78 JOHN JAMES AUDUBON 
woods again. His friend, Basil Hall, 
had insisted upon his procuring a black 
suit of clothes. "When he put this on to 
attend his first dinner party, he spoke of 
himself as ‘‘attired like a mournful 
raven,’’? and probably more than ever 
wished himself in the woods. 
He early called upon the great por- 
trait painter, Sir Thomas Lawrence, 
who inspected his drawings, pronounced 
them ‘‘very clever,’’ and, in a few days, 
brought him several purchasers for some 
of his animal paintings, thus replenish- 
ing his purse with nearly one hundred 
pounds, 
Considering Audubon’s shy disposi- 
tion, and his dread of persons in high 
places, it is curious that he should have 
wanted to call upon the King, and 
should have applied to the American 
Minister, Mr. Gallatin, to help him to 
doso. Mr. Gallatin laughed and said: 
“It is impossible, my dear sir, the King 
sees nobody ; he has the gout, is peevish, 
