practically valueless by the side of an indifferent
caricature torn from the scurrilous and worthless pages of "The Scourge"
or "The Meteor."

To the persons who charge this artist with want of humour, his cartoon
of _Britannia Discovering the Source of the Nile_--probably the most
comical picture in the whole of the _Punch_ volumes--will afford the
most conclusive answer, as will also the quaint and mirth-provoking
little pictures which he designed for "Alice in Wonderland," its sequel,
"Through the Looking-glass," and the 1864 edition of the "Ingoldsby
Legends." One of these last, by the way, so closely resembles a scarce
design of John Leech's in the "New Monthly," that the coincidence will
strike any one who has an opportunity of comparing the two together.
During the fourteen years that Mr. Tenniel was a fellow-worker with the
late John Leech, he contributed to the pages of _Punch_ about 1,400
designs, of which upwards of 400 are cartoons. We believe we are correct
in stating that all these illustrations, and his subsequent and
contemporary designs, were drawn at once upon the wood block, not a
single preliminary sketch having been made.

* * * * *

Here, in accordance with the plan which we designed when we sat down to
write this work, we bring our labours to a close. If we have omitted all
mention of two very excellent and talented artists, Messrs. Charles
Keene and George Du Maurier, it is not from any lack of appreciation,
but because one of them at least began his labours just about the period
when those of John Leech were drawing to a close, while the reputation
of both were made _after_ their distinguished contemporary was laid to
his rest. The merits of both these able men and of those now following
after them must be left to be dealt with by another chronicler.
Although, as we remarked in our opening chapter, the wood engraver has
rung the knell of English caricature, with such clever men as Colonel
Seccombe, Mr. Proctor, Mr. Randolph Caldicott, Mr. F. Barnard, the
present George Cruikshank, Mr. Chasemore, and others whose names do not
at present occur to us, there is happily no prospect of a decline in the
art of English graphic satire.

FOOTNOTES:

[186] The present chapter was written before the artist's death; but
I have to acknowledge the great assistance I have derived in its
_revision_ from the authority indicated.

[187] _The Month, a Catholic Mag