“Admiral Smyth is a hard worker, but I suspect that many of the amateur astronomers of England are Dr. Lees—­rich men who, as a hobby, ride astronomy and employ a good astronomer.  Dr. Lee gives the use of a good instrument to the curate; another to Mr. Payson, of Cambridge, who has lately found a little planet.

“I saw at Admiral Smyth’s some excellent photographs of the moon, but in England they have not yet photographed the stars.”

CHAPTER VI

1857

FIRST EUROPEAN TOUR CONTINUED—­CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY—­AMBLESIDE—­MISS SOUTHEY—–­THE HERSCHELS—­A LONDON ROUT—­EDINBORO’ AND GLASGOW OBSERVATORIES—­“REFLECTIONS AND MUTTERINGS”

“If any one wishes to know the customs of centuries ago in England, let him go to Cambridge.

“Sitting at the window of the hotel, he will see the scholars, the fellows, the masters of arts, and the masters of colleges passing along the streets in their different gowns.  Very unbecoming gowns they are, in all cases; and much as the wearers must be accustomed to them, they seem to step awkwardly, and to have an ungraceful feminine touch in their motions.

“Everything that you see speaks of the olden time.  Even the images above the arched entrance to the courts around which the buildings stand are crumbling slowly, and the faces have an unearthly expression.

“If the visitor is fortunate enough to have an introduction to one of the college professors, he will be taken around the buildings, to the libraries, the ‘Combination’ room to which the fellows retire to chat over their wine, and perhaps even to the kitchen.

“Our first knowledge of Cambridge was the entrance to Trinity College and the Master’s Lodge.

“We arrived in Cambridge just about at lunch time—­one o’clock.

“Mrs. Airy said to me, ’Although we are invited to be guests of Dr. Whewell, he is quite too mighty a man to come to meet us.”  Her sons, however, met us, and we walked with them to Dr. Whewell’s.

“The Master’s Lodge, where Dr. Whewell lives, is one of the buildings composing the great pile of Trinity College.  One of the rooms in the lodge still remains nearly as in the time of Henry VIII.  It is immense in size, and has two oriel windows hung with red velvet.  In this room the queen holds her court when she is in Cambridge; for the lodge then becomes a palace, and the ‘master’ retires to some other apartments, and comes to dinner only when asked.

“It is said that the present master does not much like to submit to this position.

“In this great room hang full-length portraits of Henry and Elizabeth.  On another wall is a portrait of Newton, and on a third the sweet face of a young girl, Dr. Whewell’s niece, of whom I heard him speak as ‘Kate.’

“Dr. Whewell received us in this room, standing on a rug before an open fireplace; a wood fire was burning cheerily.  Mrs. Airy’s daughter, a young girl, was with us.