608 TRAVEL IN EUROPE AND AMERICA. [1870, 
TO R. W, CHURCH. 
CAMBRIDGE, October 14, 1870. 
My DEAR Frrenp: . . . I have the hour of leisure 
and am in the mood for writing this evening. The 
latter I may count on, but the former I cannot, in 
these busy and rather distracting days. 
On Tuesday evening last I heard Tom Hughes give 
a public lecture, the only one he gives in America. 
He manfully stood up and turned the tables upon us, 
by insisting that the Americans were wronging the 
British, by blaming them when they ought to be 
praised for their peerietal conduct during the war of 
the Rebellion. iis lecture was very able and_pleas- 
ant; and he seemed well pleased, as well he might 
be, at the reception of it. He, at least, did excellent 
service in our behalf, in our times of trial. 
The next evening I met him at the house of a col- 
league here in Cambridge, and had a very pleasant 
talk with him. On telling him that I came near to 
hearing him speak to the electors of Frome, and was 
prevented only by the rainy day that made our walk 
to Longleat too late, he spoke of you with much in- 
terest, and told me, what I did not know, that he was 
of Oriel while you were tutor. He is very much 
pleased with his trip through the country. 
As to the Franeco-German war, it is thus far a 
succession of wonders, and now when a week passes, 
like the last, without any astounding event, one feels 
dissatisfied. At first, the crowning and unexpected 
result, of judgment overtaking Louis Napoleon here 
on the spot, was only to be rejoiced over. And I 
think you in England must all be glad to see the vul- 
gar Empire vanish in a day, and in the collapse show 
how hollow and good for nothing it was in what we 
