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owards　an　altar　of　Hymen　on　the　table。　　When；　by　the　aid　of　a　pocketglass；　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　parison　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　waspwaisted　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　toedy。　　Here　he　finds　his　strongest　ground；　and　possibly；　notwithstanding　his　powers　as　a　ic　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　illfated　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　Leverlike　scenes　especially　qualified　him。

With　the　name　of　Richard　Doyle　we　e　to　the　first　of　a　group　of　artists　whose　main　work　was；　or　is　still；　done　for　the　timehonoured　miscellany　of　Mr。　Punch。　　So　familiar　an　object　is　〃Punch〃　upon　our　tables；　that　one　is　sometimes　apt　to　fet　how　unfailing；　and　how　good　on　the　whole；　is　the　work　we　take　so　placently　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　mented　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　titlepage　has　it；　〃draolesworths　and　Cantilupes　of　the　day　parading　the　Park；　we　watch　Brougham　fretting　at　a　hearing　in　the　Lords；　or　Peel　holding　forth　to　the　mons　（where　the　Irish　members　are　already　obstructive）；　arket　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　littleworked　Grimm's　〃Goblins〃　of　his　youth。　　So　hazardous　is　the　attempt　to　repeat　an　old　success！　　Nevertheless；　many　of　the　initial　letters　to　the　〃Bird's　Eye　Views〃　are　in　the　artist's　best　and　most　frolicsome　manner。　　〃The　Foreign　Tour　of　Brown；　Jones；　and　Robinson〃　is　another　of　his　happy　thoughts　for　〃Punch；〃　and　some　of　his　most　popular　designs　are　to　be　found　in　Thackeray's　〃Newes；〃　where　his　satire　and　fancy　seem　thoroughly　suited　to　his　text。　　He　has　also　illustrated　Locker's　wellknown　〃London　Lyrics；〃　Ruskin's　〃King　of　the　Golden　River；〃　and　Hughes's　〃Scouring　of　the　White　Horse；〃　from　which　last　the　initial　at　the　beginning　of　this　chapter　has　been　borrowed。　　His　latest　important　effort　was　the　series　of　drawings　called　〃In　Fairy　Land；〃　to　which　Mr。　William　Allingham　contributed　the　verses。

In　speaking　of　the　〃Newes；〃　one　is　reminded　that　its　illustrious　author　was　himself　a　〃Punch〃　artist；　and　would　probably　have　been　a　designer　alone；　had　it　not　been　decreed　〃that　he　should　paint　in　colours　which　will　never　crack　and　never　need　restoration。〃　Everyone　knows　the　story　of　the　rejected　illustrator　of　〃Pickwick；〃　whom　that　and　other　rebuffs　drove　permanently　to　letters。　　To　his　death；　however；　he　clung　fondly　to　his　pencil。　　In　technique　he　never　attained　to　certainty　or　strength；　and　his　genius　was　too　quick　and　creativeperhaps　also　too　desultoryfor　finished　work；　while　he　was　always　indifferent　to　costume　and　accessory。　　But　many　of　his　sketches　for　〃Vanity　Fair；〃　for　〃Pendennis；〃　for　〃The　Virginians；〃　for　〃The　Rose　and　the　Ring；〃　the　Christmas　books；　and　the　posthumously　published　〃Orphan　of　Pimlico；〃　have　a　vigour　of　impromptu；　and　a　happy　suggestiveness　which　is　better　than　correct　drawing。　　Often　the　realisation　is　almost　photographic。　　Look；　for　example；　at　the　portrait　in　〃Pendennis〃　of　the　dilapidated　Major　as　he　crawls　downstairs　in　the　dawn　after　the　ball　at　Gaunt　House；　and　then　listen　to　the　inimitable　context：　　〃That　admirable　and　devoted　Major　above　all；who　had　been　for　hours　by　Lady　Clavering's　side　ministering　to　her　and　feeding　her　body　with　everything　that　was　nice；　and　her　ear　with　everything　that　was　sweet　and　flatteringoh！　what　an　object　he　was！　　The　rings　round　his　eyes　were　of　the　colour　of　bistre；　those　orbs　themselves　were　like　the　plovers'　eggs　whereof　Lady　Clavering　and　Blanche　had　each　tasted；　the　wrinkles　in　his　old　face　were　furrowed　in　deep　gashes；　and　a　silver　stubble；　like　an　elderly　morning　dew；　was　glittering　on　his　chin；　and　alongside　the　dyed　whiskers；　now　limp　and　out　of　curl。〃　　A　good　deal　of　thisthat　fine　touch　in　italics　especiallycould　not　possibly　be　rendered　in　black　and　white；　and　yet　how　much　is　indicated；　and　how　thoroughly　the　whole　is　felt！　　One　turns　to　the　woodcut　from　the　words；　and　back　again　to　the　words　from　the　woodcut　with　everincreasing　gratification。　　Then　again；　Thackeray's　little　initial　letters　are　charmingly　arch　and　playful。　　They　seem　to　throw　a　shy　sidelight　upon　the　text；　giving；　as　it　were；　an　additional　and　confidential　hint　of　the　working　of　the　author's　mind。　　To　those　who；　with　the　present　writer；　love　every　tiny　scratch　and　quirk　and　flourish　of　the　Master's　hand；　these　small　but　priceless　memorials　are　far　beyond　the　frigid　appraising　of　academics　and　schools　of　art。

After　Doyle　and　Thackeray　e　a　couple　of　wellknown　artistsJohn　Leech　and　John　Tenniel。　　The　latter　still　lives　（may　he　long　live！）　to　delight　and　instruct　us。　　Of　the　former；　whose　genial　and　manly　〃Pictures　of　Life　and　Character〃　are　in　every　home　where　good　humoured　raillery　is　prized　and　appreciated；　it　is　scarcely　necessary　to　speak。　　Who　does　not　remember　the　splendid　languid　swells；　the　brighteyed　rosy　girls　（〃with　no　nonsense　about　them！〃）　in　pork　pie　hats　and　crinolines；　the　superlative　〃Jeames's；〃　the　hairy　〃Mossoos；〃　the　musicgrinding　Italian　desperadoes　whom　their　kind　creator　hated　so？　　And　then　the　intrepidity　of　〃Mr。　Briggs；〃　the　Roman　rule　of　〃Paterfamilias；〃　the　vagaries　of　the　〃Rising　Generation！〃　　There　are　things　in　this　gallery　over　which　the　severest　misanthrope　must　chucklethey　are　simply　irresistible。　Let　any　one　take；　say　that　smallest　sketch　of　the　hapless　mortal　who　has　turned　on　the　hot　water　in　the　bath　and　cannot　turn　it　off　again；　and　see　if　he　is　able　to　restrain　his　laughter。　　In　this　one　gift　of　producing　instant　mirth　Leech　is　almost