thought so and so,' then I have opened my ears and listened, for I
said to myself, now I shall get at the treasured results of the
experience of these great men." This little saying of Mr. Rogers
expresses precisely my own feelings in the society of the venerable
and distinguished here. With us society is left more to the
crudities of the young than in England. The young may be
interesting and promise much, but they are still CRUDE. The
elements, however fine, are not yet completely assimilated and
brought to that more perfect tone which comes later in life.


Monday, April 12th


. . . On Saturday I went with Sir William and Lady Molesworth to
their box in the new Covent Garden opera, which has been opened for
the first time this week. There I saw Grisi and Alboni and
Tamburini in the "Semiramide." It was a new world of delight to me.
Grisi, so statuesque and so graceful, delights the eye, the ear, and
the soul. She is sculpture, poetry, and music at the same time. . .
. Mr. Bancroft has been received with great cordiality in Paris. He
has been three times invited to the Palace, and Guizot and Mignet
give him access to all that he wants in the archives, and he passes
his evenings with all the eminent men and beautiful women of Paris.
Guizot, Thiers, Lamartine, Cousin, Salvandi, Thierry, he sees, and
enjoys all. They take him to the salons, too, of the Faubourg St.
Germain, among the old French aristocracy, and to innumerable
receptions.