his wondrous conception:--

"Hither this way, this way bend,
Trust not that malicious fiend;
Those are false, deluding lights,
Wafted far and near by sprights;
Trust 'em not, for they'll deceive ye,
And in bog and marshes leave ye,
If you step no danger thinking,
Down you fall, a furlong sinking;
'Tis a fiend who has annoyed ye,
Name but Heav'n, and he'll avoid ye."

By way of contrast to all these, I would turn to the celebrated and
much-too-often-described _Triumph of Cupid_, of the "Table Book"; but as
the praises of this remarkable composition may already be counted by the
ream, I have no intention whatever of contributing a further addition.

[Illustration:
GEORGE CRUIKSHANK. _From "The Universal Songster."_

"THE OLD COMMODORE."]

[Illustration:
GEORGE CRUIKSHANK. _From "The Universal Songster._"

"A tall figure her sight engross'd,
And it cried, 'I beez Giles Scroggin's Ghost.'"

_Face p. 182._]

A notice, however, of George Cruikshank's supernatural work would be
incomplete without some reference to his _devils_. From time immemorial
our idea of His Satanic Majesty has been associated with the
distinguishing appendages of horns, hoofs, and a cow's tail. "A conceit
there is," says old Sir Thomas Browne, "that the devil commonly
appeareth with a cloven hoof, wherein, although it seems excessively
ridiculous, there may be somewhat of truth, and the ground thereof at
first might be his frequent appearing in the shape of a goat, which
answers the description." George Cruikshank too well apprehended the
cunning nature of His Satanic Majesty to suppose him idiotic enough to
introduce his hoofs, his horns, or his tail into the company of all
sorts and conditions of men. It will be remembered that Fitz Dottrel
takes leave to doubt the identity of the devil who waits upon him in the
character of a body servant. "You cannot," he says, "cozen _me_. Your
shoe's not cloven, sir; you are whole hoofed." But "Pug" simply and
unaffectedly assures him, "Sir, that's a popular error,--deceives
many."[91] Like "Pug," George Cruikshank's devils accommodate
themselves, their appearance, and their costume to the prejudices of the
persons they design to serve. With saints and perverse sinners it is
obvious that any attempt at disguise would be futile; but with so
respectable a person as a Dutch burgher, or so suspicious an individual
as an English lawyer, the case is altogether