clxxvi 
life of WILSON. 
trol and superintendence. The publisher stipulated to find funds 
for the completion of the volumes. To support the heavy expense 
of procui’ing materials, and other unavoidable expenditures, AVil- 
son’s only resource, as has been stated, was in colouring the plates. 
In the preface to the fifth volume he observes . The publi- 
cation of an original work of this kind in this country has been 
attended with difficulties, great, and, it must be confessed, some- 
times discouraging to the author, whose only reward hitherto has 
been the favourable opinion of his fellow-citizens, and the pleasure 
of the pursuit.” 
“ Let but the generous hand of patriotism be stretched forth 
to assist and cherish the rising arts and literature of our country, 
and both will most assuredly, and that at no remote period, shoot 
forth, increase and flourish, with a vigour, a splendour and useful- 
ness inferior to no other on earth.” 
We have here an affirmation that the author had laboured 
without reward, except what was conferred by inefficient praise ; 
and an eloquent appeal to the generosity and patriotism of his fel- 
low-citizens. Seven illustrious cities disputed the honour of having 
given birth to the Prince of Epic song. Philadelphia first beheld 
that phenomenon, the “ American Ornithology,” rising amidst her 
boasted opulence, to vindicate the claims of a calumniated portion 
of creation ; and to furnish her literary pride with a subject of ex- 
ultation for ages to come. Yet duty calls upon us to record a 
fact, which may cause our native city to feel the glow of shame. 
Of all her literati, her men of benevolence, taste and riches, seven- 
ty only, to the period of the author’s decease, had the liberality to 
countenance him by a subscription, more than half of whom were 
tradesmen, artists, and persons of the middle class of society; whilst 
the little city of Neworleans, in the short space of seventeen days, 
furnished sixty subscribers to the “American Ornithology! 
Wilson was possessed of the nicest sense of honour. In all 
his dealings he was not only scrupulously just, but highly generous. 
