- Persico Luigi
A fall of Snow in the Night presented a white carpet on the ground this
morning— Visit from Persico, who
asked me to return his contract for the execution of the two Statues of
Peace and War; written by myself and the last act of my official Life as
President of the United States— I promised to return it to-morrow,
proposing to have in the meantime a copy of it made to keep— Persico
invited me to go to his rooms on the Capitol hill, and see a collection
of Pictures by some of the Masters of the Italian Schools, which he
brought with him from Italy upon Speculation, and wishes to sell, and a
marble bust of the President, of
which he proposes to make a present to him on the 8th. of January next— Persico is desirous of
further employment by Congress, and wishes to make friends.— I advised
him to visit Mr Jarvis, chairman of the Committee on the
public buildings, and Mr Polk Chairman of the Committee of Ways and
Means, and invite them to go and see his bust of the President, and to
be careful not to omit making the present on the 8th. of January— Just then a renewed fancy took Mr Persico, to make a marble bust of me— He
had entertained this fancy while I was President, and when his being
employed by the public depended upon me— Before he went to Italy he had
taken the mould of this bust in clay, and when he had been there about
two years, he sent me a cast of it in Plaster of Paris; with some
enquiry whether I should prefer to have it in marble— I was then not in
public life, and alike indifferent to Busts whether in Marble or in
Plaster— I did not answer his Letter— He now begs me to give him one
more sitting, that he may finish in higher perfection the model, and is
fully determined to make the bust in marble and to send it to me— I
desired him not to give himself that trouble, but he insisted upon it,
and I have no doubt will persist in his determination, till he shall
find it more convenient to desist from it—and he knows that for me the
intention is equivalent to the deed.