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george cruikshank-第8部分

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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。

Cruikshank really created the tale; and that Mr。 Ainsworth; as it

were; only put words to it。  Let any reader of the novel think over

it for a while; now that it is some months since he has perused and

laid it downlet him think; and tell us what he remembers of the

tale?  George Cruikshank's picturesalways George Cruikshank's

pictures。  The storm in the Thames; for instance: all the author's

labored description of that event has passed clean awaywe have

only before the mind's eye the fine plates of Cruikshank: the poor

wretch cowering under the bridge arch; as the waves come rushing in;

and the boats are whirling away in the drift of the great swollen

black waters。  And let any man look at that second plate of the

murder on the Thames; and he must acknowledge how much more

brilliant the artist's description is than the writer's; and what a

real genius for the terrible as well as for the ridiculous the

former has; how awful is the gloom of the old bridge; a few lights

glimmering from the houses here and there; but not so as to be

reflected on the water at all; which is too turbid and raging: a

great heavy rack of clouds goes sweeping over the bridge; and men

with flaring torches; the murderers; are borne away with the stream。



The author requires many pages to describe the fury of the storm;

which Mr。 Cruikshank has represented in one。  First; he has to

prepare you with the something inexpressibly melancholy in sailing

on a dark night upon the Thames: 〃the ripple of the water;〃 〃the

darkling current;〃 〃the indistinctively seen craft;〃 〃the solemn

shadows〃 and other phenomena visible on rivers at night are detailed

(with not unskilful rhetoric) in order to bring the reader into a

proper frame of mind for the deeper gloom and horror which is to

ensue。  Then follow pages of description。  〃As Rowland sprang to the

helm; and gave the signal for pursuit; a war like a volley of

ordnance was heard aloft; and the wind again burst its bondage。  A

moment before the surface of the stream was as black as ink。  It was

now whitening; hissing; and seething; like an enormous caldron。  The

blast once more swept over the agitated river; whirled off the

sheets of foam; scattered them far and wide in rain…drops; and left

the raging torrent blacker than before。  Destruction everywhere

marked the course of the gale。  Steeples toppled and towers reeled

beneath its fury。  All was darkness; horror; confusion; ruin。  Men

fled from their tottering habitations and returned to them; scared

by greater danger。  The end of the world seemed at hand。 。 。 。  The

hurricane had now reached its climax。  The blast shrieked; as if

exulting in its wrathful mission。  Stunning and continuous; the din

seemed almost to take away the power of hearing。  He who had faced

the gale WOULD HAVE BEEN INSTANTLY STIFLED;〃 &c。 &c。  See with what

a tremendous war of words (and good loud words too; Mr。 Ainsworth's

desc
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