"The Major 'Departs,' But Not in 'Peace'." — Phiz's eleventh illustration for Charles Lever's "Barrington" (July 1862)

[Victorian Web Home —> Visual Arts —> Illustration —> Phiz (Hablot K. Browne) —> Barrington —> Charles Lever —> Next]

The Major "Departs," But Not in "Peace."

Phiz (Hablot K. Browne)

steel engraving

12.7 cm high by 10.3 cm wide (4 ⅞ by 4 ⅛ inches), vignetted

July 1862

Eleventh serial illustration for Charles Lever's Barrington (Chapter XXI, "Dark Tidings"), facing p. 175.

[Click on the image to enlarge it.]

Scanned image and text by Philip V. Allingham.

[You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the person who scanned it, and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.]

Commentary

Colonel Hunter and his Irish driver, Billy, part company with the cranky old soldier after Hunter has threatened M'Cormick should he dare to start a rumour that he has proposed to Polly Dill. The major demands to be put down, despite the fact that they are still some four miles from his destination. The incident reveals much about the characters of Hunter, the man of honour, and M'Cormick, the inveterate gossiper, snoop, and eavesdropper:

"Now one word for the future. Omit my name, and all that concerns me, from the narrative with which you amuse your friends, or take my word for it, you'll have to record more than you have any fancy for. This is strictly between ourselves; but if you have a desire to impart it, bear in mind that I shall be at my quarters in Kilkenny till Tuesday next." [Chapter XXI, "Dark Tidings," 174]

Related Material

Bibliography

Lester, Valerie Browne. Phiz: The Man Who Drew Dickens. London: Chatto and Windus, 2004.

Lever, Charles. Barrington. With 25 engravings by Phiz [Hablột Knight Browne]. London: Chapman and Hall, 1863.

Steig, Michael. Dickens and Phiz. Bloomington & London: Indiana U. P., 1978.

Sutherland, John A. "Barrington." The Stanford Companion to Victorian Fiction. Stanford, Cal.: Stanford U. P., 1989, rpt. 1990, 48-49.

Created 9 November 2007

Last updated 13 October 2026