John Bull is frequently represented as taking a "fricassee à la Nelson," composed of a course of French ships; and Buonaparte, mostly if not always in a ridiculous attitude and costume, appears disputing the world with John Bull. The Irish union, which took effect on Jan. 1, 1801, is chronicled by Gilray in a print called the "The Union Club," wherein Britannia and Hibernia, distinguished by their Shield and Harp, give each other the kiss of peace.

other; Mr. Pitt, in fact, although he puts on a bold countenance, is represented as almost sinking to the ground in his fright. In other prints, however, the conqueror of the greater part of Europe was represented as a mere pigmy compared to King George and his valiant Britons. In one, King George holds the Lilliputian hero in his hand, and looks at him with a magnifying glass; the print bears the name of "The King of Brobdignag and GulThe fashions of the day may be seen liver." Our readers will recollect that in all their elegance or monstrosity by Mr. Leech repeated the idea in Punch reference to some of the works of Gilray, some two or three years back, by rebut we can but refer to them, as they presenting the Duke of Wellington, would not be understood, unless accom-looking at General Tom Thumb dressed panied by illustrative cuts. Ballooning as Buonaparte; the print was called the figures as Folly in a new shape" in "Giant and the Dwarf." 1785, and the rage for masquerades, and the inordinate passion for gaming which some ladies of title indulged in, such as Lady Buckinghamshire, Lady Luttrell, and Lady Archer, were severely and justly dealt with by the caricaturists. Other subjects which we meet with, thereby commemorated are, the "Infant Roscius," the management of Drury Lane, the O. P. riots, and Boydell's Shakespere Gallery. A glimpse into the passing follies of the day, is by no means the least instructive or amusing lesson which may be gathered from the pages of the caricaturists.

66

ROWLANDSON, an artist of eccentric power, but notorious for a vulgar and almost Dutch freedom of drawing, had made his appearance on the field of politics, in 1799, but Gilray for some years afterwards bore off the greater share of work. In 1802 the peace which took place between France and England was celebrated by that artist, as "The First Kiss these ten years" a French citizen is embracing a fair English dame, and saying, Madame, permit me to seal on your divine lips everlasting attachment." This caricature enjoyed vast popularity, many copies were sent to France, and Buonaparte was, it is said, highly amused by it. In 1803, the first consul again declared war with England, and prepared to invade her. Gilray's print on the question represents Pitt on one side the Channel and Buonaparte on the other; the latter distinguished by his immense sword and enormous cocked hat. The print is called, "Armed Heroes," and both the personages are terribly afraid of each

From this period to his death, the great majority of the works of Gilray satirize the Emperor Napoleon; one of them, published towards the latter end of 1803, is called the "Hand-writing on the Wall," and predicts the approaching downfall of Napoleon; his empress, his sisters, and his generals are bitterly satirized by its forcible drawing, and it is said that few things annoyed the great conqueror so much as a copy of this print which was shewn to him. Pitt in opposition, the new coalition, the volunteers, and other events make up subjects of the numerous plates of the indefatigable artist. The approaching death of Fox did not shield that great statesman from these pictorial attacks; a plate, called “Visiting the Sick," published on the 28th July, represents Fox on the bed of death, mourned over by few, and insulted by others. The 13th of September found that great man no more; he was succeeded as foreign secretary by Lord Grey, then Lord Howick. The name of that statesman, and of Sir Francis Burdett, in the field of politics, and of the elder Cruikshank, and of Rowlandson in the field hitherto so industriously occupied by Gilray himself, brings us down to comparatively recent times.

Gilray's labours to the last turned against Napoleon, representing him as entering into the "Valley of the Shadow of Death" in his struggle with the northern powers; how truly and clearly foreseen, we need not here remark; as bound in chains to the triumphal car of Great Britain; and as suffering every possible misfortune which the artist could invent. In 1809, the pencil of

elevation of his countrymen, That

GEORGE CRUIKSHANK.

the caricaturist ceased from its labours.
Sayer had already given over, and man is
others were rising, but none with the
graphic force of Gilray; he would have
still monopolised the field, had not his
own acts destroyed him. He had an
almost insatiate thirst for spirits, and
left his own publisher with whom he
lodged, in Bond-street, frequently, to
sell plates to Fores, in Piccadilly, for
the purpose of procuring ardent drink
with the money.
His last work is
dated 1811, after that he sank into a
state of mingled delirium and imbecility,
and attempted suicide, by endeavouring
to throw himself out of window. For
four years he lingered in this state, and
finally died on the first of June 1815,
and was buried in the churchyard of
St. James's, Piccadilly, near the rectory

house.

The name, the reader will at once perceive, is Scotch. A generation of the Cruikshanks flourished in the '45, and the grandfather of the present artist went out with Charles Edward, and, like that once popular prince, finished his campaigns on Drummossie Moor. Tradition states that members of the artist's mother's family, were also active in aiding the young fugitive, and in shielding and hiding him in his many perilous escapes. These circumstances no doubt impoverished his family, and the father of Isaac came from Edinburgh to London, like hundreds of his countrymen, bent upon trying his fortune. He left his son an orphan in London, and there, in the parish of Bloomsbury, his son George was born, in the year 1794. He was the second son of Isaac Cruikshank, caricaturist and engraver, having for an elder brother Robert, a follower of the same art, and once known popularly as the illustrator of Coleridge's "Devil's Walk," and of "Monsieur Tonson," about the eccentric author of which Jerdan discourses pleasantly in his recent autobiography.

James Gilray had occupied the public almost incessantly with his plates from the year 1779 to the year 1811. His drawings have force, great skill, and display an immense power of invention. He lived in a stirring political time, and seems to have hit upon popular subjects with an unerring sagacity. His politics were most probably liberal, but as he sold the efforts of his pencil, and perhaps cared most for the side which paid best, it is somewhat difficult to In that art in which he was to gain judge. He was a man who had, how- distinction, George Cruikshank had litever humble some may deem his wea- tle or no instruction. He picked up his pon, an immense influence on his fel-knowledge by seeing his father work, low countrymen, and through them on and once in his early life made a drawthe world, and in looking over, even ing from a cast, as a specimen to obtain casually as we have done, his numerous his admission as a student of the Royal works, we cannot but endorse the Academy, under the superintendence of opinion of Croker, expressed in his Fuseli, a learned professor, who with "New Whig Guide," "that political his nine languages, might well claim to caricatures are parts of political history. be classed amongst those who are acThey supply information as to the per- credited sonal habits, and often as to the motives and objects of public men, which cannot be found elsewhere."

Well versed in Greek, deep men of letters.

The classes of such a professor were To trace the lives of Rowlandson and sure to be well attended, and when Fuof Isaac Cruikshank, to give each par- seli received the drawing of Cruikshank ticular of Woodward and of Bunbury, the room was crowded. He examined would be no easy task, neither, it must the drawing, was well pleased with it, be confessed, would it be a grateful one. and sent down the following characterBut there is one man whom we must istic message to the draughtsman, "Tell not omit, and whose works are the most him, he may come up, but he must universal of any caricaturist who has fight for a seat." The young artist did yet existed, one whose works and name fight for room that evening, but engageare a synomyn for popularity, and ments which brought in money, occuwho has exercised the very great pied his time fully, and he neglected to talent he possesses, not alone in creat- go any more. While upon the subject ing laughter and dispersing care, but we may as well mention that the second also for the moral improvement and drawing for admission to the Royal

Cruikshank was soon after this well known, and he with the enthusiasm of youth was bitterly satirizing the then ministry, whom he believed in his ardent attachment to liberty to be some of the worst men under heaven, whilst the demagogues of the day were the best, when he applied to Fuseli. The Orders in Council, Lord Castlereagh, and Mr. Perceval were objects of his artistic ire, but above them all, the giant of his hate, towered Buonaparte. For some years, the artist has himself told the writer, he lived upon that great usurper Buonaparte; one feat in which he at the time particularly delighted, was that he buried the Corsican in snow, this was on the outset of the Russian expedition. The prophecy was a shrewd Not so successful, however, was one wherein he had left the emperor dead with cold, and about to

one.

Fatten all the region kites.

He also made caricatures for a satirical publication called "The Scourge;" and before he had attained his twentieth year published, in conjunction with a literary friend of the name of Earle, a half-crown publication called "The Meteor." The negligent habits of his literary friend, habits which on account of the uncertainty of the profession are too often acquired by the littérateur, led to the failure of this work after an existence of some few months.

and being a thorough liberal, which embraced at that time the worst quali ties of the present free-thinker, he determined to make a short road to fortune, by publishing what he thought would be extensively popular; namely, parodies on the liturgy of the Church of England. No churchman himself, (his father was a presbyterian,) but yet having that respect for the religious opinions of every sect which every sensible and deep thinking man has, Cruikshank was hurt and alarmed at this, proceeding, and remonstrated with the publisher. "Take my word for it," said he to Hone, "you will be prosecuted for this, withdraw it." "I do not care," was the reply, "the children must have bread to eat," and the remonstrance failed, and the book appeared. It was soon seen how truly Cruikshank had spoken. A notice came from the attorney-general, for Hone to prepare for his arraignment for blasphemy, and the bookseller repented bitterly of his rejection of his friend's advice. He consulted Cruikshank, who dictated a letter to the attorney-general, begging him not to commence proceedings, which he sent by one of his little children to his private house. The boy found that crown officer but just arisen from bed, and was admitted to him whilst he was shaving. He opened and read the letter, and said, "Tell your father, my boy, that I'm very sorry for him, but the action must go on."

The

The action proceeded. Cruikshank did not desert his friend; in his studio he rehearsed Hone's trial, and the two together concocted the defence. government were astonished to find that they had prosecuted a man who was deeply read in all that related to the particular subject in hand. Hone appeared to be deeply shocked at the bare accusation of being blasphemous; and his defence, full of curious reading and learning, was listened to with deep attention. The result of three separate

The main characteristics of his etchings at this time Cruikshank has retained; they were distinguished by boldness and power, free drawing, and an excellent knowledge of the use of the etching point. His works were very popular, and he supplied in himself the place of H. B. and Punch; consequently when Mr. Hone, the pub-trials was that he was acquitted; no lisher, approached George Cruikshank, jury would convict him, and by a chance, he did it with the respect which pub- that which should have crushed the lishers know how to use towards a suc- bookseller, brought him the notice of cessful artist, either of the pencil or pen. the whig opposition, and made him, from Hone was decidedly an original, a man an unknown man, one of the most of talent, and moreover somewhat ec- popular in England. No sane man centric, and our hero and himself soon can now applaud Hone's conduct, or became friends. that of his partizans, and as a proof of Hone, at the time, was not very rich, how much the taste of our countrymen

published his illustrations to Peter which it illustrates is told simply and Schemilhl a German story of one who is of itself deeply pathetic. sold his shadow to the Prince of Darkness. One illustration wherein the Evil One detaches and wraps up the shadow which he has purchased, is full of excellence; the chuckle upon the face of the fiend seems at the same time to denote the worthlessness of the purchase, and yet the inconceivable misery which the want of the shadow would occasion to his victim.

Illustrations to "Hans of Iceland," a wild story by Victor Hugo, and some few plates to the Dublin Magazine, an extinct periodical, formed the occupation of Cruikshank during 1825. In the next year he illustrated a book called "Greenwich Hospital," a collection of sea stories, by Lieut. Barker.

In 1830, he produced the plates of a work which has survived to this day, and which is worthy of more reputation than it has. This was "Three Courses and a Dessert." The three Courses consisted of west country, Irish and legal stories, and a mélange of prose and verse by way of Dessert. The book was written by a Mr. William Clark, a solicitor, which would account for his excellent legal stories. He came from the west of England, and we should presume from the excellence of the Irish stories had spent some years in that country. It is high praise to the illustrations and the text to say that they were worthy of each other. The cuts, in number more than fifty, exhibit a lightness of fancy and imagination which have never been excelled; the head and tail pieces are especially to be commended.

In 1825 Cruikshank illustrated" Popular German Stories," and a book called Mornings at Bow Street." The latter was in some sort the offspring of "Life in London." The young men of the day had taken it into their very empty -heads that to imitate the actions of Corinthian Tom and Bob Logic was very great and glorious, and to carry out this ideal they began assaulting the watch men, in their slang, the Charleys, at a very great rate. A Mr. Wight, who had been, we believe, a merchant at Liverpool, was at that time the reporter to the Morning Chronicle, and used to head his reports of these assaults with the words MORE" LIFE." It says, perhaps, little for the taste of the age, that these were read eagerly, and that by them the circulation of the Chronicle was raised from 600 to more than 7000. Mr. In quick succession after this book Wight obtained the editorship of the Cruikshank illustrated "Tales of Other paper, and a promise of a partnership Days," from the pen of a Mr. Akerman; from Mr. Thwaites, which the latter and "the Gentleman in Black," a novel gentleman did not live to fulfil. Of the by one of the writers in Blackwood's reports themselves we must in justice Magazine. The illustrations of both say that they were often humorous and these are very good. The tales are of seldom vulgar, but readers of the pre-diablerie, and of wild German faney, sent day, accustomed to a more refined and polished wit, will find in them little to amuse or even to repay perusal. The sale of the paper being so effectually improved, Mr. Wight naturally presumed that the reports published separately and illustrated by the first artist of the day, would be no bad speculation, a selection was made, and published under the title of " Mornings at Bow Street," and the sale of the book answered the expectations of the proprietors. The illustrations of the work are excellent, and some of them were the best that Cruikshank had at that time done. Those bearing the titles of "A Cool Contrivance," "Jonas Tunks," "Bundling up," and "a Dun at Dinner Time," are perhaps the best. There is one also of a very pathetic nature called "A Distressed Father." The report

and the cuts which illustrated them of a very different calibre to the later works of the same artist. Next came illustrations to Fielding's "Tom Thumb," so excellent that they should never be separated from that work, and as a pendant to them, the like number of cuts to the Burlesque of "Bombastes Furioso." The artist was then engaged upon "Sunday in London," a fine work which with one or two plates re-drawn, for the fashions have somewhat altered in more than twenty years, would do good service if reprinted now. The parts of the decalogue therein illustrated are turned to bitter satire: a bishop just alighted from his coach (the mitre glitters on the hammer-cloth), is about to enter a fashionable church, to preach no doubt a charity sermon; the inferior clergy wait at the porch to bow him in, and a