusaders, and their different battles fought in 
 the Holy Land. The ceiling of each of these rooms is 
 beautifully decorated, illustrating the personal prowess and 
 heroism of individual chevaliers who particularly distin- 
 guished themselves. The coats of arms and escutcheons 
 of each are also given. There are here some fine specimens 
 of carving and gilding in vine work and flowers, and some 
 splendid doors in cedar wood, formerly belonging to the 
 Knights of Rhodes, and presented by the Sultan of Turkey 
 to Louis Philippe, when he was King of the French. The 
 Siege of Jerusalem is an extraordinary painting in many 
 respects, and we gazed upon it with feelings of awe and 
 horror. There are a large number of figures, — that of 
 the wife leaning and weeping over her dying husband, who 
 has fallen, wounded, is very fine; they are indeed the pro- 
 minent ones of this great picture, and though we again 
 and again surveyed its multitude of striking characters so 
 vividly and minutely portrayed, our eyes were invariably 
 attracted to those two figures, so full of a deep and melan- 
 choly interest. The anguish of the wife's features, and 
 the stamp of death on the husband's, are depicted with 
 a painful truthfulness. The dead and the dying, frightful 
 
230 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 wounds and flowing gore, all the realities and horrors of a 
 battle, are vividly displayed. 
 
 There are also several copies in plaster of the torrfbs of 
 fallen heroes. In one of these rooms we noticed a magnify 
 cent painting of the meeting of Francis I. of France 
 and Henry VIII. of England, on the celebrated Field of 
 the Cloth of Gold. It gives one, no doubt, a good idea of 
 that royal and gorgeous pageant. 
 
 In this wing there is also a salle de V opera, or theatre, 
 connected with the palace, of considerable magnitude and 
 beauty, which the court, nobility, ambassadors of the 
 several foreign courts, and distinguished military and civil 
 functionaries and characters, used to frequent ; but now it 
 is closed, though decorated as it was when last used. This 
 place has been lighted on grand occasions with ten thou- 
 sand wax candles at once, it is said ; and the appearance of 
 the place, with beauty gracing every box, sparkling eyes, 
 gorgeous dresses, and flashing jewels on every side, must 
 have been superior to anything of the kind that plebeian 
 eyes are often dazzled with. On the visit of the Queen 
 of England and Prince Consort to the present court, at 
 the grand entertainment given in this palace, the state 
 dinner was given here, and four hundred covers were laid. 
 
 Leaving the theatre, we passed on (still in the right wing) 
 through successive suits of saloons, with historical paint- 
 ings, statuary, and portraits in rich profusion, all of them 
 worthy of the places they adorned. These are the mag- 
 nificent saloons and halls in which successive kings, 
 queens, emperors and empresses, with their splendid courts, 
 have reveled and luxuriated, lived and passed away, for 
 many long years. 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 231 
 
 And now we pass on again through halls, saloons, and 
 galleries decorated with marvels of beauty of all shapes 
 and sizes, and into the magnificent state apartments. In 
 the Salle de Constantine we think it was, is hung the 
 Retreat from Russia — really an awful representation of 
 the doomed army during that terrible flight. You see the 
 dead, dying, and frozen men, the deep snow, the lurid and 
 murky sky, the sadness and hopelessness of rider and horse, 
 the burning city in the distance, the driving snow, cover- 
 ing man, horse, cannon, caisson, everything — it is too 
 gloomy and terrible, and we never wish to look upon the 
 like again. Though it is but paint upon canvas, and but 
 too like the reality, we would wish to forget it. The 
 various battles of Napoleon, or rather scenes from them, 
 we presume, are faithfully depicted by numbers of artists ; 
 and one turns wearied and half-sickened from the hurly- 
 burly of men and horses, dead, dying, frightfully wounded, 
 or fiercely encountering — the smoke and flash of the deadly 
 volleys, the charging columns of infantry and the rush- 
 ing cavalry. In these pictures we look in vain for that 
 " pomp, pride, and circumstance of glorious war, which 
 make ambition virtue." 
 
 There is one piece in this room, the Surprise of the Arab 
 Camp, in the Algerine War, painted by Horace Yernet, 
 remarkable for its immense size, the multitude of its 
 figures, and the magnificence of the coloring. It is one 
 hundred feet long by fifteen in breadth. When first ex- 
 hibited in 1845 it attracted great attention, and was visited 
 by immense crowds. The carnage is shocking ; men, 
 women and children, camels, horses, cattle and gazelles 
 are intermingled and flying before the storm of war, which 
 
232 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 has burst upon the camp like an Alpine avalanche, while 
 the pursued and pursuers are fighting in deadly hand to 
 hand conflict, "no quarter" expressed too plainly in every 
 fierce countenance. Fire and sword pursue the flying, 
 fugitives far over the arid plains. The deep scowl of re- 
 venge and deadly hatred of the Arabs, the frightened and 
 trembling though beautiful countenances of the Circas- 
 sian slaves and the women of the harem, the maddened 
 animals and sorrowful-looking, heavy-laden camels, the 
 bleeding victims of sabre and musket ball, the bloodthirsty 
 expression in the faces and gestures of the victors, the livid 
 and motionless forms of the ghastly dead — all these things, 
 and all else that help to make up war's horrors, are placed 
 before you. It is truly a wonderful painting. 
 
 We observed in this room a very fine portrait of Abdel- 
 Kader. According to it, the heroic Arab chief has a 
 remarkably noble-looking physiognomy, denoting great 
 intellect, determination, and judgment. 
 
 The battle piece of the Alma, recently hung up, is not 
 in every respect so good as it ought to be, considering the 
 interest of its subject. But it of course attracts much at- 
 tention. All look with eagerness and admiration on the 
 difficult and daring assault by the comparatively small 
 body of men through the murderous fire of the artillery, 
 and against the serried columns and squadrons of the 
 Russians — the old enemies for once united, and the English 
 and French side by side, triumphing over their stubborn 
 enemy. 
 
 "We passed on to the Chamber of the Grrand Monarque : 
 a very handsome one. In it is a curious clock, which plays 
 a sweet chime at the striking of each hour of the day, 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 233 
 
 and sets in motion some ingenious machinery by which a 
 file of soldiers of the guard appears, then a cojck comes out 
 and flaps his wings; Louis XIV. in all his dignity comes 
 forward, and a figure "of Victory descends from the alcove 
 and places a crown on the royal head of the monarch. 
 
 There is also in the adjoining room another clock worth 
 looking at. It shows the days of the week, month, and 
 year, the phases of the moon^ revolutions of the earth and 
 the planets, and the minute and second and hour of the 
 day — a very curious and intricate piece of mechanism, well 
 worth seeing. 
 
 We passed into the room in which the unfortunate Marie 
 Antoinette slept when the infuriated mob burst into the 
 palace. * The side door by which she escaped was pointed 
 out to us. "We were also shown the room in which Louis 
 XV. died, and another where the royal family used to sit 
 and see the game brought in by the royal hunting parties, 
 and counted by the gamekeepers in the court-yard. 
 
 Thence we passed into the suit of rooms finished with 
 various kinds of marble, decorated in the highest style of 
 art, with frescoes, gilding, and paintings. The wainscot- 
 ing, jams of all the doors and windows, the panel work, 
 pilasters and cornices over the windows, are all of marble 
 of different varieties. The decorations of these rooms are 
 exceedingly magnificent. But the Grande Galerie des 
 Glace?, looking out upon the garden, wood, and fountains 
 on the west side, where the great state ball was given to 
 Victoria and Albert, throws them all into the shade ; it is 
 really too dazzling and gorgeous for pen to describe. It is 
 believed to be the most highly finished room in the world. 
 It is 242 feet long, 35 feet wide, and 43 feet high. Marble 
 
234 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 and gold, magnificent frescoing and carving, colonnade, 
 arches and splendid mirrors, are combined with the best 
 taste. It is at the same time grand and brilliant. The 
 floor, too, is polished as smooth as the finest glass. The 
 vaulted ceiling, divided into twenty-seven compartments, 
 allegorically representing the great events in the life of 
 Louis XIV., was painted entirely by that distinguished 
 artist, Le Brun. There are four niches, with exquisite 
 marble statues of Venus and Adonis, Minerva and Mercury. 
 This room when lit up by its ten thousand burning lamps, 
 must equal those scenes we read of in the stories of the 
 Arabian Nights. The sixty Corinthian pilasters of red 
 marble, with their golden capitals and bases, and the sev- 
 enteen great mirrors, corresponding in size, and opposite to 
 each of the seventeen windows, and the gorgeous decora- 
 tions around and above, must present a fairy scene in 
 which the flights of fancy and the pictures of the imagi- 
 nation are surpassed by reality. Comparisons are odious, 
 but one cannot help surmising as to what the Queen of 
 England thought of her palaces compared with this. She 
 must have acknowledged to herself that Windsor's lordly 
 halls were quite plain and modest compared with these 
 gay and imperial saloons of her French neighbor. Yet 
 we do not suppose that the good Queen returned home 
 from her visit with anything like discontent, or that she 
 envied the splendors of her royal cousin. (All those per- 
 sonages whose heads are crowned are " cousins" we believe.) 
 It was from the balcony of the centre windows of this 
 room that the royal guests of Napoleon and Eugenie were 
 entertained, after the splendid fete of the evening (said 
 to have been the most brilliant assemblage ever assembled 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 235 
 
 in this royal hall, exceeding even the magnificent fetes 
 of olden time), by the famous display of fireworks, which 
 ended with an accurate representation in blazing lights of 
 Windsor Castle — so perfect that every cornice, turret, and 
 window was visible to the surprised beholders. It was 
 a most pleasing surprise, and an unparalleled exhibition. 
 The mechanical genius that planned and executed the 
 machinery necessary to produce the effect, deserved to have 
 a pension. No such fireworks were ever before seen. 
 
 The magnificent marble work of this room is very 
 agreeable in effect, and everywhere so admirably joined 
 that the places where it does join can hardly be distin- 
 guished without the closest inspection. "We could never 
 have imagined the real beauty and splendor of this saloon 
 without seeing it. 
 
 From here we again made our way through suite after 
 suite of rooms, all gorgeous and beautiful, to the Grande 
 Gralerie des Batailles, another long and very magnificent 
 saloon, being 393 feet in length, 42 high and 42 wide. By 
 some this is called the gallery of Apollon. To relieve the 
 great length of the room, and for support of the ceiling, 
 at each end have been placed eight beautiful double com- 
 posite columns, and in the centre sixteen on each side, of 
 the same order, forming a kind of arcade, that serves as a 
 support to the noble arches and the dome that rise above 
 it. The ornamental work and frescoing is on the same 
 scale as in the other rooms. The walls on either side are 
 hung with splendid pictures of the most important battles 
 in which France took part from the year 492 to the battle 
 of Wagram. Among the battles of Napoleon, on the right 
 hand side of the gallery, we were quite surprised to see 
 
 10* 
 
236 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 the great painting of the memorable surrender of Lord 
 Cornwalli s to Washington at Yorktown. The British and 
 American armies are drawn up in long lines in the distance, 
 and by the side of Washington, most conspicuous in his 
 suite, stands the gallant and noble Rochambeau. It is a 
 very fine picture, but rather tame we thought for the sub- 
 ject. Among the most remarkable paintings here are the 
 battles of Wagram, Austerlitz, Jena, and Fontenoy. These 
 depict the horrors of war with all truthfulness — its ghastly 
 and repulsive aspect, as well as its glory. 
 
 " The cannon-mouthings loud 
 Heave in wide wreaths the battle shroud, 
 And gory sabres rise and fall 
 Like sheets of flame in midnight pall." 
 
 We fancy, looking on these pictures, we can hear the 
 loud drum and twanging horn, the booming cannon and 
 rattling musketry ; they show you serried ranks and 
 columns, impregnable squares, the charge where bayonet 
 crosses bayonet, the dogged retreat, the hot pursuit, the 
 unheeded dead, the gay uniforms, the flaunting banners, 
 the dashing cavalry — all 
 
 " Battle's magnificently stern array." 
 
 Most of the battle pieces and scenes in the life of Na- 
 poleon are below, filling in all fourteen saloons, and de- 
 scending the grand staircase we walked through them. But 
 we must note this staircase, which is all finished with 
 highly polished marbles, and is the most magnificent one 
 we have anywhere seen. We could with great pleasure 
 have sat down and looked at this splendid work for hours. 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 237 
 
 But we could not indulge ourselves so far, and we hurried 
 on through the Salle Napoleon, then through the sixteen 
 other saloons of the admirals and marshals of France, and 
 then through another gallery 327 feet long, occupied by- 
 statues of military heroes. 
 
 The walls were truly but speaking canvas, while the 
 ceilings were almost redolent with the exquisite frescoes — 
 flowers, allegories, and triumphal processions. Among the 
 multitude of paintings, each vying with the other for su- 
 periority, we noticed more particularly the Coronation of 
 Josephine, the Battle of Marengo, the Presentation of the 
 Eagles of France, by the great Napoleon, to his armies, in 
 1804, the wonderful Passage of St. Bernard, and the ter- 
 rible Battle of Aboukir. But Napoleon, in the camp, 
 council, and field of battle, is portrayed on every side ; all 
 his campaigns are placed before us, from the rising of his 
 star, in his first campaigns in Italy, to and including its 
 setting at Waterloo. 
 
 From these rooms and gallery we again mounted a 
 staircase to the saloons containing the portraits of all the 
 kings of France, as well as her queens, empresses, princes, 
 princesses, dukes, duchesses, and most distinguished nobil- 
 ity, from the earliest times. Conspicuous among this 
 vast collection is the family of Louis XIV., which must 
 have been highly favored by nature as to beauty. There 
 are here also the portraits of kings, princes, presidents, and 
 distinguished personages of every country, not excepting 
 our own ; for among them we noticed Washington, both 
 the Adamses, Jackson, Madison, Monroe, Clay, Calhoun, 
 Webster, (a splendid likeness, and by far the best we 
 
238 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 ever saw of him, painted or engraved,) Polk, and several 
 others. 
 
 The present Queen Victoria, and her uncle George IV., 
 Prince Albert, the Princess Royal, the Duke of Cambridge, 
 and others of the nobility of England, are quite promi- 
 nently displayed in a compartment by themselves. An 
 incident occurred here, which we must record. 
 
 A jolly English gentleman with us, and who had been 
 in these galleries several times before, noticed a French 
 soldier quite intently looking at Queen Victoria, and in a 
 good-natured way addressed him in French, and showed 
 him where the Queen, when on a visit to the Emperor, sat 
 down here, and looked at her uncle, husband, and self. 
 He immediately doffed his chapeau, touched the place 
 where she had sat, raised the hand to his lips, kissed it with 
 enthusiasm, and exclaimed, in the exuberance of his feel- 
 ings, "Vive la Victoria! vive la Victoria!" It spoke vol- 
 umes to us, and we could but conclude that the alliance 
 of England and France, so far as the army is concerned, 
 is much stronger, at least more enthusiastic, than we had 
 supposed. But we all know the whole nation and race of 
 Frenchmen are exceedingly enthusiastic — and enthusiasm 
 is not of a very durable nature. 
 
 Having walked through the six miles of galleries and 
 saloons, we made our way into the orangery, garden, and 
 refreshing wood. The pictures we had seen had fairly 
 satiated us for one day. The number of them exceeded 
 four thousand five hundred in this palace alone, and 
 besides these afe the immense number of busts, statues, 
 and remarkable curiosities, that no visitor should pass hur- 
 riedly by. The magnificent frescoes are not numbered, and 
 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 239 
 
 these alone are well worthy of the closest inspection, in- 
 deed some of them are justly counted by the best judges 
 araons: the rarest works of art. 
 
 No expense has been spared to make the grounds and 
 gardens correspond in style and beauty with the palace 
 they surround. With about ten thousand laborers and 
 thirty thousand soldiers specially detailed to assist the work- 
 men, in making the vast excavations, removing the im- 
 mense quantities of earth to be used in constructing the 
 grand terraces, planting trees, making artificial lakes and 
 canals, &c, &c, the whole was twenty-five years in 
 building, and cost the enormous sum of 1,000,000,000 
 francs, or two hundred million of dollars ! No wonder, 
 with the wars France has had, that she, too, has a national 
 debt. 
 
 The extent and magnificence of the grounds surprised 
 us. The orangery, though old, is in excellent order, and 
 has one tree over four hundred years of age. Out of this 
 garden the present emperor has presented to the directors, 
 to adorn the palace at Sydenham, a large number of the 
 finest trees. Speaking of Sydenham, we thought that, and 
 its grounds, an elysium, as it surely is ; but these gardens 
 are quite as beautiful, if not more so, because of their 
 age. 
 
 How charming are the grand terraces, sweet flowery 
 parterres, long avenues of lofty trees, magnificent foun- 
 tains, curiously trimmed evergreens, fine open lawns, and 
 pleasant walks, sunny or shady, as you may prefer. The 
 marble ballustrades and railings between the terraces are 
 very finely cut, and ornamented here and there with vases 
 filled with flowers. The gardens are also adorned with a 
 
240 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE, 
 
 profusion of marble statuary, and numbers of fountains, 
 with figures of mythological characters : Proteus and Nep- 
 tune, Apollo drawn in a chariot by four horses ; dolphins, 
 tritons, dragons, cupids, angels, and sea monsters. Then 
 there is here an immense artificial waterfall from a deep 
 cavern, surrounded by water-nymphs, and some quite 
 broad lakes, gleaming with the golden hues of the setting 
 sun, all of which combined to form a scene truly noble and 
 beautiful. Nor did it detract from their beauty that there 
 were several thousands of men, women and children, in 
 the garden, woods, and on the grassy lawns, all attired in 
 their holiday clothes, their spirits apparently in holiday 
 glee, enjoying themselves as the French people only seem 
 to know how, while the delightful strains of music from 
 the seventy instruments of the band of the Carabiniers, 
 (the second best band in the French army,) which plays 
 here every pleasant afternoon from three o'clock to five, 
 resound through the spacious grounds, amidst the trees, 
 echoing from the palace walls, enlivening everything, and 
 adding to the cheerfulness of the gay groups and prome- 
 naders — 
 
 " A perpetual feast of nectar'd sweets, 
 Where no crude surfeit reigns." 
 
 We were satisfied that art could do no more to soothe 
 the senses or solace the cares of life. Indeed, the most 
 miserable misanthrope ought to find some consolation and 
 happiness here. Darkness closed in upon us too soon, 
 and though we had drunk deep at the fountain of pure and 
 intellectual pleasure, and were tired with sight-seeing, we 
 were loth to bid adieu to this lovely place, this refreshing 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 241 
 
 and balmy retreat. Like summer skies, fair to view and 
 beaming with resplendent light, will the sweet memory of 
 this never-to-be-forgotten royal residence long glow within 
 Our hearts. 
 
 No wonder Napoleon and Josephine loved it, and that it 
 ever has been a favorite resort of kings. The luxurious 
 shady avenues, the solitary walks of perfect quiet, the 
 lovely arbors and temples, and its vast extent, all contri- 
 bute to make it as lovely a spot as art and nature can pro-, 
 duce. As we passed out of its splendid iron gateway, we 
 involuntarily turned to look towards the scene we were 
 leaving, and bid it farewell, 
 
 Versailles and Sydenham ! twin memories of rosy fra- 
 grance, earthly realization of the dreams of youth, and of 
 the imaginings of poets. 
 
 " Oh ! wad some power the giftie gie us" 
 
 to tell you all how beautiful they are ! 
 
 In many respects we are pleased to say that Paris is a 
 model city ; everywhere it is neat, clean, and well wa- 
 tered. Policemen are vigilant and attentive to the wants 
 of both citizens and strangers. The " rascally cab-men" 
 are particularly watched, and are not permitted to impose 
 upon strangers, as the following incident will show : 
 
 One day, after we had alighted from our cabriolet, at the 
 front of the Palais Royal, paid the driver, and were passing 
 in beneath the colonnade, a quiet-looking gentleman stepped 
 up to us, touched his hat, and asked us in French to tell 
 him how much we had paid for our ride, and where he had 
 driven us from. We did not fully comprehend him, when, 
 finding us to be Americans, he asked us in very good 
 
242 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 English the same questions. "We then discovered him to 
 he one of the Secret Police, in ordinary citizens' dress. He 
 had seen the cahriolet driver when he had driven us up, 
 and noticed that he was well satisfied with the price we 
 had paid him, and ihinking he had overcharged us marked 
 him. We had purposely paid him five sous over-price, as 
 a small gratuity, hecause he had driven us unusually fast, 
 agreeably to our wishes ; hut this policeman thought he 
 had wrongfully overcharged the fare on us. We explained 
 to him that we had given him a few sous over-fare gratui- 
 tously ; when he politely thanked us for the information, 
 returned to his duties, and the cabman went on his way 
 rejoicing. If he had overcharged us he would have been 
 made to refund his whole charge, and to pay a fine. 
 This fact opened our eyes to the system of universal police 
 surveillance, and we concluded that there is efficiency of 
 the police force under the monarchy of Napoleon III., if 
 not under the democracy of Mayor "Wood of New- York. 
 It should be always borne in mind in Paris that your next 
 neighbor at a table d'hote, on the promenade, or wherever 
 you are, may be a secret policeman. The system ramifies 
 through every class and grade of society, and penetrates 
 the rich saloon, the mansion, the hut, the fashionable pro- 
 menade, as well as the haunts of the low and vicious, and 
 every place of every kind of pleasure. 
 
 Shop-keepers, millinery establishments, restaurants, and 
 hotel men are sure to fleece Americans and English, if 
 they can ; and we learned by experience that the price of 
 the two former should never be paid as asked, and a bar- 
 gain beforehand should always be made with the latter. 
 
 Women are everywhere employed as clerks and waiters, 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 243 
 
 even in most of the railway offices, which we very much 
 liked. Men can do other labor better, and which would be 
 unsuitable for the softer sex to undertake. We liked to 
 see so many women here so usefully employed in various 
 kinds of business, and think in our country there is a great 
 chance for improvement in this respect. Another thing we 
 particularly liked was, that every carriage, cabriolet, and 
 fiacre has, fixed in the back of the driver's seat, before 
 your eyes, a watch, regulated by city time ; and you always 
 ride on time, paying by the fifteen minutes, half hour, or 
 hour. 
 
 Very few beggars are to be seen in the streets, from 
 which we concluded that plenty of work is to be had, and 
 that the people as a mass are prosperous, and comparatively 
 comfortable, and as well to do as can be expected under 
 existing laws and rule. Of course 'tis not to be expected 
 that the people are to have the enjoyment of the largest 
 liberty, whether they be rich or poor. If it be true that 
 
 " 'Tis Liberty alone that gives the pleasure 
 Of fleeting life, its lustre and perfume, 
 And we are weeds without it," 
 
 the Parisians don't seem to think so, but enjoy life very 
 well with what liberty they have, otherwise Napoleon III. 
 would not long be monarch ; for, in spite of the armies and 
 fortifications, with which he keeps fickle Paris steady, the 
 French would, no doubt, free themselves from his shackles 
 if they hung upon the nation very heavily. 
 
 But we must give our unqualified testimony and belief 
 that now, on every hand, there is apparent happiness. 
 So far as we have seen, the people live and enjoy life on the 
 
244 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 principle, so far as they possibly can, expressed by the 
 poet : — 
 
 " Why should we seek to anticipate sorrow, 
 
 And throw the sweet flowers of the present away 1 
 "Why muse on the gathering clouds of to-morrow, 
 Forgetting the generous sun of to-day 1 
 
 " Cherish hope ! and though life by affliction be shaded, 
 Still its ray shall shine lovely, and gild the scene o'er : 
 Like the dew-drops, that glisten on leaves when they're faded, 
 As bright and as clear as they glistened before." 
 
 Perhaps the explanation is that the French people have 
 a peculiar faculty for taking things easy, as matter of 
 course, and can accommodate themselves to circumstan- 
 ces, even where circumstances do not exactly accommo- 
 date them. 
 
 But we must close this long letter, and be off to-morrow 
 from this gay and never-to-be-forgotten metropolis, to 
 Belgium, Brussels, the field of Waterloo, &c, and thence 
 back to England, to prepare for our homeward journey 
 early in the month 
 
LETTER No. XII. 
 
 Brussels, Belgium, September 25th, 1857. 
 
 Dear Father F * # # * : 
 
 Having finished up Paris pretty effectually for the time 
 and strength we had, and being anxious to make the most 
 of our time while on the Continent, in place of going to 
 Fontainebleau and its grand old woods, and to the Emperor's 
 camp at Chalons, we took the train to this city, renowned 
 in song and prose by Southey, Byron, and Scott, and so 
 many others. On our way we passed through the venera- 
 ble old town of Amiens, which you will remember as 
 having one of the finest old cathedrals in Europe ; also Va- 
 lenciennes, celebrated far and wide, for its laces &c, and 
 probably better known to the ladies than the gentlemen on 
 either side of the water, We took the cars at the station 
 in the Place'de la Dankerque, and found the road a very 
 excellent one, the country quite pleasant all the way, 
 though the scenery has too much sameness. The carriage 
 roads look good, and everywhere are lined on either side 
 with noble trees, forming avenues from town to town. 
 There is but little wood and forest, none that is natural ; 
 all that we have seen being planted. There are occasion- 
 ally small and well wooded parks, and choicely kept lawns, 
 that look very refreshing and beautiful. Here and there 
 
246 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 may "be seen a gentleman's or nobleman's chateau embow- 
 ered in sweet groves of shrubbery, and of stately old oaks, 
 elms and poplars. 
 
 We note the great difference between the English and 
 French people with reference to their houses. Where the 
 latter has a house he wants the world passing by him to 
 know it, and if trees surround it he opens a view to it, so 
 that all passers-by may see it ; while the former almost in- 
 variably barricades his home, whether a cottage or a fine 
 mansion, as well as he can, behind brick or stone walls, 
 woods or forests, or at least a fence or live hedge, so that 
 it is secluded as much as may be from outside observation. 
 But the one enjoys home comforts, lives with his dear ones 
 at home in peace and the enjoyment of every luxury he 
 can afford (scarcely ever being extravagant, and having 
 those he cannot afford), always singing in his heart — 
 
 " dear, is my cottage, unclouded by sorrow !" 
 
 while the other is ever fond of display, lives all he can out- 
 of-doors, makes parade of all his worldly possessions at 
 every opportunity, lives quite as fast he can, taking all 
 the enjoyment he can to day, leaving to-morrow to provide 
 for itself. 
 
 We came to the conclusion that there is too much seclu- 
 sion in the one case, while there is too much ostentation 
 in the other ; each going to an extreme, missing the happy 
 medium. And there is too much stiffness, out-of-doors at 
 least, too much caste in the one society (and English caste 
 is as deeply rooted among the English as a reverence for 
 their castes is among the Hindoos), while the other is as 
 volatile and gay as if the people were half butterfly, and 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 247 
 
 ignorant of all distinctions of rank. But these compari- 
 sons are odious things, and we will not pursue them. 
 
 After a night's rest, we made our way to the great 
 cathedral, which deservedly ranks as one of the very finest 
 churches of the old world. It stands on a hill, a fine emi- 
 nence, and is both venerable and imposing in its display of 
 architecture. The lofty front, with its towers, carved 
 apostles and saints, and allegorical figures, turrets, trellis 
 work, arches, serni-columns, niches, &c, is very fine in- 
 deed. The entrance is now by flights of wooden steps, to 
 be replaced by immense blocks of stone, 
 
 The Grothic interior of this cathedral is well pointed and 
 arched, the columns and pilasters supporting the roof being 
 of immense size and considerable beauty of form. The 
 stained-glass windows are of remarkable beauty in color 
 and design, and one of them is the oldest known of its size. 
 Among these, the most striking to us were those represent- 
 ing David and the High Priest at his anointing — the Bap- 
 tism of the Saviour — the Saviour's Descent from the Cross 
 ■ — the Martyrdom of Stephen — -the two last being very fine. 
 We were not able to learn who the artist was. The finest 
 of all is the Judgment, a vast and imposing window in- 
 deed. There was that peculiar softness and richness of 
 coloring that everywhere pertain to the old glass, making 
 it incomparably superior to modern stained glass. None of 
 the new that we have seen can compare with it in any 
 respect. There are also some fine sculptures in this 
 cathedral, well worth looking at. The pulpit is quite a 
 wonderful piece of carving in wood, representing the ex- 
 pulsion of Adam and Eve from the garden of Eden. Under 
 the light clouded canopy is a silver dove descending 
 
248 NOTfiS SY THE WATr'SlOfL 
 
 to the earth from the glory of heaven, The altar-piece 
 is very grand, but not to be compared with the repre* 
 sentation of the somewhat similar subject in the Church 
 of St. Sulpice, in Paris, which was one of the most 
 effective Works of art we ever looked upon. The clouds 
 lie piled on clouds, and look as if they were rolling 
 away up into the infinite of heaven's eternal blue, like in- 
 cense ascending, while the Saviour stands in the midst, 
 soaring to the heights of the Eternal's throne. There 
 are two very large organs in this church, numerous 
 chapels, and some excellent paintings of the old masters^ 
 which having lingered over and looked at as long as our 
 time would permit, we made our way through the city. 
 
 The streets of the older part of the city are in the quaint 
 and projecting style of the olden time, and with their over- 
 hanging stories and pointed windows, look very singular 
 and queer to us, who have all our lives only been used to 
 modern styles of architecture. Most of the streets, both 
 in the ancient and more modern part of the city, are nar- 
 row and very crooked, with very contracted sidewalks, and 
 sometimes none at all, but tolerably well paved and clean. 
 
 The avenues around the city are delightful. Even Paris 
 cannot show such boulevards as encircle this very beauti- 
 ful city. The noble quadruple rows of lofty elms and 
 poplars, in some places arching the roadway and foot pro- 
 menades, in all about three hundred feet wide, winding 
 around the city in as near as may be a perfect circle, are 
 exceedingly fine, and when thronged, as the carriage-way 
 oftentimes is in the fashionable season, with hundreds of 
 highly finished carriages and dashing equipages, the scene 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 249 
 
 is highly animated, and more than ordinarily beautiful and 
 
 exciting. 
 
 There are some of the finest drives about Brussels im- 
 aginable, and as the city is frequently called " Paris in 
 miniature," we were not surprised to find that the people 
 here, as at Paris, live as much as they can out-of-doors, and 
 that the attention of the government has been directed 
 specially to decorations and improvements for the comfort 
 and enjoyment of the masses of its subjects. 
 
 Here we saw the most beautiful park we have seen in 
 Europe. It is not large, comparatively, but it is a fine 
 wood of the noblest forest trees to be found on this side of 
 the Atlantic. There were trees here which brought to 
 mind the song to 
 
 " The oak ! the brave old oak ! 
 That has stood for a thousand years." 
 
 On one side of the park are the Parliament Houses, con- 
 sisting of a Senate and Chamber of Commerce, or House 
 of Assembly ; and on the other, immediately opposite, the 
 King's Palace : both unostentatious but good-looking build- 
 ings, of white free or lime-stone, with handsome colonnaded 
 fronts. The Duke and Duchess of Brabant being in the 
 picture galleries when we called at the King's Palace, we 
 could not gain admittance, lest we should meet their high- 
 nesses, which the etiquette of the court forbade. 
 
 The Senate Chamber of the Parliament House, as well 
 as the Chamber of Commerce, is finished and furnished 
 very neatly,' and is decorated principally with fine polished 
 marbles. The private room of the President of the Senate, 
 also the King's withdrawing room, are plain but pleasant 
 
250 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 looking, and are decorated with some elegant paint- 
 ings by the best Flemish masters. The portrait of the 
 present King Leopold and of his late Queen, are uncom- 
 monly fine, and look life-like in every particular of form, 
 drapery, and expression. 
 
 The palace of the Duke of Orange and large numbers 
 of the private mansions are spacious and elegant. Several 
 of the principal streets are magnificent, and the entire city 
 is well built. 
 
 The view from the Place du Congress, the avenues 
 and boulevards, the beautiful Rue Royale, with its long 
 rows of fine white buildings of stone, its handsome, private, 
 as well as public gardens, and its charming drives, combine 
 to make one of the very finest cities of Europe. We can 
 truly say that the fair capital of Belgium is without exag- 
 geration a beautiful city, and justly the pride of its citizens 
 and of the whole nation. 
 
 There are several fine fountains in the city, but the finest 
 is in the park before mentioned, which throws jets about 
 eighty feet high, which in falling form a perfect star. 
 There were also in this park some excellent pieces of 
 statuary in marble, and in different parts of the city some 
 fine monuments. We noticed particularly the monument 
 to Leopold, surmounted by the genius of Liberty and a 
 noble lion, the relievo figures in pure white marble, as 
 being uncommonly excellent. 
 
 The great and famed equestrian bronze statue of Godfrey 
 de Bouillon, one of the noblest and mightiest of the Cru- 
 saders, is justly admired by all who have seen it. We 
 thought this, and Washington's in Union Square, New- 
 York, the two best of this kind of work we have had the 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 251 
 
 pleasure of seeing anywhere, not excepting Mills' statue ' 
 of General Jackson at Washington City. The symmetry 
 of form, position, feature, muscle, and perfect grace, ease, 
 and naturalness of rider and horse are beyond criticism, 
 and to our mind perfect. 
 
 The monument to the 900 who fell in the Revolution of 
 1830 is a plain granite shaft on either side of the statue 
 of Leopold, enclosed with a low iron railing, the surface of 
 the ground being oval-shaped, and matted with a carpet of 
 soft grass. In the crypt of Leopold's statue are recorded 
 the names in full of the whole 900 " martyrs to liberty." 
 
 There are numbers of fine-looking old churches, manu- 
 facturing and public buildings, but the Hotel de Yille, one 
 of the oldest buildings in the city, is a remarkable struct- 
 ure, and, it is -considered by many good judges, has the 
 most beautiful spire of almost any building, ancient or 
 modern. We certainly looked upon it with great admira- 
 tion. Its very delicate turrets, and carved work, now just 
 cleaned, show to great advantage ; and so exquisite is 
 every turn, point, and outline, that it is not to be wondered 
 at that it has been immortalized in both prose and song. 
 The population of the city is not far from 300,000, and is 
 industrious and frugal. But amon^ the higher and more 
 wealthy classes, Fashion has her sway here as well as in 
 other cities, and large numbers of very elegantly dressed 
 ladies, and withal good-looking too, may always be seen 
 in the afternoon promenading in the parks or in the hand- 
 some boulevards. The native higher classes speak the 
 Flemish language. The people at large, the peasantry and 
 hardest- working classes usually look healthy and respect- 
 
 11 
 
9n9 
 
 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE 
 
 able, and are very well formed. There are, however, more 
 beggars to be seen here in a three hours' walk in the poorer 
 streets than in three weeks in London or Paris. The only 
 reason for this, in our opinion, is, that they are profession- 
 ally taught to beg of the numerous strangers ; for many of 
 the children, and several of the older ones, were quite re- 
 spectably dressed, and looked well enough off for both 
 clothes and food. Indeed we were fairly beset by them at 
 every alley and corner. To the first three or four we gave 
 a sous or kreutzer, but soon found, to deal.equally with all, 
 we should want a bushel-basket full to satisfy the impor- 
 tunities and beseechings of the gathering multitude, and 
 we had to repress our generosity and turn a deaf ear to 
 the continual applications for relief. In fact we had almost 
 to beat them off, and we believe that after having given to 
 the first two or three, we were duly marked as game, and 
 they had couriers ahead and around us who announced to 
 their friends our coming. They were the most intermin- 
 able implorers, and had such beseeching looks that they 
 were almost irresistible. 
 
 The lace and other manufactures of Brussels are on a 
 very extensive scale, and give employment to many thou- 
 sands. The lace of Brussels is famed throughout the 
 world. The population of the entire kingdom is 4,500,000, 
 in a territory of only about 290 miles long and 125 miles 
 broad. 
 
 The house of the Duke of Richmond, where the grand 
 ball was given on the eve of the battle of "Waterloo, was 
 pointed out to us. That " sound of revelry" and the "fair 
 women and brave men" assembled there, and the gaiety 
 and splendor, and the animations and hopes of all those 
 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 253 
 
 present, came vividly before our minds, as described in 
 those fine lines of Byron :— 
 
 " There was a sound of revelry -by night, 
 And Belgium's capital had gathered then 
 
 Her beauty and her chivalry, and bright 
 The lamps shone o'er fair women and brave men. 
 A thousand hearts beat happily ; and when 
 
 Music arose with its voluptuous swell, 
 Soft eyes looked love to eyes which spake again, 
 
 And all went merry as a marriage bell : 
 
 When, hush ! hark ! a deep sound strikes like a rising knell ! 
 
 Did you not hear it 1 — no ; twas but the wind, 
 Or the cars rattling o'er the stony street ; 
 
 On with the dance ! let joy be unconfiiied : 
 No sleep till morn, when Youth and Pleasure meet. 
 To chase the glowing hours with flying feet ! 
 
 But hark ! that heavy sound breaks in once more, 
 As if the clouds its echo would repeat ; 
 
 And nearer, clearer, deadlier than before ! 
 
 Arm ! Arm ! it is — it is — the cannon's opening roar J" 
 
 The next morning we mounted the top seats of the 
 coach at nine o'clock, for the field of Waterloo. The air 
 and sky were fresh and beautiful as heart and senses could 
 wish, and with our cheerful compagnons du voyage, the 
 enlivening bugle-call, as we rapidly traversed the reverber- 
 ating streets and called at the hotels for the visitors for 
 the field, the paved road all the way out, lined on each side 
 (an admirable practice) with linden, beech, elm, and pop- 
 lars, and the delightful- scenery, our ride was enchant- 
 ing and n vely as we could desire. That " old paved road," 
 over which the thundering cannon and victorious legions had 
 marshaled in hot haste for the deadly fray, we traversed 
 
254 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 with some of the feelings that animated the breasts of 
 those gallant men who, on the ever-memorable 18th day of 
 June, 181d, hastened to encounter the foe, to live or die in 
 victory ! 
 
 The great commanders, Napoleon and Wellington, at the 
 heads of their respective magnificent armies, passed in re- 
 view before our minds, and over the gentle and pleasant 
 undulations of the smiling fields we could see, in im- 
 agination, the rushing squadrons of cavalry, the columns 
 of infantry moving into line, the clouds of smoke rolling 
 over the thunderbolts of the loud artillery, the glittering 
 cuirassiers and clanking dragoons, summoned by the shrill 
 bugle-notes, and the fierce charge, the retreat, the triumph, 
 Then to and fro we saw the battle rage like the wild 
 waves of the sea. Anon the air around us was filled with 
 loud shouts of the leading columns in the victorious charge, 
 the waving of blood-red banners and golden eagles, the 
 unheeded groans of the thousands bleeding in death's ago- 
 nies, the neighing of riderless steeds, the rattling of 
 drums, and animating strains of martial music, encourag- 
 ing the serried ranks to the deadly conflict ; the deep- 
 toned and murderous bass of the heavy cannon, and the 
 fierce and more deadly rattle of myriads of musketry — all 
 were before and around us, and the "proudly gay" of the 
 midnight that "brought the signal sound of strife,'' 
 lay in heaps on the bosom of their common mother 
 earth — 
 
 " Rider and horse — friend, foe — in one red burial blent !" 
 
 Having reached the ground we were politely met by the 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 255 
 
 English guide, Sergeant Munday, who was himself en- 
 gaged on the field of battle, and one of the few now living 
 who took part in that momentous and. bloody struggle. 
 We found him a very intelligent and impartial guide ; per- 
 haps we thought him so the more readily, because he ex- 
 pressed our own views and opinions relative to the memo- 
 rable contest, the arena of which we were viewing. 
 
 The surface of the ground is all that could be desired for 
 a fair and open encounter. The undulations are gentle, 
 and there are no obstructions or eminences, natural or arti- 
 ficial, to aid or impede the operations of an army, except 
 La Haye Sainte and the Chateau of Hougomont. The 
 possible advantage of position was not much, but what 
 there was, was with the allied army. Wellington, no 
 doubt, as is alleged, purposely chose this as the field on 
 which he would offer to meet the advancing and victorious 
 hosts of Bonaparte. Between the positions occupied by 
 the opposing armies was a gentle hollow, and the rising 
 ground on which the French cannon were ranged was but 
 a trifle lower than that of the English. But all along be- 
 hind the English artillery and advanced infantry, was an- 
 other depression or vale, in which the Duke of Wellington 
 kept perfectly protected his reserves and cavalry, and 
 where he could move them to and fro, from left to right, as 
 occasion required, unseen by Napoleon. This was a great 
 point gained in the battle, even before the fray began, and 
 shows the consummate generalship of the Duke in select- 
 ing his ground, and his skill in making the best of his 
 position. 
 
 We saw the spots where Picton, Gordon, and Howard 
 fell — the ground over which General Ponsonby with the 
 
256 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 Scotts Greys, and the Highlanders, charged so gallantly — 
 La Haye Sainte, so impetuously taken by the French — the 
 directions of Marshal Ney's errand cavalry attacks, that 
 shook the earth like rumbling thunder — the place where 
 "Wellington looked so eagerly through his telescope for the 
 Prussians tinder Blucher, and exclaimed, i% Would to God 
 night or Blucher would come !' ? — the ground on which was 
 made the steady and unparalleled advances and charges of 
 the Imperial Guard, led on first by Napoleon and then by 
 Ney, and where no less than eleven times they were sternly 
 repulsed by the invincible squares of the British grena- 
 diers, till they at last sorrowfully gave up the vain at- 
 tempt, suflfering for the first time the mortification of 
 defeat — the orchards and gardens, with the chateau of 
 Hougomont, now mostly in ruins, being left almost pre- 
 cisely as it was the day after the battle — the hedges, the 
 ditches, and the said ' ; friendly hollow" — the place where 
 Wellington gave the brief but well-understood and prompt- 
 ly-obeyed command. " Up, Guards, and at them !" — all this 
 was pointed out to us. and though no battle raged around 
 us now. how vividly all appeared before us ! The 150,000 
 armed men, who, instigated by no malice, no ill-will, no 
 interest they understood of their own, stood arrayed in 
 arms on this fair field, and obeying, like some wonderful 
 machine, their respective commanders, moved and march- 
 ed, and shot and slaughtered each other, as drum or bugle, 
 or word of superior officer directed — the 400 pieces of can- 
 non so courageously and scientifically worked — the smoke 
 and the flashing, and the thundering discharges and rat- 
 tling volleys of musketry and field-pieces — the cries and 
 groans and carnage of that terrible battle — all were gone — 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 257 
 
 ceased — no longer to be heard or seen. All is again serene 
 and fresh and tranquil. Still we cannot stand without 
 strong interest and emotion upon the field of Waterloo. 
 
 On the rising ground at the back of and near to Hougo- 
 mont, we could survey almost the entire field, without ob- 
 struction. We were shown the positions occupied by both 
 commanders, the place of the " reputed tree" where Wel- 
 lington, it has been said by some writers, stationed himself, 
 and remained during the whole of the conflict, but which 
 statement our guide assured us was incorrect, and he showed 
 us a narrow road, where the old Duke was almost constantly 
 riding to and fro during the battle, giving orders, receiving- 
 reports, and watching, glass in hand, every change and 
 movement. This road was immediately in the rear of his 
 artillery and advanced lines, and between them and his 
 reserves and the sheltering hollow, and was very much 
 exposed. 
 
 The orchard of Hougomont, so often taken by the 
 French and then recaptured by the English, and the gar- 
 dens of the chateau, with its walls and remains of build- 
 ings, were the most interesting of all. The red brick 
 walls, which the French, under an immense fire, charged 
 up to, fired into, and mistook for a line of red coats, is still 
 there, perforated with the holes through which the Cold- 
 stream (xuards fired at the enemy, who actually seized the 
 musket-barrels in their hands, and fought, hand to hand, 
 with the desperation of wounded tigers. The totally de- 
 stroyed chateau, except a small staircase, the chapel in 
 which the wounded were placed, which was set fire to by 
 the division under the command of Jerome Bonaparte, and 
 which only burned inside to the image of the Saviour, and 
 
258 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 there stopped, which image is still hanging on the wall, 
 perfect as when first put up, except that the toes are burned 
 off ; the stable, now rebuilt, in which two hundred wound- 
 ed soldiers were burned to death, and the well, which was 
 filled with dead and wounded, that has never been emptied, 
 and has not been used, even to the present day — looking 
 at all these things brought the events and horrors of that 
 day like phantoms before our minds. The groans, the 
 shrieks, the shouts of vengeance and defiance, still seemed 
 to fill the air, as on that day when 
 
 " Thick as autumn shocks, there lay 
 The ghastly harvest of the fray, 
 The corpses of the slain." 
 
 Near the centre of the field, where the last grand and 
 glorious charges — for glorious they were, though unsuc- 
 cessful — of the Imperial Gruard were made, is thrown up 
 a huge mound of earth, about two hundred feet high, on 
 the summit of which proudly stands a noble -British lion, 
 of white marble, placed there by the Belgian Government, 
 a conspicuous and enduring acknowledgment and memorial 
 of the skill and valor that gained the victory over the vic- 
 torious veterans of France, led by a general who, though 
 here his genius failed him, or fortune forsook him, will 
 ever be ranked among the most consummate generals the 
 world has produced. 
 
 There are also two other plain but substantial monu- 
 ments nearer to the farm of La Haye Sainte, on either 
 side of the road leading from Brussels to Grennappes and 
 Charleroi ; but the most interesting and striking monu- 
 ment of ail is the remains of Hougomont, still a faithful 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 259 
 
 witness to the desperate bravery of vanquished and victor. 
 Around these walls the combatants fought as if despising 
 life, and even victory — bent solely on mutual extermin- 
 ation. 
 
 Having passed from left to right of the field, pretty 
 carefully surveyed its topographical peculiarities, and noted 
 the places where the most memorable incidents occurred, 
 we passed half an hour in the small museum of curiosities, 
 relics of arms, &c, that the ploughshare of the husband- 
 man' has, from year to year, turned up out of the soil. 
 Arms of various kinds, eagles, balls, saddles, cartridge- 
 boxes, belts, caps, cloven skulls, boxes, cuirasses, helmets, 
 harness, &c, &c, are carefully preserved, and one cannot 
 look upon these remains without a feeling of pity and 
 melancholy. 
 
 Somehow our visit to this never-to-be-forgotten field, on 
 which the destiny of Europe was decided by stern trial by 
 battle, made a deep impression upon our mind : it seemed 
 to us we had gained a deeper insight into the world's his- 
 tory. Different as the two scenes are, we were reminded 
 of the feelings and reflections with which we wandered 
 amidst the solemn aisles and monuments of Westminster 
 Abbey. We felt deeply how, alike in peace and war, time 
 and death are all-conquering ; and were taught that valor, 
 genius, virtue, ambition, all must meet, whether they pre- 
 pare for it or not, the same doom— 
 
 "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust." 
 
 As we wandered over the now peaceful scene, our con- 
 viction was strengthened that Napoleon went into battle 
 too confident of victory- — too confident of his own superi- 
 
 11* 
 
260 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 ority over the general opposed to him — too confident in the 
 enthusiasm, courage, and discipline of his noble and well- 
 tried troops. Had he husbanded his cavalry and reserves as 
 carefully as did Wellington, and guarded, as he easily might 
 have done, his right against the advancing Prussians, the 
 result of the contest probably would have been different 
 from what it was ; though, perhaps, the final and speedy 
 downfall of Napoleon would still have been inevitable. 
 But speculation as to what might have been is useless. 
 Practical observation of the field, as well as the clear and 
 impartial account of Sergeant Munday, and the best de- 
 scriptions of the battle, satisfy us that Napoleon did commit 
 some blunders, and wasted opportunities in unaccountable 
 delays. But this detracts nothing from the great skill, 
 foresight, and generalship of Wellington, though probably 
 it saved him much trouble, hard fighting, and bloodshed, 
 not to speak of the glory of his unparalleled victory. The 
 world acknowledges his ability, prudence, and genius ; but 
 the arrival of Blucher, and the non-arrival of Grouchy, 
 both of them accidents, perhaps, beyond the control of 
 those whose fate they determined, will ever be remembered 
 in connection with the battle of Waterloo, and, to some 
 extent, qualify the great glory which belongs to Welling- 
 ton, as the conqueror of Napoleon. 
 
 We had a pleasant ride back to our temporary home, 
 and we willingly allowed ourselves to enjoy the very 
 pleasant scenery of the country, and to forget the scenes 
 and thoughts in which we had become so deeply absorbed. 
 The truly magnificent forest of Soignies, with its grateful 
 shade, looked like a basking place of luxury and the deep- 
 est quiet ; we thought it the finest beech wood we ever 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 261 
 
 beheld, and in our humble opinion would have been an 
 impregnable retreat to Wellington and the allied army, in 
 case he had had to avail himself of one. It skirts the 
 road-side for about three miles, and is about five miles 
 long at its greatest length. 
 
 On our way back we were afforded considerable amuse- 
 ment by the troops of beggar children that followed the 
 coach, pleading for centimes, and often keeping pace with 
 it for miles, and seeming determined not to stop till they 
 got their full of disappointment, or a centime or two. One 
 little fellow, not over eight years of age, ran with us for at 
 least three miles and a half, and every now and then, when 
 he found a sandy place, showed his activity and dexterity, 
 entertaining us by tumbling summersets, handbarrows, 
 and other gymnastics. Little ragged bare-legged girls also 
 would run and keep pace with us for long distances, and 
 most adroitly carl their clothes between their legs and 
 show off to quite as good advantage feats of ground and 
 lofty tumbling as the boys. Passengers seldom if ever 
 give them anything now, as the practice is unquestionably 
 a bad one, and ought to be discouraged. 
 
 Having returned to the city in time for a short walk be- 
 fore our table dlwte at six o'clock, we improved the time 
 by making further acquaintance with its beautiful and 
 agreeable promenades. Everywhere we met soldiers, 
 quite as prominently and plentifully as in Paris ; usually 
 fine-looking men as to size and looks, and in good uniform. 
 Indeed we thought them a body of men that would do 
 credit to any army. The neatness of their equipments and 
 dress, their trim appearance and soldierly bearing might in 
 
262 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 some respects be imitated with advantage by the military 
 of some more powerful nations. 
 
 From Brussels we took the railway to the old-fashioned 
 and time-honored city of Antwerp, which we reached in 
 an hour and a half. The station-house is outside the 
 barriers, and is built in the same style as the neat ones in 
 the large towns of our own country. 
 
 Antwerp is said to be the best fortified inland city in 
 Europe. And truly, to look at its defences, one would 
 imagine they were sufficient to keep out any enemy, how- 
 ever numerous or skillful. 
 
 The moat and double line of walls, the embankments 
 grown over by great trees, are in the most perfect order, 
 while the bastions, glacis of the counterscarp, and parapets 
 are or can be planted with cannon that would completely 
 sweep each salient point of the front and entire moat. 
 
 We admired these as the only fortifications of the many 
 that we have seen, that would be of any particular use in 
 actual defence against big guns and a storming of the 
 city. 
 
 The moat is about one hundred feet wide, and twelve to 
 fifteen feet deep, well filled with water. The inner wall, 
 backed up by immense earthen embankments, is about 
 forty feet high in front, from the surface of the water to 
 the top of the ramparts. The curtains are well protected, 
 and the draw and gateways are proportionately strong and 
 enormous. The streets through which we drove to our 
 hotel, were well paved and solidly built. 
 
 From our hotel we proceeded first to the justly celebrated 
 cathedral here, which is the most conspicuous building of 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 263 
 
 the city, as well as one of the oldest edifices of the kind on 
 the continent. Indeed it is 
 
 " A vast cathedral, perfect in design, 
 Whose walls with blazonry of beauty shine." 
 
 The principal front view is nearly obstructed by a range 
 of low one and two story rickety and ill-looking shops 
 stuck in around the base, and looking like miserable funoi 
 growing on a beautiful and stately tree. But as the eye 
 looks upward, the beautiful and noble architecture unfolds 
 itself in all its splendor and grandeur, and the delicately 
 carved work, so admirably and clearly defined, loses none 
 of its distinctness, order, and beauty, even to the top of the 
 cross of the wonderful spire, which is the chef cfceuvre of 
 all the spires we have seen. Time and smoke have be- 
 grimed the whole, but still the fine and chaste work is 
 there, and where it has recently been cleaned off it shows 
 all its original perfection and beauty. The proportions are 
 exquisite, and the eye is truly delighted in surveying its 
 tapering and majestic height, and its thoroughly artistic 
 grace and perfection of detail. The spire of the Hotel de 
 Ville at Brussels is beautiful, but this as far exceeds it as 
 that does the spire of Trinity Church, at the head of Wall 
 street, New- York. The whole detail of the front is alto- 
 gether too elaborate for description in these off-hand 
 sketches. We admired it very much indeed, and could 
 compare it only with Lincoln Cathedral in England. 
 
 The great tower contains a chime of bells of uncommon 
 softness and sweetness of tone. They play at each hour 
 and half hour, and their music was as grateful and silvery 
 
264 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 \ 
 
 as " those evening bells," so familiar to our childhood's ear. 
 The whole structure is well preserved. On entering we 
 were highly pleased with the fine proportions and massive 
 appearance of the edifice. The lofty roof is supported by 
 immense columns, quite equal to those of Notre Dame, 
 and not bedizened with incongruous papering, like the latter 
 building, as we mentioned when speaking of it, but tower- 
 ing upwards in strength and beauty, pleasing and satisfy- 
 ing the eye of the beholder with their substance and 
 solidity. 
 
 The great altar is of beautiful white marble, decorated 
 with the richest gilding, and a very magnificent statue of 
 the Virgin Mary, combining a heavenly sweetness with 
 her earthly love. It has the richest gold crucifix we have 
 yet seen, and some massive silver candlesticks. There are 
 several beautiful paintings suspended on the principal 
 walls, and some fine statuary in the niches. 
 
 The statue of Bishop Ambrosius Capello we noticed par- 
 ticularly, and it is uncommonly well done ; the drapery 
 we thought quite extraordinary — for nothing could exceed 
 the imitation of the folds, plaits, and rich lace, as well as 
 embroidery, which is as natural to look upon as if the real 
 lace itself were temporarily suspended over his vestments. 
 
 As high mass was being said, and we did not wish to 
 be pointed out as intruders, we had not an opportunity 
 of examining the sacristy and chapels, as we very much 
 wished to, but we did take a good and long look at Rubens' 
 greatest painting here. 
 
 We had seen almost everywhere paintings of Christ on 
 the Cross, his Descent from the Cross, the Elevation of the 
 Cross, and other scenes of the crucifixion, but the greatest 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 265 
 
 painting of all is the Descent from the Cross, by Rubens, 
 in this cathedral. This is the finest of the many paintings 
 we have seen of subjects of this character. Its great repu- 
 tation was fully sustained ; we felt no disappointment. 
 The serene and heavenly calmness — the submissive royalty, 
 bowing before his cruel kins-people, without a murmur, 
 "even as a lamb led to the slaughter" — the pale G-od-man 
 brow, without a line of stormy passion — the eye in meek- 
 ness uplifted — the lips even in that hour of agony breath- 
 ing in prayer, " Father, forgive them : they know not what 
 they do" — the livid flesh and strained muscles, and, shining 
 through and supreme over all, the great benignity and 
 divinity of "that love of the only begotten of the Father," 
 who " so loved the world that he gave his only Son for the 
 redemption of the world" — all these are vividly depicted, 
 and the spectator gazes on the wonderful work, till he al- 
 most forgets that it is a production of art, and his sympa- 
 thies are excited, as though he beheld a suffering living 
 Saviour. 
 
 " Majestic sweetness sits enthroned 
 Upon his sacred brow ; 
 His head with radiant glories crowned, 
 His lips with grace o'erflow." 
 
 The man must have possessed a genius of the highest 
 order, who could produce such a painting of the Crucifixion ! 
 
 The two thieves on either side of the Saviour are ghastly 
 and horrifying figures. One of them has torn his foot in 
 his death struggles, from the wood to which it % was nailed. 
 The mental and bodily agony he writhes beneath are por- 
 trayed with terrible truthfulness. 
 
266 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 But Christ absorbs every thought and feeling in looking 
 on this picture ; we 
 
 " See from his head, his hands, his feet, 
 Sorrow and love flow mingled down ! 
 
 The longer we gaze upon this representation of Him, the 
 more assured we feel that, 
 
 " Unheard by mortals, there are strains 
 
 That sweetly soothe the Saviour's woe," 
 
 and exclaim in the beautiful words of the great poet 
 Montgomery :— 
 
 " Truly this was the Son of God, 
 Though in a servant's mean disguise : 
 
 And bruised beneath the Father's rod, 
 Not for himself, — for man he dies. 7 ' 
 
 The other great painting of Rubens, considered his 
 third best, the Elevation of the Cross, we missed, which 
 we very much regretted. 
 
 In passing out we noticed that the carved oak seats and 
 canopies looked more like those in Lincoln Cathedral, than 
 any we had elsewhere seen either in England or on the 
 Continent. The singing was excellent, though we were 
 far more absorbed in painting than in music, and did not 
 hear much of it or af the great organ. 
 
 While passing through the old and narrow streets, the 
 tall six, seven, and eight story buildings, with gables to the 
 street, and steps up from the eaves to the highest point of 
 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 267 
 
 the steep roofs, had to us a singular appearance. And 
 again some of them almost form archways over the streets 
 by the projections of the different stories. The buildings 
 are all substantial, being constructed of brick and stone ; 
 numbers of the more modern ones are quite handsome, the 
 ornamental work of some of them very much to be ad- 
 mired. The public buildings, old burgomaster's house 
 ard ancient town hall, are quaint but large and solid 
 structures. The Museum is an old and irregular building, 
 well worth visiting, having a large collection of paintings, 
 statuary, and curiosities. Just at the right of the principal 
 entrance is a statue in marble of the great painter Yan 
 Dyke, which is very much admired as a work of great 
 merit. 
 
 We visited the Church of St. Jerome, one of the old 
 churches not very remarkable outwardly for anything but 
 hoary age and solidity, but the inside most richly repays a 
 visit, the whole of it being finished in polished marbles of 
 various colors and countries. The walls are hung with 
 productions of Rubens, Velasquez, Murillo, Van Dyke, 
 and other great masters, that vie with each other for supe- 
 riority. The Apostles and sundry saints in full length, the 
 Virgin Mary and Infant Saviour (one of Rubens' finest 
 efforts, and said by some to be his very best,) are very ex- 
 quisite indeed. "What expression and divine beauty beam 
 out of that lovely picture ! We were quite enraptured with 
 it, but it must be seen to be justly admired. There is a 
 maidenly grace, naivete, and charm about this picture that 
 powerfully draw one towards it, and the more you look at 
 it the more captivated you become. 
 
 The column work, panel work, with crosses in each 
 
268 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 centre, pilasters, and railings, with interlacing vine work, 
 are all in marble, and quite extraordinary. There are 
 a number of chapels finished with marble, and adorned 
 with magnificent paintings and statuary. One with Mary 
 and Joseph in full length, with a wreath of cherubic heads 
 and garlands of flowers around them, is certainly, as a 
 whole, one of the most beautiful pieces of sculpture we 
 have anywhere seen. 
 
 The statues of the saints Susan, Catherine, Christiana, 
 and Anna, in another chapel, are lovely pieces of work, 
 and really delightful to the eye and senses. A short marble 
 rail enclosing an altar to the Virgin Mary, interlaced 
 with cherub heads, intermixed with ears of corn (Indian 
 maize), is uncommonly fine, as to design and execution, 
 and must have required an immense amount of labor. 
 
 There is a fine font of alabaster here, which, though 
 quite large, is covered with a magnificent figured and em- 
 bossed gold cover of great weight and value. It was 
 arranged to be drawn up when the font is used, by a 
 heavy cord of silk on pulleys, and ornamented with large 
 bullion tassels. The sacristy, organ, massive bronze doors, 
 several stained-glass windows, and the altar piece, were all 
 very fine. 
 
 From this we made our way to the celebrated Church of 
 St Jaques, certainly one of the finest churches of the 
 many we have seen, and one which never ought to be 
 passed by by any visitor to Belgium. The building is not 
 very large, though it is by no means small or in anywise 
 contracted in its dimensions. The outside is not unlike 
 that of St. Jerome. The tout ensemble of the inside is 
 perfect, and the finish is quite as exquisite in its way as the 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 269 
 
 Madeline at Paris, though of a different order. Like that 
 of St. Jerome, the finish is of marble, and the intermixture 
 of black and white and variegated marbles is done in a 
 most workmanlike and artistic manner. The walls of the 
 church as well as the chapels are adorned with num- 
 bers of Rubens' best paintings. This church also con- 
 tains the remains of that distinguished artist and two of 
 his daughters, in a chapel by themselves, just behind the 
 great altar. It is plain and simple, containing nothing 
 particularly striking beside the monuments, which are 
 master-pieces, and cannot fail to be looked upon by all 
 who visit this shrine with more than ordinary interest. 
 He who could produce on canvas for the delight and in- 
 struction of ages such great events, so naturally, though in 
 such splendor, depicting man and woman — humanity in all 
 phases and circumstances — all passions from brutal lust 
 even to divine love — was certainly entitled to a noble monu- 
 ment. But in fact he has an imperishable monument in 
 each of his magnificent works. 
 
 There are a large number of splendid marble statues 
 here. Those of the twelve Apostles, each life size, in the 
 purest white marble, are worth the closest scrutiny, as they 
 will bear the severest criticism. We looked upon them 
 with the deepest admiration, we might almost say absolute 
 veneration. Each one seemed more lovely than the other. 
 "We could not learn the sculptor's name. 
 
 There is also in this church a sculptured representation 
 of the Crucifixion, which is truly a surprising piece of work. 
 Every muscle, every lineament, is produced with an accu- 
 racy, a minuteness and delicacy, that we should have 
 thought unattainable by the artist's chisel. The varied 
 
270 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 expression of the countenances of the figures is so natural 
 as to painfully excite the sympathies of the spectator. The 
 face and form of the Saviour especially impress one most 
 vividly. Anguish and cruel suffering are depicted on the 
 countenance, hut overpowered hy inexhaustihle patience 
 and meekness, and all-enduring love. The Roman soldiery, 
 the faithful weeping women, the two thieves, and other 
 figures are finely done; each individual character is a study 
 of itself. But the spectator's attention and interest are 
 almost ahsorhed hy the matchless figure of the dying 
 Saviour. 
 
 The tomh of Yelsco, a Spanish grandee, who is buried 
 beneath it, in one of the side chapels, with the remarkable 
 representation of Death and the Hour-glass, is a surprising 
 piece of work — the human- skeleton, in white marble, be- 
 ing particularly striking. You see before you man, his 
 soul departed, his fleshly covering stripped from him ! 
 
 Several of the stained-glass windows here are among the 
 best we have seen. We noticed particularly a small land- 
 scape scene, we believe the Mount of Olivet, with the city 
 of Jerusalem in the distance, which was very pleasing, and 
 beautifully colored. Joseph and Mary going down into 
 Egypt, is also a lovely picture. Our arrangements did not 
 permit us to spend so much time in the church as we 
 wished, though no doubt we have already occupied more 
 than enough of your time with our faint and imperfect 
 descriptions of things, of which even the best of describers, 
 a Scott or a Cooper, could convey onty very inadequate 
 ideas. 
 
 We next looked in at the Exchange — a neat building, 
 principally of iron and glass. It happened to be "high 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 271 
 
 change 5 ' — -at least we supposed so — for the rotunda was 
 literally packed full of substantial-looking business men — 
 all eagerly engaged in buying and selling. 
 
 The markets we visited were well-stocked with meats, 
 fruits, vegetables, and flowers. The market-women, with 
 their high-crowned hats and neat white caps, were a show 
 of themselves, and comical they looked to us unsophistica- 
 ted Yankees. 
 
 From Antwerp we took the railway, via Ghent and 
 Calais, to England. Ghent we found to be a fine-looking 
 old town, with some large and elegant-looking public and 
 business buildings and churches in it, and we desired very 
 much to spend a half day there, but our engagements did 
 not permit us, nor could we devote the time to it. We 
 experienced the more regret, because this place is associa- 
 ted with one of our most important treaties with England : 
 that made by Clay, Adams, and Gallatin, as our ministers 
 plenipotentiary. 
 
 The surface of the country is altogether too flat, but 
 everywhere is exceedingly well cultivated. Considerable 
 portions of it are sandy, and we were rather surprised at its 
 general appearance, and fruitfulness. A large part of the 
 labor of the field, as in the parts of France we were in, is 
 performed by women and children. Indeed these are seen 
 in the proportion of about four to one ; the male popula- 
 tion, young and middle-aged men, mostly being engaged 
 as either sailors or soldiers. 
 
 We should judge the country very well governed, from 
 what we have seen. This kingdom presents the anomaly 
 of a strictly Roman Catholic people and a Protestant king 
 and royal family. The Senate and Chamber of Commerce 
 
272 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE, 
 
 are largely Catholic, and the monarch is said by his people 
 to he very conservative. When we remember the cruel 
 persecutions the Protestants suffered in the Netherlands, 
 especially in the cities in this part of the country, in- 
 flicted under Philip II., of Spain, through the servile and 
 infamous Duke of Alva and his brutal victorious soldiery, 
 it is surprising that this nation is now one of the most obe- 
 dient and faithful to the Church of Rome in all Europe. 
 The laws are said not to be burthensome, while all religions 
 are fully tolerated ; and so far as we could judge from obvi* 
 ous appearances, general good feeling prevails. 
 
 What considerably surprises an American at first, is the 
 habitual and almost universal disregard of the Sabbath by 
 the people of the cities. The stores and trading establish- 
 ments of Brussels and Paris are mostly open on the Sab- 
 bath, the same as on any other day, except those of the few 
 Protestants, (and not excepting all of these,) and occasion- 
 ally one of some unusually strict and zealous Catholic. The 
 stranger can scarcely perceive any difference, indeed, be- 
 tween the Sabbath and any other day. In Brussels we 
 saw no buildings or mechanical work going on on the Sun- 
 day, but in Paris we did. We also saw ladies in both 
 places go from mass to do a little shopping ; and every ba- 
 zaar, confectionary, cafe, and restaurant, is quite as much 
 frequented as on any other day. Many take advantage of 
 the day of rest to patronize their tailor, boot-maker, or 
 milliner, or to lay in their weekly supplies of dry goods 
 and groceries, 
 
 However, the people everywhere seemed prosperous and 
 happy, and the broad fields yield abundance, both for man 
 and beast. Once more, adieu ! 
 
LETTER No. XIII. 
 
 London, October 3d, 1857. 
 
 Dear Mother M # * # # : 
 
 This being the last letter we intend inditing from this 
 side of the Atlantic, before recrossing that stormy water 
 and bidding adieu to " Old England," we must send it to 
 you, who so often exclaim, in the fullness of your heart — 
 
 " England, with all thy faults, I love thee still !" 
 
 Ten days after our return from Belgium, and again set- 
 ting foot on the shores of rock-bound, ocean-girt Albion, 
 we commenced sight-seeing all we could while privileged 
 to breathe and enjoy its congenial, and to us, balmy air. 
 "We landed at Dover about eleven o'clock at night, and after 
 a half hour in the hands of the custom-house officers of 
 her Majesty, we found our welcome bed, from which, after 
 a refreshing rest, we arose betimes, and took an early 
 view of its lofty old castle, with over three hundred guns. 
 It is a fine old fort, and a noble and sure defence to this part 
 of the coast, and the harbor, which is almost underneath 
 it. At the present time there are but few soldiers quarter- 
 ed in it, barely sufficient for guard duty and cleanliness, 
 though it is amply provisioned and armed for its full com- 
 plement of defenders in a long siege. If properly defended 
 it must be impregnable, by land and sea. The oldest part 
 
274 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 of the fortifications are believed to be Roman, though this 
 is questionable, as the masonry is certainly not pure Ro- 
 man. However, from earliest times watch-towers, and 
 some sort of fortifications, have existed in this imme- 
 diate neighborhood. There are many heavy guns, but the 
 most curious piece of ordnance here, or in the world, is 
 Queen Elizabeth's " pocket-pistol," a beautiful piece, of 
 brass, twenty-four feet long, and it is said by some, that it 
 will carry a ball across the Channel ! That is a consider- 
 able exaggeration. But it will carry a ball about seven 
 miles. We judged it to be a twelve-pounder, or there- 
 abouts. 
 
 The extensive new barracks near by are well built of 
 brick, and adapted for the comfortable accommodation of 
 a large body of troops. The requirements of the opera- 
 tions against China and the insurrection in India have 
 withdrawn nearly all the soldiers of the British army to 
 those distant countries, and the present force in the home 
 fortifications, encampments and barracks is less than it has 
 been for many years, and, as many think, less than pru- 
 dence would dictate. 
 
 The town has not much to boast of in the way of archi- 
 tecture. It lies close to and along the docks, under the 
 towering chalk cliffs, and is of no great importance, except 
 for its proximity to France, and as an entrepot for passen- 
 gers between the two countries. It is one of the old Cinque 
 Ports, and still enjoys some remnants of their once import- 
 ant special privileges. 
 
 A few miles north-east from Dover is the town of Deal, 
 and the ancient Walmer Castle, originally built as one oi 
 the seaport and coast defences, as well as a protection to 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 275 
 
 the anchorage of the Downs, which is within cannon- 
 shot of the castle. Between this place and Deal is the 
 South Foreland, on which there has been a lighthouse from 
 time immemorial. A few miles further north is the older 
 town of Sandwich, also one of the original Cinque Ports, 
 and till within a hundred years a strongly fortified town, 
 with moat, ditch, and a heavy walled embankment encirc- 
 ling it, but now a dull and rapidly decaying place, without 
 commerce, and with less than half its once numerous 
 population. It is recorded in the " Doomsday Book," 
 which was made out somewhere about the year 1050, that 
 " Sandwich paid £40 of ferme and 40,000 herrings food 
 to the monks yearly rent"— at the present time we doubt 
 whether it could manage to pay half as much rent per 
 annum, if called upon to do so. 
 
 The town, which we believe was at one time twice as 
 large as it is now, was doubtless commenced to be built 
 by the soldiers of Julius Caesar, but was afterwards aban- 
 doned by them. Near by is a place called Richboro — now 
 certainly a very inappropriate name — where are the best 
 preserved and oldest Roman remains in Great Britain. 
 Richboro was in those early times a seaport, but the sea 
 having receded from it (as may be plainly seen) the people 
 and business gradually transferred themselves to Sand- 
 wich, which became, and for a long time remained, an im- 
 portant place. 
 
 Our ride on the coach- top to Richboro was delightful, 
 the morning being fresh and clear, with an exhilarating sea 
 breeze blowing, which we fairly quaffed with more than 
 the Bacchanalian delight of revelers over the ruby wine. 
 As the coach did not go within half a mile of the ruins, we 
 
 12 
 
 
 \ 
 
276 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 alighted, and calling the ferryman, took a seat in his boat 
 and crossed over the old Portus Rutupensis, now called the 
 Stour, described in the history of the military operations 
 of the Romans in this neighborhood as a commodious and 
 safe harbor. Now it is upwards of a mile and a half from 
 the sea. The fleets of the Romans in all their pride and 
 power, sailed, or rather, rowed, into this now dry harbor, 
 which was then no doubt surrounded by a busy and 
 flourishing population ; but the spot is now distinguishable 
 only by ruins, and other evidences of departed prosperity. 
 
 The old castle or fortifications are remarkable for their 
 extent and preservation. On this ground beneath our feet, 
 then, the great Julius Csesar, fifty-five years before the 
 birth of Christ, landed his Roman legions. His first inva- 
 sion had failed of complete success, but at the second he 
 secured his position (after some bloody and desperate 
 battles) by constructing the fortifications of which these 
 walls are the remains — striking examples of the durability 
 which usually characterizes the work of the Romans. 
 
 The ruins are spread over about six acres, and some of 
 the walls are very perfect, though they have been in ruins 
 since the Romans were overcome by the Danes, and obliged 
 to relinquish their position here, full fifteen hundred years 
 ago. The northern wall in many places is quite perfect ; 
 its face is as smooth and uninjured as when first built. 
 It is about twelve feet thick, and was about twenty-five 
 feet high. The masonry is as solid as the everlasting hills, 
 and the cement binding the flinty stone courses has become 
 as hard as the stones of which the wall is built ; as we as- 
 certained by endeavoring to break some of it out in order 
 to procure a piece. By way of finish or ornament a double 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 277 
 
 course of brick is run along the face of the wall at every 
 four feet of its height. 
 
 While standing contemplating on the events which were 
 connected with this interesting spot, our thoughts fell into 
 rhyme, and the following lines occurred to us impromptu : 
 
 Here trod the Roman legions bold, 
 
 Here Caesar led his cohorts old, 
 
 And the shrill clarion's notes pealed out, 
 
 And the air was rent with the victor's shout. 
 
 The position was exceedingly well chosen and command- 
 ing. When it was selected by Csesar it was protected on 
 three sides by sea or marsh, and yet was so elevated that 
 from the walls the country could be scanned for many 
 miles around. The remaining side was and is now quite a 
 plain, for a long distance. The seaside was constantly 
 watched, and protected by the Roman galleys. 
 
 These massive, abandoned, and now useless walls form 
 a noble monument of the genius, indomitable energy, the 
 time-defying labors of the men who planned and erected 
 them so long ago. Long as they have stood they may yet 
 stand for many generations to come. For fifteen hundred 
 years they have been exposed to the never-ceasing action 
 of time and the elements, and the materials and work are 
 still as strong as when first the fortifications frowned upon 
 the defeated Britons. Yet all-conquering, leveling time 
 will at last lay in the dust these flinty memorials of those 
 stern and inflexible conquerors. Through how many ages, 
 wars, and revolutions they have stood ! What fluctuations 
 in human affairs, what changes of people, rulers, language, 
 religion, of almost everything, in this famous island have 
 
278 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 they witnessed ! Briton, Roman, Saxon, Dane, Norman, 
 have in turn ruled, and finally formed that wonderful 
 amalgamated people we call Anglo-Saxon, since these 
 walls were erected : will they yet stand long enough to see 
 the dominion of some fresh race ? 
 
 "Assyria, Greece, Rome, Carthage — where are they?" 
 
 Ceaselessly the centuries proceed in their solemn, inevi- 
 table march, trampling into dust peoples, nations, cities, 
 empires, and all their works ; and giving again to nature, 
 to the wild beasts, or wilder men, the scenes amidst which 
 society shone in the highest polish, refinement, pride, and 
 splendor of civilization. 
 
 Near these ruins, to the south, was once a large and. 
 fiourishing town ; now not a stone marks its site. The 
 plowshare yearly turns up its site, which annually bears 
 the fruits of the earth to help support the present genera- 
 tion, whose habitations shall perhaps also in due time dis- 
 appear, or mingle with the soil on which they stand. The 
 farmer who cultivates this ground had picked up some coin 
 out of it from time to time. These we purchased to keep 
 as souvenirs of our visit to Richboro, and also of the an- 
 cient Romans who left them there. 
 
 Returning to Sandwich, (which is about two miles dis- 
 tant,) by a foot-path, we visited its oldest churches, of 
 which the principal one bears well its age, though Norman 
 and early English styles and modes of architecture, of con- 
 siderable beauty, are mingled in its walls and decorations, 
 and show its creat a^e. There is an old font in it of Tudor 
 times, now about four hundred years old, that is very curi- 
 ously wrought and carved, with a combination of French 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 279 
 
 and English arms ; the fleur-de-lis, the arms of the Cinque- 
 Ports, half a ship's bottom and half a lion, and a most cu- 
 rious design of a young child in a sea-shell, or rather par- 
 tially out of it. The church was formerly much larger, 
 and had a monastery and other religious houses attached 
 to it, which have been destroyed long ago. We noticed 
 several old tombstones here, having brass or other metal 
 signets and plates upon them, and occasionally a quaint in- 
 scription. One recorded the death of an old citizen, and 
 most modestly closes by saying, " she died a maid ;" while 
 another, a few feet from it, informs the passer-by that he 
 whose body is there deposited, "was the Maior of this 
 towne the year before he died, and died a bachelor !" The 
 one was we suppose an offset to the other. 
 
 In traversing the streets we noticed quite a number of 
 German-built houses, and on inquiry, found they were 
 built by refugees from the Netherlands and Flandp-rs, who 
 fled from the persecutions and brutalities of the Duke of 
 Alva, and settled here. 
 
 Our next visit was to the ancient and honorable city of 
 Canterbury. En passant we must mention the great 
 change one witnesses in the scenery, verdure, and foliage 
 in crossing from France and Belgium into England. It is 
 like walking out of a dry stubble field on to a lawn — or 
 suddenly changing from late in the autumn to the first 
 month of summer. "While all vegetation is passing into 
 the " sere and yellow leaf" on the continent, the beautiful 
 fields of England are delightfully fresh, fragrant, and 
 green. The difference is remarkable, and much greater 
 than we had always imagined it to be. 
 
 We find that most Americans, and not a few English 
 
280 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 gentlemen, prefer Paris to London, (undoubtedly for its 
 pleasant sky, purer air, fun and gayety,) but all, so far as 
 our knowledge goes, give English scenery and English 
 homes, and the country, preference over all others. It 
 did seem strange that now, while all is brown-visaged, 
 faded and falling, in garden, wood, meadow and field, on 
 the Continent and in our own country, that here, away to- 
 wards the icy north the fields, lawns, gardens and forests, 
 should be as beautiful as June, and so sweet and exhilira- 
 ting that the enjoyment of the season and the senses is not 
 unlike the fairest May-day to us. But soon now the 
 bright leaves will fall withered here, and then will 
 
 November and December, with brows heavy and dull, 
 Leave scarcely a blossom or a blade to cull, 
 
 though it is said the grass in the fields and lawns is quite 
 green the year round ! 
 
 Canterbury is one of the oldest towns (within a few 
 years a city) in England, and is very prettily located on 
 each side of the River Stour, about fourteen miles from 
 the sea, and in a narrow, but rich and pleasant vale. Close 
 to the town are some lovely hillsides, from whence flow 
 several excellent springs of sweet water, which afford an 
 abundant supply for the consumption of the people of the 
 city. The streets are irregularly laid out, and built in all 
 styles, some quaint, ill-shapen and odd enough, while 
 others are modern, ornamental and comfortable. The streets 
 are roughly paved, and altogether too filthy for an inland 
 city. Some of the old Roman wall that formerly enclosed 
 the city limits is still standing, and the noble arched and 
 
 
NOTES BY THE "WAYSIDE. 281 
 
 towered gateways, splendid monuments of the glories of 
 the past, are really beautiful now, though they begin to show 
 many signs that the revolving years are slowly but surely 
 grinding them back to mouldering dust. 
 
 Poets of every age, since the days of Egbert, have sung 
 of Canterbury, and it is almost as renowned in history as 
 Rome itself. Here it was that Christianity was first 
 preached in England. Here too the first Christian church 
 was erected in Great Britain ; and the font out of which 
 the first convert to Christianity was baptized, still exists ; 
 and here pilgrims of all ages since Christianity had a foot- 
 hold, have paid their devotions and redeemed their vows. 
 The old poet Chaucer sang — 
 
 ■ from every shire's end 
 
 Of Engle-land to Canterbury they wend*- 
 
 The holy blissful martyr for to seek, 
 
 That them hath holpen when they were sick. 
 
 History records that some English children were met by 
 Pope St. Gregory in the streets of Rome, who had been 
 taken there as captives or slaves, and were to be sold, 
 and he then and there resolved that "these Engles must 
 be angels," and. shortly after depatched St. Augustine, 
 with forty monks, as missionaries to England. Canterbury- 
 became their residence. At that time Ethelbert was 
 King and Bertha his queen. At first the king compelled 
 St. Augustine to hold his meetings beneath the wide 
 spreading oaks, but a monastery and Christian church 
 were soon established ; the king himself was one of the 
 earliest converts to the new religion ; and though his own 
 palace was then within the walls of the city, he, after 
 
282 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 being baptized in the faith of the gospel, in the year of 
 our Lord 597, gave St. Augustine his royal residence as an 
 offering to the church — taking up his residence from that 
 time at Reculver. 
 
 The massive and beautiful Canterbury cathedral, the 
 mother of the churches and cathedrals of all England, now 
 stands majestically on the spot where stood the old mon- 
 astery and priory, the remaining ruins of which are none 
 the less interesting and grand, because beneath the shadow 
 of the present splendid edifice. A magnificent building it 
 now is : 514 feet in length, 71 feet wide, and 235 feet 
 high, to the top of the great tower, with a transept 38 feet 
 wide, and 290 feet long. The buttresses and wails are in 
 proportion. Twice or thrice it has been burned, and al- 
 most entirely destroyed — once by the Danes — yet Phoenix 
 like it has risen from its ashes, " purified as by fire," more 
 beautiful and glorious than ever, and is now truly a ma- 
 jestic structure. Grenius, treasure, and labor have com- 
 bined to present to the view of the world the most chaste 
 and beautiful edifice of the kind that proud England's 
 church architecture can boast of, though beautiful churches 
 raise their lofty spires throughout the length and breadth 
 of the land. The towers of this cathedral are immense 
 yet delicately light in appearance and graceful in form. 
 The whole front is elaborately adorned with numerous 
 statues and designs. The principal arched entrance is a 
 splendid piece of work. 
 
 But let us enter. On lifting the eye upward, as we 
 slowly tread the pavement of the great nave, how lofty and 
 noble appear its magnificent height, the stupendous and 
 towering columns, supporting the massive roof, and far 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 283 
 
 away at a distance of five hundred feet, the beautiful old 
 stained-glass windows ! The effect is solemn and sublime. 
 Formerly the columns, walls, pilasters, and roof were daubed 
 (that's the word) with whitewash, but recently it has been 
 scraped and cleaned off, and they are now in their native 
 beauty. The marble-capped columns, the grain work of 
 the Norman interlaced arches, the arches themselves, and 
 all the ornamental stonework decorations stand out in their 
 original perfection and freshness. The choir, transept, and 
 nave are of a beauty which must impress the rudest and 
 most careless beholder. 
 
 The canopied niches, gothic fiutings, circular and octa- 
 gonal pillars, springing arches to the gallery, and the cir- 
 cular windows in the eastern end, are all much to be 
 admired. As is the case with all truly superior produc- 
 tions, the longer we looked at them the more admirable 
 they seemed. There is a flight of stone steps leading up 
 to the sacristy, which the visitor should not fail to see. 
 The pilgrims used to ascend these steps on their knees, to 
 pay their devotions before the shrine of Thomas a Becket ; 
 and they came in such numbers that the pavement in front 
 of the spot where the shrine stood is worn away to the ex- 
 tent of full an inch of its thickness by the knees of the 
 devotees. The chapel and the exact place where the aged 
 but intrepid archbishop was so barbarously murdered are 
 shown ; also the slab from which a piece of stone was cut, 
 which is said to be still colored with his blood. The piece 
 of stone is now consecrated and preserved in a casket 
 among the relics of the church at Rome. Shortly after 
 his death the murdered man was canonized, and created 
 " Blessed Saint Thomas of Canterbury ;" his shrine was 
 
 12* 
 
284 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 placed in the chapel devoted to its reception, with a pomp 
 and splendor unprecedented : and certainly the Church 
 showed its wisdom in so honoring its faithful and ven- 
 erable defender. The amount of wealth that was lavished, 
 upon the decoration of this shrine is almost fabulous — at 
 least to us of this generation. Pilgrims in unusual num- 
 bers from far and near wended their way to the tomb of 
 the martyred priest, at which we are told great miracles 
 and cures were performed. You have heard of the Can- 
 terbury pilgrims. People of all classes, conditions, and 
 professions — the noble and ignoble, clergy and laity, from 
 all parts of England and from abroad, as far as the religion 
 and power of the Church of Rome extended, nocked to the 
 shrine so eminently favored by Heaven, to offer before it 
 their prayers and oblations. An old writer says on this 
 subject : "In the year 1500 the wealth here lavished ex- 
 ceeded all belief. Notwithstanding the great size of the 
 shrine, it is wholly covered with plates of pure gold; yet 
 the gold is scarcely seen, because it is covered with various 
 precious stones, as sapphires, diamonds, rubies, and 
 emeralds ; and wherever the eye turns, something more 
 beautiful than the rest was observed." 
 
 There used to be five great windows in this chapel that 
 represented in stained glass St. Thomas's miracles and 
 cures, but they have been destroyed by Vandals or fire, it 
 is not known which. 
 
 Standing on the spot where St. Thomas a Becket fell, 
 the coup d'oeil is magnificent. The numerous lofty 
 columns, the gracefully curving arches forming the roof, 
 the fine perspective, the varying light and shade — alto- 
 gether present a scene not unworthy of the power and 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 285 
 
 grandeur of the Church of Rome, which, when this cathe 
 dral was built, was spiritual and almost temporal mistress 
 of Christendom. No engraving or painting that we have 
 seen does it justice, nor do we believe that the pencil can. 
 The finest and most correct engravings of Canterbury that 
 we have seen are those from the drawings of Louis Lau- 
 rence Raze, a very superior artist, the hospitality of 
 whose house we had the good fortune to enjoy. 
 
 The organ of this cathedral was originally in the 
 transept, but as it interfered with the view, it has been 
 moved up into the triforum, and is now ninety-two feet 
 from the place where the finger-board is, and where the 
 organist sits to play it. It seemed to us a surprising fact, 
 that no loss of tone or power was suffered by this con- 
 trivance. What skill must the organist use to graduate 
 his time, and how nicely arranged must be the stops ! for 
 some seconds elapse between the moment when the player's 
 finger touches the board, and the production of the sound. 
 And how beautifully those sweet sounds harmoniously de- 
 scend and float on the air, around and through the long 
 aisles, again mount upward and dies away amid the 
 lofty arches ! The cadences and tones are said t« be very 
 sweet indeed. This arrangement was very surprising to 
 us, as we had never seen or heard of a similar contrivance 
 before. 
 
 The numerous monuments and tombs in this cathedral 
 are many of them of great beauty of design ; among them 
 are some very old, curious, and interesting. The same 
 may be said of the chapels, particularly that of our Lady 
 the Virgin Mary, and of St. Michael, St. Anselm, and St. 
 Thomas a Becket. Each of these is enriched with sple^ 
 
288 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 did tombs and mausoleums. The bodies of cardinals, 
 bishops and archbishops, Catholics and Protestants, lie in 
 undisturbed repose. One of the first monuments is that of 
 Archbishop Courtney, lying at full length in his official 
 robes. We saw here the tomb of the famous Edward the 
 Black Prince, that model and paragon of ancient chivalry. 
 It is still quite perfect. His full-length figure in brass 
 surmounts it, and he is armed cap-a-pie, with casque and 
 helmet in hand ; above his monument are suspended his 
 gauntlets, curiously wrought and gilt, and his coat of fur 
 and fleece, once richly embroidered with gold, but now 
 much dilapidated and time-worn, as may be supposed — the 
 wearer having left it off some four hundred years ago. 
 
 The tombs of Henry IY. and his Queen Joan — Arch- 
 bishop Peckham, with his effigy in Irish bog-oak, now 
 six hundred and fifty years since it was placed here — the 
 Duke and Duchess of Clarence — the venerable Archbishop 
 Langton, whose name is immortally connected with 
 Magna Chart a — Dean Featherby, who was known as the 
 " good Dean," on which are shown in marble all the bones 
 of the human body, separately arranged, as if it were a 
 wreath around the tomb, a very singular and intricate 
 piece of work, more curious and strange than pleasing — 
 also the tomb of a Miss Miles, who was called in her day 
 the Beauty of Kent — and one to Brigadier General Taylor, 
 a distinguished officer of the British army, who fell in the 
 service — are all well worth close attention. 
 
 The present archbishop's chair or throne in the presby- 
 terium, is a very exquisite piece of work, in white marble. 
 Together with its beautiful canopy it cost upwards of six 
 thousand dollars. There is also another chair of stone, 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 287 
 
 common granite, here, made quite rudely, in four pieces, 
 now over thirteen hundred years old, in which the old 
 kings, and afterwards the archbishops, used to be crowned. 
 It is a curious and substantial piece of furniture ! The 
 baptistry contains an elegant font of marble. 
 
 The Chapter-house, in which the bishops are elected, is 
 a fine old building, detached from the cathedral, but enter- 
 ed by a corridor leading from the north side, out of which 
 there used to be passages to the cloisters of the monks. 
 The roof of this building is of Irish bog-oak, and was once 
 handsomely gilted and painted, which was a display of 
 bad taste and a waste of money — for the wood itself is 
 capable of so high a polish, and is so beautiful and rare, 
 that painting or endeavoring to improve was quite a work 
 of supererogation. The bog-oak is now very seldom found, 
 and what is met with is manufactured into ladies' bracelets, 
 and such small articles and ornaments, being highly es- 
 teemed for its rarity, and other good qualities. 
 
 This room is quite large, has no ornaments or decora- 
 tive work, and no seats, except one tier of stone benches 
 running around the room, close to the wall. It will soon 
 begin to decay rapidly unless put in repair. The roof, 
 however, is as solid as when first built. It is a singular 
 fact, that no insect or worm ever eats or disturbs the wood, 
 of which it is made, nor do spiders build their webs upon 
 it. Not the thread of a web can "be seen upon it, though 
 it has been exposed to them as a sure habitation for hun- 
 dreds of years ! 
 
 The crypt of this cathedral is a curious and wonderful 
 structure, and by far the finest one we have anywhere seen. 
 That of the Pantheon in Paris, or of St. Paul's, in London, 
 
288 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 is far inferior to it. The immense bases and foundations 
 of columns on which the whole superstructure is built, are 
 enormous, and stand out in the boldest relief. Previous to 
 the Reformation there was a richly-ornamented and gilded 
 chapel underneath, for the monks and priests, but now it 
 is all destroyed. This was formerly "laden with riches," 
 and " presented a royal habitation for our Lady, the Virgin 
 Mother," from which the public gaze was entirely excluded 
 till long after the Reformation began. The long, dark, and 
 heavy-arched aisles, in those days were each hung in the 
 centre and lighted with beautiful silver lamps, and the 
 rings in which they were suspended may still be seen. 
 
 In the chapels, as well as in the crypt, are many old 
 tombs, some of which contain the remains of once great 
 and distinguished personages. Their inscriptions are fre- 
 quently exceedingly quaint and humorous to us of the 
 present day. One of the following, we transcribed from 
 the original, and the other from the portfolio of an old 
 writer, who copied it years ago : 
 
 " Stay, gentle reader, pass not slightly bye 
 This tombe so sacred to the memory 
 Of noble Thornhinot. What he was, and who, 
 There is not room enough in me to show ; 
 # Now his brave story out at iength t'explaine : 
 
 Both Germany, the new found world, and Spaine, 
 Ostende long se^dge, and Newport battle, try'd 
 His worth ; at last warring with France he dy'd ; 
 His blood sealed by last conquest for Bloockekee, 
 Gave him at once A Death and Victory. 
 His death as well as life victorious was. 
 Fearing least these (as might be brought to pass) 
 By others might be lost in tyme to come, 
 He took possession till the day of Dooine." 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 289 
 
 Who " noble Thornhinot" was we have not been able to 
 discover, though it seems he figured in our part of the 
 world, "the new-found world," and his name and gal- 
 lantry were thus endeavored to be preserved — handed 
 down to posterity, as we say — in this cathedral. The lan- 
 guage of the inscription is rather unintelligible, and 
 defies all the laws which now protect the " Queen's 
 English." 
 
 The following, an epitaph on a namesake of the first 
 English Printer, and his wife, is recorded on a slab 
 in the Church of St. Alphaye, a little way from the 
 cathedral : 
 
 " Pray for the sawlys of John Caxton, and of Jone, 
 And Isabel, that to this Church great and good hath done, 
 In making new in the Chancel 
 Of Deskys and seats as well, 
 An antiphon the which did bye ; 
 With the table of the martyrdom of St. Aphye, 
 For nothing much which did pay, 
 And departed out of this life of October the 12 day ; 
 And Mabell, his second wif, 
 Passed to bliss, where is no strife, 
 The XII day, to tell the trowth, 
 Of the same moneth, as the Lord knoweth, 
 In the year of our Lord God a thousand four hundred 
 Fowerscore and five." 
 
 Another, in the old North- Grate church of this city, is so 
 quaint and humorous, we copy it for your benefit. It is 
 recorded on a plate of brass, sunk in the wall, with a rude 
 human figure etched upon it, supposed to represent the in- 
 terred. Coming from his mouth is a label, inscribed, " Oh, 
 
290 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 Mother of God, have mercy on me !" and beneath it, verba- 
 tim et literatim, are these lines : 
 
 " All ye that Stand op pon mi corse 
 re mem bar but raff brown I was 
 All dyr' man and mayur of thys cete, 
 Jesu o pon mi sowle have pete." 
 
 The sense of this inscription is certainly intelligible, 
 though the orthography is now antiquated. We could not 
 refrain from smiling at the words, in which the writer 
 could probably see nothing droll or amusing. 
 
 But the Church of St. Martin, just on the rise of ground 
 on the south-eastern side of the city and cathedral, is a 
 most interesting place. It is the first church in which 
 Christianity was preached in Britain, and in which the 
 new religion was first embraced by a British king. The 
 original building was erected by the Roman soldiery, about 
 the year 187 or 200, and in it St. Augustine preached his 
 first sermon, after coming to Canterbury, about 596. The 
 building now standing is small, but how great, how vast, 
 the results of the events with which it is associated ! The 
 small square tower and most of the front are covered with 
 a magnificent ivy, that has thrown its clasping arms 
 around it for ages upon ages past, and doubtless will cling 
 to it for ages yet to come. On every side how lovely was 
 the scene surrounding this sacred spot ! We could not 
 avoid the thought, that here was a resting place where 
 one could wish one's mortal remains to be laid until re- 
 called to life on the resurrection morn. 
 
 The inside is plain, kept in neat order by a young girl, 
 and has a few simple decorations. The old font, which we 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 291 
 
 before mentioned, and out of which St. Augustine "baptized 
 his first converts to Christianity, stands at the right of the 
 doorway as you enter, and bears unmistakable marks of 
 its age and genuineness. The simple nave and partly 
 stained-glass window is venerable, and not excelled in 
 coloring. It is believed to be anions the first made. One 
 of the subjects is the English children in the streets of 
 Rome, with the Pope St. Gregory placing his hand upon 
 their heads, as he says, "these Engles must be angels." 
 The other is the priest Ludovicus, and Ethelbert's good 
 Queen Bertha. These are indeed real gems, the coloring 
 being most beautiful. There is also to be seen here Queen 
 Bertha's oratory, where she daily said her prayers, and a 
 rude and ancient stone coffin, called her tomb, which is 
 partly built into the wall, and partly visible, beneath an 
 arch built over it. It is without inscription, and is plain 
 and unadorned, but is believed to be genuine, as no doubt 
 it is. Its appearance and position indicate that its occu- 
 pant was some one of high rank, and both chronicle and 
 tradition inform us that the body of that queen was laid 
 here. Standing within those ancient walls, we seemed to 
 feel the hallowing influences of the associations clustering 
 around them for sixteen centuries. We were loth to leave 
 the spot. It was a place where the weary could be at rest, 
 and the soft, deep green grass plat gently sloping to the 
 roadside, dotted here and there with a mound or a tomb- 
 stone, and the fine yew trees and scattered evergreens, 
 make it as beautiful as it is poetical, venerable, and sacred. 
 The " Dane John," as it is called, is a charming park, 
 with a great circular mound near the centre, having a 
 winding path to its top, from which you may behold a 
 
292 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 prospect which is truly English, and as beautiful as it is 
 characteristic. The park is always open to strangers and 
 citizens, and is a fashionable and delightful promenade. 
 
 We formed quite an attachment for this picturesque old 
 city of Canterbury. Its noble cathedral, and other most 
 interesting edifices, its great antiquity., the great events 
 which have transpired in the city and its neighborhood, the 
 frequent reference to it in the history of England, which 
 you know in fact is our history — all this was enough to 
 give it a conspicuous place among the many recollections 
 we hope long to retain of what we have seen during our 
 instructive though too hurried tour. But Canterbury is 
 fixed in our memory still more durably for other reasons : 
 there we met with and parted from some of our dearest 
 friends ; there we experienced the hearty hospitality which 
 the English love to extend to those they believe to be en- 
 titled to their friendship. There we ceased to feel like 
 strangers and sojourners, and to our friends there we bade 
 adieu with sincere regret and swelling hearts. And now 
 the venerable old city, its impressive memorials of the 
 past, its ivy-clad ruins, the delightful rural scenery around, 
 the kind warm friends we left there, the pleasant hours and 
 days we spent there — all are mingled together, and form a 
 delightful passage in our life, to which we shall ever 
 recur with pleasure and satisfaction. 
 
 In London once more, we found our way again to St. 
 Paul's Cathedral, and found fresh beauties to admire in the 
 perfect and elegant yet vast proportions of that noble 
 edifice. And with undiminished interest we asfain wan- 
 dered about beneath the sublime dome, viewing the tablets 
 monuments, inscriptions, and statues, which recall and 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 293 
 
 record the names and deeds of many good and illustrious 
 men. 
 
 Next day we made our way to the British Museum, a 
 noble and invaluable collection of objects illustrating or 
 appertaining to the sciences of natural history and geology, 
 antiquities, and what we may call curiosities — besides an 
 extensive library of we forget how many miles of shelves 
 and millions of books. It is a vast and yet elegant build- 
 ing, in the Grecian style, three hundred and seventy feet 
 long. The grand portico is adorned with forty-four columns 
 five feet in diameter, and forty-five feet high. On the 
 tympanum are large sculptured representations of the 
 arts and sciences. The building is divided into numerous 
 capacious rooms and halls, each devoted to some particular 
 department of natural science or to the remains and memo- 
 rials of some savage or ancient people. There is an im- 
 mense number of preserved specimens of birds, beasts, 
 fishes, insects, plants, scientifically arranged. There are 
 few species of the animal or vegetable world but have 
 here a representative. Specimens too of every precious 
 stone, of the various rocks and formations composing the 
 crust of our earth, of the huge antediluvian remains found 
 therein, are here arranged in order ; and the student of 
 geology, botany, entomology, conchology, or any of the 
 kindred sciences, can here examine at his ease the objects 
 of his study. Then there are large handsome and appro- 
 priate halls devoted to splendid and interesting and won- 
 derfully well preserved sculptures and antiquities, Egyptian, 
 Greek, Roman, &c. The Elgin marbles alone are worth a 
 journey to see, and would repay any one for days of exami- 
 nation. Several rooms are occupied by mummies. Nu- 
 
294 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 merous others are filled with cases in which are displayed 
 ornaments, vases, porcelains, potteries, coins, utensils, 
 British, Saxon, Celtic, Roman, Etruscan, Hindoo, Mexican, 
 and of we should think every other people who have left 
 any traces of their existence. But perhaps the most in- 
 teresting of all are the recent exhumations of Layard from 
 Nineveh, Koyunjik, and Babylon. They are truly imposing 
 and surprising. Grazing upon them, we feel in the presence 
 of the ancient world — surrounded by a civilization and 
 race new to us, and yet passed away ages ago. And these 
 remains are invaluable too, and indeed most valuable, as 
 corroborating the records and statements and language of 
 the Old Testament — records of the history, events, customs, 
 and condition of people and rulers alluded to in the Bible. 
 The palace, the slaves, the armies of Sennacherib, you 
 may easily imagine, as they really existed, after you have 
 examined these sculptures and remains. We fancied we 
 could see 
 
 " The Assyrian come down like the wolf on the fold, 
 His cohorts all gleaming in purple and gold." 
 
 The huge man-bulls, lion-bulls, and sphinxes, that once 
 stood at the halls and gates of his palace— the long and 
 animated basso-relievos that adorned his walls — the utensils 
 of his household, the monographs, tombstones, and ceno- 
 taphs of many of his subjects or slaves are placed before 
 the eye ; and the corpses of those who have lain buried for 
 thousands of years instruct us in the condition and history 
 of their time and nation. What lessons are here taught to 
 man ! What a long solemn procession of ages thought 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 295 
 
 presents to the mind, and how the associations, events, and 
 history of the past crowd upon the imagination, and march 
 by in a grand review ! 
 
 One cannot help thinking earnestly, while beholding this 
 astonishing resurrection of a departed and almost forgotten 
 civilization. Infidelity is obliged to believe, many a doubt 
 is removed, and many a captious objector and caviler 
 silenced. The insight into antiquity given by these dis- 
 coveries is an addition to human knowledge worthy of the 
 nineteenth century. Christianity, which has received so 
 many imaginary overthrows, receives additional confirma- 
 tion — as it has done from every other great addition to 
 human knowledge. The personal exertion and self-denial, 
 the determination and energy displayed by Layard in 
 bringing to light and in exposing to the scrutiny of science 
 these interesting and important relics of a once great 
 nation, cannot be too highly praised, and certainly will 
 never be sufficiently rewarded. 
 
 The labor of such a work must have been very great ; 
 and when the climate, the difficulty of getting the neces- 
 sary laborers, machinery, and tools together, is taken into 
 consideration, we must conclude the task was herculean. 
 But what cannot genius and Anglo-Saxon energy accom- 
 plish when properly applied ? The enterprising English- 
 man or Yankee fairly overturns mountains or casts them 
 into the sea ! Our visit to this museum was of the most 
 gratifying character, though too hurried. The great library 
 we regretted we could not enter, it not being visitors' day 
 for its rooms. 
 
 We will now go with you if you please to the Bank of 
 England. The building we have before described, and you 
 
296 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 will remember it stands by itself, opposite the Exchange, 
 fronting on Threadneedle street. It is divided into two de- 
 partments : one for issue, and one for deposit and discount. 
 After registering our name, and surrendering our ticket of 
 admission to one of the Directors, we were shown to one of 
 the private rooms, and the great vaults containing about 
 45,000,000 of dollars in -specie. We were allowed to take 
 in our hands bank notes amounting to millions upon mil- 
 lions, but canceled ! While here we could but call to 
 mind Hood's poem, when he sings of 
 
 Gold ! gold ! gold ! gold ! 
 Bright and yellow, hard and cold ; 
 Molten, graven, hammered, and rolled, 
 Heavy to get, and light to hold ; 
 Hoarded, bartered, bought and sold ; 
 Stolen, borrowed, squandered, doled ; 
 Spurned by the young, but hugged by the old 
 To the very verge of the charged mold ! 
 Price of many a crime untold ! 
 Gold! gold! gold! gold! 
 Good or bad, a thousand fold ! 
 
 But there are notes, "promises to pay," made and 
 issued here to represent the " goold i' th' till," as well as 
 the heaps in bags. All the paper for the notes is made 
 within the building, and there are 30,000 impressions daily 
 struck off by the printing presses, making 9,000,000 
 per annum, representing the almost fabulous sum of 
 £300,000,000 sterling, equal to $1,500,000,000. The 
 same notes are never paid out a second time, and the 
 quantity of them canceled daily is enormous. For all the 
 immense sums of money we had seen and handled, we 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 297 
 
 went out no better off than we came in, nor were we 
 envious and covetous of what we saw. For after all, gold 
 is not the greatest of blessings : a true friend is better than 
 a heap of it. 
 
 What is friendship but a name, 
 
 A charm that lulls to sleep, 
 A shade that follows wealth or fame, 
 And leaves the wretch to weep 1 ? 
 
 says Goldsmith, who probably wrote that when he was in 
 one of his many difficulties. But " a true friend is above 
 gold or rubies or all manner of precious stones," says a 
 wiser than Oliver Goldsmith — aye, invaluable and incom- 
 parable ! We prefer still the true friend to the glistening 
 gold — that is as often abused as used. 
 
 " Though the pleasures of London exceed 
 In number the days of the year," 
 
 we hardly knew where next to go, but finally, having a 
 " tasting order," we made our way to the great and sur- 
 prising vaults of the London Docks. Having reached the 
 office we are furnished a guide and lights, as is very ne- 
 cessary, and then enter the vast excavations filled with 
 cask upon cask, and puncheon upon puncheon of wines 
 and brandies, and various other liquors wherewith men 
 regale and sometimes brutify themselves and their friends. 
 The fumes are certainly stronger than " hard cider," and 
 considerably more satisfactory to the olfactory nerves than 
 those from the best distilleries ! The fumes of eleven acres 
 of wines, &c, you will allow, would or should satisfy one 
 
298 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 without tasting much or often. But we did taste some 
 that we thought might safely be pronounced superior to 
 our purest and best American wines. But among other 
 arts we have made great progress in the art of adultera- 
 tion : we remembered the old saying, " all is not gold that 
 glitters," and that here as well as elsewhere, the seal of 
 bond is not always a guaranty of genuineness. It is said 
 that thousands of tuns of wines are annually manufactured 
 in London, and by certain tricks of trade sold as having 
 passed through the " Docks." 
 
 While here we were but a few steps from the famous 
 Thames Tunnel, but as it is little used, and in a state that 
 is by no means agreeable, if not actually in a dangerous 
 condition, we did not go to see it. It is very damp, and 
 water drips through from the river considerably at times, 
 so- that the people do not pass to and fro in it as over the 
 bridges, indeed, scarcely any, except as a matter of 
 curiosity. 
 
 Beinsf en^a^ed with some kind friends to dine at six 
 o'clock, at Croydon, a pretty town of thirty thousand in- 
 habitants, fourteen miles from London, we took the 
 Brighton Railway, in time to participate in the hospitable 
 welcome and hearty jovial festivities, in genuine English 
 style, which were given in honor of the gentleman's fifty- 
 fourth birth-day. Here we discovered that the English 
 man of business, however extensive it may be, and how- 
 ever devoted he may be to it at his place of business, loves 
 his home too well to take any of his business cares there ; 
 and though secluded, as we have before said, behind stone 
 walls, and hedges, or embowered in deep woods, safe from 
 the gaze of the world, his home is a home indeed, where 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 299 
 
 he opens his heart, and exercises a noble generosity, and 
 enjoys with his family and friends the pleasures of 
 social intercourse. The cold conventionality, the fre- 
 quently awkward politeness which the Englishman main- 
 tains in business life, and which strike the casual 
 observer, form no part of his domestic character ; the 
 stiffness and abruptness of the London merchant are 
 left behind him in the office with his ledger ; all the annoy- 
 ances, irritations, hopes and fears of the tradesman and 
 merchant are entirely forgotten and shaken off. The quiet 
 joys, the comforts, pleasant little tasks, and home interests 
 that make life sweet, the family a magic circle of love and 
 delight, and the domestic fireside the most attractive spot 
 in the whole world — to possess these, to enjoy them for a 
 brief time, at least, every day, is still the great aim, often 
 almost the sole hope and ambition, of the moneyed and 
 mercantile men of England. Great and unusual, indeed, 
 must be a loss or difficulty belonging to the counting- 
 house, that is allowed to disturb the domestic tranquillity. 
 This, we were satisfied, is one of the noblest, and most 
 general characteristics of the great business men of all 
 England. We wished, with all our hearts, this were so 
 everywhere. How much more delightful, happy, and truly 
 prosperous, in the best sense of the word, w T ould mankind 
 be. The distresses and sorrows of life would often be 
 softened or removed, where now they wear away the body, 
 fever the brain, and embitter existence ; the amenities of 
 our daily intercourse would be sweeter, and more sincere 
 and pleasant ; and the care, anxiety, and close application 
 to business, which, at the best, undermine the health, and 
 shorten life, would be counteracted by the pleasant anti- 
 
300 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 dote of domestic cheerfulness and enjoyment. We are not 
 of those who believe that he 
 
 " Who breathes, must suffer ; and who thinks, must mourn ; 
 And he alone is blest, who ne'er was born." 
 
 No ; but with Tom Moore, 
 
 " Until they can show me some happier planet. 
 More social and bright, I'll content me with this ;" 
 
 for we believe the world was not made in one day, and 
 time and opportunity will, no doubt, be given to amend 
 many things that do now so sadly need mending. How- 
 ever, we have long thought that business men are by far 
 too selfish and constrained, too seldom yielding themselves 
 to gay and kindly impulses and pleasures, too insensible to 
 the duty and privilege of ministering to the wants of 
 others. Charity should not be scouted or frowned upon, 
 as one of the burdens of life ; the deserving poor should 
 not be permitted to go hungry and despairingly away from 
 the door of abundance, nor to remain in their own poor 
 sheltering places, pining for aid and sympathy. "VVe found 
 that the English gentleman has " bowels of compassion" — 
 he is wise, humane, charitable. Though proud and exclu- 
 sive, he is at the same time honorable, honest, liberal, be- 
 nevolent : on these good qualities, not on wealth or birth 
 merely, British aristocracy, in all its grades, rests securely. 
 The man of ample means, or high station, rarely entirely 
 forgets the duties and responsibilities of wealth, but phi- 
 lanthropy and religion go hand in hand. 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 301 
 
 The fifty-fourth birth-day of our kind friend will long 
 be remembered, and that dear family circle over which he 
 so lovingly presides will be treasured up in our heart's 
 recollection for many a year to come. 
 
 The next day, being engaged at Norwood, another 
 beautiful rural place, occupied mostly by business men of 
 London, we spent a most delightful day there, and at the 
 Crystal Palace, about three-fourths of a mile distant. The 
 charming retired residence of our friend, amid bowers of 
 roses, evergreens, and the sweet climbing honey-suckles and 
 passion-flowers, will forever be retained among our sunny 
 memories of England. Enjoying as we did here, and 
 everywhere among those we visited, such cordial hospi- 
 tality, we would not withdraw too far the curtain of 
 private life, to expose even to admiration the scenes of 
 home, but must be excused for thus far alluding to what 
 gave us so much pleasure — for after being privileged to 
 partake of it, 
 
 " One feels a softer splendor 
 Flowing o'er the heart like balm," 
 
 and we would ever gratefully acknowledge all kindness to 
 us, whether at home or abroad. 
 
 While at the Palace on this occasion, we had the pleasure 
 of seeing the whole of the fountains play. We had thought 
 Sydenham lovely and beautiful before, but how surpass- 
 ingly so when all the fountains display their charms ! 
 The largest shooting up two hundred feet high, the beauti- 
 ful cascades, the graceful iron temples with falling sheets 
 of water all round them, the overflowing vases ranged on 
 
302 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 either side of the grand cascade from top to "bottom, the 
 splendid middle fountain with its delicate zigzag silvery- 
 fringe, and the two side and six upper terrace fountains, 
 when all playing together, as they were on this occasion, 
 afford an unparalleled sight. The magnificent displays of 
 the kind at Versailles are different in design ; all their 
 mouth-pieces being allegorical. These are plain mouth- 
 pieces, the foam and spray forming their own separate de- 
 signs and figures as they fall. More than ever before we 
 seemed in fairy land, and though this was the third time 
 we had visited the palace, we enjoyed it as much as at first, 
 and would gladly have visited it many times more. 
 
 The gallery of paintings in the Palace is rapidly filling 
 up, and becoming more beautiful and radiant with gems 
 of art. The upper show galleries are also filling up with 
 handsome stalls of fancy goods, jewelry, &c. 
 
 We noticed particularly at this visit the Wellingtonia, — 
 which is the name given to the great American cypress 
 tree from California. As our G-overnment did not re- 
 tain it, we thought the New-Yorkers might have secured 
 this magnificent tree — monarch of the forest- world, unap- 
 proached in his grandeur. Now it fills a considerable 
 space in this Palace, and is really an astonisher to every 
 beholder. It is as great an object as the colossal sphinxes 
 of Ramesis II., that stand up here like mountain men, who 
 might be supposed to come from the same country as the 
 Wellingtonia. "We had heard of this tree at home, but 
 had no idea of its immensity. What a trunk ! It has the 
 capacity, indeed, of quite a comfortable-sized house, and 
 many a family would be glad to live within its shell, free 
 of rent. Only a portion of the tree in height is seen here. 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 303 
 
 It is braced inside, and reaches to the top of the 
 Palace. 
 
 After passing the night at our friend's delightful " lodge," 
 we again took the railway to London, where we commenced 
 making preparations for our return home. 
 
 In our jottings down, we have not noticed the " Club 
 Houses" of London, which are among its most distin- 
 guished private institutions, and will be noticed by visitors 
 as usually good buildings ; many of them are adorned with 
 all the comforts and luxuries of our finest hotels. They 
 are supported by the subscriptions of their members, who 
 are balloted for when proposed — some of whom spend 
 much of their idle time in them, taking their meals there, 
 conversing, reading, or lounging. Every man of respecta- 
 bility here belongs to his club. The " United Service 
 Club," deservedly perhaps, stands as one of the first, if not 
 the very first. It occupies a building which, both as to 
 the interior and exterior, few of its size surpass or equal. 
 We were indebted to an acquaintanceship formed on the 
 field of Waterloo, for the privilege of an introduction there. 
 Usually those clubs are impenetrable without such a 
 friendly introduction by one of the members. 
 
 On Sunday the 4th we proceeded to the Surrey Zoologi- 
 cal Gardens, to see and hear preach the celebrated Mr. 
 Spurgeon. We got to the Music Hall at half-past nine 
 in the morning. The service did not commence till a 
 quarter before eleven, yet we were obliged to go thus early 
 to get an eligible and comfortable seat. Even at that hour 
 over a thousand people had taken their seats, all procuring 
 admission by tickets, at a shilling each. By half- past ten 
 o'clock the vast body of the hall, and most of the seats 
 
304 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 in the galleries were filled. At that time the gates are 
 opened, and the public have free admission. The shilling 
 obstruction, slight as it might seem, being removed, the 
 rush is tremendous. At a quarter before eleven, the time 
 for the service to begin, what a sight ? Not a seat nor a 
 standing place was there in that vast assembly-room ! 
 Nearly, if not quite ten thousand people, men and women 
 — the larger portion men — are crowded into it, filling it to 
 its utmost capacity. The floor and all four of the galle- 
 ries were literally packed full. 
 
 At the appointed time the remarkable preacher mounted 
 the stand. He is about twenty-four years of age, and not 
 extraordinary in his appearance. He seems plain, unos- 
 tentatious, and devoid of all airs, and with the utmost 
 nonchalance proceed at once to the duties of his office. 
 From what we had heard we expected to see some affecta- 
 tion, but we did not notice the display of any at all. He 
 has a noble voice ; he speaks with much grace, and great 
 force and clearness ; his articulation is so perfect and son- 
 orous, that though ten thousand persons are assembled, 
 not one of the vast assembly can complain of not hearing. 
 Every person in the body, aisles, four galleries, and the 
 stage, back and front, distinctly hears every word and syl- 
 lable, and not a lisp is lost to the ear. He is bold and un- 
 compromising, and, so far as we heard, thoroughly evange- 
 lical, preaching the word with great simplicity as to 
 manner and matter, yet with great power and spirit, 
 often beautifully and sublimely eloquent, and always ex- 
 tempore. That he has 
 
 " Eloquence that charms and burns, 
 Startles, soothes, and wins by turns," 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 305 
 
 is conclusively demonstrated "by the fact that his audiences 
 do not fall off. The novelty of his peculiarities and name 
 has long since worn away, still the people flock around him 
 hy thousands, wherever he preaches, to hear his voice and 
 catch his words. 
 
 On this occasion, being the first Sunday after the 
 Queen's proclamation for a day of fasting, humiliation, and 
 prayer, on account of the disasters in India, he administered 
 to her and her Privy Council, (meaning particularly the 
 latter), a most severe rebuke, for commanding instead of 
 recommending a national fast day. He said that " he 
 acknowledged no right on the part of the Queen to issue 
 such a command" and that as it was only " to the Church, 
 meaning the Church of England, virtually not including 
 other denominations of her subjects, or recognizing them 
 as Christians, he must dissent from the command, for he 
 was a Dissenter. Had she recommended the whole people 
 to observe such a day, no offence would have been given, 
 and it would have been lovingly and faithfully responded 
 to by every class of Christians, and every faithful subject 
 of her most gracious Majesty. Still he should observe the 
 day, because he thought it fit and proper, land the duty of 
 all the people to acknowledge their dependence upon Grod, 
 in all their national adversities as well as in their pros- 
 perity, and recommended all his congregation to do so 
 likewise." 
 
 His sermon was powerful and eloquent — the eloquence 
 of the heart — without cant or unnecessary flourish. We 
 had somehow formed a considerable prejudice against him, 
 but we cheerfully acknowledge, that before he had con- 
 cluded his discourse our prejudice had all vanished forever. 
 
30G NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 "We are satisfied that he is a man of uncommon genius, 
 and that he is working with astonishing success in the sa- 
 cred cause in which he is engaged. And it would he 
 strange, indeed, if such a man did not make his mark upon 
 his age — and equally strange if envy and malice did not 
 aim their poisoned shafts at a man of such commanding 
 ability. Virtue, sincerity, goodness of heart, and ability 
 will always disturb and excite their opposites — littleness, 
 hypocrisy, hatred and jealousy ; and no faithful preacher of 
 Christianity should expect to be exempt from the gen- 
 eral laws that operate alike on human hearts in every 
 country of the earth. 
 The singing — 
 
 " Language fades before thy spell !" 
 
 — It was astonishing ; such a harmony, and from such a 
 multitude of human voices, we had never heard before. 
 Oh, how sweetly and sublimely it rose, and swelled to 
 heaven, that " Old Hundred !' 5 
 
 " Praise God from whom all blessings flow," 
 
 sung by ten thousand voices — from ten thousand human 
 hearts ! It was an anthem of praise indeed, and such a 
 one as mortals seldom hear. The effect on us, and not on 
 us alone, was almost overpowering. Our eyes were suf- 
 fused with tears, our voice would not obey our wishes, and 
 we could not sing, but were well content to listen to the 
 glorious and soul- animating harmonies. 
 
NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 307 
 
 This immense assem bly of people had not come together 
 out of mere idle curiosity, for more than three-fourths of 
 them had books, which they brought with them, and 
 nearly all united in the singing. There were compara- 
 tively very few children in the congregation, and the ut- 
 most order prevailed. During the whole of the service a 
 pin could have been heard to drop. 
 
 Having made our last call on Monday, the next day we 
 bade adieu to London, and reached Southampton, via the 
 South-western Railway. The country along the road was 
 as beautiful as we had found it in our excursions through 
 other portions of this highly-favored island. 
 
 Southampton we found a pretty and a business place, 
 rapidly growing into commercial importance. We now 
 felt that our time was nearly up on this side of the water, 
 and that we must bid farewell, a long farewell, to England, 
 to her green fields and charming landscapes and happy 
 homes, as well as to the many now doubly dear friends 
 and relations with whom we had met, and whose welcome 
 we had received. Though the winds blew, and the rain 
 beat violently around us, we steamed down "the South- 
 ampton "Water," and embarked with beating hearts and 
 eager anticipations for our home o'er the .deep. As we 
 sailed upon that beautiful sheet of water, we sighed many 
 an adieu to the emerald shores that seemed floating past 
 us. Often will memory recall them — and the pleasant 
 days we spent there, and the friends we leave behind. 
 
 Adieu, once more, fair land ! Dear friends, adieu ! Now 
 " homeward bound" we glide over the rolling waves, to- 
 wards our own loved country, impatiently longing to see 
 once more its forest-clad hills and far-stretching prairies ; 
 
 14 
 
308 
 
 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 
 
 which we love none the less for having left for a brief time, 
 to view the ancient monuments, and sweet scenes, and 
 enjoy the hospitality, of that noble " Old England," that 
 will soon be lost to our sight. Adieu ! 
 
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