se
encouragement and advice he reaped the fullest advantage. After
commencing the decorations to the "Morte d'Arthur," he ceased to attend
Professor Brown's classes. In February 1893 some of his drawings were
first published in London in the Pall Mall Budget under the editorship
of Mr Lewis Hind, but one of the most striking of his early designs
appeared in a little college magazine entitled The Bee. When The Studio
was started by Mr Charles Holme under the able direction of the late
Gleeson-White, Beardsley designed the first cover and Mr Pennell
contributed the well-known appreciation of the new artist.

Towards the end of 1893 he commenced working for Mr John Lane, who
issued his marvellous illustrations to "Salome" in 1894. In April of the
same year appeared the Yellow Book. To the first four volumes Beardsley
contributed altogether about eighteen illustrations. From a pictorial
point of view this publication had no other _raison d'etre_ than as a
vehicle for the production of Beardsley's work, though Henry Harland,
in his capacity as literary editor, revealed the presence of many new
writers among us. Throughout 1894 Beardsley's health seemed to improve,
and his social success was considerable. In the previous year he had
been ridiculed, but now the world accepted him at Mr Pennell's
valuation. The Beardsley type became quite a fashion, and was burlesqued
at many of the theatres; his name and work were on everyone's lips. He
made friends with many of his contemporaries distinguished in art and
literature. At the house of one of his friends he delivered a very
amusing lecture on "Art" which created much discussion.

A little later Beardsley was popularly supposed to have given pictorial
expression to the views and sentiments of a certain school, and his
drawings were regarded as the outward artistic sign of inward literary
corruption. This is not the place to discuss the invention of a mare's
nest. He suffered considerably by this premature attempt to classify his
art. Further efforts to ridicule his work and suppress its publication
were, however, among the most cheering failures of modern journalism.
In 1895 he ceased to contribute to the Yellow Book, and in January 1896
The Savoy was started by Leonard Smithers, with Mr Arthur Symons as the
literary editor, who became the most subtle and discerning of all his
critics after Beardsley's death. Failing health was the only difficulty
with which he had to contend in