cteristics that
Borrow gives his own fine if narrow eulogy of Old Crome. John Borrow
seems to have continued his studies in London under Haydon for a year,
and then to have gone to Paris to copy pictures at the Louvre. He
mentions a particular copy that he made of a celebrated picture by one
of the Italian masters, for which a Hungarian nobleman paid him well.
His three years' absence was brought to an abrupt termination by news of
his father's illness. He returned to Norwich in time to stand by that
father's bedside when he died. The elder Borrow died, as we have seen,
in February 1824. The little home in King's Court was kept on for the
mother, and as John was making money by his pictures it was understood
that he should stay with her. On the 1st April, however, George started
for London, carrying the manuscript of _Romantic Ballads from the
Danish_ to Sir Richard Phillips, the publisher. On the 29th of the same
month he was joined by his brother John. John had come to London at his
own expense, but in the interests of the Norwich Town Council. The
council wanted a portrait of one of its mayors for St. Andrew's
Hall--that Valhalla of Norwich municipal worthies which still strikes
the stranger as well-nigh unique in the city life of England. The
municipality would fain have encouraged a fellow-citizen, and John
Borrow had been invited to paint the portrait. 'Why,' it was asked,
'should the money go into a stranger's pocket and be spent in London?'
John, however, felt diffident of his ability and declined, and this in
spite of the fact that the L100 offered for the portrait must have been
very tempting. 'What a pity it was,' he said, 'that Crome was dead.'
'Crome,' said the orator of the deputation that had called on John
Borrow,

'Crome; yes, he was a clever man, a very clever man, in his
way; he was good at painting landscapes and farm-houses, but he
would not do in the present instance, were he alive. He had no
conception of the heroic, sir. We want some person capable of
representing our mayor standing under the Norman arch of the
cathedral.'[16]

At the mention of the heroic John bethought himself of Haydon, and
suggested his name; hence his visit to London, and his proposed
interview with Haydon. The two brothers went together to call upon the
'painter of the heroic' at his studio in Connaught Terrace, Hyde Park.
There was some difficulty about their admission, and it turned out
af