<52 MEMOIRS or 



were the colours of the plant. He replied, 

 " Madam, the Kalmia has precifely the 

 colours of a feraph's wing." So fancifully 

 did he cxprefs his w r ant 6f confcioufnefs 

 refpe&ing the appearance of a flower whofe 

 name and rarenefs were all he knew of the 

 matter. 



Dr. Darwin had a large company at tea. 

 His fervant announced a ftranger lady and 

 gentleman. The female was a conspicuous 

 figure, ruddy, corpulent, and tall. She held 

 by the arm a little, meek-looking, pale, 

 effeminate man, who, from his clofe ad- 

 herence to the fide of the lady, feemed to 

 confider himfelf as under her prote&ion. 



" Dr. Darwin, I feet you not as a phy- 

 " fician, but as a Belle Efprit. I make 

 " this hufband of mine," and me looked 

 down \vith a fideglance upon the ani* 

 mal, " treat me every fummer with a tour 

 " through one of the Britifli counties, 

 " to explore whatever it contains worth 

 " the attention >of ingenious people. On 



" arriving 



