its own tale of warning, so that "he who runs may read."

Whoever desires to trace the life of this English artist--to note him in
his apprenticeship--when he tamed as well as his rough nature would
permit, his hand to the delicate graving so cherished by his master,
Ellis Gamble; and when freed from his apprenticeship, he sought art
through the stirring scenes of life, saying quaintly enough, that
"copying other men's works resembled pouring wine out of one vessel into
another; there was no increase of quantity, and the flavor of the
vintage was liable to evaporate;"--whoever would study the great, as
well as the small, peculiarities of the painter who converted his
thumb-nail into a palette, and while transcribing characters and events
both rapidly and faithfully, complained of his "constitutional
idleness:"--whenever, we say, our readers feel desirous of revelling in
the biography of so diligent, so observing, so faithful, so brave a
spirit, we should send them to our old friend Allan Cunningham's most
interesting history of the man. Honest Allan had much in common with our
great national artist: though of different countries, they sprung from
the same race--sturdy yeomen; they were alike lovers of independence,
fighting for the best part of life manfully and faithfully enjoying the
noble scorn of wrong, and battling for the right from the cradle to the
grave. Self-educated--that is to say, educated by Nature, which gave and
nourished his high intellect and independent soul--Allan could
comprehend and appreciate the manly bearing and stern self-reliance of
the painter, whose best resources were in himself; thus the biography of
Hogarth is among the finest examples of its class which our language
supplies. Allan's sympathies were with his subject; and his knowledge
also came to his aid: for the poet was thoroughly imbued with a love of
art.

Allan Cunningham was a better disciplinarian, and less prone to look for
or care for enjoyment, than Hogarth; though we have many pleasant
memories how he truly relished both music and conversation. But there
was more sentiment in the Scottish poet than in the English painter; and
the deep dark eyes of the Scot had more of fervor and less of sarcasm in
their brightness. We repeat, Allan, of all writers, could thoroughly
appreciate Hogarth; and his biography is written _con amore_. He says
that "all who love the dramatic representations of actual life,--all who
have hearts to be