THE EUROPEAN JOURNALS 



341 



December 23. After so long neglecting thee, my dear 

 book, it would be difficult to enter a connected account of 

 my time, but I will trace the prominent parts of the lapse. 

 Painting every day. and I may well add constantly, has 

 been the main occupation. I have (what I call) finished 

 my two large pictures of the Eagle and the Lamb, and 

 the Dog and the Pheasants, and now, ?^.i usual, can scarce 

 bear to look at either. My friends the Swainsons have 

 often been to see me, and good Bentley came and lived 

 with me for a month as a brother would. I parted from 

 him yesterday with pain and regret. Several artists have 

 called upon me, and have given vaQ false praises, as I have 

 heard afterwards, and I hope they will keep aloof. It is 

 charity to speak the truth to a man who knows the pov- 

 erty of his talents and wishes to improve; it is villa- 

 nous to mislead him, by praising him to his face, and 

 laughing at his work as they go down the stairs of his 

 house. I have, however, applied to one whom I know to 

 be candid, and who has promised to see them, and to give 

 his opinion with truth and simplicity; this is no other, 

 my Lucy, than the president of the Royal Academy, Sir 

 Thomas Lawrence. The steady work and want of exer- 

 cise has reduced me almost to a skeleton ; I have not 

 allowed myself the time even to go to the Zoological 

 Gardens. 



December 26. I dined yesterday (another Christmas 

 day away from my dear country) at a Mr. Goddard's; our 

 company was formed of Americans, principally sea-cap- 

 tains. During my absence Sir Thomas Lawrence came 

 to see my paintings, which were shown to him by Mr. 

 Havell, who reported as follows. On seeing the Eagle 

 and Lamb he said, " That is a fine picture." He exam- 

 ined it closely, and was shown that of the Pheasants, 

 which I call " Sauve qui pent.'' He approached it, looked 

 at it sideways, up and down, and put his face close to the 

 canvas, had it moved from one situation to two others in 



