M. Morenas has been indeed a great traveller.  When I called, I found him living up two pair of stairs, preparing for another voyage to Senegal.  He was surrounded by trunks ... in which were deposited the literary remains of his uncle.  In other words, these remains consisted of innumerable cards, closely packed, upon which the Abbe had written all his memoranda relating to ...  I scarcely know what.  But the whole, from the nephew’s statement, seemed to be an encyclopaedia of knowledge.  In one trunk, were about six thousand notices of MSS. of all ages; and of editions in the fifteenth century.  In another trunk, were wedged about twelve thousand descriptions of books in all languages, except those of French and Italian, from the sixteenth century to his own period:  these were professed to be accompanied with critical notes.  In a third trunk was a bundle of papers relating to the History of the Troubadours; in a fourth, was a collection of memoranda and literary sketches, connected with the invention of Arts and Sciences, with Antiquities, Dictionaries, and pieces exclusively bibliographical.  A fifth trunk contained between two and three thousand cards, written upon on each side, respecting a collection of prints; describing the ranks, degrees, and dignities of all nations—­of which eleven folio cahiers were published, in 1779—­without the letter-press—­ but in a manner to make the Abbe extremely dissatisfied with the engraver.  In a sixth trunk were contained his papers respecting earthquakes, volcanoes, and geographical subjects:  so that, you see, the Abbe Rive at least fancied himself a man of tolerably universal attainments.  It was of course impossible to calculate the number, or to appreciate the merits, of such a multifarious collection; but on asking M. Morenas if he had made up his mind respecting the price to be put upon it, he answered, that he thought he might safely demand 6000 francs for such a body of miscellaneous information.  I told him that this was a sum much beyond my means to adventure; but that it was at least an object worthy of the consideration of the “higher powers” of his own government.  He replied, that he had little hopes of success in those quarters:  that he was anxious to resume his travels; talked of another trip to Senegal; for that, after so locomotive a life, a sedentary one was wearisome to him....

  ... “trahit sua quemque voluptas!”

Over the chimney-piece was a portrait, in pencil, of his late uncle:  done from the life.  It was the only one extant.  It struck me indeed as singularly indicative of the keen, lively, penetrating talents of the original.  On the back of the portrait were the lines which are here subjoined: