A slight mistake (facing p. 122 in vol. 2 of the 1844 edition, p. 165 in vol. 2 of the 1869 edition), horizontally-mounted, 9 cm high by 16 cm wide, (3 ½ by 6 ⅜ inches), vignetted steel illustration for Charles Lever's Tom Burke of "Ours,", Chapter LXVI, "The Summit of the Landgrafenberg" (April 1844), in the William Curry, Jun. two-volume edition (Dublin, 1844); Chapter XXII in the second volume of the Chapman and Hall edition (London, 1869). [Click on the image to enlarge it; mouse over links.]
Passage Illustrated: Tom takes a bullet for Napoleon
Not a moment was now to be lost. I dashed my spurs into my jaded horse, and rode forwards, calling aloud, at the top of my voice — “The Emperor — the Emperor!” Still, the panic overbore my words, and another discharge was given: with one bullet I was struck in the shoulder, another killed my horse; but, springing to my legs in an instant, I rushed on, repeating my cry; before I could do more than point to the spot, Napoleon came forward, leading his horse by the bridle. His step was slow and measured, and his face — for many a torchlight was now gathered to the place — was calm and tranquil. [Chapter LXVI, "The Summit of the Landgrafenberg," 167 in the second volume of the 1844 edition; 165 in the second volume of the 1844 edition]
Commentary: The Chiaroscuro Highlights Tom as the Emperor's Saviour
This is Phiz's only dark plate in the entire sequence. As Michael Steig explains in Dickens and Phiz, the technique involved selective "shading by means of etching needle and roulette would also be done at this stage. The highlights, areas which were to remain white, would be stopped out with varnish" (106). The subject is as exciting as the plate is dramatic, with Tom desperately gesturing for the musketeers (left, the sky lit up by the discharge of firearms) to cease firing, and his white mount floundering in its death throes, right of centre, drawing the eye towards the obscure figure on Napoleon.
After chapters of interpolated tales and social maneuverings readers welcome Tom's return to scenes of combat. In this latest campaign, Tom risks his life to preserve that of the Emperor, and the French decisively defeat the Prussians at Jena and Auerstadt. Tom encounters artillery bogged down upon a side-road in the darkness, and is startled to discover Napoleon himself: "the short, square figure of a man in a great-coat, holding a heavy whip in his hand" ("The Summit of the Landgrafenberg," 165). Thus, Phiz has chosen to realise the dramatic moment during the night preceding the Battle of Jena when the Emperor, just ahead of him on horseback, confronts the spectacle of a thousand watch-fires, and an even longer line of such fires stretching to the north. Deep in thought, Napoleon fails to respond to a sentry's challenge of "Qui vive?" — forcing Napoleon to throw himself on the ground as musket-shots ring out, wounding Tom as he rides to Napoleon's aid.
The Five Other Napoleon Illustrations in the 1843-44 Novel
- 11. Tom distinguishes himself. Facing page 157 in Chapter XXI, "The 'École Militaire'." (June 1843)
- 19. Napoleon shews Tom the door. Facing page 281 in Chapter XXXIX, "A Morning at 'The Tuileries'." (October 1843)
- 20. The Scene shifted. Facing page 299 in Chapter XL, "A Night in the Tuileries Gardens." (November 1843)
- 25. Frontispiece for Vol. Two: A Parting Scene with Napoleon. Facing title page (September 1844) from Part 20.
- 29. Minette receiving the 'Cross of the Legion' Facing page 62 in Chapter LVII, "The Return of the Wounded." (February 1844)
Further Information
- Phiz's Dark Plate Etchings for Mervyn Clitheroe (1851-8) and Davenport Dunn (1857-9)
- Phiz and Lever: A Fascination with Napoleon (1840-43; seven plates)
- Charles Lever's Fourth Novel, Tom Burke of "Ours" (February 1843 — September 1844)
- Instalment-by-instalment Synopsis of the Novel's Plot and Characters: Lever's Tom Burke of "Ours" (February 1843)
- Instalment-by-instalment Synopsis of the Novel's Plot and Characters: Lever's Tom Burke of "Ours" (March 1843)
- Synopsis of the Novel's Plot and Characters for Tom Burke's Adventures in France in Lever's Tom Burke of "Ours" (April 1843 through June 1844)
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 the image and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.]
Bibliography
Buchanan-Brown, John. Phiz! Illustrator of Dickens' World. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1978.
Lester, Valerie Browne Lester. Chapter 11: "'Give Me Back the Freshness of the Morning!'" Phiz! The Man Who Drew Dickens. London: Chatto and Windus, 2004. Pp. 108-127.
Lever, Charles. Tom Burke of "Ours." Dublin: William Curry, Jun., 1844. Illustrated by H. K. Browne. London: Chapman and Hall, 1865. Serialised February 1843 through September 1844. 2 vols.
Lever, Charles. Tom Burke of "Ours." Illustrated by Phiz [Hablột Knight Browne]. Vol. I and II. In two volumes. Project Gutenberg. Last Updated: 24 February 2021.
Steig, Michael. Chapter Four: "Dombey and Son: Iconography of Social and Sexual Satire." Dickens and Phiz. Bloomington: Indiana U. P., 1978. Pp. 86-112.
Stevenson, Lionel. Dr. Quicksilver: The Life of Charles Lever. London: Chapman and Hall, 1939.
_______. "The Domestic Scene." The English Novel: A Panorama. Cambridge, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin and Riverside, 1960.
Created 18 November 2023