LIFE OF WILSON. Ivii 



reception. Dr. Wheelock, the president, made me eat at his table, and the 

 professors vied with each other to oblige me. 



" I expect to be in Albany in five days, and if the legislature be sitting, I 

 shall be detained perhaps three days there. In eight days more I hope to be 

 in Philadelphia. I have labored with the zeal of a knight-errant in exhibiting 

 this book of mine, wherever I went, travelling with it, like a beggar with 

 his bantling, from town to town, and from one country to another. I hav« 

 been loaded with praises — with compliments and kindnesses — shaken almost 

 to pieces in stage-coaches ; have wandered among stfangers, hearing the same 

 Oh's and Ah's, and telling the sam^ story a thousand times over — and for 

 what ? Ay, that's it ! You are very anxious to know, and you sliall know the 

 whole when I reach Philadelphia." 



To Mr. Alexander Lawson. 



" Albany, November 3d, 1808. 

 " Dear Sir. 



" Having a few leisure moments at disposal, I will devote them to your 

 service in giving you a stetch of some circumstances in my long literary pil- 

 grimage, not mentioned in my letters to Mr. Miller. And in the first place, I 

 ought to thank you for the thousands of compliments I have received for my 

 birds, from persons of all descriptions; which were chiefly due to the taste and 

 skill of the engraver. In short, the book, in all its parts, so far exceeds the 

 ideas and expectations of the first literary characters in the eastern section of 

 the United States, as to command their admiration and respect. The only 

 objection has been the sum of one hundred and twenty dollars, which, in 

 innumerable instances, has risen like an evil genius between me and my hopes. 

 Yet I doubt not but when those copies subscribed for are delivered, and the 

 book a little better known, the whole number will be disposed of, and perhaps 

 encouragement given to go on with the rest. To efi'ect this, to me, most de- 

 sirable object, I have encountered the fatigues of a long, circuitous, and ex- 

 pensive journey, with a zeal that has increased with increasing difficulties ; 

 and sorry I am to say that the whole number of subscribers which I have 

 obtained amounts only to forty-one. 



" While in New York I had the curiosity to call on the celebrated author 

 of the ' Rights of Man.' He lives in Greenwich, a short way from the city. 

 In the only decent apartment of a small indifferent-looking frame house, I 

 found this extraordinary man, sitting wrapped in a night-gown, the table before 

 him covered with newspapers, with pen and ink beside him. Paine's face 

 would have excellently suited the character of Bardolph ; but the penetration 

 and intelligence of his eye bespeak the man of genius, and of the world. 

 He complained to me of his inability to walk, an exercise he was formerly fond 

 of; — he examined my book, leaf by leaf, with great attention — desired me to 

 put down his name as a subscriber; and, after inquiring particularly for Mr. 

 P. and Mr. B., wished to be remembered to both. 



" My journey through almost the whole of New England has rather lowered 

 the Yankees in my esteem. Except a few jaeat academies, I found their 



