OF AUDUBON. 



15 



pointments irritated me, but never for a moment 

 destroyed the desire of obtaining perfect repre- 

 sentations of Nature. The worse my drawings 

 were, the more beautiful did I see the originals. 

 To have been torn from the study would have 

 been as death to me. My time was entirely 

 occupied with it. I produced hundreds of 

 these rude sketches annually; and for a long 

 time, at my request, they made bonfires on 

 the anniversaries of my birth-day. 



Patiently, and with industry, did I apply 

 myself to study; for, although I felt the impos- 

 sibility of giving life to my productions, I did 

 not abandon the idea of representing Nature. 

 Many plans were successively adopted, many 

 masters guided my hand. At the age of seven- 

 teen, when I returned from France, whither I 

 had gone to receive the rudiments of my 

 education, my drawings had assumed a form. 

 David* had guided my hand in tracing objects 

 of large size. Eyes and noses belonging to 

 giants, and heads of horses represented in 

 ancient sculpture, were my models. These, 

 although fit subjects for men intent on pursuing 

 the higher branches of the art, were immediately 



• David was the raost celebrated French Historical 

 painter of his day — indeed the only one whose works could 

 bear any kind of comparison with those of the ancient 

 masters, mm. £d. 



