208 SAMUEL FINLET BREESE MORSE. 



his criticism, West said, " Very well, sir, very well ; 

 go on and finish it." 



" It is finished," replied Morse. 



" Oh, no," said Mr. West ; " look here, and hero, 

 and here." 



Morse drew a week longer, and again presented 

 it. "Very well, indeed, sir," he said; "go on and 

 finish it." 



" Is it not finished ? " asked Morse, half discour- 

 aged. 



" Not yet," said West ; " see, you have not 

 marked that muscle, nor the articulations of the 

 finger-joints." 



A third time he presented the drawing, and re- 

 ceived the same advice as before. "I cannot 

 finish it," said Morse, despairingly. 



"Well," said West, "I have tried you long 

 enough. Now, sir, you have learned more by this 

 drawing than you would have accomplished in double 

 the time by a dozen half-finished beginnings. It 

 is not numerous drawings, but the character of one, 

 which makes a thorough draughtsman. Finish one 

 picture, sir, and you are a painter." 



Morse was now admitted to the Royal Academy, 

 and had visions of becoming great. He writes 

 home : " I have just finished a model in clay of a 

 figure (' The Dying Hercules '), my first attempt at 

 sculpture. Mr. Allston is extremely pleased with 

 it ; he 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 



