“I am exerting my utmost to improve; every picture I try to make my best, and in the evening I draw two hours from the antique as I did in London; for I ought to inform you that I fortunately found a fine ’Venus de Medicis’ without a blemish, imported from Paris sometime since by a gentleman of this city who wished to dispose of it; also a young Apollo which was so broken that he gave it to me, saying it was useless.  I have, however, after a great deal of trouble, put it together entirely, and these two figures, with some fragments,—­hands, feet, etc.,—­make a good academy.  Mr. Fraser, Mr. Cogdell, Mr. Fisher, of Boston, and myself meet here of an evening to improve ourselves.  I feel as much enthusiasm as ever in my art and love it more than ever.  A few years, at the rate I am now going on, will place me independent of public patronage.

“Thus much for myself, for you told me in one of your letters from London that I must be more of an egotist or you should be less of one in your letters to me, which I should greatly regret.

“And now, permit me, my dear sir, to congratulate you on your election to the Royal Academy.  I know you will believe me when I say I jumped for joy when I heard it.  Though it cannot add to your merit, yet it will extend the knowledge of it, especially in our own country, where we are still influenced by foreign opinion, and more justly, perhaps, in regard to taste in the fine arts than in any other thing.”

On March 1, 1819, the Common Council of Charleston passed the following resolution:—­

“Resolved unanimously that His Honor the Intendant be requested to solicit James Monroe, President of the United States, to permit a full-length likeness to be taken for the City of Charleston, and that Mr. Morse be requested to take all necessary measures for executing the said likeness on the visit of the President to this city.

“Resolved unanimously that the sum of seven hundred and fifty dollars be appropriated for this purpose.

“Extract from the minutes.

“WILLIAM ROACH, JR.,
“Clerk of Council.”

This portrait of President Monroe was completed later on and still hangs in the City Hall of Charleston.  I shall have occasion to refer to it again.

Morse, in a letter to his parents of March 26, 1819, says:—­

“Two of your letters have been lately received detailing the state of the parish and church.  I cannot say I was surprised, for it is what might be expected from Charlestown people....  As to returning home in the way I mentioned mama need not be at all uneasy on that score.  It is necessary I should visit Washington, as the President will stay so short a time here that I cannot complete the head unless I see him in Washington....  Now as to the parish and church business, I hope all things will turn out right yet, and I can’t help wishing that nothing may occur to keep you any longer in that nest of vipers and conspirators.  I think with Edwards decidedly that, on mama’s account alone, you should leave a place which is full of the most unpleasant associations to all the family, and retire to some place of quiet to enjoy your old age.