roposing to instruct the public,
ought to have informed himself concerning that whereof he assumed to
speak with knowledge.

Dr. Howe attended one of the official receptions of M. Guizot, who was
prime minister at this time. I tried to persuade him to wear the
decorations given him by the Greek government in recognition of his
services in the Greek revolution, but he refused to do so, thinking such
ornaments unfitting a republican. I had the pleasure of witnessing one
of the last performances of the celebrated _danseuse_, Madame Taglioni.
She it was of whom one of the same profession said, "Nous autres, nous
sautons et nous tombons, mais elle monte et elle descend." The ballet
was "La Sylphide," in which she had achieved one of her earliest
triumphs. Remembering this, Dr. Howe found her somewhat changed for the
worse. I admired her very much, and her dancing appeared to me
characterized by a perfection and finish which placed her beyond
competition with more recent favorites.

I was fortunate also in seeing Mademoiselle Rachel in "La Czarina," a
part which did not give full scope for her great talent. The demerits of
the play, however, could not wholly overcloud the splendor of her unique
personality, which at moments electrified the audience.

Our second visit to England, in the autumn of the year 1844, on the way
back to our own country, was less brilliant and novel than our first,
but scarcely less in interest. We had received several invitations to
visit friends at their country residences, and these opened to us the
most delightful aspect of English hospitality. The English are nowhere
so much at home as in the country, and they willingly make their
visitors at home also.

Our first visit was at Atherstone, then the residence of Charles Nolte
Bracebridge, one of the best specimens of an English country gentleman
of the old school. His wife was a very accomplished gentlewoman,
skillful alike with pencil and with needle, and possessed of much
literary culture. We met here, among other guests, Mr. Henry Reeve, well
known in the literary society of that time. Mrs. Bracebridge told us
much of Florence Nightingale, then about twenty-four years old, already
considered a person of remarkable character. Our hosts had visited
Athens, and sympathized with my husband in his views regarding the
Greeks. They were also familiar with the farther East, and had brought
cedars from Mount Lebanon and Arab horses from I know not wh