1857-59 A DINNER AT 'THE' CLUB 73 



was afterwards introduced to the actor. ' Kean 

 appeared gratified at R.'s appreciation of his Louis 

 XL, and said he would like him to see his Hamlet.' 

 Accordingly, on March 8 Kean sent them a 

 ticket for a box at the Princess's, where he was 

 playing Hamlet that night. Owen remarks, in 

 a letter to his sister Eliza, on the pleasure that 

 this performance afforded him. In another letter 

 to his sister, dated May 1, 1858, he says : — 



' I have dined at the last two meetings of " The 

 Club." One of these included Lord Lansdowne, 

 Duke of Argyll, Lord Macaulay, Dean Milman, 

 Whewell, Colonel Leake, Gladstone, Dr. (Sir H.) 

 Holland, Lord John Russell, Dr. Hawtrey, and it 

 was a very brilliant intellectual evening. Glad- 

 stone favoured me with an invitation to his 

 Thursday morning breakfasts. At the last meeting- 

 poor Hallam was borne in by two men : his meat 

 cut for him. His last stroke leaves but the use of 

 one hand, and his speech is affected, but his in- 

 tellect is bright, and he expressed himself much 

 pleased at once more meeting his old friends. 

 Lord Enniskillen and Mr. Liddell dined with us 

 yesterday ; we had a merry chatty evening. I 

 have just been lunching in the " Medal Room " on 

 prawns, roll and butter, and soda water, introduced 

 by my Lord in defiance of " orders of the Trus- 

 tees " . . . . I go to the " Academy dinner " to-day, 

 afterwards pick up Will at Dr. Farre's concert.' 



On June 8 Owen writes in a short note to 



