Botanists -- United States -- Correspondence; Gray, Asa, 1810-1888 -- Correspondence
Previously to calling on Lady Bentham I had accepted an invitation to
dine this evening with Captain Gordon, a retired officer of the British
army residing here, a friend of the Bentham family, who, hearing from
Lady Bentham and Delile that I was soon expected here, called par hasard
at the Hôtel du Midi, to request that they would send him word when I
arrived. On finding me he insisted on my dining with him this evening. I
have this moment, while I was writing, received a note from Lady
Bentham, asking me to call on her this morning, saying she has a
collection of plants made by herself for her son George at some
interesting locality among the mountains, a set of which she is to have
ready for me, knowing, as she says, that George would surely offer them
to me. Although I had arranged my time a little differently, of course I
shall call immediately after breakfast. Lady B., who is now very aged,
is evidently a very superior woman; she is a very good botanist also,
therefore, as I do not know the plants of the south of Europe very well,
I am a little afraid of her.
Marseilles, April 25, Thursday evening.--I broke off my narrative on
Tuesday morning, two days ago. I must continue my brief account, and
then close my letters to send from this port. After breakfast, Captain
Gordon called on me, and we went together to Lady Bentham. We found his
dinner hour so late that we were obliged to give up the expectation of
returning to take tea with the ladies here. Delile joined us, and soon
after I went with him to see the museum of painting and sculpture,
which, by a curious circumstance, is the richest in France, except that
of Paris. There are not a few of originals of great masters; two or
three Raphaels; as many of Salvator Rosa, Rubens, Poussin, Carlo Dolci,
etc., many of which I know from engravings. We went next to the Medical
School, which occupies the former palace of the archbishop, who was
ousted at the time of the revolution. This is one of the oldest medical
schools, and for a long time very celebrated. It is declining now; they
have no professor of very great talent at present, except Lallemand. I
was shown the gallery of portraits of the professors from the
commencement almost, a prodigious number, and some of the old fellows
very queer to look at. I saw also the library, the collection of
manuscripts, classical, theological, a few Persian, Arabic, etc., which
fell into their hands some years ago.
Thence we went to the Garden, looked at plants, but did not get on very
much, Delile being fonder of telling long stories, complaining all the
while how much he is pressed by his avocations, than of working hard. I
then arranged my baggage, took a place in the diligence for Marseilles,
called again on Lady Bentham, to take leave; dined with Captain Gordon,
returned, and went to bed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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