Though the Scotia was in so early yesterday, I did not get my letters and papers until the latter part of the day. The Despatches are interesting and encouraging. Here, there is a pretence of a rumor flying about that the advance of General Grant is to be given up There, the statement is that an additional reinforcement of thirty thousand men has been sent to him, and he will advance directly. Such are the conflicts of sympathies with the respective sides. I prepared a not to Lord Russell on enlistments, and made up arrears both in my accounts and my Diary— Then to a sale at Sotheby’s of coins. The customary set of dealers with the omission of several of the principal ones. The collection was not a very good one, but it sold very low—in may cases, hardly the value of the silver. There was also a remarkable admixuture of false coins which rendered purchasing to an inexperienced eye dangerous. Nevertheless I ventured upon a number of the lots, upon examination of which on my return I was very well satisfied with. The ladies and Henry went to see a review of a large body of volunteers on Hyde Park, by the Prince of Wales. Evening, went with Mary and Henry to Lady Palmerston’s. A moderate assemblage and heard nothing. Much excitement in New York, occasioned by the publication of a paper purporting to be a proclamation by the President announcing Grant’s campaign as closed. Mr Seward sent me a telegram, and the Collector and Postmaster of New York letters with the contradictions. If intended for any purpose on this side, it failed completely.