[Boston—Monday, 10 December 1866]
Monday—weather still perfect, a little cooler. Delightful evening at home. The Bartols & Miss Anne Whitney to tea. Perabo played for us in the evening. Furness & Johnston (artists), Mr & Mrs Whipple, Aunt Harriet & Henry came beside, all we asked save two. It was harmonious and interesting. Perabo is naive and was delighted with Mr Bartol “very old” he said “but nothing of the infant about him.” Mr Whipple talked remarkably as he always does. He told me in speaking of the strange ways in which libraries are dispersed, of two volumes which were contained in Buckle’s library (the anecdote was suggested by seeing the 3 volumes Prof. A.D. White sent us) one a volume by Lord Brougham in which he speaks depreciatingly of the character of Montesquieu against which passage Buckle wrote decrying Lord B. for his narrow unenlightened judgment of a great man compared with whom Lord B. was but as a farthing candle to the sun. The other book was a copy of the work issued by Lord B. immediately after Buckle’s first volume of the History of Civilization sent with an inscription testifying the author’s great regard and admiration for Mr Buckle. Curiously enough these two books by mere accident when Buckle’s library was sold, came to this country and fell into the hands of Charles Hale. The dispersion of Macauley’s library is a never ending source of wonder. Some of his notes in books were as perfect in style and finish as anything he has published, as for instance a note on Thomas Warburton which stood ready in the volume to be incorporated in the history he was continuing.
Anne Whitney’s eyes gleamed and shone and her fine grey hair waved and curled again with the pleasure she appeared to have and we all had a happy time together.
