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On his return from
Scotland he visited Lord Brougham at his seat near
Penrith,
William E. Forster at
Burley, Wharfedale, the
Earl of
Carlisle at Castle
Howard (whom he met for the first time after an interval of fifteen years,) and Lord Hatherton at
Teddesley Park in
Staffordshire.
He passed a day at
Llandudno in
Wales as the guest of John Bright,—the first meeting of two kindred spirits.
His last visits were to
Mr. Gladstone at
Hawarden, and to the
Marquis of
Westminster at Eaton Hall; and his last night was at
Liverpool with
Mr. Richard Rathbone, with whom he had a common sentiment on questions of peace, prison discipline, and slavery.
He wrote to
Mr. Cobden, November 7:—
To-day I sail, against the advice of physicians and friends, who insist upon a longer “fallow” for my brain.
But I cannot be contented to stay.
Our American political duties are more exacting.
Since I parted from you at Chichester I have seen the Channel Isles, Normandy, Paris, Baden-Baden, Switzerland—, the Alps at St. Gothard and St. Bernard, and Chamouni, the Rhine, Holland, then the Manchester Exhibition, the highlands of Scotland, a little of England, including Gladstone and John Bright.
The latter I never saw before.
I was glad to find him with so many signs of health, though from my own case I can feel how important repose must be to him for some time longer.
I leave England profoundly impressed by its civilization, and at the same time painfully regretting three things,—primogeniture, the flunkeyism of servants, and the tolls,—all three showing themselves everywhere.
To
Macready:—
I am unhappy that I have not seen you; and not until the last few days did I renounce the idea of reaching Sherborne.
But I have not been able to go in that direction.
I have sympathized in your sorrows, which I know must be grievous, requiring all of your fortitude and Christian hope, with the solace of remaining children to be borne.
Good-bye.
God bless you!
During his absence
Sumner kept a journal, the only time he ever kept one, except during a part of his former journey to
Europe.
It was very brief,—made up of mere jottings of each day's experiences; and the larger part of it is here given:—
March 21. A most interesting day. The steamer entered the dock [at Havre] between six and seven o'clock in the morning, and we landed about eight o'clock. Walked about and enjoyed the foreign aspect; went through the farce of custom-house and of passports, and started at eleven o'clock on the railroad for Rouen.
The carriages and the—whole management of the road were in contrast with ours, and the country through which we passed was charming.
Reached Rouen at two o'clock; stopped at Hotel d'angleterre, and at once sallied forth alone to visit the sights, which kept me on
