The choice, as every one knows, proved a happy one, Browne, who took the pseudonym of "Phiz" to correspond with the editorial "Boz," throwing himself heart and soul into the spirit of the work, and proving an ideal collaborator from the author's point of view. The ill-luck which had dogged the early days of _Pickwick_ turned out a blessing in disguise for Dickens, since he was no longer expected to exploit the talent of his illustrator, and was enabled to impress his own ideas and wishes upon "Phiz," his junior by three years. With the fourth number, which saw the first appearance of Samuel Weller, the circulation of the work began to go up by leaps and bounds; a Pickwick boom ensued, and many of the designs had to be etched in duplicate, as the plates showed signs of wear and tear. Owing to the lack of harmony between the illustrations in the first three numbers and those that followed, Browne was employed to redraw Seymour's plates, and to substitute two new designs for the despised Buss plates. The latter, which only appeared in about seven hundred copies of the original edition, are now as eagerly sought by collectors as if they were miniature masterpieces, while the untouched designs of Seymour rank far above those that were redrawn by Phiz. The authorised illustrations to the _Pickwick Papers_ have been supplemented by several series of "illegitimate" designs, chief among which are the famous Onwhyn plates, published in 1837, when the book was in the full tide of success. These consisted of thirty-two etchings on steel, the majority of which were executed by Thomas Onwhyn (died in 1886), and are signed "Samuel Weller," though a few have Onwhyn's initials. The plates were published by E. Grattan in eight monthly parts at a shilling each, and were afterwards sold in volume form at nine shillings. Onwhyn, who was the son of a bookseller, seemed determined to make a _specialité_ of Dickens' illustrations, for in 1838 he issued through Grattan no less than forty designs for _Nicholas Nickleby_, signed "Peter Palette"; while in 1848 he executed a second set of _Pickwick_ plates, which, in consequence of the republication of the earlier set, were not brought out till 1894, eight years after the artist's death. Though his technique was somewhat weak, Onwhyn's work shows considerable humour, and his uninvited designs now add great lustre, in the eyes of collectors, to an "extra-illustrated" copy of _The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club_. _Printed by_ MORRISON & GIBB LIMITED, _Edinburgh_ THE ILLUSTRATED POCKET LIBRARY OF PLAIN AND COLOURED BOOKS _Fcap. 8vo,_ 3s. 6d. _net each Volume_ MESSRS. METHUEN are publishing a series in small form of some of the rare and famous illustrated books of fiction and general literature, faithfully reprinted from the first or best editions without introduction or notes.