Book Description:
Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: A letter from Rees to say that we may safely return to England as soon as we like. 21st. Went into town pretty early to make some calls; one of them on the bookseller, who some time ago sent me an English poem, called ' Cleon,' and has now written to say that as I was pleased to express approbation of it, he trusts I shall not be less interested in its success for knowing that it was written by a young lady of seventeen, now his wife. A thorough take in; the first symptoms of which were his saying Elle est actuelle ment plus agee; and the lady's own appearance in a few minutes quite dispelled any hope I might have had of seeing the youthful muse he led me to expect; the lady being a rather elderly Jewess. Joined the Murrays afterwards at Marechal Soult's. 22nd. The artist employed by Denon to engrave Grat tan's medal for me, called with the die. Abbot called and sat some time. Spoke with much warmth about my mother; her warm heartedness, her animation, the continual freshness and energy of her thoughts and affections. All very true, and, of course, delightful to hear. Dined at home. Have not yet resumed my work. 23rd. Called on Abbot, and thence to Denon's. Upon my proffering a thousand francs to the medallist (which according to my impression was the prix convenu), he exclaimed, Ce n'est pas ga, diable, ce if est pas ga ; c'est cinquante louis, making the difference of ten napoleons, which I was obliged to pay. Denon seemed a little ashamed of the price, and suggested that I should porter ces deux cent francs sur le tirage, the striking being three francs cheaper for each medal than I had expected; but this, though very French, was not my mode of doing things. Denon, to console me, read us a notice on the lifeof Puget, the sculptor, which he has written for some forthc...
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