Bombastes Furioso. With Designs by GEORGE CumtisHANx.
This laughable and popular burlesque has scarcely been known to be in print till now ; and it comes upon us with fresh humour and a d9uble welcome. LISTON has done his part on the stage to realize the idea of the author ; GEORGE CntrixstraNx does his in the cuts ; and both are excellent. GEORGE has taken LISTON for his model in Bombastes ; and he could not have done better. There is a rich fatness in the fun of both, a sly gravity, in which the latent jest nestles till it bursts forth in laughter. Though GEOltGE'S style is angular and pointed, it is not meagre : it is dry, but not hard. "The brave army" is in the true spirit of the author. The long thin strip of soldier, with a face the ca- ricature of FArtetses, is a most passive piece of melancholy acquiescence phantom of non.resistance. worthy of the "divine right" of kings. Distaffina is capital ; and Bomiastes in a fit of jealousy makes a glorious picture. The scene with the boots, and that of the duel, are not so ela- borately engraved, and want the richness and finish as well as the spirit of the originals.
We perceive that this is the forerunner of a series of Comic Dramas
to be illustrated by GEORGE CRUIESHANK ; among which are Tom Thumb, the Mayor of Garratt, the Critic, Midas, &c. We anticipate a rich treat. We shall expect much more from the actors after this. By the by, the duel between the rival doctors, KEELEY and 0. SMITH' in angularthe Spring Lock, was like one of GEORGE'S designs. The gaunt angular figure of the one, and the plump little rotundity of the other, gave the idea of a skewer fighting with a dumpling.
Previous page
