New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-16
MRS. BANCROFTDS LETTERS
London Society IN the Last
Century.
LETTERS FROM ENGLAND. Is46-lS4s BY Eliza
beth Davis Bancroft (Mrs. George BancrofD.
With Portraits and Views. l2mo PIP. II
Charles Scrihner's Sons.

LETTERS FROM ENGLAND. Is46-lS4s BY Eli Eliza
beth Davis Bancroft CMrs. George Bancroft.
With Portraits and Views lZmo PIP 81
Charles Scribner's Sons.
When the Nev-EngIand woman whose pleas
ant letters are enshrined in this volume accom-
panied her husband. the American Minister. to
the mother country. she suddenly found her
self in a world overwhelmingly new to her
a world OF forms and ceremonies in which she
played her part with credit and with keen IN
terest "I could not bear it for life she wrote
in one Of her earlier epistles. but the charm or
that English life. with its novelty. its pict-
uresqueness its brilliant episodes and its genuine
kindness, soon won upon her. She never tired
Of dilaung upon the interesting people In that
London world OF the mid-nineteenth century
She writes continually of her dinner experiences
TO her relatives here. Il always wish could
SIT by everybody at the same time" she says
and 7 could often employ dozen heads If L
had them. instead Of my poor. miserable one.
Diplomatists. churchmen. travellers. poets
pass through these pages; she likes Macaulay'
finds Carlyle's talk superb and feels that her
walk with Lady Byron in Claremont Park Is
Ike a page out Of a poem. She finds beauty
in the implacable wife of the great poet which
that ladys portrait does not seem to JUSTIFY.
she has extremely delicate features and very
pale and finely delicate skin. tone Of voice
and manner of the most trembling refinement.
with a culture and strong intellect almost mas
cullne but which betrays itself under such
sweet and gentle and unobtrusive forms that one
is only led TO perceive it by slow degrees
Samuel Rogers is often mentioned by the Min
istelss wife. There are various records Of
breakfasts at Rogers's house, and, at one OF
them. he is described as repeating some lines
OF poetry which he thought ine. Then he sud
denly exclaimed:
But there is a bit OF American prose. which. I
think has more poetry in it than almost any mod
ern verse; He then repeated ! should , thlnk,
more than page from Dana,s Two years b s
the Mast" describing the falling overheard OF one
OF the crew and the effect it produced not only at
lie moment but for some time afterward. Won
dered at his memory, which enabled him 10 reclte
S2qq iSab Gns several Of those present with
whom the book favorite were so glad 10
foT th FS had T reFsrded it as partly Of
imagination
When the letter writer goes to Court she has
a particularly lively account to send TO the
friends at home. and a Lord Mayors banquet
provides a theme that stirs her quiet sense Of
humor:
After the second course two largo gold cups.
nearly two feet high are Paeed Iesere me o1d
voice his Royal GhhneS,s the Duke E 81 SS SIa5
Ba ron etc etc. (enumerating about dozen OF the
most distinguished guests "anq ladies ana gen
bid YOU most heartily welcome and invite you to
drink in a loving cup Whereupon the Mayor and
Mavo~ess rise and each their next neigh
Dor who take of the cover while they drink After
my right hand neghbor. the Lord Mayor-elect, had
nut on the cover he turns TO me and saws, please
take of the cover" which DO. and hold 1t while
he drinks; then replace the cover and turn round
10 Mr. Bancroft who rises and performs the same
Office for me while I drink; then he turns TO his
next nefghbOr, who takes off the cover for him /
have not felt solemn since / stood up TO be
married as when Mr.. Bancroft and were standing
up alone together. the rest OF the company LOOKING
on. I with this great. heavy gold cup in my hand
so heavy that could scarcely lift II to my mouth
with both hands and he with the cover before me.
with rather uQischievous expression in his face.