Our pleasant party broke up this morning. The Bishop was off early with our host to take part in the ceremony of opening a new Church at Nottingham. With him goes the life of the company. With abilities much about the average the associates many companionable qualities and a frankness of expression which renders him at once the object of great admiration by some, and of jealousy and aversion among others. Much as I was pleased with his society I cannot disavow a sentiment of distrust in his moral constitution, for which I can give no particular reason. At noon Lord Stratford left with his party on their way back to London. There is not much interest in them. He himself is a veteran of the diplomatic life, who has nothing left to do, and is therefore somewhat ennuyé. His fortune I imagine is not large enough to constitute him a landed proprietor, and without land a peer has no great chance of social position. I remember him as a sort of beau idéal of a foreign minister at Washington nearly forty years ago. He must now be at least seventy, and, like almost all Englishmen, suffers with the gout. He now likes to speculate on public affairs, but in a rather prosy way. Mr Howard left an hour later. He is a brother of the Earl of Carlisle, apparently very like him as an amiable without being a very strong man. This leaves nobody here but Lady Percy and ourselves. I had intended going too, but my Wife seemed to enjoy the trip, and as the steamer was behind one day, I concluded to remain over until tomorrow. The weather was moderating but blustering. I amused myself in the library for the morning and after luncheon I took a walk to the Station at Carlton, two miles and a half and back. The country is flat and uninteresting, and this road was quite lonely. I scarce recollect a house from Mr Denison’s farm houses to a short distance this side of the rail. It is all under cultivation. They are ploughing and sowing now. I took a turn around the village beyond to see a pretty new church just erected, which must I think have made six miles. I enjoyed the walk through the surface was wet from the melting snow. Mr Denison got back just we reached the door. He was quite frank and amusing in his account of his day. In the evening I played casino, to make up a party with the ladies. My first attempt so far as I can recollect.290