Part 6 (1/2)

Seymour, in the course of certain endeavours of hers to raise money, induced me to address a letter to Mr. Edward Chapman, then the only surviving business-partner in the original firm of Chapman & Hall, who first published 'The Pickwick Papers,' requesting him to inform me in writing whether the foregoing statement was correct.”

A few days later d.i.c.kens wrote to his eldest son a letter in which he says:--

”There has been going on for years an attempt on the part of Seymour's widow to extort money from me by representing that he had some inexplicable and ill-used part in the invention of Pickwick!!! I have disregarded it until now, except that I took the precaution some years ago to leave among my few papers Edward Chapman's testimony to the gross falsehood and absurdity of the idea.

”But, last week, I wrote a letter to the _Athenaeum_ about it, in consequence of Seymour's son reviving the monstrosity. I stated in that letter that I had never so much as seen Seymour but once in my life, and that was some eight-and-forty hours before his death.

”I stated also that two persons still living were present at the short interview. Those were your Uncle Frederick and your mother. I wish you would ask your mother to write to you, for my preservation among the aforesaid few papers, a note giving you her remembrance of that evening--of Frederick's afterwards knocking at our door before we were up, to tell us that it was in the papers that Seymour had shot himself, and of his perfect knowledge that the poor little man and I looked upon each other for the first and last time that night in Furnival's Inn.

”It seems a superfluous precaution, but I take it for the sake of our descendants long after you.”[12]

Footnote 12: This letter was first published in the Introduction, by the late Mr. Charles d.i.c.kens the Younger, to Macmillan & Co.'s edition of ”The Pickwick Papers,” 1892.

The ”few papers” here alluded to were destroyed before the novelist's death, with the exception of Edward Chapman's confirmatory letter.

Needless to say, both Mrs. Charles d.i.c.kens and Frederick d.i.c.kens entirely corroborated the novelist's a.s.sertions respecting his own share and that of Seymour in the origin of ”Pickwick.”

In concluding this account of a most unpleasant controversy, we may reasonably surmise that had not Seymour communicated his idea to Chapman, ”Pickwick” would never have been written. The proposal for a book similar in character certainly emanated from the artist, and in this sense he was, of course, the originator of that work, while to him also belongs the honour of inventing, pictorially, the portraits of the Pickwickians. But it was ”Boz, glorious Boz,” who vitalised the happy conception, by imparting thereto such prodigality of fun and so much individuality that ”The Pickwick Papers” at once leaped into fame, and, as all the world knows, was received with acclamation by every section of the public.

[Sidenote: =The Library of Fiction, 1836.=]

Coincident with the publication of the first monthly number of ”The Pickwick Papers,” there appeared the initial part of a new serial called ”The Library of Fiction,” which, under the editors.h.i.+p of Charles Whitehead, was launched by the same publishers. Whitehead, whose name has already been mentioned in connection with ”Pickwick,” became acquainted with d.i.c.kens at the time the latter was writing ”Sketches by Boz,” which he so much admired that he endeavoured to persuade the young author to contribute something of a similarly striking character to the projected ”Library of Fiction.” d.i.c.kens consented, and we find that his amusing little story, ent.i.tled ”The Tuggses at Ramsgate,” const.i.tutes the opening paper. Several of the articles and tales in ”The Library of Fiction” were ill.u.s.trated, and it is interesting to note that d.i.c.kens's contribution to the first part was embellished with two designs by Robert Seymour, engraved on wood by Landells. It is generally considered that Seymour's woodcut ill.u.s.trations are by far the best specimens of his talent, and the engravers of that day were exceedingly happy in reproducing the delicacy of touch and brilliancy of effect which distinguished the drawings made by him direct upon the blocks.

Seymour's first design represents the Tuggs family and their friends, Mr. and Mrs. Captain Waters, on the sands by the seaside, and it is interesting to learn that the fat man seated on a chair in front is said to be a portrait of the artist, as he appeared during the latter part of his life. The second ill.u.s.tration, depicting the incident of the irate Captain Waters discovering Mr. Cymon Tuggs behind the curtain, also formed the subject of George Cruikshank's etching for the little story when it was reprinted in the first edition of ”Sketches by Boz,”

published about some three years later, and, in comparing the separate designs, we find that they are almost identical, except that the two prominent figures in the etching are in reverse of those in the woodcut.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

PLATE XXII

ROBERT W. BUSS

From the Painting by Himself.

_Circa 1837._

ROBERT W. BUSS

Alteration in the Plan of Publis.h.i.+ng ”Pickwick”--The Difficulty Respecting a New Ill.u.s.trator--Buss Elected to Succeed Seymour--Studies Art under G. Clint, A.R.A.--His Painting of ”Christmas in the Olden Time”--His Ignorance of the Etcher's Art--Practises Drawing in Pen-and-ink--”THE PICKWICK PAPERS”--Buss's First Plate Approved by the Publishers--Failure of Subsequent Attempts--Expert a.s.sistance Obtained--Plates Cancelled--Buss Dismissed--Subst.i.tuted Designs by ”Phiz”--”Pickwick”

Drawings by Buss--His Unused Designs for ”Pickwick”--His Ill.u.s.trations for Marryat, Ainsworth, &c.--Accurate Draughtsmans.h.i.+p--”THE LIBRARY OF FICTION”--Buss's Ill.u.s.trations for ”A Little Talk about Spring and the Sweeps”--His Paintings, Humorous and Historical--Some d.i.c.kens Pictures--Drawings of Scenes in ”Dombey and Son”--An Unfinished Portrait of d.i.c.kens--Drawings on Wood for Charles Knight--Exclusion of the Artist Buss's Pictures from the Royal Academy--Endeavours to Obtain Pupils--Lectures on Art--His Wife and Daughter Establish a School for Girls--A Professor of Drawing and a Teacher of Science--Praiseworthy Industry--Death of the Artist.

Charles d.i.c.kens's brother-in-law, the late Mr. Henry Burnett, was a frequent visitor at the home of the novelist during the ”Pickwick”

period, and years afterwards he vividly recalled the consternation, disappointment, and anxiety of the young writer on receipt of the melancholy news concerning the distressing fate of Robert Seymour, the first ill.u.s.trator of ”The Pickwick Papers.” d.i.c.kens greatly admired the productions of that unfortunate artist, and, realising how successfully he had so far portrayed the characters in the work, apprehended there would be much difficulty in discovering a draughtsman who could interpret him with equal felicity. Indeed, there was quite a dearth of suitable talent, the only artist then living capable of etching his own designs being George Cruikshank. Unfortunately, there was not much time for consideration, as the third number of ”Pickwick” had to be provided for without delay.

The crisis brought about by the unexpected death of Seymour compelled Chapman & Hall to promptly carry into effect a resolution they had formed of issuing future numbers of ”The Pickwick Papers” on an improved plan, with a view to enhancing the attractiveness and popularity of the work. They determined that each succeeding number should consist of thirty-two pages of letterpress instead of twenty-four, and that there should be two ill.u.s.trations in lieu of four--an arrangement which held good to the end. The difficulty respecting an ill.u.s.trator to succeed Seymour had now to be grappled with, whereupon the publishers called to their a.s.sistance the eminent wood-engraver, John Jackson, who advised them to approach Robert William Buss, as being the only artist of his acquaintance likely to prove the most suitable for the purpose. Chapman & Hall acted upon this suggestion, and Buss, after much persuasion and at great personal inconvenience, agreed to temporarily relinquish very important engagements in order to a.s.sist them in their dilemma.