george cruikshank-第8章

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also　made　designs　for　Victor　Hugo's　〃Hans　of　Iceland。〃　　Strange；

wild　etchings　were　those；　on　a　strange；　mad　subject；　not　so　good　in

our　notion　as　the　designs　for　the　German　books；　the　peculiar　humor

of　which　latter　seemed　to　suit　the　artist　exactly。　　There　is　a

mixture　of　the　awful　and　the　ridiculous　in　these；　which　perpetually

excites　and　keeps　awake　the　reader's　attention；　the　German　writer

and　the　English　artist　seem　to　have　an　entire　faith　in　their

subject。　　The　reader；　no　doubt；　remembers　the　awful　passage　in

〃Peter　Schlemihl；〃　where　the　little　gentleman　purchases　the　shadow

of　that　hero〃Have　the　kindness；　noble　sir；　to　examine　and　try　this

bag。〃　　〃He　put　his　hand　into　his　pocket；　and　drew　thence　a　tolerably

large　bag　of　Cordovan　leather；　to　which　a　couple　of　thongs　were

fixed。　　I　took　it　from　him；　and　immediately　counted　out　ten　gold

pieces；　and　ten　more；　and　ten　more；　and　still　other　ten；　whereupon　I

held　out　my　hand　to　him。　　Done；　said　I；　it　is　a　bargain；　you　shall

have　my　shadow　for　your　bag。　　The　bargain　was　concluded；　he　knelt

down　before　me；　and　I　saw　him　with　a　wonderful　neatness　take　my

shadow　from　head　to　foot；　lightly　lift　it　up　from　the　grass；　roll

and　fold　it　up　neatly；　and　at　last　pocket　it。　　He　then　rose　up；

bowed　to　me　once　more；　and　walked　away　again；　disappearing　behind

the　rose　bushes。　　I　don't　know；　but　I　thought　I　heard　him　laughing　a

little。　　I；　however；　kept　fast　hold　of　the　bag。　　Everything　around

me　was　bright　in　the　sun；　and　as　yet　I　gave　no　thought　to　what　I　had

done。〃



This　marvellous　event；　narrated　by　Peter　with　such　a　faithful；

circumstantial　detail；　is　painted　by　Cruikshank　in　the　most

wonderful　poetic　way；　with　that　happy　mixture　of　the　real　and

supernatural　that　makes　the　narrative　so　curious；　and　like　truth。

The　sun　is　shining　with　the　utmost　brilliancy　in　a　great　quiet　park

or　garden；　there　is　a　palace　in　the　background；　and　a　statue　basking

in　the　sun　quite　lonely　and　melancholy；　there　is　a　sun…dial；　on

which　is　a　deep　shadow；　and　in　the　front　stands　Peter　Schlemihl；　bag

in　hand：　the　old　gentleman　is　down　on　his　knees　to　him；　and　has　just

lifted　off　the　ground　the　SHADOW　OF　ONE　LEG；　he　is　going　to　fold　it

back　neatly；　as　one　does　the　tails　of　a　coat；　and　will　stow　it；

without　any　creases　or　crumples；　along　with　the　other　black　garments

that　lie　in　that　immense　pocket　of　his。　　Cruikshank　has　designed　all

this　as　if　he　had　a　very　serious　belief　in　the　story；　he　laughs；　to

be　sure；　but　one　fancies　that　he　is　a　little　frightened　in　his

heart；　in　spite　of　all　his　fun　and　joking。



The　German　tales　we　have　mentioned　before。　　〃The　Prince　riding　on

the　Fox；〃　〃Hans　in　Luck；〃　〃The　Fiddler　and　his　Goose；〃　〃Heads　off；〃

are　all　drawings　which；　albeit　not　before　us　now；　nor　seen　for　ten

years；　remain　indelibly　fixed　on　the　memory。　　〃Heisst　du　etwa

Rumpelstilzchen？〃　　There　sits　the　Queen　on　her　throne；　surrounded　by

grinning　beef…eaters；　and　little　Rumpelstiltskin　stamps　his　foot

through　the　floor　in　the　excess　of　his　tremendous　despair。　　In　one

of　these　German　tales；　if　we　remember　rightly；　there　is　an　account

of　a　little　orphan　who　is　carried　away　by　a　pitying　fairy　for　a　term

of　seven　years；　and　passing　that　period　of　sweet　apprenticeship

among　the　imps　and　sprites　of　fairy…land。　　Has　our　artist　been　among

the　same　company；　and　brought　back　their　portraits　in　his　sketch…

book？　　He　is　the　only　designer　fairy…land　has　had。　　Callot's　imps；

for　all　their　strangeness；　are　only　of　the　earth　earthy。　　Fuseli's

fairies　belong　to　the　infernal　regions；　they　are　monstrous；　lurid；

and　hideously　melancholy。　　Mr。　Cruikshank　alone　has　had　a　true

insight　into　the　character　of　the　〃little　people。〃　　They　are

something　like　men　and　women；　and　yet　not　flesh　and　blood；　they　are

laughing　and　mischievous；　but　why　we　know　not。　　Mr。　Cruikshank；

however；　has　had　some　dream　or　the　other；　or　else　a　natural

mysterious　instinct　（as　the　Seherinn　of　Prevorst　had　for　beholding

ghosts）；　or　else　some　preternatural　fairy　revelation；　which　has　made

him　acquainted　with　the　looks　and　ways　of　the　fantastical　subjects

of　Oberon　and　Titania。



We　have；　unfortunately；　no　fairy　portraits；　but；　on　the　other　hand；

can　descend　lower　than　fairy…land；　and　have　seen　some　fine　specimens

of　devils。　　One　has　already　been　raised；　and　the　reader　has　seen　him

tempting　a　fat　Dutch　burgomaster；　in　an　ancient　gloomy　market…place；

such　as　George　Cruikshank　can　draw　as　well　as　Mr。　Prout；　Mr。　Nash；

or　any　man　living。　　There　is　our　friend　once　more；　our　friend　the

burgomaster；　in　a　highly　excited　state；　and　running　as　hard　as　his

great　legs　will　carry　him；　with　our　mutual　enemy　at　his　tail。



What　are　the　bets；　will　that　long…legged　bondholder　of　a　devil　come

up　with　the　honest　Dutchman？　　It　serves　him　right：　why　did　he　put

his　name　to　stamped　paper？　　And　yet　we　should　not　wonder　if　some

lucky　chance　should　turn　up　in　the　burgomaster's　favor；　and　his

infernal　creditor　lose　his　labor；　for　one　so　proverbially　cunning　as

yonder　tall　individual　with　the　saucer　eyes；　it　must　be　confessed

that　he　has　been　very　often　outwitted。



There　is；　for　instance；　the　case　of　〃The　Gentleman　in　Black；〃　which

has　been　illustrated　by　our　artist。　　A　young　French　gentleman；　by

name　M。　Desonge；　who；　having　expended　his　patrimony　in　a　variety　of

taverns　and　gaming…houses；　was　one　day　pondering　upon　the　exhausted

state　of　his　finances；　and　utterly　at　a　loss　to　think　how　he　should

provide　means　for　future　support；　exclaimed；　very　naturally；　〃What

the　devil　shall　I　do？〃　　He　had　no　sooner　spoken　than　a　GENTLEMAN　IN

BLACK　made　his　appearance；　whose　authentic　portrait　Mr。　Cruikshank

has　had　the　honor　to　paint。　　This　gentleman　produced　a　black…edged

book　out　of　a　black　bag；　some　black…edged　papers　tied　up　with　black

crape；　and　sitting　down　familiarly　opposite　M。　Desonge；　began

conversing　with　him　on　the　state　of　his　affairs。



It　is　needless　to　state　what　was　the　result　of　the　interview。　　M。

Desonge　was　induced　by　the　gentleman　to　sign　his　name　to　one　of　the

black…edged　papers；　and　found　himself　at　the　close　of　the

conversation　to　be　possessed　of　an　unlimited　command　of　capital。

This　arrangement　completed；　the　Gentleman　in　Black　posted　（in　an

extraordinarily　rapid　manner）　from　Paris　to　London；　there　found　a

young　English　merchant　in　exactly　the　same　situation　in　which　M。

Desonge　had　been；　and　concluded　a　bargain　with　the　Briton　of　exactly

the　same　nature。



The　book　goes　on　to　relate　how　these　young　men　spent　the　money　so

miraculously　handed　over　to　them；　and　how　both；　when　the　period　drew

near　that　was　to　witness　the　performance　of　THEIR　part　of　the

bargain；　grew　melancholy；　wretched；　nay；　so　absolutely　dishonorable

as　to　seek　for　every　means　of　breaking　through　their　agreement。　　The

Englishman　living　in　a　country　where　the　lawyers　are　more　astute

than　any　other　lawyers　in　the　world；　took　the　advice　of　a　Mr。

Bagsby；　of　Lyon's　Inn；　whose　name；　as　we　cannot　find　it　in　the　〃Law

List；〃　we　presume　to　be　fictitious。　　Who　could　it　be　that　was　a

match　for　the　devil？　　Lord　　very　likely；　we　shall　not　give　his

name；　but　let　every　reader　of　this　Review　fill　up　the　blank

according　to　his　own　fancy；　and　on　comparing　it　with　the　copy

purchased　by　his　neighbors；　he　will　find　that　fifteen　out　of　twenty

have　written　down　the　same　honored　name。



Well；　the　Gentleman　in　Black　was　anxious　for　the　fulfilment　of　his

bond。　　The　parties　met　at　Mr。　Bagsby's　chambers　to　consult；　the

Black　Gentleman　foolishly　thinking　that　he　could　act　as　his　own

counsel；　and　fearing　no　attorney　alive。　　But　mark　the　superiority　of

British　law；　and　see　how　the　black　pettifogger　was　defeated。



Mr。　Bagsby　simply　stated　that　he　would　take　the　case　into　Chancery；

and　his　antagonist；　utterly　humiliated　and　defeated；　refused　to　move

a　step　farther　in　the　matter。



And　now　the　French　gentleman；　M。　Desonge；　hearing　of　his　friend's

escape；　became　anxious　to　be　free