the library-第21节
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ennyson〃 of 1858 is also a remarkable production。 The Laureate； almost more than any other； requires a variety of illustrators； and here； for his idylls； he had Mulready and Millais； and for his romances Rossetti and Holman Hunt。 His 〃Princess〃 was afterwards illustrated by Maclise； and his 〃Enoch Arden〃 by Arthur Hughes； but neither of these can be said to be wholly adequate。 The 〃Lalla Rookh〃 of John Tenniel； 1860； albeit somewhat stiff and cold； after this artist's fashion； is a superb collection of carefully studied oriental designs。 With these may be classed the illustrations to Aytoun's 〃Lays of the Scottish Cavaliers；〃 by Sir Noel Paton； which have the same finished qualities of composition and the same academic hardness。 Several good editions of the 〃Pilgrim's Progress〃 have appeared；notably those of C。 H。 Bennett； J。 D。 Watson； and G。 H。 Thomas。 Other books are Millais's 〃Parables of our Lord；〃 Leighton's 〃Romola；〃 Walker's 〃Philip〃 and 〃Denis Duval；〃 the 〃Don Quixote；〃 〃Dante；〃 〃La Fontaine〃 and other works of Dore； Dalziel's 〃Arabian Nights；〃 Leighton's 〃Lyra Germanica〃 and 〃Moral Emblems；〃 and the 〃Spiritual Conceits〃 of W。 Harry Rogers。 These are some only of the number； which does not include books like Mrs。 Hugh Blackburn's 〃British Birds；〃 Wolf's 〃Wild Animals；〃 Wise's 〃New Forest；〃 Linton's 〃Lake Country；〃 Wood's 〃Natural History；〃 and many more。 Nor does it take in the various illustrated periodicals which have multiplied so freely since； in 1859； 〃Once a Week〃 first began to attract and train such younger draughtsmen as Sandys； Lawless； Pinwell； Houghton； Morten； and Paul Grey； some of whose best work in this way has been revived in the edition of Thornbury's 〃Ballads and Songs；〃 recently published by Chatto and Windus。 Ten years later came the 〃Graphic；〃 offering still wider opportunities to wood…cut art； and bringing with it a fresh school of artists。 Herkomer； Fildes； Small； Green； Barnard； Barnes； Crane； Caldecott； Hopkins； and others；quos nunc perscribere longum esthave contributed good work to this popular rival of the older； but still vigorous； 〃Illustrated。〃 And now again； another promising serial； the 〃Magazine of Art；〃 affords a supplementary field to modern refinements and younger energies。
Not a few of the artists named in the preceding paragraph have also earned distinction in separate branches of the pictorial art； and specially in that of humorous design；a department which has always been so richly recruited in this country that it deserves more than a passing mention。 From the days of Hogarth onwards there has been an almost unbroken series of humorous draughtsmen； who； both on wood and metal； play a distinguished part in our illustrated literature。 Rowlandson； one of the earliest； was a caricaturist of inexhaustible facility； and an artist who scarcely did justice to his own powers。 He illustrated several books； but he is chiefly remembered in this way by his plates to Combe's 〃Three Tours of Dr。 Syntax。〃 Gillray； his contemporary； whose bias was political rather than social； is said to have illustrated 〃The Deserted Village〃 in his youth； but he is not famous as a book…illustrator。 Another of the early men was Bunbury； whom 〃quality〃…loving Mr。 Walpole calls 〃the second Hogarth； and first imitator who ever fully equalled his original （！）；〃 but whose prints to 〃Tristram Shandy；〃 are nevertheless completely forgotten； while； if he be remembered at all； it is by the plate of 〃The Long Minuet；〃 and the vulgar 〃Directions to Bad Horsemen。〃 With the first years of the century； however； appears the great master of modern humorists； whose long life ended only a few years since； 〃the veteran George Cruikshank〃as his admirers were wont to style him。 He indeed may justly be compared to Hogarth； since； in tragic power and intensity he occasionally comes nearer to him than any artist of our time。 It is manifestly impossible to mention here all the more important efforts of this indefatigable worker； from those far…away days when he caricatured 〃Boney〃 and championed Queen Caroline； to that final frontispiece for 〃The Rose and the Lily〃〃designed and etched （according to the inscription） by George Cruikshank； age 83；〃 but the plates to the 〃Points of Humour；〃 to Grimm's 〃Goblins；〃 to 〃Oliver Twist；〃 〃Jack Sheppard；〃 Maxwell's 〃Irish Rebellion；〃 and the 〃Table Book；〃 are sufficiently favourable and varied specimens of his skill with the needle； while the woodcuts to 〃Three Courses and a Dessert；〃 one of which is here given； are equally good examples of his work on the block。 The 〃Triumph of Cupid；〃 which begins the 〃Table Book；〃 is an excellent instance of his lavish wealth of fancy； and it contains beside； onenay more than oneof the many portraits of the artist。 He is shown en robe de chambre； smoking （this was before his regenerate days！） in front of a blazing fire； with a pet spaniel on his knee。 In the cloud which curls from his lips is a motley procession of sailors； sweeps； jockeys； Greenwich pensioners； Jew clothesmen； flunkies； and others more illustrious； chained to the chariot wheels of Cupid； who； preceded by cherubic acolytes and banner…bearers； winds round the top of the picture towards an altar of Hymen on the table。 When； by the aid of a pocket…glass； one has mastered these swarming figures； as well as those in the foreground； it gradually dawns upon one that all the furniture is strangely vitalised。 Masks laugh round the border of the tablecloth； the markings of the mantelpiece resolve themselves into rows of madly… racing figures； the tongs leers in a degage and cavalier way at the artist； the shovel and poker grin in sympathy； there are faces in the smoke； in the fire； in the fireplace；the very fender itself is a ring of fantastic creatures who jubilantly hem in the ashes。 And it is not only in the grotesque and fanciful that Cruikshank excels； he is master of the strange； the supernatural； and the terrible。 In range of character （the comparison is probably a hackneyed one）； both by his gifts and his limitations； he resembles Dickens； and had he illustrated more of that writer's works the resemblance would probably have been more evident。 In 〃Oliver Twist；〃 for example； where Dickens is strong； Cruikshank is strong； where Dickens is weak； he is weak too。 His Fagin； his Bill Sikes； his Bumble； and their following； are on a level with Dickens's conceptions； his Monk and Rose Maylie are as poor as the originals。 But as the defects of Dickens are overbalanced by his merits； so Cruikshank's strength is far in excess of his weakness。 It is not to his melodramatic heroes or wasp…waisted heroines that we must look for his triumphs； it is to his delineations； from the moralist's point of view； of vulgarity and vice；of the 〃rank life of towns；〃 with all its squalid tragedy and comedy。 Here he finds his strongest ground； and possibly； notwithstanding his powers as a comic artist and caricaturist； his loftiest claim to recollection。
Cruikshank was employed on two only of Dickens's books〃Oliver Twist〃 and the 〃Sketches by Boz。〃 ｛13｝ The great majority of them were illustrated by Hablot K。 Browne； an artist who followed the ill…fated Seymour on the 〃Pickwick Papers。〃 To 〃Phiz；〃 as he is popularly called； we are indebted for our pictorial ideas of Sam Weller； Mrs。 Gamp； Captain Cuttle； and most of the author's characters； down to the 〃Tale of Two Cities。〃 〃Phiz〃 also illustrated a great many of Lever's novels； for which his skill in hunting and other Lever…like scenes especially qualified him。
With the name of Richard Doyle we come to the first of a group of artists whose main work was； or is still； done for the time…honoured miscellany of Mr。 Punch。 So familiar an object is 〃Punch〃 upon our tables； that one is sometimes apt to forget how unfailing； and how good on the whole； is the work we take so complacently as a matter of course。 And of this good work； in the earlier days； a large proportion was done by Mr。 Doyle。 He is still living； although he has long ceased to gladden those sprightly pages。 But it was to 〃Punch〃 that he contributed his masterpiece； the 〃Manners and Customs of ye Englyshe；〃 a series of outlines illustrating social life in 1849； and cleverly commented by a shadowy 〃Mr。 Pips；〃 a sort of fetch or double of the bustling and garrulous old Caroline diarist。 In these captivating pictures the life of thirty years ago is indeed； as the title…page has it； 〃drawn from ye quick。〃 We see the Molesworths and Cantilupes of the day parading the Park； we watch Brougham fretting at a hearing in the Lords； or Peel holding forth to the Commons （where the Irish members are already obstructive）； we squeeze in at the Haymarket to listen to Jenny Lind； or we run down the river to Greenwich Fair； and visit 〃Mr。 Richardson； his show。〃 Many years after； in the 〃Bird's Eye Views of Society；〃 which appeared in the early numbers of the 〃Cornhill Magazine；〃 Mr。 Doyle returned to this attractive theme。 But the later designs were more elaborate； and not equally fortunate。 They bear the same relationship to Mr。 Pips's pictorial chronicle； as the laboured 〃Temperance Fairy Tales〃 of Cruikshank's old age bear to the little…worked Grimm's 〃Goblins〃 of his youth。 So hazardous is t
