[465] Patrick Fraser Tytler, the Scottish historian.  He died on Christmas-day 1849, aged fifty-eight.—­See Burgon’s Memoirs, 8vo, Lond. 1859.

[466] Audubon says in his Journal of the same date:—­“Captain Hall led me to a seat immediately opposite to Sir Walter Scott, the President, where I had a perfect view of the great man, and studied Nature from Nature’s noblest work.”

The publication of Audubon’s great work, The Birds of America, commenced in 1827, and was completed in 1839, forming 4 vols. in the largest folio size, and containing 435 plates.  It shows the indomitable courage of the author, that even when the work was completed, he had only 161 subscribers, 82 of whom were in America.  The price of the book was two guineas for each part with 5 coloured plates.  During the last dozen years its price at auctions runs about L250 to L300.  Audubon died in New York in 1851.—­See Life, by Buchanan, 8vo, London, 1866.

[467] Biographical Notices had been sent to the Weekly Journal in 1826, and are now included in the Miscell.  Prose Works, vol. iv. pp. 322-342.

[468] Afterwards included in The Pilgrimage and other Poems, Lond. 1856.

[469] See Craig Brown’s Selkirkshire, vol. i. pp. 285-86.

[470] Milton’s Lycidas, varied.

[471]

  “Death’s gi’en the Lodge an unco devel, Tam Samson’s dead.”

Burns.—­J.G.L.

[472] For letter and reply see Life, vol. ix. pp. 92, 98.

[473] Sir Walter at this date returned the valuable MSS. lent him by the Duke of Wellington in Nov. 1826 (see ante, p. 306) with the following letter:—­

“EDINBURGH, 15_th February_ 1827.

“My dear Lord Duke,—­The two manuscripts safely packed leave this by post to-day, as I am informed your Grace’s franks carry any weight. * * * “I have been reading with equal instruction and pleasure the memoir on the Russian campaign, which demonstrates as plainly as possible that the French writers have taken advantage of the snow to cover under it all their General’s blunders, and impute to it all their losses.  This I observe is Bonaparte’s general practice, and that of his admirers.  Whenever they can charge anything upon the elements or upon accident, he and they combine in denying all bravery and all wisdom to their enemies.  The conduct of Kutusow on more than one occasion in the retreat seems to have been singularly cautious, or rather timorous.  For it is impossible to give credit to the immense superiority claimed by Segur, Beauchamp, etc., for the French troops over the Russians.  Surely they were the same Russians who had fought so bravely against superior force, and how should the twentieth part of the French army have been able to clear their way without cavalry or artillery in a great measure? and it seems natural to suppose that we must impute to tardy and inactive conduct on the