UFE AND GENIUS OF GEORGE CUUIKSHANK. 141 



In his father's designs, George now and then had permission to fill 

 up a corner with " a little bit of his own." Gradually he obtained a 

 larger allowance ; and, at length, he drew his first caricature. His 

 father liked it sufficiently well to offer it to a publisher, who agreed 

 to purchase it when engraved. He did so. This was at the time of 

 the Walcheren affair. The subject was Sir William Curtis embark- 

 ing on board a well-provisioned craft for the seat of war. How 

 many old portfolios will this announcement cause to be rummaged ! 



Not long after, the death of the elder Cruikshank occurred, and 

 George quietly succeeded to the business, which increased under his 

 management to such an extent, that he invited his elder brother, 

 (I. R.) to abandon miniature painting, and join him. No sooner had 

 the sagacious I. R. infused himself into the concern, than a strike 

 was made for wages. The market price of large caricatures, drawn 

 and etched, copper included, had usually been twenty-five or thirty 

 shillings ; I. R. insisted on their being quoted in future at three 

 guineas. What could the poor publishers do ? No caricature would 

 be received unless the name of Cruikshank appeared on the face of it. 

 Their wives and families must be supported, and they submitted to 

 the extortion, although it is said, their average profits on each plate 

 were reduced, by the gross overcharge, from fifty guineas to fifty 

 pounds seventeen shillings, or thereabouts. This was too bad, con- 

 sidering the unfortunate publishers drank wine, and had their gigs 

 to keep. 



For many years the brothers continued " jointly and severally/' to 

 execute caricatures, chiefly political, with most of which such of our 

 readers as have beards to annoy them, are doubtlessly familiar. 

 " One of the million" is thus spoken of by the Author of " The 

 Cigar in 1825 :" " There is a caricature of his (George Cruik- 

 shank's) extant, the scene of which is the White Horse Cellar, Picca- 

 dilly. A knot of cads, coachmen, old women, butchers'-boys, and all 

 those droll, but true creatures which are usual in his sketches, are 

 scrambling, tossing, tumbling, and fighting in most terrific confusion 

 on the pavement. In the centre of the group appears a Life-Guards- 

 man, with his head, shoulders, and half his body boldly visible above 

 the heads of the belligerents. He is walking through them with 

 calm dignity, his head erect, and his eye just glancing down his 

 cheek at the row below. But he seems to be in another element* 

 The mighty tempest below troubles him not ; he pursues his steady 

 course through the squabble like a seventy-four sailing among a crew" 

 of cock-boats. I told George that the fellow was fine ; but it took 

 me half an hour to bring him to my way of thinking. His objection 

 was, that one of the Life-Guards may be seen so acting in a similar 

 situation every day in the week." The same writer thus supports 

 our statement as to George's felicity in the portraiture of " persons not 

 present :" ." I am convinced that his eye unconsciously receives, and 

 his brain unconsciously hoards up the droll visages which enrich his 

 designs. Those immortal French musicians" (the Author here alludes 

 to a capital caricature) were drawn long after they had left 

 this country. George had never taken any particular notice of them, 



