A Dinner Party. 14^ 



" March i3. Breakfasted with the famous Mrs. Grant, 

 her son and daughter the only other company. She is 

 aged and very deaf, but very intelligent and warm-hearted. 

 We talked of America, and she is really the first person I 

 have met here who knows much about it. She thought it 

 would not be for the benefit of the slaves to set them free 

 suddenly from their masters' protection. 



" Passed a most uncomfortable evening at Sir James 

 Riddell's. The company was too high for me, for al- 

 though Sir James and his lady did all that could be de- 

 sired to entertain me, I did not smile nor have a happy 

 thought, all the evening ; and had not Mrs. Hay and Mrs. 

 Captain Hall been present, I should have been very mis- 

 erable. After dinner, however, my drawings were ex- 

 amined and praised, and they seemed to look on me as 

 less of a bear, and I felt relieved. My good friend Mr. 

 Hay asked a young Russian nobleman who was present 

 if he could not give me some letters to his country, but he 

 was silent. I turned to Mr. Hay, and thanked him for 

 his kind intentions in such a way as to turn the conversa- 

 tion, and relieve his embarrassment. The best recom- 

 mendation I can have is my own talents, and the fruits of 

 my own labors, and what others will not do for me I will 

 try and do for myself I was very sorry that Mr. Hay's 

 feelings should have been hurt on my account by the 

 young man's silence, but I soon made him at ease again. 

 Sir James volunteered to give me letters to Sir Thomas 

 Ackland and Sir Robert Inglis, both noblemen of dis- 

 tinction, and patrons of the science I cultivate. The 

 style here far surpassed even Lord Morton's ; fine gentle- 

 men waited on us at table, and two of them put my cloak 

 about my shoulders, notwithstanding my remonstrances. 



"■March 17. Issued my 'Prospectus' this morning, for 

 the publication of my great work. 



