"The Rivals, in Chapter IX" —Richard Doyle's fifth illustration for W. M. Thackeray's "The Rose and The Ring" (1898 edition)

The Rivals

Richard Doyle

1898

Wood-engraving

12 cm high x 10.9 cm wide (4 ¾ by 4 ⅜ inches), vignetted

Fifth illustration for W. M. Thackeray's The Rose and The Ring (first published 1855): Chapter IX: p. 269. Descriptive headlines: "Jealousy, In Some Men's Souls, / Warmer Burns Than Pans of Coals" (pp. 268-269).

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Scanned image and text by Philip V. Allingham.

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Passage Illustrated: Giglio is Bulbo's Rival for Betsinda's Hand

Poor Betsinda did not know whether to laugh or to cry; the kicking certainly must hurt the Prince, but then he looked so droll! When Giglio had done knocking him up and down to the ground, and whilst he went into a corner rubbing himself, what do you think Giglio does? He goes down on his own knees to Betsinda, takes her hand, begs her to accept his heart, and offers to marry her that moment. Fancy Betsinda’s condition, who had been in love with the Prince ever since she first saw him in the palace garden, when she was quite a little child.

"Oh, divine Betsinda!" says the Prince, "how have I lived fifteen years in thy company without seeing thy perfections? What woman in all Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, nay, in Australia, only it is not yet discovered, can presume to be thy equal? Angelica? Pish! Gruffanuff? Phoo! The Queen? Ha, ha! Thou art my Queen. Thou art the real Angelica, because thou art really angelic."

"Oh, Prince! I am but a poor chambermaid," says Betsinda, looking, however, very much pleased. [Chapter IX,"How Betsinda Got the Warming-Pan," 269]

Commentary

Doyle has added the humorous scenes regarding the romantic triangle of Bulbo, Giglio, and Rosalba (formerly, as in this scene, Betsinda) to set up Thackeray's married-happily-ever-after ending. The 1855 volume realizes only partially this conventional "multiple marriage" plot gambit in Madam Gruffanuff Finds a Husband in Chapter XIX, "And Now We Come to the Last Scene in the Pantomime." The upshot, to which the illustration seems to allude, is that Bulbo, readily distinguishable by his large head, has a crying fit:

When poor Prince Bulbo, who was now madly in love with Betsinda, heard this declaration, when he saw the unmistakable glances which she flung upon Giglio, Bulbo began to cry bitterly, and tore quantities of hair out of his head, till it all covered the room like so much tow. [Chapter IX, 269]

Related Illustrations by W. M. Thackeray (1855)

Bibliography

Thackeray, W. M. The Christmas Books of M. A. Titmarsh. With illustrations by Richard Doyle and Thackeray. London: Smith. Elder, 1898.

Created 15 August 2022