george cruikshank-第5章

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Diogenes。　　Of　fiddling　he　has　no　better　opinion。　　The　picture

represents　the　〃sturdy　caird〃　taking　〃poor　gut…scraper〃　by　the

beard；drawing　his　〃roosty　rapier；〃　and　swearing　to　〃speet　him　like

a　pliver〃　unless　he　would　relinquish　the　bonnie　lassie　for　ever





　　　　〃Wi'　ghastly　ee；　poor　tweedle…dee

　　　　　　　Upon　his　hunkers　bended；

　　　　　An'　pray'd　for　grace　wi'　ruefu'　face；

　　　　　　　An'　so　the　quarrel　ended。〃





Hark　how　the　tinker　apostrophizes　the　violinist；　stating　to　the

widow　at　the　same　time　the　advantages　which　she　might　expect　from　an

alliance　with　himself：





　　　　〃Despise　that　shrimp；　that　withered　imp；

　　　　　　　Wi'　a'　his　noise　and　caperin'；

　　　　　And　take　a　share　with　those　that　bear

　　　　　　　The　budget　and　the　apron！



　　　　〃And　by　that　stowp；　my　faith　an'　houpe；

　　　　　　　An'　by　that　dear　Kilbaigie！

　　　　　If　e'er　ye　want；　or　meet　wi'　scant；

　　　　　　　May　I　ne'er　weet　my　craigie。〃





Cruikshank's　caird　is　a　noble　creature；　his　face　and　figure　show　him

to　be　fully　capable　of　doing　and　saying　all　that　is　above　written　of

him。



In　the　second　part；　the　old　tale　of　〃The　Three　Hunchbacked　Fiddlers〃

is　illustrated　with　equal　felicity。　　The　famous　classical　dinners

and　duel　in　〃Peregrine　Pickle〃　are　also　excellent　in　their　way；　and

the　connoisseur　of　prints　and　etchings　may　see　in　the　latter　plate；

and　in　another　in　this　volume；　how　great　the　artist's　mechanical

skill　is　as　an　etcher。　　The　distant　view　of　the　city　in　the　duel；

and　of　a　market…place　in　〃The　Quack　Doctor；〃　are　delightful

specimens　of　the　artist's　skill　in　depicting　buildings　and

backgrounds。　　They　are　touched　with　a　grace；　truth；　and　dexterity　of

workmanship　that　leave　nothing　to　desire。　　We　have　before　mentioned

the　man　with　the　mouth；　which　appears　in　this　number　emblematical　of

gout　and　indigestion；　in　which　the　artist　has　shown　all　the　fancy　of

Callot。　　Little　demons；　with　long　saws　for　noses；　are　making

dreadful　incisions　into　the　toes　of　the　unhappy　sufferer；　some　are

bringing　pans　of　hot　coals　to　keep　the　wounded　member　warm；　a　huge；

solemn　nightmare　sits　on　the　invalid's　chest；　staring　solemnly　into

his　eyes；　a　monster；　with　a　pair　of　drumsticks；　is　banging　a　devil's

tattoo　on　his　forehead；　and　a　pair　of　imps　are　nailing　great

tenpenny　nails　into　his　hands　to　make　his　happiness　complete。



The　late　Mr。　Clark's　excellent　work；　〃Three　Courses　and　a　Dessert；〃

was　published　at　a　time　when　the　rage　for　comic　stories　was　not　so

great　as　it　since　has　been；　and　Messrs。　Clark　and　Cruikshank　only

sold　their　hundreds　where　Messrs。　Dickens　and　Phiz　dispose　of　their

thousands。　　But　if　our　recommendation　can　in　any　way　influence　the

reader；　we　would　enjoin　him　to　have　a　copy　of　the　〃Three　Courses；〃

that　contains　some　of　the　best　designs　of　our　artist；　and　some　of

the　most　amusing　tales　in　our　language。　　The　invention　of　the

pictures；　for　which　Mr。　Clark　takes　credit　to　himself；　says　a　great

deal　for　his　wit　and　fancy。　　Can　we；　for　instance；　praise　too　highly

the　man　who　invented　that　wonderful　oyster？



Examine　him　well；　his　beard；　his　pearl；　his　little　round　stomach；

and　his　sweet　smile。　　Only　oysters　know　how　to　smile　in　this　way；

cool；　gentle；　waggish；　and　yet　inexpressibly　innocent　and　winning。

Dando　himself　must　have　allowed　such　an　artless　native　to　go　free；

and　consigned　him　to　the　glassy；　cool；　translucent　wave　again。



In　writing　upon　such　subjects　as　these　with　which　we　have　been

furnished；　it　can　hardly　be　expected　that　we　should　follow　any　fixed

plan　and　orderwe　must　therefore　take　such　advantage　as　we　may；　and

seize　upon　our　subject　when　and　wherever　we　can　lay　hold　of　him。



For　Jews；　sailors；　Irishmen；　Hessian　boots；　little　boys；　beadles；

policemen；　tall　life…guardsmen；　charity　children；　pumps；　dustmen；

very　short　pantaloons；　dandies　in　spectacles；　and　ladies　with

aquiline　noses；　remarkably　taper　waists；　and　wonderfully　long

ringlets；　Mr。　Cruikshank　has　a　special　predilection。　　The　tribe　of

Israelites　he　has　studied　with　amazing　gusto；　witness　the　Jew　in　Mr。

Ainsworth's　〃Jack　Sheppard；〃　and　the　immortal　Fagin　of　〃Oliver

Twist。〃　　Whereabouts　lies　the　comic　vis　in　these　persons　and　things？

Why　should　a　beadle　be　comic；　and　his　opposite　a　charity　boy？　　Why

should　a　tall　life…guardsman　have　something　in　him　essentially

absurd？　　Why　are　short　breeches　more　ridiculous　than　long？　　What　is

there　particularly　jocose　about　a　pump；　and　wherefore　does　a　long

nose　always　provoke　the　beholder　to　laughter？　　These　points　may　be

metaphysically　elucidated　by　those　who　list。　　It　is　probable　that

Mr。　Cruikshank　could　not　give　an　accurate　definition　of　that　which

is　ridiculous　in　these　objects；　but　his　instinct　has　told　him　that

fun　lurks　in　them；　and　cold　must　be　the　heart　that　can　pass　by　the

pantaloons　of　his　charity　boys；　the　Hessian　boots　of　his　dandies；

and　the　fan…tail　hats　of　his　dustmen；　without　respectful　wonder。



He　has　made　a　complete　little　gallery　of　dustmen。　　There　is；　in　the

first　place；　the　professional　dustman；　who；　having　in　the

enthusiastic　exercise　of　his　delightful　trade；　laid　hands　upon

property　not　strictly　his　own；　is　pursued；　we　presume；　by　the　right

owner；　from　whom　he　flies　as　fast　as　his　crooked　shanks　will　carry

him。



What　a　curious　picture　it　isthe　horrid　rickety　houses　in　some

dingy　suburb　of　London；　the　grinning　cobbler；　the　smothered　butcher；

the　very　trees　which　are　covered　with　dustit　is　fine　to　look　at

the　different　expressions　of　the　two　interesting　fugitives。　　The

fiery　charioteer　who　belabors　the　poor　donkey　has　still　a　glance　for

his　brother　on　foot；　on　whom　punishment　is　about　to　descend。　　And

not　a　little　curious　is　it　to　think　of　the　creative　power　of　the　man

who　has　arranged　this　little　tale　of　low　life。　　How　logically　it　is

conducted；　how　cleverly　each　one　of　the　accessories　is　made　to

contribute　to　the　effect　of　the　whole。　　What　a　deal　of　thought　and

humor　has　the　artist　expended　on　this　little　block　of　wood；　a　large

picture　might　have　been　painted　out　of　the　very　same　materials；

which　Mr。　Cruikshank；　out　of　his　wondrous　fund　of　merriment　and

observation；　can　afford　to　throw　away　upon　a　drawing　not　two　inches

long。　　From　the　practical　dustmen　we　pass　to　those　purely　poetical。

There　are　three　of　them　who　rise　on　clouds　of　their　own　raising；　the

very　genii　of　the　sack　and　shovel。



Is　there　no　one　to　write　a　sonnet　to　these？and　yet　a　whole　poem

was　written　about　Peter　Bell　the　wagoner；　a　character　by　no　means　so

poetic。



And　lastly；　we　have　the　dustman　in　love：　the　honest　fellow　having

seen　a　young　beauty　stepping　out　of　a　gin…shop　on　a　Sunday　morning；

is　pressing　eagerly　his　suit。



Gin　has　furnished　many　subjects　to　Mr。　Cruikshank；　who　labors　in　his

own　sound　and　hearty　way　to　teach　his　countrymen　the　dangers　of　that

drink。　　In　the　〃Sketch…Book〃　is　a　plate　upon　the　subject；　remarkable

for　fancy　and　beauty　of　design；　it　is　called　the　〃Gin　Juggernaut；〃

and　represents　a　hideous　moving　palace；　with　a　reeking　still　at　the

roof　and　vast　gin…barrels　for　wheels；　under　which　unhappy　millions

are　crushed　to　death。　　An　immense　black　cloud　of　desolation　covers

over　the　country　through　which　the　gin　monster　has　passed；　dimly

looming　through　the　darkness　whereof　you　see　an　agreeable　prospect

of　gibbets　with　men　dangling；　burnt　houses；　&c。　　The　vast　cloud

comes　sweeping　on　in　the　wake　of　this　horrible　body…crusher；　and　you

see；　by　way　of　contrast；　a　distant；　smiling；　sunshiny　tract　of　old

English　country；　where　gin　as　yet　is　not　known。　　The　allegory　is　as

good；　as　earnest；　and　as　fanciful　as　one　of　John　Bunyan's；　and　we

have　often　fancied　there　was　a　similarity　between　the　men。



The　render　will　examine　the　work　called　〃My　Sketch…Book〃　with　not　a

little　amusement；　and　may　gather　from　it；　as　we　fancy；　a　good　deal

of　information　regarding　the　character　of　the　individual　man；　George

Cruikshank：　what　points　strike　his　eye　as　a　painter；　what　move　h