LONDON,July 21,1848
I was truly grieved that the last steamer should go to Boston without a line from me,but I was in Yorkshire and you must forgive me....I left off with the 26th of June....The next evening was the Queen's Concert,which was most charming.I sat very near the Duke of Wellington,who often spoke to me between the songs....The next day we went with Miss Coutts to her bank,lunched there,and went all over the building.Then we went to the Tower and the Tunnel together,she never having seen either.So ignorant are the West End people of city lions....And now comes my pleasant Yorkshire excursion.We left London,at half-past three,at distance of 180miles.This was Saturday,July 8.At York we found Mr.Hudson ready to receive us and conduct us to a special train which took us eighteen miles on the way to Newby Park,and there we found carriages to take us four miles to our destination.We met at dinner and found our party to consist of the Duke of Richmond,Lord Lonsdale,Lord George Bentinck,Lord Ingestre,Lord John Beresford,Lady Webster,whose husband,now dead,was the son of Lady Holland,two or three agreeable talkers to fill in,and ourselves.
Tuesday Lady Webster,Mr.Bancroft,and myself,went to Castle Howard,as Lord Morpeth had written to his mother that we were to be there and would lunch with her.Castle Howard is twenty-five miles the other side of York,which is itself twenty-five miles from Newby.But what is fifty miles when one is under the wing of the Railway King and can have a special engine at one's disposal.On arriving at the Castle Howard station we found Lord Carlisle's carriage with four horses and most venerable coachman waiting to receive us.We enter the Park almost immediately,but it is about four miles to the Castle,through many gates,which we had mounted footmen open for us.Lady Carlisle received us in the most delightful manner....
I was delighted to see Lord Morpeth's home and his mother,who seldom now goes to London.She was the daughter of the beautiful Duchess of Devonshire,and took me into her own dressing-room to show me her picture....On Wednesday we went into York to witness the reception of Prince Albert,to see the ruins of St.Mary's Abbey,the Flower Show,to lunch with the Lord Mayor,and above all,to attend prayers in the Minister and hear a noble anthem.The Cathedral was crowded with strangers and a great many from London.
The next day was the day of the great dinner,and I send you the POST containing Mr.Bancroft's speech.It was warmly admired by all who heard it.
At ten at night we ladies set out for York to go [to]the Lord Mayor's Ball,where the gentlemen were to meet us from the dinner.
Everybody flocked round to congratulate me upon your father's speech.Even Prince Albert,when I was led up to make my curtsey,offered me his hand,which is a great courtesy in royalty,and spoke of the great beauty and eloquence of Mr.B.'s speech.The Prince soon went away:the Lord Mayor took me down to supper and I sat between him and the Duke of Richmond at the high table which went across the head of the hall.Guildhall is a beautiful old room with a fine old traceried window,and the scene,with five tables going the length of the hall and the upper one across the head,was very gay and brilliant.There were a few toasts,and your father again made a little speech,short and pleasant.We did not get home till half-past three in the morning....On Friday morning [July 14th]
many of the guests,the Duke of Richmond,etc.,took their departure and Mr.Hudson had to escort Prince Albert to town,but returned the same evening....The next day we all went to pay a visit to an estate of Mr.Hudson's [name of estate indecipherable]for which he paid five hundred thousand pounds to the Duke of Devonshire....
It is nobly situated in the Yorkshire wolds,a fine range of hills,and overlooking the valley of the Humber,which was interesting to me,as it was the river which our Pilgrim fathers sailed down and lay in the Wash at its mouth,awaiting their passage to Holland.
They came,our Plymouth fathers,mostly from Lincolnshire and the region which lay below us.I thought of them,and the scene of their sufferings was more ennobled in my eyes,from their remembrance than from the noble mansions and rich estates which feast the eye.
On Monday morning we left Newby for York on our way home.It so happened that the judges were to open the court that very morning,on which occasion they always breakfast with the Lord Mayor in their scarlet robes and wigs,the Lord Mayor and aldermen are also in their furred scarlet robes and the Lady Mayoress presents the judges with enormous bouquets of the richest flowers.We were invited to this breakfast,and I found it very entertaining.I was next the High Sheriff,who was very desirous that we should stay a few hours and go to the castle and see the court opened and listen to a case or two.The High Sheriff of a county is a great character and has a carriage and liveries as grand as the Queen's.After breakfast we bade adieu to our York friends,and set off with our big bouquets (for the distribution was extended to us)for home.
