GE Journal, Oxford, 25-28 May 1870
Title
GE Journal, Oxford, 25-28 May 1870
Title
GE Journal, Oxford, 25-28 May 1870
Sender
Ge Journal
Recipient
U
Date(s)
- 1870-05-25–<br /> 1870-05-28
Place
Oxford
Letter Content
GE Journal, Oxford, 25-28 May 1870
MS: Yale. Mostly published: Cross, III, 110-113.
Wednesday, May 25.
We started for Oxford at 'bd past 9, and arrived at Lincoln College, where we were to stay with the Rector and his wife about 12. After luncheon, G. and I walked alone through the town, which on this first view was rather disappointing to me. Presently we turned through Christ Church into the Meadows and walked along by the river. This was beautiful, to my heart's content. The buttercups and hawthorns were in their glory, the chestnuts still in sufficiently untarnished bloom; and the grand elms made a border towards the town. After tea, we went with Mrs. Pattison and the Rector to the croquet ground near the Museum. On our way we saw Sir Benjamin Brodie; and on the ground Professor Rawlinson, 184 the "narrow-headed man," Mrs. Thursfield and her son 185 who is a fellow (I think of Corpus), Miss Arnold, 186 daughter of Mr. Tom Arnold, and Prof. Phillips, 187 the geologist.
At supper we had Mr. Bywater 188 and Miss Arnold, and in chat with them, the evening was passed.
G. and I went to the Museum, and had an interesting morning with Dr. Rolleston 189 who dissected a brain for me. After lunch we went again to the Museum, and spent the afternoon with Sir Benjamin Brodie, seeing various objects in his laboratories, amongst others the method by which weighing has been superseded in delicate matters by measuring in a graduated glass tube. After Mrs. Pattison took me a drive in her little pony carriage round by their country refuge -- the Firs, Haddington, and by Littlemore, where I saw J. H. Newman's little conventual dwellings. Returning we had a fine view of the Oxford towers. To supper came Sir Benjamin and Lady Brodie.
In the morning we walked to see the two Martyrs' Memorial, and then took a cab to Sir Benjamin Brodie's pretty place near the river and bridge. Close by their grounds is the original ford whence the place took its name. The Miss Gaskells 190 were staying with them, and after chatting some time, we two walked with Sir Benj. to New College, where we saw the gardens surrounded by the old city wall; the chapel where William of Wykeham's crozier is kept, and the cloisters, which are fine but gloomy, and less beautiful than those of Magdalen which we saw in our walk on Thursday, before going to the Museum. After lunch we went to the Bodleian, and then to the Sheldonian Theatre, where there was a meeting apropos of Palestine Exploration. Captain Warren, 191 conductor of the Exploration at Jerusalem read a paper, and then Mr. Deutsch gave an account of the interpretation, as hitherto arrived at, of the Moabite Stone. I saw "squeezes" of this stone for the first time, with photographs taken from the squeezes. After tea we went -- Mrs. Thursfield kindly took us -- to see a boat-race. We saw it from the Oriel barge, under the escort of Mr. Crichton, 192 fellow of Merton, who on our return took us through the lovely gardens of his college. At supper were Mr. Jowett, Prof. Henry Smith, Miss E. Smith his sister, Mr. Fowler, 193 author of "Deductive Logic," and Mr. Pater, 194 writer of articles on Leonardo da Vinci, Morris etc.
After a walk to St. John's College, we started by the train for
London and I arrived at home about 2 o'clock, delighted to be under our own roof again.
MS: Yale. Mostly published: Cross, III, 110-113.
Wednesday, May 25.
We started for Oxford at 'bd past 9, and arrived at Lincoln College, where we were to stay with the Rector and his wife about 12. After luncheon, G. and I walked alone through the town, which on this first view was rather disappointing to me. Presently we turned through Christ Church into the Meadows and walked along by the river. This was beautiful, to my heart's content. The buttercups and hawthorns were in their glory, the chestnuts still in sufficiently untarnished bloom; and the grand elms made a border towards the town. After tea, we went with Mrs. Pattison and the Rector to the croquet ground near the Museum. On our way we saw Sir Benjamin Brodie; and on the ground Professor Rawlinson, 184 the "narrow-headed man," Mrs. Thursfield and her son 185 who is a fellow (I think of Corpus), Miss Arnold, 186 daughter of Mr. Tom Arnold, and Prof. Phillips, 187 the geologist.
At supper we had Mr. Bywater 188 and Miss Arnold, and in chat with them, the evening was passed.
G. and I went to the Museum, and had an interesting morning with Dr. Rolleston 189 who dissected a brain for me. After lunch we went again to the Museum, and spent the afternoon with Sir Benjamin Brodie, seeing various objects in his laboratories, amongst others the method by which weighing has been superseded in delicate matters by measuring in a graduated glass tube. After Mrs. Pattison took me a drive in her little pony carriage round by their country refuge -- the Firs, Haddington, and by Littlemore, where I saw J. H. Newman's little conventual dwellings. Returning we had a fine view of the Oxford towers. To supper came Sir Benjamin and Lady Brodie.
In the morning we walked to see the two Martyrs' Memorial, and then took a cab to Sir Benjamin Brodie's pretty place near the river and bridge. Close by their grounds is the original ford whence the place took its name. The Miss Gaskells 190 were staying with them, and after chatting some time, we two walked with Sir Benj. to New College, where we saw the gardens surrounded by the old city wall; the chapel where William of Wykeham's crozier is kept, and the cloisters, which are fine but gloomy, and less beautiful than those of Magdalen which we saw in our walk on Thursday, before going to the Museum. After lunch we went to the Bodleian, and then to the Sheldonian Theatre, where there was a meeting apropos of Palestine Exploration. Captain Warren, 191 conductor of the Exploration at Jerusalem read a paper, and then Mr. Deutsch gave an account of the interpretation, as hitherto arrived at, of the Moabite Stone. I saw "squeezes" of this stone for the first time, with photographs taken from the squeezes. After tea we went -- Mrs. Thursfield kindly took us -- to see a boat-race. We saw it from the Oriel barge, under the escort of Mr. Crichton, 192 fellow of Merton, who on our return took us through the lovely gardens of his college. At supper were Mr. Jowett, Prof. Henry Smith, Miss E. Smith his sister, Mr. Fowler, 193 author of "Deductive Logic," and Mr. Pater, 194 writer of articles on Leonardo da Vinci, Morris etc.
After a walk to St. John's College, we started by the train for
London and I arrived at home about 2 o'clock, delighted to be under our own roof again.
Citation
Ge Journal, GE Journal, Oxford, 25-28 May 1870, Complete George Eliot Letters(2026), George Eliot Archive, edited by Beverley Park Rilett. https://GeorgeEliotArchive.org, Accessed September 7, 2026. https://www.georgeeliotarchive.org/items/show/91936