The Project Gutenberg eBook of Gallery of Comicalities, by Robert and George Cruikshank.

London:
Charles Hindley,
41, Booksellers' Row, St. Clement Danes, Strand, w.c.

THE
GALLERY OF COMICALITIES.

Most of the "Comicalities" here re-produced in fac simile first appeared in the columns of Bell's Life in London and Sporting Chronicle during the years 1827-8 and 9, and caused an unprecedented increase in the weekly sale of that journal.

As a painter of Life and Nature, in all their truth and eccentricity, George Cruikshank may be truly said to stand unrivalled, and to be only equalled, even in former times by the inimitable Hogarth. The present Series has been principally selected from "Cruikshank's Illustrations of Time and Phrenology," and his Illustrations to Mr. Wright's "Mornings at Bow Street" and the sequel entitled "More Mornings at Bow Street"—works which are replete with wit and humour.

Robert Cruikshank, the elder brother of George Cruikshank, Illustrated many books, &c., including Pierce Egan's, "The Finish to the Adventures of Tom, Jerry, and Logic, in their pursuits through Life in and out of London," 1827. Died March 13, 1856. Aged 65 years.

Robert Seymour, a graphic humourist was born in London, about the year 1800. He was apprenticed to Mr. Thomas Vaughan, a pattern-drawer in Spitalfields, and his practice in that department of art appears to have given him the facility and accuracy of pencil for which he was afterwards so distinguished. Within a very short period of fulfilling his term of apprenticeship, he commenced, on his own account, as a painter in oils, and must have been tolerably expert at that early age, as already in the spring of 1822, we find him exhibiting a picture of some pretensions at the Royal Academy.

He executed various other oil paintings about this period, but the more pressing demand on his talents was for drawings on wood, a mode of book illustration then in great vogue. The various illustrated books and periodicals published for the next ten or twelve years bespeak his popularity and industry in that department.

Although Seymour's hands were full of commissions for drawing on wood, he was always desirous of practice in a more independent department of art, feeling that the engraver, however competent, frequently failed to communicate the full force of his drawing. He, therefore, determined—where possible, on etching or engraving his own designs on copper or steel. He was very successful in full length sketches of public characters, and has left us many life-like portraits of members of the Turf and Drama between 1830 and 1836.

But of all Seymour's various works his "Humorous Sketches" were his prime favourites, and will best perpetuate his name. They were first published between the years 1834 and 1836, in detached prints at 3d. each, by Mr. Richard Carlisle, of Fleet Street. The entire collection was subsequently engraved on steel, and published in 1838, with letterpress description by Crowquill (Alfred Henry Forrester), the popular humourist of the day.

Figaro in London—the popular predecessor of Punch, edited and published by Gilbert A'Beckett from December 1831 to 1836—contains nearly 300 woodcuts after Seymour. They were also published separately as "Seymour's Caricature Gallery," and after his death were all re-published on six large sheets, each containing 20 subjects, as "Seymour's Comic Scrap Sheets."

Seymour's connection with the publication and illustration of the now famous Pickwick Papers is well known to the reading world by the printed statement of Mrs. Seymour, and Charles Dickens' own account of the origin of the Pickwick Papers, to need repetition.

THE SPIDER AND THE FLY.

Will you walk into my parlour? said the Spider to the Fly,

'Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did see;

You've only got to pop your head within inside of the door,

You'll see so many curious things you never saw before!

Will you, will you, will you, will you,

Walk in pretty Fly, &c.

THE
DRUNKARD'S
PROGRESS,

IN
TWELVE STEPS,

FROM
DESIGNS

BY
ROBERT SEYMOUR.

Circa 1829.

GALLERY
OF
COMICALITIES,

Embracing humorous
SKETCHES

BY
The Brothers
R. and G. CRUIKSHANK,
And others.

Circa 1827-8-9.

"A Beak," says Jem Bee, in his slang Dictionary, "is the Sitting Magistrate, or one who walks or rides abroad, seeking whom he may quod, or whose lawful (query, UNLAWFUL) amusements he may curtail."

Here we have a Portrait of a celebrated Gentleman of this description in the East, together with a couple of his customers, whose colloquy may be instructive:

——"The superiority of some men is merely local. They are great, because their associates are little."—Dr. Johnson.

STEAMERS v. STAGES;

OR,

ANDREW AND HIS SPOUSE.

AN AQUATIC EXCURSION BY STEAM AND BOAT.

Illustrated with Humourous Designs
by
ROBERT CRUIKSHANK.

"Coach, Sir! Lord love your soul, the coach has been gone these three quarters of an hour; it's the most regglarest coach as is, and always starts to a minute!"

"You dont say so! Lawks! vot a precious row my vife vill kick up! She's a coming arter me as fast as she can trot!"

"Gentlemen, it was a very fine Oyster, indeed! The Court awards you a shell each!"

"A guinea to a shilling on Jack! Time's up! It's all over! Jack's won the day! I'm blest if we shan't all be lagged!"

"Not with those who tell the truth, and as I am one of that sort, you will know I mean what I say in future; but sit down 'better late than never.'—Mary bring the fragments."

"Drat your black carcase! we'll make something of you at last, if we skin you! Go it, Molly! rub his life time out!"

"You arn't the rigglar Dustman, blow ye! For a farden I'd break your blessed conk!"

Boniface: "Mizzle, you warmint, you an't paid your old score; No more chalk here!—so take that!"

"Come along, you old willain; I'll teach you to be going arter the wenches; I'll shew you who wears the breeches you—!"

"Now, then, my jolly Sportsman! I've got more money than the Parson of the parish! Those as don't play can't vin and those as are here arn't there! I'd hould any of you, from a tanner to a soverin, or ten, as you don't tell which thimble the pea is under." "It's there, Sir"—"I barr tellings"—"I'll go it again."—"Vat you don't see don't look at, and what you do see don't tell. I'll hould you a soverin, Sir, that you don't tell me vitch thimble the pea is under."—"Lay him, Sir (in a whisper); it's under the middle'un I'll go you halves."—"Lay him another; that's right."—I'm blow'd but we've lost: who'd a thought it!"—Smack goes the flat's hat over his eyes; exit the confederates with a loud laugh.

Go it, Bob!—pull away?—here's the Traps;—cut away, my kiddy, good luck to you!—Kim aup, Neddy!—kim aup!—blow you, kim aup!—That's the ticket!

"Well to be sure, that is a picture! I must have a sirloin for Christmas-day. It warms the cockles of one's heart to think of it!"

"You be smothered, you old Brimstome!—barring I'm a thief, and fond of the men, what can you say to my prejudice?"

"Say but the word, my dear Susan, and you're mine for ever; we shall be as happy as the day is long!"

"Out o' my sight, you villain! I wish I had never seen your ugly mug—you have been the curse of my life!"

Traveller: "Having made myself comfortable, I must now look to my nag, for these ostlers are sorry dogs."

Ostler: "Aye, you may look, old Bald-face; but as you can't tell no tales, why, its better you should go without your feed than I without my pot."

"I love music, and I don't see why I shouldn't enjoy myself—besides its a charity to my sick neighbour: it will soothe him to a gentle slumber!"

"Oh, dear! oh, dear—was ever poor devil so tortured!—that infernal noise will be the death of me!"

"Johnny, you wretch! you're not going to leave me here with these 'orned hanimals? For the love you bear me, come back and help me over!"—"I'm blessed if I do!—'number one' is the first law of nature, so here goes! Come along Fowler!"

"'Twill DO for you, my good friend—it is an infallible remedy for all diseases!"

"Hulloa! take care of that ere dog, I'm blow'd if he arn't as mad as a March hare! He's bolted with his mistress's kittle, and I'm splashed if he arn't got the HYDRAPHOBIA, or he wouldn't go past the pump in such a hurry."

"Pity the froze out gardeners!"—"I will my poor fellows. I'll provide you with a WARM reception when you come to me."

[Taken from life during the Mutiny at Greenwich Hospital on the Birthday of his present Majesty.]

"Shiver my timbers!—here's a go!—no grog on the King's Birthday!—I'm blest if I don't strike!"

——"Here ye are my ready money customers; you have 'em here at THREE YARDS A PENNY. First of all:—

We frequently meet with the pieman in old prints; and in Hogarth's "March to Finchley," there he stands in the very centre of the crowd, grinning with delight at the adroitness of one robbery, while he is himself the victim of another. We learn from this admirable figure by the greatest painter of English life, that the pieman of the last century perambulated the streets in professional costume; and we gather further, from the burly dimensions of his wares that he kept his trade alive by the laudable practice of giving "a good pennyworth for a penny." Justice compels us to observe that his successors of a later generation have not been very conscientious observers of this maxim.

The engraving represents an old "London Crier," one William Liston, from a drawing for which he purposely stood in 1826.

This "public character" was born in the City of Glasgow. He became a soldier in the waggon-train commanded by Colonel Hamilton, and served under the Duke of York in Holland, where, on the 6th of October, 1799, he lost his right arm and left leg, and his place in the army. His misfortunes thrust distinction upon him. From having been a private in the ranks, where he would have remained undistinguished, he became one of the popular street-characters of his day.

Buy a Broom? was formerly a very popular London-cry, when it was usually rendered thus:—"Puy a Proom, puy a prooms? a leetle one for ze papy, and a pig vons for ze lady: Puy a Proom?" Fifty years ago Madame Vestris charmed the town by her singing—

But time and fashion has swept both the brooms and the girls from our shores.—Madame Vestris lies head-to-head with Charles Mathews in Kensal Green Cemetery. Tempus omnia revelat.

"Here you have the last speech and dying vords, life, character, and behaviour of the hunfortunate malefactor that vos hexecuted this morning hopposite the Debtor's door, in the Hold Bailey! together with a full confession of the hoffence vherewith he was found guilty—befor a hupright Judge and a himpartial Jury! Here you have likewise a copy of the most hinfectionate letter, written by the criminal in the condemned cell the night after—I mean the night afore his hexecution, to his innocent vife and hunoffending babbies—with a copy of werses consarning the same—all for the small charge of von halfpenny.

"Hearth-stones! Do you want any hearth-stones? Now, my maids, here's your right sort—reg'lar good'uns, and no mistake—vorth two o'your shop harticles, and at half the price. Now my pretty von, lay out a tanner, and charge your missus a bob—and no cheating neither! the cook has always a right to make her market penny and to assist a poor cove like me in the bargain.

The late George Cruikshank, whose pencil was ever distinguished by power of decision in every character he sketched, and whose close observation of passing men and manners was unrivalled by any artist of his day, contributed the "London Barrow-woman" to the pages of Hone's Every-Day Book in 1826 from his own recollection of her.

There cannot be a better representation of "Guy Fawkes," as he was borne about the metropolis in effigy in the days "When George the Third was King," than the above sketch by George Cruikshank.

Husband: Now then, Old Gal; cook us about another pound and a half of our home made bacon, and, then I do think I shall 'ave done for this once.

Wife: Yes! Tom, but recollect that Parson said on Sunday last, that poor folks, since the 'provements of cookery eat about twice as much as nature requires.

Husband: Well! then we can't do no better than practice what Parson preaches about, can we?

From a brochure entitled the "Green Bag: or, a Dainty Dish to set before a King." Published by Hone, and illustrated by Geo. Cruikshank.

the LAST THIS SEASON.—ARGYLL ROOMS, Thursday next, June 28.—For Boxes to view the Masquerade (without mixing in the motley group), Domino, Character, and other Tickets, &c., apply to the Committee, at Mr. Charles Wright's, Opera Colonnade, Haymarket, who will supply the Wines on the occasion.

No. 13, Northumberland-place, Commercial-road.
6, Providence-place, Kentish Town.
48, Chichester-place, Gray's-inn-lane.
4, Milner-place, Lambeth, near the Coburg Theatre.
1, Darlington-place, opposite Vauxhall Gardens.
65, Crawford-street, Mary-la-bonne.
4, Sussex-place, Kent-road.
13, St. James-street, Brighton.

The above sketch was taken from nature in the Isle of Anglesea last Autumn, from a spot not far from the seat of the Noble Marquess, who derives his title from the Island. It presents an excellent profile of the Marquess, and has often excited the attention and surprise of the passing travellers. At a moment when his Lordship is so deservedly popular the publication of this curiosity may not be unacceptable to our readers.

Spoken.—She was such a divine creature! I fell in love with her the moment I saw her. I looked languishing at her, and she did the same at me; then she gave such a sigh—such a heavy one!—you might have heard it!——

Spoken.—She was an angel! such a natural sort of woman! She wore a bustle—that wasn't very natural, though—it was rather a largish one; I suppose, upon a moderate calculation, it would have reached——

In 1836, Mr. T. D. Rice, who had previously appeared at the Surrey Theatre, in "Bone Squash Diablo," made his first appearance at the Adelphi, in a farcical Burletta, called "A Flight to America; or, Twelve Hours in New York". The sketch, written for him by Mr. Leman Rede, introduced Rice as a nigger, Yates as a Frenchman, and Mrs. Stirling as Sally Snow—a coloured belle, Miss Daly, John Reeve, and Buckstone strengthened the cast. "Jump Jim Crow" caught the fancy of the town at once, and the familiar tune was soon to be heard everywhere. Rice stayed through the whole season, playing an engagement of twenty one weeks, then considered something extraordinary. For a long period he performed at the Adelphi and the Pavilion Theatres the same evening, and it was calculated that in so doing he had travelled considerably more than a thousand miles, while being encored five times at each theatre for 126 nights, it was easy to set down the figure of 1,260 as representing the number of times he had sung "Jim Crow," during that period. Rice cleared by this engagement eleven hundred pounds. A street-ballad of the day informed the public that it could have:—

There were a hundred-and-one versions of "Jim Crow," fresh stanzas being added from day to day on the passing events, for the most part written by Leman Rede, and Buckstone, the honorarium offered by Rice being one shilling per line. We select the above from the first version as sung at the Surrey Theatre.

Works by Mr. CHARLES HINDLEY,

TO BE HAD OF

Messrs. Reeves and Turner,

196, Strand, London, W.C.,

AND OF

Charles Hindley, the Younger.

41, Booksellers' Row, St. Clement Danes,

Strand, London, W.C.

THE OLD BOOK COLLECTORS MISCELLANY; or, a Collection of Readable Reprints of Literary Rarities. 3 vols. £1 11s. 6d.

SELECTION OF THE WORKS OF JOHN TAYLOR, The Water Poet. £1 1s. 0d.

THE ROXBURGHE BALLADS. 2 vols. £1 5s. 0d.

CURIOSITIES OF STREET LITERATURE: comprising "Cocks" or "Catch-pennies." A large and curious assortment of Street-Drolleries, Squibs, Comic Tales, Dying-Speeches, and Confessions, etc., etc. £1 1s. 0d.

LIFE AND TIMES OF JAMES CATNACH, late of the Seven Dials, Ballad Monger. Cuts by Bewick and others. 12s. 6d.

A HISTORY OF THE CRIES OF LONDON. Ancient and Modern: containing over three hundred woodcuts, of which seventy are by Bewick. Crown 8vo. 7s. 6d. Postage 6d.

THE HISTORY OF THE CATNACH PRESS. At Berwick-upon-Tweed, Alnwick, and Newcastle upon-Tyne, in Northumberland; and Seven Dials, London. Cuts by Bewick, etc. Crown 8vo. 6s. Postage 6d.

GALLERY OF COMICALITIES; EMBRACING HUMOROUS SKETCHES

THE GALLERY OF COMICALITIES.

GALLERY
OF
COMICALITIES;
EMBRACING HUMOROUS
SKETCHES

THE
GALLERY OF COMICALITIES.