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