f Pilate to this day; _i.e._, of those who know, but will not
do, what they know to be right. It is very seldom, indeed, that the mind
earnestly desires a conviction, strives for one, prays for one, and
labors to attain one, that it does not acquire what, to all intents and
purposes, _is_ truth for that individual soul.

God's perfect and absolute Truth remedies in a thousand ways the
defectiveness of the partial truth that we arrive at; and so that the
_endeavor_ after truth be true, the highest result of all is reached,
_truth towards God_, though, humanly speaking, the mental result may be
a failure. What _absolute truth_ is, my dearest Hal, you will certainly
not know before you die, and possibly not then. In the mean time, I take
it, you have, or may have if you will, that which will serve your turn.
At any rate, I have--which is not at all the same thing--but that don't
signify.

I am very glad I was welcome in Bedford Place, and that Miss ---- was
good enough to be pleased with me.

There is great goodness in her voice and manner, and to have kept her
face unwrinkled and her hair unblanched till the present age (as it is
no result of selfish insensibility in her), bespeaks a virtuous life,
and sweet serene temper.

I wonder more women to whom their good looks are precious, do not ponder
upon the _beauty_ of holiness.... I have not heard from Adelaide or
E---- for some time, but of them, that they and the children are well;
that she is in good looks, and admirable voice; that their house is the
pleasantest in Rome, and their parties _the_ thing to which everybody is
anxious to be admitted: so all is prosperous and pleasant with them. I
have told you of her nice new house in Eaton Place. It is in a
considerable state of forwardness, the bedrooms being all papered, and
the drawing-rooms nearly painted. Henry Greville has had it all done for
her, and in very good taste; the grates are all up, and I should think
in another fortnight they might take possession if they were here.

I have read more of Stanley's sermons, and am struck with their
resemblance, in tone and spirit, to that book of my friend Mr. Furness,
which I do not know if I ever gave you to read, called, "Jesus and His
Biographers."

Stanley's sermons are excellent, but they seem to me curiously
unorthodox. There is an inletting of new views upon the subject of the
Christian Revelation, against which the Protestantism of the Church of
England--in m