Samuel F. B. Morse, His Letters and Journals In Two Volumes, Volume I.

rk.-Devotes leisure to

on appointments at Yale

love affair.-Paints "L

Allstons for England.

reeable stage-ride to

ge.-Liverpool.-Trip to

quently cheated.-Critic

verse.-Longing for

eturned to his home in Charlestown, Mass., and cheerfully submitted himsel

situation and on excellent terms. I have four hundred dollars per year, but this you must not mention out.

ed up for me; I have a fire there every evening, and can spend it alone or otherwise as I please. I have bought me one of the new patent lamps, those with glass c

some time in 1810 or 1811. It was

ion of one whose countenance has not been examined particularly for the purpose. When I made the first attempt, not a single feature could I recall distinctly to my memory and I almost despaired of a likeness, but the thought of lessening the affliction of such a distressed family determined me to attempt it a second time. The result is on the ivory. I

semblance of him they have lost, it will be an ample compensation to me to thi

mpleted my landscape. It is 'proper handsome,' so they say, and

e than his proficiency warranted, for in this same letter he adds: "I am going to begin, as soon as I ha

all leave Mr. Mallory's next week and

nly in his painting, decided to throw no further obstacles in his way, but, at th

ry 15

all not esteem him the less for not getting a higher, and not more than one millionth part of the world knows what an appointment is. You will both of you have a different opinion of appointments after you have been out of college a short time. I had rather be Richard with a dialogue than Sanford with a dispute. If appointments at college decided your fate forever, you might possibly groan and wail. But then consider where poor I should come. [He g

introduced as throwing some light on Morse's character at that time

, Februar

, together with the books enclosed, which I d

rd, I should really be surprised at the commencement, and, indeed, the

pects before me. But for you, who are in the very vortex of fashionable life and surrounded by the amusements and bustle of the metropolis of New England, for you to exclaim, "How lonely I a

are all gone and we have no amusements. Even old Value has deserted us, whose music, though an assemblage of "unharmonious sounds," is infinitely preferable to the harsh grating thunder of his brother. New Haven is, in

e of another Hart to quicken its pulsations.... Last but not least comes the all-conquering, the angelic queen of Harts. I have not seen her since she left New Haven, but have heard from her sister Eliza that she is in good health and is going in April to New York with Mrs. Jarvis (her sister) to

nd is so much bent upon painting that you will do nothing else effectually. It is indeed a noble art and if pursued effectually leads to the highest eminence, for painters rank with poets, and to be placed in the scale with Milton and Homer is an ho

ectionat

P. RO

were fixed on a certain charming Miss Jannette Hart, but, alas! he proved a faith

wondrous pitiful. Cupid, tear off your bandage, new string your bow and tip your arrows with harder adamant. Oh! shame upon you, only hear the words of your exultant votarist-'Even Love, which according to the proverb

d her Jannette, that unqualified admiration would be extorted from the lips of prejudice itself, and that, at least, till age had worn off the first dazzling lustre from your favorite, your sway would have been unlimited and your exultation immeasurable. My good old Dame, hear for your comfor

ively to his art for the next few years, and we have only occasional r

I am painting my large piece, the landing of our forefathers at Plymouth. Perhaps I shall have it finished by the time

llston. His father, having once made up his mind to allow his son to follow his bent, did everything possible to further his ambition and assist him in his student

rty to introduce to you my eldest son, who visits Europe for the purpose of perfecting himself in the art of painting under the auspices of some of your eminent artists. Should he vis

ng you will

high con

t ob'd't

. M

whom I cannot say, as the address on

one he has chosen was so strong, and his talents for it, in the opinion of some good

th his earnest wishes and those of his friend and patron, Mr. Allston (with whom he goes to London), we have consented to make the sacrifice of feeling (not a small one), and a pecuniary exertion to the utmost of

own which he describes as very terrible on account of the heat and dust. People were d

bliged to shut up on account of the sun) which was like an oven, and the wind, instead of being in our faces as papa suppos

, perhaps, will think that I experienced some inconvenience from suc

th when it is doing

eleven other passengers, and the sailing of the ship was delayed for several da

RD THE

HOOK, July

New York Harbor on Saturday, 13th, about twelve o'clock and went as far as the quara

ed and remarkably pleasant captain, and a strong, large, fast-sailing ship. We expect from twenty-five to thirty days' passage.... We have a piano-forte on board and two gentl

shall probably be boarded by a British vessel of war soon; there are

pitious and lasted but twenty-two days in all: a very short one for that time. As the diary contains nothing of importance relating to

never before been away from home, and he sees

ssage lasted fifty-seven days, and head winds, gales, and even hurricanes were encountered a

L, Augus

arrived in England. I have had a most delightful passage of t

shall not enter into the particulars of our voyage until I get

n the contrary, have never enjoyed my health better. I have not as yet got

lliman put up at; it is, however, very expensive; they charge the

her passengers are at the same place with me. You may rest assured I shall do everything in my power to be economical, but to avoid imposition of som

through the whole passage. There has been but one day in which we have not had fair winds. Mr. and Mrs. Allston are perfectly well. She has been seasick, but has been greatly benefited by it. She is growing quite healthy

ite soon and of

affectio

F.B.

ical observations on people and places, on manners and customs, are

t little I have seen, I am induced to entertain a very favorable opinion of their hospitality. The appearance of the women as I met them in the streets struck me o

re, and told me, if he found me in Liverpool after that time, he should put me in prison, at which I could not

Mrs. Allston and myself ordered a post-chaise, and at twelve o'clock we set out for Manchester, intending to stay there the first night....

us. We are apt to suppose people are unhappy for the reason that, were we taken from our present situation of independence and placed in their situation of dependence, we should be unhappy; not considering that conten

im. But if he comes in a post-chaise, the whole inn is in an uproar; the whole house come to the door, from the landlord down to boots. One holds his hand to help you to alight, another is very officious in showing you to the parlor, and another gets in the baggage, whilst the landlord and landlady are quite in a bustle to know what the gentlem

not be a wiser plan formed. It makes servants civil and obliging and always ready to do anything; for, knowing that they depend altogether on the bounty of travellers, they would fear to do anything which wo

now was not very good when in Boston (although she is much benefited by her voyage), we were obliged to travel slowly, and in this manner it has cost us perhaps double the sum which it would have done had we come in a stage-coach. But necessity obliged me to act as I have done. I found myself in a land of strangers, liable to be cheated out of my teeth

found (in spite of all my care to the contrary) my observation true. In going from the Liverpool Arms to Mr. Woolsey's, which is over a mile, I was under the necessity of getting

s I related the circumstance to some of my friends and they told me he had cheated me in this way: that it was common for them to carry bad money about them in their mouths, and, when this fellow had caught the good half-guinea in his mouth, he changed it for a bad one. This is one of the thousand tricks they play every da

that I must watch my very teeth

m at 5 o'clock, which invitation I accepted.... I find I have arrived in England at a very critical state of affairs. If such a state continues much longer, England must fall. Amer

turn of the colic. I sent my letter of introduction to Dr. Lettsom with a request that he would call on me, which he d

blunt in his address. He is a man of excellent information and is considered among the greatest literary characters here. There is one peculiarity, however, which he has in conversation, that of using the verb in the third person s

s call, bot

em and I s

die, why w

LETT

suppose great men tak

I will tell you the fashionable hours. A person to be genteel must rise at twelve o'clock, breakfast at two, dine at six, and sup at the same time, and

imagine mama wishing that she could hear of my arrival, and thinking of thousands of accidents that may have befallen me, and I wish that in an instant I coul

outside of this letter written b

e telegraph even

m of shriekings and groanings. There are crowds at the house every night, and, although they all hear the noises, none can discover f