Thanks to the kindness of Messrs. Bradbury and Agnew, the proprietors
of _Punch_, I am able to give to the general public some of the
pleasure that comes from the possession of a complete set of _Punch_.
In reading one's _Punch_ the pleasure is much enhanced by Mr. M. H.
Spielmann's most admirable book, "The History of Punch" [_Cassell
and Company, Limited, 1895_], for Mr. Spielmann is probably the best
living authority on this subject, and his researches, which extended
over four years, enable the ordinary _Punch_-lover to find many
points of great interest [specially in the early Volumes] which,
without Mr. Spielmann's book, might be passed over without notice.
Some of the _Punch_ engravings now shown have been found by the aid
of Mr. Spielmann's book, which is a thoroughly reliable and quite
indispensable Text-Book on _Punch_, while, on other points, I have been
privileged to consult Mr. W. Lawrence Bradbury and Mr. Philip L. Agnew
as well as Mr. Spielmann himself.
[Illustration: CANDIDATES UNDER DIFFERENT PHASES.