george cruikshank-第7章

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the　hundredth　part　of　a　hair's　breadth；　beyond　the　given　line；　and

the　FEELING　of　it　is　ruined。　　He　receives　these　little　dots　and

specks；　and　fantastical　quirks　of　the　pencil；　and　cuts　away　with　a

little　knife　round　each；　not　too　much　nor　too　little。　　Antonio's

pound　of　flesh　did　not　puzzle　the　Jew　so　much；　and　so　well　does　the

engraver　succeed　at　last；　that　we　never　remember　to　have　met　with　a

single　artist　who　did　not　vow　that　the　wood…cutter　had　utterly

ruined　his　design。



Of　Messrs。　Thompson　and　Williams　we　have　spoken　as　the　first

engravers　in　point　of　rank；　however；　the　regulations　of　professional

precedence　are　certainly　very　difficult；　and　the　rest　of　their

brethren　we　shall　not　endeavor　to　class。　　Why　should　the　artists　who

executed　the　cuts　of　the　admirable　〃Three　Courses〃　yield　the　pas　to

any　one？



There；　for　instance；　is　an　engraving　by　Mr。　Landells；　nearly　as　good

in　our　opinion　as　the　very　best　woodcut　that　ever　was　made　after

Cruikshank；　and　curiously　happy　in　rendering　the　artist's　peculiar

manner：　this　cut　does　not　come　from　the　facetious　publications　which

we　have　consulted；　but　is　a　contribution　by　Mr。　Cruikshank　to　an

elaborate　and　splendid　botanical　work　upon　the　Orchidaceae　of

Mexico；　by　Mr。　Bateman。　　Mr。　Bateman　despatched　some　extremely

choice　roots　of　this　valuable　plant　to　a　friend　in　England；　who；　on

the　arrival　of　the　case；　consigned　it　to　his　gardener　to　unpack。　　A

great　deal　of　anxiety　with　regard　to　the　contents　was　manifested　by

all　concerned；　but　on　the　lid　of　the　box　being　removed；　there　issued

from　it　three　or　four　fine　specimens　of　the　enormous　Blatta　beetle

that　had　been　preying　upon　the　plants　during　the　voyage；　against

these　the　gardeners；　the　grooms；　the　porters；　and　the　porters'

children；　issued　forth　in　arms；　and　this　scene　the　artist　has

immortalized。



We　have　spoken　of　the　admirable　way　in　which　Mr。　Cruikshank　has

depicted　Irish　character　and　Cockney　character；　English　country

character　is　quite　as　faithfully　delineated　in　the　person　of　the

stout　porteress　and　her　children；　and　of　the　〃Chawbacon〃　with　the

shovel；　on　whose　face　is　written　〃Zummerzetsheer。〃　　Chawbacon

appears　in　another　plate；　or　else　Chawbacon's　brother。　　He　has　come

up　to　Lunnan；　and　is　looking　about　him　at　raaces。



How　distinct　are　these　rustics　from　those　whom　we　have　just　been

examining！　　They　hang　about　the　purlieus　of　the　metropolis：　Brook

Green；　Epsom；　Greenwich；　Ascot；　Goodwood；　are　their　haunts。　　They

visit　London　professionally　once　a　year；　and　that　is　at　the　time　of

Bartholomew　fair。　　How　one　may　speculate　upon　the　different　degrees

of　rascality；　as　exhibited　in　each　face　of　the　thimblerigging　trio；

and　form　little　histories　for　these　worthies；　charming　Newgate

romances；　such　as　have　been　of　late　the　fashion！　　Is　any　man　so

blind　that　he　cannot　see　the　exact　face　that　is　writhing　under　the

thhnblerigged　hero's　hat？　　Like　Timanthes　of　old；　our　artist

expresses　great　passions　without　the　aid　of　the　human　countenance。

There　is　another　specimena　street　row　of　inebriated　bottles。　　Is

there　any　need　of　having　a　face　after　this？　　〃Come　on！〃　says　Claret…

bottle；　a　dashing；　genteel　fellow；　with　his　hat　on　one　ear〃Come

on！　has　any　man　a　mind　to　tap　me？〃　　Claret…bottle　is　a　little

screwed　（as　one　may　see　by　his　legs）；　but　full　of　gayety　and

courage；　not　so　that　stout；　apoplectic　Bottle…of…rum；　who　has

staggered　against　the　wall；　and　has　his　hand　upon　his　liver：　the

fellow　hurts　himself　with　smoking；　that　is　clear；　and　is　as　sick　as

sick　can　be。　　See；　Port　is　making　away　from　the　storm；　and　Double　X

is　as　flat　as　ditch…water。　　Against　these；　awful　in　their　white

robes；　the　sober　watchmen　come。



Our　artist　then　can　cover　up　faces；　and　yet　show　them　quite　clearly；

as　in　the　thimblerig　group；　or　he　can　do　without　faces　altogether；

or　he　can；　at　a　pinch；　provide　a　countenance　for　a　gentleman　out　of

any　given　objecta　beautiful　Irish　physiognomy　being　moulded　upon　a

keg　of　whiskey；　and　a　jolly　English　countenance　frothing　out　of　a

pot　of　ale　（the　spirit　of　brave　Toby　Philpot　come　back　to　reanimate

his　clay）；　while　in　a　fungus　may　be　recognized　the　physiognomy　of　a

mushroom　peer。　　Finally；　if　he　is　at　a　loss；　he　can　make　a　living

head；　body；　and　legs　out　of　steel　or　tortoise…shell；　as　in　the　case

of　the　vivacious　pair　of　spectacles　that　are　jockeying　the　nose　of

Caddy　Cuddle。



Of　late　years　Mr。　Cruikshank　has　busied　himself　very　much　with　steel

engraving；　and　the　consequences　of　that　lucky　invention　have　been；

that　his　plates　are　now　sold　by　thousands；　where　they　could　only　be

produced　by　hundreds　before。　　He　has　made　many　a　bookseller's　and

author's　fortune　（we　trust　that　in　so　doing　he　may　not　have

neglected　his　own）。　　Twelve　admirable　plates；　furnished　yearly　to

that　facetious　little　publication；　the　Comic　Almanac；　have　gained

for　it　a　sale；　as　we　hear；　of　nearly　twenty　thousand　copies。　　The

idea　of　the　work　was　novel；　there　was；　in　the　first　number

especially；　a　great　deal　of　comic　power；　and　Cruikshank's　designs

were　so　admirable　that　the　Almanac　at　once　became　a　vast　favorite

with　the　public；　and　has　so　remained　ever　since。



Besides　the　twelve　plates；　this　almanac　contains　a　prophetic

woodcut；　accompanying　an　awful　Blarneyhum　Astrologicum　that　appears

in　this　and　other　almanacs。　　There　is　one　that　hints　in　pretty　clear

terms　that　with　the　Reform　of　Municipal　Corporations　the　ruin　of　the

great　Lord　Mayor　of　London　is　at　hand。　　His　lordship　is　meekly　going

to　dine　at　an　eightpenny　ordinary；　his　giants　in　pawn；　his　men　in

armor　dwindled　to　〃one　poor　knight；〃　his　carriage　to　be　sold；　his

stalwart　aldermen　vanished；　his　sheriffs；　alas！　and　alas！　in　gaol！

Another　design　shows　that　Rigdum；　if　a　true；　is　also　a　moral　and

instructive　prophet。　　John　Bull　is　asleep；　or　rather　in　a　vision；

the　cunning　demon；　Speculation；　blowing　a　thousand　bright　bubbles

about　him。　　Meanwhile　the　rooks　are　busy　at　his　fob；　a　knave　has　cut

a　cruel　hole　in　his　pocket；　a　rattlesnake　has　coiled　safe　round　his

feet；　and　will　in　a　trice　swallow　Bull；　chair；　money　and　all；　the

rats　are　at　his　corn…bags　（as　if；　poor　devil；　he　had　corn　to　spare）；

his　faithful　dog　is　bolting　his　leg…of…muttonnay；　a　thief　has

gotten　hold　of　his　very　candle；　and　there；　by　way　of　moral；　is　his

ale…pot；　which　looks　and　winks　in　his　face；　and　seems　to　say；　O

Bull；　all　this　is　froth；　and　a　cruel　satirical　picture　of　a　certain

rustic　who　had　a　goose　that　laid　certain　golden　eggs；　which　goose

the　rustic　slew　in　expectation　of　finding　all　the　eggs　at　once。

This　is　goose　and　sage　too；　to　borrow　the　pun　of　〃learned　Doctor

Gill；〃　but　we　shrewdly　suspect　that　Mr。　Cruikshank　is　becoming　a

little　conservative　in　his　notions。



We　love　these　pictures　so　that　it　is　hard　to　part　us；　and　we　still

fondly　endeavor　to　hold　on；　but　this　wild　word；　farewell；　must　be

spoken　by　the　best　friends　at　last；　and　so　good…by；　brave　woodcuts：

we　feel　quite　a　sadness　in　coming　to　the　last　of　our　collection。



In　the　earlier　numbers　of　the　Comic　Almanac　all　the　manners　and

customs　of　Londoners　that　would　afford　food　for　fun　were　noted　down；

and　if　during　the　last　two　years　the　mysterious　personage　who；　under

the　title　of　〃Rigdum　Funnidos；〃　compiles　this　ephemeris；　has　been

compelled　to　resort　to　romantic　tales；　we　must　suppose　that　he　did

so　because　the　great　metropolis　was　exhausted；　and　it　was　necessary

to　discover　new　worlds　in　the　cloud…land　of　fancy。　　The　character　of

Mr。　Stubbs；　who　made　his　appearance　in　the　Almanac　for　1839；　had；　we

think；　great　merit；　although　his　adventures　were　somewhat　of　too

tragical　a　description　to　provoke　pure　laughter。



We　should　be　glad　to　devote　a　few　pages　to　the　〃Illustratons　of

Time；〃　the　〃Scraps　and　Sketches；〃　and　the　〃Illustrations　of

Phrenology；〃　which　are　among　the　most　famous　of　our　artist's

publications；　but　it　is　very　difficult　to　find　new　terms　of　praise；

as　find　them　one　must；　when　reviewing　Mr。　Cruikshank's　publications；

and　more　difficult　still　（as　the　reader　of　this　notice　will　no　doubt

have　perceived　for　himself　long　since）　to　translate　his　design　into

words；　and　go　to　the　printer's　box　for　a　description　of　all　that　fun

and　humor　which　the　artist　can　produce　by　a　few　skilful　turns　of　his

needle。　　A　famous　article　upon　the　〃Illustrations　of　Time〃　appeared

some　dozen　years　since　in　Blackwood's　Magazine；　of　which　the

conductors　have　always　been　great　admirers　of　our　artist；　as　became

men　of　honor　and　genius。　　To　these　grand　qualities　do　not　let　it　be

supposed　that　we　are　laying　claim；　but；　thank　heaven；　Cruikshank's

humor　is　so　good　and　benevolent　that　any　man　must　love　it；　and　on

this　score　we　may　speak　as　well　as　another。



Then　there　are　the　〃Greenwich　Hospital〃　designs；　which　must　not　be

passed　over。　　〃Greenwich　Hospital〃　is　a　hearty；　good…natured　book；

in　the　Tom　Dibdin　school；　treating　of　the　virtues　of　British　tars；

in　approved　nautical　language。　　They　maul　Frenchmen　and　Spaniards；

they　go　out　in　brigs　and　take　frigates；　they　relieve　women　in

distress；　and　are　yard…arm　and　yard…arming；　athwart…hawsing；

marlinspiking；　binnacling；　and　helm's…a…leeing；　as　honest　seamen

invariably　do；　in　novels；　on　the　stage；　and　doubtless　on　board　ship。

This　we　cannot　take　upon　us　to　say；　but　the　artist；　like　a　true

Englishman；　as　he　is；　loves　dearly　these　brave　guardians　of　Old

England；　and　chronicles　their　rare　or　fanciful　exploits　with　the

greatest　good…will。　　Let　any　one　look　at　the　noble　head　of　Nelson　in

the　〃Family　Library；〃　and　they　will；　we　are　sure；　think　with　us　that

the　designer　must　have　felt　and　loved　what　he　drew。　　There　are　to

this　abridgment　of　Southey's　admirable　book　many　more　cuts　after

Cruikshank；　and　about　a　dozen　pieces　by　the　same　hand　will　be　found

in　a　work　equally　popular；　Lockhart's　excellent　〃Life　of　Napoleon。〃

Among　these　the　retreat　from　Moscow　is　very　fine；　the　Mamlouks　most

vigorous；　furious；　and　barbarous；　as　they　should　be。　　At　the　end　of

these　three　volumes　Mr。　Cruikshank's　contributions　to　the　〃Family

Library〃　seem　suddenly　to　have　ceased。



We　are　not　at　all　disposed　to　undervalue　the　works　and　genius　of　Mr。

Dickens；　and　we　are　sure　that　he　would　admit　as　readily　as　any　man

the　wonderful　assistance　that　he　has　derived　from　the　artist　who　has

given　us　the　portraits　of　his　ideal　personages；　and　made　them

familiar　to　all　the　world。　　Once　seen；　these　figures　remain

impressed　on　the　memory；　which　otherwise　would　have　had　no　hold

upon　them；　and　the　heroes　and　heroines　of　Boz　become　personal

acquaintances　with　each　of　us。　　Oh；　that　Hogarth　could　have

illustrated　Fielding　in　the　same　way！　and　fixed　down　on　paper　those

grand　figures　of　Parson　Adams；　and　Squire　Allworthy；　and　the　great

Jonathan　Wild。



With　regard　to　the　modern　romance　of　〃Jack　Sheppard；〃　in　which　the

latter　personage　makes　a　second　appearance；　it　seems　to　us　that　Mr