Samuel F. B. Morse, His Letters and Journals In Two Volumes, Volume I.

gins painting of "Dying Hercules."-Letter from Jeremiah Evarts.-Morse upholds righteousness of the war.-Henry Thornton.-Politic

n America.-"The Dying Hercules" exhibited at the Royal Academy.- Expenses of painting.-Receives Adel

of the effects of the war on that country. He strongly upholds the justice of that war and pleads with his parents and brothers to take his view of the matter. They, on th

al events, I shall quote but sparingly from that portion of the correspondence, just enough to show that, whatever cause he espoused, then, and at all times during his

ed September 20

says it is better than all the things I have done since I have been in England put together, and says I must send a cast of it home to you, and that

was not merely an academical figure, but displayed mind a

from painting or writing for a long time with the

y passion for my art is so firmly rooted that I am confident no human power could destroy it. [And

moir, my biographer will never be able to charge upon my parents that bigoted attachment to any individual profession, the exercise of which spirit by parents toward their children has been the ruin of some of the greatest geniuses; and the biography of men of genius has too often contained that reflection on their parents. If ever the contrary spiri

n will reward you, in some measure, for the tro

rge as life. The figure I shall send to you as soon as it is practicable, and also

between the two countries has not been productive of any measures against residen

t that he has removed

Buckingham Place

his friend, Mr. Jeremiah Evarts, father of William M. Ev

ne for many reasons, not the least of which is a regard to the internal tranquillity of your own mind. I never yet knew a man made happy by studyin

een large pages, and is an impassioned appeal to his father to look at

American here does, respecting the causes of the present war.... 'Tis the character of Englishmen to be haughty, proud, and overbearing. If this conduct meets with no resistance, their treatment becomes more imperious, and the more sub

such is the singularity of his character that, the more you beat him,

ousin Samuel Breese is in the navy. I really envy him very much. I hope one day, as a painter, I may be able to hand him down to posterity as an American Nelson.... As to my letters of introduction, I find that a painter and a visitor cannot be united. Were I to deliver my letters the acquaintance could not be kept up, and the bare thought of encountering the English reserve is enough to deter any one.... This objection, ho

this and I had been a very bloody-minded young man, who knows but Mr. Codman might have been challenged. But I suppose he takes advantage of my being in Englan

"Mr. Codman is married. He married a Miss Wheeler, of Newburyport, so

the letter of Novem

y approves of the sentiments in it, but pays me a compliment by saying that I have expressed th

Henry Thornton, philanthropist and member of Parliament.

I had no introduction to him, but, hearing that your son was in the country, he found me out and has shown me every a

ght that, if the Orders in Council had been repealed a month or two sooner, it would not have prevented the war. I told him I though

nversation they introduced America, and Mr. Wilberforce regretted the war extremely; he said it was like two of the same family quarrelling; that he thought it a judgmen

gly went and was very civilly treated. The reserve which I mentioned in a former letter was evident, however, here, and I

promising young men in the country, and you may possibly one day hear of them as at the head

luence. I replied 'No'; that I believed on the contrary that nine tenths of the American people were prepossessed strongly in favor of this country. As a proof I urged the universal prevalence of English fashions in preference to French, and English manners and customs; the universal rejoicings on the success of

ere forbidden by their parents, in many instances, to associate with them, they considering their company and habits as tending to subvert their morals, and to render them frivolous and insincere. I added that in America as well as everywhere else there were bad men, men of no principles, whose consciences never stand in the way of t

Universal monopoly of Commerce'; that they had long desired an excuse for such measures as the Orders in Council, and that the French decrees were exactly what they wished, and t

said that it was urged that America ought to have considered the circumstances of the case, and that Great Britain was fighting for the liberties

should think the same. The moment America declared this opinion her neutrality ceased. 'Besides,' said I, 'how can they have the face to make such a declaration when you just now said that their object was universal monopoly,

French decrees when we were interrupted, and I have not been able again to resume the conversation. I returned

the stand he has taken, which I shall not include, only qu

rious news from Russia. Bonaparte is for once defea

mbrance of me. Tell him that, by coming to England, I know how more justly to

obbett's, a man of no principle and a great rasca

e, he yet could not help taking a deep interest in public affairs. He was frank and outspoken in his opinions, but courteous withal. He abhorred hypocrisy and vice and

gh life, becoming, however, broader-minded and

ading in extenuation of his apparent carelessness that he could not spare the time from his artistic studies to fulfill all the

seems to be some confusion of dates, for Morse had just said in his let

NGTON

ry 4,

I gladly avail myself of the sanction of a letter from your father for introducing myself to you; and, as many calls are mere matters of form, I take the liberty of begging the favor of you

obliging marks of attention which I have received from him, render me desirous of becoming

ithful

LBERF

s student years, were Coleridge, Rogers, Lamb, and othe

the recollection of them was enshrined in the memory of some of their contemporaries, and the following remin

e under the influence of those fits of despondency to which he was subject. On these occasion

dispute about certain lines of beauty; which is right?' And then each argued with the other for a few moments until Coleridge became interested, and, rousing from his fit of despondency, spoke with an eloquence and depth of meta

e diamonds in his poetical productions.' 'All of which,' remarked I, 'is undoubtedly lost to the world.' 'Not all,' replied Mr. Morse, 'for I recognize in the "Ancient Mariner" some of

ston, Charles King, Leslie, Lamb, Morse, and Coleridge went together to witness the performance. They occup

e, the intensity of his emotions was such as none but one gifted with the fine sensibilities of a poet could experience. Fortunately the a

a change of air and a short residence in the country might relieve him

ble to proceed, and requested Morse to return to town for his medical

se, immediately set out for Salt Hill, a distance of tw

with Allston until midnight, when he became easi

ckerbocker's 'History of New York,' which he had thrown into the

e, 'it is only a

e it,' said

uried in its pages. Mr. Morse, overcome by the fatigues of

was his astonishment to find it still closed, with the lights burnin

approaching him, 'have you b

leridge abstractedl

and permitting the broad daylight, for it w

f this; but the work has pleased me exceedingly.

on Irving. It is needless to say that, during the long

n, who had for some little time had a grumbling pain in his thigh, proposed to Morse to accom

, immediately followed by a coarse-looking person with a large, shaggy head of hair, wh

demanded this uncouth-looking person w

Allston, somewhat shocked by the coarse

mon,' said the sam

sponded Allston. 'Perhaps I

rce, Allston, followed by Morse, was induced to enter the hall, which they had no sooner done th

s your business with

rne

t you,' replied Allston

to do with your affecti

rne

ome by the apparent rudeness of the eminent surgeon as to regret calling

mined his case, which proved to be a slight one, with such gentleness as almost to lead them to doubt whether Abernet

good people at home were jogging along in their accustomed ruts, bu

ites on Janua

thing on politics, as I do not approve your change, and think it would only prejudice others. For that re

at all. He will not visit among the young

shall prove to your satisfaction that poetry is much superior to painting. You asserted the contrary in one of your letters, and brough

orms him of the marriage of another sister to Captain Hull of the navy, commander of the Constitu

rse, not by his mind, and, according to the preponderance of that, he rises or sinks in the scale of individual opinion. A fine painting or marble statue is very rare in

ve not yet become one. This, however, is poor encouragement for you to return to

elphia writes to h

g commenced his career in America, where, I am sorry to say, the arts are not, as yet, so much patronized as I hope to see them. Those of us who love them are too poor, and those who are wealthy regard them but little. I t

ucts them; and, without flattery, suffer me to add, from the early proofs of your own genius, I anticipate, in common with many o

we also calculate on a ver

y, Mr. Peale, Mr. Fainnan, Mr. King, and several others have devoted much attention to t

. Some very capital landscapes were produced, many a

he 'Roman Charity' (or, if you please, the 'Grecian Daughter,

30, 1818, to a fr

time that I can spare from painting I employ in reading and studying the old

n the Royal Academy Exhibition at Somerset House. I have been flattered by the newspapers which seldom praise young artists, and they do me th

paid me many compliments, and told me that, were I to live to his age, I should never make a better co

ll as can be expected, and, if any credit attaches to me, I willingly resig

s country, which is only about fifty years. Mr. Copley next, then Colonel Trumbull. Stuart in America has no rival here. As these are now old men and going off the stage, Mr. Allston succeeds in the prime of life, and will, in the opinio

e claims of so-called genius to immortality

s economies in order to make the money, advanced so cheerfully but at the cos

arge picture, which I have just finished, cost nearly twenty pounds, besides the canvas and colors, which cost nearl

shall not attempt another large picture for some time, alth

to Mr. West a few weeks ago, and he was extremely pleased with it and paid me very many high compliments; but as praise comes bett

res. Six hundred were refused admission this year, so you may suppose that a picture (of the size of mine, too) must possess some merit to be received in preference to six hundred. A small picture may be received even if

his I sent to the Society of Arts at the Adelphi, to stand for the prize (which is offered eve

give you a particular account of the whole process as soon as I have received it.... I cannot close this letter without telling you how much I am indebted to that excellent man Mr. Allston. He is extremely partial to me

, affectionate, learned, possessed of the greatest powers of mind and genius, modest, unassuming, and, above all, a religious man

They will not long ask who Mr. Allston is; he will very soon astonish the world. He claims me as his pupil, and told me a

st triumphs, his painting and his statuette from t

ade a model in clay of the head of the dead man to assist him in painting the expression. This was the practice of the most eminent old masters. Morse had begun a large picture to come out before the British public at the Roy

n the single view necessary for the purpose of painting; but, having done this, he was e

surveying it all round critically, with many exclamations of surprise, he sent his servant to call his son Raphael. As soon as Raphae

ng Hercules,' of colossal size, and sent it, in May, 1

one of the journals of that day in speaki

t it presents several works of very high merit by artists with whose performances, and even with whose names, we were hitherto unacquainted. At the head of this class are Messrs. Monroe and Morse. The prize of history

on: THE DYI

by Morse

tion," out of nearly two thousand pictures, this crit

Morse thus write

r at the Adelphi, and also the gold medal, which was the premium presented to me, before a large assembly of the n

he Turkish, Sardinian, and Russian Ambassadors, who were poi

papers, which you must know is considered a great compliment; for a young artist, unless extraordinary, is seldom or never mentioned till he has exh