“I had the pleasure of receiving your kind favour of the
18th July enclosing an impression of the etching of my Welsh friend by Mrs. Turner, for which I cannot sufficiently express my thanks.
The likeness is admirable; so that it is impossible that any person who has
seen him
| 290 | LIFE OF WILLIAM ROSCOE. |
“With respect to the inscription to be placed under it, I must give you a singular anecdote. A day or two after I received the etching, Richard called, as he is in the frequent habit of doing, and I showed it him, and asked him if he knew it, when, after some strange turns of his head from side to side, he said, ‘It is my portrait.’ I then told him I wished him to give me an inscription of his name, &c. to put under it; when, suddenly opening his waistcoat, he began to unwind from around his body a piece of white calico, at least five or six feet long by three broad, at the top of which there appeared, in large letters inscribed by himself, ‘Verbum Dei Libertas,’ and towards the bottom the following inscription:—
“‘R.
Johannis, Caernarvonensis, Linguæ
| LIFE OF WILLIAM ROSCOE. | 291 |
“This seemed to me the more extraordinary as he had not the least idea of his head being engraved or any such inscription wanted, nor am I satisfied that it would be proper to adopt the above; but on this you shall hear again from me.”
