und
fairly enough. So we'll try our old luck another voyage.

It is a close, thick rain, and I cannot ride, and I am too dead lame to
walk in the house. So, feeling really exhausted, I will try to sleep a
little.

My nap was a very short one, and was agreeably replaced by Basil Hall's
Fragments of Voyages. Everything about the inside of a vessel is
interesting, and my friend has the great sense to know this is the case.
I remember when my eldest brother took the humour of going to sea, James
Watson[453] used to be invited to George Square to tell him such tales
of hardships as might disgust him with the service. Such were my poor
mother's instructions. But Captain Watson could not render a sea life
disgusting to the young midshipman or to his brother, who looked on and
listened. The account of assistance given to the Spaniards at Cape
Finisterre, and the absurd behaviour of the Junta, are highly
interesting--a more inefficient, yet a more resolved class of men than
the Spaniards were never conceived.

_April_ 14.--Advised by Mr. Cadell that he has agreed with Mr. Turner,
the first draughtsman of the period, to furnish to the poetical works
two decorations to each of the proposed twelve volumes, to wit, a
frontispiece and vignette to each, at the rate of L25 for each, which is
cheap enough considering these are the finest specimens of art going.
The difficulty is to make him come here to take drawings. I have written
to the man of art, inviting him to my house, though, if I remember, he
is not very agreeable, and offered to transport him to the places where
he is to exercise his pencil. His method is to take various drawings of
remarkable places and towns and stick them all together. He can
therefore derive his subjects from good accurate drawings, so with
Skene's assistance we can equip him. We can put him at home on all the
subjects. Lord Meadowbank and his son, Skene and his son, Colonel
Russell and his sister, dined with us.[454]

_April_ 15.--Lord Meadowbank, etc., went to Newark with me, and returned
to dine with the foregoing. Charming day.

_April_ 16.--Lord Meadowbank went to the circuit and our party to their
various homes. By the bye, John Pringle and his brother of Haining dined
with us yesterday. Skene walks with me and undertakes readily to supply
Turner with subjects. Weather enchanting. About 100 leaves will now
complete _Robert of Paris_. Query, will it answer? Not knowing, can't
say. I think it wi