198 PROFESSOR OWEN ch. vi. 



1 1 have such a dread of the personality of an 

 author destroying in great measure his ideality/ 

 Owen said to his wife after Carlyle's visit, ' that I 

 am pleased to find in this case that it is not so 

 and that Carlyle proved to be, as far as I am con- 

 cerned, much what one could wish.' Carlyle was 

 always good friends with Owen, and described 

 him as one of the few men ' who was neither a 

 fool nor a humbug.' 



It was in this month (August) that London 

 was disturbed by Chartist riots. 



' On the 20th we were at a musical party at 

 Arthur Farre's, but had to come away early, as R. 

 was not at all sure that the Chartists might not 

 have taken it into their heads to attack the College, 

 it being a public and useful building ; but though 

 there was some cheering and much noise, there 

 was no rioting.' 



On August 31 the diary continues : — 



1 Mr. Lyell here ; back from America. He was 

 highly gratified there, and brought an enticing 

 invitation to R., telling him it would be well worth 

 his while from every point of view ! ' 



In September 1842 we find Owen again at 

 Lancaster in order to attend a public dinner given 

 by the town in honour of Whewell and himself. 

 He did not go away without visiting his old 

 school and asking for a holiday. Writing to his 

 wife on the 15th, he says : — 



' . . . I heard that old Beetham had had the 



