abinet collection of the most rare and costly
works of art--choicest marbles, vases, pictures, gems, and statuary met
the eye every where. We spent the time in examining some of these while
the servant went to announce us. The mild and venerable old man himself
was the choicest picture of all. He has a splendid head, a benign face,
and reminded me of an engraving I once saw of Titian. He seemed very
glad to see us, spoke to me of the gathering at Stafford House, and
asked me what I thought of the place. When I expressed my admiration, he
said, "Ah, I have often said it is a fairy palace, and that the duchess
is the good fairy." Again, he said, "I have seen all the palaces of
Europe, but there is none that I prefer to this." Quite a large circle
of friends now came in and were presented. He did not rise to receive
them, but sat back in his easy chair, and conversed quietly with us all,
sparkling out now and then in a little ripple of playfulness. In this
room were his best beloved pictures, and it is his pleasure to show them
to his friends.

By a contrivance quite new to me, the pictures are made to revolve on a
pivot, so that by touching a spring they move out from the wall, and can
be seen in different lights. There was a picture over the mantel-piece
of a Roman Triumphal Procession, painted by Rubens, which attracted my
attention by its rich coloring and spirited representation of animals.

The coloring of Rubens always satisfies my eye better than that of any
other master, only a sort of want of grace in the conception disturbs
me. In this case both conception and coloring are replete with beauty.
Rogers seems to be carefully waited on by an attendant who has learned
to interpret every motion and anticipate every desire.

I took leave of him with a touch of sadness. Of all the brilliant circle
of poets, which has so delighted us, he is the last--and he so feeble!
His memories, I am told, extend back to a personal knowledge of Dr.
Johnson. How I should like to sit by him, and search into that cabinet
of recollections! He presented me his poems, beautifully illustrated by
Turner, with his own autograph on the fly leaf. He writes still a clear,
firm, beautiful hand, like a lady's.

After that, we all went over to Stafford House, and the Duke and
Duchess of Sutherland went with us into Lord Ellesmere's collection
adjoining. Lord Ellesmere sails for America to-day, to be present at the
opening of the Crystal Palace. H