THE FIRST LECTURE. 359 



Having at once consented to give a lecture, on Wed 

 nesday, the 2nd of November, the large room taken for 

 that purpose by the gentlemen of the St Joseph Institute 

 was filled not only in its seats, but in every portion of its 

 standing room ; and on ascending to the table placed for 

 me, I cast my eyes over as nice and pretty an audience 

 as any public speaker need desire. There were in the 

 front seats a very large preponderance of ladies- a fact 

 affording to me very considerable satisfaction, as hitherto 

 my converse had been entirely on the male side, and I 

 was of course chivalrously desirous, after forming so good 

 an opinion of their protectors, to see the beauty that must 

 have had its customary effect in rendering the men so well 

 worthy to be associates in any polished society. Nothing 

 could have been more kind than the reception given me, 

 nor better or more gratifying than the grace and hearti 

 ness of the applause. In rny address I spared neither 

 fault nor foible that had come across me in my travels, 

 nor did I forego my praise and admiration when I 

 deemed them due ; and, among other things, the state of 

 the laws, or rather lawless and murderous misrule which 

 governed the American duel, fell under the lash of anim 

 adversion. 



After the lecture I accompanied some gentlemen to 

 their store, where I joined them in a glass of brandy-and- 

 water, and then paid a visit to the library and reading- 

 rooms of the St Joseph Institute. The members of the 

 society received me there with the utmost good fellow 

 ship and cordiality, and I subscribed my name to their as 

 sociation, the first of my countrymen, though I trust not 

 the last, who will set his hand to a list, in my opinion cal 

 culated to do honour to a rising, and, one day to be, a 

 most important city. On the following morning a de- 



