98 PROFESSOR OWEN ch. iv. 



dition of the slaves. Our host got a little riled, 

 for jenny unexpectedly spoke out vehemently. 

 " Jefferson Brick " declared that it was out of the 

 question to think of treating the niggers as human 

 beings. R. would not allow for a minute that the 

 admitted inferiority of the negroes was any argu- 

 ment in favour of the slave trade. It then ap- 

 peared that cur host was possessed of two estates 

 worked by slaves which fell to him through a 

 mortgage, so the discussion dropped. After din- 

 ner Jenny was much pleased to sit and talk 

 with R.' 



On April 23, i860, Owen gave, by request 

 of the Prince Consort, some lectures to the royal 

 children at Buckingham Palace. 



' I think you may like to know,' he writes 

 to his sister, ' the arrangements made for these 

 lectures. After consulting with me, Sir James 

 [Clark] had a drawing-room at Buckingham Palace 

 fitted up at one end with a large green-baize cur- 

 tain, on which I have the selected illustrations 

 fastened. Sofas and arm-chairs are arranged in 

 a semicircle at a little distance from that end, on 

 which sit the Prince Consort and the children ; 

 behind them are seats for the lords and ladies 

 and gentlemen of the Court. They muster about 

 30 to 40. These enter first,- and then the Prince 

 with the children ; one day I had the Prince of 

 Wales, on the other days all that remain at home ; 

 the young sailor Duke of Edinburgh is amongst 



