Whenithadbecomedefinitelyknownthatsuchwastheenormouswealthinherited，therewere，ofcourse，manyspeculationsastothemodeofitsdisposal。Thegiganticmagnitudeandtheimmediatelyavailablenatureofthesum，dazzledandbewilderedallwhothoughtuponthetopic。Thepossessorofanyappreciableamountofmoneymighthavebeenimaginedtoperformanyoneofathousandthings。Withrichesmerelysurpassingthoseofanycitizen，itwouldhavebeeneasytosupposehimengagingtosupremeexcessinthefashionableextravagancesofhistime；orbusyinghimselfwithpoliticalintrigues；oraimingatministerialpower，orpurchasingincreaseofnobility，ordevisinggorgeousarchitecturalpiles；orcollectinglargespecimensofVirtu；orplayingthemunificentpatronofLettersandArt；orendowingandbestowinghisnameuponextensiveinstitutionsofcharity。But，fortheinconceivablewealthintheactualpossessionoftheyoungheir，theseobjectsandallordinaryobjectswerefelttobeinadequate。Recoursewashadtofigures；andfiguresbutsufficedtoconfound。Itwasseen，thatevenatthreepercent，theannualincomeoftheinheritanceamountedtonolessthanthirteenmillionsandfivehundredthousanddollars；whichwasonemillionandonehundredandtwenty-fivethousandpermonth；orthirty-sixthousand，ninehundredandeighty-sixperday，oronethousandfivehundredandforty-oneperhour，orsixandtwentydollarsforeveryminutethatflew。Thustheusualtrackofsuppositionwasthoroughlybrokenup。Menknewnotwhattoimagine。
ThereweresomewhoevenconceivedthatMr。Ellisonwoulddivesthimselfforthwithofatleasttwo-thirdsofhisfortuneasofutterlysuperfluousopulence；enrichingwholetroopsofhisrelativesbydivisionofhissuperabundance。
Iwasnotsurprised，however，toperceivethathehadlongmadeuphisminduponatopicwhichhadoccasionedsomuchofdiscussiontohisfriends。NorwasIgreatlyastonishedatthenatureofhisdecision。Inthewidestandnoblestsense，hewasapoet。Hecomprehended，moreover，thetruecharacter，theaugustaims，thesuprememajestyanddignityofthepoeticsentiment。ThepropergratificationofthesentimentheinstinctivelyfelttolieinthecreationofnovelformsofBeauty。Somepeculiarities，eitherinhisearlyeducation，orinthenatureofhisintellect，hadtingedwithwhatistermedmaterialismthewholecastofhisethicalspeculations；anditwasthisbias，perhaps，whichimperceptiblyledhimtoperceivethatthemostadvantageous，ifnotthesolelegitimatefieldfortheexerciseofthepoeticsentiment，wastobefoundinthecreationofnovelmoodsofpurelyphysicalloveliness。
Thusithappenedthathebecameneithermusiciannorpoet；ifweusethislatterterminitseverydayacceptation。Oritmighthavebeenthathebecameneithertheonenortheother，inpursuanceofanideaofhiswhichIhavealreadymentionedtheidea，thatinthecontemptofambitionlayoneoftheessentialprinciplesofhappinessonearth。Isitnot，indeed，possiblethatwhileahighorderofgeniusisnecessarilyambitious，thehighestisinvariablyabovethatwhichistermedambition？AndmayitnotthushappenthatmanyfargreaterthanMilton，havecontentedlyremained“muteandinglorious？”
Ibelievetheworldhasneveryetseen，andthat，unlessthroughsomeseriesofaccidentsgoadingthenoblestorderofmindintodistastefulexertion，theworldwillneverbehold，thatfullextentoftriumphantexecution，inthericherproductionsofArt，ofwhichthehumannatureisabsolutelycapable。