Considering that a short residence in the more
mild and sunny climate of the Channel might be a pleasant change for
my mother, and not disagreeable to Fanny, we arranged that, during the
absence of Phil and me, we should close our cottage, and the ladies
should board with these worthy though humble people, who would afford
them all needful masculine protection. Having seen them comfortably
established, we set forth upon our travels.
We visited the principal towns and historic places of England and
Scotland, Philip having a particular interest in Northamptonshire,
where his father's line sprang from (Sir Ralph Winwood having been a
worthy of some eminence in the reigns of Elizabeth and James),[10] and
in Edinburgh, the native place of his mother. Cathedrals, churches,
universities, castles, tombs of great folk, battle-fields--'twould
fill a book to describe all the things and places we saw; most of
which Phil knew more about than the people did who dwelt by them. From
England we crossed to France, spent a fortnight in Paris, went to
Rheims, thence to Strasburg, thence to Frankfort; came down the Rhine,
and passed through parts of Belgium and Holland before taking vessel
at Amsterdam for London. "I must leave Italy, the other German states,
and the rest till another time," said Philip. It seemed as if we had
been gone years instead of months, when at last we were all home again
in our cottage at Hampstead.
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