We engraved many of Keene's early drawings and were close friends, working together constantly at the Life Schools in Clipstone Street, next door to which he had his queer little box of a room, where for a long time he did all his work. It was a strange mass of scraps, sketches, studies; bits of costumes, armour, and "all sorts" of oddments in the way of properties. It was his custom to make several studies for each figure he drew, and many of them were pinned to the dilapidated paper on the walls, helping to make up the somewhat picturesque appearance of the place. We were very anxious to produce some large and important work with him, and offered him a commission to do an elaborately illustrated edition of "Don Quixote," one of the conditions being that he should visit Spain, with the view of collecting new material for the purpose. He liked the subject, and would have undertaken it, but mainly on the ground that he could not bind himself to do any important work within a fixed time, he finally declined our offer. He felt that his best efforts were due to Punch, but even with the proprietors of that journal he objected to be put on any fixed agreement, like Tenniel, Leech, Du Maurier, and others; for, he said, it would make him feel that he must produce a given amount of work in a given time. "No," he said, "I prefer to send in my drawings as I finish them, whatever they may be, and be paid for the work I have done."
"There sits a lovely maiden,
The ocean murmuring nigh,
She throws the hook and watches;
The fishes pass it by.
"A ring with a red jewel
Is sparkling on her hand;
Upon the hook she binds it,
And flings it from the land."
"A Northern Legend."—W. Cullen Bryant.
By Edward Dalziel.
Published by Messrs. D. Appleton & Co., New York.
We need hardly say it was a disappointment to us. This was before the "Don Quixote" of Gustave Doré had been given to the world; and we fancy that Art is the poorer by Charles Keene not considering himself free to accept our commission.