MS Huntington Library: Yonge Letters

My dear Madam,

I must thank you for your two pretty notices, and tell you that they are come all quite right with the rest. I don’t know whether you will approve of one alteration I ventured to make of the name Chironia into Erythræa, for I found Sir James Smith, & the other modern botany books have changed the name, and say there is a decided distinction between the Chironia and Erythræa. I wish they would let it alone or at least not have separated Chironia from Centaurea but it can’t be helped, and I suppose we must conform to them, otherwise all the young ladies who go by MacGillivray’s Withering will be puzzled. I like your idea of notices of the Cathedrals very much indeed, I had thought of something of the kind for Winchester, but you will be surprised to hear how very few I have even seen, and it is only Winchester that I really know intimately, Salisbury a little, and I could get that up, and Exeter I have seen two or three times. Gloucester and Chichester I have just seen but not so as to be able to write about them. However you know enough to begin with when there is room and time, as there is no hurry perhaps some lights dawn on the others. Durham must indeed be interesting.

Our Cathedral was a scene of great interest yesterday, there was a sermon for the SPG society preached by the Bishop of Michigan, and afterwards a meeting in the town at which both he and the Bishop of New York were present. It was a pleasure to see and hear such hard working, thorough going orthodox Bishops, giving one a glimpse of their strange New World. Tall, powerful men as well they may be when the Bp of Michigan said his diocese was the size of England. It was pleasant to see their veneration for everything English, the Cathedral struck them so very much, and it was a treat also to see their manner when they were introduced to Mr Keble, whom they were so delighted to meet. I do not think I have before told you how happy we are in having him for one of our nearest neighbours.

But I must conclude

Yours sincerely

C M Yonge