Forty years of 'Spy'

by Sir Leslie Ward

Dinner given to Joseph Knight by the Dramatic Profession At The Savoy Hotel June, The Fourth, 1905

As regards the present Prime Minister, I was on the look out for him one day, and he did not appear in the Lobby. A member of parliament came up and asked me who I was looking for. I told him I wanted Mr. Asquith, cautioning him, of course, not to let him know for what purpose. He said, "I'll soon have him out," upon which I suggested that he should tell him an amusing story. Consequently I got quite a successful caricature, and not long after the cartoon was published it was, with his approbation, reproduced in colour on the menu of some important Liberal banquet at which he was to be present.

It was with very great pleasure that I designed the menu for the complimentary dinner given by the members of the Dramatic Profession to my old friend, Joe Knight, at the Savoy Hotel on the 4th June, 1905. It contained a portrait of himself for which he sat. He was one of the oldest of the dramatic critics, and had been an art critic, and an intimate friend of Rossetti. He was a very great favourite, especially at the Garrick and Beefsteak Clubs, and he had a fine library which was distributed at his death. A characteristic habit of his was while relating a story to his neighbour at the dinner or supper table to place the palm of his hand before his mouth as though speaking in secrecy, but his voice always thundered out the words so that every one in the room could hear, and there was no secret after all!

One of the nicest men among the many hundreds who have been willing subjects is Lord Newlands. I was struck with his considerate and charming manner to all he came in contact with, even to an old charwoman. It was interesting to hear him talk of his old friend, Dr. Jowett, Master of Balliol College, whose memory he regarded with the deepest respect. My early caricature of him seemed to have pleased him so much that he not only gave a good sum for it at the sale of Vanity Fair cartoons at Christie's, but also commissioned me to make a copy of it. As Henry Hozier he was secretary to Lord Salisbury, 1878-80.

Amongst the many prominent men in connection with Canada that I cartooned were Sir Wilfrid Laurier, perhaps the most striking personality of all the colonists that came my way; Sir Walter Blake, who over here became a prominent member of the House of Commons; the late Duke of Argyll, a delightfully intellectual and kind-hearted man; Lord Minto, whom I depicted in Canadian riding-kit, who was a gentleman to the backbone and a thorough sportsman; and Lord Grey, whose distinguished career is so well known.

Of the Duke of Connaught, whose retirement, when it comes, is sure to be felt in Canada with regret, it can only be said that no one of the Royal Family could have filled the post better, and that a more popular successor to the post of Governor-General could not have been selected than Prince Alexander of Teck. Of course I mention all these as having been victims of my brush at one time or another.

Shortly before her marriage, I went to Kensington Palace to make a drawing of Princess Ena of Battenberg (now the Queen of Spain). I was in some difficulty at first about the regulation of the light upon my sitter, and to soften the effect I pinned a large sheet of brown paper over the lower part of the window, but it was suggested by her mother that, perhaps, some drapery would be equally serviceable and more ornamental from the view of those outside. I am afraid that being keen on my work I had not considered the appearance of the Palace windows as no doubt I should have done.

The young Princess was a very handsome girl, with a wealth of beautifully silky fair hair, a lovely complexion and fine eyes full of fun; she was also particularly bright and natural in her manner. At one of the sittings I met the Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg; I had not the honour of a presentation, but she entered into conversation with me. She was most charming, but although I gathered she had unusual knowledge of art, it was not until after she had left the room that I was informed of her identity. I regretted not having known at the time that she was the daughter of the Duke of Edinburgh, as I should have liked to have told her of my enjoyable cruise with her father.

So highly did the Princess Henry of Battenberg value her niece's criticism of my sketch, that when the young Princess disagreed with her over the suggestion of a slight alteration in it, H.R.H. good-humouredly gave in.