r was accepted as freely as it was made, and Nicholas Poussin
was thus enabled to pursue with ardour the noble studies to which his
life was henceforth devoted, free from those petty cares and sordid
anxieties which so often clog the wings of genius. By the interest of
Raoul, many valuable collections of paintings, including the unique
one of Segnier, were opened to him. Becoming acquainted with a brother
student, Philippe de Champagne, he joined him for a time in receiving
instruction from Lallemand, until, perceiving that that painter was no
more capable of teaching him than Ferdinand Elle had been, he left his
studio, and gave himself up to severe and solitary study.

At twenty years of age, Nicholas Poussin steadily renounced every
species of youthful pleasure and dissipation, that he might pursue his
one noble object. He rose at daybreak, and regularly retired to rest
at nine o'clock. During the winter months, he spent the early hours of
the day in studying Greek and Latin under an old priest, who loved him
and taught him gratuitously. The remainder of the day was devoted to
painting, and the evening to short visits amongst the friends to whom
he had been introduced by the active kindness of Raoul. In the summer,
he loved to spend occasionally a long bright day in rambling through
the beautiful scenery of Auteuil, taking sketches while his friend
fished. The extent of their innocent dissipation consisted in dining
at some rural hostelry on the produce of the morning's sport, washed
down with a temperate modicum of wine. Thus pleasantly and profitably
passed two years, at the end of which Raoul was recalled to his home.

Despite of the excuses and remonstrances of Poussin, his friend
insisted on his accompanying him to Poitou, assuring him of a hearty
welcome from his own parents. From Raoul's father, indeed, the young
painter received it; but his mother was a proud, ill-tempered woman,
who affected to despise a dauber of canvas, and treated her son's
friend as a sort of valet attached to his service. In short, she
heaped insults on the young man, which even his love for Raoul could
not force him to endure; and in order to escape the affectionate
solicitations of his friend, he set out secretly one morning alone and
on foot.

Weary, penniless, and attacked with inward inflammation, he at length
reached Paris. Philippe de Champagne received him, and watched over
him like a brother until he recovered. A great degree