ull of rustic picturesqueness; and _while the sun
shone_, I think I should like a female farmer's life amazingly.
Went to the theater and rehearsed "Venice Preserved," which is an
entirely different kind of thing. Charles Mason dined with us.
After dinner I finished reading Miss Ferrier's novel of "Destiny,"
which I like very much; besides being very clever, it leaves a
pleasant taste, in one's mind's mouth. Went to the theater at six;
the play was "Venice Preserved," and I certainly have seldom seen a
more shameful exhibition. In the first place C---- did not even
know his words, and that was bad enough; but when he was out,
instead of coming to a stop decently, and finishing at least with
his cue, he went on extemporizing line after line, and speech after
speech, of his own, by way of mending matters. I think I never saw
such a performance. He stamps and bellows low down in his throat
like an ill-suppressed bull; he rolls his eyes till I feel as if
they were flying out of their sockets at me, and I must try and
catch them. He quivers and quavers in his speech, and pulls and
_wrenches_ me so inhumanly, that what with inward laughter and
extreme rage and pain, I was really all but dead in earnest at the
end of the play. I acted very ill myself till the last scene, when
my Jaffier having been done justice to by the Venetian Government,
I was able to do justice to myself, and having gone mad, and no
wonder, died rather better than I had lived through the piece.

_July 6th, Bristol._--Walked out to order the horses, and
afterwards went on to look at the Abbey Church. We examined one or
two interesting old monuments; but were obliged to curtail our
explorings, as the doors were about to be closed. We have been
talking much lately of a remote possibility of going to America;
and as I left this old brown pile to-day, it seemed to me curious
to think of a country which has no cathedrals, no monuments of the
Old Faith. How venerable, in spite of its superstitions and abuses;
for its long undisputed sway over all civilized lands; for the
great and good men who honored it by their lives and works--the
religion of Augustine, of Bruno, Benedict, Francis d'Assisi,
Francis de Sales, Fenelon, and how many more--the Christianity of
Europe in its feudal, chivalrous