ii4 MINISTRY AT WARRINGTON. [Chap. IV. 



feeling, though it led the congregation to resolve no longer to 

 let those houses for such a purpose. Philip took a deep 

 interest in this controversy. After a visit to him, I went to 

 America for a year's tour, early in August, and thus lost the 

 opportunity of accompanying him and two of his pupils, at the 

 end of that month, to the Peace Congress at Paris (1849), °f 

 which he wrote a very full description. 



" All Folkestone was assembled to see us off, and a fine 

 sight it really was to see two steamers, filled with some seven 

 hundred people, crossing the waters, on a mission of peace to 

 the land of our old enemies." At Boulogne they did not learn 

 till too late that the French Government, for the first time, had 

 given instructions that nothing belonging to the deputation 

 should be opened at the Custom-House. He found that many 

 of his companions were teetotalers, and he was glad to be of 

 use to those who were less familiar with French than himself. 

 The Hall of the National Assembly had been offered for the 

 meeting at Paris, but it was not large enough ; and from 

 sixteen hundred to eighteen hundred persons met in the Salle 

 de St. Cecile, Rue de la Chaussee d'Antin. Victor Hugo 

 presided. Philip was very much interested with the appearance 

 of the meeting, and with the varieties of French oratory. 

 Messrs. Vincent and Miall made excellent speeches ; and M. 

 Coquerel, a member of the National Assembly, gave the sub- 

 stance of them in French. The next day was the anniversary 

 of St. Bartholomew. Some one sent up a note to that effect 

 to an eloquent cure who was speaking, but he made no 

 reference to it. " Cobden made a good speech in French, and 

 two blacks from America, who were very warmly received. 

 Victor Hugo, in his winding-up speech, spoke splendidly in 

 reference to the Massacre of St. Bartholomew. We gave great 

 hurrahs at the end, and the Frenchmen their bravos, and the 

 great assembly of two thousand persons broke up. . . . [On 

 Saturday] evening, the Ministre des Affaires Etrangeres gave a 

 grand soiree by invitation. We went about eight o'clock, and 

 were conducted through a suite of rooms to the room of state, 

 grandly gilt and illuminated. . . . M. Coquerel kindly intro- 



