The cover image was created by the transcriber and is placed in the public domain.

THE BROTHERS DALZIEL

A RECORD OF FIFTY YEARS' WORK

1840-1890

THE
BROTHERS DALZIEL
A RECORD
OF
FIFTY YEARS' WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH MANY OF THE MOST DISTINGUISHED ARTISTS OF THE PERIOD
1840-1890
WITH SELECTED PICTURES BY, AND AUTOGRAPH LETTERS
FROM
LORD LEIGHTON, P.R.A., SIR J. E. MILLAIS, Bart., P.R.A., SIR E. J. POYNTER, P.R.A., HOLMAN HUNT, DANTE G. ROSSETTI, SIR JOHN TENNIEL, SIR E. BURNE-JONES, Bart., JOHN RUSKIN,
AND MANY OTHERS.

LONDON
METHUEN AND CO.
36 ESSEX STREET W.C.
1901

LONDON:
PRINTED BY DALZIEL AND CO., LTD.
CAMDEN PRESS, 110 HIGH STREET, CAMDEN TOWN.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

[PREFACE.]
[LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.]
[CHAPTER I.]
[CHAPTER II.]
[CHAPTER III.]
[CHAPTER IV.]
[CHAPTER V.]
[CHAPTER VI.]
[CHAPTER VII.]
[OUR PUPILS.]
[THE PRINTING OFFICE.]
[LIST OF FINE ART AND OTHER ILLUSTRATED BOOKS PRODUCED BY AND UNDER THE ENTIRE SUPERINTENDENCE OF THE BROTHERS DALZIEL.]
[FINE ART BOOKS PARTLY THE WORK OF THE BROTHERS DALZIEL.]
[INDEX.]
[TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES.]

[PREFACE.]

Thomas Bewick, who revived the art of wood engraving in England, was apprenticed to Ralph Beilby, as a copperplate engraver, in 1767. About 1770 he began to engrave on wood. The work at first was rough, and chiefly for newspaper advertisements; but he soon saw the capabilities of the material, and he rapidly developed into the great master of his art. The excellence of his wood engraving may be said to have culminated in his "Book of British Birds," the first volume of which was published in 1797. For a century from that date the art of wood engraving has been the most popular as well as the best method for the reproduction of all classes of drawings, and during that hundred years much beautiful work has been done.

Bewick's pupils were all artists in the fullest meaning of the word—John Bewick (his brother), Robert Johnson, Luke Clenell, Charlton Nesbit, Isaac Nicholson, and William Harvey. What a grand start the first half of the century of wood engraving had with such great men!

In the second half—in which we claim to have had our share—were such brilliant contemporaries as John Jackson, John Thomson, the Williams', J. W. Whymper, Orrin Smith, Mason Jackson, W. L. Thomas, W. J. Linton, J. D. Cooper, C. Roberts, Biscombe Gardner, Joseph Swain, and J. W. Palmer—all true artists, draughtsmen, and painters, as well as wood engravers.

Touching the old cry of defective reproduction, we say that at times there could not fail to be some amount of depreciation, but never such as justified the senseless and vulgar remarks made by certain critics, which can only be passed over in consideration of their total want of technical knowledge of the art, and of the conditions under which much of the work was produced. Coarse epithets have been used towards men who were devoting, with all possible earnestness, their skill to an art for the reproduction of work for popular issues. Wood engraving, being no exception to other arts, demands conditions necessary for the production of perfect work. First, the man who makes the drawing ought to know the capabilities of the material and should work accordingly; second, the engraver should have all the true instincts of an artist; and, third, he must have the full interval of time to perform his work with proper care.

A large amount of wood engraving being done on the rush, it was a common thing to "burn the midnight oil" and the engraver's eyes at the same time, and it is a marvel that so much beautiful artistic work was done under such conditions.

We have printed in this book many letters from distinguished artists expressing their satisfaction with our rendering of their drawings, with one object—to place beyond all doubt that if wood engravings were produced under the conditions named, the results would always prove satisfactory.

We have a letter before us from Sir Edward Burne-Jones, in which he says: "I was quite unprepared for such fidelity."

By the introduction of the various "processes" by which artists' drawings are nowadays made applicable for reproduction, the days of wood engraving are practically over, and we have to bow to the new light which we had long felt would come; and we need hardly say that, for the reproduction of good pen work, with the new process by line etching, the results are perfect.

Also, when we look at the reproductions of tint drawings by such men as William Small, De Haenen, the Pagets, Caton Woodville, W. L. and C. Wyllie, Edgar Bundy, Jacomb Hood, and many other artists of distinction, by the half-tone process, and when we think (beyond all this fine artistic work) of the vast mass of wonderful illustration given to the public, week by week, of every conceivable class of subject, direct from the camera, in which the draughtsman has no part at all, and this work is generally of singular beauty and truth—we feel that our occupation is gone. In saying this we wish to add that we hail with satisfaction the marvellous results from these many ingenious adaptations of photography, and the consequent wide spread of the art of illustration, which has ever been our greatest delight.

In preparing the contents of this book it would have been impossible to give the many specimens of our work but for the kind and liberal spirit with which our requests were responded to by the various publishers who had entrusted us with their commissions from our very earliest days. Our best thanks are due, in the first instance, to Messrs. Adam & Charles Black, for the loan of two engravings for the "Abbotsford Edition of Scott's Novels," which were amongst our first important works; the Art Union of London, for a specimen of Kenny Meadows'; Messrs. Macmillan, for specimens from "The Ingoldsby Legends," "Tennyson's Poems," and "Alice in Wonderland"; Messrs. Bradbury & Agnew, for selections from Richard Doyle's work; Messrs. George Routledge & Sons, for specimens from "Gilbert's Shakespeare" and various "Fine Art Books"; Messrs. Herbert Virtue & Co., for several from Millais' "The Parables of Our Lord" and "Dalziel's Bible Gallery"; Messrs. Blackwood & Son, for "Lays of the Scottish Cavaliers," by Sir J. Noel Paton; Messrs. James Nisbet & Co., for "Lays of the Holy Land;" Messrs. Longman & Co., for Tenniel's "Lalla Rookh"; Messrs. Smith, Elder & Co., for "Framley Parsonage" and the Cornhill Magazine; Mr. James Hogg, for "London Society"; Messrs. D. Appleton & Co., for "Poems by W. Cullen Bryant"; Mr. John Hogg, for "Poems by Robert Buchanan"; Messrs. Chapman & Hall, for many illustrations to the works of Charles Dickens; the Proprietors of the Graphic, for "The Sisters," by G. J. Pinwell; and to Messrs. Ward and Lock, for "Dalziel's Arabian Nights" and "Dalziel's Goldsmith."

Mr. Alexander Strahan has our warmest thanks for much help which he kindly gave us in procuring many valuable representative specimens of our work from his various publications.

And yet other thanks are due. Before publishing the letters to be found in the following pages, it was necessary to seek the permission of the writer of each, or the executors of those no longer with us. In every case the response has been so kind and so reminiscent, that the interest and pleasure derived from their receipt will remain till the end with

George and Edward Dalziel

Hampstead
1901

[LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.]

Dedicated

IN KIND REMEMBRANCE

OF THE

MANY FRIENDS WHOSE WORKS ADORN THE PAGES

OF THIS BOOK.

THE BROTHERS DALZIEL.

[CHAPTER I.]

Parentage—Four Brothers and a Sister, Ebenezer Landells, Thomas Bewick, William Harvey, and Samuel Lover.

We were members of a family of twelve children, and, with one exception, we were born at Wooler, Northumberland, the youngest having been born at Newcastle-on-Tyne. Our father spent a great part of his time in horticultural pursuits, and in middle life took up art as a profession. He also held a commission in the Northumberland Militia. His sons, eight in number, inherited strong artistic tastes, which they all carried out professionally, except the youngest, Davison, who applied himself very successfully to commerce. The eldest, William, whose art work was chiefly devoted to heraldic and occasional ornamental decoration for MSS. books, also painted a little in still-life subjects with remarkable fidelity; while the second son, Robert, devoted himself to art, and obtained a fair reputation as a portrait painter. He also studied landscape painting for some time under Thompson, of Duddingston, and having practiced his art successfully both in Glasgow and Edinburgh, he came ultimately to London, where he died, having attained only his thirty-second year. The next brother, Alexander, was a youth of rare artistic promise, and, had he lived, must of necessity have made a great name for himself as a designer and draughtsman in black and white; but early in life, while living in London, he caught a chill, which terminated in consumption. He, having returned to his mothers house in Newcastle-on-Tyne, died before completing his twenty-third year.

The next brother, George, early in 1835,[1] being then nineteen, came to London as a pupil to the late Charles Gray, an engraver on wood, with whom he remained four years, and on the completion of his engagement, he commenced operations on his own account, though continuing on the most friendly terms with Gray. A few weeks later he was joined by his brother Edward, and from that day we two have, for a period of over fifty-five years, worked hand in hand together, as "The Brothers Dalziel."

Alexander Dalziel,

OUR FATHER.

BORN, MAY 22, 1781; DIED, JUNE 30, 1832.

From a Bust, Modelled by his Second Son, Robert Dalziel.

"Alexander Dalziel, born at Wooler, in the County of Northumberland, on the 22nd May, 1781; married at Lamberton, North Britain, on the 4th day of January, 1805, to Elizabeth Hills, born at Mornington, North Britain, on the 11th May, 1783."

—Extract from Family Bible.

In 1852 our brother John became associated with us. He was a skilful and highly accomplished engraver; but his health, unfortunately, gave way, and early in 1868 he was compelled to give up all artistic work and went to reside at Drig, a delightfully picturesque locality, surrounded on the one side by the Cumberland Lakes and hills, and on the other by the broad sea, hoping that the fine bracing air of the North would restore him to health, but unhappily the change came too late, and he died in the summer of 1869.

In 1860 our brother Thomas, who had been educated as a copperplate engraver, joined the "Brotherhood," and from that time devoted himself entirely to painting and drawing on wood, contributing much excellent work to the various books we produced. Among them may be mentioned "Dalziel's Arabian Nights," "Dalziel's Bible Gallery"—of which we will have much to say further on, and a beautiful edition of "The Pilgrim's Progress," as well as many very charming drawings for nearly all the Fine Art Books created by ourselves, or produced under our entire supervision.

Elizabeth Dalziel,

OUR MUCH-BELOVED MOTHER.

BORN, MAY 11, 1783; DIED, FEBRUARY 4, 1853.

From a Picture by her Second Son, Robert Dalziel. Painted about 1837.

She was one of the brightest, the best, and kindest of women—a true embodiment of all that is good and just.

In the early part of our career, that is to say during the Forties, we George and Edward, worked very much in association with Ebenezer Landells, one of the original projectors and proprietors of Punch, and from whom (the other original proprietors having resigned their shares in a then unprofitable speculation) Messrs. Bradbury and Evans, the printers, acquired a two-thirds share. Subsequently the entire property passed into their hands. We may here state that while in association with Landells, we engraved the picture, "Foreign Affairs," which was the first drawing contributed to Punch by John Leech.

Landells was a man to whom illustrated literature, journalism in particular, owes much. It is an old story, well known at the time, how he parted with his interest in Punch, and how he lost the proceeds in the Illuminated Magazine, which was edited by Douglas Jerrold. Among his thousand and one journalistic ventures, he was the first to project and produce the Lady's Newspaper, but in this, as in other things, he was before his time and failed. He it was who suggested to Herbert Ingram that an artist should be sent to follow the progress of Queen Victoria on her first journey to Scotland; Landells undertook the commission, and it was the success of, and great interest taken in these pictures that had much to do with making the Illustrated London News. The Queen was so much pleased, that she bought all Landells' original drawings. He worked very much with Herbert Ingram, and it was through him that we were engaged upon the second number of the Illustrated London News. It was for him that we engraved the prospectus block for Punch, also the covers for that journal drawn by "Archie" Henning, William Harvey, and John Gilbert, as well as the "H. K. B." drawings every week for "Master Humphrey's Clock." In fact we were largely indebted to him for much sincere help at a time when such help was invaluable, and at his house we had the advantage of forming the friendship of Douglas Jerrold, the Brothers Mayhew, Mark Lemon, and others connected with the foundation of Punch.

George Dalziel.

BORN, DECEMBER 1, 1815.

From a Picture Painted by his Brother Robert.

Date about 1841 or '42.

Landells was a man brimful of ideas and full of energy. One hardly ever met him but that he had some new project which was "certain to be a fortune"—a fortune that never came to him.

His connection with the Illustrated London News continued until Herbert Ingram's departure for America, from which place he never returned, having been drowned on Lake Michigan. It is a curious fact that, when Ingram's body was brought home for interment, on the same day that his funeral took place at Boston the remains of Landells were interred at Highgate Cemetery. We were at the ceremonies. Edward attended the one, while George was present at the other.

An interesting anecdote is told of Thomas Bewick in reference to Ebenezer Landells. When it was proposed to place him as a pupil with that eminent wood engraver, the father of the lad said, "Well, Mr. Bewick, I hope you will make my son a clever fellow." "Mr. Landells," replied the veteran, "I'll do my best to teach him what I know, but if God Almighty hasn't put brains into your son's head, it's impossible for me to put them there!"

Edward Dalziel.

BORN, DECEMBER 5, 1817.

From a Picture Painted by his Brother Robert.

Date about 1841 Or '42.

This anecdote was told us by Landells himself, in illustration of a principle he was discussing, that unless a lad has a real, genuine love for the art he is studying, no teaching in the world will ever make him a skilful worker. His father not being able to arrange terms with Bewick, Landells did not remain long with him, but served his apprenticeship with Isaac Nicholson (an old pupil of Bewick's, who had opened an office on the opposite side of the way to his old master, in St. Nicholas' Churchyard, Newcastle-on-Tyne), with whom Charles Gray was also a pupil. And it was through those two young men coming to our Father to "learn to draw" that our brother Alexander became a pupil of Nicholson's, with whom he served a seven years' apprenticeship, and proved himself a very skilful draughtsman and engraver. Hence our somewhat close connection with the school of Thomas Bewick.

Landells was a man of slightly excitable temperament, and, as a rule, very demonstrative. One morning he called upon his old pupil, Edmund Evans, who was then commencing colour printing works in Racquet Court, saying "he was off to the Derby, and, as the morning looked rather doubtful, would he lend him an umbrella?" This Evans most willingly did, giving the best he had, almost a new one. Landells faithfully returned it the next morning, but the ferrule had disappeared, and the stick was battered down close to the silk. Landells had evidently been through some exciting scenes, and in expressing his high appreciation of the events Evans' umbrella had come sadly to grief.

When Landells got a little vexed or worried by anyone, which in his very much varied life he not unfrequently did, his invariable remark was, "Well, stop till I see him again and I'll give him a piece of my mind."

John Dalziel.

BORN, JANUARY 1, 1822; DIED, MAY 21, 1869.

From a Photograph.

During the time that "ructions" were on with his co-partners in Punch, he met Douglas Jerrold in Fleet Street and complained bitterly, winding up with, "There, I've just been to see them and have given them a bit of my mind," "Ah," said Jerrold, "I'm afraid they would not gain much by that, Landells."

His eldest son, Robert Landells, also an artist of considerable ability in black and white work, acted for many years as Art War Correspondent to the Illustrated London News, and, in that capacity, went through a great part of the Franco-Prussian Campaign.

The years of our boyhood having been spent in Newcastle-on-Tyne, we have constantly been identified as being natives of the Tyneside, and so became much associated with several artists of ability who hailed from that part of the kingdom. Among the foremost of those we would mention William Harvey, the justly celebrated artist and book illustrator, who was himself a favourite pupil of Thomas Bewick, and during his apprenticeship designed and engraved several of the smaller tailpieces to the "Fables," "Natural History," and other works published by his famous master.

William Harvey was born at Newcastle-on-Tyne, July 13th, 1796, and died at Richmond, Surrey, January 18th, 1866. He was apprenticed to Thomas Bewick, 1810, and the high esteem in which he was held by his master is shown in the letter here quoted.

"Gateshead, January 1st, 1815.

"Dear William,—I sent you last night, 'The History of British Birds,' which I beg your acceptance of as a New Year's gift and also as a token of my respect. Don't trouble yourself about thanking me for them; but, instead of doing so, let those books put you in mind of the duties you have to perform through life. Look at them (as long as they last) on every New Year's day, and at the same time resolve, with the help of the All-wise but unknowable God, to conduct yourself on every occasion as becomes a good man. Be a good son, a good brother, and (when the time comes) a good husband, a good father, and a good member of Society. Peace of mind will then follow you like a shadow; and when your mind grows rich in integrity, you will fear the frowns of no man, and only smile at the plots and conspiracies which it is probable will be laid against you by envy, hatred, and malice.

"Thomas Bewick.

"To William Harvey, Junr.,
"Westgate."

Thomas Dalziel.

BORN, MAY 9, 1823.

From a Photograph.

Two years later, 1817, when he had completed his apprenticeship, he went to London, where he studied drawing and painting under Benjamin Haydon, and anatomy with Sir Charles Bell, where he had, as fellow students, amongst others, Charles Lock Eastlake, the P.R.A., George Lance, the fruit painter, and Sir Edwin Landseer. He soon became a most distinguished draughtsman and illustrator of books, his fame rising rapidly. For many years he stood prominently in the front of all others. Amongst his earliest works were "Henderson's Book on Wines," for which he not only made the drawings but engraved them all himself. It is further interesting as being the first work that bore his name. His great ability both as draughtsman and engraver is shown in the reproduction of an elaborate work from Benjamin Haydon's picture of "Dentatus"—which even in these advanced days must be held as a remarkable example of wood engraving, being, strictly speaking, a marvellous imitation of a copperplate, done in the grand line manner. Haydon no doubt induced Harvey to undertake this work to satisfy his own vanity, for he was not a man "who cared for others."

About this time he gave up engraving altogether and devoted himself entirely to drawing on wood.

William Harvey was a great and highly-gifted artist, a true man, a friend and counsellor to us from the time of our earliest efforts to the day of his death. He was a fine conversationalist, brimful of anecdotes, chiefly concerning a notable group of artists, authors, and men of law, many of whom had gone, and others who were then passing away. As an illustrator he held the town for many years, and in connection with Charles Knight did much to popularise black and white work; but even in his own time what changes took place! He said that in his early days if merely a frontispiece were wanted for a book, John Murray would invite him and John Thomson, the engraver, to dinner at Albemarle Street, that they might discuss the subject fully before beginning the work.

always yours truly
William Harvey

In his more important works Harvey always tried to push forward one or more young and unknown engravers of promise—in fact he was the young man's friend.

Of course he had many imitators; coming men begin by imitating the manner of the successful men who have gone before. He used to say, "The young man jumps on the shoulders of the old man, looks over his head, and consequently sees much farther along the road." Strong examples of this are shown in the early works of Sir John Gilbert, which alternated in likeness to William Harvey, Kenny Meadows, and George Cruikshank; but in a later stage took on much from the great German artist, Menzel.

The following are a few instances in illustration of young men building up their style by studying the old professors in their art, which we call to mind as occurring in our own experience:

William Harvey felt complimented by John Gilbert gleaning from his works; while George Cruikshank was highly indignant with Gilbert for what he called "cribbing his brains," and threatened to go down to Blackheath and "thrash the fellow." Gilbert, on being told this, only laughed, and said, "I don't think he knows what sort of man I am."

J. Prior, the father of Melton Prior, assisted William Harvey very frequently; and after acquiring a fair style of imitation, did a good deal of work on his own account, which sometimes bore too strong a resemblance to the master. He would say to Harvey, "I know you don't mind." He was right; good-natured Harvey did not mind if Prior got any advantage by it. But, like other men, Prior ultimately acquired a style of his own, and did much good service in the early days of the Illustrated London News, to which journal his son Melton has long been a valuable power as War Correspondent.

The early drawings of that great art genius, Fred Walker, A.R.A., R.W.S., have a strong family resemblance to those of Sir John Gilbert. J.W. North's early drawings reminded one vividly of Birket Foster, while Birket Foster's style was undoubtedly built upon Thomas Creswick, R.A.—and so on, and so on.

Our connection with Harvey was so close, not only as regards work, but socially, that we can say he was in every sense one of "Nature's best"; lovable to a degree,—and would far more than stand the test of the guiding-lines laid down by his master in the letter printed on page [12].

Among William Harvey's chief works mention must be made of the charmingly fanciful designs for Lane's "Arabian Nights," "Northcoat's Fables," "The Tower Menagerie," several of the books in "The Abbotsford Edition" of Sir Walter Scott's novels, and many smaller books, notably "The Children in the Wood," and "The Blind Beggar's Daughter of Bethnal Green"; also an extremely beautiful frontispiece, as well as other illustrations, to each of the plays in Charles Knight's Edition of Shakespeare's Works. Subsequently he illustrated for us an edition of "The Pilgrim's Progress," in which he displayed all his tasteful fancy in decorating its pages. This book was published by David Bogue. From 1839 to the time of his death, William Harvey entrusted many of his drawings to our care, as well as in later years constantly working for the various books produced under our superintendence.

On the death of William Harvey, it was proposed that a monument should be erected over his grave in Richmond cemetery, and in seeking subscriptions for that purpose, among others, Samuel Lover, the famous Irish song-writer, composer and artist, was asked to assist and co-operate with a few friends in carrying out the object, when in reply he wrote:

"I wish instead of a few friends that many were engaged for what is proposed, for then this monument might be much more worthy the memory of so good an artist and so good a man. As to the extent, you may rely on me for help ... In sincere esteem for my much esteemed friend, I think few can exceed me, but my exchequer is rather limited. Could I convert my heart into a bank, and make its wishes into bank notes, I would build a monument out of my own purse to one so worthy of esteem and every kind remembrance.

"Truly,
"Samuel Lover."

Is not this just the letter we might expect from the warm-hearted Irishman and true poet who could write the following beautiful lines?

"I'll seek a four-leaved shamrock in all the fairy dells,
And if I find the charmed leaves, oh, how I'll weave my spells!
I would not waste my magic might on diamond, pearl or gold,
For treasure tires the weary sense—such triumph is but cold.
But I would play the enchanter's part in casting bliss around,
And not a tear or aching heart should in the world be found."

The monument was erected, as suggested, in the cemetery at Richmond, Surrey, as well as a brass tablet in St. Nicholas' Cathedral, Newcastle-on-Tyne, both from designs by John R. Clayton.

Having furnished several illustrations to a book of Irish songs edited by Samuel Lover, and published by John Maxwell, husband of Miss Braddon, we received several kind letters of commendation and thanks for the care bestowed in getting up the work. Among others we may quote the following:

"November 13th, 1857.

"I hope you will excuse me for not having sooner acknowledged your enclosure of your engraving of Gratton's Head, which is quite admirable, and for which I truly thank you."

Again, in writing of a drawing to illustrate the "Four-leaved Shamrock," which we had submitted for his approval, he says:

"I think your quadruple design most excellent. If that be carried out (as I have no doubt it will) with the care and spirit of the drawing on the wood, it will make a charming illustration.... I suggest that you place the initial letter 'I' encircled with the charmed leaves in the corner, to commence the first line of the song. I am glad for your own sake, as well as for the credit of the book, you have made the second illustration, as I am convinced it will do you much credit. For myself, pray accept my many thanks.

"My dear Sirs,
"Yours very truly,

"Samuel Lover."

Margaret Dalziel.

BORN, NOVEMBER 3, 1819; DIED, JULY 12, 1894.

From a Photograph.

She was the essence of kindness and generosity, a sister-mother to us all, and "Aunt Meg" to everybody.

During all our operations from the year 1851, we were fortunate enough to have the loyal and skilful help of our sister Margaret, who warmly entered into all our plans and worked very constantly upon the most highly finished engravings we produced. As much of the work we were engaged upon was intended for periodical publications, it may readily be supposed that there was, at times, great pressure to meet the requirements of the printer; on such occasions we could always be certain of her ever ready help, grudging neither time nor labour to render every assistance in her power. In all respects she was one of the most devoted, kind-hearted and sympathetic women that ever lived, and her great excellence of character, we have every reason to believe, was fully appreciated by all those who had the privilege of her acquaintance or friendship.

The Earl of Leicester's Levee.

FROM THE ABBOTSFORD EDITION OF "KENNILWORTH."

By William Harvey.

By permission of Messrs. Adam & Charles Black.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] With very trifling exceptions there was no railway traveling in England at that time, and only one steam vessel, the Hylton Jolliffe, sailed between Newcastle and the Metropolis, so that George Dalziel made the journey in a small trading vessel of some three or four hundred tons burden. The weather being calm and warm for the season, the little ship went pleasantly along until it had performed about half the journey, when, through negligence on the part of the chief mate, who was in charge at the time, the vessel was allowed to run aground upon a sand bank when nearly opposite Yarmouth. It was a beautiful sunny morning, and the ship was quickly surrounded by a great many fishing boats offering their services to take out part of the cargo, and so lighten it sufficiently that it might float again when the tide rose. This was done, and having gone a little further out to sea, the cargo was again put on board and the ship sailed away to London, where she finally cast anchor in the Thames nearly opposite the Tower, on a bright, fresh, Sunday morning, having occupied nearly a whole week in the journey.

[CHAPTER II.]

Charles Knight, Sir William Allan, R.A., P.R.S.A, John Franklin, William Mulready, R.A., George Routledge, Sir John Tenniel, George Cruikshank, W. E. Frost, R.A., F. R. Pickersgill, R.A., Fred Walker, A.R.A., R.W.S., Sir John Gilbert, R.A., P.R.W.S., Richard Doyle, and W. M. Thackeray.

Very early in our career we were, through our friend William Harvey, introduced to Charles Knight, the eminent publisher who did so much as a pioneer in introducing cheap and good literature to the people, as his "Penny Magazine," "Penny Cyclopædia," "Charles Knight's History of England," and many other kindred works bear ample evidence. And not only in literature but in art as well he took a bold and leading part: see his elaborately illustrated edition of Shakespeare's Works, the Bible, "The Land we Live in," and many highly interesting and instructive books. Perhaps the most beautiful of all was the illustrated edition of Lane's "Arabian Nights' Entertainments," a book which must always hold a foremost place among the most tastefully decorated volumes this country has produced.

It was only in association with Landells and Charles Gray that we were at all connected with this work, not having, at that time, any personal transaction with Mr. Knight, though we subsequently did a great deal of work for him, notably in his "Shakespeare" and "The Land we Live in."

Mr. Ramsay, Mr. Knight's sub-editor and literary manager, used to tell a curious story about one of the literary contributors to these volumes, whose name, for obvious reasons, we will withhold.

In this gentleman's early connection with Mr. Knight, he called and had a serious conversation with Ramsay, confessing his uncontrollable weakness for strong drink, and that his only safeguard was an empty pocket. He therefore begged of Ramsay never, under any circumstances, to advance him one penny upon his work, no matter how hard he might plead, or what story he might tell in urging the necessity for an advance of cash. Ramsay was to be firm and refuse to listen to him, and on no account to let him have money, and that all payment for work was to be forwarded to his wife. Ramsay promised faithful observance, and so matters went smoothly on for a considerable time. But one day M. N. came with a sad, doleful face, begging for an advance of ten pounds. Ramsay positively declined, reminding him of their compact.

"Yes, yes, that's all right, old fellow," he answered; "but this business is quite away from everything else. I don't forget the injunction I laid upon you, but this is altogether different; it is a case of the most urgent necessity." Then he went on and told a sad, touching tale of his boy having died suddenly, and the shock having brought on a serious illness with his wife, while, unfortunately, he was totally without funds to meet the unexpected demands upon his purse, or procure a nurse to attend upon her, as well as the comforts that were absolutely necessary under the circumstances.

For a time Ramsay stood firmly out, always reminding M. N. of his own proposition, but the man was so impressively urgent, appealing again and again on the score of his wife's critical condition, that at last Ramsay's scruples gave way, and M. N., lavish in his thanks, left the office with the ten pounds in his pocket.

It is, perhaps, needless to say that M. N. was not seen in Fleet Street for many days, and when he did turn up, shaky and dilapidated in appearance, it was only to load Ramsay with the most crushing abuse for having broken faith with him, and when Ramsay tried to shelter himself under the pathetic tale he had told about his sick wife and dead son, he only replied:

"D—— the sick wife and dead son! Why didn't you stick to your promise? I told you distinctly that it was possible I might come with some trumped-up story of urgent necessity, and a lot of such rubbish, and now see what a hole you have let me into. My son is perfectly well, and as healthy a lad as ever lived, and as for my wife, well, she was never better in her life, and is only suffering from the misery brought about by your unaccountably bad behaviour to me. I tell you, Ramsay, you are a traitor and a false friend, who has used me shamefully—shamefully!"

With these words M. N. left the office, but returned within half an hour seeking condonation, begging that Ramsay would overlook the foolish words he had used in a moment of unjustifiable irritation, and further show his good feeling by advancing him a trifle—say, a sovereign? No? Well, then, let it be five shillings? Still no! Ramsay was obdurate, and M. N., muttering, "Cruel man! Cruel, cruel man!" went away.

Mackay, as the Bailie Nicol Jarvie.

FROM THE ABBOTSFORD EDITION' OF "ROB ROY."

From a Painting by Sir William Allan, R.A., F.R.S.A.

By permission of Messrs. Adam & Charles Black.

In the year 1842 or 1843, through the kindness of the late Clarkson Stanfield, R.A., we were introduced to Mr. William Dicks, who officiated as art agent for Mr. Cadell, the Edinburgh publisher, then issuing a very elaborately illustrated edition of the Waverley Novels, which he named "The Abbotsford Edition," and employing on the work many of the very first artists of the day, both English and Scotch. We were entrusted to engrave a large number of the drawings. Among the first of these was a wonderfully life-like portrait of the Scotch actor, Mackay, in the character of "Bailie Nicol Jarvie," painted by Sir William Allan, R.A. and P.R.S.A.[2] The engraving of this portrait gave such entire satisfaction both to Mr. Cadell and Mr. Dicks that we were constantly employed upon the undertaking until its completion.

Among the artists whose drawings we had to engrave during the progress of this edition of the great "Wizard of the North's" novels, we may especially mention William Harvey, Clarkston Stanfield, R.A., Sir J. Noel Paton, P.R.S.A., John Franklin, Edward H. Corbould, Sir David Wilkie, R.A., Alexander Christie, and Robert McIan.

Children in the Wood. By John Franklin.

FROM CUNDALL'S SERIES OF CHILDREN'S BOOKS.

Through the friendship that sprung up with several of these gentlemen, and our connection with the Institute of the Fine Arts,[3] we became acquainted with many of the young artists who were introducing a new and more realistic feeling into the black and white work of the day. Among them were John Tenniel, at that time just returned from his studies in Germany, and strongly impressed with German Art, and what was termed "The Shaded Outline School"; Alfred Elmore, R.A.; Fred Pickersgill, R.A.; F. W. Topham; Edward Duncan; George Dodgson; John Absolon; all, except the Royal Academicians, members of the Old Water Colour Society, and the New—now called the Royal Institute of Water Colour Painters—besides many others who have since risen to great eminence in their profession.

John Absolon being then engaged on a set of illustrations to Collins' Poetical Works, to be published by David Bogue, he placed many of the drawings in our hands to engrave, which was the commencement of a long and intimate friendship—not only with the artist, for it also opened up a connection with Bogue which enabled us to produce some very creditable works together.

Early in 1851 John Franklin, many of whose illustrations to "The Abbotsford Scott" and the "British Ballads" we had engraved, placed in our hands some drawings he was making to illustrate a series of Fairy Tales, edited by Sir Henry Cole, then known to the literary world as "Felix Summerly," to be published by Mr. Joseph Cundall of Bond Street, who was an enlightened publisher with strong artistic taste, his great idea being a desire to raise the character of children's picture books. This was about the time that Van Voorst published "The Vicar of Wakefield," with Mulready's illustrations; one of the first high-class books of the period, which was so highly thought of that Mulready said he had commissions offered to him for pictures from these designs sufficient to keep him at work for the remainder of his life. It was at this time that Cundall induced Mulready to make a set of drawings for a child's primer: and very beautiful they are.

This series of Fairy Tales was continued, with pictures by Frederick Taylor, P.R.W.S., H. C. Horsley, R.A., and other artists of high repute.

Sleeping Child and Lamb. By William Mulready, R.A.

FROM A BOOK OF POEMS BY THE REV. T. J. JUDKIN.

Our connection with these two London publishing houses, added to the work we were doing for Mr. Cadell of Edinburgh, tended considerably to increase our responsibilities. And this may be the most convenient place to state that it was at Mr. Cundall's we were first introduced to Mr. George Routledge, who had called for the express purpose of asking Mr. Cundall to recommend a "good man" to engrave a small drawing on wood, a portrait of Sir Robert Peel, which he then had in his pocket. The commission was entrusted to us, and thus commenced a connection and a friendship which continued with unabated confidence and harmony for a period extending over forty years.

George Routledge, a strong-minded, clear-headed man of business, in his early days used to go personally to the larger north country towns, and get orders from the booksellers. His capacity in this branch was said to be something marvellous. An old Quaker bookseller, of Darlington, told us that Routledge never said, "Will thee buy this book?" but that it always was with him, "Thee must take it"; and as his wares were always good, the results were said to be many times beyond those of any other man "on the road." In the publishing business, he, in combination with his partners, William and Frederick Warne—both clever, energetic men,—made a force which developed their vast business so rapidly that Henry G. Bohn, the big publisher of that day, felt so jealous of their great success, that he used to say, "Well, it has taken three strong men to do it." After having produced sets of pictures by various artists, to many sorts of books, the most important of which was a small octavo of Longfellow's Poems, with illustrations by John Gilbert, they invited our co-operation, assistance, and direction in such matters, and it was then determined to do another edition of the same poems, more extensively illustrated by the same artist. They agreed to give us one thousand pounds for the pictures, which was to include Gilbert's charges as well as our own. The book proved a great success from every point of view, and to this day holds its own as one of the most beautiful examples of Sir John Gilbert's work as an illustrator. After the first edition many other poems were added, including "Miles Standish," all having Gilbert's illustrations to them.[4]

The book when first completed created a sensation. We remember asking Routledge what he thought of it. He was a pure business man. His reply was:

"We will wait and see what the trade has to say about it first—see whether they will subscribe largely, and then I will tell you what I think about it."

Edmondson, the binder, was so in love with his part of the work that, holding the volume in his hands, he said, "It is a beautiful book! a very beautiful book!" then added, in a slightly condescending tone, "And a good book inside, too."

William Warne dying rather early in life, Frederick Warne, his younger brother, separated from the Routledges, after the sons of George entered the firm, and built up a large publishing house of his own. We were on the very best of terms with all of them, and continued to work for both houses for many, many years.

Evangeline.

FROM THE POETICAL WORKS OF LONGFELLOW.

ILLUSTRATED BY SIR JOHN GILBERT, R.A., P.R.W.S.

By permission of Messrs. George Routledge & Sons.

Frederick Warne, a really clever, many-sided man, has now retired, but his three sons—all men worthy of their father—continue to conduct their large business on the old lines.

Of the many illustrated books which it has been our lot to superintend and issue to the world, there are two for which we are to a great extent exclusively responsible: these are "The Spirit of Praise," a collection of hymns, and "Golden Thoughts from Golden Fountains," a collection of such literary extracts from favourite authors as the title of the book will fully explain—one of us having spent much of his leisure hours in collecting and arranging their contents. The first of these volumes was originally published in the usual quarto form, with decorative borders and initial letters, printed in gold and colours, and subsequently much enlarged by the addition of many hymns as an octavo volume. The other, "Golden Thoughts," was in its main lines uniform with the first edition of "The Spirit of Praise." In both of these books are many of our own contributions, both in pen and pencil, in addition to several very fine examples of A. B. Houghton.

"The Abbotsford Edition" of the Waverley Novels did not prove a marked financial success, and when the property was acquired by Messrs. Adam and Charles Black, Edward H. Corbould, R.I., was commissioned to do a large number of illustrations for their new edition of these books, nearly all of which were entrusted to us to engrave.

In the early part of Queen Victoria's reign Corbould held a high position as a painter in water colour, and was one of the original members of the "Royal Institute of Water Colour Painters"—then called the "New Water Colour Society"—and so highly was his artistic ability appreciated by the Prince Consort that he was selected as art tutor to the Royal children. Perhaps no better selection could at that time have been made; for, though somewhat severe in style, he was a good draughtsman, painstaking, and of a kindly, genial disposition. He was ever full of amusing anecdotes of the sayings and doings of the Queen, Prince Albert, and his pupils.

Corbould did not appear to think it possible for any of those young people to commit a fault. In his eyes they were all sweetness and the perfection of goodness, "being," as he said, "without the least appearance of affectation." When asked if any of the young Princes or Princesses were clever, he invariably evaded a direct answer by saying:

"Er—well, you see, the Princess Royal makes up for the shortcomings of all the others, she is so very clever. Er—er—they are all clever and very nice."

During Corbould's connection with the Royal Family, on one occasion he wrote to us saying the Prince of Wales had got a scrapbook, and he was commissioned by the Prince to say how pleased he would be if we would give him some proofs of our engravings to put into it. We sent a large parcel, and in return Corbould wrote that the Prince was delighted with our contribution and wished him to express his "Warmest thanks to Messrs. Dalziel for their great kindness and liberality."

"26 July, 1863,
"21 Rutland Gate,
"Hyde Park.

"Dear Sirs,—I have received the impression, as well as my own, as also the proof for the Prince of Wales. I shall be at Osborne either on Thursday or Friday next, and I will give it to him. That which you engraved for the 'Keepsake, 1854,' is very beautiful, and so I shall keep the proof. Mr. Heath will be quite content and so shall I. You can tell him that I require nothing done to it. I thank you for the proof, but where are those from Spencer?[5]

"Yours very truly,

"Edward Henry Corbould."

During the early part of our career we became associated with Mr. Samuel Carter Hall, who was originator, editor and at that time proprietor of the Art Journal, and in a somewhat desultory fashion did a considerable amount of work together. Among other matters, we engraved many of the illustrations for "A Book of British Ballads," which was edited by Hall and published by Messrs. How and Parsons of Fleet Street. The drawings by Sir J. Noel Paton, P.R.S.A., John Franklin, W. B. Scott, E. H. Corbould, Henry Warren, and other artists, passed through our hands. When the great International Exhibition of 1851 was in preparation, and during the time it was open to the public, Hall published a series of profusely illustrated supplements to the Art Journal, showing the various classes of objects exhibited. On this work we were very liberally employed. These supplements were subsequently put together and published in one large, handsome quarto volume as an Illustrated Catalogue of that great and important Exhibition.

Many other catalogues, official and non-official, were published of the Exhibition, which contained a marvellous amount of every conceivable class of handicraft and ingenious device, but certainly, for comprehensive completeness, none of them at all approached the very beautiful volume which Mr. Hall gave to the world.

When we had finished our portion of the engravings, he was so grateful for the help we had given that he volunteered the promise that no other wood engravers should ever be employed upon his works. But perhaps it is only characteristic of the man to say that this promise was never carried out.

As already stated, we engraved a very large number of drawings for Mr. Hall with undeviating approval, and we were much gratified by the following passage in a letter addressed to him by E. M. Ward, the Royal Academician, on our submitting a proof of an engraving we had executed:

"The cut is admirable in every way. I have nearly finished the drawing of 'The Royal Family of France,' and will send it immediately it is done. I hope you will have the 'Royal Family' done by Dalziels', as you said it should be; they would manage the faces much better than——

"Yours ever truly,

"E. M. Ward."

Almost as a matter of course we became associated with Kenny Meadows, a clever, erratic genius, and an artist of great ability. He had a wonderful and strangely fanciful imagination, and perhaps will be best known in time to come by his "Illustrated Shakespeare" and his "Heads of the People"; there is one other work which is not likely to be forgotten, "A Head of 'Old Father Christmas,'" which did good service for a Christmas number of the Illustrated London News. He was intimately connected with Orrin Smith, the distinguished wood engraver; their earliest work being character sketches and heads of the people done for Bell's Life in London, which was somewhat a pioneer in illustrated journalism. Meadows at that time was generally known as "Iron Jack," from the fact of his robust health, which he attributed entirely to a simple style of living in his early life, much of which was spent in a lighthouse, where, he declared, they never had enough to eat. He said, "I used to devour my food like a ravening wolf."

No amount of alcohol ever appeared to hurt him, and to those who suffered from excess of indulgence he attributed it entirely to over-eating in their early days, before the constitution was fairly and properly formed.

"Or sweetest Shakespeare, Fancy's child,
Warble his native wood-notes wild."

"L'Allegro" and "Il Penseroso."—Milton.

By Kenny Meadows.

By permission of the Council of the Art Union of London.

We were so closely connected with him that when he was first asked to work for Punch, he stipulated that we should have all his drawings to engrave. This arrangement did not last long, for he was of a very uncertain nature, and changeable in his moods. His friendship was not of the kind that would stand much, if any, strain, and after he had "imbibed" a little, he not infrequently became "nasty." Once at a public dinner, on the name of Punch being mentioned, he started from his chair, saying, "Gentlemen, I am Punch!" which really was more than insulting to several Punch men who were present.

At one of the early Illustrated News dinners, Herbert Ingram, speaking of the great success of the journal, said, "And, gentlemen, we all share in the credit of producing this wonderful paper." Meadows was immediately on his legs, saying, "Yes, but have we all shared and shared alike in the recompense?" "Yes, Mr. Meadows," said Ingram, "we have all shared alike, according to what we put into the venture."

While Meadows worked for the Illustrated London News we engraved many of his drawings and saw much of Herbert Ingram and his partners, Nathaniel Cook and William Little. Ingram was the founder and principal proprietor of the paper; a man of strong character, self-willed, but both generous and just. We were in the habit of suggesting and procuring subjects for them.

We had induced Richard Doyle to make twelve drawings of the months for the Illustrated London Almanack. Nathaniel Cook disputed our charge, but we stood out. Ingram sat quiet whilst the talk went on. At last he said, "Have Messrs. Dalziel done the work well?" "Oh! there is no dispute about that; the work is well done." "Then," said Ingram, "pay the money and let there be no dispute about it."

That is a single, but a true, illustration of the sort of man Herbert Ingram was.

Meadows used to say that Nature put him out, and so it did. Looking at his raised hand with pointed finger, he would say, "I cannot see a hand as I would draw it."

The first time Meadows met John Leech after he began to draw on Punch, he raved about the drawings, said Leech was the greatest man who had ever drawn on wood, that he, Meadows, ought to retire from art altogether and seek some other occupation, that his light was out, and much more to the same purpose. But as the bottle went round, the feeling gradually changed, and it ended in Meadows praising his own work and telling Leech that he must alter his style altogether if he ever hoped to take a position as an artist—that his work was mere commonplace drivel, and that he must put imagination into his work "such as I do in mine, sir."

But judged by his time, Meadows was a very clever man with much quaint fancy. Many of his initials are singularly pretty, and his "Shakespeare" will always have a place in the history of black and white work.

In Kenny Meadows' days, the artist in black and white had not thought of the advantages of drawing from the living model; neither William Harvey nor Sir John Gilbert ever drew from Nature, and George Thomas was one of the first, if not indeed the very first, to draw on wood direct from life. This was about the early part of the Crimean War, and his subjects were chiefly of sailors and their doings, and very clever they were. It created something of a sensation at the time, for the idea of an illustration being drawn from the life had not before been heard of except in special cases. No doubt Mulready had life models for his "Vicar of Wakefield" drawings, and later on Millais never drew without the life, nor did any of the pre-Raphaelite School, but this was the gradual and natural development of a new method, and innumerable drawings by the younger artists which passed through our hands were all drawn direct on wood from the life.

After spending much time and labour in experimenting, as well as spoiling a great many blocks, we succeeded in getting fairly good photographs for the engraver's purpose on other pieces of wood, and so the valuable original drawings were preserved. This success was obtained about the beginning, though not at the very beginning, of our operation on the Bible illustrations. Then followed, as a matter of course, the constant practice of making drawings upon paper which were photographed on wood. By this means nearly all the exquisite drawings in black and white made by Leighton, Poynter, Houghton, and many other of the artists who worked in association with us have been preserved, and now adorn some of the public permanent galleries.

A Ball-Room. By Frederick Walker, A.R.A., R.W.S.

FROM "LONDON SOCIETY."

By permission of Mr. James Hogg.

Among the early drawings by John Leech that passed through our hands were those he made for Thackeray's "Irish Sketch Book," which were probably copied from Thackeray's own pencil work, for he was not above having help on his drawings, the result not always being such as he expected. One day he said to Joseph Swain, "Why don't you engrave my drawings to come out like John Gilbert's—his work always looks so strong and mine so weak and scratchy?" Swain tried other helping hands, but seldom with satisfactory results. It was in this way that Fred Walker's connection with Thackeray began, Swain having induced him to work on the author's drawings, which he did on one or two, but very soon declined to go on with them. Walker asked that he might make original drawings direct from the story in his own manner, to which Thackeray agreed; and the result was a fine set of drawings for "Philip" and for other stories, as well as a close friendship between author and artist, only broken by the death of the great novelist.

We engraved many of Leech's drawings, notably the first he did for Punch—"Foreign Affairs" (as before mentioned). It was a full page, and had to be worked at from the moment it came into our hands till it was given to the printer.

John Leech, speaking of Frith's picture of "The Derby Day," could not understand how it was that Frith, in this carefully thought out and elaborate work, had missed one of the most notable facts at such places—inasmuch as he had not depicted anyone of the crowd smoking a pipe or cigar.

A Lay of St. Dunstan. By George Cruikshank.

FROM THE "INGOLDSBY LEGENDS."

By permission of Messrs. Macmillan & Co.

The vain, versatile George Cruikshank believed himself another "Admirable Crichton." He really thought he could do anything, and that most of his time having been spent as an illustrator was the result of circumstance and not of choice. He was impressionable in the highest degree, and depending on the subject under notice, immediately realised and expressed his ideas of what "should be done, and what he would have done if things had favoured him for a career in that direction." Once, the question being of a naval character, he said, "It was by the merest chance that I did not go into the Navy; and with my knowledge of such matters, no doubt I would have been a Rear-Admiral." He was great, also, on the Army, and no doubt felt that had circumstances drifted him in that direction, he would have become another Duke of Wellington. No man ever had greater faith in self than the clever, excitable George Cruikshank.

On the occasion of his exhibiting a small oil picture at the British Institution, called "The Dropped Penny," the fact that it was purchased by Prince Albert no doubt called extra special attention to it, to the extent that it might have been sold many times over. One gentleman was most anxious to have it; or, if this was impossible, would he make a replica? This George declined to do, but undertook a commission, only on the understanding that choice of subject and of size were to be left to him. This was readily agreed to. "The Dropped Penny" was a little thing about 18 by 24 inches. It was a comic picture—two urchins in church, one of whom having dropped a penny on the stone floor is about to pick it up, but they are observed by the Beadle.

When the new work was completed, the gentleman was invited to see it. He found, to his amazement, a picture 16 feet by 20 feet; subject, "The Raising of Lazarus."

The Lord of Toulouse. By Sir John Tenniel.

FROM THE "INGOLDSBY LEGENDS."

By permission of Messrs. Macmillan & Co.

George always thought his true forte was the Grand Historical, and with much cause, when we think of his wonderful illustrations to Harrison Ainsworth's "Tower of London," "Windsor Castle," and other romantic histories.

In the illustrated edition of the "Ingoldsby Legends," published by Messrs. R. Bentley & Son, we had the good fortune to engrave nearly all the drawings contributed by John Tenniel and George Cruikshank. During the progress of the work we saw much of the latter gentleman, who was an exceedingly entertaining companion, being always ready with some anecdotes or reminiscences of his experience. Amongst his many grievances (and George Cruikshank's stock was an assorted one) he complained bitterly of the treatment he had received at the hands of Charles Dickens, with reference to the authorship of "Oliver Twist." Cruikshank maintained "that he had not only suggested the subject to Dickens, but that he had also given him the entire plot, sketched the characters, arranged all the incidents, and, in fact, constructed the entire story; so much so, indeed, that the book was, to all intents and purposes, HIS; for all that Dickens had to do with it was TO WRITE IT OUT, and any man who could hold a pen might have done it better"; concluding with, "I am only sorry now I didn't do it myself." Those were the old man's identical words, as spoken to us.

On one of his visits he related the following interesting circumstances in connection with his famous publication of "The Bottle."[6] This was a series of pictures, the first showing a young, well-conditioned mechanic, sitting in his small, comfortably furnished room surrounded by his wife and three or four children; then followed in order how, in consequence of a constantly increasing habit of intemperance, they sink gradually down in the scale of life, until they go entirely to ruin; his sons to penal servitude, and his daughter to degradation, while both his wife and himself die in the greatest misery and want.

The Wedding Day. By George Cruikshank.

FROM THE "INGOLDSBY LEGENDS."

By permission of Messrs. Macmillan & Co.

When on the eve of publication, Cruikshank obtained permission to submit the etchings to Dr. Blomfield, the then Bishop of London. The Bishop took great interest in looking at the pictures, and asked many questions as the series was turned over, expressing his great admiration in the warmest terms. Then turning and looking Cruikshank full in the face, he said:

"And am I right in coming to the conclusion, Mr. Cruikshank, that you are a staunch total abstainer?"

Cruikshank, in relating this incident to us, said he never in all his life felt himself in such an awkward position, for he was obliged to confess that he did indulge in a little alcohol—occasionally—and that in great moderation.

"You astonish me, Mr. Cruikshank!—you very greatly astonish me!" said the Bishop. "For how a man who is able to depict so forcibly all the misery, the horrors and degradation arising from the indulgence in strong drink as you have done, and himself indulge, even in a moderate degree, is a mystery which I cannot understand."

"On my way home," continued Cruikshank, "I felt so inexpressibly ashamed of myself, and how true the Bishop's remarks were, that I resolved at once to begin the change which I had long contemplated, and I subsequently succeeded in bringing about the desired effect.

"It so happened that a few days after my interview with the Bishop, I received an invitation to dine with a gentleman who was famous in Society for the recherché character of his frequent dinner parties, where the wines were of the choicest brands and most tempting quality, and everything was served in the most dainty and perfect fashion.

"Now is the time, I said to myself, to prove my strength of purpose. I was successful in resisting all temptation, and left the house after spending a delightful evening without having tasted a single drop of any other liquid than water.

"The next morning when I went into my study," continued Cruikshank, "I patted my head and said, 'George, old boy, you have done well! You have succeeded, George. You have gained a gigantic triumph, and now you must go on, unflinchingly, and conquer!'—and I did. From that day no alcohol of any description ever crossed my lips, and never shall! Never! I'd rather die first!"—here the gallant old fellow posed himself in a dramatic attitude, and throwing out his left arm, and striking his right hand sharply upon his breast, cried in his ringing voice, "Fire!"

During the latter half of his active life he gave much of his time to the cause of temperance, and no doubt his influence had very great effect. At one of his lectures on the subject at Exeter Hall he held up a brand new "pot" hat of shiniest kind and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, this hat as you see it represents George Cruikshank, the temperance advocate, as he now is." Then throwing the hat to the ground, the brim being undermost, he jumped on the crown, crushing it flat, then holding it up to the audience, shouted, "And this represents George Cruikshank, the drunkard, as he was!"

The old man stuck to his resolution for the remainder of his life, and even on his death-bed, when his medical attendant, the late Sir W. B. Richardson, himself a staunch total abstainer, prescribed that small quantities of brandy should be taken—of course medicinally—he persistently refused to drink it, and so died at an advanced age, firm in the determination which he had formed many years before that not a drop of alcohol of any description should ever pass his lips again.

The first drawings by F. R. Pickersgill that came into our hands to engrave were for "Poems and Pictures," an early "fine art" book, published by J. Burns, of Orchard Street, which contained designs by many of the leading artists of the time, including several by W. Dice, R.A., Cope, R.A., Creswick, R.A., and others. Our connection with Pickersgill—one of the kindest and best of men—soon ripened into a close friendship, and it was to him that we gave the first commission at our own cost for a set of drawings to illustrate "The Life of Christ," desiring to follow the example of Rethel's "Dance of Death," which had just been published in Germany at a very small price.

Our first Part contained six large pictures, printed with a flat tint, the price being one shilling. The second Part, "The Miracles of our Lord," contained the same number of pictures, and at the same price. Our attempt to produce high class art at what was then thought to be a nominal price was not responded to. Other interests were too strong for us; and although we tried the aid of some first-class publishers the scheme would not take. We well remember calling on a well-known publisher of Scripture work, who, admitting the excellence as well as the cheapness of the publication, summed up his refusal to purchase copies with the remark, "I really cannot afford to set your cask of wine alongside my barrel of beer."

The Adoration of the Maji. By F. R. Pickersgill, R.A.

REDUCED COPY FROM ONE OF HIS PICTURES FOR "THE LIFE OF CHRIST."

Published for the Brothers Dalziel by Messrs. Chapman & Hall.

Pickersgill made drawings for many of the fine art books produced under our care. He also made a series of large drawings on the subject of "The Lord's Prayer," the text of which was paraphrased in verse by Dean Alford; the book being published by Messrs. Longman & Co. He also contributed many beautiful drawings for our Bible Series.

A friend of Pickersgill, the Rev. T. J. Judkin, an eloquent preacher and clever amateur artist, and a pupil of Constable's, produced a Volume of Poems to which many of his artist friends contributed drawings, amongst whom were F. R. Pickersgill, R.A., W. Mulready, R.A., Clarkson Stanfield, R.A., E. M. Ward, R.A., and W. E. Frost, R.A., all of which we engraved for him.

F. R. Pickersgill, R.A., J. C. Hook, R.A., and W. E. Frost, R.A., formed a trio in their student days, working much together, and all illustrating the same subjects—chiefly passages from Spencer's "Fairy Queen," and Italian or Venetian History, basing their style very much upon the Early Italian School. Later in life a closer tie existed between two of these artists, Pickersgill marrying Hook's eldest sister.

Pickersgill told us a somewhat comical experience Hook had with the Council of "The Art Union of London," who were then procuring a set of drawings on wood by various artists. One subject having been entrusted to Hook, he sent his drawing in, and was asked to call at a stated time, which he did. He saw at once there was something wrong, as the gentlemen sat looking at each other. At last one mustered courage to speak, saying:

Fairy Dance. By W. E. Frost, R.A.

FROM A BOOK OF POEMS BY THE REV. T. J. JUDKIN.

"We like your drawing very much, Mr. Hook, but—er—doesn't it want colour?—er—where—er—where is your bit of black?"

"I don't want a bit of black," said Hook.

"Oh, but we must have a bit of black. There's Mr. B——, now, he always gives a bit of black."

Hook, feeling fearfully annoyed, took up the drawing, and dipping his finger in a glass of water, smeared it over, saying:

"There, gentlemen, there is your 'bit of black,'" and throwing down the drawing, left the room.

The following short letter from Mr. Hook, which bears upon this subject, will be of interest:

"Tor Villa, Kensington,
"8th April.

"Dear Sirs,—I do not manage wood-drawing well at all—not well enough even to do me credit, or I would have done you a drawing with pleasure. I failed some time back in doing one for the Art Union, and recollecting that the blocks they sent me had your name on them, I return them also.

"Believe me, dear Sirs,
"Yours truly,

"J. C. Hook.

"Messrs. Dalziel."

In a conversation with Richard Doyle he told us that his father (who was the celebrated "H.B.," a political caricaturist during the thirties and forties) always urged his sons to practise drawing from memory, taking all sorts of subjects; that in their walks they should always try to remember one or more figures they had seen, and immediately on their return home, make the best drawing they could in pen and ink; also to frequent the National Gallery or other important picture exhibitions, remaining in front of any one picture that might attract their attention until they had fairly mastered the subject, and then to make the best recollection of it in pencil or colour as they felt inclined. He highly approved of this method, and felt he had derived great benefit from the process himself.

"O breaking heart that will not break,
Oriana!
O pale, pale face so sweet and meek,
Oriana!
Thou smilest but thou dost not speak,
And then the tears run down my cheek,
Oriana!"

—Tennyson.

By F. R. Pickersgill, R.A.

By permission of Messrs. George Routledge & Sons.

Doyle had a facile pencil when once fairly at work, but he was singularly deficient as to the value of time, which appears strange in one who produced so many elaborate drawings; but little reliance could be placed upon him even when working for periodical publications. On one occasion when illustrating a story by Thackeray, the number had to be issued short of certain pictures that had been arranged for. Thackeray was a good deal annoyed and asked Doyle if he could give any reason why he had not done the drawings. He replied in his cool, deliberate manner: "Eh—er—the fact is, I had not got any pencils."

The matter of pencils was always one of some trouble and difficulty with Doyle. The following letter is a fair example of what was a not infrequent occurrence:

"17 Cambridge Terrace, Hyde Park.

"My dear Sirs,—For the reason that if I see my way in anything about the realities of the Exhibition, I feel bound to do it for you and Chapman, I must decline Mr. Bogue's proposal.

"I intended to have spoken to you the first time I saw you about pencils for drawing upon wood; do you know a good maker? It is impossible to get anything of the kind at this end of town. If it would not be troubling you too much I would be very much obliged to your getting me half a dozen of the hardest, and sending them the next time your messenger comes to me?

"You probably know the best makers, which I do not, having always got my pencils through the Punch engravers.

"Yours very truly,

"Richard Doyle."

My dear Sir

I send two large drawings for Jack, and on Tuesday I expect two more, which will make seven.

On Thursday I leave town for 12 or 14 days, and when I return I hope it will not be too late to send the remainder.

Ten, I think was the original number of large drawings we agreed upon, but you said you would rather have less of them and more small ones, and consequently I determined on having eight large and twenty or thirty small. I shall not however, be strict as to number, but will do as many as you can give me time to do.

As I may safely say that more than half are now done it would be agreeable to me if you will let me have half of the L.S.D. at your earliest convenience.

I remain

Very Truly Yours

Richard Doyle

As I have worked two of the blocks, I have got into a mess with rubbing out. I shall be glad if you will send one me or two more.

We gave Doyle a commission to do a Panorama of an Overland Journey to the Great Exhibition of 1851, which it was intended should be published before, or immediately after, the opening day. We need hardly say the drawings were not done to time; in fact, the last of them was not finished until just on the closing of the Exhibition, consequently the publication was a dead failure.

"Scotland."

FROM "AN OVERLAND JOURNEY TO THE GREAT EXHIBITION OF 1851."

By Richard Doyle.

Published for the Brothers Dalziel by Messrs. Chapman & Hall.

It is greatly to be regretted that Doyle did not see his way to complete this work at the date agreed upon, and while the great excitement about the Exhibition was at fever heat, for the characteristic humour which is so peculiarly his own, and so cleverly depicted in the various Nationalities forming the Panorama, must have secured for the work a very extensive circulation, and thereby have added greatly to his reputation.

"Dear Sir,—With regard to the Exhibition procession, I would like to have your opinion as to whether, now the 'Glass House' being open and the public so much seriously occupied with the Exhibition, my drawings will be relished. I don't express any decided opinion now myself, but I put it to you and would like you to ask Mr. Chapman his opinion. I saw the 'procession' that came out a long time ago for the first time the other day to look over, and I really did not know before that the idea was so much the same as mine, and I greatly fear that mine will be thought stale, however original I can make it. It is, in fact, next to impossible to represent any of the countries by other types than those already done in publications already out.

"As far as I myself am concerned—much time as I have lost over this, to me, unfortunate subject—I would rather sacrifice it as lost time than bring out a failure. I cannot expect you, who have also spent some time upon the work, to feel the same.

"What occurred to me, however, was that perhaps the drawings of the 'procession' might be engrafted upon something else, of which it might form a part. I don't see my way, but I throw it out, and would like to have your notion on the subject.

"Very truly yours,

"Richard Doyle."

When Doyle retired from contributing to Punch, we gave him a commission to illustrate all the popular Children's Nursery Tales. He expressed himself delighted to undertake the work, and "Jack the Giant Killer" was to be the first. This was done, and published by Cundall and Addy of Bond Street. "The Sleeping Beauty" was the second, but the drawings for this book came so lingeringly to hand that the idea of a series was abandoned, and the blocks were put aside for some time. Those we had, however, were considered so beautiful, and so full of quaint fancy that we decided to enlist the co-operation of J. R. Planche to set new words to them, which he did very charmingly, and the book was published for us by Messrs. G. Routledge and Sons, under the title of "An Old Fairy Tale Told Anew." Those two stories were all Doyle ever did for the series; and their production extended over several years instead of a few months, as would have been the case in the hands of a more business-like artist.

"My dear Sirs,—I send the drawing, which has occupied me almost all the week, and you will see that there is plenty of work in it. The subject is taken from these words in Jack's history: 'He delighted in reading stories about wizards, giants and fairies, and listened eagerly when anybody related the brave deeds of the Knights of the Round Table.'

"It is intended to be the first page of the book (not the title page), and type is to go into the space left in the centre.

"I feel a little anxious about the engraving of the upper half of this drawing, which represents the legend told by the old woman, as I have never yet had that etching style of drawing engraved perfectly to my satisfaction; perhaps that is impossible, but, at all events, as there is plenty of time I shall expect this to be a chef d'ouvre of wood engraving, as I certainly look for more than ordinary care in this drawing.

"I have begun another large drawing, which I expect will be ready for you on Monday at six o'clock.

"Very truly yours,

"Richard Doyle."

We cannot help feeling that much excellent work has been lost by Doyle not carrying out this scheme, and fancy what exquisite things he would have made of "Cinderella," "Jack and the Bean Stalk," etc., etc.

FROM "JACK THE GIANT KILLER."

By Richard Doyle.

Published for the Brothers Dalziel by Cundall and Addy.

"17 Cambridge Terrace, Hyde Park.
"Monday.

"My dear Sir,—I hear from my brother that you called some days ago wishing to see me. I have settled in town again, after an absence of near three months, and shall be happy to see you at any time. You probably wished to see how the 'Sleeping Beauty' was going on, and I have to relate a misfortune connected therewith; I am sorry to say, several drawings which I had packed in my portmanteau got so rubbed during my journey, that while some were only injured, some were quite spoiled. I have doctored two or three of these, which will be ready for your messenger whenever you will be good enough to send. I shall certainly let you have all the drawings in time to be out for Easter.

"If you could let me have the half of the sum agreed upon for the illustrations, thirty pounds, as early as convenient to you, I should feel much obliged. I think something was said about paying half when half the drawings were done, and therefore I am not strictly entitled to it yet, but forestall the time as it will be a convenience to me to have the money now.

"Yours very truly,

"Richard Doyle."

Notwithstanding his tardiness, so long as Doyle continued to draw upon wood we were in constant communication with him, engraving his productions.

The Arrival at Cologne. "The Passengers Passing their Examination."

FROM "BROWN, JONES AND ROBINSON," BY RICHARD DOYLE.

By permission of Messrs. Bradbury & Agnew.

Among these may be mentioned many of the illustrations he did for Charles Dickens' Christmas Stories, as well as those he made for Ruskin's charming fairy tale, "The King of the Golden River," Leigh Hunt's "A Jar of Honey from Mount Hylba," and the entire set for "Bird's-Eye Views of Society," published in the Cornhill Magazine. We also engraved a large number of his "Brown, Jones and Robinson" pictures. He proposed to us a scheme for doing a companion volume: "Brown, Jones and Robinson in the Highlands of Scotland," but through his dilatory disposition, and the many and varied engagements we had at that time on our hands, the project was not carried out.

Although we had been accustomed for several years, through our connection with Ebenezer Landells and the Illustrated London News, to work upon Sir John Gilbert's drawings—perhaps among the very first was a small drawing of "Cupid Delivering a Love Letter," published in an early number of Punch—it was not until 1851 that we came into active communication with him. Our first personal interview was to ask him to make two drawings, a title page and frontispiece to "Praise and Principle." He took a small foot rule out of his pocket, measured the size of the two wood blocks, and said, "The price will be thirty-five shillings each, but I could not possibly give them to you tomorrow; but the next morning you may rely on having them." The drawings were duly sent, and with them an account for the sum named; also a letter to say he had made a mistake in the price, and that all future drawings of the same size and character would be two guineas each. This promptitude, it is worthy of remark, was a striking characteristic of the man, for during the many years that we were in constant intercourse with him, and engraved many hundreds of his drawings, we have no remembrance of him ever being a day behind the time he promised to send in his work.

Evening on the Lago-Maggiore.

FROM "BROWN, JONES AND ROBINSON" BY RICHARD DOYLE.

By permission of Messrs. Bradbury & Agnew.

The drawings for "Praise and Principle" were followed by many sets of illustrations, generally eight in number, for books issued by the Messrs. Routledge.

As an example of his peculiar method of book keeping in those early days the following letter will be interesting:

"Vanburgh Park,
"Blackheath, June 2nd.

"Dear Sirs,—I am now going out to send the drawings by the Parcels Delivery Company. Will you kindly let me know that you have received them safely?

"My charge for the four is twelve guineas. As I have no account with any one now, and therefore no book wherein to enter such a transaction, only a pencil mem. stuck into a frame on the wall, I will ask you at your convenience to let me have a cheque for the amount.

"Very truly yours,

"John Gilbert.

"Messrs. Dalziel."

"His mother she prepared a feast—
Great stores of venison and wine."

"The Salamandrine."—Dr. Charles Mackay.

By Sir John Gilbert, R.A., P.R.W.S.

By permission of Messrs. George Routledge & Sons.

Early in 1852 we were commissioned by Messrs. Ingram and Cook, who had then added a book publishing business to their other operations, to engrave the pictures for an édition de luxe of Dr. Charles Mackay's beautiful and fantastical poem "The Salamandrine," which Sir John Gilbert had undertaken to illustrate; and it may be confidently said that of the thousands of drawings which he afterwards made he never surpassed the charm and grace of his manipulative skill as shown in this exquisitely decorated volume. The book was very beautifully got up and most perfectly printed. Of our labour and part in the production, perhaps it may be sufficient to quote a short note Dr. Mackay wrote to us on the subject:

"December 27th, 1852.

"My dear Sir,—I cannot but express to you and your brother how gratified and obliged I feel for the care you have bestowed upon the illustrations for 'The Salamandrine.' I think they are triumphs of the art of wood engraving, and I sincerely hope that your efforts will be amply rewarded not only in present and future reputation but in pecuniary advantages.

"The Morning Chronicle of Saturday contains a fitting tribute to your exertions, and it is likely, I think, that other papers will follow in the same strain.

"Believe me,
"Ever yours truly,

"Charles Mackay.

"E. Dalziel, Esq."

Following "The Salamandrine," began the most important works of our lives, and it was through the enterprise of Messrs. Routledge and Warne that we were enabled to produce so long a list of "Fine Art Books," some of them on commission, and many others entirely on our own responsibility. These also brought us many important commissions from such houses as Messrs. Longman & Co., W. Blackwood & Son, Smith, Elder & Co., J. Nisbet & Co., Appleton & Co., New York, Roberts Brothers, Boston, and several other publishers of high standing both in England and America.

Lucy Gray, or Solitude.

"To-night will be a stormy night,
You to the town must go,
And take the lantern, child, to light
Your mother through the snow."

—William Wordsworth.

By Sir John Gilbert, R.A., P.R.W.S.

By permission of Messrs. George Routledge & Sons.

An important feature in Sir John Gilbert's practice in this branch of his art was his marvellous power of design, and wonderful dexterity in execution. On one occasion during the progress of his work he spoke of a drawing that had given him some trouble. He said, "Would you believe it, sir, I was so dissatisfied with it that I absolutely rubbed it out." He was asked one day whether he ever made an alteration on any other drawing for "The Salamandrine." He replied, "Was there ever any evidence of such a thing?"

But the greatest work of his that passed through our hands was Staunton's "Shakespeare," also published by Messrs. Routledge, the publication extending over four years. Vast as it was, he never disappointed us as to time, and when we take into consideration the number and elaborate character of the drawings, his regularity in sending them in was really surprising. The system adopted was to leave the tailpieces at the end of each Act to be drawn according to the size of the spaces left on the pages, and it was our custom to send a set of sheets of a Play down to him by special messenger with the understanding that he was to bring the drawings, four or five, as the case might be, back with him the same evening, which he always did: many of them being so elaborately and so carefully finished as to prove that Gilbert literally had the subjects at "his fingers' ends."

The following letters are of interest as expressing Gilbert's opinion and impression on seeing the first number of this important work:

King Lear.

ONE OF SIR JOHN GILBERT'S EIGHT HUNDRED AND THIRTY-TWO ILLUSTRATIONS TO THE WORKS OF SHAKESPEARE.

By permission of Messrs. George Routledge & Sons.

"Blackheath,
"Wednesday Evening.

"Dear Sirs,—I have looked at, examined, and criticised the first number of 'Shakespeare' to that extent that positively I hardly know what opinion to express of the first fruits of our labours.

"The Frontispieces will be an immense addition; without them it seems that there are not enough pictures for the money—and yet, eighteen cuts such as these are is surely a good shilling's worth. It appears to me—mind, I don't feel quite convinced of it, for, as I said before, I've so over and over considered it that I get quite confused—that large cuts are wanted, fewer and larger. What do you think of two cuts to each act, and those, ten in all, larger, keeping the little ones for tailpieces, where necessary to have a tailpiece?

"Turn this over in your mind, and if you think it desirable, consult Messrs. Routledge. I cannot help thinking ten cuts, about two-thirds the size of the space occupied by the type, would have a greater effect, and I should say cost no more than the sum laid down.

"You desired to have my opinion of the number, but I fear you will say, 'Here is no opinion at all.'

"Believe me to be, dear Sirs,
"Yours truly,

"John Gilbert."

On the completion of the first volume, he says:

"Mr. Routledge and Mr. Warne both wrote to me expressing their great satisfaction with the last number, and I suppose it must be considered a good shilling's worth. You know how I appreciate your labours; there are cuts in the last number that cannot be exceeded, and looking at the volume, I think, for general even goodness of style in engraving, it has never been excelled."

That the printing of some of our books was not at all times faultless, the following note from Sir John Gilbert will testify. In acknowledging a volume of India proofs, he says:

King Lear and Fool in a Storm.

Lear. "Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! rage! blow!
You cataracts, and hurricanoes, spout
Till you have drench'd our steeples."

—Shakespeare.

By Sir John Gilbert, R.A., P.R.W.S.

By permission of Messrs. George Routledge & Sons.

"I write to acknowledge a volume of proofs. Its size and thickness impressed me, and I don't well know how sufficiently to thank you for having had the proofs bound up with such care and taste. I can only say that I thank you very much for it, and that it will be highly valued by me. I had no idea of the magnificent style you had intended to get it up. Comparing these proofs with the impressions in the volume of poems, I am more than ever impressed that the printer has not done his part properly: the difference is immense.

"Believe me, very truly,

"John Gilbert."

About this time W. Harrison Ainsworth was editing "Bentley's Miscellany," and published some of his own works through that journal, Sir John Gilbert making the illustrations to "The Lancaster Witches," which were entrusted to us for engraving and printing. In sending a cheque, Ainsworth wrote:

"I have much pleasure in sending you a cheque in payment of your account for the engraving and printing of the designs, all of which have my entire satisfaction."

Again, in another letter accompanying a set of drawings by Gilbert, illustrating "The Constable of the Tower," he says:

"I have always thought Mr. Gilbert's illustrations to 'Lancaster Witches' as in every way charmingly engraved, and I have no doubt the present cuts will equal them, if not surpass them, in beauty.

"Ever yours truly,

"W. Harrison Ainsworth."

While the illustrations to "Shakespeare" were in progress we had two sets of engraver's burnished India proofs taken by skilled hands, under our own special care, before the wood blocks were delivered to the printer. One set, we are pleased to say, is now the property of the British Museum, where they will remain in all their original beauty.

Thursday Evening

Dear Sirs,

I have just had a glance over the number of our Shakespeare's just issued, and cannot resist writing to you at once to express the very great gratification it has given me. You have indeed done your part of the work nobly, it does you the greatest credit and confirms me in the belief I always have had that no one can engrave my drawings like you can. I have written to George Routledge to the same effect.

Believe me yours truly

John Gilbert

Sir John Gilbert died at his house, Vanburgh Park Road, Blackheath, on October 5th, 1897, in his 81st year.

His brother, Mr. Frederick Gilbert, writing on his death, says, "My brother, Sir John, had a long and distressing illness, but we are thankful to think not a very painful one—he died very peacefully."

A friend of Sir John's called upon him a few months before his death and found him hard at work, and making a favourable remark about the picture he was engaged upon, the veteran replied, quite seriously, "Well, yes! I think I'm improving."

"And I am told, Sir John," continued the friend, "that you have never painted from the living model."

Sir John turned his head, with an amused look about the eyes, saying, "Well, to tell you the truth, I cannot remember the time when I did so."

The writer of a highly appreciative article in the Magazine of Art, says, "Though Sir John Gilbert painted art in every branch, it is only in one, and that not in the public estimation the one by which he defies the rivalry of all comers, that he showed himself head and shoulders above the draughtsmen of his time.... Distinguished as he was as a painter, it is in virtue of his achievements in black and white that he takes his place among the few masters, not of his age and country only, but of all time, who through the medium of the hand and printing press have ranged themselves among the highest.... He may be voted old-fashioned for the moment, but real art rises superior to mode or vogue in taste: it has time upon its side.

Lear Fantastically Dressed with Flowers.

By Sir John Gilbert, R.A., P.R.W.S.

By permission of Messrs. George Routledge & Sons.

"Added to innumerable illustrations made for the London Journal, it is estimated that Sir John Gilbert made at least 30,000 drawings for the Illustrated London News.[7] He sent 50 pictures to the Royal Academy, 20 to the British Artists, 40 to the Royal Water Colour Society, 40 to the British Institute, and produced about 270 works which have never been exhibited. Added to this stupendous list of works he contributed 110 drawings to the Illustrated Edition of 'Longfellow's Poems,' 50 to Dr. Charles Mackay's 'Salamandrine,' 832 to Staunton's 'Shakespeare,' several to 'Lays of the Holy Land,' 'The Book of Job,' and 'Wordsworth's Poems,' as well as a liberal contribution to the long series of books known as 'Dalziel's Fine Art Books.'"

In referring to Gilbert's book illustrations a recent writer says, "There is no sign of haste, though many are sketchy; still, there is nothing which suggests that greater excellence would have attended greater elaboration."

FOOTNOTES:

[2] It is stated that Sir Walter Scott was so delightfully charmed with Mackay's acting in this character that he declared "until he saw him act he had no idea of the extraordinary character he had drawn."

[3] An Institution long since defunct.

[4] The following lines, which were largely quoted by the American Press, were written on the occasion of Canon Prothero unveiling a bust of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, in Westminster Abbey, March 1st, 1884:

There is no place in all the great wide world,
Where Anglo-Saxon is the spoken tongue,
Or where the British flag streams out unfurled,
Where patriotic song or ballad's sung,—
But there is heard in kindly company
With Burns and Hood, with Dibdin, Goldsmith, Moore,
The name of him from far across the sea
Who sang the noble song, Excelsior.
He touched the heart with sweet and silvery rhyme,—
He thrilled us with the pathos of his song,—
He showed us wild men in the olden time,
And painted suff'ring under cruel wrong.
Yet ever in the light of truest love
He swept with tender touch the sacred lyre;
And as he sang he caught, as from above,
A blaze of holy, pure, poetic fire.
He sang of changing seasons warm and bright,
He sang of times that were all cold and grey;
He sang of Flowers and of the darkening night,
Of Angel footsteps, and of Rainy day;—
Of Blacksmith as he by the anvil stood,
The Skipper and his daughter drowned at sea,
The Maiden stepping into womanhood,
And then God's Acre, with its mystery.
E'en as he sang, so lived he in his day,
Aye striving for some good deed to be done,—
To show some thing of beauty by the way,
And tell how fame and honour might be won.
"His life was beautiful,"[8] so sang his friend,
With constant charity of heart and hand;
This one more chaplet with his name we blend,—
"He was an honour to his native land."[8]
To-day we lay a humble tribute bare,
'Tis but a block of marble, in the place,
On which a human hand, with cunning rare,
Has deftly carved the sweetness of his face.
There in the Abbey, where our poets lie,
Where many a noble pageant we have seen,
Stands now this bust—where all the world may hie—
Of him who told us of Evangeline.

George Dalziel.

[5] Corbould had made a set of eight illustrations to Spencer's "Fairy Queen" for us.

[6] "The Bottle" was published in 1847.

[7] Here we think the writer of the article has over estimated the number, as Sir John had for many years before his death entirely severed his connection with the Illustrated London News, as well as all other journalistic work.

[8] These words were used by the American Ambassador, who was present and spoke on the occasion.

[CHAPTER III.]

Sir J. E. Millais, P.R.A., Holman Hunt, Dante G. Rossetti, Arthur Hughes, Millais' "Parables of Our Lord," Sir J. Noel Paton, P.R.S.A., Sir John Tenniel, Etc.

Much has been written about "The Golden Period of Illustration" as it existed in the early Sixties, represented by wood engraving and the admirable drawings done for that process by such artists as Sir John Millais, Fred Walker, A. Boyd Houghton, Dante G. Rossetti, G. J. Pinwell, Sir E. J. Poynter, Lord Leighton, Sir E. Burne-Jones, F. Sandys, and other notable artists.

Our opportunities were favourable. We were equally fortunate in being so intimately connected with men possessing such exceptional talent, and it must ever be a great satisfaction to us that we were in a position to avail ourselves of their brilliant ability.

Our co-operation with Sir John Millais began about midway in the fifties, when, at his request, Moxon, the publisher, brought one of the Tennyson drawings for us to engrave, and continued for many years, during which time a large majority of the drawings he made for wood engraving were entrusted to us. These included his work for the Cornhill Magazine, Good Words, and the majority of those he did for other serial publications, including the illustrations to Anthony Trollope's "Orley Farm," "The Small House at Allington," and "Framley Parsonage." This artistic association only ceased when he discontinued doing this class of work. During the entire time we gave the most perfect satisfaction to Millais, who frequently expressed himself in the warmest, and to us extremely flattering, terms of appreciation.

We subsequently discovered that it was to Richard Doyle we were indebted for our introduction to Millais, who was then living at Bowerswell. Perth, where Doyle was on a visit, and noticing the delicate character of a drawing he was at work upon said he believed the Dalziels were the only engravers who could do justice to such elaborate manipulation. Upon this Millais requested Moxon to place the drawings in our hands, and so satisfied was he with our first performance, that all the remaining drawings he made for this edition of "Tennyson's Poems" were given to us.

Previous to Mr. Moxon entrusting Millais' drawings to us, he had placed all the subjects with the different artists, but found great difficulty in getting the work from them. He gave us a list of those waited for, and placed the completion of the engravings in our hands, asking us to look up the artists, which brought us in close communication with those engaged upon the work.

He also asked us to superintend the printing of the book, which was being done by Messrs. Bradbury and Evans, who certainly bestowed the greatest care upon its production, but no sheet was sent to Press until we had signed it as "approved." The number printed was 10,000 copies, which were done at the old hand press, for at that time cylinder machine work was not considered good enough: but all that has long been changed—the finest and most elaborate work being now produced in this way.

The Lord of Burleigh.

Tennyson.

By Sir J. E. Millais, P.R.A.

By permission of Messrs. Macmillan & Co.

This edition will always be known as "Moxon's Tennyson," and will stand out as a landmark in the history of book illustration. In the work of the younger men engaged on it, beyond the extreme beauty of their designs, there was an evidence of earnestness to search after truth that went so deep into nature as to give the work a stamp of superiority: and this advance in art—for it was an advance—we endeavoured to follow and to promote to the best of our power.

Locksley Hall proof

The outline of the daughters head is too thick from this' in....ssion I cannot see her mouth but will wait for the next, the nostril is too large, and the mother's face is too full of little fine lines, take away the fuzzy lines indicating the upper lip—Clear the eye enlarging the upper lid by making this line of the eye less thick bad right There are some little scratches on his fingers holding the envelope thus which may be taken out, In the shading of the daughters hands on her side, there are some black veins which may also be eradicated—There are other little corrections if you compare these touched proofs, with others as the blocks are—I rush now I am very hard at work painting but will attend to the Coleridge & Byron designs at my first liaison—Hoping to hear from you soon believe me yours very truly

Dalziel Brothers. John Everett Millais

The volume was published by Mr. Moxon at £1 11s. 6d., but the public did not respond as had been expected, consequently a large stock was left on hand. These were sold to Messrs. Routledge and Co., and, with the stock, the entire set of the wood blocks went also. The price of the volume was reduced to £1 1s., and it sold out immediately. On this success Messrs. Routledge wished to produce a new edition, but Tennyson's terms were too high to leave any margin of profit to the publisher. This doubtless was the cause of the book being so long out of print; but the property having since passed into the hands of Messrs. Macmillan they have reproduced this very interesting book.

On November 23rd, 1856, Mr. Holman Hunt, on receiving the proof of a drawing he had made for Moxon's edition, writes:

"I find the proof of the last design for 'Oriana' very satisfactory, giving the character of the drawing with great truth."

From "The Talking Oak."

Tennyson.

By Sir J. E. Millais, P.R.A.

By permission of Messrs. Macmillan & Co.

Although we were in communication with Dante Gabriel Rossetti at an earlier date, when we engraved a small drawing[9] which he made in illustration to a poem, "The Maids of Elfin-Mere," by William Allingham, published by Bell and Daldy, in a volume entitled, "Day and Night Songs"—Rossetti's artist co-workers in this book were J. E. Millais and Arthur Hughes, all the drawings being engraved by ourselves—we did not come in contact with him again until we received the following letter:

"17 Orange Grove, Bath.

"My dear Sirs,—I have just had a note from Mr. Moxon sent to me here, by which I learn that you are cutting a drawing of mine, and that it will soon be finished. Will you kindly send me the proof here (to the above address) and I will at once retouch it and send it back to London. I have been lately admiring your work in the 'Poets of the 19th Century,' and can only hope for a rendering equal to what Millais has there had at your hands.

"Yours very truly,

"D. G. Rossetti."

The Millais drawings here alluded to are those made to illustrate passages from Byron and Coleridge, mentioned later on. His own was the St. Cecillia which Rossetti did for the "Illustrated Tennyson."[10]

It would be obviously out of place for us to comment upon the difference in treatment which we gave, and that of other engravers who were entrusted to operate upon some of the drawings he made for this book, or to remark upon the comparisons of certain critics writing upon the subject; we can only affirm that Mr. Rossetti expressed himself both verbally and by letter as being well pleased with our work. Writing on the receipt of two finished proofs, he says:

1 April

14 Chatham Place
E.C.

Dear Sir

Many thanks for the two proofs kindly sent—both of them now highly satisfactory & well repaying all your pains.

Yours faithfully
DS Rossetti

That Rossetti was a man difficult to please in his literary work as well as in his art, the following is an apt illustration:

In one of the "Allingham letters," he says:

"I lately heard from Aubrey de Vere with a request to my sister and self to contribute something to a verse collection. We looked up scraps and expected proofs, but these come not, and I imagine that the result, when in type, will be the usual incentive to Blasphemy."

The Ballad of Oriana.

Tennyson.

By Holman Hunt.

By permission of Messrs. Macmillan & Co.

Mr. W. M. Rossetti, writing of his brother's social peculiarities, says:

"He assumed the easy attitude of one born to dominate—to know his own place and to set others in theirs. He was a genial despot, good natured, hearty and unassuming in manner, and only tenacious upon the question at issue."

St. Cecillia.

THE "PALACE OF ART."

Tennyson.

By Dante G. Rossetti.

By permission of Messrs. Macmillan & Co.

Though we never had any personal interview with Rossetti's sister, Miss Christina Rossetti, we had considerable correspondence with this gifted lady, extending over several years, she having written some short poems which helped to adorn the pages of one or more of our Fine Art Books. We also published her charming little Nursery Rhyme Book, "Sing Song," which was very tastefully illustrated by Arthur Hughes. The manuscript of this book was somewhat of a curiosity in its way. On each page, above the verse, was a slight pen sketch, drawn by Miss Rossetti, suggesting the subject to illustrate, but of these Mr. Hughes made very little use, and only in two instances actually followed the sketch. The book was published on our behalf by Messrs. George Routledge & Co.

On one occasion when Mr. Arthur Hughes sent in some of the drawings which he had made, one of the pages of manuscript was missing, and on this being pointed out to him he sent the following note:

"July 31, '71.

"Dear Messrs. Dalziel,—I am sure that I put in the rhyme of 'Dancing on the hill tops.' I am very careful with them—going two or three times through them before packing up. I don't remember which was 45, but the four figures representing the Seasons is to the poem of the Months, beginning 'January, cold, desolate'; and as well as I can remember the poem for the drawing of a man with fagot and basket meeting his child—it goes thus:

'Dancing on the hill tops,
Singing in the valleys,
Laughing with the echoes,
Merry little Alice.
If her father's cottage
Turned into a palace,
And he owned the hill tops
And the flowering valleys,
She'd be none the happier—
Happy little Alice.'

—and had a pencil sketch at top of a child on a pointed hill.

"I am just about finishing a batch of these—belonging to last week, alas!—but I am also finishing the frontispiece of the Carols. These shall come very soon.

"Believe me,
"Faithfully yours,

"Arthur Hughes."

Hallelujah.

THE "SUNDAY MAGAZINE."

By Arthur Hughes.

Published by Mr. Alexander Strahan.

We had for a long time cherished the idea of doing an important series of illustrations to "The Parables of Our Lord." This occupied much anxious thought and careful consideration, for we felt it would be useless attempting the subject unless the drawings were made by an artist of acknowledged high-class ability. We found our chief difficulty in fixing upon one capable of treating the subject with sufficient dignity, and at the same time likely to avoid the old conventional style in which at that time Biblical art was treated. As many of Sir John Millais' charming drawings had been passing through our hands—among others we would mention some exceptionally beautiful work illustrating selected passages from poems by Byron and Coleridge, as well as his exquisite drawing of "The Finding of Moses"—it seemed to us that he would be a safe man to consult on the subject, and likely to give us something more original in treatment than any other artist who was doing this class of work.

Millais entered warmly into the subject and very readily undertook the commission, as the accompanying letter will show:

"Bowerswell, Perth,
"13 August, '57.

"Dear Sirs,—I shall be very glad to accept your offer, but you must give me time. One great inducement for me to undertake these illustrations is the fact that the book will be entirely illustrated by me alone. The subject is quite to my liking; you could not have chosen anything more congenial to my desire. I would set about them immediately if you will send me some blocks. Will you send me a list of the Parables, or leave it to me? I would prefer the former. There is so much labour in these drawings that I trust you will give me my own time, otherwise I could not undertake the commission. I should make it a labour of love like yourselves.

"Yours very truly,

"John Everett Millais."

The Pearl of Great Price.

FROM "THE PARABLES OF OUR LORD."

By Sir J. E. Millais, P.R.A.

By permission of Messrs. Herbert Virtue & Co., Ltd.

Monday Bowerswell
Perth

Dear Dalziel,

At last I have finished "The Pearl of great price"—you will at once see there is a tremendous lot of work in it., & I have put a little more white in parts than perhaps is good,—but I could not help it, as I require to alter a good deal. I know very well you will give it all your attention & after all that you have done I feel sure it will be rendered a facsimile = the head of Lucy Roberts is just what I wanted which is very fortunate as I could not suggest alterations—

Yours sincerely,
John E Millais

Messrs. Dalziel brothers

Millais produced several of the drawings very promptly, but, as time went on and he became more popular—the demand for his pictures daily increasing—longer intervals gradually took place between the delivery of the drawings, and it was not until the end of 1864 that the last was sent in. Even then he had only made twenty drawings out of thirty, which he at first undertook to do. At the same time he requested us to release him from the remainder of the agreement, and to this we had no choice but to comply, though we did so very reluctantly, feeling that the world of art would be so much the poorer.

In 1862 we accepted an offer from Mr. Alexander Strahan, and twelve of these pictures were published in Good Words Magazine. Later, in 1864, the entire series was published for us in book form by George Routledge & Sons. But we are sorry to say they did not receive that liberal recognition from either the public or the critics which their undoubted excellence ought to have commanded.

When we conceived the idea of doing an Illustrated Bible, of which we will have much to say further on, Millais was one of the first artists we consulted on the subject. He warmly approved of the project, and promised his most hearty and liberal co-operation; but like many other equally hearty promises from artists of note, they were never fulfilled, not, we are sure, from any want of sympathy with the subject, but owing entirely to the pressure of other engagements. At last his undertaking on this work simmered down to a positive promise of one drawing, and that to be "Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden," but though he was often solicited, and always promised to set about it immediately, he never made the drawing, nor do we know that he went so far as to make even the slightest rough sketch of a design for it. To us this was an inexpressible disappointment, as without that picture it was obviously impossible to commence the publication.

The Unjust Judge.[11]

FROM "THE PARABLES OF OUR LORD."

By Sir J. E. Millais, P.R.A.

By permission of Messrs. Herbert Virtue & Co., Ltd.]

Bowerswell Perth.
14 Jany. 59.

Dear Sir,

Nothing can be more exquisitely rendered than the "Importunate Widow". There are two or three little trifles wh. I will tell you when I come up. It appears to have been better cut than any other I have ever seen, you have only to show it to any artist, & he will at once see how it is executed—The two I am about are the "Ten Virgins". I will try & send you one next week. I am only sorry that I cannot turn them out faster. I am charmed with yr. work.

Faithfully y^rs,
John Everett Millais

This, with many other similar disappointments of help which we had confidently relied upon, caused the project to hang fire, until at last, in 1880, we resolved to abandon the idea of an Illustrated Bible, and publish some of the engravings we had made in a folio under the title of "Dalziel's Bible Gallery."

That our difficulties in carrying out the elaborate project we had formed began at an early date, the following extract from a letter by Sir John Millais, dated February 8th, 1863, will show:

"There is a decided move in the matter of 'The Bible.' Hunt, Watts, and Leighton will not, I expect, work for you, as they say they are, with me, in honour bound to work for the publisher who first made the proposal. There can be no doubt but that we should, in such a case, work together.

"Yours very faithfully,

"John Everett Millais."

The "publisher who first made the proposal" here referred to was Mr. Joseph Cundall, who was not at that time in business as a publisher, but had formed a project of publishing an "Illustrated Bible." His progress in the matter merely consisted in his having commissioned the several artists named by Millais, with two or three others, while his actual purchase was three small drawings of minor importance. These, with his "priority of claim," we subsequently purchased from him. We never used the drawings, however, not considering them favourable specimens.

In a letter, which is without date, showing how earnestly Millais laboured and how anxious he was to give his most perfect work in producing the charming series of illustrations to "The Parables of Our Lord," he says:

"I send off by post the Parable of 'The Leaven which the woman hid in the three measures of meal'; she is mixing the leaven in the last of the three. The girl at the back I have made near the oven with one of the loaves, and the other rests against the wall of the window."

The Leaven.

FROM "THE PARABLES OF OUR LORD."

By Sir J. E. Millais, P.R.A.

By permission of Messrs. Herbert Virtue & Co., Ltd.

Further on in the same letter he writes:

"It is almost unnecessary for me to say that I cannot produce these quickly even if supposing I give all my time to them. They are separate pictures, and so I exert myself to the utmost to make them as complete as possible. I can do ordinary illustrations as quickly as most men, but these designs can scarcely be regarded in the same light—each Parable I illustrate perhaps a dozen times before I fix, and the 'Hidden Treasures' I have altered on the wood at least six times. The manipulation of the drawings takes much less time than the arrangement, although you cannot but see how carefully they are executed. Believe me, I will not again halt in the work, but will supply you regularly, although I may occasionally delay in the production. I know you will take every care in the cutting, so I will not say anything about that. I enclose with the block a few remarks.

"Ever yours truly,

"John Everett Millais.

"I suppose you have nearly completed the 'Five Foolish Virgins.' I am always anxious to get the proofs."

Sir John was at all times ready to help a brother or sister artist, and avoid as far as possible running in competition, as the following few lines will show.

In a letter dated February 8th, 1863, he writes:

"I forgot to ask you not to publish the 'Lost Sheep' amongst the Parables in Good Words, as I have had a letter from Mrs. Blackburn stating that she had a drawing for the paper of the same subject, and wishing me to keep back that illustration if it did not interfere with the arrangement. I suppose it will make no difference to you, so please withhold it from the set devoted to Good Words."

In reference to the engraving of "The Lord of Burleigh" he says:

"Perth,
"December 10, '56.

"My dear Sirs,—I received the proofs this afternoon and am quite satisfied with the cutting, which is perfect. I mention a few corrections, or rather additions, which I think will improve them. As I have omitted to add my monogram to the other drawings I should like it cut out of the snow in the illustration to the 'Old Year.' The only improvement I see is a want of softness in some of the outlines, which may be reduced or made to look more tender. I have written in pencil such faults as strike me may be easily remedied.

"The more I have looked into the cutting of both these (but especially the 'Burleigh') the more delighted I am with the rendering. I wish you would send me a good proof of each of them, as I have all the others.

"Again thanking you for the evident care you have taken in rendering my drawings,

"Believe me,
"Ever yours truly,

"John Everett Millais."

Millais, on returning proofs which we had submitted for his touching or approval, invariably made such favourable remarks on our portion of the work as the following:

"November 6, '63.

"The proofs you sent me are perfectly satisfactory. 'The Good Shepherd' doesn't require anything, and the other only wants a touch on the face. Next to the King is a little coarse in the shadow: make it a little less scratchy."

In reply to a letter of ours asking for a further supply of "Parable" drawings, Mrs. Millais writes:

"Bowerswell,
"August 9th.

"Dear Sir,—I am very sorry to write to you instead of packing up for you some wood drawings. Mr. Millais has begged me to write to you, as he says he is ashamed of himself, but he has felt such a disinclination to turn to that kind of drawing at present, when he is painting out of doors, that he must beg you to have patience with him. Several times as he has got designs and drawings ready, I have got him to sit down to them, but he rose up disgusted and feeling incapable. He goes to London next week but returns in a few days. He declares he will then set to work, so we must hope the fit will have come on for work of the kind in which you are interested. In the meantime he has nothing nearly ready, if he would only begin again, but he is at work all day, and in the evening too tired. Next week the young ladies he is painting from leave, and he will be free to turn to something else.

"With best regards,
"Believe me, yours truly,

"Effie Millais."

Mrs. Millais, writing on another occasion to account for the non-delivery of drawings, says:

"Bowerswell, Perth,
"November 26th.

"He is very sorry not to answer your letter about the Parables. He says, at this season, that he is always occupied on his pictures, and that although he can occasionally do drawings on the wood at odd times, that he cannot attempt to do the Parables, which are, as you know, much finer work. He is anxious to make that work as perfect as possible, and when he does one or more he puts his painting aside for the time. He cannot do that during the winter and spring, and therefore begs you to have patience with him, as he will work at them whenever he has sufficient leisure. He is well aware how anxious you are to have the work finished. I am sure he is also. But he often makes designs, and continues to improve them until he is quite satisfied that it is as good as he can make it, and this takes a long time.

"Very truly yours,

"Effie Millais."

On our sending Millais complete copies of "The Parables" he wrote the following letter:

"7 Cromwell Place,
"South Kensington,
"5th Dec., 1863.

"Dear Dalziel,—I am quite delighted with the Book, and I think you will find the public will slowly and surely appreciate it. Six copies will not quite do for the friends I have promised it to, but will be enough for the present. I desired to send copies to men who will very much forward the sale—such as Tennyson, Layard, Thackeray, Leech, etc. If you could send me another six I think that would do amply. I will not forget 'The Arabian Nights.' The only fault, I think, in the Book is that in the middle there are too many blank pages, but I suppose that could not be helped.

"Sincerely yours,

"John Everett Millais."

"Now, Randolph, tell thy tidings,
However sharp they be."

"Edinburgh, after Flodden."—Aytoun.

FROM "LAYS OF THE SCOTTISH CAVALIERS."

By Sir J. Noel Paton, P.R.S.A.

By permission of Messrs. William Blackwood & Sons.

The following is an extract from the Preface to the first edition of the book:

"Mr. Millais made his first drawing to illustrate the Parables in August, 1857, and the last in October, 1863. Thus he has been able to give that care and consideration to his subjects which the beauty as well as the importance of 'The Parables' demanded, for the work has extended over a period of six years."

During the years from 1858 to 1863 we engraved several grand drawings by Sir J. Noel Paton in illustration to a fine art edition of Professor Aytoun's "Lays of the Scottish Cavaliers," published by Messrs. Blackwood of Edinburgh. In a letter, dated October 8th, 1858, he says:

"33 George Street, Edinburgh.

"Dear Sirs,—Judging from your work in the 'Tennyson,' and from proofs now before me, I can with perfect security and confidence recommend the Messrs. Blackwood to entrust you with as many of my drawings as you care to undertake. Indeed I did so in those very words when, a few months ago, we were discussing this question of engraving, and I am quite ready to repeat my recommendation, though having, by my own desire, left the choice of engravers entirely in the hands of Messrs. Blackwood.

"I remain, Gentlemen,
"Yours very truly,

"J. Noel Paton."

"Yet a black and murky battlement
Lay resting on the hill."

"The Execution of Montrose."—Aytoun.

FROM "LAYS OF THE SCOTTISH CAVALIERS."

By Sir J. Noel Paton, P.R.S.A.

By permission of Messrs. William Blackwood & Sons.

On returning parcels of touched proofs, he wrote the following letters:

"33 George Street, Edinburgh,
August 22, 1862.

"Gentlemen,—I herewith return the three printed proofs touched upon, and by that you will kindly do your best to carry out the alterations indicated.

"The last proofs sent (eight in number) will be forwarded to Mr. Simpson to-day. They are, upon the whole, very satisfactory, though all, more or less, requiring careful overhauling, though through no shortcoming of yours, as the drawings have been wonderfully rendered. I would more especially mention as worthy of all praise, as specimens of engraving, 'The Melrose,' and the interior with figures, and the suit of armour. The latter is certainly very perfect.

"Your kind offer of a proof of Mr. Houghton's beautiful design, and your beautiful Engraving of the long-haired Lady with Children, I cannot refuse; though in what I said in my last, I merely meant to indicate the desire, which so many must feel, that high class things of that sort could be got by themselves and printed in a manner worthy of their excellence—they are generally so indifferently printed in the Periodicals in which they appear and dis-appear.

"In haste.
"Very faithfully yours,

"J. Noel Paton."

"Messrs. Dalziel."

"Absence from Town, and other causes, has prevented me from acknowledging more promptly 15 proofs of your engravings for the 'Lays of the Scottish Cavaliers,' which, I am happy to say, are all very satisfactory indeed.

"I am, Gentlemen,
"Yours very truly,

"J. Noel Paton."

37 Drummond Place
Edinburgh
April 27. 1859.

Gentlem...

I am sorry to find myself again convicted of culpable negligence, in having left your last beautiful proofs to lay unacknowledged.—As before, excessive occupation, tempered with indisposition is my excuse. The blocks may now be considered quite satisfactory—and I sincerely wish there were a dozen more of my drawings in your hands.

In much haste—
Very truly yours,

J. Noel Paton

Messrs. Dalziel

"On wheels of light, on wings of flame,
The glorious hosts of Zion came."

"The Song of Bethlehem."—Campbell.

FROM "LAYS OF THE HOLY LAND."

By J. R. Clayton.

By permission of Messrs. James Nisbet & Co.

"The Lays of the Holy Land" was projected by Mr. Watson, then the head of James Nisbet and Co., who, mainly under our guidance, made a very wise selection for the figure subjects. Tenniel's are exceptionally fine, "The Destruction of Sennacherib" being perhaps the most important. The "Song of the Jewish Maiden," by F. R. Pickersgill, R.A., is one of his best, and there is a lovely drawing, "Ruth and Naomi," by J. H. Powell, but the one picture that stands alone is "The Finding of Moses by Pharaoh's Daughter," by Millais. The strength and power as well as the treatment are so original as to give it even in this fine collection a marked degree of undoubted prominence. Wolf has several exquisite examples, so has Birket Foster. Of our own drawings we will only mention "Tears for Jerusalem" and "The Raising of Lazarus." There is also a very beautiful drawing, "The Song of Bethlehem," in a fine decorative manner, by J. R. Clayton.

Clayton has been our friend and comrade for over fifty years. We met as fellow students at the Life School at Clipstone Street, when Edward Duncan was President and Treasurer, and Charles Keene, John Tenniel, George Boyce, H. T. Wells, and Arthur Lewis were amongst the regular workers.

The Finding of Moses by Pharaoh's Daughter.

FROM "LAYS OF THE HOLY LAND."

By Sir J. E. Millais, P.R.A.

By permission of Messrs. James Nisbet & Co.

This much-gifted, many-sided man began his artistic work as a sculptor with Sir Charles Barry, and under the influence of Sir Gilbert Scott, attaining much knowledge in architecture and ecclesiastical matters, he soon developed a decided taste for decorative work. During this period, however, his wonderful facility for design found an easy outlet in drawing on wood. Our early connection with him began on the Illustrated London News, for which he did much beautiful work, notably some illustrations to "New Songs Written to Old Tunes," by Dr. Charles Mackay. He also illustrated an edition of "Krumacher's Fables," translated by Dr. Hy. W. Dulcken, a dear old friend, who was then one of the managers of Ingram and Cook's book branch of the Illustrated London News. Clayton also did a set of illustrations to "Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress." We had the benefit of his work in many of the "Fine Art Books" on which we were from time to time engaged. He did the figure subjects for "Herbert's Poetical Works," and, in companionship with Sir John Tenniel, made most of the figure subjects for "Pollock's Course of Time."

Clayton's taste for decorative work gradually took the form of stained glass, and his success in that way became so extensive that the art of Book Illustration sank into the background. Although not really one of the P.R.B., he was of them, and with them in all their ways and works. If the Royal Academy had a more extensive scale of fitness for the honour, there is no man to our knowledge whose great ability as a true artist better deserves the distinction of R.A.

There's nae Luck About the House.

FROM "HOME AFFECTIONS WITH THE POETS."

By Sir J. E. Millais, P.R.A.

By permission of Messrs. George Routledge & Sons.

Bowerswell Perth
August 16. 57.

Dear Sir,

Both the illustrations are so perfectly cut that I have nothing to say, and therefore will keep both the proofs, as I should like to have them—Perhaps you may just fine down one or two lines in the "There's nae luck" the upper line of the womans hand Run the shading of the mans shoulder more into the outline also the little girls left leg should the mans shoe and run a little more decided light down the dogs nose Beyond these trivial corrections I see nothing. I shall be glad to see how the "Moses" drawings cut, these two are most satisfactory

Yours very truly,
John Everett Millais

W^m. Dalziel brothers

Edward Duncan, George Dodgson and F. W. Topham, with a few other members of the "Old Society of Painters in Water Colours," formed a club for outdoor sketching, the rule being that at a selected spot all should sit down as close to each other as possible, taking various points of view according to individual taste. One day whilst at work in a field on the banks of the Upper Thames, they saw a sturdy farmer coming towards them looking very fierce and angry. When he got near the party he said:

"What be you lot o' lazy devils a-doing in my field?"

"Sketching, sir, sketching!"

"Is that fit work for men? When the young ladies from Miss Gray's boarding school come down to 'sketch' I say let 'em; if it pleases them, it don't hurt me, an' there be no harm; but when I see a lot of great hulking men like you fellows about such nonsense it makes me fair angry! Why, domn it, you might be doing a lot o' good work o' some sort! I would rather break stones by the roadside for a shilling a day than fool away my time like you be doing. You ought to be ashamed o' yourselves, you ought!"

They tried to explain to him that they made their living by painting pictures. After some strong expressions of doubt the farmer sobered down a little and asked Dodgson how much he would get for the one he was "doing." Dodgson, knowing the sort of man he had to deal with, said:

"Perhaps as much as ten shillings, or maybe twenty if I can find a friend who fancies it."

The answer came, "Thee be a domned liar as well as a lazy lout!" Then with a look of contempt the tiller of the soil stumped away.

"From the window I look out,
To mark thy beautiful parade;
Stately marching in cap and coat,
To some tune by fairies played."

"Threnody."—Ralph Waldo Emerson.

FROM "HOME AFFECTIONS WITH THE POETS."

By Edward Dalziel.

By permission of Messrs. George Routledge & Sons.

"The Poets of the Nineteenth Century," in addition to the two fine drawings by Millais already named, has many other good pictures; one of the most remarkable, perhaps, is the "Prisoner of Chillon," by Ford Madox Brown. Sir John Tenniel is well represented, the "Death of Marmion" being one of his best. Sir John Gilbert, too, has several: "The Vicar," "To my Mother's Picture," and "Hohenlinden." So pleased were we with the latter design that we offered him a commission for a water colour drawing of the subject. His reply was, "Yes, and it shall be one of my best." And it certainly was one of his most successful as a highly-finished work and will always hold its own. There are also several interesting drawings by William Harvey, J. D. Harding, Edward Duncan, and G. Dodgson; a large number of exquisite examples of Birket Foster, and several figure subjects by J. R. Clayton, F. R. Pickersgill, R.A., Edward Corbould, and Harrison Weir. Of our own many drawings in this book we will mention a small roadside landscape, "Taste," and a single figure, "The History of a Life."

On February 6th, 1856, Mr. Ford Madox Brown, in returning a volume of the Illustrated Edition of "Longfellow's Poems," wrote:

"The bearer will return the volume of 'Longfellow,' which I have looked through with great delight; and I think it bears honourable testimony to the high excellence which wood engraving has attained in this country."

Subsequently, on seeing the volume, "The Poets of the Nineteenth Century," he wrote:

"Let me take this opportunity of expressing my admiration of the work you last brought out, and the drawings by Dalziel[12] in particular, which are most poetic and took us by surprise, although whether yours or your brother's I, as yet, know not. The Millais' are admirable, both as regards him and the engraver."

"There, ye wise Saints, behold your Light, your Star—
Ye would be dupes and victims, and ye are."

The Veiled Prophet of Khorassan.

FROM "LALLA ROOKH."

By Sir John Tenniel.

By permission of Messrs. Longman & Co.

In "Home Affections with the Poets," Millais again stands pre-eminent in his two contributions. "There's Nae Luck About the House," when compared with his drawing of the "Finding of Moses," is an apt illustration of his wonderful versatility, and a proof that in art all subjects were equally within his power.

F. R. Pickersgill has some fine pictures in this book, his "Oriana" being full of tender feeling. Sir John Tenniel, too, is very strong, his "Fair Inez" being the best. Sir John Gilbert and Birket Foster are both very powerful; the former in "When I Come Home," "The Two Angels," and "The Wee Thing"; the latter in his "True Love," "Come Awa', Come Awa'," "My Sister Ellen," and "The Graves of the Household." There is a very clever drawing, "The Sailors Journal," by George Thomas, and a grand picture, "The Shipwreck," by Edward Duncan. Among our own drawings in the collection are, "To Mary in Heaven," Emerson's "Threnody," and "My Mother Dear."

Among the first works of importance by Sir John Tenniel that came into our hands to engrave were several drawings for an illustrated edition of Tupper's "Proverbial Philosophy," as well as his contributions to the illustrated publications issued by the Art Union of London. He also made a great many important drawings for the numerous "Fine Art Books" which we produced; among them we would particularly mention "Dramatic Poems," by Barry Cornwall, and "Pollock's Course of Time"; likewise several exceptionally clever drawings for "The Ingoldsby Legends," published by Richard Bentley.

"Poor maiden!" thought the youth, "if thou wert sent."

The Veiled Prophet of Khorassan.

FROM "LALLA ROOKH."

By Sir John Tenniel.

By permission of Messrs. Longman & Co.

One of his most elaborate works was the set of illustrations to "Lalla Rookh." The drawings were all made on the wood with lead pencil, and were fine examples of his varied powers of design and delicate manipulation—such as gave us great pleasure in the rendering. The book was published by Messrs. Longman & Co. If Tenniel had never done any other work than "Lalla Rookh," and those two remarkable books "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass," they alone would have been sufficient to immortalise him. What a piece of work the frontispiece to the former is! What dignity and rare grotesque humour are shown in both these books! What beautiful pictures "Advice from Caterpillar" and "The Father William" make!—and how perfectly they are all drawn! "Pig and Pepper," "The Kitchen Scene," and "Alice and the Duchess" are among the best.

As a matter of fact, Tenniel did not wish to do the second book, so Mr. Dodgson ("Lewis Carrol"), the author, asked various other artists to undertake the task, amongst them Sir J. Noel Paton, who, being out of health at the time, at once declined, saying, "No, Tenniel is the man." And most fortunately, both for author and artist, he was, the drawings being most grotesque, and the delightful fooling and outrageous fancy beyond description: for instance, "Looking-Glass House," "Tweedle-dum-tweedle-dee-dee," "Humpty-Dumpty," "The Lion and Unicorn," and last of all "Queen Alice." Such pictures were half the battle in the success of these two delightful little volumes.

During the process of completing the illustrations a great deal of correspondence, always of the most agreeable nature, took place with the Rev. Mr. Dodgson, as to their execution and finish. It is well known that he was more than usually critical, both with the drawings and with the engravings. Mr. Dodgson also entrusted us later with the drawings made by Mr. A. B. Frost—a very clever and highly esteemed American artist, who fully entered into the quaint humour of the text—for "Rhyme and Reason" and "A Tangled Tale."

So much was Tenniel engaged at this time that we always regarded his undertaking the pictures, seven in number, for our "Arabian Nights," as an act of kindness to ourselves.

Alice in Wonderland.

By Sir John Tenniel.

By permission of Messrs. Macmillan & Co.

Outside his Punch work, we believe nearly all Tenniel's work for wood engraving was executed by us.

10 Portsdown Road
Jan^y. 11. 1870.

All good wishes for the New Year!!!

Dear Dalziel,

Are you disposed to undertake the engraving of another little book for Mr. Dodgson?—It is a continuation of "Alice's Adventures," and I am going to work upon it at once.

One line please to say "Yes"—and I'll let you know the size of blocks &c.

In much haste

Yours very truly
J Tenniel.

The Sleeping Genie and the Lady.

FROM "DALZIEL'S ARABIAN NIGHTS."

By Sir John Tenniel.

By permission of Messrs. Ward, Lock & Co.

Messrs. Bradbury and Evans had at one time the idea of publishing an "Illustrated Shakespeare," and Tenniel was to do all the drawings, but beyond two very characteristic subjects which we engraved the project was abandoned. Doubtless he found the undertaking more than he could carry out when added to his weekly work for Punch and his other engagements.

No matter what other work he had in hand, he always contributed his weekly cartoon to Punch. The moral teaching of these drawings is beyond measure. Whether it be in caustic satire or exquisite pathos, he held the town for over fifty years, proving himself to be not only a great artist, but one who will rank amongst the highest of Britain's worthies.

Sir John Tenniel was never very effusive in his observations, though his remarks were invariably complimentary. The following are two of his letters received on submitting proofs for his correction:

"3 Portsdown Road,
"Tuesday.

"Dear Sirs,—The 'Falcon' proofs are everything I could wish. The third proof requires just a touch.

"I wish you would find me two subjects instead of those which I return herewith—something with more action or incident in them. I am quite tired of love subjects, they admit of so little variety of treatment.

"Before you send the wood for the 'Pollock'[13] drawings, I think it would be well for me to give you a notion of the size I shall require—whether half page, and so on—and this I will do when I have the book back again.

"I am, my dear Sirs,
"Very truly,

"John Tenniel."

The Crawley Family.

FROM "THE FRAMLEY PARSONAGE."

By Sir J. E. Millais, P.R.A.

By permission of Messrs. Smith, Elder & Co.

"3 Portsdown Road,
"Saturday.

"Dear Sirs,—I like the proofs you sent very much, but they require just a little alteration, the 'Rokby'[14] especially. I will touch upon them and return them to you.

"I have such an accumulation of work on hand just now that I do not feel justified in undertaking the two new subjects you have sent, as I do not know when I shall be able to let you have the drawings. I am doing some work for the Queen, and as it is wanted as soon as possible, all things else must wait till it is finished. But apart from this, the 'Coronation' subject, although a good one, is very painful. I should not like doing it on that account. And the other, although certainly very beautiful, I do not care much about illustrating just now—it requires too much thought to be disposed of hurriedly. I will, however, do my best to let you have the 'Barry Cornwall'[15] soon.

"Yours, my dear Sirs,
"Very truly,

"John Tenniel."

When the Cornhill Magazine, in 1859, was first advertised for publication at the price of one shilling, with Thackeray as editor, the announcement fell like a bomb in the midst of the magazine publishers—Blackwood, Frazer, Colburn, Bentley and others—for nothing of this description had even been so much as dreamt of before at a less price than the orthodox half-crown. The heavy government duty on paper, then only recently removed, may have been some apology for the high price hitherto charged for this class of literature, which at the present day is so far surpassed, if not always in quality certainly in quantity, at less than half the price of the great "Cornhill innovation."

Lady Lufton and the Duke of Omneum.

FROM "THE FRAMLEY PARSONAGE."

By Sir J. E. Millais, P.R.A.

By permission of Messrs. Smith, Elder & Co.

In 1847 or '48 we were introduced to Mr. George Smith, of Smith, Elder and Co., and for several years executed a fair share of the engravings they required. Amongst the earlier of these works we contributed to "The Jar of Honey, from Mount Hybla," by Leigh Hunt, and "The Dwarf of the Golden River," by John Ruskin. During this period we were not infrequently brought into correspondence with Mr. Williams, literary adviser of the firm. He was a grand old gentleman, with a kind, sympathetic manner, which won for him the sincere regard of all with whom he became associated.

When the Cornhill Magazine was started we were asked by Mr. George Smith (whose courtesy and kindness were at all times most marked during the many years of our connection) to undertake the engravings, as he purposed issuing one or two full page plates with each monthly number. This we did for several years, producing during the time, among the more important works, charming illustrations by Millais, Richard Doyle, Lord Leighton, P.R.A., F. Sandys, and other artists, all of whom, as time rolled on, acquired a prominent position in their art.

Artists not being proverbial for the just appreciation of punctuality, many of these engravings were produced under great pressure, as the following letter from Mr. George Smith will show:

"Dear Sirs,—I am delighted with Mr. Millais' drawing, and I am obliged to you for having engraved it so well considering the pressure of time. There will be another illustration for the June number and another for August; Mr. Millais already has the proofs of the chapters of 'Framley Parsonage' for June and August.

"Believe me,
"Yours faithfully,

"G. Smith.

"Messrs. Dalziel Brothers."

Temptation.—Horace Saltoun.

FROM THE "CORNHILL MAGAZINE."

By Sir J. E. Millais, P.R.A.

By permission of Messrs. Smith, Elder & Co.

Richard Doyle's "Bird's-eye Views of Society," which first appeared in the Cornhill, were afterwards published in book form, and had a very considerable sale.

It was also through our connection with the Cornhill Magazine that we were introduced to George Augustus Sala, who was at that time contributing a series of papers and illustrating the articles himself. On our submitting proofs for his correction or approval, he wrote:

"Messrs. Dalziel.

"Gentlemen,—I have received proofs of engravings. You will permit me to thank you for the exquisitely artistic manner in which my rude scratchings on Wood have been rendered by your graver. 'The Group of Beggars,' 'The View of Genoa,' and the background under the Arcade are, to me, marvellous. My chief defect appears to be heaviness and blackness of touch, caused by painfully defective sight. I will, however, endeavour to remedy this by using a harder point, and trusting more to your tasteful interpretation, without overloading my shadows with cross-hatching. There are a dozen more drawings to come, but I wanted to see the proofs of the first instalment before commencing the second batch.

"Believe me to be,
"Gentlemen,
"Your very obliged Servant,

"George Augt. Sala."

Lady with Hounds.

FROM "LONDON SOCIETY."

By Sir J. E. Millais, P.R.A.

By permission of Mr. James Hogg.

FOOTNOTES:

[9] This drawing was a remarkable example of the artist being altogether unacquainted with the necessary requirements in making a drawing on wood for the engraver's purposes. In this Rossetti made use of wash, pencil, coloured chalk, and pen and ink, producing a very nice effect, but the engraved reproduction of this many tinted drawing, reduced to the stern realities of black and white by printers' ink, failed to satisfy him. Indeed, Rossetti appears to have made up his mind that it would be a failure, for in writing to his friend Allingham, after explaining the difficulty he had experienced in making the drawing, he says: "As to the engraving, I suppose it is hardly possible that I can be satisfied."

It is further interesting to note in Mr. Malcolm Bell's work of "Sir E. Burne-Jones: A Record and Review," that on seeing the engraving, "Elfin-Mere," it revealed to him for the first time the "World of radiant, many-coloured lights; of dim, mysterious shadows, of harmonies of form of line; that far-off World of Art into which he has made his way and brought back visions of delight to show his fellow man."

[10] Of this drawing, the St. Cecillia, his brother, Mr. W. M. Rossetti, writes: "It must be said that himself only and not Tennyson was his guide. He drew just what he chose, taking from the author's text nothing more than a hint and an opportunity. The illustration to St. Cecillia puzzled Tennyson not a little, and he had to give up the problem of what it had to do with his verses."

[11] Sir John Millais, in his letter on page [100], calls this the "Importunate Widow."

[12] The drawings here alluded to are by Thomas Dalziel, he having contributed about a dozen illustrations to the book.

[13] This refers to some drawings he had undertaken to do illustrating "Pollock's Course of Time," to be published by Messrs. Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh.

[14] An illustration to Sir Walter Scott's poem of "Rokby" to be published in "The Poets of the Nineteenth Century."

[15] Referring to drawings he was doing for an illustrated edition of "Poems by Barry Cornwall," published by Chapman and Hall.

[CHAPTER IV.]

Birket Foster, R.W.S., Alexander Strahan, Sir E. Burne-Jones, John D. Watson, Holman Hunt, Frederick Sandys, Harrison Weir, J. Wolf, J. M. Lawless, Tom Taylor, Lord Tennyson, Sir John E. Millais, The Emperor Napoleon III.

Birket Foster was a genuine man; kind and generous to a degree in all the ways of life. He stands as one of England's most popular landscape draughtsmen, and as a painter in water colour of great distinction.

We first knew him as a little boy with round jacket and turn-down collar. Later he came to be apprenticed to Ebenezer Landells to learn the art of wood engraving; but in this he made literally no progress, and Landells considering that as a landscape draughtsman he might be more likely to take a foremost position, the youth's attention was turned to this branch of art with the most satisfactory results. His improvement was very rapid, and all that could be desired by his employer.

Shortly before the termination of his engagement with Landells he went for a holiday to Scotland, where, unfortunately, he had a very bad accident, breaking an arm and receiving other serious injuries, which for a long time quite incapacitated him for work. It was during his illness that the period of his indentures expired, but as soon as he was well enough to resume work he insisted on returning to his duties that he might make up the time that had been lost; and this he did without any request on Landells' part. On his return we well remember seeing him at work in a little top room in Birch Court, E.C. He was making small drawings of pots and pans, teapots, gridirons, and other such articles for an ironmongers catalogue, and said, in the most cheerful manner, "It is right that I should return here and do this work; it is good practice, and will enable me to draw all these sorts of things with some practical knowledge."

Our first personal business connection with Birket Foster was in 1851, when we commissioned him to make a set of eight illustrations to "Kirk White's Poetical Works" for Messrs. George Routledge and Co. After this he illustrated several small books in a similar manner for us, as well as becoming a constant and very liberal contributor to many of the "Fine Art Books" which we produced. Amongst these we may mention "Wordsworth's Poems," where his many tastefully selected views of the Cumberland and Westmoreland Lake scenery give such a charm to the book; also "Odes and Sonnets," illustrated by a series of very beautiful landscapes which were printed in tints; "Summer Time in the Country," etc. After hundreds of his drawings had passed through our hands we asked him to make a series of larger pictures, which were to be the best and most perfect work he could do, and they were, as far as possible, to be thoroughly representative subjects of rustic English scenery.

Foster most readily undertook the commission, and was very anxious to commence working upon it, as the following letter shows:

"Dear Sirs,—I shall be most glad to do the 50 drawings for £300, and the vignettes at your own price; I will do them for £50 if nothing is said about it. You must give me this week, as I've a good deal to get done, but next week you shall have some 'Minstrels.'[16]

"Yours truly,

"Birket Foster."

Notwithstanding this, having regard to his other engagements and the elaborate nature of the drawings, he made but slow progress, and fully four years elapsed from the commencement to the completion of the work. During this time he had been elected a member of the Royal Society of Painters in Water Colours, and from the day he exhibited his first picture there, there was an ever-increasing demand for examples from his brush, and a corresponding delay in his completing this commission. It is somewhat interesting to state that the last drawing of this series was the very last he made in black and white for the wood-engraver's purpose.

Instead of the fifty principal subjects and the fifty small vignettes contracted for, at his earnest request we consented to reduce the fifty large pictures to thirty, and forgo altogether the fifty small vignettes.

"Come awa, come awa,
An' o'er the march wi' me, lassie:
Leave your Southron wooers a',
My winsome bride to be, lassie.
Lands nor gear I proffer you,
Nor gauds to busk ye fine, lassie,
But I've a heart that's leal an' true,
And a' that heart is thine, lassie."

"Come Awa, Come Awa."—Thomas Pringle.

FROM "HOME AFFECTIONS WITH THE POETS."

By Birket Foster, R.W.S.

By permission of Messrs. George Routledge & Sons.

When the thirty drawings were completed we asked him to reproduce the entire series as water colour drawings, of such varied dimensions as he himself might decide, for which we offered to pay him the sum of £3000; but after giving the matter very careful consideration, he said, in consequence of his other engagements, he felt reluctantly compelled to decline the commission.

There is no need for us to dilate on the earnest manner in which Foster carried out these thirty subjects. He gave us such beautiful drawings, so exquisitely manipulated, that we naturally bestowed infinite care in their reproduction, and it was throughout a labour of pleasure and delight to us. We published the work through Messrs. Routledge and Co. as "Birket Foster's Pictures of English Landscape," and it is a satisfaction to us to be able to record that the book was fully appreciated by the British Public.

An important part of our scheme in preparing this book was to have a page of verse, either descriptive of or in sympathy with each picture, so that it might possess literary as well as pictorial interest. When our work was drawing to a completion, we submitted some of the proofs to Sir John Millais; and it is, perhaps, hardly necessary to say that he was charmed with the pictures, and warmly entered into the idea of having poetic descriptions to them. When asked his opinion whether he thought Lord, then Mr., Tennyson would be likely to co-operate with us, he immediately, in the most generous manner, offered to write to him on the subject, saying:

"I wish I could give sufficient time to the subject, for to tell the truth there's nothing I should enjoy more than to do the verses myself. But, of course, my pictures place that idea entirely out of the question. But I'll tell you what I'll do," he continued, "I'll write to Tennyson and ask him to take the matter up—he's rather particular, you know, and perhaps he might the more readily consent to do it for me, than if you wrote to him."

The following letter from Lady Tennyson to Millais will show how the proposition was received:

"Farringford,
"June 7, 1861.

"Dear Mr. Millais,—Alfred was in the New Forest when your kind letter came, or it would have been answered yesterday, though I am sorry to have to answer the thing is impossible. Poems do not come to him so, and if they did not come, you are, I flatter myself, too much his friend to wish to find them there or anywhere.

"May I ask you to do him the favour to decline the offer as you will best know how to do with all courtesy.

"Accept Alfred's thanks for your kind invitation and for what you say about the portrait.

"Believe me,
"Yours truly,

"Emily Tennyson."

This letter was accompanied by the following note from Millais:

"My dear Dalziel,—I enclose Mrs. Tennyson's answer to my note. I said that not to bother him, if he couldn't say 'Yes,' to write himself. It is just what I expected; however, we have lost nothing by the attempt. I should have thought it easy enough to write a few lines to each, as I should find it easy enough to illustrate anything. I am sorry to have kept you so long for the two fellows seated on the gate.[17] Cut it with all your might.

"Yours very truly,

"J. E. Millais."

Ultimately the matter was placed in the hands of Tom Taylor, the dramatic author, who was at that time art critic to the Times, as well as a liberal contributor to Punch, of which journal he subsequently became editor. He wrote:

"8 Richmond Terrace,
"Whitehall, S.W.
"June 5.

"Dear Sirs,—I have just received the proofs. I have thought much over the subject of poems to Birket Foster's drawings, and I think that I would do what you wish on certain conditions.

"1st.—That I might call in aid my wife's verses, it being understood that she will do one here and there. I may say that she is homely born and bred, and that her verses would be above the mark of my own, as far as I can judge. She has written much, both words for music and music, before her marriage, as Miss Laura Barker, and her music is of a very high order. I merely write this that you may understand I am not forcing a novice on you. I wish her to be associated with me in the work, from a belief that the union of her with me will increase its value to the public.

"2nd.—The price I would suggest for thirty poems is £100. This is putting the work at 'Once A Week' terms, and is the lowest price at which I could write and do justice to both you and myself. If these terms suit you, I believe I could have the thirty by the end of July, or if your arrangement is to publish in parts, at the rate of four a week, the mode of payment to depend on that of delivery, i.e., according as it is of the whole at once or of the poems in fours. I will retain the whole set of proofs till I have your answer.

"And I am, dear Sirs,
"Yours truly,

"Tom Taylor.

"Messrs. Dalziel

"P.S.—I send you two samples of the kind of illustration I should supply to the drawings.

P.S.—If my terms or my verses do not suit you, I should suggest your application to the Rev. J. W. Barnes, of Dorchester, author of two very remarkable volumes of poems in the Dorset dialect. Our respective contributions to be distinguished by initials of the writers."

Taylor, in undertaking the commission, said:

"... Who played
Beneath the same green tree,
Whose voices mingled as they prayed
Around one parent knee!"

"The Graves of the Household."—Mrs. Hemans.

FROM "HOME AFFECTIONS WITH THE POETS."

By Birket Foster, R.W.S.

By permission of Messrs. George Routledge & Sons.

"I accept this with great pleasure, for independent of the beauty of the work, Foster and I are both 'Tyne-siders,' and that will give an additional pleasure to me."

In August, 1881, we published an Édition de Luxe of the book, a large, handsome volume, the pictures all printed on India paper. On sending copies to Foster we received the following reply:

"The Hill,
"Witley, Surrey,
"31 Augt., 1881.

"My dear Dalziel,—Accept my best thanks for the three copies of the 'English Landscapes.' It is really a splendid volume, admirably printed, and the get-up is altogether charming.

"I sincerely hope it may prove a success.

"With kind regards,
"Believe me,
"Very sincerely yours,

"Birket Foster."

Wishing to present a copy of the book to the Emperor of the French, we wrote to his Secretary, and the following letter came as his reply:

"CABINET
"DE
"L'EMPEREUR.

"Palais des Tuileries,
"Le 19 Juillet, 1863.

"Messieurs,—L'exemplaire des paysages anglais de Mr. Birket Foster que vous avez exprimé le désir de faire agréer à l'Empereur, est parvenu à sa haute destination. Mais Sa Majesté, presque toujours en voyage depuis, n'a pu encore examiner cet album qui, d'après ses ordres, doit être remis sous les yeux à son retour à Paris.

"Recevez, Messieurs, l'assurance de ma considération distinguée.
"Pour le Sénateur, Secrétaire de l'Empereur,
"Chef du Cabinet, et par autorisation,

"Le Sous-Chef
"Sacaley.

"Messieurs Dalziel."

"I heard a thousand blended notes,
While in a grove I sat reclin'd,
In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts
Bring sad thoughts to the mind."

"Lines Written on Early Spring."—Wordsworth.

By Birket Foster, R.W.S.

By permission of Messrs. George Routledge & Sons.

To which we replied expressing our wish that it should be a presentation work, when again the secretary wrote:

"CABINET
"DE
"L'EMPEREUR.

"Palais des Tuileries,
"Le 6 Janvier, 1864.

"Messieurs,—Avant de prendre une décision relativement à l'Album de gravures sur cois, d'après les paysages de Mr. Birket Foster que vous avez adressé à l'Empereur, Sa Majesté a exprimé le désir d'en connaître le prix. Veuillez bien faire parvenir ce renseignement au Cabinet.

"Recevez, Messieurs, l'assurance de ma considération distinguée.
"Pour le Sénateur, Secrétaire de l'Empereur,
"Chef du Cabinet, et par autorisation,

"Le Sous-Chef
"Sacaley.

"M.Mrs. Dalziel Frères.

"CABINET
"DE
"L'EMPEREUR.

"Palais des Tuileries,
"Le 1^er Février, 1864.

"Messieurs,—L'Empereur a bien voulu accepter l'Album de gravures, d'après les dessins de Birket Foster, dont vous lui avez offert l'hommage. Sa Majesté a examiné ces planches avec intérêt, en a apprécié l'exécution et elle m'a chargé d'avoir l'honneur de vous adresser ses remericments sincères.

"Recevez, Messieurs, l'assurance de ma considération distinguée.
"Pour le Sénateur, Secrétaire de l'Empereur.
"Chef du Cabinet, et par autorisation.

"Le Sous-Chef.
"Sacaley.

"M.Mrs. Dalziel Brothers, Editeurs."

The book was sent to St. Cloud, and doubtless perished in the flames when that picturesque Palace was burnt down during the Siege of Paris in 1871.

Lord Leighton in acknowledging the receipt of a copy of this book says:

"Dear Sir,—When your messenger came yesterday I was unable to write and thank you and your brother, as I do now, for the very handsome present you have made me, of the extent of which I own I had not the slightest notion when I accepted it with so much alacrity the other day. I have looked through the volume with great interest, and am much struck with the great talent displayed in very many of the designs—some, I think, quite excellent—and with the great spirit and brilliancy of your rendering of them.

"Once more my best thanks.
"Yours ever faithfully,

"Fred. Leighton."

Birket Foster was a constant visitor at our office in High Street, Camden Town, generally bringing a parcel of drawings with him. On one of these occasions the conversation turned upon water colour painting and the great demand there was for that class of art, when, having seen some of his slight sketches in colour, we expressed a little surprise that he did not "go in" for it. He replied that his wife had suggested the same thing, but—and he shrugged his broad shoulders, saying, "Um—I don't know—but we shall see—we shall see." He did "see," and all the art loving world knows with what result.

Foster's success as a water colour painter was quite phenomenal. There was a mad rush for his work by collectors, and the prices went up as a natural consequence. Down at Witley in Surrey, where he subsequently built a most charming residence, he said to us, "When I sit down in that chair after breakfast it means at least twenty guineas before I get up again."

It was about this time that two celebrated picture dealers met at the Charing Cross Railway Station: they had taken tickets for Witley, and both knowing they had the same object in view, travelled down together. On arriving at their destination they found only one fly at the station. A. made a rush for it, when B. stopped him, saying, "No, sir; this is my fly. I telegraphed for it from London, but I will be most happy to give you a lift to Fosters; only remember I am first." And he was "first," for he cleared out every scrap Foster had to dispose of, and A. had to go away empty handed.

On Fosters first visit to the Galleries after he had been elected a member of the "Old Water Colour," as it was then called, he was received in a most patronising manner by J. D. Harding, the then President of the Society, who complimented him, and dilated on the great advantage it would be to him being a member of the Society. He also begged him to appreciate this by a close study of nature, adding:

"If you do as I suggest, I have no doubt you will one day take a good place amongst the best of us."

It was Foster's invariable custom to make small water colour sketches for his more important black and white work; sometimes they were partly pencil, or pen and ink tinted. Some little time before he seriously took to water colour painting, a West End publisher frequently asked him for some of these sketches; so he gave his friend a "bundle" of original drawings, for which the publisher thanked him, saying that one day, when he could afford to do so, he would have them bound in a nice book. It was after Foster won distinction as a painter that he said to us, "Those drawings would now represent a money value of some hundreds of pounds." His mother, a dear old Quaker Lady, who was present, said, "Thee mustn't mind that, Birket. Thee gave him the drawings and they are his, no matter what the value of them may be now."

"The Earth herself is adorning
This sweet May morning;
And the children are pulling on every side,
In a thousand valleys far and wide,
Fresh flowers."

"Intimations of Immortality."—Wordsworth.

By Birket Foster, R.W.S.

By permission of Messrs. George Routledge & Sons.

Birket Foster naturally spent much of his time in the country, often locating himself at farm houses, and being of a genial nature always became very friendly with the people. On one occasion an old farmer took the greatest interest in the work as it went on, in fact to the extent that the old boy seemed to feel that he had a sort of partnership in the production of the picture. Some time after this a friend of Foster's, who stayed at the same farm, found the old man most anxious to know all about Foster, but particularly as to how much money he had got for the picture "that we done down here." The friend said, "A hundred pounds at least." The old man was incredulous, in fact he would not believe it. When assured that such an amount was small for a picture by so clever and popular a man, he seemed unable to grasp it, saying, "Why, it would be like pickin' up sovereigns as if they was turnips or eggs; and if it was so, all I can say is, he must ha' sold it to a friend."

After the success of our volume Messrs. Routledge made a collection of engravings from Foster's drawings in their various books, for publication.

Here is an amusing letter from Foster on seeing this new work announced:

The Hill, Witley.
Surrey.

30th June 1873

Dear Dalziel

I have just returned from Italy, and write at once to say that I see no objection to Messrs. Routledge sending me a cheque for 50 guineas on to the first title Beauties of English Landscapes, by BF on second thought's I don't like Beauties—Try some other word.

Yours truly

Birket Foster

Messrs. Dalziel

When our book appeared the Press was unanimous in its praise. The Times said: "It would be difficult to do justice to these delineations of rural life and scenery without seeming to fall into extravagant praise"; the Academy spoke of "the inherent beauty of the designs"; the Art Journal of "the grace of composition and idyllic beauty"; the Saturday Review of the "subtile feeling for rustic character, and his sympathy for the poor; his curious love for unsophisticated company in sequestered places."

The public responded well, but not in large numbers—the days of large numbers had not then come.

But of all that was said about these pictures we most treasured a letter written to us by John Ruskin, which we regard as "an appreciation" from one of the best and most original writers on art matters of his period.

"Geneva, August 12, '62.

"Gentlemen,—I am much obliged by your having sent me those beautiful Proofs. They are superb specimens of the kind of Landscape which you have rendered deservedly popular, and very charming in every respect. I wish, however, you would devote some of your wonderful powers of execution to engraving Landscape, which should be better than 'charming,' and which would educate the public taste as well as meet it. These pieces, however, are peculiarly good of their class—rich, gracefully composed, exquisite book illustrations, and very precious as examples of wood execution.

"Believe me, sincerely yours,

"J. Ruskin.

"Messrs. Dalziel."

Grandfather Nursing a Sick Boy.

FROM "GOOD WORDS."

By John Pettie, R.A.

Published by Mr. Alexander Strahan.

As the work progressed we sent proofs to Foster for approval or correction, and according to his custom he wrote all his remarks on the margin of the India paper. These proofs were all preserved, and they show how completely he was satisfied with the care we had bestowed on the reproduction of his beautiful drawings.

It is a great pleasure to us to be able to state that these touched proofs are now the property of the Trustees of the British Museum, where doubtless they can be seen with John Ruskin's letter and some of Foster's own on application at the Print Room of that institute in Bloomsbury.

Birket Foster spent his latter years at Weybridge, where he died. Surrounded by many old and sorrowing friends, he was laid to his rest at Witley, his beautiful Surrey home.

Having already engraved several drawings for Good Words, we were, early in the year 1862, asked by Mr. Alexander Strahan to undertake the engraving and entire control of the illustrations for this journal, which was being edited by Dr. Norman Macleod, a Scottish minister of great repute and a Chaplain to the Queen. The offices were subsequently removed from Edinburgh to London, and shortly after the house added to its publications the Sunday Magazine, a journal devoted to "Sunday reading." This was edited by another celebrated Scottish divine, Dr. Thomas Guthrie, author of "The City: Its Sins and Sorrows," and other works of a kindred description. A great many of the illustrations for this periodical we also engraved.

This connection naturally enabled us to introduce works by the then most promising artists in black and white, and by many other men who have since taken a high position in art.

Coach and Horses.

FROM "GOOD WORDS."

By A. Boyd Houghton, R.W.S.

Published by Mr. Alexander Strahan.

Alexander Strahan was the originator of the sixpenny illustrated magazine. His Good Words, considering the period of its advent, was equal to anything that has yet been done at that price, and, if measured by the distinguished artists and brilliant writers of whose work it was composed, it is a question whether any of the more recent magazines would equal it in actual merit.

Strahan is a man of great taste, both in literature and in art. We were indebted to him for introductions to a number of highly-gifted young Scotch artists. Amongst them were Orchardson, J. Pettie, MacWhirter, and Tom Graham, all of whom soon became famous and won honours of distinction. Pettie made several fine drawings for Good Words, and he and MacWhirter illustrated a beautiful little edition of Wordsworth's "Poems for Children," for which, by the way, Millais made a charming vignette. Strahan also introduced us to Robert Buchanan, who kindly helped us in some of our "Fine Art Books," concerning which we will speak later.

While engaged upon these publications it often happened that the drawings came into our hands so late that insufficient time was left for engraving. It might be that drawings came to us on a Saturday evening, and we were compelled to deliver the engraved blocks to the printers on the Monday morning. This could only be done by taking each wood-block into two, three, or four pieces, and by two, three, or four engravers working all the night through upon them; for while any strain might be put upon the engraver, no excuse was permissible for keeping the printing machine waiting for a single hour. But under the circumstances, and by the best available means, we did our utmost with the drawings that were placed in our care for engraving purposes, though we are free to admit not at all times with that success we ever had so much at heart.

Kiss Me.

FROM "GOOD WORDS."

By A. Boyd Houghton, R.W.S.

Published by Mr. Alexander Strahan.

As examples of the many complimentary letters we received from artists whose drawings we engraved about this period, we may quote the following:

"New Place,
"Woodchurch Road, W.

"Dear Mr. Dalziel,—I consider the cutting of my drawing quite a masterpiece, and in every respect up to my expectation. There is nothing I can suggest that would improve it.

"With kind regards,
"Very truly yours,

"Seymour Lucas."