a　Feather〃　of　1875；　or　that　ingenious　skit　of　1877　upon　the　rival　Grosvenor　Gallery　and　Academy；　in　which　the　late　President　of　the　latter　is　shown　as　the　proudest　of　peacocks；　the　eyes　of　whose　tail　are　portraits　of　Royal　Academicians；　and　whose　body…feathers　are　paint　brushes　and　shillings　of　admission。　　Mr。　Sambourne　is　excellent；　too；　at　adaptations　of　popular　pictures；witness　the　more　than　happy　parodies　of　Herrman's　〃A　Bout　d'Arguments；〃　and　〃Une　Bonne　Histoire。〃　　His　book…illustrations　have　been　comparatively　few；　those　to　Burnand's　laughable　burlesque　of　〃Sandford　and　Merton〃　being　among　the　best。　　Rumour　asserts　that　he　is　at　present　engaged　upon　Kingsley's　〃Water　Babies；〃　a　subject　which　might　almost　be　supposed　to　have　been　created　for　his　pencil。　　There　are　indications；　it　may　be　added；　that　Mr。　Sambourne's　talents　are　by　no　means　limited　to　the　domain　in　which　for　the　present　he　chooses　to　exercise　them；　and　it　is　not　impossible　that　he　may　hereafter　take　high　rank　as　a　cartoonist。　　Mr。　Charles　Keene；　a　selection　from　whose　sketches　has　recently　been　issued　under　the　title　of　〃Our　People；〃　is　unrivalled　in　certain　bourgeois；　military；　and　provincial　types。　　No　one　can　draw　a　volunteer；　a　monthly　nurse；　a　Scotchman；　an　〃ancient　mariner〃　of　the　watering…place　species；　with　such　absolutely　humorous　verisimilitude。　　Personages；　too；　in　whose　eyesto　use　Mr。　Swiveller's　euphemism〃the　sun　has　shone　too　strongly；〃　find　in　Mr。　Keene　a　merciless　satirist　of　their　〃pleasant　vices。〃　　Like　Leech；　he　has　also　a　remarkable　power　of　indicating　a　landscape　background　with　the　fewest　possible　touches。　　His　book…　illustrations　have　been　。mainly　confined　to　magazines　and　novels。　Those　in　〃Once　a　Week〃　to　a　〃Good　Fight；〃　the　tale　subsequently　elaborated　by　Charles　Reade　into　the　〃Cloister　and　the　Hearth；〃　present　some　good　specimens　of　his　earlier　work。　　One　of　these；　in　which　the　dwarf　of　the　story　is　seen　climbing　up　a　wall　with　a　lantern　at　his　back；　will　probably　be　remembered　by　many。
  After　the　〃Punch〃　school　there　are　other　lesser　luminaries。　　Mr。　W。　S。　Gilbert's　drawings　to　his　own　inimitable　〃Bab　Ballads〃　have　a　perverse　drollery　which　is　quite　in　keeping　with　that　erratic　text。　Mr。　F。　Barnard；　whose　exceptional　talents　have　not　been　sufficiently　recognised；　is　a　master　of　certain　phases　of　strongly　marked　character；　and；　like　Mr。　Charles　Green；　has　contributed　some　excellent　sketches　to　the　〃Household　Edition〃　of　Dickens。　　Mr。　Sullivan　of　〃Fun；〃　whose　grotesque　studies　of　the　〃British　Tradesman〃　and　〃Workman〃　have　recently　been　republished；　has　abounding　vis　comica；　but　he　has　hitherto　done　little　in　the　way　of　illustrating　books。　　For　minute　pictorial　stocktaking　and　photographic　retention　of　detail；　Mr。　Sullivan's　artistic　memory　may　almost　be　compared　to　the　wonderful　literary　memory　of　Mr。　Sala。　Mr。　John　Proctor；　who　some　years　ago　（in　〃Will　o'　the　Wisp〃）　seemed　likely　to　rival　Tenniel　as　a　cartoonist；　has　not　been　very　active　in　this　way；　while　Mr。　Matthew　Morgan；　the　clever　artist　of　the　〃Tomahawk；〃　has　transferred　his　services　to　the　United　States。　　Of　Mr。　Bowcher　of　〃Judy；〃　and　various　other　professedly　humorous　designers；　space　permits　no　further　mention。
  There　remains；　however；　one　popular　branch　of　book…illustration；　which　has　attracted　the　talents　of　some　of　the　most　skilful　and　original　of　modern　draughtsmen；　i。e。　the　embellishment　of　children's　books。　　From　the　days　when　Mulready　drew　the　old　〃Butterfly's　Ball〃　and　〃Peacock　at　Home〃　of　our　youth；　to　those　of　the　delightfully　Blake…like　fancies　of　E。　V。　B。；　whose　〃Child's　Play〃　has　recently　been　re…published　for　the　delectation　of　a　new　generation　of　admirers；　this　has　always　been　a　popular　and　profitable　employment；　but　of　late　years　it　has　been　raised　to　the　level　of　a　fine　art。　Mr。　H。　S。　Marks；　Mr。　J。　D。　Watson；　Mr。　Walter　Crane；　have　produced　specimens　of　nursery　literature　which；　for　refinement　of　colouring　and　beauty　of　ornament；　cannot　easily　be　surpassed。　　The　equipments　of　the　last　named；　especially；　are　of　a　very　high　order。　　He　began　as　a　landscapist　on　wood；　he　now　chiefly　devotes　himself　to　the　figure；　and　he　seems　to　have　the　decorative　art　at　his　fingers'　ends　as　a　natural　gift。　　Such　work　as　〃King　Luckieboy's　Party〃　was　a　revelation　in　the　way　of　toy　books；　while　the　〃Baby's　Opera〃　and　〃Baby's　Bouquet〃　are　petits　chefs　d'oeuvre；　of　which　the　sagacious　collector　will　do　well　to　secure　copies；　not　for　his　nursery；　but　his　library。　　Nor　can　his　〃Mrs。　Mundi　at　Home〃　be　neglected　by　the　curious　in　quaint　and　graceful　invention。　｛14｝　　Another　bookthe　〃Under　the　Window〃　of　Miss　Kate　Greenawaycomes　within　the　same　category。　　Since　Stothard；　no　one　has　given　us　such　a　clear…eyed；　soft…faced；　happy…hearted　childhood；　or　so　poetically　〃apprehended〃　the　coy　reticences；　the　simplicities；　and　the　small　solemnities　of　little　people。　　Added　to　this；　the　old…world　costume　in　which　she　usually　elects　to　clothe　her　characters；　lends　an　arch　piquancy　of　contrast　to　their　innocent　rites　and　ceremonies。　　Her　taste　in　tinting；　too；　is　very　sweet　and　spring…like；　and　there　is　a　fresh；　pure　fragrance　about　all　her　pictures　as　of　new…gathered　nosegays；　or；　perhaps；　looking　to　the　fashions　that　she　favours；　it　would　be　better　to　say　〃bow…pots。〃　　But　the　latest　〃good　genius〃　of　this　branch　of　book…illustrating　is　Mr。　Randolph　Caldecott；　a　designer　assuredly　of　the　very　first　order。　　There　is　a　spontaneity　of　fun；　an　unforced　invention　about　everything　he　does；　that　is　infinitely　entertaining。　　Other　artists　draw　to　amuse　us；　Mr。　Caldecott　seems　to　draw　to　amuse　himself；and　this　is　his　charm。　　One　feels　that　he　must　have　chuckled　inwardly　as　he　puffed　the　cheeks　of　his　〃Jovial　Huntsmen；〃　or　sketched　that　inimitably　complacent　dog　in　the　〃House　that　Jack　Built；〃　or　exhibited　the　exploits　of　the　immortal　〃train…　band　captain〃　of　〃famous　London　town。〃　　This　last　is　his　masterpiece。　　Cowper　himself　must　have　rejoiced　at　it；and　Lady　Austen。　　There　are　two　sketches　in　this　bookthey　occupy　the　concluding　pageswhich　are　especially　fascinating。　　On　one；　John　Gilpin；　in　a　forlorn　and　flaccid　condition；　is　helped　into　the　house　by　the　sympathising　（and　very　attractive）　Betty；　on　the　other　he　has　donned　his　slippers；　refreshed　his　inner　man　with　a　cordial；　and　over　the　heaving　shoulder　of　his　〃spouse；〃　who　lies　dissolved　upon　his　martial　bosom；　he　is　taking　the　spectators　into　his　confidence　with　a　wink　worthy　of　the　late　Mr。　Buckstone。　　Nothing　more　genuine；　more　heartily　laughable；　than　this　set　of　designs　has　appeared　in　our　day。　　And　Mr。　Caldecott　has　few　limitations。　　Not　only　does　he　draw　human　nature　admirably；　but　he　draws　animals　and　landscapes　equally　well；　so　one　may　praise　him　without　reserve。　　Though　not　children's　books；　mention　should　here　be　made　of　his　〃Bracebridge　Hall；〃　and　〃Old　Christmas；〃　the　illustrations　to　which　are　the　nearest　approach　to　that　beau…ideal；　perfect　sympathy　between　the　artist　and　the　author；　with　which　the　writer　is　acquainted。　　The　cut　on　page　173　is　from　the　former　of　these　works。
  Many　of　the　books　above　mentioned　are　printed　in　colours　by　various　processes；　and　they　are　not　always　engraved　on　wood。　　Butto　close　the　account　of　modern　wood…engravingsome　brief　reference　must　be　made　to　what　is　styled　the　〃new　American　School；〃　as　exhibited　for　the　most　part　in　〃Scribner's〃　and　other　Transatlantic　magazines。　Authorities；　it　is　reported；　shake　their　heads　over　these　performances。　〃C'est　magnifique；　mais　ce　nest　pas　la　gravure；〃　they　whisper。　　Into　the　matter　in　dispute；　it　is　perhaps　presumptuous　for　an　〃atechnic〃　to　adventure　himself。　　But　to　the　outsider　it　would　certainly　seem　as　if　the　chief　ground　of　complaint　is　that　the　new　comers　do　not　play　the　game　according　to　the　old　rules；　and　that　this　（alleged）　irregular　mode　of　procedure　tends　to　lessen　the　status　of　the　engraver　as　an　artist。　　False　or　true；　this；　it　may　fairly　be　advanced；　has　nothing　whatever　to　do　with　the　matter；　as　far；　at　least；　as　the　public　are　concerned。　　For　them　the　question　is；　simply　and　solelyWhat　is　the　result　obtained？　　The　new　school；　availing　themselves　largely　of　the　assistance　of　photography；　are　able　to　dispense；　in　a　great　measure；　with　the　old　tedious　method　of　drawing　on　the　block；　and　to　leave　the　artist　to　choose　what　medium　he　prefers　for　his　designbe　it　oil；　water…colour；　or　black　and　whiteconcerning　themselves　only　to　reproduce　its　characteristics　on　the　wood。　　This　is；　of　course；　a　deviation　from　the　method　of　Bewick。　　But　would　Bewick　have　adhered　to　his　method　in　these　days？　Even　in　his　last　hours　he　was　seeking　for　new　processes。　　What　we　want　is　to　get　nearest　to　the　artist　himself　with　the　least　amount　of　interpretation　or　intermediation　on　the　part　of　the　engraver。　　Is　engraving　on　copper　to　be　reproduced；　we　want　a　facsimile　if　possible；　and　not　a　rendering　into　something　which　is　supposed　to　be　the　orthodox　utterance　of　wood…engraving。　　Take；　for　example；　the　copy　of　Schiavonetti's　engraving　of　Blake's　Death's　Door　in　〃Scribner's　Magazine〃　for　June　1880；　or　the　cut　from　the　same　source　at　page　131　of　this　book。　　These　are　faithful　line　for　line　transcriptions；　as　far　as　wood　can　give　them；　of　the　original　copper…plates；　and；　this　being　the　case