Tom Thumb and Haydon

It is scarcely an exaggeration to say that poor Haydon, the historical painter, was killed by Tom Thumb. In 1846 Haydon finished one of his six large historical pictures, called "The Banishment of Aristides," by the exhibition of which he hoped to relieve himself from debt. He engaged a room for the purpose in the Egyptian Hall, London; and, very shortly after, Gen. Tom Thumb came to London, and exhibited himself under the same roof.

The following was found recorded soon afterwards in Haydon's diary: "They rush by thousands to see Tom Thumb; they see my bills, but do not read them."

Two weeks after, he made his record in a few bitter words: "In one week, 12,000 persons have paid to see Tom Thumb, while only 133 have paid to see 'Aristides.'"

In five weeks he closed his exhibition with a positive loss of more than a hundred pounds; and then, in the midst of poverty and misery, he made his last entry: "O God! let it not be presumptuous in me to ask thy blessing on my six works."

He was found one morning in June prostrate before his picture. The pistol and the razor had ended his troubles.