n interesting conversation in which she said of
America, "_Vous etes l'avant garde du genre humain, vous etes l'avenir
du monde_," and made two or three brilliant speeches, at which
he noticed her glow of animation. At the same place he also met
Chateaubriand and Madame Recamier, between whom he sat at dinner. The
romantic reader will be disappointed with his meagre statements here,
which hardly bring these two people more distinctly before us than are
Solomon and the queen of Sheba. We read that Madame Recamier's figure
was fine, her mild eyes full of expression, and her arm and hand
beautiful, her complexion fair, her expression cheerful and her
conversation vivacious; of Chateaubriand, that he was a short man with
a dark complexion, black hair and eyes, and a marked countenance;
but exacter details of their characteristics or mutual relations are
wholly wanting. While it is to be remembered that we who read Mr.
Ticknor's diary and letters have also read a great many other letters
that have given us much more knowledge about Madame Recamier than her
companion at that dinner could have had, it is yet fair to say that
in general the book contains no traces of acute observation or quick
social sensibility, but is rather marked by the faithfulness of his
report of the more obvious incidents that occurred when he met these
interesting people. This does not diminish the value of the book: it
should only prepare the reader to find the anecdotes constituting
the really important part of it, with but little sign of any study
of character, and of little sympathetic insight into the feelings of
others.

He remained in Paris until September, working hard at the languages
and literatures of France and Italy, and neglecting no opportunity
to improve himself. At that date he started for Geneva on his way to
Italy, crossing the Alps by the Simplon. At Venice he again saw
Byron, who was busy, or professed to be, with a plan of visiting this
country. Thence he made his way south to Rome and Naples, spending
most of the winter in the former city among very interesting people,
such as Bunsen, Niebuhr and Madame de Humboldt. In the spring of
1818 he went to Spain, and it is interesting to notice how much more
vivacious his journal becomes with his entrance into that country. It
seems to have been with real enjoyment that he changed the ease of his
earlier journeyings for the hardships of traveling in this comfortless
land; and although t