Education of Daughters. 157 



a little geometry and algebra, as well as Latin and 

 Greek, and, later, got a master for them, that they 

 might have a more perfect knowledge of these lan- 

 guages than I possessed. Keenly alive to my own 

 defects, I was anxious that my children should never 

 undergo the embarrassment and mortification I had 

 suffered from ignorance of the common European 

 languages. I engaged a young German lady, 

 daughter of Professor Becker, of Offenbach, near 

 Frankfort, as governess, and was most happy in my 

 choice ; but after being with us for a couple of 

 years, she had a very bad attack of fever, and was 

 obliged to return home. She was replaced by a 

 younger sister, who afterwards married Professor 

 Trendelenburg, Professor of Philosophy at the Uni- 

 versity of Berlin. Though both these sisters were 

 quite young, I had the most perfect confidence 

 in them, from their strict conscientiousness and 

 morality. They were well educated, ladylike, and 

 so amiable, that they gained the friendship of my 

 children and the affection of us all. 



As we could with perfect confidence leave the 

 children to Miss Becker's care, Sir James Mackintosh, 

 Somerville and I made an excursion to the Continent. 

 We went to Brussels, and what lady can go there 

 without seeing the lace manufactory? I saw, 

 admired, and bought none ! We were kindly re- 



