Sunny Memories of Foreign Lands, vol 2 | Page 7

example as the queen sets in the education of her children makes itself
felt through all the families of the kingdom. Domesticity is now the
fashion in high life. I have had occasion to see, in many instances, how
carefully ladies of rank instruct their children. This argues more
favorably for the continuance of English institutions than any thing I
have seen. If the next generation of those who are born to rank and
power are educated, in the words of Fenelon, to consider these things
"as a ministry," which they hold for the benefit of the poor, the problem
of life in England will become easier of solution. Such are Lord
Shaftesbury's views, and as he throws them out with unceasing fervor
in his conversation and conduct, they cannot but powerfully affect not
only his own circle, but all circles through the kingdom. Lady
Shaftesbury is a beautiful and interesting woman, and warmly enters
into the benevolent plans of her husband. A gentleman and lady with
whom I travelled said that Lord and Lady Shaftesbury had visited in

person the most forlorn and wretched parts of London, that they might
get, by their own eyesight, a more correct gauge of the misery to be
relieved. I did not see Lord Shaftesbury's children; but, from the crayon
likenesses which hung upon the walls, they must be a family of
uncommon beauty.
I talked a little while with the Bishop of Tuam. I was the more
interested to do so because he was from that part of Ireland which Sibyl
Jones has spoken of as being in so particularly miserable a condition. I
said, "How are you doing now, in that part of the country? There has
been a great deal of misery there, I hear." He said "There has been, but
we have just turned the corner, and now I hope we shall see better days.
The condition of the people has been improved by emigration and other
causes, till the evils have been brought within reach, and we feel that
there is hope of effecting a permanent improvement."
While I was sitting talking, Lord Shaltesbury brought a gentleman and
lady, whom he introduced as Lord Chief Justice Campbell and Lady
Strathheden. Lord Campbell is a man of most dignified and imposing
personal presence; tall, with a large frame, a fine, high forehead, and
strongly marked features. Naturally enough, I did not suppose them to
be husband and wife, and when I discovered that they were so,
expressed a good deal of surprise at their difference of titles; to which
she replied, that she did not wonder we Americans were sometimes
puzzled among the number of titles. She seemed quite interested to
inquire into our manner of living and customs, and how they struck me
as compared with theirs. The letter of Mrs. Tyler was much talked of,
and some asked me if I supposed Mrs. Tyler really wrote it, expressing
a little civil surprise at the style. I told them that I had heard it said that
it must have been written by some of the gentlemen in the family,
because it was generally understood that Mrs. Tyler was a very ladylike
person. Some said, "It does us no harm to be reminded of our
deficiencies; we need all the responsibility that can be put upon us."
Others said, "It is certain we have many defects;" but Lord John
Campbell said, "There is this difference between our evils and those of
slavery: ours exist contrary to law; those are upheld by law."
I did not get any opportunity of conversing with the Archbishop of
Canterbury, though this is the second time I have been in company with
him. He is a most prepossessing man in his appearance--simple,

courteous, mild, and affable. He was formerly Bishop of Chester, and is
now Primate of all England.
It is some indication of the tendency of things in a country to notice
what kind of men are patronized and promoted to the high places of the
church. Sumner is a man refined, gentle, affable, scholarly, thoroughly
evangelical in sentiment; to render him into American phraseology, he
is in doctrine what we should call a moderate New School man. He has
been a most industrious writer; one of his principal works is his
Commentary on the New Testament, in several volumes; a work most
admirably adapted for popular use, combining practical devotion with
critical accuracy to an uncommon degree. He has also published a work
on the Evidences of Christianity, in which he sets forth some evidences
of the genuineness of the gospel narrative, which could only have been
conceived by a mind of peculiar delicacy, and which are quite
interesting and original. He has also written a work on Biblical
Geology, which is highly spoken