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whimsical invention。
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In referring to these masterpieces of Bewick's； it must not be forgotten
that he had the aid of some clever assistants。 His younger brother John
was not without talent； as is clear from his work for Somervile's 〃Chace；〃
1796； and that highly edifying book； the 〃Blossoms of Morality。〃 Many
of the tail…pieces to the 〃Water Birds〃 were designed by Robert Johnson；
who also did most of the illustrations to Bewick's 〃Fables〃 of 1818； which
were engraved by Temple and Harvey； two other pupils。 Another pupil
was Charlton Nesbit； an excellent engraver； who was employed upon the
〃Birds；〃 and did good work in Ackermann's 〃Religious Emblems〃 of 1808；
and the second series of Northcote's 〃Fables。〃 But by far the largest
portion of the tail…pieces in the second volume of the 〃Birds〃 was
engraved by Luke Clennell； a very skilful but unfortunate artist； who
ultimately became insane。 To him we owe the woodcuts； after Stothard's
charming sketches； to the Rogers volume of 1810； an edition preceding
those already mentioned as illustrated with steel… plates； and containing
some of the artist's happiest pictures of children and amorini。 Many of
these little groups would make admirable designs for gems； if indeed they
are not already derived from them； since one at least is an obvious copy of
a well…known sardonyx（〃The Marriage of Cupid and Psyche。〃） This
volume； generally known by the name of the 〃Firebrand〃 edition； is highly
prized by collectors； and； as intelligent renderings of pen and ink； there is
little better than these engravings of Clennell's。 ｛12｝ Finally； among others
of Bewick's pupils； must be mentioned William Harvey； who survived to
1866。 It has been already stated that he engraved part of the illustrations
to Bewick's 〃Fables；〃 but his best known block is the large one of
Haydon's 〃Death of Dentatus。〃 Soon after this he relinquished wood…
engraving in favour of design； and for a long period was one of the most
fertile and popular of book…illustrators。 His style； however； is
unpleasantly mannered； and it is sufficient to make mention of his
masterpiece； the 〃Arabian Nights〃 of Lane； the illustrations to which；
produced under the supervision of the translator； are said to be so accurate
as to give the appropriate turbans for every hour of the day。 They show
considerable freedom of invention and a large fund of Orientalism。
Harvey came to London in 1817； Clennell had preceded him by some
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years； and Nesbit lived there for a considerable time。 What distinguishes
these pupils of Bewick especially is； that they were artists as well as
engravers； capable of producing the designs they engraved。 The 〃London
School〃 of engravers； on the contrary； were mostly engravers； who
depended upon others for their designs。 The foremost of these was
Robert Branston； a skilful renderer of human figures and indoor scenes。
He worked in rivalry with Bewick and Nesbit； but he excelled neither；
while he fell far behind the former。 John Thompson； one of the very best
of modern English engravers on wood； was Branston's pupil。 His range
was of the widest； and he succeeded as well in engraving fishes and birds
for Yarrell and Walton's 〃Angler；〃 as in illustrations to Moliere and
〃Hudibras。〃 He was； besides； a clever draughtsman； though he worked
chiefly from the designs of Thurston and others。 One of the most
successful of his illustrated books is the 〃Vicar of Wakefield；〃 after
Mulready； whose simplicity and homely feeling were well suited to
Goldsmith's style。 Another excellent engraver of this date is Samuel
Williams。 There is an edition of Thomson's 〃Seasons；〃 with cuts both
drawn and engraved by him； which is well worthy of attention； and （like
Thompson and Branston） he was very skilful in reproducing the designs of
Cruikshank。 Some of his best work in this way is to be found in Clarke's
〃Three Courses and a Dessert；〃 published by Vizetelly in 1830。
From this time forth； however； one hears less of the engraver and more
of the artist。 The establishment of the 〃Penny Magazine〃 in 1832； and
the multifarious publications of Charles Knight； gave an extraordinary
impetus to wood…engraving。 Ten years later came 〃Punch；〃 and the
〃Illustrated London News；〃 which further increased its popularity。
Artists of eminence began to draw on or for the block； as they had drawn；
and were still drawing； for the 〃Annuals。〃 In 1842…6 was issued the great
〃Abbotsford〃 edition of the 〃Waverley Novels；〃 which； besides 120 plates；
contained nearly 2000 wood… engravings； and with the 〃Book of British
Ballads；〃 1843； edited by Mr。 S。 C。 Hall； arose that long series of
illustrated Christmas books； which gradually supplanted the 〃Annuals；〃
and made familiar the names of Gilbert； Birket Foster； Harrison Weir； John
Absolon； and a crowd of others。 The poems of Longfellow； Montgomery；
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Burns； 〃Barry Cornwall；〃 Poe； Miss Ingelow； were all successively
〃illustrated。〃 Besides these； there were numerous selections； such as
Willmott's 〃Poets of the Nineteenth Century；〃 Wills's 〃Poets' Wit and
Humour；〃 and so forth。 But the field here grows too wide to be dealt
with in detail； and it is impossible to do more than mention a few of the
books most prominent for merit or originality。 Amongst these there is the
〃Shakespeare〃 of Sir John Gilbert。 Regarded as an interpretative edition
of the great dramatist； this is little more than a brilliant tour de force； but it
is nevertheless infinitely superior to the earlier efforts of Kenny Meadows
in 1843； and also to the fancy designs of Harvey in Knight's 〃Pictorial
Shakespeare。〃 The 〃Illustrated Tennyson〃 of 1858 is also a remarkable
production。 The Laureate； almost more than any other； requires a variety
of illustrators； and here； for his idylls； he had Mulready and Millais； and
for his romances Rossetti and Holman Hunt。 His 〃Princess〃 was
afterwards illustrated by Maclise； and his 〃Enoch Arden〃 by Arthur
Hughes； but neither of these can be said to be wholly adequate。 The
〃Lalla Rookh〃 of John Tenniel； 1860； albeit somewhat stiff and cold； after
this artist's fashion； is a superb collection of carefully studied oriental
designs。 With these may be classed the illustrations to Aytoun's 〃Lays of
the Scottish Cavaliers；〃 by Sir Noel Paton； which have the same finished
qualities of composition and the same academic hardness。 Several good
editions of the 〃Pilgrim's Progress〃 have appeared；notably those of C。 H。
Bennett； J。 D。 Watson； and G。 H。 Thomas。 Other books are Millais's
〃Parables of our Lord；〃 Leighton's 〃Romola；〃 Walker's 〃Philip〃 and
〃Denis Duval；〃 the 〃Don Quixote；〃 〃Dante；〃 〃La Fontaine〃 and other
works of Dore； Dalziel's 〃Arabian Nights；〃 Leighton's 〃Lyra Germanica〃
and 〃Moral Emblems；〃 and the 〃Spiritual Conceits〃 of W。 Harry Rogers。
These are some only of the number； which does not include books like
Mrs。 Hugh Blackburn's 〃British Birds；〃 Wolf's 〃Wild Animals；〃 Wise's
〃New Forest；〃 Linton's 〃Lake Country；〃 Wood's 〃Natural History；〃 and
many more。 Nor does it take in the various illustrated periodicals which
have multiplied so freely since； in 1859； 〃Once a Week〃 first began to
attract and train such younger draughtsmen a