Mr Sturgis when at Cambridge college was well known to me through my brother John whose classmate he was. At that time he was a hearty, popular amiable youth, and he has retained the character ever since. His fortunes have been varied. He has been married three times, has lived many years in China, and more in London, and has enjoyed opportunities of accumulating fortunes which he has no disposition to improve. Of late years he has belonged to the great banking house of the Barrings, but instead of following the example of his partners, he prefers to expend all he earns as he goes along. This place is a princely mansion, and it requires enormous resources to keep it up. We arose quiet late, and after a stroll around the place were called in to224 family prayers, at which nine female and three male servants attended, besides all the family except Mrs Sturgis. After breakfast I attended in company with Mr Sturgis, the boys and girls in the house, at the services in the church, an old and rough edifice suitable to a rural town. The house was quite full, and the forms were observed as devoutly as I have always seen them. The sermon was as indifferent as usual. After luncheon, Mr Sturgis drove us in a vehicle drawn by four white horses over to the palace of Hampton Court which we stopped an hour or more to examine. I remember something of visit here when a boy a great while ago. But I do not recollect then seeing all the state rooms, or the numerous pictures which would take much time to examine. We could do more than to glance over them. The seven carterns of Raphael are quiet as good now in the engravings, the colour having much yielded to time. We then drove a little way into Bushy park and got home at about seven o’clock. Soon afterward we had dinner as sumptuous as yesterday’s, and after a brief evening, retired at half past ten o’clock.