george cruikshank-第5章

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many　footmen　make　their　appearance：　one　is　a　huge　fat　Hercules　of　a

Portman　Square　porter；　who　calmly　surveys　another　poor　fellow；　a

porter　likewise；　but　out　of　livery；　who　comes　staggering　forward

with　a　box　that　Hercules　might　lift　with　his　little　finger。　Will

Hercules　do　so？　not　he。　　The　giant　can　carry　nothing　heavier　than　a

cocked…hat　note　on　a　silver　tray；　and　his　labors　are　to　walk　from

his　sentry…box　to　the　door；　and　from　the　door　back　to　his　sentry…box；

and　to　read　the　Sunday　paper；　and　to　poke　the　hall　fire　twice　or

thrice；　and　to　make　five　meals　a　day。　　Such　a　fellow　does　Cruikshank

hate　and　scorn　worse　even　than　a　Frenchman。



The　man's　master；　too；　comes　in　for　no　small　share　of　our　artist's

wrath。　　There　is　a　company　of　them　at　church；　who　humbly　designate

themselves　〃miserable　sinners！〃　　Miserable　sinners　indeed！　　Oh；　what

floods　of　turtle…soup；　what　tons　of　turbot　and　lobster…sauce　must

have　been　sacrificed　to　make　those　sinners　properly　miserable。　　My

lady　with　the　ermine　tippet　and　draggling　feather；　can　we　not　see

that　she　lives　in　Portland　Place；　and　is　the　wife　of　an　East　India

Director？　　She　has　been　to　the　Opera　over…night　（indeed　her　husband；

on　her　right；　with　his　fat　hand　dangling　over　the　pew…door；　is　at

this　minute　thinking　of　Mademoiselle　Leocadie；　whom　he　saw　behind

the　scenes）she　has　been　at　the　Opera　over…night；　which　with　a

trifle　of　supper　afterwardsa　white…and…brown　soup；　a　lobster…

salad；　some　woodcocks；　and　a　little　champagnesent　her　to　bed　quite

comfortable。　　At　half…past　eight　her　maid　brings　her　chocolate　in

bed；　at　ten　she　has　fresh　eggs　and　muffins；　with；　perhaps；　a　half…

hundred　of　prawns　for　breakfast；　and　so　can　get　over　the　day　and　the

sermon　till　lunch…time　pretty　well。　　What　an　odor　of　musk　and

bergamot　exhales　from　the　pew！how　it　is　wadded；　and　stuffed；　and

spangled　over　with　brass　nails！　what　hassocks　are　there　for　those

who　are　not　too　fat　to　kneel！　what　a　flustering　and　flapping　of　gilt

prayer…books；　and　what　a　pious　whirring　of　bible　leaves　one　hears

all　over　the　church；　as　the　doctor　blandly　gives　out　the　text！　　To

be　miserable　at　this　rate　you　must；　at　the　very　least；　have　four

thousand　a　year：　and　many　persons　are　there　so　enamored　of　grief　and

sin；　that　they　would　willingly　take　the　risk　of　the　misery　to　have　a

life…interest　in　the　consols　that　accompany　it；　quite　careless　about

consequences；　and　sceptical　as　to　the　notion　that　a　day　is　at　hand

when　you　must　fulfil　YOUR　SHARE　OF　THE　BARGAIN。



Our　artist　loves　to　joke　at　a　soldier；　in　whose　livery　there　appears

to　him　to　be　something　almost　as　ridiculous　as　in　the　uniform　of　the

gentleman　of　the　shoulder…knot。　　Tall　life…guardsmen　and　fierce

grenadiers　figure　in　many　of　his　designs；　and　almost　always　in　a

ridiculous　way。　　Here　again　we　have　the　honest　popular　English

feeling　which　jeers　at　pomp　or　pretension　of　all　kinds；　and　is

especially　jealous　of　all　display　of　military　authority。　　〃Raw

Recruit；〃　〃ditto　dressed；〃　ditto　〃served　up；〃　as　we　see　them　in　the

〃Sketch…Book；〃　are　so　many　satires　upon　the　army：　Hodge　with　his

ribbons　flaunting　in　his　hat；　or　with　red　coat　and　musket；　drilled

stiff　and　pompous；　or　at　last；　minus　leg　and　arm；　tottering　about　on

crutches；　does　not　fill　our　English　artist　with　the　enthusiasm　that

follows　the　soldier　in　every　other　part　of　Europe。　　Jeanjean；　the

conscript　in　France；　is　laughed　at　to　be　sure；　but　then　it　is

because　he　is　a　bad　soldier：　when　he　comes　to　have　a　huge　pair　of

mustachios　and　the　croix…d'honneur　to　briller　on　his　poitrine

cicatrisee；　Jeanjean　becomes　a　member　of　a　class　that　is　more

respected　than　any　other　in　the　French　nation。　　The　veteran　soldier

inspires　our　people　with　no　such　awewe　hold　that　democratic　weapon

the　fist　in　much　more　honor　than　the　sabre　and　bayonet；　and　laugh　at

a　man　tricked　out　in　scarlet　and　pipe…clay。



That　regiment　of　heroes　is　〃marching　to　divine　service；〃　to　the　tune

of　the　〃British　Grenadiers。〃　　There　they　march　in　state；　and　a

pretty　contempt　our　artist　shows　for　all　their　gimcracks　and

trumpery。　　He　has　drawn　a　perfectly　English　scenethe　little

blackguard　boys　are　playing　pranks　round　about　the　men；　and

shouting；　〃Heads　up；　soldier；〃　〃Eyes　right；　lobster；〃　as　little

British　urchins　will　do。　　Did　one　ever　hear　the　like　sentiments

expressed　in　France？　　Shade　of　Napoleon；　we　insult　you　by　asking　the

question。　　In　England；　however；　see　how　different　the　case　is：　and

designedly　or　undesignedly；　the　artist　has　opened　to　us　a　piece　of

his　mind。　　In　the　crowd　the　only　person　who　admires　the　soldiers　is

the　poor　idiot；　whose　pocket　a　rogue　is　picking。　　There　is　another

picture；　in　which　the　sentiment　is　much　the　same；　only；　as　in　the

former　drawing　we　see　Englishmen　laughing　at　the　troops　of　the　line；

here　are　Irishmen　giggling　at　the　militia。



We　have　said　that　our　artist　has　a　great　love　for　the　drolleries　of

the　Green　Island。　　Would　any　one　doubt　what　was　the　country　of　the

merry　fellows　depicted　in　his　group　of　Paddies？





　　　　〃Place　me　amid　O'Rourkes；　O'Tooles；

　　　　　　　The　ragged　royal　race　of　Tara；

　　　　　Or　place　me　where　Dick　Martin　rules

　　　　　　　The　pathless　wilds　of　Connemara。〃





We　know　not　if　Mr。　Cruikshank　has　ever　had　any　such　good　luck　as　to

see　the　Irish　in　Ireland　itself；　but　he　certainly　has　obtained　a

knowledge　of　their　looks；　as　if　the　country　had　been　all　his　life

familiar　to　him。　　Could　Mr。　O'Connell　himself　desire　anything　more

national　than　the　scene　of　a　drunken　row；　or　could　Father　Mathew

have　a　better　text　to　preach　upon？　　There　is　not　a　broken　nose　in

the　room　that　is　not　thoroughly　Irish。



We　have　then　a　couple　of　compositions　treated　in　a　graver　manner；　as

characteristic　too　as　the　other。　　We　call　attention　to　the　comical

look　of　poor　Teague；　who　has　been　pursued　and　beaten　by　the　witch's

stick；　in　order　to　point　out　also　the　singular　neatness　of　the

workmanship；　and　the　pretty；　fanciful　little　glimpse　of　landscape

that　the　artist　has　introduced　in　the　background。　　Mr。　Cruikshank

has　a　fine　eye　for　such　homely　landscapes；　and　renders　them　with

great　delicacy　and　taste。　　Old　villages；　farm…yards；　groups　of

stacks；　queer　chimneys；　churches；　gable…ended　cottages；　Elizabethan

mansion…houses；　and　other　old　English　scenes；　he　depicts　with

evident　enthusiasm。



Famous　books　in　their　day　were　Cruikshank's　〃John　Gilpin〃　and

〃Epping　Hunt；〃　for　though　our　artist　does　not　draw　horses　very

scientifically；to　use　a　phrase　of　the　atelier；he　FEELS　them　very

keenly；　and　his　queer　animals；　after　one　is　used　to　them；　answer

quite　as　well　as　better。　　Neither　is　he　very　happy　in　trees；　and

such　rustical　produce；　or；　rather；　we　should　say；　he　is　very

original；　his　trees　being　decidedly　of　his　own　make　and　composition；

not　imitated　from　any　master。



But　what　then？　　Can　a　man　be　supposed　to　imitate　everything？　　We

know　what　the　noblest　study　of　mankind　is；　and　to　this　Mr。

Cruikshank　has　confined　himself。　　That　postilion　with　the　people　in

the　broken…down　chaise　roaring　after　him　is　as　deaf　as　the　post　by

which　he　passes。　　Suppose　all　the　accessories　were　away；　could　not

one　swear　that　the　man　was　stone…deaf；　beyond　the　reach　of　trumpet？

What　is　the　peculiar　character　in　a　deaf　man's　physiognomy？can　any

person　define　it　satisfactorily　in　words？not　in　pages；　and　Mr。

Cruikshank　has　expressed　it　on　a　piece　of　paper　not　so　big　as　the

tenth　part　of　your　thumb…nail。　　The　horses　of　John　Gilpin　are　much

more　of　the　equestrian　order；　and　as　here　the　artist　has　only　his

favorite　suburban　buildings　to　draw；　not　a　word　is　to　be　said

against　his　design。　　The　inn　and　old　buildings　are　charmingly

designed；　and　nothing　can　be　more　prettily　or　playfully　touched。





　　　　〃At　Edmonton　his　loving　wife

　　　　　　　From　the　balcony　spied

　　　　　Her　tender　husband；　wond'ring　much

　　　　　　　To　see　how　he　did　ride。



　　　　〃'Stop；　stop；　John　Gilpin！　　Here's　the　house！'

　　　　　　　They　all　at　once　did　cry；

　　　　　'The　dinner　waits；　and　we　are　tired'

　　　　　　　Said　Gilpin'So　am　I！'



　　　　〃Six　gentlemen　upon　the　road

　　　　　　　Thus　seeing　Gilpin　fly；

　　　　　With　post…boy　scamp'ring　in　the　rear；

　　　　　　　They　raised　the　hue　and　cry：



　　　　〃'Stop　thief！　stop　thief！a　highwayman！'

　　　　　　　Not　one　of　them　was　mute；

　　　　　And　all　and　each　that　passed　that　way

　　　　　　　Did　join　in　the　pursuit。



　　　　〃And　now　the　turnpike　gates　again

　　　　　　　Flew　open　in　short　space；

　　　　　The　toll…men　thinking；　as　before；

　　　　　　　That　Gilpin　rode　a　race。〃





The　rush；　and　shouting；　and　clatter　are　excellently　depicted　by　the

artist；　and　we；　who　have　been　scoffing　at　his　manner　of　designing

animals；　must　here　make　a　special　exception　in　favor　of　the　hens　and

chickens；　each　has　a　different　action；　and　is　curiously　natural。



Happy　are　children　of　all　ages　who　have　such　a　ballad　and　such

pictures　as　this　in　store　for　them！　　It　is　a　comfort　to　think　that

woodcuts　never　wear　out；　and　that　the　book　still　may　be　had　for　a

shilling；　for　those　who　can　command　that　sum　of　money。



In　the　〃Epping　Hunt；〃　which　we　owe　to　the　facetious　pen　of　Mr。　Hood；

our　artist　has　not　been　so　successful。　　There　is　here　too　much

horsemanship　and　not　enough　incident　for　him；　but　the　portrait　of

Roundings　the　huntsman　is　an　excellent　sketch；　and　a　couple　of　the

designs　contain　great　humor。　　The　first　represents　the　Cockney　hero；

who；　〃like　a　bird；　was　singing　out　while　sitting　on　a　tree。〃



And　in　the　second　the　natural　order　is　reversed。　　The　stag　having

taken　heart；　is　hunting　the　huntsman；　and　the　Cheapside　Nimrod　is

most　ignominiously　running　away。



The　Easter　Hunt；　we　are　told；　is　no　more；　and　as　the　Quarterly

Review　recommends　the　British　public　to　purchase　Mr。　Catlin's

pictures；　as　they　form　the　only　record　of　an　interesting　race　now

rapidly　passing　away；　in　like　manner　we　should　exhort　all　our

friends　to　purchase　Mr。　Cruikshank's　designs　of　ANOTHER　interesting

race；　that　is　run　already　and　for　the　last　time。



Besides　these；　we　must　mention；　in　the　line　of　our　duty；　the　notable

tragedies　of　〃Tom　Thumb〃　and　〃Bombastes　Furioso；〃　both　of　which　have

appeared　with　many　illustrations　by　Mr。　Cruikshank。　　The　〃brave

army〃　of　Bombastes　exhibits　a　terrific　display　of　brutal　force；

which　must　shock　the　sensibilities　of　an　English　radical。　　And　we

can　well　understand　the　caution　of　the　general；　who　bids　this

soldatesque　effrenee　to　begone；　and　not　to　kick　up　a　row。



Such　a　troop　of　lawless　ruffians　let　loose　upon　a　populous　city

would　play　sad　havoc　in　it；　and　we　fancy　the　massacres　of　Birmingham

renewed；　or　at　least　of　Badajoz；　which；　though　not　quite　so

dreadful；　if　we　may　believe　his　Grace　the　Duke　of　Wellington；　as　the

former　scenes　of　slaughter；　were　nevertheless　severe　enough：　but　we

must　not　venture　upon　any　ill…timed　pleasantries　in　presence　of　the

disturbed　King　Arthur　and　the　awful　ghost　of　Gaffer