stopping at places of interest on
the way, but this is a journey I had taken before.

We made a brief visit to Amsterdam and the Hague, and then went to
Brussels, with which city we had become acquainted on our previous
visit. We arrived in England about the 1st of August and remained
in London, or its environs, a week, most of the time in the country.
During my stay I did not seek to form new acquaintances and most
of the people I knew were absent in the country. From London we
went to Oxford and remained several days visiting the colleges and
the country around, especially the beautiful palace of the Duke of
Marlborough. From there we went to Leamington, and made short
excursions to Warwick Castle, Kenilworth, Stratford and Coventry.
We then visited the English lakes, including Windermere. I was
especially interested in the games, races and wrestling at Grasmere.
From there we went to Chester spending several days in that city
and surrounding country. We visited the magnificent estate of the
Duke of Westminster, a few miles from Chester, and drove through
Gladstone's place, but he was then absent. In Chester we met
Justice Gray and his wife, and Bancroft Davis and his wife. With
them we drove in the old-fashioned coach in and about the environs
of Chester. From thence we went to Liverpool, remaining about a
week in that city.

It is scarcely necessary to state that such a rapid, transient
visit could hardly convey a proper conception of England or
Englishmen. Our view was like that of the English traveler in
America when he undertakes to describe our vast country on a trip
of a month from New York to San Francisco. My idea of Great Britain
is based, not upon flying visits, but upon my study of English
history and literature. The political institutions of Great Britain
are rapidly approaching our own. While progressive, the people of
that country are also conservative, but with each successive decade
they extend the power of the House of Commons so that already in
some respects it represents better the public sentiment than the
Congress of the United States. It responds quickly to a change of
popular opinion. The functions of the crown are now more limited
than those of our President, while the House of Commons can at any
moment put an end to the ministry, and if necessary a new House of
Commons can be convened within a brief period, and a new ministry
be formed or the old one confirmed according to th