Letter from William Henry Seward to Frances Adeline Seward, June 23, 1859

  • Posted on: 10 November 2021
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Letter from William Henry Seward to Frances Adeline Seward, June 23, 1859
x

transcriber

Transcriber:spp:lmd

student editor

Transcriber:spp:amr

Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive

Institution:University of Rochester

Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections

Date:1859-06-23

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Letter from William Henry Seward to Frances Adeline Seward, June 23, 1859

action: sent

sender: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16  Death: 1872-10-10

location: London, England, UK

receiver: Frances Seward
Birth: 1844-12-09  Death: 1866-10-29

location: Auburn, NY

transcription: lmd 

revision: amr 2021-01-31

<>

Page 1

11
x

Editorial Note

William Henry Seward’s series of travel letters in 1859 are organized and listed by the date of each entry. Some of the letter on this date is missing.
interruption, noise, dust or hinderance or annoyance
of any kind. Every visitor had a provided
seat and found it and kept it unobstructed.
The performance was the Te Deum , by Handel
Birth: 1685-02-23 Death: 1759-04-14
.
together with selections from three or four of
his great Oratorios, among which was
the “Dead March in Saul”, “See the Con-
quering Hero Comes.” There was an organ
which surpasses in power any ten instru-
ments of that description I had ever seen. It
employs 17 men to blow its bellows. There
were 3500 performers, half of them vocalists
half of them using instruments. I can only
tell you the power or forces employed. And
add that each was distinguished in the
musical world – and then leave you to imagine
the wonderful effect. It was the first time
that I ever heard elaborate musical performances
with complete understanding of this, and
so I may say that it was the first time
I ever felt the full power of that Divine Art.
Page 2

12
Henceforth I
shall never again be
a sceptic. Their devotional
performances rose above the earth
and earthly things and showed that
our religion does reach to the spiritual spheres –
At night I dined in a very large and
brilliant party at the Schenleys
x Birth: 1826-04-27  Death: 1903-11-04  Birth: 1799  Death: 1878-01-31 
. Mr Schenley is an
Englishman who twenty years ago married a great
Pennsylvania fortune and has been ever since using it to
get into society here. Which he has accomplished
in some degree. He is now a member of Parliament.
Titles saluted my ear on all sides – but it was the
only place in which I have been entertained where I
saw that British rank was held in higher consideration
than such republican as I have backed by
by the advantage of ^my^ being a foreigner. I think I see how it
is. John Bull and his brother Jonathan will never love
one another ardently while the elder stands on
birth, the latter on achievement. I enjoyed this dinner
exceedingly as a study of the arts by which
men rise – Do not on any account
let this letter get into any hand
that will suffer its reflections
to become known –
I am under
a thousand
obligations
Page 3

13
here to all kinds of persons and I would on
no account violate them.
My visit to the Crystal Palace was
made under the auspices of Lord Radstock
Birth: 1833-04-10 Death: 1913-12-08

his mother
Birth: 1800 Death: 1874
and his sister
 Death: 1903Certainty: Probable
. Who are of the
very best of people – I have been so unfortunate
as to be ^pre^ engaged twice when they have
proposed to drive me –
Lady Napier
Birth: 1823-12-20 Death: 1911-08-24
goes with Willie
Birth: 1846-09-22 Death: 1913-12-06

to Thirlestane to night where she will gather
her family
x Birth: 1824-01-27  Death: 1877-05-28 Certainty: Probable Birth: 1818-04-29  Death: 1900-04 Certainty: Probable Birth: 1832-05-22  Death: 1900-11-20 Certainty: Probable Birth: 1829-05-11  Death: 1903-05-11 Certainty: Probable Birth: 1794  Death: 1883-06-06 Certainty: Probable Birth: 1848-11-13  Death: 1938-03-09 Certainty: Probable Birth: 1850-07-03  Death: 1874-02-21 Certainty: Probable Birth: 1852-01-21  Death: 1919-08-19 Certainty: Probable
. She has had a wearisome time
but has enjoyed it. Lord Napier
Birth: 1819-09-19 Death: 1898-12-19
remains
two or three weeks and then goes to the
Hague
. This will be my last letter from
London. On the 27th or the 28th at farthest
I got to make a sweep through the manufac-
turing districts of England – and then to the
Continent – The Sartiges
x Birth: 1855-03-16  Death:   Birth: 1853-06  Death: 1913-02-24  Birth: 1827-03-11  Death: 1915-04-04  Birth: 1809-01-17  Death: 1892-10-05 
have gone to Paris
Hamilton Fish
Birth: 1808-08-03 Death: 1893-09-07
and family
x Birth: 1839-03-11  Death: 1864-03-01  Birth: 1856  Death: 1887-12  Birth: 1841-05-02  Death: 1908-12-05  Birth: 1838-02-25  Death: 1925-02-16  Birth: 1844-08-31  Death: 1909-01-20  Birth: 1851-06-24  Death: 1923-04-10  Birth: 1846-02-19  Death: 1902-09-16  Birth: 1849-04-17  Death: 1936-01-15  Birth: 1816-12-17  Death: 1887-06-30 
have gone
home – Mrs Marcy
Birth: 1803 Death: 1889-02-24Certainty: Probable
and her daughter
Birth: 1834-02-27 Death: 1888-03-15

are over my head in this town –
Page 4

14
I have quite occupation enough in getting ready
to leave this busy place. My health is very
good – improved I think, notwithstanding I live in
a round of dissipations
Address me always “Care of
Baring Brothers and Company, London.
Ever your own Henry.
Page 5

Hand Shiftx

Frances Seward

Birth: 1805-09-24 Death: 1865-06-21
No 7
June 17 to 23 d
Oxford
Handel Concert
Part of this letter
missing –