Europa; or, Notes of a recent ramble through England, France, Italy, and Switzerland

Front matter

* w f ( LI

M A nA

> r> t

Preface

When I returned from Europe, a few months ago, I had no idea of making a book, or adding to that very questionable department of American literature known as “ works of travel.” The residence of a few months in any country does not give one such a full and perfect idea of the people as will enable him to advance opinions which will be of any considerable value to his readers. And yet he must be a dull scholar if he does not learn something which he can present in a way which will make it interesting and prof¬ itable. If he sees and hears independently, and without prejudice, his criticisms will not be entire¬ ly worthless. He will at least give an idea of the way in which his own mind was impressed by what he saw and heard ; and though he might not be able to give a perfect view of the real condition of society, he will be able to sketch its outlines, and perhaps enter slightly into its details.

As a man who gazes upon a beautiful cathedral for a short time onlv will not be able to describe

A *

PREFACE.

every particular defect and excellency of the ar¬ chitectural design and finish, but will carry away with him a general outline of the whole, and perhaps a distinct impression of some peculiar feature, either of beauty or deformity, so the traveler who passes hastily through a country may give the impression which he received from his stand-point of observation which will enable the reader, in comparing his views with those of other visitors, to form a more correct estimate of the great temple of the world than if he had not written.

While in Europe, I endeavored to see and hear for myself, and judge independently of any previ¬ ous prejudice. In giving names, dates, times, and distances, I have doubtless fallen into some errors, which the reader may correct at his leisure. I have also, in some few instances, been presump¬ tuous enough to predict events, which the uncer¬ tain future, in its waywardness, may never bring to pass; and I leave time, the rectifier of all errors and the reformer of all abuses, to read the proof of them.

As I have written for my own personal friends, and the members of my own congregation, and as the first edition of the work will be almost entirely private, I have allowed my own peculiar theological sentiments to creep in now and then, more or less, for which I do not feel disposed to oifer apology or crave pardon.

PREFACE.

If it be said that I have used the names of men freely, and commented upon their modes of living, or style of public speaking, too fully, I have only to say, that I have illustrious examples in those English and French clergymen, statesmen, novel¬ ists, and poets who have journeyed in America as long as I remained in Europe, and w T ho, on returning to the old world, commented as freely, and judged as hastily, as any writer on this side of the ocean could do on his return from the scenes of grief and glory beyond the deep. I have endeavored to be just; and if telling the truth about a nation is offensive, why, let the people do as the pope does — proscribe railroads, and, as far as possible, keep all foreigners away. If England is ashamed of her gin palaces and her starving thousands, let her shut up the former and redress the wrongs of the latter. If France is ashamed of the coup d’etat of her “ prince president ” — the democrat with a broken and out¬ raged constitution beneath his feet—the Catholic with the shame and guilt of perjury on his soul, let not seven millions of voters indorse his course, and by their noiseless influence sustain his infa¬ mous usurpations. If Italy is ashamed of her bones and beads, crosses and cardinals, her sovereign, with his tiara and his dandy guards, let her enslaved thousands rise and be men again, as were the people of Rome, when even

PIIEFACE.

Paul could boast that he was a citizen of that once favored, but now fallen city.

The reader will perceive that a considerable portion of this work was written before the late important changes in Europe, and the whole was completed while those changes were taking place, and when their results could not be known ; and still the traveler asks, “ Watchman, what of the night ? ” for no morning has dawned, and nought but faith can see a star shining amid the muta¬ tions and revolutions of the land to which, to-day, all eyes are turned in deep solicitude.

But patience, man ! to-morrow will come ; and such a morrow! Heard vou not how blood

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makes fat the soil, and bones enrich the earth ? Know you not that freedom’s tree shall grow greener yet, where blood flowed fastest and men died freest? Hath none ever told you, and have you never read, that “ God is in history ” ?

To the kindness and generosity of my friends I am indebted for the tour which I have made : I am grateful. To my traveling companions I owe much of the pleasure and success of my undertaking: they are thanked. To God belongs the praise for a safe return : it is acknowledged.

Contents

i.

INTRODUCTORY —THE VOYAGE.

Early Desire to travel

II. Liverpool

Objectionable Practice .

. 36

Massive Buildings

St. David’s Church

Birkenhead

Dr. M’Neile’s Church

. 37

Chester

An eloquent Discourse

Railway Station

The Docks

. 39

Railway Travelling

St. James’s Cemetery .

The Country .

•

III. Manchester

Recognized as Americans . 45 Cotton Factory Public Streets ... 46 Factory Schools .

Boarding Houses

•

A Hack Ride .

Machine Shop

•

Sick Box

•

Peculiarities .

Operatives .

•

A Night Ride

IV •

BIRMINGHAM.

First Impressions .

•

John Angell James

Papier Mache Works .

•

His Sermon,

Electro Plate Works

•

Ignorance of American Habits

Town Hall .

•

Ignorance of American Geog¬

Splendid Organs

• raphy .

Grammar School .

•

Kenilworth and Warwick .

Statue of Nelson

•

Dudley Castle

St. Martin’s Church

•

V

.

GENERAL

VIEW

OF LONDON.

Arrival ....

•

Christ’s.

Looking for Apartments

Temple ....

Extent of London .

•

St. Clement Danes .

Streets

St. Margaret’s

Parks ....

•

St. Martin-in-the-Fields .

Public Gardens .

The Thames

Monuments

•

Thames Tunnel

Amusements

Smithfield ....

Bank of England

•

Cock Lane ....

British Museum .

Billingsgate

St. Paul’s Church .

•

Covent Garden . . .

St. Mary Woolnorth .

Newgate Market

St. Mary-le-Bow

•

Little Girl ....

All-Hallows

An old Lady

St. Giles, Cripplegate

•

An Incident ....

St. Sepulcher’s .

Starvation and Poverty

VI. Industrial Exhibition

Origin of it . . .85 Mr. Paxton . . . .86

The Building ... 85 Grand Opening . . . 91

CONTENTS.

The Koh-i-Noir

. 93

Indian Traps .

. 100

Models

Page’s Oars

Knitting Work

. 94

Men in Soap .

. 100

Machinery .

Abuse of America

Carved Work .

. 95

The Virginia Reaper

. 101

Electro Plate Work

Clinton Carpets .

Bible Exhibition

. 96

The Clipper .

. 102

French Department

Bobbin Machine .

Other Contributions

. 97

The Lock Picker

. 103

American Department

Concert in the Palace .

Carriages

. 99

Attendance

. 105

Machinery .

The Productions .

Daguerreotypes

. 99

The next Exhibition

. 107

Greek Slave

. 100 y ii.

MINISTERS OP LONDON.

Church Service

. 109

Hon. and Rev. B. W. Noel

Clerks .

Change of religious Sentiments 121

Singing

. 110

Style of Pulpit Address .

Sextons .

Rev. Henry Melville .

John Gumming, D. D. .

. 110

The Golden Lecture

James Hamilton, D. D.

Lothbury Church

. 115

Cardinal Wiseman

Rev. Edward Irving .

Caricature of the Cardinal

Thomas Chalmers, D. D.

. 115

Controversy with Dr. Cummin £

Formation of the Scotch Church 11G

Dr. Doyle ....

Exeter Hall Discourses

The Pontifical

Rev. William Brock

. 117

Exposure of Artifice .

Rev. Joseph Beaumont

Dr. Croly ....

Rev. Thomas Binney

. 119

Rev. Charles Stovel .

Rev. George Smith .

Robert Montgomery

Surrey Chapel

. 120

Rev. William Chalmers

London Missionary Society

Comparative Eloquence .

Rev. William Jay .

. 120

*

•

VIII. X

BUNIIILL

FIELDS.

Nonconformist Ministers

. 132

Rev. Samuel Wesley .

Mrs. Susannah Wesley

Rev. John Wesley

CONTENTS.

Isaac Watts, D. D. .

Adam Clarke, D. D. .

John Gill, D. D. .

. 133

An Anecdote

John Owen, D. D.

Rev. Richard Watson

Rev. Richard Price

. ia3

Chamber in which Wesley died

Rev. George Burder .

Whitefield’s Tabernacle

Rev. Nathaniel Mather .

. 133

Melancholy Memories

Wesley’s Chapel

Charles Wesley .

134 . 134

Trust in Providence

IX. Royalty

AND

ARISTOCRACY.

High Life and Low Life

Buckingham Palace .

Queen Victoria

St. James’s Palace

. 140

Prince Albert

Lambeth Palace

Prince and Princess of Prussia

Apsley House

. 140

The royal Children .

Northumberland House

Royal Annoyances

Hon. Abbott Lawrence .

, 141

The Duke of W ellington .

A W alk in the Rain .

English Nobility .

X. Windsor Castle And Hampton Court

Splendid Apartments at Wind¬

Residence of Lord John Russor Castle .

St George’s Chapel .

143 The great Grape Vine

Cenotaph of Princess Char¬

The old Palace lotte .....

144 The impudent Barber

Alexander Pope’s House

145 The outwitted American

XI. Parliament

— TOWER —

WESTMINSTER ABBEY.

House of Commons

. 148

The Commons

House of Lords .

The old Tower . . ♦

The Throne .

. 148

The Murder of Nobles .

The Woolsack .

The Crown Jewels .

Ecclesiastical Title Bill

. 149

Attempted Robbery

Wellington’s Speech.

Lasting Impressions .

CONTENTS.

Westminster Abbey

. 153

Chapel of Henry VII. .

Royal Coronations

The English Service

The old Chair

. 153

Death’s Lessons to Royalty .

The Poet’s Corner

The Place for a Friar

XII. Men And

THINGS.

Fashionable Parade

. 156

English Dress

English Ladies .

Conformance to Custom

American Ladies .

. 157

Family Government

Englishmen

The Englishman’s Nobility

The Use of false Hair .

. 157

Exceptions

XIII. Prisons —ragged Schools —gin Palaces

Politeness of the Police

Mr. Greeley’s Comparison

Old Bailey ....

The Street Fight .

London Courts .

Sabbath Schools

Newgate Prison .

Mr. Noel’s Sabbath School .

The Chapel

A contemptible Remark

The condemned Chair .

Gin Palaces ....

The Place of Execution

Their Adornment

The Ragged School

The Customers

Government of the Schools

The Woman and Babe

Mischievous Children .

The two little Girls

The Handkerchief

The old Man and his Wife

Field Lane .

The young Man .

Ragged School

The ominous Threat .

The Prayer Meeting

Drinking Children

The Scholars

Diluted Liquor .

The Dormitories .

Rum Drinking in America

XIV. Reform And

DEFORM

— PEACE CONGRESS.

The Cause of Temperance

Meeting .

Habits of Clergymen .

. 171

The Sabbath School

. 172

Temperance Meetings

English Anti-slavery .

Denunciatory Speeches

. 172

American Slavery .

. 172

B

Discourteous Remarks

Prospects for the Future

The Invitation

Peace Congress

Freemasons’ Hall Gathering

The silent Prayer

Hon. Horace Greeley’s Speech

Sir David Brewster .

Reception given to Americans

Speech of Richard Cobden .

Rev. John Burnet

Military Fortifications

Mr. Hanson’s Speech

A. Coquerell

Caste of Color

M. Girardin

Caste of Birth .

Letter of Carlyle .

Religious Reforms

Letter of Victor Hugo

Union of Church and State

Impracticables

XV. London To Paris

South-western Railway

. 186

The English Channel .

Persons in the Cars .

The Town of Calais

Arrived at Dover .

. 186

New Scenes, strange Sounds

The old Fort

Cars on French Railroads .

Poor Debtor’s Box

. 187

The French Pie .

The famous old Gun

An American at Table in China 189