xxiv MEMOIR OF THE LATE 



all of them, as they lingered beneath his window in 

 patient expectation ? And then the garden, with 

 its plants, its moths, its nightingales, and the old 

 elms in which the large fen bats had their homes ; 

 had they not also their charm and grave interest 

 to him that is gone ? Indeed they had ; and even 

 now, after a lapse of years, I might tell much of 

 his doings in that grove and garden, for even as 

 I write I seen\ to see him walking there. 



" But while writing of the delight and enthusiasm 

 with which my poor friend prosecuted his favourite 

 study, I should be much to blame if I made no 

 mention of his skill in pen-and-ink drawing. This 

 gift, for such it really was, gave great pleasure to 

 his numerous friends, who in the evenings literally 

 flocked to his rooms, such was his popularity ; and 

 many and many a time have I seen him dash off an 

 effective sketch to clinch some argument or satisfy 

 some importunate and inquisitive guest. In my 

 opinion these drawings of which I fear but few 

 now exist more than anything Austen said or did 

 or wrote, unmistakably and convincingly prove 

 that he was a born naturalist. 



" Their subjects were invariably animals, drawn 

 entirely from memory with great rapidity ; and 

 I may add great continuity and precision of out- 

 line. The only materials he used were ink and 

 paper ; his only instrument a quill. But with such 



