George Morland 



the house of the Wards, her brother and sister-in-law, but the 

 extraordinary fascination of Morland's nature, and his undoubted 

 affection for her, kept alight the flame of love in her heart, which no 

 disloyalties or dissolute behaviour could ever quite extinguish. 



It is indeed remarkable that, almost to the end, the artist had 

 some witchery about him which put a spell upon everybody who came 

 in touch with him. It was the charm of imperturbable good nature, 

 and of a heart that, with all its weaknesses, was simple and sincere. 

 It is related, for instance, how once an irate creditor accompanied the 

 bailiffs to Morland's house in Charlotte Street with the full intention 

 of recovering his debt by the full power of the law. As they 

 approached the house they saw a coach drive away, and, guessing 

 that it contained their man, they gave chase and caught the fugitive. 

 Morland was now in the hands of his enemy, but, by making 

 elaborate promises and by exercising all his arts of persuasion, he 

 actually succeeded in pacifying his creditor and obtaining easy terms 

 and a longer time for the liquidation of the debt. 



His persuasive powers, however, were not always to be relied on 

 as an infallible extinguisher of irate butchers, troublesome horse- 

 dealers, and plaguing wine-merchants ; and George Morland lived 

 in real terror of a prison, whose doors would too readily receive 

 him, but, when once he was safely in, never perhaps open again to 

 release him. 



Frequently, at the rumour of imminent arrest, he would pack 

 up a few traps and set off for some country place, accompanied by 

 his constant attendant. Brooks; sometimes by Hand, his pupil; and 

 often by a man named Burn, who seems to have been one of those 

 leeches who gorged themselves on the blood of a bankrupt prodigal 

 in the name of " friendship." 



During these spells in the country Morland regained some of 

 his old health and spirits, making resolutions to turn over ever so 

 many new leaves, and restricting himself, to some extent at least, 

 in his potations. Among farmyard animals he found sweeter 

 friendship than among all the herds of miscellaneous acquaintances 

 who had drank at his cost and then forsaken him. 



It was his delight, also, to go into the cottages of any village 

 in which he happened to be staying and make friends with the 



