434 MISCELLANEOUS, 1850-1860 



In 1855 the Great Exhibition in Paris, rival of its English 

 prototype of four years before, drew everyone to France. 

 ' When are you going to Paris ? ' he asks Henslow on June 1. 

 * The Benthams have taken lodgings there for 6 weeks. I am 

 all in uncertainty whether I go at all or no. I am desperately 

 busy.' After the fashion of such shows, it was not half com- 

 pleted by the end of the month ; still ' I hear that it is really 

 a very fine sight indeed already, and that the public are 

 grumbling unreasonably and unnecessarily.' 



On July 3 he writes to Bentham in Paris that he has * partly 

 plotted a trip to Germany with Nat. (Lindley) * about the 

 middle of August,' adding : 



I really do not know what to say about going to Paris ; I 

 can't speak French you know, and am indomitably repugnant 

 to exert myself in conversation. I am pretty ashamed of 

 my ignorance, and hate myself quite sufficiently for my in- 

 dolence and mauvaise honte not to wish to expose myself to 

 my own reproaches. You that wrote a book on Logic may 

 unravel this if you can. Then too I do not care to go without 

 Fanny ; altogether, in short, I am in a muddle. I did half 

 promise to go with Henslow, but he is disgusted with his wax 

 models having collapsed. I do not feel happy at the thought 

 of going anywhere with this huge Indian collection on hand. 



Eventually he joined Henslow at the end of September, 

 on his way back from a visit to Germany, for the Queen was 

 going to Paris for a week in mid August, and the place would 

 be impossible for lesser folk. 



From this trip he returned on October 3 * via Paris, from 

 Vienna, Tyrol, Como, Mt. Eosa, Alps, Oberland, &c. (in inverse 

 order).' The journey is described in the following letter by 

 Lord Lindley : 



The Lodge, East Carleton, near Norwich : June 19, 1912. 



DEAR LADY HOOKER, Many thanks for your kind 

 letter and the Photograph of Sir Joseph which I am very 

 pleased to have. 



1 Nathaniel Lindley, son of Dr. John Lindley, Ph.D., F.R.S., the Professor 

 of Botany at University College, London ; LL.D., D.C.L., Fellow Royal Society 

 and British Academy ; called to the Bar 1850 ; Master of the Rolls 1897-1900 ; 

 Baron 1900. 



