 An apocryphal story claims that college trustee Benjamin Orr had been impressed by Longfellow's translation of Horace and hired him under the condition that he travel to Europe to study French, Spanish, and Italian.Whatever the catalyst, Longfellow began his tour of Europe in May 1826 aboard the ship "Cadmus".His time abroad lasted three years and cost his father $2,604.24, the equivalent of over $67,000 today.