It will be readily perceived that the literary part of thiswork is of humble pretensions. One object alone hasbeen aimed at and it is hoped with success—to selector to invent those incidents which might be interestingor amusing in themselves, while they afforded scope forthe peculiar talents of the artist who adorns them withhis designs. The selection was more difficult than mayat first sight be supposed. It is true, there is no paucityof subjects of wit and humour, but he who willtake the trouble to examine them, will find how few areadapted for pictorial representation. No artist can embodya point of wit, and the humour of many of themost laughable stories would vanish at the touch of thepencil of the most ingenious designer in the world.Those ludicrous subjects only which are rich in the humourof situation are calculated for graphic illustration.To prove the following anecdotes are not deficientin this respect, no other appeal is necessary thanto the plates themselves. Look at the breadth of thehumour, the point of the situation, the selection of thefigures, the action, and its accompaniments, and deny(without a laugh on the face) that this portion of thework answers the end in view. In all this the writer orcompiler, or whatever he may be called, claims little[Pg iv]merit. That the whole effect is comic, that the personsare ludicrous, and engaged in laughable groups and surroundedwith objects which tend to broaden the grin,all this, and a thousand times more, belongs to Mr.Cruikshank;—the writer only claims the merit ofhaving suggested to him the materials.
Some of the ten points, now submitted to the public,arise out of a reprint of that admirable piece ofhumour, the Jolly Beggars of Burns;—A part of hisworks almost unknown to the public, in consequenceof the scrupulousness of the poet's biographer andeditor, who withheld them from the world. Lest