ENGLAND RE VISITED -1885 405 



Orestes a good actor; and the music very effective. I 

 found myself seated next Andrew Lang, so well known 

 for his literary activity in various fields ; and on speaking 

 to him of the evident delights of life at Cambridge and 

 Oxford, I found that he had outlived his enthusiasm on 

 that subject. 



December 2. 



In the morning took a charming walk through St. 

 Peter s, Queen s, and other colleges, enjoying their quiet 

 interior courts, their halls and cloisters, the bridges 

 across the Cam, and the walks beyond. Then to a lecture 

 by Professor Seeley on &quot;Forces of Government in His 

 tory.&quot; It was admirably clear, though, in parts, perhaps 

 too subtle. As to England he summed all up by saying 

 that its present system was simply revolution at any 

 moment. Walking home with him afterward, I asked 

 why, if his statement were correct, it did not realize the 

 old ideal in France namely, that of &quot;La revolution en 

 permanence.&quot; At luncheon with Waldstein at King s 

 College we found Lord Lytton, recently governor-general 

 of India, known to literature as &quot;Owen Meredith,&quot; with 

 Lady Lytton; also Sir William Anson, provost of All 

 Souls ; as well as the Athena of last evening, Miss Case ; 

 the Orestes, the Apollo, Sir Henry Maine, and others. 

 I was amused at the difference between Lord Lytton s 

 way of greeting me and his treatment of Sir William 

 Anson. When I was introduced, he at once took me by 

 the hand, and began talking very cordially and openly; 

 but when his eminent countryman was introduced, each 

 eyed the other as if in suspicion, did not shake hands, 

 bowed very coldly, and said nothing beyond muttering 

 some one of the usual formulas. It was a curious ex 

 ample of the shyness of Englishmen in meeting each 

 other, and of their want of shyness in meeting men from 

 other countries. At table Lord Lytton spoke regarding 

 the annexation of Burmah, likely to be accomplished 

 by the dethronement of the king, Theebaw; said that it 



