[
528]
was living.
One afternoon he joined in a
fete champetre at Holland House.
After seven weeks in
London, passed in a round of social engagements,—which were enjoyable, though overtaxing his strength,—he left the metropolis, going first to
Midhurst, where he was two nights with
Mr. Cobden, who urged a week's visit, and then by way of
Weymouth and
Jersey to
Normandy, where he had engaged to visit
Tocqueville at his chateau.
Returning to
Paris, he next made an excursion to
Switzerland, the
Italian lakes,
Holland, and
Belgium.
He wrote to
C. F. Adams, September 14, from
the Hague:—
I know nothing of politics at home; but I have implicit faith in the future.
1 know we shall succeed.
Your sons May expect to take part in the triumph, even if we have passed away.
Courage! Be of good cheer; the cause cannot fail!
I have been impressed by the general prosperity of the countries I have visited; they seem to smile with fertility and the fruits of industry.
But amidst all the tokens of prosperity, there seems to be no home for the laborers.
I wonder they do not all desert, and come to us.
Sumner was in
England again September 19.
He remained less than a week in
London, visiting for a night
Mr. Russell Sturgis at
Walton, and Lord Cranworth at Holwood.
He dined twice with
Mr. Parkes at the
Reform Club, but his friends were mostly absent from
London.
He then went north to attend the exhibition at
Manchester, and to fulfil engagements for visits at
Mr. Ashworth's at
Bolton,
Miss Martineau's at
Ambleside, and
Mr. Ingham's at South Shields.
From
Edinburgh he penetrated into the highlands of
Scotland as far as
Fort Augustus, in order to visit an old acquaintance,
Edward Ellice, Sr., at Glenquoich.
From this northern point he wrote to
E. L. Pierce:—
I am here farther north than Iona and Staffa, beyond Morven, and near the Isle of Skye, where Flora Macdonald sheltered Charles Edward.
There is no family living within forty or fifty miles of the friend whose guest I now am, and whose estate stretches for miles and miles.
In front of the window at which I write are the hills of the immense possessions of Lochiel.
I am away from American papers, and without letters.
By chance some days ago I had a newspaper which contained Wilson's speech at Worcester,—his best effort.
Indeed, I always think his last is his best.
Never have I known any person whose improvement was so palpable.
I long to see our noble State a unit at the head of our great battle for civilization.
This note, beginning in a glen, I finish at an inn in Elgin, October 15.
Afterwards he visited the
Duke of
Sutherland at Dunrobin Castle, Lord Aberdeen at Haddo House,
Sir William Stirling at
Keir, the Argylls at Inverary, and
James Stirling near
Dumbarton.
