450 SIR ROBERT PEEL'S INVITATION. CHAP. XX. 



rally went there for the purpose of visiting 1 friends, or 

 " to see what there was fresh going on." He found a 

 new race of engineers springing up on all hands men 

 who knew him not ; and his London journeys gradually 

 ceased to. yield him real pleasure. A friend used to 

 take him to the opera, but by the end of the first act, 

 he was generally observed in a profound slumber. Yet 

 on one occasion he enjoyed a visit to the Hayrnarket, 

 with a party of friends on his birthday, to see T. P. 

 Cooke, in " Black-eyed Susan ; " if that can be called 

 enjoyment which kept him in a state of tears during 

 half the performance. At other times he visited 

 Newcastle, which always gave him great pleasure. 

 He would, on such occasions, go out to Killingworth 

 and seek up old friends, and if the people whom he 

 knew were too retiring and shrunk into their cottages, 

 he went and sought them there. Striking the floor 

 with his stick, and holding his noble person upright, 

 he would say, in his own kind way, u Well, and how's 

 all here to-day ? " To the last he had always a warm 

 heart for Newcastle and its neighbourhood. 



Sir Eobert Peel, on more than one occasion, invited 

 Mr. Stephensoii to his mansion at Drayton, where he 

 was accustomed to assemble round him men of the 

 highest distinction in art, science, and legislation, 

 during the intervals of his parliamentary life. The 

 first invitation was respectfully declined. Sir Eobert 

 invited him a second time, and a second time he 

 declined : " I have no great ambition," he said, " to 

 mix in fine company, and perhaps should feel out 

 of my element amongst such high folks." But Sir 

 Robert a third time pressed him to come down to 

 Tamworth early in January, 1845, when he would 

 meet Buckland, Follett, and others well known to 

 both. "Well, Sir Robert," said he, "I feel your 

 kindness ^ery much, and can no longer refuse : I will 

 come down and join your party." 



