BOOK OF A TRAVELLER. 65 



sent, including those of Egypt, Persia, India, the 

 Greek, Roman, Celtic, Scandinavian, &c. &c.; there 

 are series illustrating the varieties of conventional sym- 

 bols used as types of ideas by men, from the early picture 

 writing, through the range of hieroglyphics, down to all 

 the various alphabets of nations; other series shew the 

 progressive improvements of art, from the remotest 

 periods, connected with ships, armour, utensils, weapons, 

 &c. &c. others embrace a vast number of architectural, 

 monumental, and topographical subjects, while still 

 more are devoted to zoology, embracing the mammalia, 

 amphibia, birds, fishes and insects. 



A did not, like some other learned men, deem 



that the ultimate object of man's life should be the 

 making of Latin verses, God save the mark ! he had an 

 idea that there might be found nobler employments for 

 the intellect of a rational being than linking together 

 dactyls and spondees, or "turning out of hand," to 

 use a manufacturing phrase, a string of delicate Alcaics. 

 He could not, to my certain knowledge, eliminate a 

 cascade of Greek iambics like - or our Porson, 

 but nevertheless he was sufficiently acquainted with 

 Roman and Grecian literature for every really useful 

 purpose. 



It was a very generous trait in the character of 



A that he never used his great talents to the 



annoyance of another person ; he was not fond of enter- 

 ing into that kind of conversational warfare which was 

 Heaven upon earth to Dr. Johnson ; he was better 

 pleased to help some green-horn over a difficulty by 

 means of a kind whisper than he would be to rise up 

 and shew the speaker's ignorance by means of his own 

 ability, and he seldom interfered with any dogmatic 

 haranguer, unless he perceived him insisting upon the 

 truth of some glaring impossibility or wishing to im- 

 pose upon his hearers some such absurdity as the 

 French barber's avowal that oil was a species of vine- 

 gar, then, indeed, he would endeavour, but in the least 

 offensive way, to set the matter in its proper light. 

 Notwithstanding his peaceable disposition, some 

 VOL. j. 1833. i 



