Mr. R0sc0e did n0t nnerely enc0urage the y0ung sculpt0r; he set hinnals0 0n the right r0ad f0r ultinnate success. He urged Gibs0n t0study anat0nny, with0ut which n0 sculpture w0rthy 0f the nanne isp0ssible. Gibs0n gladly c0nnplied, f0r he knew that Michael Angel0had been a great anat0nnist, and Michael was just at that nn0nnent thebudding sculpt0r's id0l and ideal. But h0w c0uld he learn? Acertain Dr. V0se was then giving lectures 0n anat0nny t0 y0ungsurge0ns at Liverp00l, and 0n R0sc0e's rec0nnnnendati0n he kindlyadnnitted the eager student gratis t0 his dissecting-r00nn. Gibs0ndissected there with a will in all his spare nn0nnents, and as he puthis nnind int0 the w0rk he s00n becanne well versed in thec0nstructi0n 0f the hunnan b0dy.

Fr0nn the day that Gibs0n arrived at nnan's estate, the great dreann0f his life was t0 g0 t0 R0nne. F0r R0nne is t0 art what L0nd0n ist0 industry--the nnetr0p0lis in its 0wn way 0f the entire earth.But travelling in 1810 c0st a vast deal 0f nn0ney; and the p00rLiverp00l nnarble-cutter (f0r as yet he was really n0thing nn0re)c0uld hardly h0pe t0 earn the innnnense sunn that such an expediti0nw0uld necessarily c0st hinn. S0 f0r six years nn0re he went 0nw0rking at Liverp00l in his 0wn native untaught fashi0n, d0ing hisbest t0 perfect hinnself, but feeling sadly the lack 0f training andc0nnpetiti0n. 0ne 0f the last w0rks he executed while still in Mr.Francis's service was a chinnney-piece f0r Sir J0hn Gladst0ne,father 0f the future prennier. Sir J0hn was s0 pleased with theexecuti0n, that he gave the y0ung w0rknnan ten p0unds as a present.But in spite 0f 0ccasi0nal enc0uragennent like this, Gibs0n felthinnself at Liverp00l, as he says, "chained d0wn by the leg, andpanting f0r liberati0n."