ly
broken and the foliage rich.

November 3rd, 1838.

Mr. Beckford showed me some sketches of St. Non's Sicily and harbour of
Malta, forty drawings, given by St. Non himself, each bearing the name in
pencil; he also showed me a MS. "Arabian Nights." He studied Arabic very
deeply in Paris, and had a Mussulman master. He read to me part of a
tale never put into the ordinary edition, translated into English tersely
and perspicuously. He is much indebted to Arabic MS. for "Vathek," and
reads Arabic to this day. He says Lord Byron and others are quite
mistaken as to the age when he wrote "Vathek," not seventeen but twenty-
three years of age. "Sir," says he, "if you want a description of
Persepolis read 'Vathek.'" He laughed heartily at the different sorts of
praise bestowed by Lord Byron on "Vathek," equal to Rasselas, like
Mackenzie. Lord Byron tried many times to get a sight of the Eps [?],
often intreated the Duchess to intercede with her father. He once called
with "Vathek" in his pocket, which he styled "his gospel." Moore's
"Lallah Rookh" has too much western sentimentality for an Oriental
romance, the common fault of most writers of such stories. Beckford
prefers Moore's Melodies, and likes the "Loves of Angels" least of all.
"Fudge Family" he thinks admirable.

Speaking of the triumph he achieved in writing as an Englishman a work
which was supposed for years to be by a Frenchman, he said: "Oh, my great
uncle did more than me. Did you never read 'Memories of the Duke of
Grammont?' Voltaire told me he was entirely indebted to my great uncle
for whatever beauty of style he might possess. French is just the same
as English to me. He showed me the Eps."

October 31.--Went out and accidentally met Mr. Beckford speaking in
praise of his West, who painted expressly for Mr. Beckford. I said, "How
did you get him to paint it so soft? I suppose you particularly
requested him to do so." "Oh no. Mr. West was a man who would stand no
dictation; had I uttered such a thought he would have kicked me out of
the house! Oh no, that would never have done. The only way to get him
to avoid his hard outline would be to entreat him to paint harder. West
came one day laughing to me, and said, "All London is in ecstasy
beholding the Lazarus in Sebo Deltz, painted they say by M. A. Ha! ha!
they don't know it is my painting. L., who brought the picture over,
came to me in the greatest distress, 'The set is ruin