Punch: Punch (101.1891)

July 18, 1831.] PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

recorded a great, a grievous, an irreparable loss to me and to the j Sketchley, who had a seat at my Board for several years, resigned
world. AVillia.1I Makepeace Thackeray, the greatest of my con- it a little later

tributors, had gone for ever from my Table. And a little later—only
a little later—in my Xuniber 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, elaboratelv synibolieal designs of Charles
H. Bennett, who unhappilv did not long enrich my pages with his
faeile 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 Parlia-
ment,' 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 aBeckett, ('Mr. Briefless
Junior,') son of that Gilbert Abbott aBeckett who was one of my
earliest ' Stars.' His brother, a second Gilbert aBeckett, 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. Ton 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.

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 Versa,
Mr. F. Anstey, had joined my Table. He, with 11. 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 ac-
knowledged 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 Maguln 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, Bar-
nard, W. S. Gilbert (who illustrated several of his own articles),
Corboeld, Caldecott, Riviere, 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 vour ' 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 ! "

J. Tenniel. H. Silver.

H. Mayhew.

C. Keene.
M. Lemon.

T. Taylor. F. C. Burnand. E. F. Sketchley.
Shirley Brooks. Du Maurier. P. Leigh.