rmers of the same class would have done. The choruses
and concerted pieces, also all given by English people, were well
executed, though stupid and tiresome in themselves; and certainly the
progress our people have made in music in my time, to which the whole
opera testified, is very great. The audience was very numerous, and
though the galleries were crowded, and it is Christmas-time, and the
after-piece was the pantomime, there was not the slightest noise, or
riot, or disturbance, even among "the gods," and the pieces in the opera
which were encored, were redemanded in the polite fashion of the Queen's
Theatre, by a prolonged, gentle clapping, without a single shout or
shriek of "Hangcor!" or "Brayvo!" This is a wonderful change within my
recollection, for I remember when, during the run of a pantomime, the
galleries presented a scene of scandalous riot and confusion; bottles
were handed about, men sat in their shirt-sleeves, and the shouting,
shrieking, bawling, squalling, and roaring were such as to convert the
performance of the first piece into mere dumb show.

All this is well, and testifies to an improved civilization, and not to
a mere desire to ape those above them in society; for that could hardly
suffice to persuade these Drury Lane audiences that they are amused by a
tiresome piece tiresomely acted, and tedious musical strains, of which
they cannot carry away a single phrase, which sets nobody's foot tapping
or head bobbing with rhythmical sympathy, being all but devoid of
melody.

I am very fond of music, but I would rather have sat out the poorest
play than that imitation opera; the scenery, dresses, decorations, etc.,
were all very good, and testified to the much more cultivated taste of
the times in all these matters.

On Sunday I dined with the Horace Wilsons, whom I had not seen for some
time, and for whom I have a very great regard, ... Returning home, I
stopped at dear old Miss Cottin's.... I am much attached to her, and
think, next to my own dear Aunt Dall, she is one of the sweetest and
most unselfish creatures I have ever known, and love her accordingly....

I left London for this place on Monday morning, and having a sulky
deliberate cab-driver, arrived at the station just five minutes after
the train had departed. This kept me waiting from 11.30 till 3.30,
during which time Hayes, thinking I should be hungry, went out
privately, and coming back with a paper of biscuits, pointed out a
raspbe