LONDON,January 28th,1848
My dear Uncle and Aunt:...Last Monday I received [this]note from George Sumner,which I thought might interest you:"My dear Mrs.Bancroft:I hasten to congratulate you upon an event most honorable to Mr.Bancroft and to our country.The highest honor which can be bestowed in France upon a foreigner has just been conferred on him.He was chosen this afternoon a Corresponding Member of the Institute.Five names were presented for the vacant chair of History.Every vote but one was in favor of Mr.Bancroft (that one for Mr.Grote of London,author of the 'History of Greece').A gratifying fact in regard to this election is that it comes without the knowledge of Mr.Bancroft,and without any of those preliminary visits on his part,and those appeals to academicians whose votes are desired,that are so common with candidates for vacancies at the Institute.The honor acquires double value for being unsought,and I have heard with no small satisfaction several Members of the Academy contrast the modest reserve of Mr.Bancroft with the restless manoeuvres to which they have been accustomed.Prescott,you know,is already a member,and I think America may be satisfied with two out of seven of a class of History which is selected from the world."
