The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-08-03
WHOLE NO. 6T2.


speak of W., b., and other household friends.
They all agreed in describing Mackenzie as a
jovial, hearty sort Of person, without any indica
ton in his manners and conversation OF the ex-
quislte sentiment he infused into his writings.
One Of the party remembered his coming home
one day in great glee from cockfght, and his
wife saying 10 him, "Oh, Harry, Harry, you
put all your feelings on papern
81 was glad 10 hear Miss Baltic, who is an
intimate friend of Lady Byron, speak of her
with tender reverence, and Of her conjugal infe-
llclty as not at all the result Of any quality de-
hclency on her part, but inevitable.S Strange
this IS not the universal impression, after By
ron's own declaration to Moore that there ne
yer was better or even brighter, kinder or a
more amlable and agreeable being than Lady
Byron.n'
CARLYLE, HALLAM, AND SIDNEY SMITH.
. may say that we have scaled the ladder
OF evening entertainments here, going from a
six o'clock family tea up TO a magnificent con-
cert al L. house and the tea al this home
like hour was at Carye's. He is living in the
suburbs OF London, near the Thames; my inn
preston is, IN rather an humble way; but when
your eye Is filled with a grand and beautiful
temple, you do not take the dimensions of sur
rounding objects and if any man can be indie
His head would throw phrenoogstinfo costa
cles. II looks like the forge of thought il is /;
and his eyes have preternatural brilliancy -
lie reminded me of what Lockhart said 10 me
speaking of the size of Webster's head, that he
had brains enough TO fill half dozen hats
Carlyle has as strong a Scotch accent as Mr.
Combe. HIS manner is simple, natural and
kindly. His conversation has the picturesque
ness OF his writings, and flows as naturally, and
as Tree from Germanlsm, as his own mountain
streams are free from any infusion of German
soil. lie gave us an interesting account of his
first acquaintance with En-. He was living
with his wife in most secluded part of Scot
land. They had no nelghbors, no communca-
ton with the world, excepting once week or
fortnight, when we went some miles TO a post
oihce III the hope of letter or some other init
nation that the world was going on One day
a stranger came to them-a young American
and he seemed to them an angel They spoke
OF him as if they had never lost their first i'm
preston Of his celestial nature. CARLYLE had
met Mr.. Webster and expressed humorous
surprise that man from over the sea should
talk English, and be as familiar as the natives
with the English constitution and the laws,
With all that priest or jurist SAITH
vi modes oflaw or modes of faith"
"He said Webster's eyes were like dull fur
naces, that only wanted blowing on to tighten
them up. And, by -lhe-way, it is quite interest
ing to perceive that our great countryman has
made sensation here, where il is all but as diff
hcult to make one as to make mark on the
ocean. They have given him the soubriquet of
:" the Great Western and they seem particular
ly struck with his appearance. A gentleman
said TO me, His eyes OPP n and open, and open,
and you think they will never stop opening
and painter was heard TO exclaim, on seeing
HIM, w hat head what eyes what mouth
and, my God what coloringn
We had very amusing evening at Mr..
Hallam's, whom (thanks to F., as thanks TO her
for all my best privileges in London) have had
the great pleasure of seeing two or three times.
But this kind of seeing is so brief and imperfect
that it amounts to little more than seeing the
pictures of these great people Mr.. Hallam has
a very pleasing countenance, and most good
humored and playful manner. | quite forgot he
was the sage of the Middle Ages He re-
minded me of -; but his simplicity is
much more genuine; not at all that of the great
man trying to play child You quite forget, in
the freedom and ease of the social man that he
IS ever the hero in armor. We met Sidney
Smith at his house. the best known of all the
wits of the civilized world. The company was
small he was i the vein, which is like singer
being in voice, and we saw him, believe, to
u
of brilliant explosions, but a spark
ing stream Of humor, very like - when he
IS at home, and i the vein too; and, like him,
also, he seemed to enjoy his own fun, and 10
have iattened on it'll
ale expressed unqualified admiration ofDick
Ems, and said that 10000 of each number of
Nicholas Nickleby was sold. There was a
Joung man present, who, being flushed with
some recent literary success, ventured to throw
himself into the arena against the old lion king,
md, to a lover of such sport, il would have been
pleasant to see how he cracked him up, flesh,
bones, and all"
CONCERT AT THE MARQUIS oE LANsDowN's.
"The concert at l. house was in SUI
,erb gallery of sculpture, with carved and gid
ID ceiling, and other appropriate and splendid
accomplishments. ] am told that il is one of the
'holcest collections of antiques in the kingdom,
,ut had no opportunity of Judging or enjoying
or the marble dvinilles were hid by the glitter
No mortals When X. and | entered the apart
nents Were filled with some hundreds of people
If the first station and fashion in the land, lux
irously dressed and sparkling with diamonds, a
sea of faces as strange as their diamonds to me-
I was an overpowerlng kind OF solitude. Lady
L. had politely directed me to favorable posi-
ion, and skunk into the first vacant place
'ouiu una, Wnere was beginning 10 1eel quite
comfortable in my obscurty, when X. said to
ne, with something of, the feeling Of Columbus's
oJ NJ -. ,,,fd nanu : .rhere IL NJ
- ana Mr. - These genuv ',a q sd u "a a.
er made Their way to US, and dissipated our for
ornness. In the course of the evening we met
many agreeable persons to whom we had been
efore introduced, and several of the most noted
ons OF The London menagerie were pointed out /
. US, Bulwer, Taylor, and Talfourd. Lady
seymour was there, a superb beauty certainly. |
nd well entitled TO the elective crown she is 10
'ear, OF Queen OF Love and Beauty was
i'roduced 10 Mrs Norton, who is herself most
neenly-looking creature, Semramis, San
no, or an Amazon, (the Greek ideal Amazon.
member, uniting masculine force with femi
me dellcacy or anything that expresses the
ERECTION OF intellectual and physical beauty
-LL-s.. IL e IL