you I left Florence with as high an admiration for his genius
and character, as you can have, although unfortunately I was
only able to pass an hour or two with him, my stay being so
short. I showed him all my drawings, and, as you may suppose,
passed a very pleasant morning with him, Kirkup, and
Migliarini--all enthusiastic in seeing my drawings, and persons
worth showing such things to. Two hours, spent in this way, go
far towards recompensing one for any labor and sacrifice. I got
your address from Powers, intending to write to you as soon as
I reached England. It gave me the sincerest pleasure to hear
every one uniting in your praise; I regretted the more that you
were absent, and that I was unable to see your works. I was
delighted to find that such brilliant prospects were opening to
Powers, and I learnt from him, what you hint at in your letter,
that you also were prospering, and that substantial advantages
were pretty sure. I have only now to get a little money in my
pocket, and then inshallah (as the Turks say), I'll have my
picture out of you. To return to business for a moment (pardon
me for doing so), I think the drawings will be published in
first rate style and at a very moderate price: about L10--not a
shilling a drawing. Pray mention this to any of your bookseller
friends, and perhaps they may be induced to take a few copies.
It will be a work which no library ought to be without; it
will, I hope, quite surpass the French publication both in
execution and subject, and will be sold at one-tenth of the
price--theirs coming to nearly L100. I inclose a letter of
thanks for the Secretary of the Ethnological Society, which
pray send, and also add on my part, many thanks for this honor,
which I can assure you I particularly appreciate. My names are
Austen Henry Layard, and my designation simply "attached to Her
Britannic Majesty's Embassy, at the Sublime Porte." Lady
Canning and her family are still in England, Sir Stratford at
Berne. It is doubtful when they will return to Constantinople,
but I presume ere long. I am ordered out in May, and am named
commissioner for the settlement of the boundaries between
Turkey and Persia. I wish I had you with me during my
commission, for I shall visit a most interesting country,
totally