These and other evidences of talent rendered him a favorite child; his father saw the germs of excellence2 in his own art, and, at the age of fourteen, had him apprenticed3 to himself, for seven years, during which his application was incessant4. His father appears to have been harsh, unfeeling and selfish, and to have thought more of obtaining money from the talents and exertions5 of his son, than of giving him such training as should insure his success in life.
During his apprenticeship6, George was confined to an upper room, copying drawings or pictures, and drawing from plaster casts. Being almost entirely7 restricted from society, all the opportunities he had for amusement were obtained by stealth, and his associates were a few boys in the neighborhood. The means of enjoyment8 were obtained by such close application to his business, as secretly to produce a few drawings or pictures more than his father imagined he could complete in a given time. These he lowered by a string from the window of his apartment, to his youthful companions, by whom they were converted into money, which they spent in common when opportunities offered.
In this manner passed the first seventeen years of the life of George Morland; and to this unremitted diligence and application he was indebted for the extraordinary power he possessed9 over the implements of his art. Avarice10, however, was the ruling passion of his father, and this was so insatiable, that he kept[Pg 114] his son incessantly11 at work, and gave him little, if any, education, except as an artist. To this cause must doubtless be attributed the irregularities of his subsequent life.
Morland's earlier compositions were small pictures of two or three figures, chiefly from the ballads12 of the day. These his father put into frames and sold for from one to three guineas. They were remarkable13 for their simple truth, and were much admired. Many of them were engraved14, and widely circulated, which gave the young artist an extensive reputation. About this time, he went to Margate to spend the summer, and, by the advice of a friend, commenced portrait painting there. Great numbers of fashionable persons came to sit to him, and he commenced several pictures.
But the society of accomplished16 people made him feel his own ignorance to such a degree as to render him unhappy, and he sought relief at pig races and in other coarse amusements, projected for the lower order of visitors at Margate. These at last engaged his whole attention, and the portraits were thrown aside, to be finished in town. He at last returned, with empty pockets and a large cargo17 of unfinished canvasses18.
Morland continued, however, to rise rapidly in his profession, and he might easily have secured an ample fortune. The subjects he selected for his pencil, were, generally, rural scenes, familiar to every eye, and the sentiment they conveyed was felt by every beholder19. Many of these were admirably engraved by the celebrated20 J. B. Smith, and immense numbers[Pg 115] were sold. Morland now had demands for more pictures than he could execute, and at almost any price.
But, unhappily, this gifted artist had already become addicted21 to the society of low picture dealers22, and other dissipated persons, and his habits were, consequently, exceedingly irregular. His chief pleasures seemed to be—a ride into the country to a grinning match, a jolly dinner with a drinking bout15 after it, and a mad scamper23 home with a flounce in the mud.
Such, at last, was Morland's dislike of the society of gentlemen, and his preference of low company, that he would not paint pictures for the former class, but preferred selling them to certain artful dealers, who were his associates, and who flattered his vices24, so that they might prey25 upon his genius. Of these persons, who pretended to be his friends, he did not obtain more than half price for his paintings. This system was carried to such an extent that Morland was at last entirely cut off from all connection with the real admirers of his works. If a gentleman wished to get one of his pictures, he could only do it by employing one of these harpies who had access to the artist, and who would wheedle26 a picture out of him for a mere27 trifle, and all under the mask of friendship.
About the year 1790, Morland lived in the neighborhood of Paddington. At this period, he had reached the very summit of his professional fame, and also of his extravagance. He kept, at one time, no less than eight saddle horses at livery, at the sign[Pg 116] of the White Lion, opposite to his house, and affected28 to be a good judge of horse-flesh. Frequently, horses, for which one day he would give thirty or forty guineas, he would sell the next, for less than half that sum; but as the honest fraternity of horse-dealers knew their man, and would take his note at two months, he could the more easily indulge this propensity29, and appear, for a short time, in cash, until the day of payment came, when a picture was produced as a douceur for a renewal30 of the notes.
This was one source of calamity31 which neither his industry, for which he was not remarkable, nor his talents, were by any means adequate to overcome. His wine merchant, who was also a gentleman in the discounting line, would sometimes obtain a picture worth fifty pounds, for the renewal of a bill. By this conduct, he heaped folly32 upon folly, to such a degree, that a fortune of ten thousand a year would have proved insufficient33 for the support of his waste and prodigality34.
Morland's embarrassments35, which now crowded upon him, were far from producing any change in his conduct; and, at length, they conducted him, through the hands of a bailiff, into prison, of which, by the way, he had always entertained a foreboding apprehension36. This, however, did not render him immediately unhappy, but rather afforded him an opportunity of indulging, without restraint of any kind, his fatal propensities37. There, he could mingle38 with such companions as were best adapted to his taste, and there too, in his own way, he could, without check or[Pg 117] control, reign39 or revel40, surrounded by the very lowest of the vicious rabble41.
When in confinement42, and even sometimes when he was at liberty, it was common for him to have four guineas a day and his drink,—an object of no small consequence, as he began to drink before he began to paint, and continued to do both alternately, till he had painted as much as he pleased, or till the liquor had completely overcome him, when he claimed his money, and business was at an end for that day.
This laid his employer under the necessity of passing his whole time with him, in order to keep him in a state fit for labor43, and to carry off the day's work when it was done; otherwise some eavesdropper44 snapped up his picture, and his employer was left to obtain what redress45 he could. By pursuing this fatal system, he ruined his health, enfeebled his genius, and sunk himself into general contempt. His constitution could not long sustain such an abuse of its powers. He was attacked with paralysis46, and soon after, he died.
Thus perished George Morland, at the early age of forty-one years; a man whose best works will command esteem47 as long as any taste for the art of painting remains48; one whose talents might have insured him happiness and distinction, if he had been educated with care, and if his entrance into life had been guided by those who were able and willing to caution him against the snares49 which are continually preparing by knavery50 for the inexperience and heedlessness of youth. Many of the subjects of Morland's[Pg 118] pencil, are such as, of themselves, are far from pleasing. He delighted in representations of the pigsty51. Yet even these, through the love we possess of truthful52 imitations, and the hallowing powers of genius, excite emotions of pleasure. His pictures of scenery around the cottage door, and of those rustic53 groups familiar to every eye, have the effect of poetry, and call into exercise those gentle sentiments, which, however latent, exist in every bosom54. It is sad to reflect, that one who did so much to refine and civilize55 mankind, should himself have been the victim of the coarsest of vices.
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1
implements
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| n.工具( implement的名词复数 )；家具；手段；[法律]履行（契约等）v.实现( implement的第三人称单数 )；执行；贯彻；使生效 | |
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2
excellence
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| n.优秀，杰出，(pl.)优点，美德 | |
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3
apprenticed
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| 学徒，徒弟( apprentice的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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incessant
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| adj.不停的，连续的 | |
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exertions
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| n.努力( exertion的名词复数 )；费力；（能力、权力等的）运用；行使 | |
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apprenticeship
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| n.学徒身份；学徒期 | |
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7
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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8
enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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avarice
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| n.贪婪；贪心 | |
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incessantly
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| ad.不停地 | |
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12
ballads
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| 民歌，民谣，特别指叙述故事的歌( ballad的名词复数 )； 讴 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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engraved
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| v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的过去式和过去分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中） | |
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15
bout
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| n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛 | |
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16
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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cargo
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| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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canvasses
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| n.检票员，游说者，推销员( canvass的名词复数 )v.（在政治方面）游说( canvass的第三人称单数 )；调查（如选举前选民的）意见；为讨论而提出（意见等）；详细检查 | |
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19
beholder
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| n.观看者，旁观者 | |
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celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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21
addicted
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| adj.沉溺于....的，对...上瘾的 | |
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dealers
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| n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者 | |
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23
scamper
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| v.奔跑，快跑 | |
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24
vices
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| 缺陷( vice的名词复数 )； 恶习； 不道德行为； 台钳 | |
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25
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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26
wheedle
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| v.劝诱，哄骗 | |
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27
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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propensity
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| n.倾向；习性 | |
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30
renewal
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| adj.(契约)延期，续订，更新，复活，重来 | |
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31
calamity
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| n.灾害，祸患，不幸事件 | |
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32
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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33
insufficient
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| adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的 | |
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prodigality
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| n.浪费，挥霍 | |
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35
embarrassments
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| n.尴尬( embarrassment的名词复数 )；难堪；局促不安；令人难堪或耻辱的事 | |
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36
apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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propensities
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| n.倾向，习性( propensity的名词复数 ) | |
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38
mingle
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| vt.使混合，使相混；vi.混合起来；相交往 | |
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39
reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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40
revel
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| vi.狂欢作乐，陶醉；n.作乐，狂欢 | |
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41
rabble
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| n.乌合之众，暴民；下等人 | |
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42
confinement
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| n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限 | |
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43
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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44
eavesdropper
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| 偷听者 | |
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45
redress
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| n.赔偿，救济，矫正；v.纠正，匡正，革除 | |
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46
paralysis
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| n.麻痹(症)；瘫痪(症) | |
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47
esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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48
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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49
snares
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| n.陷阱( snare的名词复数 )；圈套；诱人遭受失败（丢脸、损失等）的东西；诱惑物v.用罗网捕捉，诱陷，陷害( snare的第三人称单数 ) | |
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50
knavery
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| n.恶行，欺诈的行为 | |
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51
pigsty
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| n.猪圈，脏房间 | |
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52
truthful
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| adj.真实的，说实话的，诚实的 | |
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53
rustic
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| adj.乡村的，有乡村特色的；n.乡下人，乡巴佬 | |
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54
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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55
civilize
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| vt.使文明，使开化 (=civilise) | |
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