george cruikshank-第6部分

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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　Thumb。



We　are　thus　carried　at　once　into　the　supernatural；　and　here　we　find

Cruikshank　reigning　supreme。　　He　has　invented　in　his　time　a　little

comic　pandemonium；　peopled　with　the　most　droll；　good…natured　fiends

possible。　　We　have　before　us　Chamisso's　〃Peter　Schlemihl；〃　with

Cruikshank's　designs　translated　into　German；　and　gaining　nothing　by

the　change。　　The　〃Kinder　und　Hans…Maerchen〃　of　Grimm　are　likewise

ornamented　with　a　frontispiece　copied　from　that　one　which　appeared

to　the　amusing　version　of　the　English　work。　　The　books　on　Phrenology

and　Time　have　been　imitated　by　the　same　nation；　and　even　in　France；

whither　reputation　travels　slower　than　to　any　country　except　China；

we　have　seen　copies　of　the　works　of　George　Cruikshank。



He　in　return　has　complimented　the　French　by　illustrating　a　couple　of

Lives　of　Napoleon；　and　the　〃Life　in　Paris〃　before　mentioned。　　He　has

also　made　designs　for　Victor　Hugo's　〃Hans　of　Iceland。〃　　Strange；

wild　etchings　were　those；　on　a　strange；　mad　subject；　not　so　good　in

our　notion　as　the　designs　for　the　German　books；　the　peculiar　humor

of　which　latter　seemed　to　suit　the　artist　exactly。　　There　is　a

mixture　of　the　awful　and　the　ridiculous　in　these；　which　perpetually

excites　and　keeps　awake　the　reader's　attention；　the　German　writer

and　the　English　artist　seem　to　have　an　entire　faith　in　their

subject。　　The　reader；　no　doubt；　remembers　the　awful　passage　in

〃Peter　Schlemihl；〃　where　the　little　gentleman　purchases　the　shadow

of　that　hero〃Have　the　kindness；　noble　sir；　to　examine　and　try　this

bag。〃　　〃He　put　his　hand　into　his　pocket；　and　drew　thence　a　tolerably

large　bag　of　Cordovan　leather；　to　which　a　couple　of　thongs　were

fixed。　　I　took　it　from　him；　and　immediately　counted　out　ten　gold

pieces；　and　ten　more；　and　ten　more；　and　still　other　ten；　whereupon　I

held　out　my　hand　to　him。　　Done；　said　I；　it　is　a　bargain；　you　shall

have　my　shadow　for　your　bag。　　The　bargain　was　concluded；　he　knelt

down　before　me；　and　I　saw　him　with　a　wonderful　neatness　take　my

shadow　from　head　to　foot；　lightly　lift　it　up　from　the　grass；　roll

and　fold　it　up　neatly；　and　at　last　pocket　it。　　He　then　rose　up；

bowed　to　me　once　more；　and　walked　away　again；　disappearing　behind

the　rose　bushes。　　I　don't　know；　but　I　thought　I　heard　him　laughing　a

little。　　I；　however；　kept　fast　hold　of　the　bag。　　Everything　around

me　was　bright　in　the　sun；　and　as　yet　I　gave　no　thought　to　what　I　had

done。〃



This　marvellous　event；　narrated　by　Peter　with　such　a　faithful；

circumstantial　detail；　is　painted　by　Cruikshank　in　the　most

wonderful　poetic　way；　with　that　happy　mixture　of　the　real　and

supernatural　that　makes　the　narrative　so　curious；　and　like　truth。

The　sun　is　shining　with　the　utmost　brilliancy　in　a　great　quiet　park

or　garden；　there　is　a　palace　in　the　background；　and　a　statue　basking

in　the　sun　quite　lonely　and　melancholy；　there　is　a　sun…dial；　on

which　is　a　deep　shadow；　and　in　the　front　stands　Peter　Schlemihl；　bag

in　hand：　the　old　gentleman　is　down　on　his　knees　to　him；　and　has　just

lifted　off　the　ground　the　SHADOW　OF　ONE　LEG；　he　is　going　to　fold　it

back　neatly；　as　one　does　the　tails　of　a　coat；　and　will　stow　it；

without　any　creases　or　crumples；　along　with　the　other　black　garments

that　lie　in　that　immense　pocket　of　his。　　Cruikshank　has　designed　all

this　as　if　he　had　a　very　serious　belief　in　the　story；　he　laughs；　to

be　sure；　but　one　fancies　that　he　is　a　little　frightened　in　his

heart；　in　spite　of　all　his　fun　and　joking。



The　German　tales　we　have　mentioned　before。　　〃The　Prince　riding　on

the　Fox；〃　〃Hans　in　Luck；〃　〃The　Fiddler　and　his　Goose；〃　〃Heads　off；〃

are　all　drawings　which；　albeit　not　before　us　now；　nor　seen　for　ten

years；　remain　indelibly　fixed　on　the　memory。　　〃Heisst　du　etwa

Rumpelstilzchen？〃　　There　sits　the　Queen　on　her　throne；　surrounded　by

grinning　beef…eaters；　and　little　Rumpelstiltskin　stamps　his　foot

through　the　floor　in　the　excess　of　his　tremendous　despair。　　In　one

of　these　German　tales；　if　we　remember　rightly；　there　is　an　account

of　a　little　orphan　who　is　carried　away　by　a　pitying　fairy　for　a　term

of　seven　years；　and　passing　that　period　of　sweet　apprenticeship

among　the　imps　and　sprites　of　fairy…land。　　Has　our　artist　been　among

the　same　company；　and　brought　back　their　portraits　in　his　sketch…

book？　　He　is　the　only　designer　fairy…land　has　had。　　Callot's　imps；

for　all　their　strangeness；　are　only　of　the　earth　earthy。　　Fuseli's

fairies　belong　to　the　infernal　regions；　they　are　monstrous；　lurid；

and　hideously　melancholy。　　Mr。　Cruikshank　alone　has　had　a　true

insight　into　the　character　of　the　〃little　people。〃　　They　are

something　like　men　and　women；　and　yet　not　flesh　and　blood；　they　are

laughing　and　mischievous；　but　why　we　know　not。　　Mr。　Cruikshank；

however；　has　had　some　dream　or　the　other；　or　else　a　natural

mysterious　instinct　（as　the　Seherinn　of　Prevorst　had　for　beholding

ghosts）；　or　els