W E 
be considered as illustrious in the annals of philanthropy, if, 
as Mr. Galt seems to intimate, his example and exhortation 
had the chief influence in producing the noble decree of the 
Pennsylvanian legislature, for a general emancipation of the 
negro slaves. 
It was scarcely possible that any human being could be less 
favourably situated for the culture of any of the arts which em¬ 
bellish human life, than young Benjamin. The sect to which 
he belonged, noted for so many estimable moral qualities, 
had adopted in excess the austere creed, which condemns as 
ungodly and perilous, every art which aims only at amuse¬ 
ment and ornament. He was therefore bred up under the 
impossibility of seeing a single specimen of the imitative 
arts. Only the most irresistible strength of natural genius 
could have enabled him to break through such a host of 
discouraging circumstances. 
It was at the age of six, that the disposition of the young 
painter first displayed itself. Being left to rock the cradle 
of an infant sister, he saw her smile in her sleep, and was so 
Struck with the beauty of her countenance at that moment, 
that he snatched up a pen, and attempted to delineate it. 
His mother entering, shame led him to conceal what he had 
been doing; but she, perceiving his confusion, insisted to 
see it, and, viewing the drawing with evident pleasure, ex¬ 
claimed, “ I declare he has made a likeness of little Sally.” 
Maternal sanction being thus given to the art, the boy was 
allowed full liberty to pursue it in the intervals of his school, 
and to delineate with the pen every object which struck his 
eye. A party of Indians who happened to visit Springfield, 
taught him to prepare the red and yellow, with which they 
painted their ornaments; and, his mother having presented 
him with a piece of indigo, he was thus in possession of the 
three primary colours. A painter, as Mr. Galt justly ob¬ 
serves, who would embody the metaphor of an artist, in¬ 
structed by nature, eould scarcely imagine anything more 
picturesque than this real incident of the Indians instructing 
West to prepare the prismatic colours. About this time, he 
heard the description of camels’ hair pencils, and instantly 
saw how superior these must be to the rude machinery of a 
pen. The world, however, with which he was acquainted, 
presented no such object. The only substitute he could 
contrive, was obtained by the following expedient. He cast 
his eye on a favourite black cat of his father’s, and, having 
privily obtained the use of his mother’s scissars, employed 
them in cutting off the bushy extremity of the tail. As this 
lasted only for a short time, he was reduced to the necessity 
of making large inroads on the back of Grimalkin, The 
worthy man inwardly mourned this naked and altered ap¬ 
pearance of his favourite, and could only ascribe it to some 
serious malady; till the youth, on hearing these lamenta¬ 
tions repeated, Slushingly confessed the wrong he had done. 
He obtained an easy forgiveness from the surprised and gra¬ 
tified parent. 
West w : as eight years old, when Mr. Pennington, a mer¬ 
chant of Philadelphia, came to visit his father, and, struck 
with the drawings of birds and flowers which hung round 
the room, inquired about the boy, and promised to send 
him a paint-box. This he fulfilled, and accompanied it 
with six engravings. The sight of these objects formed a 
master-era in the existence of the young painter. Enraptured 
with the view, he could not cease touching them, unable 
to believe that they were real. They made him a culprit 
with regard to school; the whole of several days being spent 
in the garret with his box and canvas. The schoolmaster 
lodging a complaint of his non-attendance, his mother has¬ 
tened up, and surprised her son, but was soon appeased by 
the view of his work, which consisted not in a bare copy, 
but a composition from two of the engravings. It was so 
well executed, that he afterwards declared there were some 
touches in it, which he had never been able to surpass. 
A few days after, Mr. Pennington again visited Spring- 
field, and, delighted with the result of his presents, took the 
boy with him to Philadelphia. Here, in passing along the 
street, West saw one Williams, a painter, carrying an ob- 
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ject which he had never before seen—a picture. The emo¬ 
tions which he betrayed at this moment were so extraordi¬ 
nary, that Williams was delighted, took him home, showed 
him his pictures and drawings, and gave him the works of 
Fresnoy and Richardson. There was no longer any doubt 
as to his destiny. On returning home, he announced him¬ 
self as a future painter, and seems to have formed the loftiest 
ideas of the profession. Fired by his enthusiasm, all the 
boys of the school began daubing pictures, but without 
being able to rival their model. He now began to obtain 
some employment in portraits; and, in the house of a Mr. 
Flower, where he resided for two or three weeks in that cha¬ 
racter, an intelligent lady, who acted as governess, initiated 
him into the first elements of history and general knowledge. 
Being advised by a friend to try historical painting, he pro¬ 
duced the “ Death of Socrates,” which drew so much admi¬ 
ration, that Dr. Smith, Provost of the College at Philadel¬ 
phia, undertook his tuition. This judicious scholar directed 
his attention particularly to those objects and incidents 
which tended to fire his imagination, and to furnish future 
subjects for his pencil. 
Young West had now reached the age of sixteen, and the 
time was come when he must make choice of a profession. 
His father, however gratified by his son’s display of genius, 
felt still some scruple at making him a painter/ Many of 
his most respected neighbours pressed upon him {he duty of 
giving the youth a sober and godly trade, and not allowing 
him to exercise an occupation which ministered only to the 
concerns of sin and vanity. The worthy man, troubled by 
these meditations and discourses, determined to call a gene¬ 
ral meeting of the Friends of Springfield, and to submit to 
them the future destination of Benjamin. A considerable « 
difference of opinion prevailed; but at last a venerable 
Friend rose and argued, that the talent of the young man 
was a manifest gift of God, which must have been bestowed 
for wise ends, and that painting, though liable to abuse, 
might be employed for the noblest purposes. These reasons 
were pronounced satisfactory by the meeting; an inspired 
sister pronounced a blessing upon him; the men laid their 
hands upon his head, and the women kissed him; and the 
young artist was sent forth into the world to exercise his 
vocation. 
At Philadelphia and New York Mr. West found consider¬ 
able practice as a portrait painter; and he, at the same time, 
busied himself in copying every thing good that came under 
his eye. He produced, moreover, an original work on the 
subject of the “ Trial of Susannah.” 
Having raised by his labours a small sum of money, Mr. 
West determined to embrace an opportunity which offered 
of visiting Italy. At Rome, the arrival of an American 
quaker to study the fine arts, caused an astonishing sensa¬ 
tion. He was introduced to Cardinal Albani, and through 
him to the most distinguished persons then in Rome. Hav¬ 
ing painted the picture of Mr. Robinson, afterwards Lord 
Grantham, it was shown to a large circle as the production 
of Mengs, the most eminent painter then in Rome, and was 
pronounced superior to the usual performances of that artist. 
Mengs was so generous as not to be mortified, but contracted 
a friendship for West, and gave him his best advice. The 
artist was strongly impressed also by an interview with a 
famous improvisatore, to whom the Romans gave the flat¬ 
tering name of Homer, and who, delighted with the novelty 
of the subject presented to him, pronounced an extempore 
oration, which, if we may judge by the following specimen, 
must have possessed considerable beauty. “ Methinks,” said 
he, “ I behold in this young man an instrument chosen by 
Heaven, to raise in America the taste for those arts which 
elevate the nature of man,—an assurance that his country 
will afford a refuge to science and knowledge, when, in the 
old age of Europe, they shall have forsaken her shores. 
But all things of heavenly origin, like the glorious sun, 
move westward; and truth and art have their periods of 
shining and of night. Rejoice then, oh venerable Rome, 
in thy divine destiny! for, though darkness overshadow thy 
seats. 
