Forty Years Of Spy Part 33

In June, 1900, there appeared in _Vanity Fair_ the drawing of Field-Marshal Lord Roberts, whom I sketched in helmet and khaki, with a suggestion of Oom Paul introduced in a boulder in the background.

This cartoon, on account of the subject, beat the record for popularity, and its sale exceeded that of all other cartoons in _Vanity Fair_. Later on, when the Commander-in-Chief came to my studio to give me a sitting for the drawing which appeared in _The World_, he told me that copies of this _Vanity Fair_ cartoon had come to him from all parts with a request for him to sign it.

In the Christmas number of _Vanity Fair_ Lord Roberts was prominent again as the central figure of "A General Group," which contained portraits of Sir Redvers Buller, Lord Kitchener, General Hunter, General French, General Pole-Carew, Sir George White, Lord Dundonald, General Baden-Powell, Colonel Plumer, Sir Frederick Carrington, and General Hector Macdonald. It was a difficult subject to imagine, but it worked out satisfactorily as I was familiar with nearly all in the group.

About this time I made my mental notes for the _Vanity Fair_ drawing of Archbishop Temple in St. Paul's Cathedral. The prelate had then become almost blind, and had to be conducted to and from the pulpit.

Some years later I went to Lambeth Palace to sketch the present Archbishop (Dr. Randall Davidson). I was received by his charming wife, and when I got into conversation with the Archbishop he talked to me of his old friend, and said, "One of the best portraits I have ever seen of Archbishop Temple is that one hanging on the wall; I don't know who did it." "Oh, I'm so very pleased that you think that,"

I replied, "because you will find my signature there, and I did it entirely from observation after a visit to St. Paul's."

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, DR. TEMPLE 1902]

At the official residence of the Bishop of Stepney, 2, Amen Court, in the precincts of St. Paul's Cathedral, I sketched both the Bishop of London and the present Archbishop of York at the time when each ruled over the see of Stepney. When sketching Dr. Winnington-Ingram again, as Bishop of London, for _The World_, he came to my studio, and was extremely friendly and entertaining as a sitter. It was about the time of my marriage that my drawing of Canon Fleming appeared in _Vanity Fair_. Of course I knew his face very well indeed. He was the kindest-looking of men, and the cartoon eventually came into the possession of his family.

It was through my old friend, Archie Stuart-Wortley, that I first knew John Scott-Montagu, now Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, his first cousin and great pal, and we spent many delightful days together, at the Palace House, Beaulieu, and in his delightful bungalow on the Solent. John was a brilliant and most versatile young man; it was difficult to say what he could not do, and there is very little about which he does not know something. At one time he will be absorbed in engineering, at another in commerce or in literary work, or may be political. He is a very fine shot, a keen fisherman, in fact, a good all-round sportsman and a most entertaining companion. He has driven a railway engine, but although now absorbed in plans and buildings for the development of Beaulieu, and also in the building of another beautiful house on the Solent for himself, he is, of course, always tremendously keen on everything relating to _The Car_. His brain power and energy are amazing. I have drawn him and also his wife, who is a daughter of the late Marquis of Lothian. She is an accomplished musician and a charming hostess. I always think of Lord Montagu in connection with the difficulty of conveying a correct sense of height in these full-length _Vanity Fair_ cartoons. For instance, to insure a clear impression of his moderate height, in my drawing I lowered the head considerably below the margin of the paper upon which it was drawn, while in its published form the printers had placed it on a level with the margin, thereby giving the impression of increased height, and consequently of a decidedly tall man.

Naturally the proportion of a figure being relative to the s.p.a.ce surrounding it, I took good care in the case of Major Oswald Ames, who is something like 6 feet 8 inches, to make his head almost touch the margin; the same rule applied to the feet, and with the aid of a miniature chair in the background the effect was produced.

I conclude I was fortunate with sketches of the late Lord Salisbury, as a lady, a great friend of his, said that a grease paint picture I made of him, in Cyril Maude's dressing-room at the Haymarket Theatre, was quite the best she had ever seen of that distinguished statesman.

In 1902, I made another, after watching him again in the House of Lords. It happened to be on the easel one day when Lord Redesdale came to my studio, and he, being struck with it, complimented me by asking if I would part with it, so that the original is now in his possession, and by his permission is reproduced in this book.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE MARQUIS OF SALISBURY, 1902.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Letter of Appreciation]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Dinner given to Joseph Knight by the Dramatic Profession At The Savoy Hotel June, The Fourth, 1905]

As regards the present Prime Minister, I was on the look out for him one day, and he did not appear in the Lobby. A member of parliament came up and asked me who I was looking for. I told him I wanted Mr.

Asquith, cautioning him, of course, not to let him know for what purpose. He said, "I'll soon have him out," upon which I suggested that he should tell him an amusing story. Consequently I got quite a successful caricature, and not long after the cartoon was published it was, with his approbation, reproduced in colour on the menu of some important Liberal banquet at which he was to be present.

It was with very great pleasure that I designed the menu for the complimentary dinner given by the members of the Dramatic Profession to my old friend, Joe Knight, at the Savoy Hotel on the 4th June, 1905. It contained a portrait of himself for which he sat. He was one of the oldest of the dramatic critics, and had been an art critic, and an intimate friend of Rossetti. He was a very great favourite, especially at the Garrick and Beefsteak Clubs, and he had a fine library which was distributed at his death. A characteristic habit of his was while relating a story to his neighbour at the dinner or supper table to place the palm of his hand before his mouth as though speaking in secrecy, but his voice always thundered out the words so that every one in the room could hear, and there was no secret after all!

One of the nicest men among the many hundreds who have been willing subjects is Lord Newlands. I was struck with his considerate and charming manner to all he came in contact with, even to an old charwoman. It was interesting to hear him talk of his old friend, Dr.

Jowett, Master of Balliol College, whose memory he regarded with the deepest respect. My early caricature of him seemed to have pleased him so much that he not only gave a good sum for it at the sale of _Vanity Fair_ cartoons at Christie's, but also commissioned me to make a copy of it. As Henry Hozier he was secretary to Lord Salisbury, 1878-80.

Amongst the many prominent men in connection with Canada that I cartooned were Sir Wilfrid Laurier, perhaps the most striking personality of all the colonists that came my way; Sir Walter Blake, who over here became a prominent member of the House of Commons; the late Duke of Argyll, a delightfully intellectual and kind-hearted man; Lord Minto, whom I depicted in Canadian riding-kit, who was a gentleman to the backbone and a thorough sportsman; and Lord Grey, whose distinguished career is so well known.

Of the Duke of Connaught, whose retirement, when it comes, is sure to be felt in Canada with regret, it can only be said that no one of the Royal Family could have filled the post better, and that a more popular successor to the post of Governor-General could not have been selected than Prince Alexander of Teck. Of course I mention all these as having been victims of my brush at one time or another.

Shortly before her marriage, I went to Kensington Palace to make a drawing of Princess Ena of Battenberg (now the Queen of Spain). I was in some difficulty at first about the regulation of the light upon my sitter, and to soften the effect I pinned a large sheet of brown paper over the lower part of the window, but it was suggested by her mother that, perhaps, some drapery would be equally serviceable and more ornamental from the view of those outside. I am afraid that being keen on my work I had not considered the appearance of the Palace windows as no doubt I should have done.

The young Princess was a very handsome girl, with a wealth of beautifully silky fair hair, a lovely complexion and fine eyes full of fun; she was also particularly bright and natural in her manner. At one of the sittings I met the Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg; I had not the honour of a presentation, but she entered into conversation with me. She was most charming, but although I gathered she had unusual knowledge of art, it was not until after she had left the room that I was informed of her ident.i.ty. I regretted not having known at the time that she was the daughter of the Duke of Edinburgh, as I should have liked to have told her of my enjoyable cruise with her father.

So highly did the Princess Henry of Battenberg value her niece's criticism of my sketch, that when the young Princess disagreed with her over the suggestion of a slight alteration in it, H.R.H.

good-humouredly gave in.

I have the pleasantest remembrance of the character drawing of General Sir William Francis Butler, G.C.B., which I made for _Vanity Fair_ in 1907. The General was one of the Empire's very big men, and it will be remembered that prior to the Boer War he was very sharply criticised for certain pessimistic prophecies in connection with the war which annoyed everybody; but events justified every word he uttered. He married Miss Thompson of "The Roll Call" fame, and he was very much struck with a proof print from a drawing of her that I had done for _The Graphic_ at the time she painted "The Roll Call." It chanced that he sat to me on my birthday, which was in November. I usually left my studio at sunset in time to get a walk, but that afternoon I lingered until dusk. Presently there came a ring at my bell, which I answered, and seeing some one at a distance from the gate the visitor asked me if Mr. Leslie Ward was in. I exclaimed, "Why, General! Don't you know me? You've been sitting to me all the morning." He said, "Here is a little parcel which I should like you to accept, it being your birthday," and hurried off. I took it into my studio and found it contained a pair of extremely handsome silver candlesticks of the Georgian period. My subject had a stern countenance but a kind heart.

Not long after, I began to realise that my long a.s.sociation with _Vanity Fair_ was about to come to an end. When Mr. Gibson Bowles resigned his connection with the journal, in order to take an active part in the political field which had always attracted his keenest interest, I could not have contemplated a more delightful successor than Mr. A. G. Witherby as my chief, for I again received every encouragement to succeed in my work. Not only is he a very clever caricaturist and draughtsman, but he is equally clever as a writer; in addition to which he is a good sort and keen sportsman, and when he decided to part with the paper it was a great blow to me. I shall ever remember the kind hospitality I received from him and his wife during his proprietors.h.i.+p of the paper.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PRINCESS ENA OF BATTENBERG. _Drawn at Kensington Palace, May 1906, just previously to her marriage with the King of Spain._]

In early days my father cautioned me against giving more than half of my time to work for reproduction, and experience has taught me the wisdom of the warning. I think after all he was right, and I regret that for nearly forty years I devoted too much time to the work on _Vanity Fair_. As a society journal it was certainly for a long period a publication of unique interest, and I venture to prophesy that, when the history of the Victorian Era comes to be written in true perspective, the most faithful mirror and record of representative men and the spirit of their times will be sought and found in _Vanity Fair_.

CHAPTER XVII

A HOLIDAY MISFORTUNE--ROYAL PORTRAITS--FAREWELL

Belgium.--Accident at Golf.--Portraits of King George V, the Duke of Connaught, Mr. Roosevelt, Mr. Lloyd George, Mr.

Garvin.--Portrait painting of to-day.--Final reflections.

--Farewell.

Sometimes as the late summer comes round, my wife and I prefer to take our holiday or part of it abroad, when the change of scene and living is a possible attraction.

Five years ago we had been told of a quiet and charming little watering-place in Belgium, not far from Ostend, called Wenduyne, and having in advance booked rooms at the hotel recommended to us, we arrived and found it most comfortable. I took no work with me, not even pencil and brushes, for I was determined to have a complete rest.

We were pleased to learn that the golf links at Le Coq were quite handy, and we lost no time in taking the tram there and inscribing our names as temporary members. These links are beautifully kept up, and in the vicinity of the Club House are gaily decorated with flower beds.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Drawn in September 1899 by Mr. A. G. Witherby. What was mistaken for the gout was a broken bone in the foot._]

Mrs. Oakes (my wife's cousin) and I soon arranged to play a game of golf. The nailed boots that I had been wearing during the morning were new and uncomfortable, so I changed them for a pair of canvas shoes with india-rubber soles, which were well adapted to the course in dry weather. A sudden storm, however, made its appearance, and the rain fell in buckets, saturating the ground completely. We were soon wet through, but knowing there were but two holes more to play we decided to continue to the bitter end, which shortly came. I made a bad shot and placed my ball awkwardly. In my endeavour to move it, and at the same moment of striking (and I conclude the india-rubber soles of my shoes were the cause) my foot slipped and I fell helplessly to the ground. My companion, in ignorance of the serious consequences of the fall, urged me to try and rise to my feet, when I found that my leg was badly fractured above the ankle. In time, but not before I was exhausted, a chauffeur turned up with a private motor-car on a road near at hand, and I was borne off by some cottagers and placed inside, while Mrs. Oakes, who had been in search of aid, escorted me back to the hotel.

After being jolted two or three miles over the rough, cobbled road, I was deposited on a sofa until surgical aid came. Fortunately I was soon in very competent hands, although the pain I underwent during the setting of the fracture I shall never forget, for it was agonising.

My wife returned to the hotel to find me safely installed in the proprietor's (M. Machiel's) private sitting-room, which he most kindly gave up for my use. She nursed me for some time under the surgeon's directions, until I urged her to enjoy the remainder of her visit and procure the services of a hospital nurse from London to relieve her.

It was over a month before I was allowed to stir, and when the time came that I might be wheeled on to the balcony of M. Machiel's villa I breathed again. The surgeon, whose temporary villa was adjoining the hotel, was a well-known town-councillor and scientist in Antwerp who must have weighed twenty stone. When giving me permission at first to get up, he invited me to waltz with him, which gave me hopes of my permanent recovery, but I did not accept the invitation.

On returning home, after the kind attention I received both from M.

and Madame Machiel and the officials at Ostend who saw to my comfort before boarding the boat, I found every aid awaiting me at my studio, where I remained in the experienced hands of Dr. Reginald Ingram, who attended me until I was convalescent.

The press cuttings sent me while abroad concerning the accident amused me, as I was reported in some papers to have broken both my legs, while among the kind letters I received was one from Hermann Vezin, the actor, who was lying on a bed of sickness from which he never recovered. I reproduce here another, and amusing, communication which came from an anonymous friend after the accident I have just described. It invites me, as will be seen, to "smile" in spite of all.

[Ill.u.s.tration: SMILE d.a.m.n YOU SMILE! ]

My studio on the ground floor at Buckingham Gate made an excellent hospital, but I was still prevented from doing any work for some time.

When _The World_ approached me after my decision to terminate my connection with _Vanity Fair_, the inducement was that in addition to the same remuneration which I had received from that paper, I was permitted to retain the rights of my original drawings. In consequence, I was able to send a collection to the Turin Exhibition at the request of Sir Isidore Spielmann, for which I received a Grand Prix.

My second drawing of the present King was published by his permission in _The World_ in 1910; it was but a short time before the death of King Edward, for a paragraph in reference to it appeared in _The Morning Post_ opposite the announcement of the late King's death. I knew on the best authority that the Prince was a very fine shot, so I represented him in shooting-kit grasping his gun. H.R.H. took the greatest trouble to sit in order that every detail of the picture should be perfectly correct; indeed, on the occasion of the first sitting he not only changed into a complete suit of shooting-clothes, but he permitted me to choose the suit I thought best for the drawing.

He told me he always shot with a hammered gun, and preferred it to any other, and that he made a point of wearing a red tie when shooting. On reminding him of boyhood days and the circ.u.mstances of my cruise on the _Hercules_, he remembered the incident perfectly. Not long after, I received the honour of sittings from the Duke of Connaught. I had been presented to H.R.H. at St. James's Palace by Sir Henry De Bathe at my first levee, and not having a Court suit of my own, I hired one for the occasion. When I returned to my cab after the levee I was horrified to discover that through careless tailoring my black velvet breeches had split across my thigh, the accident evidently having occurred at the moment I made my obeisance. I was naturally very much concerned at this ill-timed catastrophe, and could only hope that it had escaped observation.

When the Duke of Connaught was sitting to me I told him the story. He laughed, and related an incident that occurred on another occasion. An old and seemingly rather eccentric military officer was advancing to make his bow, when the Lord Chamberlain noticing something rather strange in his apparel attempted to draw his attention to the fact, and to prevent his advance. Other royal attendants made similar efforts, only to be waved aside by the old gentleman, who obstinately refused to be stopped. It was then that the Duke noticed that his sword, every b.u.t.ton, in fact, and all the gold upon his uniform was covered with yellow tissue paper which he had obviously forgotten to remove.

I sketched the Duke in undress uniform, and while the portrait was in progress the d.u.c.h.ess and the Princess Patricia came to look at it, and the Princess, who is herself a clever artist, seemed to take an especial interest in my method of work. On my next visit H.R.H. told me that the d.u.c.h.ess had been so much pleased with the portrait that she would like to possess the original. It was then arranged that the drawing should be sent out to Canada, but at my request it was first lent to the proprietors of _The Graphic_, who reproduced it in colour for the special Duke of Connaught number, which was published shortly after the Duke had accepted office as Governor-General of Canada.

_The Graphic_ also reproduced in colour a drawing that I did of Sir Colin Keppel, in Admiral's uniform; he, it will be remembered, took the King and Queen to India.