Produced by Marius Masi, Chris Curnow and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) JOHN LEECH His Life and Work [Illustration] JOHN LEECH His Life and Work BY WILLIAM POWELL FRITH, R.A. [Illustration] _WITH PORTRAIT AND NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS_ IN TWO VOLUMES VOL. I. LONDON RICHARD BENTLEY AND SON Publishers in Ordinary to Her Majesty the Queen 1891 [_All rights reserved_] I Dedicate this Book TO CHARLES F. ADAMS, LEECH'S EARLIEST, WARMEST, AND MOST CONSTANT FRIEND; WITH MY GRATEFUL THANKS FOR THE INTEREST HE HAS TAKEN IN MY WORK, AND FOR THE VALUABLE ASSISTANCE AFFORDED IN THE EXECUTION OF IT. PREFACE I am very conscious of the many sins of commission and omission of which I have been guilty in my attempt to write the "Life and Work of John Leech"; but, that ingratitude may not figure amongst my shortcomings, I take advantage of the usual preface to acknowledge my obligations to friends and strangers from whom I have received assistance, and to express my warmest thanks for their kindness. The time that has elapsed since Leech's death has terribly thinned the ranks of his friends and contemporaries; but the leveller has spared and dealt tenderly with one of his earliest and most constant friends, Mr. Charles F. Adams, whose store of Leech's letters, together with many pleasing reminiscences, have been placed unreservedly at my disposal. From Mr. Kitton's memoir of Leech I have derived, through the author's kindness, much advantage; and to Mr. Thornber, a well-known collector of Leech's works, I owe the opportunity of selecting some of the best illustrations that grace the book. I also desire to express my gratitude to the proprietors of _Punch_, who, though unable to comply with my unreasonable demand to the full extent of it, have given me most important help in my endeavours to do honour to the genius who was such an honour to _Punch_. I owe to those gentlemen no less than eight of the full-page illustrations, to say nothing of numbers of small cuts. I take this opportunity of thanking Mr. Grego, my neighbour Mr. McKenzie, Mr. Willert Beale, and Mr. Maitland for their help in various ways; not forgetting the Eton boy, whose anonymity I preserve according to his desire. To Sir John Millais, Mr. Ashby Sterry, Mr. Horsley, Mr. Holman Hunt, and Mr. Cholmondeley Pennel I also offer my warmest acknowledgment for the papers they have so kindly contributed.