Retrospective Criticism, S71 



more than justice, to have his merits fully acknowledged. In 

 the second letter, Mr. Waterton insinuates that Mr. Audubon 

 did not write his Biography of Birds ; but he will not pretend 

 to deny that the facts on which the value of the work solely 

 rests were ascertained and furnished by Mr, Audubon. One 

 fact of great importance is most uncandidly overlooked. Mr. 

 Audubon is the son of French parents : he was educated in 

 France until the age of seventeen ; at that time he could not 

 speak the English language. It cannot, therefore, be the 

 least disparagement to Mr. Audubon, if, when he had a valu- 

 able work to publish in English, he should wish to receive 

 the assistance and correction of a native. Mrs. Audubon, 

 his wife, is a lady of distinguished merit, and possesses great 

 intellectual cultivation and mental power. She is descended 

 from a highly respectable English family, and is well qua- 

 lified to correct her husband's manuscripts, except, perhaps, 

 in those parts relating to technical classification. With 

 respect to the " gentleman " who, Mr. Waterton informs us, 

 was to have written Mr. Audubon's history of birds, " but 

 the agreement fell to the ground on account of Mr. Audubon 

 insisting that his own name should be given to the work," 

 I cannot but suspect there must be some mistake in Mr. 

 Waterton's account; because I should hope there are not 

 many gentlemen who would expect Mr. Audubon to be so 

 unmindful of what was due to his own reputation as to suffer 

 a hired writer to arrogate to himself the honour of his, Mr. 

 Audubon's, labours or discoveries ; and I hope, also, that 

 few gentlemen would desire to appropriate to themselves the 

 approbation which Mr. Audubon's arduous labours were 

 fully entitled to receive. 



Without making any comparison between the merits of 

 Mr. Waterton and Mr. Audubon as writers or travellers, I 

 cannot but remark that in some things they present a remark- 

 able contrast. Mr. Waterton travelled from his own rich 

 plantations in Demerara, surrounded with his slaves and 

 attendants. Mr. Audubon was a solitary wanderer in the 

 forests of America, often dependent on his gun for support. 

 While Mr. Audubon is exposed to dangers and privations, 

 and looks forward to the patronage of the public for his sole 

 support and reward, Mr. Waterton is tranquilly seated in a 

 magnificent English mansion, surrounded by paternal acres, 

 and endeavouring to deprive the solitary wanderer of that 

 patronage, the expectation of which is the only hope that can 

 cheer his labours. 



Look upon this picture and on this.' 



t. t» m 



2 



