They crossed swords and attacked each other.
A. H. Buckland
1900
12.0 x 8.0 cm, framed
Lithograph
Dickens's Barnaby Rudge (pp. 680), facing 448.
[Click on image to enlarge it.]
Scanned image and text by Philip V. Allingham.
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Context of the Illustration: The Duel
"I have acted," cried Mr Haredale, "with honour and in good faith. I do so now. Do not force me to renew this duel to-night!"
"You said my 'wretched' son, I think?" said Sir John, with a smile. "Poor fool! The dupe of such a shallow knave — trapped into marriage by such an uncle and by such a niece — he well deserves your pity. But he is no longer a son of mine: you are welcome to the prize your craft has made, sir."
"Once more," cried his opponent, wildly stamping on the ground, "although you tear me from my better angel, I implore you not to come within the reach of my sword to-night. Oh! why were you here at all! Why have we met! To-morrow would have cast us far apart for ever!"
"That being the case," returned Sir John, without the least emotion, "it is very fortunate we have met to-night. Haredale, I have always despised you, as you know, but I have given you credit for a species of brute courage. For the honour of my judgment, which I had thought a good one, I am sorry to find you a coward."
"Not another word was spoken on either side. They crossed swords, though it was now quite dusk, and attacked each other fiercely. They were well matched, and each was thoroughly skilled in the management of his weapon.
After a few seconds they grew hotter and more furious, and pressing on each other inflicted and received several slight wounds. It was directly after receiving one of these in his arm, that Mr. Haredale, making a keener thrust as he felt the warm blood spirting out, plunged his sword through his opponent’s body to the hilt. [Chapter the Eighty-first, 628-29]
Commentary
Working on this small project in 1900, Buckland had the advantage of being able to study how Barnard and Cattermole had handled the same scene. Although he emphasizes the burned out mansion in the background, Buckland has taken a different approach by showing the start rather than the finish of the duel between Haredale in the centre and Chester in the foreground. Such a juxtaposition compels readers to sympathize with Haredale since they cannot read the aristocratic, wigged Chester's expression. Although Dickens frequently characterizes Chester as indolent, here appears to be alert and on guard, having assumed an offensive posture in the duel. Still wearing his coat, Hardeale would seem to be at a disadvantage, whereas Chester has abandoned his embroidered velvet coat on the ground, left, seems more confident as he advances on his adversary and can manoeuvre his blade more precisely.
Although the illustration is mounted in Chapter LVIII, it clearly references a climatic moment over twenty chapters later, and there seems to be no reason for its location in the octodecimo text.
The Household and First Edition Renditions of the Culminating Duel
Left: Fred Barnard's melodramatic scene after Haredale has vanquished his
life-long enemy in
Related Material including Other Illustrated Editions of Barnaby Rudge
- Dickens's Barnaby Rudge (homepage)
- Phiz's Original Serial Illustrations (1841)
- Cattermole and Phiz: The First illustrators — A Team Effort by "The Clock Works" (1841)
- Cattermole's seventeen illustrations (13 Feb.-27 Nov. 1841)
- Felix Octavius Carr Darley's six illustrations (1865 and 1888)
- Sol Eytinge, Jr.'s ten Diamond Edition Illustrations (1867)
- Fred Barnard's 46 Illustrations for the Household Edition (1874)
- Harry Furniss's 28 illustrations for The Charles Dickens Library Edition (1910)
Bibliography
Dickens, Charles. Barnaby Rudge. Illustrated by Hablot K. Browne ('Phiz') and George Cattermole. London: Bradbury & Evans, 1849.
_______. Barnaby Rudge. Illustrated by A. H. Buckland. London and Glasgow: Collins Clear-type Press. 1900.
Created 7 August 2020
Last modified 25 December 2020