of Seymour, Cruikshank, or "Phiz," or even the later Barnard, than
whom, since Dickens' death, has there ever been a more sympathetic
illustrator?

The greatest of these was undoubtedly George Cruikshank, whose drawings
for "Oliver Twist," the last that he did for Dickens' writings, were
perhaps more in keeping with the spirit of Dickens' text than was the work
of any of the others, not excepting the immortal character of Pickwick,
which conception is accredited to Seymour, who unfortunately died before
he had completed the quartette of drawings for the second number of the
serial.

In this same connection it is recalled that the idea of recounting the
adventures of a "club of Cockney sportsmen" was conceived by the senior
partner of the firm of Chapman and Hall, and that Dickens was only thought
of at first as being the possible author, in connection, among others,
with Leigh Hunt and Theodore Hook.

On the death of Seymour, one R. W. Buss, a draughtsman on wood, was
commissioned to continue the "Pickwick" illustrations, and he actually
made two etchings, which, in the later issues, were suppressed.
"Crowquill," Leech, and Thackeray all hoped to fill the vacancy, but the
fortunate applicant was Hablot K. Browne, known in connection with his
work for the Dickens stories as "Phiz." This _nom de plume_ was supposed
to have been adopted in order to harmonize with "Boz."

"Phiz" in time became known as the artist-in-chief, and he it was who made
the majority of illustrations for the tales, either as etchings or
wood-blocks. His familiar signature identifies his work to all who are
acquainted with Dickens. George Cattermole supplied the illustrations to
"The Old Curiosity Shop" and "Barnaby Rudge." Of these Dickens has said
"that it was the very first time that any of the designs for which he had
written had touched him." Marcus Stone, R. A., provided the pictures for
"Our Mutual Friend."

John Leech, of _Punch_ fame, in one of his illustrations to "The Battle of
Life," one of the shorter pieces, made the mistake of introducing a wrong
character into one of the drawings, and a still more pronounced error was
in the Captain Cuttle plates, where the iron hook appears first on the
left and then on the right arm of the subject.

Leech illustrated the "Christmas Carol" complete, including the coloured
plates, and shared in contributing to the other Yule-tide stories.

Of the leading artists who contributed the illustratio