276 MEMOIRS OF 



roused him into demonstrations of anger wnich 

 were occasionally more violent than necessary, 

 but which it would have been impossible to 

 trace to any selfish feeling ; even the loss of his 

 own time was the loss of that which was the pro- 

 perty of others ; and, where his mere personal 

 inconvenience was concerned, he was seldom 

 known to give way to these impetuous expres- 

 sions. It was almost amusing to see the perfect 

 coolness with which the servants, more especially 

 about his person, occasionally obeyed his orders, 

 or rephed to his injunctions without exciting 

 a hasty word from him. His impatience, how- 

 ever, was not confined to little annoyances ; but 

 if he expected any thing, or any body, he 

 scarcely rested till the arrival took place. If he 

 had work men employed for him, the alteration 

 was done in liis imagination as soon as com- 

 manded ; and thus in advance himself, lie un- 

 ceasingly inspected their labours, and hastened 

 them in their tasks. He would walk along the 

 scene of operation, exclaiming every instant, 

 " D^pechez vous, done," (make haste, then,) and 

 impeding all celerity by the rapidity of his orders. 

 Perhaps, at the moment of pasting the paper on 

 the walls, he brought in a pile of engravings to 

 be put on afterwards, and which, in fact, were 



