I employed much of my leisure today in examining some collections of coins and medals which are about to be sold next week. This preliminary scrutiny is an excellent exercise to me, and is beginning to make me familiar with a great variety of medallic history as well as all the different classes of ancient coins. I am more and more surprised by the beauty of these which I see collected. Many of the ancient ones seem as if struck only yesterday The present case however was most remarkable for Mr Nightingale’s series of medals, connected with the history of England. Were it not for the heavy loss now experienced in drawing money from home I should be disposed to purchase quite largely. As it is I must confine myself within a limited circle. Hence to dress for dinner to which we were invited at East Sheen. Mr and Mrs Stuart Wortley had asked us, I scarcely knew for what reason, as both his and her connections are by no means of our line. We drove out, with Mr Lampson in company. The house is nearly opposite to that of Mr Bates. I called them to see Mrs Hankey who was liking in it at the time I was at Mr Bates’s. There was Professor Owen, Mr and Mrs Goldschmidt, Lord Bute and a young Mr Melvin, with Mr Bates and our party. The dinner was quiet but not dull. After it was over, we had of her notes, rather better calculated at all times for a chunk than for a private room. Still it was a great treat to hear her sing at all in this way. Especially the last which was a sacred piece of Handel. The compliment was to us, so that i went up and thanked her. At the same time I alluded to the pleasure I had had of listening to her when in America. Perhaps no singer ever had such popularity there as Jenny Lind. Her husband is a very quiet respectable person, and they live comfortably and independently in the vicinity. But she still retains, as all singers do, her fondness for public admiration. There was a report come out of London, that Prince Alfred had died of fever at Malta. But I fancy it is a mere fiction. We drove home in good season, reaching the house by midnight.298