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