which he proposed for extricating poor George, although eagerly embraced at the moment they were given, were never acted upon, even for one short day. In addition to such disappointments, another act of stupid folly, more closely bordering upon idiotism than any other in the whole catalogue of Morland's errors, was committed by him at this period.-An act which tended as much, if not more, than all his other extravagances put together, to accelerate his ruin; namely, to feed and lodge a person for accepting of half, nay very often more than half, the money which his unequalled productions were always certain to produce!!! Now this would be considered as a wonderful advantage, if even the person thus fortunately employed, had any difficulty in finding a market for such pictures as Morland's. But there was, generally speaking, a constant market at his

very elbow, and a frequent contention round his easel for every picture that was ready to be removed from it. The relation of such seeming improbabilities, the author is well aware, had they been related

of other individual, without the reany spectable testimony of several living witnesses, would subject him to something more than mere suspicion of dealing too much in the marvellous.

The person first selected for this productive employment, was not either remarkable for his conversation or judgment; bẹing as wholly ignorant of the arts, as he was destitute of either wit or humour. Yet for a while that species of selfish cunning, which is often too much for wit and knowledge, enabled him to drive a most profitable traffic, without risking one shilling. In fact, although he knew nothing of the merits of a picture, he knew who painted it, as he seldom stirred from the house of the painter but when in company with him; and being thus enabled to ascertain the originality of every picture painted by poor Morland, he purchased all with sums advanced him for that purpose by a very friendly man, who ran no manner of risk in so doing. Nay, this generous friend, although he denied George's partner his house

but a few weeks previous to his engagement with the painter, as before related, always had the pictures, as soon as they were finished, deposited in safety, before he advanced any more money for new bargains.

However, this unequal contract, so immoderately beneficial to one party, and ruinous to the other, was productive of the worst consequences to him that had all this advantage; and is another warning, added. to the multitude of others every where recorded, as a caution to giddy, thoughtless youth, against contracting bad habits. This unfortunate youth, upon whom advice had as little effect as upon his master, partner, and companion, in less than three years contracted such a habit of drinking ardent spirits, first by way of ingratiating himself still more with his partner, and thereby to drive a better bargain, that he never could refrain from the slow but deadly poison. Which soon put a period to a life that might have been useful, under proper guidance, to his family and

country, ere he had attained the age of twenty-five years.

Some time previous to the demise of this faithful servant and co-partner, Morland painted two historical pictures for him, which he sold to Mr. Smith, of King Street, Covent Garden, who made two large prints from them, the sale of which, to this day, upon the Continent is, notwithstanding the obstruction of war, pretty considerable. These pictures were exhibited, we believe, in 1789, and certainly contributed to extend the painter's fame very far beyond what it ever had been before. The subject being a popular one, and the painter the first who had ever contributed the powerful support of an able pencil, in conjunction with the pen, and the most brilliant eloquence ever displayed in the British senate, in the cause of injured humanity. It is necessary to inform the reader, the titles of this popular pair of prints were The Slave Trade, and African Hospitality. Their being, however, painted from a poem written about a year before that period, by

the author of this, will apologise for our not entering into any farther description of them, and of proceeding briefly in our description of other subjects produced about the same period. Four capital pictures, from which Mr. Smith also had a set of prints engraved, called the Deserter; the merit of which is best attested by their extensive sale. In addition to the foregoing, were the series of prints, six in number, published by the same person, called Seduction, or Letitia, from pictures painted by Morland for Mr. Smith; in which the painter has evinced his capacity for the more exalted style of composition, although not approaching to the sublime, called historical painting; as also his taste in delineating the most graceful and elegant female form. Of these pictures, and several others, we shall have occasion to treat more at large in the sequel, in order to remove a very erroneous opinion respecting our painter's talent being confined to, or incapable of portraying any but low and familiar subjects.