212 SAMUEL FINLEY BEEESE MORSE. 



retiring, Coleridge took the book and began to 

 read. Morse fell asleep, and in the morning was 

 surprised to find the lights burning, and his friend 

 still reading. It was now ten o'clock, and Cole- 

 ridge was so absorbed that he did not know that 

 the whole night had passed. Later, Irving and 

 Coleridge became warm friends. 



In need of money, Morse repaired to Bristol, 

 where he spent several months, having had the 

 promise of work ; but not a single person called 

 to look at his pictures, and not one came for a por- 

 trait. He had already been abroad four years, 

 and now stern necessity called him home. He 

 had just finished a large picture, " The Judgment 

 of Jupiter in the Case of Apollo, Marpessa, and 

 Ida," to compete for the highest prize offered by 

 the Royal Academy for historical composition; 

 but as he could not be present to receive the pre- 

 mium, he was not allowed to enter the picture. 

 He accordingly brought it home with him, arriving 

 in Boston October 18, 1815. 



Dr. Morse had engaged a studio for his son in 

 Boston, and the "Judgment of Jupiter" was 

 opened for exhibition. People came, and saw, and 

 praised, and went away without leaving any orders 

 for pictures. A year went by, and not one person 

 offered to buy the " Judgment of Jupiter," and not 

 one person ordered a historical work. This was 

 indeed discouraging to an enthusiastic artist. He 

 began now to turn his mind toward invention, for 

 which he had a natural tendency ; and during the 



