xlvi MEMOIR 



was the bond that united her to her son, kind and even pretty, 

 she was scarce a woman to adorn a home ; loving as she did to 

 shine ; careless as she was of domestic, studious of public graces. 

 She probably rejoiced to see the boy grow up in somewhat of the 

 image of herself, generous, excessive, enthusiastic, external ; 

 catching at ideas, brandishing them when caught ; fiery for the 

 right, but always fiery; ready at fifteen to correct a consul, 

 ready at fifty to explain to any artist his own art. 



The defects and advantages of such a training were obvious 

 in Fleeming throughout life. His thoroughness was not that 

 of the patient scholar, but of an untrained woman with fits 

 of passionate study; he had learned too much from dogma, 

 given indeed by cherished lips ; and precocious as he was in 

 the use of the tools of the mind, he was truly backward in 

 knowledge of life and of himself. Such as it was at least, his 

 home and school training was now complete ; and you are to 

 conceive the lad as being formed in a household of meagre 

 revenue, among foreign surroundings, and under the influence 

 of an imperious drawing-room queen ; from whom he learned a 

 great refinement of morals, a strong sense of duty, much for- 

 wardness of bearing, all manner of studious and artistic interests, 

 and many ready-made opinions which he embraced with a son's 

 and a disciple's loyalty. 



