LONDON,February 7,1847
My dear Sons:...On Friday we dined with two bachelors,Mr.
Peabody and Mr.Coates,who are American bankers.Mr.Peabody is a friend of Mr.Corcoran and was formerly a partner of Mr.Riggs in Baltimore.Mr.Coates is of Boston....They mustered up all the Americans that could be found,and we dined with twenty-six of our countrymen.
Monday Morning Last evening we were at home to see any Americans who might chance to come....I make tea in the drawing-room,on a little table with a white cloth,which would not be esteemed COMME IL FAUT with us.There is none of the parade of eating in the largest evening party here.I see nothing but tea,and sometimes find an informal refreshment table in the room where we put on our cloaks.
I got a note yesterday from the O'Connor Don,enclosing an order to admit me to the House of Commons on Monday....You will be curious to know who is "The O'Connor Don."He is Dennis O'Connor,Esq.,but is of the oldest family in Ireland,and the representative of the last kings of Connaught.He is called altogether the O'Connor Don,and begins his note to me with that title.You remember Campbell's poem of "O'Connor's Child"?
Sunday,14th February ...Yesterday morning was my breakfast at Sir Robert Inglis's.
The hour was halfpast nine,and as his house is two miles off I had to be up wondrous early for me.The weather has been very cold for this climate for the last few days,though we should think it moderate.They know nothing of extreme cold here.But,to return to or breakfast,where,notwithstanding the cold,the guests were punctually assembled:The Marquis of Northampton and his sisters,the Bishop of London with his black apron,Sir Stratford Canning,Mr.Rutherford,Lord Advocate for Scotland,the Solicitor-General and one or two others.The conversation was very agreeable and Ienjoyed my first specimen of an English breakfast exceedingly....
Our invitations jostle each other,now Parliament has begun,for everybody invites on Wednesday,Saturday,or Sunday,when there are no debates.We had three dinner invitations for next Wednesday,from Mr.Harcourt,Marquis of Anglesey,and Mrs.Mansfield.We go to the former.The Queen held a levee on Friday,for gentlemen only.Your father went,of course.
Sunday,February 21st I left off on Sunday,on which day I got a note from Lady Morgan,saying that she wished us to come and meet some agreeables at her house....There I met Sir William and Lady Molesworth,Sir Benjamin Hall,etc.,and had a long talk with "Eothen,"who is a quiet,unobtrusive person in manner,though his book is quite an effervescence....On Wednesday we dined with Mr.Harcourt,and met there Lord Brougham,who did the talking chiefly,Lord and Lady Mahon,Mr.Labouchere,etc.It was a most agreeable party,and we were very glad to meet Lord Brougham,whom we had not before seen.
Lord Brougham is entertaining,and very much listened to.Indeed,the English habit seems to be to suffer a few people to do up a great part of the talking,such as Macaulay,Brougham,and Sydney Smith and Mackintosh in their day....On Saturday evening,at ten o'clock,we went to a little party at Lady Stratheden's.After staying there three-quarters of an hour we went to Lady Palmerston's,where were all the GREAT London world,the Duchess of Sutherland among the number.She is most noble,and at the same time lovely....We had an autograph note from Sir Robert Peel,inviting us to dine next Saturday,and were engaged.I hope they will ask us again,for I know few things better than to see him,as we should in dining there.I have the same interest in seeing the really distinguished men of England,that I should have in the pictures and statues of Rome,and indeed,much greater.I wish Iwas better prepared for my life here by a more extensive culture;mere fine ladyism will not do,or prosy bluism,but one needs for a thorough enjoyment of society,a healthy,practical,and extensive culture,and a use of the modern languages in our position would be convenient.I do not know how a gentleman can get on without it here,and I find it so desirable that I devote a good deal of time to speaking French with Louisa's governess.Your father uses French a great deal with his colleagues,who,many of them,speak English with great difficulty,and some not at all....Lady Charlotte Lindsay came one day this week to engage us to dine with her on Wednesday,but yesterday she came to say that she wanted Lord Brougham to meet us,and he could not come till Friday.Fortunately we had no dinner engagement on that day,and we are to meet also the Miss Berrys;Horace Walpole's Miss Berrys,who with Lady Charlotte herself,are the last remnants of the old school here.
