第 28 节
作者:这就是结局      更新:2021-02-19 18:30      字数:9322
  Molesworths        and    Cantilupes     of  the   day   parading     the  Park;    we   watch
  Brougham fretting at a hearing in the Lords; or Peel holding forth to the
  Commons (where the Irish members are already obstructive); we squeeze
  in at the Haymarket 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
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  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
  little…worked       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   〃Newcomes;〃   where   his   satire   and   fancy
  seem thoroughly suited to his text。             He has also illustrated Locker's well…
  known       〃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   〃Newcomes;〃   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
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  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   ever…increasing       gratification。     Then      again;   Thackeray's
  little initial letters are charmingly arch and playful。               They seem to throw
  a   shy   side…light    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 come a couple of well…known 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 bright…eyed rosy girls (〃with no
  nonsense   about   them!〃)   in   pork   pie   hats   and   crinolines;   the   superlative
  〃Jeames's;〃   the   hairy   〃Mossoos;〃   the   music…grinding   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 alone。       It would be easy to assail his manner and his skill; but for
  sheer     fun;   for  the   invention     of   downright      humorous      situation;    he   is
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  unapproached;        except    by   Cruikshank。       He    did   a  few    illustrations   to
  Dickens's Christmas books; but his best…known book…illustrations properly
  so called are to 〃Uncle Tom's Cabin;〃 the 〃Comic Histories〃 of A'Beckett;
  the   〃Little   Tour   in   Ireland;〃   and   certain   sporting   novels   by   the   late   Mr。
  Surtees。     Tenniel now confines himself almost exclusively to the weekly
  cartoons with which his name is popularly associated。                   But years ago he
  used   to   invent   the   most   daintily   fanciful   initial   letters;   and   many   of   his
  admirers   prefer   the   serio…   grotesque   designs   of   〃Punch's   Pocket…Book;〃
  〃Alice in Wonderland;〃 and 〃Through the Looking…Glass;〃 to the always
  correctly…drawn        but   sometimes      stiffly…conceived      cartoons。     What;     for
  example;       could    be   more     delightful    than    the   picture;   in   〃Alice    in
  Wonderland;〃 of the 〃Mad Tea Party?〃               Observe the hopelessly distraught
  expression of the March hare; and the eager incoherence of the hatter!                      A
  little further on the pair are trying to squeeze the dormouse into the teapot;
  and    a  few    pages   back    the  blue    caterpillar   is  discovered     smoking     his
  hookah   on   the   top   of   a   mushroom。     He   was   exactly   three   inches   long;
  says     the  veracious     chronicle;     but   what    a  dignity!what      an   oriental
  flexibility of gesture!       Speaking of animals; it must not be forgotten that
  Tenniel is a master in this line。         His 〃British Lion;〃 in particular; is a most
  imposing quadruped; and so often in request that it is not necessary to go
  back to the famous cartoons on the Indian mutiny to seek for examples of
  that magnificent presence。          As a specimen of the artist's treatment of the
  lesser felidae; the reader's attention is invited to this charming little kitten
  from 〃Through the Looking…Glass。〃
  Mr。    Tenniel    is  a  link   between     Leech    and    the  younger     school    of
  〃Punch〃 artists; of whom Mr。 George du Maurier; Mr。 Linley Sambourne;
  and   Mr。   Charles   Keene   are   the   most   illustrious。     The   first   is   nea