george cruikshank-第12章

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We　must　not　forget　to　mention　〃Oliver　Twist；〃　and　Mr。　Cruikshank's

famous　designs　to　that　work。*　　The　sausage　scene　at　Fagin's；　Nancy

seizing　the　boy；　that　capital　piece　of　humor；　Mr。　Bumble's

courtship；　which　is　even　better　in　Cruikshank's　version　than　in

Boz's　exquisite　account　of　the　interview；　Sykes's　farewell　to　the

dog；　and　the　Jew；the　dreadful　Jewthat　Cruikshank　drew！　　What　a

fine　touching　picture　of　melancholy　desolation　is　that　of　Sykes　and

the　dog！　　The　poor　cur　is　not　too　well　drawn；　the　landscape　is　stiff

and　formal；　but　in　this　case　the　faults；　if　faults　they　be；　of

execution　rather　add　to　than　diminish　the　effect　of　the　picture：　it

has　a　strange；　wild；　dreary；　broken…hearted　look；　we　fancy　we　see

the　landscape　as　it　must　have　appeared　to　Sykes；　when　ghastly　and

with　bloodshot　eyes　he　looked　at　it。　　As　for　the　Jew　in　the　dungeon；

let　us　say　nothing　of　itwhat　can　we　say　to　describe　it？　　What　a

fine　homely　poet　is　the　man　who　can　produce　this　little　world　of

mirth　or　woe　for　us！　　Does　he　elaborate　his　effects　by　slow　process

of　thought；　or　do　they　come　to　him　by　instinct？　　Does　the　painter

ever　arrange　in　his　brain　an　image　so　complete；　that　he　afterwards

can　copy　it　exactly　on　the　canvas；　or　does　the　hand　work　in　spite　of

him？





*　Or　his　new　work；　〃The　Tower　of　London；〃　which　promises　even　to

surpass　Mr。　Cruikshank's　former　productions。





A　great　deal　of　this　random　work　of　course　every　artist　has　done　in

his　time；　many　men　produce　effects　of　which　they　never　dreamed；　and

strike　off　excellences；　haphazard；　which　gain　for　them　reputation；

but　a　fine　quality　in　Mr。　Cruikshank；　the　quality　of　his　success；　as

we　have　said　before；　is　the　extraordinary　earnestness　and　good　faith

with　which　he　executes　all　he　attemptsthe　ludicrous；　the　polite；

the　low；　the　terrible。　　In　the　second　of　these　he　often；　in　our

fancy；　fails；　his　figures　lacking　elegance　and　descending　to

caricature；　but　there　is　something　fine　in　this　too：　it　is　good　that

he　SHOULD　fail；　that　he　should　have　these　honest　naive　notions

regarding　the　beau　monde；　the　characteristics　of　which　a　namby…pamby

tea…party　painter　could　hit　off　far　better　than　he。　　He　is　a　great

deal　too　downright　and　manly　to　appreciate　the　flimsy　delicacies　of

small　societyyou　cannot　expect　a　lion　to　roar　you　like　any　sucking

dove；　or　frisk　about　a　drawing…room　like　a　lady's　little　spaniel。



If　then；　in　the　course　of　his　life　and　business；　he　has　been

occasionally　obliged　to　imitate　the　ways　of　such　small　animals；　he

has　done　so；　let　us　say　it　at　once；　clumsily；　and　like　as　a　lion

should。　　Many　artists；　we　hear；　hold　his　works　rather　cheap；　they

prate　about　bad　drawing；　want　of　scientific　knowledge：they　would

have　something　vastly　more　neat；　regular；　anatomical。



Not　one　of　the　whole　band　most　likely　but　can　paint　an　Academy

figure　better　than　himself；　nay；　or　a　portrait　of　an　alderman's　lady

and　family　of　children。　　But　look　down　the　list　of　the　painters　and

tell　us　who　are　they？　　How　many　among　these　men　are　POETS　（makers）；

possessing　the　faculty　to　create；　the　greatest　among　the　gifts　with

which　Providence　has　endowed　the　mind　of　man？　　Say　how　many　there

are；　count　up　what　they　have　done；　and　see　what　in　the　course　of

some　nine…and…twenty　years　has　been　done　by　this　indefatigable　man。



What　amazing　energetic　fecundity　do　we　find　in　him！　　As　a　boy　he

began　to　fight　for　bread；　has　been　hungry　（twice　a　day　we　trust）

ever　since；　and　has　been　obliged　to　sell　his　wit　for　his　bread　week

by　week。　　And　his　wit；　sterling　gold　as　it　is；　will　find　no　such

purchasers　as　the　fashionable　painter's　thin　pinchbeck；　who　can　live

comfortably　for　six　weeks；　when　paid　for　and　painting　a　portrait；

and　fancies　his　mind　prodigiously　occupied　all　the　while。　　There　was

an　artist　in　Paris；　an　artist　hairdresser；　who　used　to　be　fatigued

and　take　restoratives　after　inventing　a　new　coiffure。　　By　no　such

gentle　operation　of　head…dressing　has　Cruikshank　lived：　time　was　（we

are　told　so　in　print）　when　for　a　picture　with　thirty　heads　in　it　he

was　paid　three　guineasa　poor　week's　pittance　truly；　and　a　dire

week's　labor。　　We　make　no　doubt　that　the　same　labor　would　at　present

bring　him　twenty　times　the　sum；　but　whether　it　be　ill　paid　or　well；

what　labor　has　Mr。　Cruikshank's　been！　　Week　by　week；　for　thirty

years；　to　produce　something　new；　some　smiling　offspring　of　painful

labor；　quite　independent　and　distinct　from　its　ten　thousand　jovial

brethren；　in　what　hours　of　sorrow　and　ill…health　to　be　told　by　the

world；　〃Make　us　laugh　or　you　starveGive　us　fresh　fun；　we　have

eaten　up　the　old　and　are　hungry。　　And　all　this　has　he　been　obliged

to　doto　wring　laughter　day　by　day；　sometimes；　perhaps；　out　of

want；　often　certainly　from　ill…health　or　depressionto　keep　the

fire　of　his　brain　perpetually　alight：　for　the　greedy　public　will

give　it　no　leisure　to　cool。　　This　he　has　done　and　done　well。　　He　has

told　a　thousand　truths　in　as　many　strange　and　fascinating　ways；　he

has　given　a　thousand　new　and　pleasant　thoughts　to　millions　of

people；　he　has　never　used　his　wit　dishonestly；　he　has　never；　in　all

the　exuberance　of　his　frolicsome　humor；　caused　a　single　painful　or

guilty　blush：　how　little　do　we　think　of　the　extraordinary　power　of

this　man；　and　how　ungrateful　we　are　to　him！



Here；　as　we　are　come　round　to　the　charge　of　ingratitude；　the

starting…post　from　which　we　set　out；　perhaps　we　had　better　conclude。

The　reader　will　perhaps　wonder　at　the　high…flown　tone　in　which　we

speak　of　the　services　and　merits　of　an　individual；　whom　he　considers

a　humble　scraper　on　steel；　that　is　wonderfully　popular　already。　　But

none　of　us　remember　all　the　benefits　we　owe　him；　they　have　come　one

by　one；　one　driving　out　the　memory　of　the　other：　it　is　only　when　we

come　to　examine　them　all　together；　as　the　writer　has　done；　who　has　a

pile　of　books　on　the　table　before　hima　heap　of　personal　kindnesses

from　George　Cruikshank　（not　presents；　if　you　please；　for　we　bought；

borrowed；　or　stole　every　one　of　them）that　we　feel　what　we　owe　him。

Look　at　one　of　Mr。　Cruikshank's　works；　and　we　pronounce　him　an

excellent　humorist。　　Look　at　all：　his　reputation　is　increased　by　a

kind　of　geometrical　progression；　as　a　whole　diamond　is　a　hundred

times　more　valuable　than　the　hundred　splinters　into　which　it　might

be　broken　would　be。　　A　fine　rough　English　diamond　is　this　about

which　we　have　been　writing。











End