348 PROFESSOR OWEN ch. x. 



" Shirley." I suppose your good and kind host, 

 to whom give my best remembrances, has read 

 that Yorkshire novel of Currer Bell's lang syne. I 

 like it. I am also reading again Lockhart's " Life 

 of Scott," which I have bought. Let me recom- 

 mend to you both Hugh Miller's " Footprints of 

 the Creator," i2mo — a book to be bought, not 

 borrowed.' 



A constant guest at Sir Robert Peel's dinners, 

 Owen often refers to them in his letters, and in 

 one of these to his sister Eliza (November 28, 

 1849), he mentions among others, 'Sir William 

 Hooker (with very interesting news of his son, who 

 has climbed to the plateau of Thibet, where he 

 has a chance of catching the " unicorn " — besides 

 a fever), and two or three curates in white neck- 

 cloths (they are always represented at Sir Robert's 

 hospitable table), very like those described in 

 " Shirley." . . . To-day Mr. Home, the poet, 

 author of " Orion," dines with us, to receive a 

 criticism on a pretty little Xmas book of which 

 he has submitted the proof sheets to me. It is 

 to be called the <l Poor Artist," and I can recom- 

 mend it for a pleasant evening's light reading.' 



On November 27 Owen was appointed mem- 

 ber of the Royal Commission on Smithfield 

 Market and the Meat Supply of London. ' The 

 first I heard of it was from the notice in the 

 " Times," ' Mrs. Owen writes, ' for R. has not 

 mentioned to anyone that he was to be on the new 

 Commission.' 'This Commission,' according to 



