120 LIFE OF AUDUBON. 



will be of great advantage to me ; and whether successful or no 

 I shall leave Edinburgh five days after, to visit all the principal 

 towns in the three kingdoms, to obtain subscribers for my 

 work. 



" February 28. A few days of idleness have completely 

 sickened me, and given me what is called the blue-devUs so 

 severely, that I feel that the sooner I go to work and drive them 

 off the better. 



" March 1. Mr. Kidd, a promising young artist in landscape, 

 only nineteen, breakfasted with me to-day, and we talked on 

 painting a long time, and I was charmed with his talents, and 

 thought what a difference it would have made in my life if I 

 had begun painting in oil at his age and with his ability. It is 

 a sad reflection that I have been compelled to hammer and 

 stammer as if I were working in opposition to G-od's will, and so 

 now am nothing but poor Audubon. I invited him to come to 

 my rooms daily, and to eat and drink with me, and give me the 

 pleasure of his company and the advantage of his taste in 

 painting. I told him of my ardent desire to improve in the 

 delightful art, and proposed to begin a new picture, in which he 

 should assist with his advice ; and proposing to begin it to- 

 morrow, I took down my portfolio, to select a drawing to copy 

 in oil. He had never seen my works before, and appeared 

 astonished as his eyes ranged over the sheets. He expressed the 

 warmest admiration, and said, ' How hopeless must be the task 

 of my giving any instruction to one who can draw like this ? 

 I pointed out to him that nature is the great study for the 

 Tirtist, and assured him that the reason why my works pleased 

 him was because they are all exact copies of the works of God, 

 who is the great Architect and perfect Artist ; and impressed on 

 his mind this fact, that nature indifferently copied is far superior 

 to the best idealities. 



" March 3. For the last few days I have worked with my 

 brushes, while it has snowed and blowed as if the devil had cut 

 the strings of the bags of ^olus, and turned all its cold blasts 

 down upon the mists of Scotland to freeze them into snow. It 

 is twenty years since I have seen such a storm. Dined at 

 Mr. Eitchie's, who is a well-meaning man, and has a well-doing 

 wife. The company was mixed, and some of the ingredients 



