Before the event his mother wrote: "I cannot reconcile myself to the thought of your bringing yourself personally before the world till you are somewhat older and stronger." Afterwards, his father, while apologizing for the word "degrading," is disgusted at his exposing himself to such an interruption as occurred, and to newspaper comments and personal references.

The notion of an "itinerant lecturer" scandalizes him.

He hears from Harrison and Holding that John is to lecture even at their very doors--in Camberwell.

"I see small bills up," he writes, "with the lecturers' names; among them Mr .-- -- who gets your old clothes!" And he bids him write to the committee that his parents object to his fulfilling the engagement.

He postponed his lecture--for ten years; but accepted the Presidency of the Camberwell Institute, which enabled him to appear at their meetings without offence to any.
While staying at Edinburgh, Mr.Ruskin met the various celebrities of modern Athens, some of them at the table of his former fellow-traveller in Venice, Mrs.Jameson.He then returned home to prepare the lectures for printing.
These lectures as published in April, 1854 were fiercely assailed by the old school; but a more serious blow fell on him before that month was out.