A WEALTHY LANDED PROPRIETOR. 319 



youth. This intelligent and well-educated man 

 had never, till his sixty-ninth year, left his 

 beautiful home, except for an occasional and 

 short visit to the town. Through the medium 

 of books, and conversation with the strangers 

 visiting St. Helena, he was well versed in the 

 customs and localities of Europe, and felt the 

 highest respect for the perfection to which the 

 arts and sciences of civilized life had been car 

 ried in that quarter of the world, but without 

 experiencing any desire to see it ; suddenly, 

 however, at this advanced period of his life, 

 curiosity got the better of his love of ease ; his 

 wish to become personally and more accurately 

 acquainted with the much-praised institutions, 

 and the wonderful capital of England, was no 

 longer to be repressed, and he determined to 

 undertake the voyage. On landing in London, 

 he was, as he expressed himself, astonished and 

 dazzled by the extent and magnificence of the 

 city. The throng in the streets, which he 

 compared to ant-hills, far exceeded the ideas 

 he had formed ; he visited the manufactories, 

 and observed with wonder the perfection of 

 their machinery ; the theatres enchanted him, 



