The Library-第15部分

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　best；　though　he　never　excelled　some　of　the　oldfashioned　plates　（with　their　pretty　borders　in　the　style　of　Gravelot　and　the　Frenchmen）　to　Richardson's　novels；　and　such　fotten　〃classics〃　as　〃Joe　Thompson〃；　〃Jessamy；〃　〃Betsy　Thoughtless；〃　and　one　or　two　others　in　Harrison's　very　miscellaneous　collection。

Stothard　was　fortunate　in　his　engravers。　　Besides　James　Heath；　his　best　interpreter；　Schiavoti；　Sharp；　Finden；　the　Cookes；　Bartolozzi；　most　of　the　fashionable　translators　into　copper　were　busily　employed　upon　his　inventions。　　Among　the　rest　was　an　artist　of　powers　far　greater　than　his　own；　although　scarcely　so　happy　in　turning　them　to　profitable　account。　　The　genius　of　William　Blake　was　not　a　marketable　modity　in　the　same　way　as　Stothard's　talent。　The　one　caught　the　trick　of　the　time　with　his　facile　elegance；　the　other　scorned　to　make　any　concessions；　either　in　conception　or　execution；　to　the　mere　popularity　of　prettiness。

〃Give　pensions　to　the　learned　pig；　Or　the　hare　playing　on　a　tabor；　Anglus　can　never　see　perfection　But　in　the　journeyman's　labour；〃　

he　wrote　in　one　of　those　roughhewn　and　bitter　epigrams　of　his。　　Yet　the　work　that　was　then　so　lukewarmly　receivedif；　indeed；　it　can　be　said　to　have　been　received　at　allis　at　present　far　more　sought　after　than　Stothard's；　and　the　prices　now　given　for　the　〃Songs　of　Innocence　and　Experience；〃　the　〃Inventions　to　the　Book　of　Job；〃　and　even　〃The　Grave；〃　would　have　brought　affluence　to　the　struggling　artist；　who　（as　Cromek　taunted　him）　was　frequently　〃reduced　so　low　as　to　be　obliged　to　live　on　half　a　guinea　a　week。〃　　Not　that　this　was　entirely　the　fault　of　his　contemporaries。　　Blake　was　a　visionary；　and　an　untuneable　man；　and；　like　others　who　work　for　the　select　public　of　all　ages；　he　could　not　always　escape　the　consequence　that　the　select　public　of　his　own；　however　willing；　were　scarcely　numerous　enough　to　support　him。　　His　most　individual　works　are　the　〃Songs　of　Innocence；〃　1789；　and　the　〃Songs　of　Experience；〃　1794。　　These；　afterwards　united　in　one　volume；　ethod　of　production；　indeed；　they　do　not　perhaps　strictly　e　within　the　category　of　what　is　generally　understood　to　be　copperplate　engraving。　　The　drawings　were　outlined　and　the　songs　written　upon　the　metal　with　some　liquid　that　resisted　the　action　of　acid；　and　the　remainder　of　the　surface　of　the　plate　was　eaten　away　with　aquafortis；　leaving　the　design　in　bold　relief；　like　a　rude　stereotype。　　This　was　then　printed　off　in　the　predominant　tone　blue；　brown；　or　yellow；　as　the　case　might　beand　delicately　tinted　by　the　artist　in　a　prismatic　and　ethereal　fashion　peculiarly　his　own。　　Stitched　and　bound　in　boards　by　Mrs。　Blake；　a　certain　number　of　these　leafletstwentyseven　in　the　case　of　the　first　issuemade　up　a　tiny　octavo　of　a　wholly　exceptional　kind。　　Words　indeed　fail　to　exactly　describe　the　flowerlike　beautythe　fascination　of　these　〃fairy　missals；〃　in　which；　it　has　been　finely　said；　〃the　thrilling　music　of　the　verse；　and　the　gentle　bedazzlement　of　the　lines　and　colours　so　intermingle；　that　the　mind　hangs　in　a　pleasant　uncertainty　as　to　whether　it　is　a　picture　that　is　singing；　or　a　song　which　has　newly　budded　and　blossomed　into　colour　and　form。〃　　The　acpanying　woodcut；　after　one　of　the　illustrations　to　the　〃Songs　of　Innocence；〃　gives　some　indication　of　the　general　position；　but　it　can　convey　no　hint　of　the　geous　purple；　and　crimson；　and　orange　of　the　original。

Of　the　〃Illustrations　to　the　Book　of　Job；〃　1826；　there　are　excellent　reduced　facsimiles　by　the　recentlydiscovered　photointaglio　process；　in　the　new　edition　of　Gilchrist's　〃Life。〃　　The　originals　were　engraved　by　Blake　himself　in　his　strong　decisive　fashion；　and　they　are　his　best　work。　　A　kind　of　deisidaimoniaa　sacred　awe　falls　upon　one　in　turning　over　these　wonderful　productions　of　the　artist's　declining　years　and　failing　hand。

〃Leaving　the　old；　both　worlds　at　once　they　view；　That　stand　upon　the　threshold　of　the　new；〃

sings　Waller；　and　it　is　almost　possible　to　believe　for　a　moment　that　their　creator　was　（as　he　said）　〃under　the　direction　of　messengers　from　Heaven。〃　　But　his　designs　for　Blair's　〃Grave；〃　1808；　popularised　by　the　burin　of　Schiavoti；　attracted　greater　attention　at　the　time　of　publication；　and；　being　less　rare；　they　are　even　now　perhaps　better　known　than　the　others。　　The　facsimile　here　given　is　from　the　latter　book。　　The　worn　old　man；　the　trustful　woman；　and　the　guileless　child　are　sleeping　peacefully；　but　the　king　with　his　sceptre；　and　the　warrior　with　his　hand　on　his　swordhilt；　lie　openeyed；　waiting　the　summons　of　the　trumpet。　　One　cannot　help　fancying　that　the　artist's　long　vigils　among　the　Abbey　tombs；　during　his　apprenticeship　to　James　Basire；　must　have　been　present　to　his　mind　when　he　selected　this　impressive　monumental　subject。

To　one　of　Blake's　few　friendsto　the　〃dear　Sculptor　of　Eternity；〃　as　he　wrote　to　Flaxman　from　Felphamthe　world　is　indebted　for　some　notable　book　illustrations。　　Whether　the　greatest　writersthe　Homers；　the　Shakespeares；　the　Dantescan　ever　be　〃illustrated〃　without　loss　may　fairly　be　questioned。　　At　all　events；　the　showy　dexterities　of　the　Dores　and　Gilberts　prove　nothing　to　the　contrary。　But　now　and　then　there　es　to　the　graphic　interpretation　of　a　great　author　an　artist　either　so　reverential；　or　so　strongly　sympathetic　at　some　given　point；　that；　in　default　of　any　relation　more　narrowly　intimate；　we　at　once　accept　his　conceptions　as　the　best　attainable。　　In　this　class　are　Flaxman's　outlines　to　Homer　and　AEschylus。　　Flaxman　was　not　a　Hellenist　as　men　are　Hellenists　to　day。　　Nevertheless；　his　Roman　studies　had　saturated　him　with　the　spirit　of　antique　beauty；　and　by　his　grand　knowledge　of　the　nude；　his　calm；　his　restraint；　he　is　such　an　illustrator　of　Homer　as　is　not　likely　to　arise　again。　　For　whowith　all　our　added　knowledge　of　classical　antiquitywho；　of　our　modern　artists；　could　hope　to　rival　such　thoroughly　Greek　positions　as　the　ballplay　of　Nausicaa　in　the　〃Odyssey；〃　or　that　lovely　group　from　AEschylus　of　the　tender　hearted；　womanly　Oceanides；　cowering　like　flowers　beaten　by　the　storm　under　the　terrible　anger　of　Zeus？　　In　our　day　Flaxman's　drawings　would　have　been　reproduced　by　some　of　the　modern　facsimile　processes；　and　the　gain　would　have　been　great。　　As　it　is；　something　is　lost　by　their　transference　to　copper；　even　though　the　translators　be　Piroli　and　Blake。　　Blake；　in　fact；　did　more　than　he　is　usually　credited　with；　for　（beside　the　acknowledged　and　later　〃Hesiod；〃　1817）　he　really　engraved　the　whole　of　the　〃Odyssey；〃　Piroli's　plates　having　been　lost　on　the　voyage　to　England。　　The　name　of　the　Roman　artist；　nevertheless；　appears　on　the　titlepage　（1793）。　　But　Blake　was　too　original　to　be　a　successful　copyist　of　other　men's　work；　and　to　appreciate　the　full　value　of　Flaxman's　drawings；　they　should　be　studied　in　the　collections　at　University　College；　the　Royal　Academy；　and　elsewhere。　｛9｝

Flaxman　and　Blake　had　few　imitators。　　But　a　host　of　clever　designers；　such　as　Cipriani；　Angelica　Kauffmann；　Westall；　Uwins；　Smirke；　Burney；　Corbould；　Dodd；　and　others；　vied　with　the　popular　Stothard　in　〃embellishing〃　the　endless　〃Poets；〃　〃novelists；〃　and　〃essayists〃　of　our　forefathers。　　Some　of　these；　and　most　of　the　recognised　artists　of　the　period；　lent　their　aid　to　that　boldly　planned　but　unhappilyexecuted　〃Shakespeare〃　of　Boydell；〃black　and　ghastly　gallery　of　murky　Opies；　glum　Northcotes；　straddling　Fuselis；〃　as　Thackeray　calls　it。　　They　are　certainly　not　enlivening　those　cumbrous　〃atlas〃　folios　of　18035；　and　they　helped　to　ruin　the　worthy　alderman。　　Even　courtly　Sir　Joshua　is　clearly　ill　at　ease　among　the　pushing　Hamiltons　and　Mortimers；　and；　were　it　not　for　the　whimsical　discovery　that　Westall's　〃Ghost　of　Caesar〃　strangely　resembles　Mr。　Gladstone；　there　would　be　no　restingplace　for　the　modern　student　of　these　dismal　masterpieces。　　The　truth　is；　Reynolds　excepted；　there　were　no　contemporary　painters　strong　enough　for　the　task；　and　the　honours　of　the　enterprise　belong　almost　exclusively　to　Smirke's　〃Seven　Ages〃　and　one　or　two　plates　from　the　lighter　edies。　　The　great　〃Bible〃　of　Macklin；　a　rival　and　even　more　incongruous　publication；　upon　which　some　of　the　same　designers　were　employed；　has　fallen　into　pleter　oblivion。　　A　rather　better　fate　attended　another　book　of　this　class；　which；　although　belonging　to　a　later　period；　may　be　briefly　referred　to　here。　　The　〃Milton〃　of　John　Martin　has　distinct　individuality；　and　some　of　the　needful　qualities　of　imagination。　　Nevertheless；　posterity　has　practically　decided　that　scenic　grandeur　and　sombre　effects　alone　are　not　a　sufficient　pictorial　equipment　for　the　varied　story　of　〃Paradise　Lost。〃

It　is　to　Boydell　of　the　Shakespeare　gallery　that　we　owe　the　〃Liber　Veritatis〃　of　Claude；　engraved　by　Richard　Earlom；　and　indirectly；　since　rivalry　of　Claude　prompted　the　attempt；　the　famous　〃Liber　Studiorum〃　of　Turner。　　Neither　of　these；　howeverwhich；　like　the　〃Rivers　of　France〃　and　the　〃Picturesque　Views　in　England　and　Wales〃　of　the　latter　artist；　are　collections　of　engravings　rather　than　illustrated　booksbelongs　to　the　present　purpose。　　But　Turner's　name　may　fitly　serve　to　introduce　those　once　familiar　〃Annuals〃　and　〃Keepsakes；〃　that；　beginning　in　1823　with　Ackermann's　〃Fetme　Not；〃　enjoyed　a　popularity　of　more　than　thirty　years。　　Their　general　characteristics　have　been　pleasantly　satirised　in　Thackeray's　account　of　the　elegant　miscellany　of　Bacon　the　publisher；　to　which　Mr。　Arthur　Pendennis　contributed　his　pretty　poem　of　〃The　Church　Porch。〃　　His　editress；　it　will　be　remembered；　was　the　Lady　Violet　Lebas；　and　his　colleagues　the　Honourable　Percy　Popjoy；　Lord　Dodo；　and　the　gifted　Bedwin　Sands；　whose　〃Eastern　Ghazuls〃　lent　so　special　a　distinction　to　the　volume　in　wateredsilk　binding。　　The　talented　authors；　it　is　true；　were　in　most　cases　under　the　disadvantage　of　having　to　write　to　the　plates　of　the　talented　artists；　a　practice　which　even　now　is　not　extinct；　though　it　is　scarcely　considered　favourable　to　literary　merit。　　And　the　real　〃Annuals〃　were　no　exception　to　the　rule。　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　their　general　literary　merit　was　not　obtrusive；　although；　of　course；　they　sometimes　contained　work　which　afterwards　became　famous。　　They　are　now　so　pletely　fotten　and　out　of　date；　that　one　scarcely　expects　to　find　that　Wordsworth；　Coleridge；　Macaulay；　and　Southey；　were　among　the　occasional　contributors。　　Lamb's　beautiful　〃Album　verses〃　appeared　in　the　〃Bijou；〃　Scott's　〃Bonnie　Dundee〃　in　the　〃Christmas　Box；〃　and　Tennyson's　〃St。　Agnes'　Eve〃　in　the　〃Keepsake。〃　　But　the　plates　were；　after　all；　the　leading　attraction。　　These；　prepared　for　the　most　part　under　the　superintendence　of　the　younger　Heath；　and　executed　on　the　steel　which　by　this　time　had　supplanted　the　old　〃coppers；〃　were　supplied　by；　or　were　〃after；〃　almost　every　contemporary　artist　of　note。　　Stothard；　now　growing　old　and　past　his　prime；　Turner；　Etty；　Stanfield；　Leslie；　Roberts；　Danby；　Maclise；　Lawrence；　Cattermole；　and　numbers　of　others；　found　profitable　labour　in　this　fashionable　field　until　1856；　when　the　last　of　the　〃Annuals〃　disappeared；　driven　from　the　market　by　the　rapid　development　of　wood　engraving。　　About　a　million；　it　is　roughly　estimated；　was　squandered　in　producing　them。

In　connection　with　the　〃Annuals〃　must　be　mentioned　two　illustrated　books　which　were　in　all　probabi