1832), and _The
Pilgrims of the Thames in Search of the National_ (1838), illustrated by
his son, and dedicated by express permission to the young Queen
Victoria. "The Fancy's darling child," as he has been aptly named, died
at his house in Pentonville in 1849, "respected by all who knew
him"--_vide Bell's Life_.

GEORGE CRUIKSHANK

To return to George Cruikshank, who was now in the full tide of success
and overwhelmed with commissions. It would be impossible here to give a
complete list of his productions, but mention may be made of his
illustrations to _Peter Schlemihl, the Man without a Shadow_, and to
Grimm's _Popular Stories_ (1824), which were so much admired by Ruskin;
of his Illustrations of _Phrenology_ (1826), which marks his first
appearance as an independent author; the famous _Mornings at Bow Street_
(1815); the _Comic Almanac_, which began in 1835; the series of etchings
for the _Sketches by Boz_ (1836), and those for _Oliver Twist_ in
_Bentley's Miscellany_ (1839), which led to his claim that he had
originated the story--a claim that naturally put an end to his
connection with Dickens. In 1839 began a long series of illustrations
for the novels of Harrison Ainsworth (1805-82), the editor of _Bentley's
Miscellany_. Ainsworth was born at Manchester, and bred up to "the law,"
but on coming to London to finish his legal studies, he neglected his
law books for literature. He attained his first success with _Rookwood_
in 1834, and in 1839 became editor of _Bentley's Miscellany_, in which
his novel _Jack Sheppard_, with illustrations by Cruikshank, first
appeared. In 1842 he started _Ainsworth's Magazine_, and engaged
Cruikshank, who had quarrelled with Bentley, as illustrator-in-chief, at
a salary of L40 a month. The engagement proved a fortunate one,
resulting in the excellent designs to _The Tower of London_, _The
Miser's Daughter_, _Windsor Castle_, and other novels, which Cruikshank
himself described as "a hundred and forty-four of the very best designs
and etchings I ever produced." The connection came to an end with the
usual quarrel, Cruikshank claiming to have suggested the plot and
characters of both _The Miser's Daughter_ and _The Tower of London_.

[Illustration: ADVENTURES IN A WHISKEY PARLOUR]

In 1847, Cruikshank was converted to teetotalism, and thenceforward
laboured in the cause with almost fanatic zeal. It was in this year that
he executed his famous group of eight designs called _The Bo