Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 1.djvu/463

 9 th S. I. JUNE 4, '98.]

NOTES AND QUERIES.

455

" I am afraid I do not agree with the view ex- pressed in your note as to the respective merits of the two sets of engravings. Those published with the book seem to me much the better in the vital matters of drawing and expression of the faces, the extremities, &c. These things in the loose set are done childishly. I should be inclined to think that the loose set were done first, and condemned as being too bad, and that the subjects were then given to be re-engraved by a better hand. I much doubt if either set is really by Blake, though the manner is obviouslv akin to his."

While on the subject of Blake I may men- tion that his work is occasionally to be found in unexpected places. For example, in the collection (a very extraordinary one, by-the-by) of Mr. West's theatrical prints in the Print Room is a set of plates entitled " The Prin- cipal Characters in the New Tragedy of Bertram, in 3 Plates." These appear to me to be Blake's, and they are well drawn and engraved. Plate 2 is undated a most unusual thing with West's prints but plates 1 and 3 are dated 1824. West often altered his dates, however, turning 1814 ten years after to 1824. Adams, in his 'Dic- tionary of English Literature,' gives the name of the author, C. E. Maturin. I sup- pose, therefore, that 'Bertram' was more celebrated than 'The Broken Sword' or 'The Libertine,' neither of which he gives. I have 'The Principal Characters in the Grand Melodrama of "The Broken Sword," as performed at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden,' published 4 November, 1816. They are signed "W. B. f fc ," and are beautifully executed. I also have three plates in ' The Libertine,' by Pocock, first acted 20 May, 1817 first and third dated 6 July, 1817; the second is dated 7 July, 1824, the year having been altered, or perhaps the plate was re- engraved, as, having a fine " deamon " as one of the characters, it would have been in great demand.

I also have a folio sheet representing " Mr. Ducrow, the Celebrated Equestrian, at Astley's Amphitheatre, from Drawings made for 'Napoleon Buonaparte,' published Jan. 21, 1817, by W. West." Each of the four figures is signed "W. B. ft." There is a similar sheet, the 'Grand Equestrian Feat called the Peasant Frolic,' dated 14 April, 1821, but, though by the same hand, they are not signed.

The characters in [Terry's adaptation of] Guy Mannering ' are in Blake's style. There are three plates. The third is dated 6 April, 1816 ; the first and second are dated 16 April, 1825. The novel came out in 1815 ; it was dramatized the following year.

Another sheet, entitled " West's New Thea- trical Characters sold here Magic W. West

del fc : W. B. fecit," is, I think, by Blake. West's signature I believe to be merely a trick of trade (perhaps for copyright pur- poses), as West was no artist, though he may have made rough sketches at the theatres. Besides, we find West's name signed to all varieties of styles, and to some which are undoubtedly by William Hornegold (see Boase's ' Modern English Biography'), who did nearly all the best of the theatrical portraits. As an instance see 'Mrs. W. Barrymore as Maria Grazie, Wife to the Brigand,' which is by Horne- gold, but signed by West.

RALPH THOMAS.

['Bertram' is much better known than Dimond's ' Broken Sword.' Kean played in it. It was pub- lished at four shillings, and ran through seven editions the year of its production.]

MONKS AND FKIAKS (9 th S. i. 364). I thank J. B. S. for his courteous correction, and, like him, I set high value upon technical accuracy. The world may be said to care more for generalizations than for niceties, and, likely enough, in its eyes the use and possession by a religious body of men of a cloister, cells, and a special habit is warrant for their being called " monks," or, if they go out preaching and begging alms, "friars"; and so long as the originally broad distinction between the mendicant orders and the earlier monastics was preserved definitely confusion was not likely to occur. But that wide gap dividing those who shut themselves up and those who went forth to preach the passive and the active orders has gradually been filled up by societies and congregations which have assimilated many of the characteristics of both, like different children of the same parents. For instance, the " Passionists," under consideration, seem to me to inherit istinction of the mendicants that they should be Fratres, or Friars, in contrast to the monks, who styled themselves Domini and Patres, or Fathers. The Passionists call themselves Fathers, and also go out preach- ing. They meditate like monks and they preach like friars ; yet so much more strict are they than the last-named that the opposite sex is as rigidly excluded from their doors as it is from the Chapel of St. John the Baptist in the Lateran or a Trappist cloister, for which reason ladies are denied access to the loveliest of Roman gardens namely, those which cover the remains of Agrippina's temple to Claudius, overlooking the Coliseum. In this manner, therefore, I am inclined to differ from J. B. S., and to sympathize with those who commit this particular literary
 * enerously from both. It was an initial