THE EUROPEAN JOURNALS 



207 



Benjamin West; he had the great benevolence of Wm, 

 Roscoe about him, and a kindness most prepossessing, I 

 could not forbear looking at him, my eyes feasted on his 

 countenance. I watched his movements as I would those 

 of a celestial being ; his long, heavy, white eyebrows struck 

 me forcibly. His little room was tidy, though it partook a 

 good deal of the character of a laboratory. He was 

 wrapped in a quilted morning-gown of light purple silk; 

 he had been at work writing on the " Life of Napoleon." 

 He writes close lines, rather curved as they go from left to 

 right, and puts an immense deal on very little paper. 

 After a few minutes had elapsed he begged Captain Hall 

 to ring a bell ; a servant came and was asked to bid Miss 

 Scott come to see Mr. Audubon. Miss Scott came, black- 

 haired and black-dressed, not handsome but said to be 

 highly accomplished, and she is the daughter of Sir Walter 

 Scott. There was much conversation. I talked little, but, 

 believe me, I listened and observed, careful if ignorant. I 

 cannot write more now. — I have just returned from the 

 Royal Society. Knowing that I was a candidate for the 

 electorate of the society, I felt very uncomfortable and 

 would gladly have been hunting on Tawapatee Bottom. 



January 23, Tuesday. My first visitor was Mr. Hays 

 the antiquarian, who needed my assistance, or rather my 

 knowledge of French in the translation of a passage re- 

 lating to " le droit du seigneur." Dr. Combe called later 

 and begged me to go to Mr. Joseph, the sculptor, with 

 him, and through a great fall of snow we went through 

 Windsor Street, one of the handsomest in this beautiful 

 city. Mr. Joseph was in, and I saw an uncommonly good 

 bust of Sir Walter, one of Lord Morton, and several 

 others. I have powerfully in my mind to give my picture 

 of the " Trapped Otter " to Mrs. Basil Hall, and, by Wash- 

 ington, I will. No one deserves it more, and I cannot 

 receive so many favors without trying to make some 

 return. 



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