SAMUEL FINLEY BEEESE MORSE. 211 



ticular advantage to be gained by supporting the 

 character of a gentleman, for these reasons : in the 

 first place, nobody saw me ; in the second place, if 

 they had seen me, they would not have known me ; 

 and, thirdly, if they had known me, they would not 

 have cared a farthing about me. So I thought 

 within myself what I came to England for, and 

 I found that it was not to please English folks, 

 but to study painting ; and, as I found I must sac- 

 rifice painting to dress and visiting, or dress and 

 visiting to painting, I determined on the latter, 

 and ever since have lived accordingly, and now the 

 tables. are turned. I visit galleries and collections, 

 purchase prints, etc. ; and when I am asked why 

 I don't pay more attention to my dress, I reply 

 that I cannot afford it." 



Morse had now painted the "Death of Her- 

 cules," a large picture, eight feet by six feet and 

 a half. The painting was received at the ex- 

 hibition at Somerset House, though six hundred 

 other works were refused. It was adjudged by 

 the press to be one of the best nine among a thou- 

 sand pictures ; many of them by such men as Tur- 

 ner, Lawrence, and Wilkie. Surely, he had reason 

 to be encouraged. 



What little leisure Morse could obtain he spent 

 in reading the old poets, Spenser, Chaucer, Dante, 

 and Tasso. He now made the acquaintance of 

 Rogers, Coleridge, and others. Once, as he was 

 going into the country with Coleridge, he took in 

 the carriage Irving's " History of New York." On 



