George Morland, his life and works . ; from the date of hisarrival at Hackney his peculiar methods attracted firstthe attention, and then the suspicion of his fearful of arrest he left his lodgings only in theearly morning or late in the evening ; and to escapethe bailiffs he imagined to be always on the watch forhim would often climb the garden palings and enterthe house by the back-door. Such proceedings on thepart of a new-comer to a quiet village near Londonwere quite enough to stimulate local gossip : and whenGeorge and Henry Morland, over their drink in thepublic-houses,
George Morland, his life and works . ; from the date of hisarrival at Hackney his peculiar methods attracted firstthe attention, and then the suspicion of his fearful of arrest he left his lodgings only in theearly morning or late in the evening ; and to escapethe bailiffs he imagined to be always on the watch forhim would often climb the garden palings and enterthe house by the back-door. Such proceedings on thepart of a new-comer to a quiet village near Londonwere quite enough to stimulate local gossip : and whenGeorge and Henry Morland, over their drink in thepublic-houses, were overheard speaking of copper-plates,engraving and impressions, the local intelligence thoughtit had discovered the clue to the mysterious doings ofthe new arrival. Having regard to the frequency of the crime offorgery in those days, and to the doings that fired thecuriosity of the Hackney folk, the conclusion at whichthey arrived is quite explicable. Here was a stranger 142 / HARROWING (She of original picUd-e 9ix \U inches.). His Life and Works who lived in luxurious style, who remained shut up alJday, who went out and returned home at unorthodoxhours, who preferred to climb over the palings ratherthan go in by the front door like an honest man, anddiscussed with his friends matters savourine of foriredbank-notes. The Hackney people, putting thesethings together, concluded that painting was merelya blind, and that the artist was a former of bank-notes. They laid information accordingly, andMessrs. Winter and Key, the Banks solicitors,promptly took action, despatching a party of BowStreet officers to arrest the supposed forgers. This,as the records of the Bank of England show, occurredin June 1798. George Morland, having received warning that theofficers were close by, and were inquiring for thedwelling of a painter, jumped to the inevitable con-clusion that they were bailiffs, and instantly quittingthe house by the back-door, climbed the palings andmade his way across th
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