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[Illustration]
Yes, the lion THACKERAY had joined the Table, and thenceforth for many
years he illumined my pages with his keen wit and ripe wisdom, his
graceful prose, his polished verse, and his characteristic pictures.
"The frontispiece to Volume V. (1843) was by RICHARD DOYLE, a plain
foreshadowing of the celebrated design which was ever after to form
the familiar Cover of the _Punch_ Number. DOYLE had now joined the
Staff, and for many years his fine fancy was allowed full play in my
pages.
"At the end of the same Volume, upon page 260 of a supplement,
entitled, '_Punch's_ Triumphal Procession,' appeared TOM HOOD's
never-to-be-forgotten 'Song of the Shirt.' It is one of _Mr. Punch's_
pleasantest Reminiscences that this gentle genius, this true poet,
contributed this famous masterpiece to his pages.
"The scholarly, accomplished, and warm-hearted TOM TAYLOR was the
next to join the Table, and his 'Spanish Ballads' (in 1846), admirably
illustrated by DOYLE, made their mark, as did later his 'Unprotected
Female.' In Volume XVI. PERCIVAL LEIGH commenced his 'Mr. PIPS,
his Diary, or, Manners and Customs of ye Englyshe in 1849,'
characteristically illustrated by RICHARD DOYLE at his graphic best.
The same year was remarkable for the appearance of LEECH's most
delightful character, the simple-minded, sport-loving, philistine
paterfamilias, Mr. BRIGGS, first met with in connection with 'The
Pleasures of Housekeeping,' though subsequently associated especially
with humorous sporting scenes.
"The frontispiece to Volume XIX., for the second half of the year
1850, was by a 'new hand,' none other than JOHN TENNIEL _the_
'Cartoonist' _par excellence_, whose work henceforth was to be--as
happily it still is--the pride of _Mr. Punch_ and the delight of the
British Public. TENNIEL's first Cartoon, 'Lord JACK the Giant-Killer,'
graced _Mr. Punch's_ 499th Number, he having taken, at short notice,
the place of RICHARD DOYLE, who after many years of excellent work
had voluntarily withdrawn from the Table, owing to certain religious
scruples, not wholly unconnected with the subject of his successor's
first 'Big Cut.'
"Another member of my little army about this time was GEORGE SILVER,
and my next recruits were the polished and witty SHIRLEY BROOKS, and,
one who was to develop into the greatest master of Black-and-White
Art this country has produced, CHARLES KEENE to wit, our dear,
picturesque, unsophisticated 'CARLO,' lost to the Table--an
irreparable loss!--but a few months ago.
"At the opening of Volume XXVII. for the second half of the year
1854, you will observe, Mr. ANNO DOMINI, a Picture by JOHN TENNIEL
(reproduced above), in which the then existing Staff of _Punch_ are
humorously sketched. They are engaged in somewhat varied sports and
pastimes. _Mr. Punch_ is keeping wicket in a game in which THACKERAY
wields the bat, and PERCIVAL LEIGH is bowling; MARK LEMON, and GILBERT
À BECKETT are playing at battledore and shuttlecock, and DOUGLAS
JERROLD is having a solitary game of skittles, the 'pins' being the
CZAR of RUSSIA, &c. SHIRLEY BROOKS, MAYHEW, and TOM TAYLOR are playing
at Leapfrog, TOM TAYLOR 'overing' MAYHEW, whilst SHIRLEY BROOKS is
following up. In the background JOHN TENNIEL is sketching the Good
Knight _Punchius_ upon a wall, whilst in the immediate foreground JOHN
LEECH, upon a hobby-horse, is leaping over an easel. These were the
chief of my 'Young Men' at this time. In front of the tent are two
gentlemen, one in a black, the other in a white, hat. The first is
WILLIAM BRADBURY, the second is 'Pater' EVANS, our 'proprietors and
friends' of that day.
"In 1856 an obituary notice showed that the Table had experienced
one of its earliest losses, that of GILBERT ABBOTT À BECKETT. And on
June 8th, in the following year, the boding black border appeared 'In
Memoriam' of DOUGLAS JERROLD. Ah, me, Mr. ANNO DOMINI, the jingling
of the cap-and-bells, howsoever merrily it may sound, is perforce
interrupted now and again by the chiming of a bell of deeper note and
sadder tone.
"Volume XXXIX. for 1860 saw the artistic advent of the Society
Satirist of the Victorian Era, GEORGE DU MAURIER; and in Volume XLIV.
for the year 1863, the presence of another 'New Boy' at my Table, was
evidenced by the appearance of the burlesque London-Journalish Novel,
'Mokeanna,' in which FRANCIS COWLEY BURNAND parodied the 'Penny
Dreadful.'
"The very first page of my Volume for 1864, Mr. ANNO DOMINI, recorded
a great, a grievous, an irreparable loss to me and to the world.
WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY, the greatest of my contributors, had gone
for ever from my Table. And a little later--only a little later--in my
Number for November 12th, 1864, appeared an obituary notice--alas the
day!--of the great, the genial, the loved, the lamented JOHN LEECH.
"In the Volumes for this year, 1865, appear for the first time the
fanciful, ingenious, elaborately symbolical designs of CHARLES H.
BENNETT, who unhappily did not long enrich my pages with his facile
execution and singular subtlety of fancy. He died on the 2nd April.
His place at my Table was soon after taken by LINLEY SAMBOURNE.
"On the 23rd May, 1870, he who had sat at the head of my Table ever
since its first establishment, 'who wrote the first article in this
Journal, who from its establishment had been its conductor,' left
empty the chief seat at my board.
"'If this Journal has had the good fortune to be credited with
habitual advocacy of truth and justice, if it has been praised
for abstention from the less worthy kind of satire, if it
has been trusted by those who keep guard over the purity of
womanhood and of youth, we, the best witnesses, turn for
a moment from our sorrow to bear the fullest and the most
willing testimony that the high and noble spirit of MARK
LEMON ever prompted generous championship, ever made unworthy
onslaught or irreverent jest impossible to the pens of those
who were honoured in being coadjutors with him.'
"This, Mr. ANNO DOMINI, was the high and merited tribute which the
spokesman of his surviving colleagues paid to the beloved memory of
MARK LEMON.
"SHIRLEY BROOKS succeeded him in the editorial chair, which he filled
fittingly and faithfully for--alas!--only four years. In 1874 I lost
my second Editor. TOM TAYLOR was his successor, taking up with the
Editorship, the extraction of that weekly 'Essence of Parliament,' so
long and so delightfully distilled by the deceased Chief.
"Meanwhile, on April 30th, 1872, HORACE MAYHEW, had departed from our
midst. A little later the Table received a further accession in the
person of ARTHUR WILLIAM À BECKETT, ('Mr. BRIEFLESS Junior,') son of
that GILBERT ABBOTT À BECKETT who was one of my earliest 'Stars.' His
brother, a second GILBERT À BECKETT, took his seat at the Table a
few years later. In Volume LXVIII. for 1875, E.J. MILLIKEN made his
first appearance as a _Punch_ Writer. The Author of the 'ARRY papers,
'CHILDE CHAPPIE's Pilgrimage,' &c., joined my Table two years later.
"On the 12th July, 1880, another great loss befel me. TOM TAYLOR, my
third Editor, left that honourable post vacant, after occupying it
with credit and distinction for six years. Mr. F.C. BURNAND, author of
'Happy Thoughts,' &c., reigns in his stead. R.F. SKETCHLEY, who had a
seat at my Board for several years, resigned it a little later.
"The same year, 1880, saw the introduction of a new Artist, in the
person of HARRY FURNISS; and the next introduced HENRY W. LUCY, the
'TOBY' of _Mr. Punch's_ remodelled Essence of Parliament.
"In 1887, the appearance of '_Mr. Punch's_ Manual for Young Reciters,'
gave evidence of the fact that the Author of _Vice Versâ_, Mr. F.
ANSTEY, had joined my Table. He, with R.C. LEHMANN, Author of 'Modern
Types,' &c., and E.G. REED, the Artist, are the very latest additions
thereto. That Table has, within the last two years, sustained yet
two other losses: PERCIVAL LEIGH, last survivor of the 'Old Guard,'
dying on 24th October, 1889, whilst, early in the present year,
the inimitable CHARLES KEENE, universally acknowledged to be the
greatest master of 'Black-and-White' technique who ever put pencil
to wood-block, was taken away from me.
"Merely to mention _all_ the bright pens and pencils which have
occasionally contributed to my pages, would occupy much space. Amongst
Writers may be named MAGUIN HANNAY, STIRLING COYNE, COVENTRY PATMORE,
MORTIMER COLLINS, GEORGE AUGUSTUS SALA, ANDREW LANG, JAMES PAYN, and
Lord TENNYSON; amongst Artists, HOWARD (whose signature, a trident,
was at one time familiar to _Punch_ readers), Miss BOWERS, RALSTON,
BRYAN, BARNARD, W.S. GILBERT (who illustrated several of his own
articles), CORBOULD, CALDECOTT, RIVIÈRE, H.S. MARKS, FRED WALKER,
SIR JOHN MILLAIS, and Sir FREDERICK LEIGHTON.
"The present Staff, Mr. ANNO DOMINI, you may see assembled 'round
the old Tree' in the accompanying Cartoon. Around on the walls are
the counterfeit presentments of their illustrious and honoured
predecessors. My guests, you perceive, are drinking a toast. That
toast is, '_Mr. Punch_, his health and Jubilee!'"
"In which I am delighted to join!" responded ANNO DOMINI. "_Mr.
Punch_, you must be as proud of your 'Mahogany Tree,' and its many
memories, as King ARTHUR of his Table Round."
"'For dear to ARTHUR was that hall of ours,
As having there so oft with all his Knights
Feasted,'"
quoted the Sage, musing deeply of many things. Many of _my_ Knights
have 'gone before,' but they have not
"'Left me gazing at a barren board.'
"Their monograms are carven on this Table, their memories abide
with us as we drink to _Punch's_ Jubilee, and will abide when, as I
hope, yet another fifty years hence, our successors drink with equal
heartiness to _Punch's_ Centenary!"
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[Illustration: J. Tenniel. H. Silver. C. Keene. T. Taylor. F.C.
Burnand. R.F. Sketchley. H. Mayhew. M. Lemon. Shirley Brooks. Du
Maurier. P. Leigh.]
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