Audubon and His Journals, Volume 1Audubon, John James
History
Audubon and His Journals, Volume 1
Audubon, John James
Audubon, John James, 1785-1851 -- Diaries; Birds -- North America; Naturalists -- United States -- Diaries
small lizard in a tiny vial filled with spirit. I see now his
sparkling eye half closed, as if quizzing its qualities, and as he put
it down he wrote its name on a label. He made an appointment with Mr.
Parker, and went on quizzing lizards. Being desirous of seeing a
gambling house, young Geoffroy took me to one in the Palais Royal, a
very notorious one, containing several roulette tables, and there we
saw a little of the tactics of the gentlemen of the trade. The play,
however, was not on this occasion high. The _banquiers_, or head
thieves, better call them, are lank and pale, their countenances as
unmoved as their hearts. From here we went to the establishment of
Franconi, where I saw wonderful feats of horsemanship.
_September 17._ There is absolutely nothing to be done here to advance
my subscription list, and at two o'clock I went with Swainson to a
_marchand naturaliste_ to see some drawings of birds of which I had
heard. They were not as well drawn as mine, but much better painted.
_September 18._ I went to install Parker at Baron Cuvier's. He had his
canvas, etc., all ready and we arrived at half-past nine, too early
quite. At ten, having spent our time in the apartment of the Giraffe,
Parker went in to take a second breakfast, and I to converse with
Mlle. Cuvier. The Baron came in, and after a few minutes to arrange
about the light, sat down in a comfortable arm-chair, quite ready.
Great men as well as great women have their share of vanity, and I
soon discovered that the Baron thinks himself a fine-looking man. His
daughter seemed to know this, and remarked more than once that her
father's under lip was swelled more than usual, and she added that the
line of his nose was extremely fine. I passed my fingers over mine,
and, lo! I thought just the same. I see the Baron now, quite as
plainly as I did this morning; an old green surtout about him, a
neck-cloth, that might well surround his body if unfolded, loosely
tied about his chin, and his silver locks like those of a man more
bent on studying books than on visiting barbers. His fine eyes shot
fire from under his bushy eyebrows, and he smiled as he conversed with
me. Mlle. Cuvier, asked to read to us, and opening a book, read in a
clear, well accentuated manner a comic play, well arranged to amuse us
for a time, for sitting for a portrait is certainly a great bore. The
Baroness joined us; I thought her looks not those of a happy person,
and her melancholy affected me. The Baron soon said he was fatigued,
rose and went out, but soon returned, and I advised Parker not to
keep him too long. The time was adjourned to Sunday next. In
Connecticut this would be thought horrible, in England it would be
difficult to effect it, and in Paris it is considered the best day for
such things. Again I went to the Louvre, and this evening went with
young Geoffroy to the celebrated Frascati. This house is a handsome
hotel, and we were introduced by two servants in fine livery into a
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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