. . . When I left town I went into Bedfordshire and loitered about there
and in Northamptonshire till ten days ago: when I came to join my sisters
at this watering place on the Suffolk coast. I have been spending a very
pleasant time; but the worst of it is that the happier I am with Browne
the sorrier I am to leave him. To put off this most evil day I have
brought him out of Bedfordshire here: and here we are together in a
pleasant lodging looking out upon the sea, teaching a great black dog to
fetch and carry, playing with our neighbour's children, doing the first
five propositions of Euclid (which _I_ am teaching him!), shooting gulls
on the shore, going out in boats, etc. All this must have an end: and as
usual my pleasure in his stay is proportionably darkened by the
anticipation of his going, and go he must in a very few days. Well,
Carlyle told us that we are not to expect to be so happy. I have thought
once or twice how equally happy I was with you by the seaside at Tenby.
You and Browne (though in rather different ways) have certainly made me
more happy than any men living. Sometimes I behave very ill to him, and
am much ashamed of myself: but enough of this.
I have been to see two shew places lately: Boughton in Northamptonshire,
a seat of the Duke of Buccleugh's, of the Versailles or Clare Hall style
of building, in a very great park planted with the longest avenues I ever
saw. But I thought the whole affair gloomy and deserted. There are some
fine pictures: and two cartoons said to be by Raffaelle: of which one is
the vision of Ezechiel--I could not judge of their genuineness. The
other place I have seen is Woburn Abbey--the Duke of Bedford's--a fine
place but 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.]