"Appearance of Sir Hugh Poynings and his Chaplain at the Masked Ball" — Phiz's third illustration for William Harrison Ainsworth's "The Spendthrift: A Tale" (1855-57)

Appearance of Sir Hugh Poynings and his Chaplain at the Masked Ball

Phiz

Dalziel

February 1856

Steel-engraving

15.2 cm high by 9.7 cm wide, vignetted, facing p. 145 in volume

The Spendthrift, first published in Bentley's Miscellany, Part 9 (Chapter 23).

[Click on image to enlarge it.]

Scanned image and text by Philip V. Allingham.

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

Passage Illustrated: Sir Hugh Poynings searches for his Daughter at the Masked Ball

After the tumultuous applause had subsided, Gage was about to return thanks for the honour done him, when the attention of the whole assemblage was turned to the door of the supper-room, where a struggle was taking place between the lacqueys there stationed and two persons who were bent upon obtaining forcible admission. After a while the strenuous efforts of the intruders prevailed, and Sir Hugh Poynings and Parson Chedworrh burst into he room. Amid a storm of oaths and incoherent ejaculations, Sir Hugh made it understood that he was in search of his daughter. His appearance as well as that of the parson occasioned general merriment, and the shouts of derisive laughter with which both were greeted did not tend to allay the old baronet's displeasure. Sir Hugh was without coat, cravat, or wig, and had an exceedingly tall nightcap on his head. Mr. Briscoe followed close at his heels, vainly endeavouring to restrain him. [Chapter XXIII, "What Happened during Supper," pp. 145-146]

Working methods

Bibliography

Ainsworth, William Harrison. The Spendthrift: A Tale. (1860). Illustrated by Phiz; engraved by the Dalziels. Ainsworth's Works. London & New York: George Routledge, 1882.

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

Vann, J. Don. "The Spendthrift in Bentley's Miscellany, January 1855 — January 1857." Victorian Novels in Serial. New York: Modern Language Association, 1985, 30.

Worth, George. William Harrison Ainsworth. New York: Twayne, 1972.

Created 14 October 2020