142 LIFE OF AUDUBON. 



France, and by appointment presented my prospectus to the 

 secretary of the library. There I met young Geoffroy, an 

 amiable and learned young man, who examined my work, paid 

 me every attention, and gave rae a room to myself for the 

 inspection of specimens and to write in. How very different 

 from the public institutions in England, where, instead of being 

 bowed to, you have to bow to every one. The porters, clerks, 

 and secretaries had all received orders to do everything I 

 required, and I was looked upon with the greatest respect. I 

 have now run the gauntlet of Europe, Lucy, and may be proud 

 of two things — that I am considered the first ornithological 

 painter and the first practical naturalist of America ! 



" September 10. Called on the bird-stuffer of the Prince 

 d'Essling, who proposed to take me to the Prince's town residence. 

 We were conducted into his museum, which surpasses in mag- 

 nificence, and in the number of rare specimens of birds, shells, 

 and books, aU I have yet seen. We strolled about for a 

 while, when word was sent us, that the Prince being indisposed, 

 we must go to him. I took my pamphlet in my hand, and 

 entered a fine room, where he lay reclining on a sofa ; but on 

 seeing me, he rose up, bowed, and presented me to his beautiful 

 young wife. While untying my book, both of them asked me 

 some questions, and looked at me with seeming curiosity ; but 

 as soon as a print was seen, they both exclaimed, ' Ah, c'est 

 bien beau !' and then asked me if I did not know Charles Bona- 

 parte ? And when I answered ' Yes,' they both again said, ' Ah, 

 it is the same gentleman of whom we have heard so much, the 

 Man of the Woods ; the drawings are all made by him,' etc. 

 The Prince said that he regretted very much that so few 

 persons in France were able to subscribe to such a work, and 

 that I must not expect more than six or eight names in Paris. 

 He named all those whom he or his lady knew, and told me it 

 would give him pleasure to add his name to my list. I drew it 

 out, opened it, and asked him to write it himself: this he did 

 with a good grace, next under the Duke of Eutland. This 

 Prince, son of the famous Marshal Massena, is thirty years 

 of age, apparently delicate, pale, slender, and yet good-looking, 

 entirely devoted to Natural History. His wife is a beautiful 

 young woman of about twenty, extremely graceful and polite. 



