"It frequently happened," says one of Morland's biographers, "when a
picture had been bespoke by one of his friends, who advanced some of the
money to induce him to work, if the purchaser did not stand by to see it
finished and carry it away with him, some other person, who was lurking
within sight for that purpose, and knew the state of Morland's pocket,
by the temptation of a few guineas laid upon the table, carried off the
picture. Thus all were served in their turn; and though each exulted in
the success of the trick when he was so lucky as to get a picture in
this easy way, they all joined in exclaiming against Morland's want of
honesty in not keeping his promises to them."