CONTENTS.

LETTER I.
PAGE
Immensity of London—Voyage to Leith—Society of the Steam Packet—Analogy between Scotch and American manners—Strict observance of the Sabbath on board—Edinburgh—Unexpected recognition[11]
LETTER II.
Edinburgh—A Scotch Breakfast—The Castle—Palace of Holyrood—Queen Mary—Rizzio—Charles the Tenth[17]
LETTER III.
Dalhousie Castle—The Earl and Countess—Antiquity of their Family[23]
LETTER IV.
Sporting and Its Equipments—Roslin Castle and Chapel[28]
LETTER V.
“Christopher North”—Mr. Blackwood—The Ettrick Shepherd—Lockhart—Noctes Ambrosianæ—Wordsworth—Southey—Captain Hamilton and his Book on America—Professor Wilson’s Family, etc.[34]
LETTER VI.
Lord Jeffrey and his family—Lord Brougham—Count Flahault—Politics—The “Grey” Ball—Aberdeen—Gordon Castle[46]
LETTER VII.
Gordon Castle—Company There—The Park—Duke of Gordon—Personal Beauty of the English Aristocracy[52]
LETTER VIII.
English Breakfast—Salmon Fishery—Lord Aberdeen—Mr. McLane—Sporting Establishment of Gordon Castle[59]
LETTER IX.
Scotch Hospitality—Immense Possessions of the Nobility—Dutchess’ Infant School—Manners of High Life—The Tone of Conversation in England and America Contrasted[66]
LETTER X.
Departure from Gordon Castle—The Pretender—Scotch Character Misapprehended—Observance of Sunday—Highland Chieftains[73]
LETTER XI.
Caledonian Canal—Dogs—English Exclusiveness—English Insensibility of Fine Scenery—Flora Macdonald and the Pretender—Highland Travelling[80]
LETTER XII.
Invarenden—Tarbot—Cockney Tourists—Loch Lomond—Inversnade—Rob Roy’s Cave—Discomfiture—The Birthplace of Helen M’Gregor[87]
LETTER XIII.
Highland Hut, its Furniture and Inmates—Highland Amusement and Dinner—“Rob Roy,” and Scenery of the “Lady of the Lake”[94]
LETTER XIV.
Scottish Stages—Thorough-bred Setter—Scenery—Female Peasantry—Mary, Queen of Scots—Stirling Castle[101]
LETTER XV.
Scotch Scenery—A Race—Cheapness of Lodgings in Edinburgh—Abbottsford—Scott—Lord Dalhousie—Thomas Moore—Jane Porter—The Grave of Scott[108]
LETTER XVI.
Border Scenery—Coachmanship—English Country-seats—Their Exquisite Comfort—Old Customs in High Preservation—Pride and Stateliness of the Lancashire Gentry—Their Contempt for Parvenues[118]
LETTER XVII.
English Cordiality and Hospitality, and the Feelings awakened by it—Liverpool—Uncomfortable Coffee-house there—Travelling Americans—New York Packets—The Railway—Manchester[125]
SECOND VISIT TO ENGLAND[132]
EGLINTON TOURNAMENT[188]
TALKS OVER TRAVEL[217]
The Streets of London[229]
London[235]
London[241]
London[247]
London[254]
Isle of Wight—Ryde[259]
Comparison of the Climate of Europe and America[265]
Stratford-on-Avon[271]
Visit to Stratford-on-Avon—Shakspere[280]
Charlecote[291]
Warwick Castle[294]
Kenilworth[297]
A Visit to Dublin about the time of the Queen’s Marriage[305]
Closing Scenes of the Session at Washington[313]
The Inauguration[319]
Washington in the Session[324]
Washington after the Session[335]
ARTICLES FROM THE JOURNAL.
LETTERS FROM ENGLAND AND THE CONTINENT IN 1845–’46
LETTER I.
What the Writer has seen of this World for twenty-four days—The Passengers of the Britannia—The Difference Between the American and English Custom-house Officers—The Working Classes—Female Dress—Bustles—Writing against the Doctor’s Orders, etc.[345]
LETTER II.
London[349]
LETTER III.
S—— Vicarage[354]
LETTER IV.[359]
LETTER V.[362]
LETTER VI.[364]
LETTER VII.[368]
LETTER VIII.[374]
LETTER IX. [378]
LETTER X.[385]
LETTER XI.
To any Lady Subscriber who may wish for Gleanings from that first Concert of Jenny Lind which the Critics of the Daily Papers have so well harvested[392]
LETTER XII.
To the Lady-Subscriber in the Country[399]
LETTER XIII.
To the Lady-Subscriber in the Country[407]
THE REQUESTED LETTER.
To the Lady-reader in the Country[412]
NATURE CRITICISED BY ART.
Jenny Lind’s Propitiatory Acceptance of one Invitation from New York Fashionable Society—The History of the Day of which it was the Evening—Her Martyrdom by Charity-Seekers and other Wanters of Money and Gratifiers of their own Impertinent Curiosity—The Criticism of her Manners at the Party, as given in the “Courrier des Etats Unis”—A Counter-picture of her Conversation and Appearance—Singular Accidental “Tableau Vivant,” &c., &c.[417]
JENNY LIND[429]
THE KOSSUTH DAY.
The Magyar and the Aztec, or the Two Extremes of Human Development[433]
Near View of Kossuth[443]
Death of Lady Blessington[454]
Moore and Barry Cornwall[463]
Jane Porter, Authoress of “Scottish Chiefs,” “Thaddeus of Warsaw,” etc.; etc.[471]
Ole Bull’s Niagara[484]
Dr. Lardner’s Lecture[489]

FAMOUS PERSONS AND PLACES

LETTER I.

IMMENSITY OF LONDON—VOYAGE TO LEITH—SOCIETY OF THE STEAM PACKET—ANALOGY BETWEEN SCOTCH AND AMERICAN MANNERS—STRICT OBSERVANCE OF THE SABBATH ON BOARD—EDINBURGH—UNEXPECTED RECOGNITION.

Almost giddy with the many pleasures and occupations of London, I had outstayed the last fashionable lingerer; and, appearing again, after a fortnight’s confinement with the epidemic of the season, I found myself almost without an acquaintance, and was driven to follow the world. A preponderance of letters and friends determined my route toward Scotland.

One realizes the immensity of London when he is compelled to measure its length on a single errand. I took a cab at my lodgings at nine in the evening, and drove six miles through one succession of crowded and blazing streets to the East India Docks, and with the single misfortune of being robbed, on the way, of a valuable cloak, secured a berth in the Monarch steamer, bound presently for Edinburgh.

I found the drawing-room cabin quite crowded, cold supper on the two long tables, every body very busy with knife and fork, and whiskey-and-water and broad Scotch circulating merrily. All the world seemed acquainted, and each man talked to his neighbor, and it was as unlike a ship’s company of dumb English as could easily be conceived. I had dined too late to attack the solids, but imitating my neighbor’s potation of whiskey and hot water, I crowded in between two good-humored Scotchmen, and took the happy color of the spirits of the company. A small centre-table was occupied by a party who afforded considerable amusement. An excessively fat old woman, with a tall scraggy daughter and a stubby little old fellow, whom they called “pa;” and a singular man, a Major Somebody, who seemed showing them up, composed the quartette. Noisier women I never saw, nor more hideous. They bullied the waiter, were facetious with the steward, and talked down all the united buzz of the cabin. Opposite me sat a pale, severe-looking Scotchman, who had addressed one or two remarks to me; and, upon an uncommon burst of uproariousness, he laughed with the rest, and remarked that the ladies were excusable, for they were doubtless Americans, and knew no better.