george cruikshank-第3章

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host　must　have　passed　under　Cruikshank's　eyes　before　he　sketched

this　little；　enormous　parson　of　parsons。



Being　on　the　subject　of　children's　books；　how　shall　we　enough　praise

the　delightful　German　nursery…tales；　and　Cruikshank's　illustrations

of　them？　　We　coupled　his　name　with　pantomime　awhile　since；　and　sure

never　pantomimes　were　more　charming　than　these。　　Of　all　the　artists

that　ever　drew；　from　Michael　Angelo　upwards　and　downwards；

Cruikshank　was　the　man　to　illustrate　these　tales；　and　give　them　just

the　proper　admixture　of　the　grotesque；　the　wonderful；　and　the

graceful。　　May　all　Mother　Bunch's　collection　be　similarly　indebted

to　him；　may　〃Jack　the　Giant　Killer；〃　may　〃Tom　Thumb；〃　may　〃Puss　in

Boots；〃　be　one　day　revivified　by　his　pencil。　　Is　not　Whittington

sitting　yet　on　Highgate　hill；　and　poor　Cinderella　（in　that　sweetest

of　all　fairy　stories）　still　pining　in　her　lonely　chimney…nook？　　A

man　who　has　a　true　affection　for　these　delightful　companions　of　his

youth　is　bound　to　be　grateful　to　them　if　he　can；　and　we　pray　Mr。

Cruikshank　to　remember　them。



It　is　folly　to　say　that　this　or　that　kind　of　humor　is　too　good　for

the　public；　that　only　a　chosen　few　can　relish　it。　　The　best　humor

that　we　know　of　has　been　as　eagerly　received　by　the　public　as　by　the

most　delicate　connoisseur。　　There　is　hardly　a　man　in　England　who　can

read　but　will　laugh　at　Falstaff　and　the　humor　of　Joseph　Andrews；　and

honest　Mr。　Pickwick's　story　can　be　felt　and　loved　by　any　person

above　the　age　of　six。　　Some　may　have　a　keener　enjoyment　of　it　than

others；　but　all　the　world　can　be　merry　over　it；　and　is　always　ready

to　welcome　it。　The　best　criterion　of　good　humor　is　success；　and　what

a　share　of　this　has　Mr。　Cruikshank　had！　how　many　millions　of　mortals

has　he　made　happy！　　We　have　heard　very　profound　persons　talk

philosophically　of　the　marvellous　and　mysterious　manner　in　which　he

has　suited　himself　to　the　timefait　vibrer　la　fibre　populaire　（as

Napoleon　boasted　of　himself）；　supplied　a　peculiar　want　felt　at　a

peculiar　period；　the　simple　secret　of　which　is；　as　we　take　it；　that

he；　living　amongst　the　public；　has　with　them　a　general　wide…hearted

sympathy；　that　he　laughs　at　what　they　laugh　at；　that　he　has　a　kindly

spirit　of　enjoyment；　with　not　a　morsel　of　mysticism　in　his

composition；　that　he　pities　and　loves　the　poor；　and　jokes　at　the

follies　of　the　great；　and　that　he　addresses　all　in　a　perfectly

sincere　and　manly　way。　　To　be　greatly　successful　as　a　professional

humorist；　as　in　any　other　calling；　a　man　must　be　quite　honest；　and

show　that　his　heart　is　in　his　work。　　A　bad　preacher　will　get

admiration　and　a　hearing　with　this　point　in　his　favor；　where　a　man

of　three　times　his　acquirements　will　only　find　indifference　and

coldness。　　Is　any　man　more　remarkable　than　our　artist　for　telling

the　truth　after　his　own　manner？　　Hogarth's　honesty　of　purpose　was　as

conspicuous　in　an　earlier　time；　and　we　fancy　that　Gilray　would　have

been　far　more　successful　and　more　powerful　but　for　that　unhappy

bribe；　which　turned　the　whole　course　of　his　humor　into　an　unnatural

channel。　　Cruikshank　would　not　for　any　bribe　say　what　he　did　not

think；　or　lend　his　aid　to　sneer　down　anything　meritorious；　or　to

praise　any　thing　or　person　that　deserved　censure。　　When　he　levelled

his　wit　against　the　Regent；　and　did　his　very　prettiest　for　the

Princess；　he　most　certainly　believed；　along　with　the　great　body　of

the　people　whom　he　represents；　that　the　Princess　was　the　most

spotless；　pure…mannered　darling　of　a　Princess　that　ever　married　a

heartless　debauchee　of　a　Prince　Royal。　　Did　not　millions　believe

with　him；　and　noble　and　learned　lords　take　their　oaths　to　her　Royal

Highness's　innocence？　　Cruikshank　would　not　stand　by　and　see　a　woman

ill…used；　and　so　struck　in　for　her　rescue；　he　and　the　people

belaboring　with　all　their　might　the　party　who　were　making　the

attack；　and　determining；　from　pure　sympathy　and　indignation；　that

the　woman　must　be　innocent　because　her　husband　treated　her　so　foully。



To　be　sure　we　have　never　heard　so　much　from　Mr。　Cruikshank's　own

lips；　but　any　man　who　will　examine　these　odd　drawings；　which　first

made　him　famous；　will　see　what　an　honest　hearty　hatred　the　champion

of　woman　has　for　all　who　abuse　her；　and　will　admire　the　energy　with

which　he　flings　his　wood…blocks　at　all　who　side　against　her。

Canning；　Castlereagh；　Bexley；　Sidmouth；　he　is　at　them；　one　and　all；

and　as　for　the　Prince；　up　to　what　a　whipping…post　of　ridicule　did　he

tie　that　unfortunate　old　man！　　And　do　not　let　squeamish　Tories　cry

out　about　disloyalty；　if　the　crown　does　wrong；　the　crown　must　be

corrected　by　the　nation；　out　of　respect；　of　course；　for　the　crown。

In　those　days；　and　by　those　people　who　so　bitterly　attacked　the　son；

no　word　was　ever　breathed　against　the　father；　simply　because　he　was

a　good　husband；　and　a　sober；　thrifty；　pious；　orderly　man。



This　attack　upon　the　Prince　Regent　we　believe　to　have　been　Mr。

Cruikshank's　only　effort　as　a　party　politician。　　Some　early

manifestoes　against　Napoleon　we　find；　it　is　true；　done　in　the

regular　John　Bull　style；　with　the　Gilray　model　for　the　little

upstart　Corsican：　but　as　soon　as　the　Emperor　had　yielded　to　stern

fortune　our　artist's　heart　relented　（as　Beranger's　did　on　the　other

side　of　the　water）；　and　many　of　our　readers　will　doubtless　recollect

a　fine　drawing　of　〃Louis　XVIII。　trying　on　Napoleon's　boots；〃　which

did　not　certainly　fit　the　gouty　son　of　Saint　Louis。　　Such　satirical

hits　as　these；　however；　must　not　be　considered　as　political；　or　as

anything　more　than　the　expression　of　the　artist's　national　British

idea　of　Frenchmen。



It　must　be　confessed　that　for　that　great　nation　Mr。　Cruikshank

entertains　a　considerable　contempt。　　Let　the　reader　examine　the

〃Life　in　Paris；〃　or　the　five　hundred　designs　in　which　Frenchmen　are

introduced；　and　he　will　find　them　almost　invariably　thin；　with

ludicrous　spindle…shanks；　pigtails；　outstretched　hands；　shrugging

shoulders；　and　queer　hair　and　mustachios。　　He　has　the　British　idea

of　a　Frenchman；　and　if　he　does　not　believe　that　the　inhabitants　of

France　are　for　the　most　part　dancing…masters　and　barbers；　yet　takes

care　to　depict　such　in　preference；　and　would　not　speak　too　well　of

them。　　It　is　curious　how　these　traditions　endure。　　In　France；　at　the

present　moment；　the　Englishman　on　the　stage　is　the　caricatured

Englishman　at　the　time　of　the　war；　with　a　shock　red　head；　a　long

white　coat；　and　invariable　gaiters。　　Those　who　wish　to　study　this

subject　should　peruse　Monsieur　Paul　de　Kock's　histories　of　〃Lord

Boulingrog〃　and　〃Lady　Crockmilove。〃　　On　the　other　hand；　the　old

emigre　has　taken　his　station　amongst　us；　and　we　doubt　if　a　good

British　gallery　would　understand　that　such　and　such　a　character　WAS

a　Frenchman　unless　he　appeared　in　the　ancient　traditional　costume。



A　curious　book；　called　〃Life　in　Paris；〃　published　in　1822；　contains

a　number　of　the　artist's　plates　in　the　aquatint　style；　and　though　we

believe　he　had　never　been　in　that　capital；　the　designs　have　a　great

deal　of　life　in　them；　and　pass　muster　very　well。　　A　villanous　race

of　shoulder…shrugging　mortals　are　his　Frenchmen　indeed。　　And　the

heroes　of　the　tale；　a　certain　Mr。　Dick　Wildfire；　Squire　Jenkins；　and

Captain　O'Shuffleton；　are　made　to　show　the　true　British　superiority

on　every　occasion　when　Britons　and　French　are　brought　together。

This　book　was　one　among　the　many　that　the　designer's　genius　has

caused　to　be　popular；　the　plates　are　not　carefully　executed；　but；

being　colored；　have　a　pleasant；　lively　look。　　The　same　style　was


adopted　in　the　once　famous　book　called　〃Tom　and　Jerry；　or　Life　in

London；〃　which　must　have　a　word　of　notice　here；　for；　although　by　no

means　Mr。　Cruikshank's　best　work；　his　reputation　was　extraordinarily

raised　by　it。　　Tom　and　Jerry　were　as　popular　twenty　years　since　as

Mr。　Pickwick　and　Sam　Weller　now　are；　and　often　have　we　wished；　while

reading　the　biographies　of　the　latter　celebrated　personages；　that

they　had　be