185 



the Methodists always excepted, and " Miss Peg, 

 who faints at the sound of an organ." 



For my own part, I have no hope of any material 

 benefit arising from these religious visitations made 

 at quarterly intervals. It seems to me as nugatory 

 as if a man were to sow a field with horse-hair, 

 and expect a crop of colts. 



February 23. 



This morning my picture was drawn by a self- 

 taught genius, a negro Apelles, belonging to Dr. 

 Pope, the minister ; and the picture was exactly 

 such as a self-taught genius might be expected to 

 produce. It was a straight hard outline, without 

 shade or perspective ; the hair was a large black 

 patch, and the face covered with an uniform layer 

 of flesh-colour, with a red spot in the centre of 

 each cheek. As to likeness, there was not even 

 an attempt to take any. But still, such as they 

 were, there were eyes, nose, and mouth, to be sure. 

 A long red nose supplied the place of my own 

 snub; an enormous pair of whiskers stretched them- 

 selves to the very corner of my mouth ; and in place 

 of three hairs and a half, the painter, in the super- 

 abundance of his generosity, bestowed upon me a 

 pair of eye-brows more bushy than Dr. Johnson's, 

 and which, being formed in an exact semicircle, 

 made the eyes beneath them stare with an expres- 

 sion of the utmost astonishment. The negroes, 

 however, are in the highest admiration of the 



