not much to my taste either. There are very fine pictures
there of all kinds--one room hung with brilliant Canalettis--and
altogether the pictures are better arranged and hung than in any place I
have seen. But these kind of places have not much character in them: an
old Squire's gable-ended house is much more English and aristocratic to
my mind. I wish you had been with me and Browne at an old seat of Lord
Dysart's, Helmingham in Suffolk, the other day. There is a portrait
there of the present Lady Dysart in the prime of her beauty, by Sir
Joshua. She is now 95.

. . . I am reading Pindar now and then: I don't much care about him I
must say: though I suppose he is the very best writer in the Poet
Laureate style: that is, writing on occasion for so much money. I see
great merits doubtless--a concise and simple way of saying great things,
etc., but the subjects are not interesting enough to me. I suppose a
good poet could have celebrated Dutch Sam {57} as having been descended
from King William the Third just as well as Pindar glorifies his boxers
with the mythical histories of the AEacidae, Heraclidae, etc. . . .

_To Frederic Tennyson_.

GELDESTONE HALL, BECCLES,
[_April_ 10, 1839.]

MY DEAR TENNYSON,

I see in the last Atlas a notice of the first Concert of the Societa
Armonica--there were you to be found of course seated in black velvet
waistcoat (for I hope you remember these are dress concerts) on one of
the benches, grumbling at most of the music. You had a long symphony of
Beethoven's in B flat--I forget how it goes, but doubtless there was much
good in it. The overture to Egmont is also a fine thing. The Atlas
(which is the best weekly critic of Music and all other things that I
know of) gives great [Greek text] to the Societa Armonica: especially
this season, as the Directors seem determined to replace Donizetti and
Mercadante by Mozart and Rossini, in the vocal department. A good change
doubtless. I hear no music now: except that for the last week I have
been staying with Spring Rice's mother in-law Mrs. Frere, {58} one of the
finest judges of Music I know. She was a very fine singer: but her voice
fails now. We used to look over the score of Don Giovanni together, and
many a mystery and mastery of composition did she shew me in it. Now
then there is enough of Music. I wish you would write me a letter, which
you can do now and then if you will take it into your head, and let me
know how y