56 



The Chronicle of 



our ideal of an edition confident in all its parts, than any of 

 its predecefibrs or fuccefibrs. 



Wale's defigns, repeated ad naufeam, are here fuppreffed, 

 and a new feries, by Abfolon, fubftituted, embodying the fame 

 fubjects, indeed, but conceived in no plagiariftic fpirit. They 

 are quaint, unaffected, and picturefque, and have the fignal 

 merit of feeming an emanation from and efflorefcence of the 

 book itfelf, rather than a fet of artiftic notions grafted on it. 1 

 The difficulty of a capable and confcientious book-illuftration 

 is, in fact, great ; renouncing his own individuality, at the 

 outfet, the artift muft make himfelf one with the author, mud 

 clothe himfelf with his genius, put on his moods, penetrate 

 into the inner heart of his conceptions, and from thence tranf- 

 mute them, by the alchemy of his art, into form, colour, and 

 exprefiion. Without this identity between author and artift 

 there may be the aflbciation of pictures with books, but no 

 book-illuftration, properly fo called ; and our readers do not 

 require to be told that ninety-nine out of a hundred of the 

 pretty picture-books of the day belong to the former and 

 defective category. 



The woodcuts of fifh, in Major's new ifiue, give the varying 

 tones and furfaces with great fuccefs ; and the vignettes of 

 fcenery, by Crefwick and others, leave far behind them thofe 



1 " The new defigns by Abfolon," fays Major, " form the crown of my 

 prefent efforts ; nothing could exceed his zeal whilft they were on his eafel ; 

 fkilful anglers flood for the men, and fair and handfome ladies volunteered for 

 the females ; the refult, I warmly anticipate, will come with a pleafing furprife 

 upon the minds of the moft afFedionate admirers of our author," p. xxxix. 



