“Poor luckless Jannette! the epithets ‘divine’ and ‘heavenly’ which have so often been applied to thee are now transferred to miserable daubings with oil and clay.  Dame Nature, your triumph has been short.  Poor foolish beldam, you thought, indeed, when you had formed your masterpiece and named 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 comfort what a foolish, fickle youth has dared to say of your darling Jannette, and that while she is yet in the first blush and bloom of virgin loveliness—­’next to painting I love Jannette the best.’  Insufferable blasphemy!  Hear, O Heavens, and be amazed!  Tremble, O Earth, and be horribly afraid!”

In spite of this impassioned arraignment, Morse devoted himself exclusively to his art for the next few years, and we have only occasional references in the letters that follow to his first serious love affair.

We also hear nothing further of “Marius on the Ruins of Carthage”; but in February, 1811, he writes to his brothers:  “I am painting my large piece, the landing of our forefathers at Plymouth.  Perhaps I shall have it finished by the time you come home in the spring.  My landscape I finished sometime since, and it is framed and hung up in the front parlor.”

At last in July, 1811, the great ambition of the young man was about to be realized and he prepared to set sail for England with his friend and master, Washington Allston.  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 years.  He gave him many letters of introduction to well-known persons in England and France, one of which, to His Excellency C.M.  Talleyrand, I shall quote in full.

SIR,—­I had the honor to introduce to you, some years since, a young friend of mine, Mr. Wilder, who has since resided in your country.  Your civility to him induces me to take the liberty 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 visit France, as he intends, I shall direct him to pay his respects to you, sir, assured that he will receive your protection and patronage so far as you can with convenience afford them.

In thus doing you will much oblige,

Sir, with high consideration
Your most ob’d’t.  Serv’t,
JED. MORSE.

In another letter of introduction, to whom I cannot say, as the address on the copy is lacking, the father says:—­

“His parents had designed him for a different profession, but his inclination for the one he has chosen was so strong, and his talents for it, in the opinion of some good judges, so promising, that we thought it not proper to attempt to control his choice.