I remember Thackeray saying to me, concerning a certain chapter
in one of his books that the critics agreed in accusing of
carelessness: “Careless? If I’ve written that chapter once, I’ve
written it a dozen times--and each time worse than the last!”
a proof that labor did not assist in his case. When an artist
fails it is not so much from carelessness--to do his best is not
only profitable to him, but a joy. But it is not given to every
man--not, indeed, to any--to succeed whenever and however he
tries. The best painter that ever lived never entirely succeeded
more than four or five times; that is to say, no artist ever
painted more than four or five masterpieces, however high his
general average may have been, for such success depends on the
coincidence, not only of genius and inspiration, but of health
and mood and a hundred other mysterious contingencies.--Sir
JOHN MILLAIS, _Magazine of Art_.
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