John Leech; his life and work (Volume 1) online

THE LIBRARY

OF

THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA

LOS ANGELES




JOHN LEECH

anb



\







JOHN LEECH



s fit* ani SHorfe



WILLIAM POWELL FRITH, R.A.




WITH PORTRAIT AND NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS



IN TWO VOLUMES
VOL. I.



LONDON
RICHARD BENTLEY AND SON

publishers in tfrbinimi to jer Jtinjcstt) the Queen
1891

[All rig/its rcse>~'fd}



y. J



thie

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.



20GG482



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 con-
temporaries ; 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 remin-
iscences, have been placed unreservedly at my dis-
posal. From Mr. Kitton's memoir of Leech I have
derived, through the author's kindness, much ad-
vantage ; and to Mr. Thornber, a well-known col-
lector of Leech's works, I owe the opportunity of
selecting some of the best illustrations that grace
the book.



viii PREFACE

I also desire to express my gratitude to the pro-
prietors 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 P^lnch. I owe to those gentle-
men 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 pre-
serve according to his desire.

To Sir John Millais, Mr. Ashby Sterry, Mr.
Horsley, Mr. Holman Hunt, and Mr. Cholmondeley
Fennel I also offer my warmest acknowledgment for
the papers they have so kindly contributed.

In conclusion, I permit myself a few words in ex-
planation of that which I know will be laid to my
charge, namely, that my book tells too little of Leech
and too much of his work, and that it is chrono-
logically deficient. In excuse I plead that the life of
Leech as I knew it from its early days was, like that
of most artists, entirely devoid of such incidents as
would interest the public ; and that from the diffi-
culty of acquiring certain information, and the vary-
ing times at which it was supplied, chronological
accuracy was impossible.



CONTENTS OF VOL. I.



CHAPTtK PAGE

PROLOGUE .... .1

I. EARLY DAYS ...... 3

H. EARLY WORK . . . . . .20

III. MR. PERCIVAL LEIGH AND LEECH . . 75

IV. MEETING OF MULREADY AND LEECH . . -95
V. " THE PHYSIOLOGY OF EVENING PARTIES," BY ALBERT

SMITH ...... 104

VI. JOHN LEECH AND THE ETON BOY . . 130

vii. MR. SPONGE'S SPORTING TOUR . -137

VIII. " THE MARCHIONESS OF BRINVILLIERS," BY ALBERT

SMITH . . . . . . 1 5 I

IX. ' THE MARCHIONESS OF BRINVILLIERS " CONTINUED 163

X. "A MAN MADE OF MONEY," BY DOUGLAS JERROLD . 178

XI. ALBERT SMITH AND LEECH .... 206

XII. MR. ADAMS AND LEECH . . . 233

xin. "COMIC GRAMMAR" AND "COMIC HISTORY". . 255



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS



PAGE

PORTRAIT OF JOHN LEECH . . . Frontispiece

HERCULES RETURNING FROM A FANCY BALL . To face p. 3
PHYSICIAN AND GENERAL PRACTITIONER . . -27

" WHERE 'AVE WE BIN ? WHY, TO SEE THE COVE 'UNG, TO

BE SURE !" . . . . .29

AN EYE TO BUSINESS . . . . -31

BUT AUGUSTUS'S HEART WAS TOO FULL TO SPEAK . 33

" SIR ! PLEASE, MR. ! SIR ! YOU'VE FORGOT THE DOOR-
KEY !" . . . . . . -3$

ETON BOY (loq.} : " Come, governor ! just one toast ' The

Ladies'!" ...... 39

THE RETURN FROM THE DERBY . . . -43

THE DERBY EPIDEMIC . . . . -44

SOMETHING LIKE A HOLIDAY . . . .46

ALARMING SYMPTOMS ON EATING BOILED BEEF AND GOOSE-
BERRY-PIE . . . . . -47

"SO YOU HAVE TAKEN ALL YOUR STUFF, AND DON'T FEEL

ANY BETTER, EH ?" . . . . -5



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS



1'AGE

AWFUL APPARITION TO A GENTLEMAN WHILST SHAVING IN

THE EDOWARE ROAD, SEPTEMBER 29, 1846 . 51

"A HOLDER AND A THINNER WINE" . . -53

" HOLLO ! Hi! HERE, SOMEBODY! I'VE TURNED ON THE

HOT WATER, AND I CAN'T TURN IT OFF AGAIN !" . 54
SYMPTOMS OF A MASQUERADE . . . -55

THE RISING GENERATION . . . . -57

THE IRREPRESSIBLE JUVENILE . . . 58

THE RISING GENERATION . . . . -59

SERVANT-GAL-ISM . . . . . -63

THE RISING GENERATION . . . . -65

SPECIAL CONSTABLE : " Now mind, you know if I kill you,

it's nothing ; but if you kill me, by Jove ! it's murder !'' 67
RECREATIONS IN NATURAL HISTORY . . .69

CABMAN is SUPPOSED TO HAVE TAKEN A WRONG TURN-
ING, THAT'S ALL . . . . -70

MR. BRIGGS DOES A LITTLE SHOOTING . . -73

" FIDDLE-FADDLE " FASHIONS . . . .90

"FIDDLE-FADDLE" FASHIONS . . . 9 1

THE MULREADY ENVELOPE . . . .96

FORES'S COMIC ENVELOPE . . . . -97

MAMMA AND THE GIRLS . . . . .106

Two RUDE YOUNG MEN . . . . .107

THE HEAD OF THE HOUSE . . . .108

AN OLIVE-BRANCH . . . . . .109

Two "GANGLING" YOUNG MEN . . . .no

PREPARING FOR THE BALL . : l T



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS



PAGE

THE ASSISTANT- WAITER . . . . .112

THE BAND . . . . . . .112

WALLFLOWERS . . . . . .114

MR. LEDBURY . . . . . . 115

MR. LEDBURY AND Miss HAMILTON . . .116

THE WALTZ . . . . . .118

IN THE CONSERVATORY . . . . .119

THE BELLE OF THE EVENING . . . .120

MR. LEDBURY'S HAT . . . . .121

MR. PERCIVAL JENKS . . . . -123

CLOWN: " Oh, see what I've found !" . . .127

Miss CINTHIA SINGS . . . . .128

DREADFUL FOR YOUNG OXFORD . . . 131

Miss LUCY AND MR. SPONGE .... 1.49

LE PREMIER PAS .... To face p. 160

DEATH OF ST. CROIX . . . . 172

A FAMILY PICTURE . . . . .189

AND THERE STOOD JERICHO .... 203

MR. SIMMONS'S ATTEMPT AT REFORM . . .215

THE BELLE OF THE MONTH AUGUST TAKING A " CONSTI-
TUTIONAL "IN KENSINGTON GARDENS. TIME, 8 A.M. 221
THE BALCONY NUISANCE . . . . .223

THE BELLE OF THE MONTH NOVEMBER "IN DISTRESS

OFF A LEE-SHORE BRIGHTON PIER " . .229

" Now, JACK, MY BOY ! THERE'S NO TIME TO LOSE ! WE'VE

TEN MILES TO GO TO COVER "... 245
EFFECTS OF A FALL. ..... 253



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS



PAGE

BILLY TAYLOR ...... 256

"WHERE GOT'S THOU THAT GOOSE ? LOOK!" . . 257

QUEEN ELEANOR AND FAIR ROSAMOND . . .261

KING EDWARD INTRODUCING HIS SON AS PRINCE OF

WALES TO HIS NEWLY-ACQUIRED SUBJECTS . . 262

UNSEEMLY CONDUCT OF HENRY, PRINCE OF WALES . 263
THE DUKE OF GLOUCESTER GOES INTO MOURNING FOR

HIS LITTLE NEPHEWS . . . . .264

MARY'S ELOPEMENT 266



JOHN LEECH:

HIS LIFE AND WORK



PROLOGUE.

" 'LEECH' (spelt ' leick') is an old Saxon word for
' surgeon,' " writes a friend to me. "Hence, as you
know, the employment of the word ' leech ' as a term
applied in former times to doctors."

Though Leech is not a common name, I have met
with several bearers of it under every variety of spell-
ing that the word was capable of- Leech, Lietch,
Leich, Leeche, Leitch, etc. Only two of the owners
of these names became known to fame John, of
immortal memory, and, longo intervallo, William
Leitch, a Scottish artist, and landscape-painter of
considerable merit, whose pictures, generally of a
classic character, found favour amongst a certain
class of buyers. A large subject of much beauty was
engraved, and, I think, formed the prize-engraving
for the year for the Art Union of London. I have
no doubt William Leitch was frequently asked if he
were related to John. The sound of the names was
similar, and few inquirers knew of the difference in

VOL. I. I



2 JOHN LEECH : HIS LIFE AND WORK

the spelling. Whether William was asked the ques-
tion or not I cannot speak to with certainty ; but that
John was I am sure, because he told me so himself,
and, as well as I can recall them, in the following
words :

" / was asked the other day if I were related to a
man of the same name a Scotchman a landscape-
painter. He spells his name L-e-i-t-c-h, yo2i know.
I said, ' No ; the Scotch gentleman s name is spelt in
the Scotch way, with the 'itch in it! Not bad, eh?
I hope nobody will tell him /"

/ met William Leitch several times (he died long
ago], and was always charmed by his refined and
gentle manner ; but we never became intimate, so I
cannot say I had the following anecdote from himself ;
but it was told me by an intimate friend of the artist,
who assured me that he had it from Leitch direct.

Leitch had a considerable practice as a drawing-
master, chiefly amongst the higher classes. He taught
the very highest, for he gave lessons to the Queen her-
self. I have never had the honour of seeing any of
her Majesty's drawings, but I have had the advantage
of her criticism, and I can well believe in the reports
of the excellence of her work.

The story goes that one day, in the course of a
lesson, the Queen let her pencil fall to the ground.
Both master and pupil stooped to pick it up ; and, to
the horror of Leitch, there was a collision the master s
head struck that of his royal pupil f and before he
could stammer an apology, the Queen said, smiling :

" Well, Mr. Leitch, if we bring our heads together
in this way, I ought to improve rapidly."



*




[3]



CHAPTER I.

EARLY DAYS.

ON the 2Qth of August, 1817, a boy was born in
London gifted with a genius which, in the short
time allowed for its development, delighted and
astonished the world. The child's name was Leech,
and he was christened John. The Leech family
was of Irish extraction. From information received,
it appears that the father of Leech, also called John,
was possessed of an uncle who had made a large
fortune as the owner of the London Coffee- House,
Ludgate Hill. With this fortune he retired, leaving
his nephew to reign in his stead at the Coffee-House,
not without a reasonable hope and expectation that
the nephew would follow in the uncle's prosperous
footsteps. But times had changed. Clubs were
being formed, and the customers of the Ludgate Hill
place of entertainment preferred to be enrolled as
members of the novel institutions rather than subject



4 JOHN LEECH: HIS LIFE AND WORK

themselves to the somewhat mixed company at
the Coffee- House. Leech's establishment, however,
struggled on into my early time, for I can well
remember being advised, if I wished for a good and
wonderfully cheap dinner, consisting as per adver-
tisement of quite startling varieties of dishes, my
desire might be gratified by payment of eighteen-
pence to the authorities at the London Coffee- House,
Ludgate Hill.

I do not know the precise time at which the
doors of the Coffee- House were finally closed and the
father Leech, with his large family, was thrown
upon the world ; but it must have been some years
after the subject of this memoir had been enrolled
amongst the Charterhouse scholars, an event that
took place when he was seven years old. Previous
to this by about four years, some feeble buds of the
genius that blossomed so abundantly afterwards are
said to have shown themselves, and to have been
observed by Flaxman as the child sat with pencil
and paper on his mother's knee. The great sculptor
is reported to have said :

" This drawing is wonderful. Do not let him be
cramped by drawing-lessons ; let his genius follow
its own bent. He will astonish the world."

I venture to think that for this story a grain of



EARLY DAYS



salt would be by no means sufficient. No drawing
done by a child of three years old, however gifted,
could be "wonderful" in the estimation of Flaxman;
and that such an artist as he was should have said
anything so foolish as what is tantamount to advising
a parent against " learning to draw " I take the
liberty of disbelieving. Flaxman was a friend of
the Leeches, and in after years, while John Leech
was still a youth, the sculptor again examined some
of his sketches, and, after looking well at them, he
very likely said, as is reported :

" That boy must be an artist ; he will be nothing
else."

A child of seven seems almost cruelly young to
be subjected to the hardships of a public school.

" I thought," wrote John's father, "that I was not
wrong in sending him thus early, as Dr. Russell,
the head-master, had a son of the same age in
the school, and John was in the same form with
him."

No doubt the elder Leech felt much the parting
from his little son, but to Mrs. Leech the boy's
leaving home was a severe blow ; the mother's
heart would no doubt realize and exaggerate the
perils to mind and body arising from contact with
something like six hundred fellow-pupils, scarcely



6 JOHN LEECH: HIS LIFE AND WORK

one so young, and none so loving and lovable as her
little boy. John was boarded at a house close by
the Charterhouse, and only allowed to go home
at rare intervals. The fond mother, however, could
not live without seeing him, and to enable her to
gratify her longing, a room was hired in a house
overlooking the boy's playground, from which, care-
fully hidden, she could see her little son as he
walked and talked with the form-fellow, " the par-
ticular friend " to whom a sympathetic nature had
attached him ; or watch him as he joined heart and
soul in some game not too rough for a fall from
his pony, by which his arm had been broken and was
still far from strong, made such rough sports as are
common to schoolboys too dangerous to be indulged
in.

The Charterhouse rejoiced in a drawing-master
named Burgess. Upon what principles that master
proceeded to train the youth of Charterhouse I am
unable to speak ; they were most likely those in
vogue at the time of young Leech's sojourn. If
they were of that description, it was fortunate that
Leech paid as is said little or no attention to
them, finding a difficulty, no doubt, in applying
them to the sketches that constantly fell from him
on to the pages of his school-books.



EARLY DAYS



It may be urged that when Flaxman warned the
boy's mother against teaching as being sure to cramp
her son's genius, he alluded to the Burgess method.
That may have been so. But a man like Flaxman,
who had possessed himself by severest study as a
young man of the means by which his powers were
developed, would, I think, have been sure to warn
Mrs. Leech of the difference between the teaching
that would be mischievous, and that which is
proved to be indispensable by the universal practice
of the greatest painters. I am aware I shall be
confronted with the case of John Leech, who was, so
to speak, entirely self-taught ; but Leech was not a
painter, and certainly never could have become a
good one without training ; besides, he was alto-
gether exceptional unique, in fact. In my opinion,
we are as likely to see another Shakespeare or
Dickens as another Leech.

This is a digression, for which I apologize. I
cannot find that my hero I may call him such, for
he was ever a hero to me paid much attention to
classical knowledge. Latin verses were impossible
to him, but they had to be done ; so, as he said, he
"got somebody to do them for him." In spite of
his weak arm, he fenced with Angelo, the school
fencing-master ; but, beyond the advantage of the



8 JOHN LEECH: HIS LIFE AND WORK

exercise, the accomplishment was of no use to
him.

Here I cannot resist an anecdote of which the
fencing reminds me.

Some years before Leech's death the editor of a
newspaper, who was remarkable for the severity of
his criticisms and for his extreme personal ugliness,
had made some caustic remarks on Leech's work in
general, and on some special drawings in particular.

" If that chap," said Leech to me, "doesn't mind
what he is about, I will draw and defend myself"
an idle threat, for nothing could have provoked that
gentle, noble nature into personality, no trace of
which is to be found in the long list of his admirable
works.

Several letters, delightfully boyish, written by
Leech to his father from the Charterhouse, are in
my possession. Some of them, I think, may appro-
priately appear in this place.

"Septr 19 1826
" DEAR PAPA

" I hope you are quite well. I beg you will
let me come out to see you for I am so dull here,
and I am always fretting about, because I wrote to
you yesterday and you would not let me come out.



EARLY DAYS



I will fag hard if you will let me come out, and will
you write to me, and the letter that you write put in
when you are going to Esex and when you return
for I want to very particularly

" How is Mamma, Brother and Sisters
" I hope Ester is quite well,

" Your affectionate
''Son

" J LEECH

" I am very sorry that I stayed away from School
with - but I promise never to do it again and I
beg you will let me come out on Sunday."



"Charter House October 2 1826
" MY DEAR PAPA.

" You told me to write to you when the re-
ports where made out, they are made out now,
and mine is, does his Best. I hope you are quite
well, and Mamma the same. I hope Tom Mary
Caroline, and Ester are quite well. I have not
spoken to Mr Chapman yet about the tuter, and
drawing Master, because I had not an oppertunity,
send me a cake as soon as it is convenient

" Your affectionate son

"J LEECH."



10 JOHN LEECH: HIS LIFE AND WORK

[No date.]
" MY DEAR PAPA.

" I write this note to know how poor little
Polly is I hope she is better to day pray write to me
before the day is over and tell me how she is. I
hope you and Mamma Tom and Fanny are all well
since I left you last night.

" I am happy to say I am at the very top off the
Form

" Tell Mamma not to forget to come and see me
on Wenesday as she said she would. I would write
to Polly now only I have not time pray give Polly a
1000 kiss for me and Fanny and Tom the same.
As I said before I hope poor little Polly is better.

" Your affectionate
" Son

" J LEECH."



"Mv DEAR PAPA,

" My report was made out yesterday but I
forgot to write to you therefore I tell you to-day,
it was (generally attentive) If any afternoon or
morning that you have time I should be very happy
to see you. You can see me in the morning from
12 to half-past two and in the evening from 4
till 9.



EARLY DAYS 11



" Send me another suit of clothes if you please
and a cap. Mind the gloves. I hope Polly con-
tinues to get better and I hope you and Mamma
Brother and sisters are quite well. Send me a
penknife if you please. I remain

" Your affectionate
" Son

"J LEECH."



" DEAR PAPA

"Will you let me come out to see you once
before my sisters go to school, for I feel quite un-
happy here and miserable. I am afraid I shall not
be able to get promoted yet, therefore I am afraid I
shant be able to come out. But you promised me
that if I did not get promoted you would let me
come out. I try as much as I can to get promoted,
do let me come out once before my Sisters go to
School.

" Your affectionate
"Son

"J LEECH

" Tell Mamma to send me a cake as soon as she
can

" Send me some money as soon as you can."



12 JOHN LEECH : HIS LIFE AND WORK

"September 14 1827
"My DEAR PAPA.

" I am happy to say that Mr Baliscombe says
that for my Holiday Task I deserve promotion and
says it is very well done indeed, come and see me
as soon as you can. I think I shall get promoted
when Dr Russell sees my Holiday Task In fact
Mr Baliscombe is going to ask him to put me up.
I hope you and Mamma are quite well. Springett
went to the play he tells me and did not come back
till the morning. I hope dear old Camello and the
dear little Baby Bunning are quite well, would you
mind sending Mrs Jeffkins some partridges for I
know she would like some. Tell Mamma to write
to me as soon as she possibly can.

" Your affectionate
"Son

" J LEECH

" P.S. I would not send the porter only I have
got neither wafer nor seal' wax."



"Sepr i6th 1827

" MY DEAR PAPA.

" I am very happy indeed to say that I am
promoted for I know it makes you happy, let me
come out next Saturday and come and see me to-



EARLY DAYS 13



morrow. I have no sealing wax or would not send
the porter.

" I hope you are quite well and Mamma and Old
Camello and the little Baby Bunning the same

" Your affectionate
"Son

"J LEECH."



" DEAR PAPA

" As I am rather short of money and want to
keep my money I've got, I should be much obliged
if you would give my ambassador 18 pence or so as
I've promised a boy at school one of those small
bladders to make balloons of, if you remember you
bought me one once. I hope you are all well
" I remain

" Your affectionate son

"J LEECH."



" DEAR PAPA

" Will you be so kind as to send me half a
crown by the porter and allowence me every week
" I was obliged to send the porter
" I hope you Mamma Brothers and sisters are

quite well.

" Your affectionate son

" J LEECH."



14 JOHN LEECH : HIS LIFE AND WORK

\No date.~\

" MY DEAR MAMMA

" I understand that you came to see me yes-
terday, and me being in the green, you did not see
me, so that made me still more unhappy, I beg you
will come and see me on Saturday for I am very
unhappy.

" I want to see you or Papa very much indeed.
" Your affectionate son

"J LEECH."



" MY DEAR PAPA.

" You desired me to send you my report I
have not had it since the last one. I went into be
examined by Dr Russell yesterday but I did not get
promoted but I did not lose more than one or two
places. I will send you my next report. I hope
you are quite well.

" Mamma and Brother and sisters the Same

"Your affectionate
"Son

" J LEECH.

" I would have written to you sooner but / had
not time"



EARLY DAYS



Leech made no way at the Charterhouse ; never
approaching the position held by Thackeray, who
was four years his senior : indeed, I doubt that they
saw, or cared to see, much of each other, little
dreaming that they would ultimately become dear
and fast friends till death separated them, only to
meet again, as we believe, after the sad, short
interval that elapsed between the deaths of each.

I cannot say I believe in inherited talent, but the
fact that the elder Leech was said to be a remarkable
draughtsman seems to strengthen the theory held by
some people. I have never seen any specimens of
the father's drawing, nor did I ever hear the son
speak of it. Anyway, Leech pere had no faith in the
practice of art as a means of livelihood for his son,
for he informed the youth, after a nine years' at-
tendance at the Charterhouse, that he was destined
for the medical profession. There is no record of
any objection on the part of Leech to his father's
decision, at which I feel surprise ; for the flame
which burnt so brilliantly in after-life must have been
always well alight, and very antagonistic to the kind
of work required from the embryo surgeon. Leech's
gentle yielding nature influenced him then as always ;
and he went to St. Bartholomew's, where under
Mr. Stanley, the surgeon of the hospital, he worked



16 JOHN LEECH: HIS LIFE AND WORK

hard and delighted his master by his excellent
anatomical drawings. From these studies may be
traced, I think, much of the knowledge of the human
form, and above all of proportion, always displayed
in his work; for in those wonderful drawings, whether
a figure is tall or short, fat or thin, whether he deals
with a child or a giant, with a dog or a horse, no
disproportion can be found.

It appears that the elder Leech's affairs were
already in such an embarrassed condition, that an
intention to place his son with Sir George Ballingall,
an eminent Scottish doctor, was abandoned, and
after a time he was placed with a Mr. Whittle, a
very remarkable person, who figures under the name
of Rawkins in a novel written by Albert Smith and
illustrated by Leech. Smith's work, with the title of
"The Adventures of Mr. Ledbury and his Friend
Jack Johnson," was first published in Bentleys
Miscellany.

" Mr. Rawkins," says Albert Smith, " was so
" extraordinary a person for a medical practitioner
" that, had we only read of him instead of having
" known him, we should at once have put him down
" as the far-fetched creation of the author's brain.
"He was about eight-and-thirty years old, and of
"herculean build except his legs, which were small



EARLY DAYS 17



" in comparison with the rest of his body. But he