It is a very valuable collection, I presume,
containing specimens of many famous old masters; some of the early and
hard pictures by Raphael and his master and fellow-pupils,--very curious,
and nowise beautiful; a perfect, sunny glimpse of Venice, by Canaletto;
and saints, and Scriptural, allegorical, and mythological people, by
Titian, Guido, Correggio, and many more names than I can remember. There
is likewise a dead Magdalen by Canova, and a Venus by the same, very
pretty, and with a vivid light of joyous expression in her face; . . . .
also Powers's Greek Slave, in which I see little beauty or merit; and two
or three other statues.
We then drove to Ashley Place, to call on Mrs. S. C. Hall, whom we found
at home. In fact, Wednesday is her reception-day; although, as now
everybody is out of town, we were the only callers. She is an agreeable
and kindly woman. She told us that her husband and herself propose going
to America next year, and I heartily wish they may meet with a warm and
friendly reception. I have been seldom more assured of the existence of
a heart than in her; also a good deal of sentiment. She had been
visiting Bessie, the widow of Moore, at Sloperton, and gave S----- a rose
from his cottage. Such things are very true and unaffected in her. The
only wonder is that she has not lost such girlish freshness of feeling as
prompts them. We did not see Mr. Hall, he having gone to the Crystal
Palace.
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