queen commanded Miss Planta and me to take an airing to
Gloucester, and amuse ourselves as well as we could. Miss Planta
had a previous slight acquaintance with Mr. Raikes and to his
house, therefore, we drove.

Mr. Raikes(282) was the original founder of the Sunday-school, an
institution so admirable, so fraught, I hope, with future good
and mercy to generations yet unborn, that I saw almost with
reverence the man who had first suggested it. He lives at

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Gloucester with his wife and a large family. They all
received us with open arms. I was quite amazed, but soon
found some of the pages had been with them already, and announced
our design; and as we followed the pages, perhaps they concluded
we also were messengers, or avant-courieres, of what else might
be expected. Mr. Raikes is not a man that, without a previous
disposition towards approbation, I should greatly have admired.
He is somewhat too flourishing, somewhat too forward, somewhat
too voluble ; but he is worthy, benevolent, good-natured, and
good-hearted, and therefore the overflowing of successful spirits
and delighted vanity must meet with some allowance. His wife is a
quiet and unpretending woman: his daughters common sort of
country misses. They seem to live with great hospitality,
plenty, and good cheer. They gave us a grand breakfast, and then
did the honours of their city to us with great patriotism. They
carried us to their fine old cathedral, where we saw the tomb of
poor Edward II., and many more ancient. Several of the Saxon
princes were buried in the original cathedral, and their