Ford Madox Ford: Memoirs

A passage re the last meeting between William Morris and Ford Madox Brown (FMF's grandfather):

Morris, I suppose, was tired with his lecturing and answering of questions, for at a given period he drew from his pocket an enormous bandana handkerchief in scarlet and green. This he proceeded to spread over his face, and leaning back in his chair he seemed to compose himself to sleep after the manner of elderly gentlemen taking their naps. One of the young maidens began asking my grandfather some rather inane questions — what did Mr. Brown think of the weather, or what was Mr. Brown’s favorite picture at the Academy? For all the disciples of Mr. Morris were not equally advanced in thought. Suddenly Morris tore the handkerchief from before his face and roared out: “Don’t be such an intolerable fool, Polly!” Nobody seemed to mind this very much — nor, indeed, was the reproved disciple seriously abashed, for almost immediately afterward she asked: “Mr. Brown, do you think that Sir Frederick Leighton is a greater painter than Mr. Frank Dicksee?” Morris, however, had retired once more behind his handkerchief, and I presume he had given up in despair the attempt to hint to his disciple that Mr. Brown did not like Royal Academicians. I do not remember how my grandfather got out of this invidious comparison, but I do remember that when, shortly afterward, the young lady said to him: “You paint a little too, don’t you, Mr. Brown?” He answered: “Only with my left hand.” This somewhat mystified the young lady, but it was perfectly true, for shortly before then Madox Brown had had a stroke of paralysis which rendered his right hand almost entirely useless. He was then engaged in painting with his left the enormous picture of “Wycliffe on His Trial,” which was to have been presented by subscribing admirers to the National Gallery.