324 AUDUBON 



arrived for the last three months, through his line of em- 

 ployees, and that any police-officer was able to say how I 

 spent my time. 



September 23. The great Gerard, the pupil of my old 

 master, David, has written saying he wishes to see my work, 

 and myself also, and I have promised to go to-morrow 

 evening at nine. To-day I have been to the King's library, 

 a fine suite of twelve rooms, filled with elegant and most 

 valuable copies of all the finest works. I should suppose 

 that a hundred thousand volumes are contained here, as 

 well as portfolios filled with valuable originals of the first 

 masters. The King seldom reads, but he shoots well. 

 Napoleon read, or was read to, constantly, and hardly knew 

 how to hold a gun. I was surprised when I spoke of 

 Charles Bonaparte to notice that no response was made, 

 and the conversation was abruptly turned from ornithol- 

 ogists to engraving. I have no\y_been nearly three weeks 4 

 in Paris and have two subscribers — almost as bad as Glas- 

 gow. I am curious to see the Baron's report, and should 

 like to have it in his own handwriting. This is hardly pos- 

 sible ; he seldom writes, Mile. Cuvier does his writing for 

 him. 



September ^ty. To have seen me trot about from pillar 

 to post, across this great town, from back of the Palais 

 Royal to the Jardin du Luxembourg, in search of M. Le 

 M^decin Bertrand and a copy of Cuvier's teport, would 

 have amused any one, and yet I did it with great activity. 

 Such frailty does exist in man, all of whom are by nature 

 avaricious of praise. Three times did I go in vain to 

 each place, i. e., to the house in the Rue d' Enfans, and 

 the Globe Office, three miles asunder. Fatigue at last 

 brought me to bay, and I gave up the chase. I pro- 

 ceeded to the King's library. My work had had the 

 honor to have been inspected by the Committee, who had 

 passed a favorable judgment on its merits. I was in- 

 formed that should the King subscribe, I must leave in 



