John Leech, His Life and Work. Vol. 1 [of 2]

Of all the Belles of the Month, the belle of the month November is perhaps the most lovable. There she stands on Brighton Pier – stands, that is to say, as well as she can on those pretty feet of hers, against a wind that is so boisterously rude to her and to her mother, whose figure, blown out of shape, makes a striking contrast to her daughter’s. The little dog declines to face the gale, which seems likely to carry him away altogether, as well as the struggling child behind. The touches of cloud and sea, together with the screaming gulls, are indicated with the facile skill peculiar to Leech.

In a paper headed “Hotels,” Mr. Smith expatiates somewhat tediously on the “old-established house” of the “old coaching days.” He says “the inmates of the coffee-room were mostly commercial travellers.” Those gentlemen may have been permitted to use the coffee-room; but my recollection of such places tells me that the commercials always had a room of their own, specially provided for them.

The writer goes on to tell us that “the commercial gents,” on the occasion of his discovery of them in the coffee-room, “pulled off their boots – not a very delicate performance – before everybody; and then, after sitting over the fire, and drinking hot brown brandy and water until they were nearly at red heat, ordered ‘a pan of coals,’ and went to bed.”

Yes; and provided an excellent subject for Leech, worthy of being reproduced here, or anywhere, if only for that inimitable old chambermaid, who has lighted commercial gents to bed any time these forty years.

Judging from the twist of the commercial’s necktie as he follows, or rather staggers, after the ancient maid, the brown brandy has done its work; and it is ten to one against his carrying that box of patterns safely upstairs.

One boot is successfully removed from commercial number two, and it will evidently not be the fault of the man who is struggling with the other if it does not follow suit.

Let the observer note the marked difference in character in all these figures, as well as the skill and truth with which the details in the room are rendered.

In 1851 Bloomerism was in full bloom, or rather the attempts of few foolish people to make it prevail amongst us were so persistent as to bring upon them attacks by pen and pencil.

As I have already drawn attention to the craze, and to some examples of the way Leech dealt with it, I should have made no further allusion to the subject had I not found in the pages of the Month drawings of such charm that, in justice to the magazine and my readers, I felt I must notice them.

First, then, we have a Bloomer whip “tooling” her friends down to the races. If Bloomerism prevailed, this is the sight that Epsom might have seen in the year 1851, to say nothing of equestrian bloomers of whose horsewomanship Leech shows us examples.

I think in my last selection from the Month I might claim for myself a position resembling that of the pyrotechnic artist whose display of fireworks culminates in a glorious blaze in the last scene of his entertainment, if I were permitted to introduce it.

My firework takes the form of a bouquet of young ladies at some “ancestral home” in the country, who have just received a box of books from London – perhaps from Mudie. What a bevy of beauties! – two of them already absorbed in the last new novel, while another makes off with an armful of treasures.

When I say that this drawing – whether we regard it as a composition of figures and of light and shade, or as an example of Leech’s supreme power over grace of action and beauty – is worthy of admiration for itself, and of our gratitude to the Month for the opportunity of reproducing it, I fear no contradiction.

CHAPTER XII

MR. ADAMS AND LEECH

In the pursuit of material for this memoir, I have had the good fortune to make the acquaintance of one of Leech’s earliest and most constant friends, Mr. Charles F. Adams, of Barkway, Hertfordshire. This gentleman is the beau-idéal of a country squire – handsome, hale and hearty, though far past middle age.

The letters I am privileged to publish show the terms on which the friends lived, and prove beyond a doubt that many of the hunting scenes which sparkle so brilliantly and so frequently in the pages of “Life and Character” owe their origin to the opportunities afforded to the artist by his friend.

This long-continued intimacy commenced when the men were both young; and the very first development of Leech’s taste for horses began with his acquaintance with Mr. Adams. It is told of that gentleman that, being the possessor of two horses, and being at that early time employed in business in London during the day, the night served him and Leech for a wild career, Adams driving his horses tandem-fashion far into the country, rousing sleepy toll-keepers and terrifying belated wayfarers, while Leech’s watchful eye noted incidents for future illustration.

That Leech could sing, and sing well, I know, for I have often heard him troll forth in a deep voice his favourite song of “King Death”; but that he had ever performed in public I was unaware till enlightened by Mr. Adams, who told me that it was a favourite and not infrequent prank of these two spirits to disguise themselves in imitation of street-musicians, and, with the assistance of a young fellow named Milburn, as wild as themselves, descend upon the London streets, and by singing glees make “a lot of money.”

“Leech used to go round with the hat,” said Adams; “but we never could make the fellow look common enough. Still, he collected a good deal, though he failed on one occasion; for, on presenting his hat to a bystander, who had been an attentive listener, the man claimed exemption as being in ‘the profession,’ in proof of which he produced a fiddle from behind him.”

Barkway is in the heart of a hunting country, and the meets of the “Puckeridge” frequently took place near Mr. Adams’ house, or at an easy distance from it. The house itself – a large mass of red brick, ivy, gables, and twisted chimneys – is one of those old places which have been enlarged to suit modern convenience without any sacrifice of the original design and quaint character.

“Ah,” said my host, as he showed me into his dining-room, “what happy times we have had in this room, when Leech, Millais, Lemon – editor of Punch, you know, long ago – Tenniel, and others, found themselves round that table!”

The following letters, with their too few characteristic sketches, prove the affectionate intimacy between Leech and his friend.

“To Charles F. Adams, Esq“August 9, 1847.

“My dear Charley,

“You will be glad to hear that I have got a little daughter, and that both mother and child are doing well. Mrs. Leech was taken ill, unfortunately, at the end of our trip to Liverpool – where, as perhaps you are aware, Dickens and some of us had been acting for Leigh Hunt’s benefit – and she was confined at the Victoria Hotel, Euston Square, where she is now. I thought you would like to hear the news, so send off these few lines. Give my kindest regards to Mrs. Adams, and believe me, old boy,

“Yours faithfully,“John Leech.”

In a letter written to Mr. Adams a week later, Leech recommends a young gentleman to the care of his friend, in the hope that if Mr. Adams has “the opportunity, he will give the applicant something to do in his profession.” The letter closes by this announcement:

“You will be glad to hear, I am sure, that Mrs. Leech, and my daughter! are both ‘going on’ famously.

“Ever, my dear Charley,“Yours faithfully,“John Leech.

“Given up hunting? Not a bit of it.”

“January – , 1847.

“My dear Charley,

“Mark (Lemon) and I were talking only the other day about beating up your quarters towards the end of this month; and, with your permission, if the frost goes, we intend to do so. We thought of riding down – I on the old mare; and he on a ‘seven-and-sixpenny.’…

“Is there anything in the shape of a good cob that could hunt if wanted down in your parts? Possibly I could get rid of the mare in the way of a chop. I have been riding a nearly thoroughbred mare for the last week on trial. A very nice thing, but too much in this way.

“I want something more of this kind – a good one to go, and pleasant to ride.

“Yours ever faithfully,“J. L.”“April 17, 1848.

“My dear Charley,

“… Old Mark and I were special constables on Monday last. You would have laughed to see us on duty, trying the area gates, etc., Mark continually finding excuses for taking a small glass of ale or brandy and water. Policeman’s duty is no joke. I had to patrol about from ten at night till one in the morning, and heartily sick of it I was. It was only my loyalty and extreme love of peace and order that made me stand it…

“Ever yours faithfully,“John Leech.”

My elderly readers will bear in mind April 10, 1848, and the monster petition of the Chartists, which they were not allowed to present to Parliament in the threatening form they had arranged, with other alarming signs of that troubled time – the flight of Louis Philippe, Continental thrones tottering, and the rest of it.

In his correspondence with Mr. Adams, Leech constantly reminds his friend of his objection to high-spirited horses. Under date February 18, 1849, he asks Mr. Adams if he can hire “an ’unter from Ware.”

“I should prefer,” he adds, “something like the old brown horse Mark had last year. If he comes, of course he must have the same nag he had when he was at Barkway; but, mind, I won’t have a beast that pulls, or bolts, or any nonsense of the kind. I come out for pleasure, and not to be worried. Tell Mrs. Adams I shall not be half such an objectionable visitor as I have been heretofore, seeing that I have left off SMOKING!..

“My very kind regards to Mrs. Adams, your little ones, and my good friends in your neighbourhood.

“Believe me, old fellow,“Yours ever faithfully,“John Leech.”“February 7, 1850.

“My dear Charley,

“I am longing to see you, and have a ride across country with you. Do you think I could have the horse Mark Lemon had when he was down at Barkway? Or if I couldn’t have that one, do you know of any other that would be equally TEMPERATE and WELL-BEHAVED? I have no horse at present. The last I had came down; and I am rather particular in consequence.

“Give me a line, old fellow, and let me know when the hounds meet near you…

“Yours faithfully,“John Leech.”

One of Mr. Adams’ daughters, Charlotte, surnamed Chatty – then a small child, now a lady whose age is borne so well as to make it difficult to believe that she lived so long ago as 1850 – whose acquaintance I had the pleasure of making the other day, told me of her frequent visits to the Leeches, and of the never-ceasing care and tenderness of Leech.

In a letter from Broadstairs, written in the autumn of 1850 to Mr. Adams, Leech says:

“You will be glad to hear that Chatty is as well as possible, and is now going to have a long day’s work (!) on the sands.”

Again, after a good deal of horsy talk:

“Mrs. Leech and Chatty with her will return for good to Notting Hill on Saturday, when we shall be glad to have her with us as long as you can spare her. Apropos of dear Chatty, I am sure her mamma will be glad to hear that she has been uninterruptedly cheerful and well, and has certainly proved herself one of the best-tempered, best-hearted little creatures possible. She desires me to send you all her best love and kisses…

“Ever faithfully,“J. L.”“31, Notting Hill Terrace,“February 18, 1852.

“My dear Charley,

“It will give me the greatest pleasure to come and see you. Mark (Lemon) says he will accompany me at the end of this month. Will that suit Mrs. Adams? I want much to SEE some hunting, as I want some materials for the work I am illustrating – indeed, I was going to propose a run down to you myself. Will you let us know when the hounds meet near you? Is the horse I had before still alive, I wonder? or could you, if I came, get me a horse ‘in every way suitable for a timid, elderly gentleman’?

*****

“I was very glad to hear from you, old boy. In great haste, but with our united best regards to Mrs. Adams and yourself.

“Believe me“Ever yours faithfully,“John Leech.

“C. F. Adams, Esq.”

“Punch Office, 85, Fleet Street,“Saturday, February 28, 1852.

“My dear Charley,

“‘The change in the administration’ so upset our arrangements that I could not settle what day to come down to you. I propose now to come down to-morrow (Sunday) evening, so if you can get me a rocking-horse, or a clothes-horse, or any horse excessively quiet and accommodating, I will go out with you on Monday. Mark, having an appointment early on Monday with ‘her Majesty,’ or somebody, will come on Tuesday, to hunt on Wednesday, and back again on Thursday morning. All this, of course, if it suits your convenience. At any rate, I will come to-morrow, and then if there is any difficulty, we can send up to town. With kindest regards to Mrs. Adams,

“Believe me always,“Yours faithfully,“John Leech.”“31, Notting Hill Terrace,“Wednesday, March 17, 1852.

“My dear Charley,

“I had almost made up my mind to come down on Friday evening to hunt on Saturday; but it would suit me infinitely better to come at the end of the week following, as I am just now in the agonies of my periodical work; so let me know when the meets are, and in the meantime I will peg away and get my business done so as to have a comfortable day with you. If I came on Friday, I should have to work day and night before I went, and come back directly to work day and night again, which is not a pleasant state of things; I hope, therefore, that we shall be able to see the hounds next week. I don’t think Lemon would be able to come, as he is busy moving; but I will ask him. I will make you the sketch of the house, or of anything else you like, when I come.

“Believe me,“Ever yours faithfully,“John Leech.

“C. F. Adams, Esq.

“Look in this week’s Punch for a sketch on the Royston Hills.”

“31, Notting Hill Terrace,“Wednesday, July 7, 1852.

“My dear Charley,

“I congratulate both of you most heartily and cordially. Mrs. Adams I hope is well, and will keep so, I trust. I will take upon myself to say that I don’t know any man more thoroughly capable of understanding and enjoying domestic happiness than yourself; and, moreover, I don’t know any man who more thoroughly deserves to have it. You wish it had been a boy, do you? Well, never mind; the son and heir will make his appearance in good time, I dare say. For my part, my unhappy experience makes me love little girls.

*****

“Pray give my kindest regards to Mrs. Adams, and my love to Chatty, who is to kiss the baby for me, and

“Believe me, my dear Charley,“Always yours faithfully,“John Leech.

“C. F. Adams, Esq.”

“Barlow, Derbyshire,“July 31, 1852.

“My dear Charley,

“You will see from the above address that I am still rusticating. I expect to be in rooms soon after the 12th of August, and then, after I have done my month’s work, I am your man. You say where … Don’t make yourself uncomfortable about the quantity of sport; I shall be quite satisfied with what you offer me…

“Yours always faithfully,“John Leech.”

Here follows an admirable sketch of Mr. Adams waking up Leech with, “Now, Jack, my boy! There’s no time to lose; we’ve ten miles to go to cover.”

“Tuesday, December 14, 1852.

“My dear Charley Boy,

“Hip! hip! hurrah! The almanack is finished, and now for a day with the Puckeridge.

“I shall come down if you will take me in on Friday evening, to hunt on Saturday and Monday, I hope. Mark talked of coming. I wish he would. He says he should not ride, but that’s all nonsense. Do you think Pattison has got a horse that would carry him? Oh, I have had a rare benefit of work! I have been positively at it ever since I saw you. I want freshening up, I assure you… Lots of fresh work, old fellow, so I think I may manage a real horse soon.

*****

“With kindest regards.

“Ever faithfully yours,“John Leech.”“Notting Hill Terrace,“January 26, 1853.

“My dear Charley,

“If you could ride my horse to-morrow (Thursday), pray do; it would save your own, and do her good. And the meet is close to you – Langley Green. I should have written before, but I have been harassed with work beyond measure. And as it is, the first number of ‘Handley Cross’ cannot come out until March. Mind you have the mare well worked, there’s a good fellow, as I don’t want, like our friend Briggs, to find her disagreeably fresh.

*****

“Believe me always yours faithfully,

“John Leech.

“C. F. Adams, Esq.”

“Saturday, February 26, 1853.

“My dear Charley,

“I suppose the frost has departed in the country, and that you have now what is called ‘open weather.’ It is very disagreeable here – wet, cold, and boisterous.

“However, if you can spare time (after riding your own, of course), I wish you would give the mare a benefit. I expect she will otherwise be a great deal too much for me.

*****“I am, my dear Charley,“Yours faithfully,“John Leech.

“C. F. Adams, Esq.”

“32, Brunswick Square, “Saturday, January 21, 1854.

“My dear Charley,

“Thank you for your note. I can’t come down to-morrow, but I hope after next week to make up for lost time. I have got through some work that has been fidgeting me. I shall have a little more leisure. The meet on Monday is Dassett’s, I see, so pray give it the mare; I have been so queer myself that I shall want her particularly ‘tranquil.’ I have sacrificed the moustaches for fear of frightening the horses in the field. They were getting too tremendous.

“If, if I can get away next week at all, depend upon it I will, for I want fresh air and a little horse exercise.

“With kindest regards, old fellow,

“Believe me always yours faithfully,“John Leech.

“C. F. Adams, Esq.”

“Saturday, December 22, 1855.

“My dear Charley,

“How is the country? I suppose no hunting as yet, for I have not received any card. The weather here to-day is mild and wet. I am working away in the hope of getting a day or two by-and-by comfortably. In the meantime, if there is anything going on, give my horse a turn across country, that’s a good fellow.

“With kindest regards, believe me,

“Yours faithfully,“J. L.

“If you can’t spare time to hunt the mare, would it not be a good thing to send her to Patmore, and make him ride her? But do you attend to her if you can manage it.”

“8, St. Nicholas Cliff, Scarbro’,“August 30, 1858.

“My dear Charley,

“Your note was forwarded here, and I only found it on my return from Ireland, where I have been for the last three weeks. The consequence is that I am, of course, in rather a muddle with my work, and I am afraid I must forego the pleasure of shooting with you – at any rate, for the early part of the season; so pray do not deprive other friends of sport on my account. I shall hope to have a day or two with you before the season is over. I am not a very greedy sportsman, you know, and as long as I get a good walk am pretty well satisfied. I am sorry you have been so unwell – you should really give yourself a holiday. The bow should be unstrung sometimes. I know I find it must. I wish you could have seen me catch a salmon in Ireland – a regular salmon! When I say catch, I should say hook, rather, for he was too much for me, and after ten minutes’ struggle he bolted with my tackle. It was really a tremendous sensation…

“Believe me always,“Yours faithfully,“John Leech.

“C. F. Adams, Esq.”

“White Horse, Baldock,“Friday evening, – , 1858.

“My dear Charley,

*****

“For the present I have arranged with Little to make this place my headquarters, it is so handy to the train, and I can come so much quicker and later to Hitchin. The slow railway journeys take it out of me, so that my pleasure is almost destroyed by the fatigue of travelling and bother to get off. I hope, nevertheless, that we shall have many evenings together to talk over the tremendous runs that we hope to have. I have bought a horse and brought it down here. I hope you will be out to-morrow to see it. I like it very much; it is a most excellent hackney, and sufficiently good-looking, although not perfect, I suppose; and it is represented to me as being a temperate hunter in addition to his other qualities. Well, we shall see. The black mare I shall send to Tattersall’s next week. She was as fresh as could be last Saturday, and I was quite glad I had not sold her; but, alas! she was as lame in the afternoon as possible, and next morning was a pretty spectacle! She would not do at all. So much for horseflesh.

“With kindest regards,“Yours always,“J. L.”“32, Brunswick Square, W.C.,“November 20, 1862.

“My dear Charley,

“If you ever have the time – which I never have – I should feel so glad if you would go some day and see how the ‘party’ at Kensington has done his work. I suppose ‘that little form’ of paying the bill must very soon be gone through, and I should like to know from a competent authority that the work has been well and properly done.

“How about the hunting? I am continually tormented here by noble sportsmen going by my window in full fig.

“Yours always,“J. L.”“6, The Terrace, Kensington,“November 27, 1862.

“My dear Charley,

“I am obliged to go to St. Leonards to-night, but I should be very glad if you would to-morrow, Friday (as you propose), look at my new house. In the corner of one of the new rooms I see it looks a little damp, although they considered it dry before they papered. I must say I am pleased with the new residence, and I think by degrees I shall be able to make it pretty comfortable. We shall hardly get in here, I expect, much before Christmas. There is yet so much to do. I shall be very glad of any hints about improvements that may occur to you.

“Kind regards, and believe me,

“Always yours,“J. L.”

There is amongst the pictures of “Life and Character” a drawing of a sportsman who has been thrown from his horse. He has fallen upon his head, and as he raises it, stunned and bewildered, and but half conscious, the sensations that must have possessed him are realized for us in a manner so marvellous, so wonderful in its originality and truth, as to convince one that the accident must have happened to the man who drew the picture; and this was the case, for the fallen man was Leech himself, says Mr. Adams, who in charging a fence was thrown, his horse falling at the same time. If I had been told that the sensations inevitable under the circumstances were required to be reproduced by pencil and paper, I should have said such a feat was beyond the reach of art; but there they are! As the prostrate man looks up, he sees sparks of fire, horse’s head, legs, hoofs mingled together in a whirl of confusion round his prostrate figure.

No doubt the work he undertook for Bell’s Life in London, a long-established and long-discontinued paper, in which sport of all kinds was the most prominent feature – and which occupied much of Leech’s time in his youthful days – contributed to the creation of a taste and love for field sports that always distinguished him. Quite a band of comic artists, including Cruikshank, Kenny Meadows, “Phiz,” Seymour, and Leech, contributed sketches illustrative of a variety of subjects by a variety of authors; Leech’s work being easily distinguishable from that of his brethren of the pencil.

CHAPTER XIII

“COMIC GRAMMAR” AND “COMIC HISTORY.”

The friendship, begun in their student-days at St. Bartholomew’s, between Leech and Percival Leigh flourished in renewed strength by the discovery of similarity of taste – Leigh unable to draw, but possessing a truly humorous pen; so the friends “laid their heads together,” the result being the production of the “Comic Latin Grammar,” letter-press by Leigh, illustrations by Leech. The first intention of the authors was that this should be a mere skit, a trifling brochure, consisting of a few pages; but, as so often happens, the work grew under their hands, and when published in 1840 it had assumed somewhat formidable proportions, and was followed by a work of similar character, with the title of “The Comic English Grammar.”

The “Comic English Grammar” was a work full of pleasant humour, charmingly illustrated by Leech “with upwards of fifty characteristic woodcuts.” It is curious to observe in these drawings the contrast that they afford to the artist’s later and more perfect work. There is a timidity, and what we call a hardness, from which the sketches in “Pictures of Life and Character” are entirely free; the general drawing, too, is faulty, but the humour and character are all there.