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george cruikshank-第7部分

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mysterious instinct (as the Seherinn of Prevorst had for beholding

ghosts); or else some preternatural fairy revelation; which has made

him acquainted with the looks and ways of the fantastical subjects

of Oberon and Titania。



We have; unfortunately; no fairy portraits; but; on the other hand;

can descend lower than fairy…land; and have seen some fine specimens

of devils。  One has already been raised; and the reader has seen him

tempting a fat Dutch burgomaster; in an ancient gloomy market…place;

such as George Cruikshank can draw as well as Mr。 Prout; Mr。 Nash;

or any man living。  There is our friend once more; our friend the

burgomaster; in a highly excited state; and running as hard as his

great legs will carry him; with our mutual enemy at his tail。



What are the bets; will that long…legged bondholder of a devil come

up with the honest Dutchman?  It serves him right: why did he put

his name to stamped paper?  And yet we should not wonder if some

lucky chance should turn up in the burgomaster's favor; and his

infernal creditor lose his labor; for one so proverbially cunning as

yonder tall individual with the saucer eyes; it must be confessed

that he has been very often outwitted。



There is; for instance; the case of 〃The Gentleman in Black;〃 which

has been illustrated by our artist。  A young French gentleman; by

name M。 Desonge; who; having expended his patrimony in a variety of

taverns and gaming…houses; was one day pondering upon the exhausted

state of his finances; and utterly at a loss to think how he should

provide means for future support; exclaimed; very naturally; 〃What

the devil shall I do?〃  He had no sooner spoken than a GENTLEMAN IN

BLACK made his appearance; whose authentic portrait Mr。 Cruikshank

has had the honor to paint。  This gentleman produced a black…edged

book out of a black bag; some black…edged papers tied up with black

crape; and sitting down familiarly opposite M。 Desonge; began

conversing with him on the state of his affairs。



It is needless to state what was the result of the interview。  M。

Desonge was induced by the gentleman to sign his name to one of the

black…edged papers; and found himself at the close of the

conversation to be possessed of an unlimited command of capital。

This arrangement completed; the Gentleman in Black posted (in an

extraordinarily rapid manner) from Paris to London; there found a

young English merchant in exactly the same situation in which M。

Desonge had been; and concluded a bargain with the Briton of exactly

the same nature。



The book goes on to relate how these young men spent the money so

miraculously handed over to them; and how both; when the period drew

near that was to witness the performance of THEIR part of the

bargain; grew melancholy; wretched; nay; so absolutely dishonorable

as to seek for every means of breaking through their agreement。  The

Englishman living in a country where the lawyers are more astute

than any other lawyers in the world; took the advice of a Mr。

Bagsby; of Lyon's Inn; whose name; as we cannot find it in the 〃Law

List;〃 we presume to be fictitious。  Who could it be that was a

match for the devil?  Lord  very likely; we shall not give his

name; but let every reader of this Review fill up the blank

according to his own fancy; and on comparing it with the copy

purchased by his neighbors; he will find that fifteen out of twenty

have written down the same honored name。



Well; the Gentleman in Black was anxious for the fulfilment of his

bond。  The parties met at Mr。 Bagsby's chambers to consult; the

Black Gentleman foolishly thinking that he could act as his own

counsel; and fearing no attorney alive。  But mark the superiority of

British law; and see how the black pettifogger was defeated。



Mr。 Bagsby simply stated that he would take the case into Chancery;

and his antagonist; utterly humiliated and defeated; refused to move

a step farther in the matter。



And now the French gentleman; M。 Desonge; hearing of his friend's

escape; became anxious to be free from his own rash engagements。  He

employed the same counsel who had been successful in the former

instance; but the Gentleman in Black was a great deal wiser by this

time; and whether M。 Desonge escaped; or whether he is now in that

extensive place which is paved with good intentions; we shall not

say。  Those who are anxious to know had better purchase the book

wherein all these interesting matters are duly set down。  There is

one more diabolical picture in our budget; engraved by Mr。 Thompson;

the same dexterous artist who has rendered the former diableries so

well。



We may mention Mr。 Thompson's name as among the first of the

engravers to whom Cruikshank's designs have been entrusted; and next

to him (if we may be allowed to make such arbitrary distinctions) we

may place Mr。 Williams; and the reader is not possibly aware of the

immense difficulties to be overcome in the rendering of these little

sketches; which; traced by the designer in a few hours; require

weeks' labor from the engraver。  Mr。 Cruikshank has not been

educated in the regular schools of drawing (very luckily for him; as

we think); and consequently has had to make a manner for himself;

which is quite unlike that of any other draftsman。  There is nothing

in the least mechanical about it; to produce his particular effects

he uses his own particular lines; which are queer; free; fantastical;

and must be followed in all their infinite twists and vagaries by

the careful tool of the engraver。  Those three lovely heads; for

instance; imagined out of the rinds of lemons; are worth examining;

not so much for the jovial humor and wonderful variety of feature

exhibited in these darling countenances as for the engraver's part

of the work。  See the infinite delicate cross…lines and hatchings

which he is obliged to render; let him go; not a hair's breadth; but

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 Eng
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