ustration:
THEODORE LANE. _From "Life of an Actor," 1824._

"THE NON-PAYING AUDIENCE."

_Face p. 85._]

THEODORE LANE.

On the walls of some old-fashioned dining-rooms, and the parlours of
provincial inns, may still be seen an engraving, called _The
Enthusiast_, which some of my readers may remember to have seen in the
print shops of some twenty or five-and-twenty years ago. It represents
an old disciple of Izaac Walton, whom the gout has incapacitated from
following his favourite pursuit, so devoted to the sport, that we see
him fishing for minnows in a water-tub, instead of the rippling
stream out of which he has been accustomed to whip his favourite
speckle-backed beauties. The painting from which this engraving was
taken was the work of Theodore Lane, who, although his work is limited
to the short space of five or six years, seems to call for special
mention by virtue of his tragic ending, the short span allotted to his
life and labours, and the superiority of his talent and genius to those
of many of his contemporaries. Lane was literally a comic artist of the
nineteenth century, having been born at Isleworth in 1800. He was
apprenticed to a colourer of prints at Battle Bridge, named Barrow; and,
shortly after completing his time, produced (in 1822) six designs
illustrative of "The Life of an Actor," and with these in a small
portfolio under his arm, went out into the world to seek his fortune as
other comic artists have done before him and since. Pierce Egan, at this
time, was the most popular man in town; his name (on very insufficient
literary merits) was identified with the success of the most famous book
of the century--we allude to the "Life in London." To his residence in
Spann's Buildings, St. Pancras, Lane betook himself; showed him his
sketches, and said if Egan would only undertake the letterpress, he
should find no difficulty in getting Ackermann, Sherwood, or any of the
art publishers of the day, to undertake its publication. But Egan's
hands were full, and he declined the offer. Two years later on, author
and artist again met, and the result was that "The Life of an Actor,
Peregrine Proteus," made its appearance, "illustrated by twenty-seven
coloured scenes and nine woodcuts, representing the vicissitudes of the
stage". The publisher was Arnold, of Tavistock Street, Covent Garden,
who paid the young artist one hundred and fifty pounds fifteen shillings
for his share of the work. "The Li