--_The Art of Living in London_ (6th edition 1805). [2] One quotation shall suffice. Mr. William Bates tells us in his admirable "Maclise Portrait Gallery":--"He _never_ transgressed the narrow line that separates wit from buffoonery, pandered to sensuality, glorified vice or raised a laugh at the expense of decency. Satire _never_ in his hands degenerated into savagery or scurrility. A moral purpose _ever_ underlaid his humour; he sought to instruct or improve when he amused." Mr. Bates will, we hope, pardon us if we say that this is not quite the fact. George Cruikshank in truth was no better or worse than his satirical brothers, and his tone necessarily improved from the moment he took to illustrating books. [3] Since the above was written, strange to say, caricature appears to be showing symptoms of revival. [4] "The Fine Arts," by William Hazlett, p. 29. [5] "Critical and Historical Essays," vol. iii., p. 574. [6] We can scarcely call the wonderful series of historical cartoons which he executed at sixteen _caricatures_, even in the modern sense of the word. Whatever humour they possess is neutralized by the grim irony which, even at this early period, characterized his work. [7] "Etching and Etchers," by Philip Gilbert Hamerton, third edition, p. 246. [8] Thomas Hood's "Etching Moralized," in _New Monthly Magazine_, 1843, vol. lxvii. p. 4, and _seq._ CHAPTER II. _MISCELLANEOUS CARICATURES AND SUBJECTS OF CARICATURE, 1800-1811._ PROPOSED METHOD OF ARRANGEMENT. Although Gillray began his work in 1769,--thirty years before our century commenced, and Rowlandson five years later on, in 1774, their labours were continued some years after 1799, and are so interwoven, so to speak, with the work of their immediate successors, that it is almost impossible in a work dealing with nineteenth century caricaturists to omit all mention of them. In collecting too materials for the present treatise, we necessarily met with many anonymous satires, without signature, initials, or distinguishing style, which may be, and some of which are probably due to artists whose pencils were at work before the century began. Even if equal in all cases to the task of assigning these satires to the particular hands which designed and executed them, we submit that little real service would be rendered to the cause of graphic satire. It appears to us therefore that the most convenient method will be to indicate in this and the following chapters _some_ of the leading topics of caricature during the first thirty years of the century, and to cite in illustration of our subject such of the work of anonymous or other artists, for which no better place can be assigned in other divisions of the work. [Illustration: JAMES GILLRAY. _June 20th, 1789._ SHAKSPEARE SACRIFICED, OR THE OFFERING TO AVARICE.