Sunny Memories of Foreign Lands, vol 2 | Page 4

life. It
was on this son that Tennyson wrote his "In Memoriam."
Sir Robert H. Inglis was also present, and Mr. S. held considerable
conversation with him. Knowing that he was both high tory and high
church, it was an agreeable surprise to find him particularly gentle and
bland in manners, earnest and devout in religious sentiment. I have
heard him spoken of, even among dissenters, as a devout and earnest

man. Another proof this of what mistakes we fall into when we judge
the characters of persons at a distance, from what we suppose likely to
be the effect of their sentiments. We often find the professed aristocrat
gentle and condescending, and the professed supporter of forms
spiritual.
I think it very likely there may have been other celebrities present,
whom I did not know. I am always finding out, a day or two after, that I
have been with somebody very remarkable, and did not know it at the
time.
After breakfast we found, on consulting our list, that we were to lunch
at Surrey parsonage.
Of all the cities I was ever in, London is the most absolutely
unmanageable, it takes so long to get any where; wherever you want to
go it seems to take you about two hours to get there. From the West
End down into the city is a distance that seems all but interminable.
London is now more than ten miles long. And yet this monster city is
stretching in all directions yearly, and where will be the end of it
nobody knows. Southey says, "I began to study the map of London,
though dismayed at its prodigious extent. The river is no assistance to a
stranger in finding his way; there is no street along its banks, and no
eminence from whence you can look around and take your bearings."
You may take these reflections as passing through my mind while we
were driving through street after street, and going round corner after
corner, towards the parsonage.
Surrey Chapel and parsonage were the church and residence of the
celebrated Kowland Hill. At present the incumbent is the Rev. Mr.
Sherman, well known to many of our American clergy by the kind
hospitalities and attentions with which he has enriched their stay in
London. The church maintains a medium rank between
Congregationalism and Episcopacy, retaining part of the ritual, but
being independent in its government. The kindness of Mr. Sherman had
assembled here a very agreeable company, among whom were
Farquhar Tupper, the artist Cruikshank, from whom I received a call
the other morning, and Mr. Pilatte, M. P. Cruikshank is an old man
with gray hair and eyebrows, strongly marked features, and keen eyes.
He talked to me something about the promotion of temperance by a
series of literary sketches illustrated by his pencil.

I sat by a lady who was well acquainted with Kingsley, the author of
Alton Locke, Hypatia, and other works, with whom I had some
conversation with regard to the influence of his writings.
She said that he had been instrumental in rescuing from infidelity many
young men whose minds had become unsettled; that he was a devoted
and laborious clergyman, exerting himself, without any cessation, for
the good of his parish.
After the company were gone I tried to get some rest, as my labors
were not yet over, we being engaged to dine at Sir Edward Buxton's.
This was our most dissipated day in London. We never tried the
experiment again of going to three parties in one day.
By the time I got to my third appointment I was entirely exhausted. I
met here some, however, whom I was exceedingly interested to see;
among them Samuel Gurney, brother of Elizabeth Fry, with his wife
and family. Lady Edward Buxton is one of his daughters. All had that
air of benevolent friendliness which is characteristic of the sect.
Dr. Lushington, the companion and venerable associate of Wilberforce
and Clarkson, was also present. He was a member of Parliament with
Wilberforce forty or fifty years ago. He is now a judge of the admiralty
court, that is to say, of the law relating to marine affairs. This is a
branch of law which the nature of our government in America makes it
impossible for us to have. He is exceedingly brilliant and animated in
conversation.
Dr. Cunningham, the author of World without Souls, was present.
There was there also a master of Harrow School.
He told me an anecdote, which pleased me for several reasons; that
once, when the queen visited the school, she put to him the inquiry,
"whether the educational system of England did not give a
disproportionate attention to the study of the ancient classics." His
reply was, "that her majesty could best satisfy her