CHAP. xxn. HIS INTEREST IN EGYPT. 381 



sing, Mr. Dick." " Sing ! " said he, " I believe I was 

 born singing." 



The visitor proceeded to inspect the walls of the 

 bakehouse. Like many others, he was struck by the 

 firm, correct drawing of the figures on the walls. 

 Though Dick had never studied drawing, he had a great 

 love for the fine arts. He cultivated his taste, and was 

 able not only to delineate plants with delicacy and 

 neatness, but to draw in spirited outline the figures of 

 men, and animals, and gods. He thus converted his 

 bakehouse into a chamber of imagery. 



The smooth plaster was his canvas, and on it he 

 portrayed the creations of his fancy. At one time 

 the walls would be resplendent with Cherubim and 

 Seraphim and the angelic host. At another for he 

 often varied his drawings they would exhibit the 

 strange and weird-like forms of the animals that 

 inhabited the ancient world. Sometimes there was a 

 medley of figures Egyptian kings and hieroglyphics 

 winged bulls and Assyrian gods from the sculptures of 

 Nineveh and in the midst of them, happy children 

 " disporting nude." 



Dick was intensely interested in Egypt and the old 

 Eamesian period. He read every book he could find on 

 the subject. In one of his letters, he says " I am much 

 delighted and fairly lost in Egypt wandering in imagi- 

 nation amongst those 



" ' Temples, palaces, and tombs stupendous, 

 Of which the very ruins are tremendous.' 



" It was a rainy morning, and I had to be content with 



