Punch (26.1854)

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PREFACE,

Mr, Punch will not attempt to describe the attitude of the British nation on this event. No sooner
was it made known to the world that he had received the Royal summons—no sooner was it an
assured truth that he would take his blithesome way to Crystal-crowned Sydenham, than the whole
population in the line of his progress made every possible demonstration in order to glorify and do honour
to so great an event. Every possible sort of tapestry decorated the balconies. Hearthrugs and patch-
work quilts vied with one another; and multitudinous brass bands made resonant the welkin with the
air—“ See, the Benefactor comes/’

Arrived at the Palace, Mb. Punch—his new volume under his arm—contemplated for awhile the
People’s Eden, in which the mighty gardener Joseph is planting so many Trees of Knowledge. And at
once soothed and strengthened by the beauties around him, he awaited the Royal summons.

Her Gracious Majesty—punctual as rhe sun—arrived at ten minutes to Two o’Clock, and as Two
sounded from the belfry of Sydenham church, Mr. Punch—duly called by the Lord Chamberlain—was
face to face with her resplendent Majesty.

That Crystal Knight, Sir Joseph Paxton—having received the Royal Command to such effect—
introduced to the Queen, with whom were Prince Albert and the Royal Children,—Mr. Punch and his
Volume. Mr. Punch vras about to lay his book at the Royal Feet, when Her Majesty condescendingly
desired to receive it in her Hand, and having beneficently smiled upon it, gave it to Sir Joseph, with
orders that it should be added to the Five and Twenty Tomes of Punch—all of which are enshrined in a
delectable Cabinet in the Royal Private Apartments of the Crystal Palace.

Her Majesty was thereupon graciously pleased to visit the Punch Court—a Court hitherto most
enviously neglected by contemporary literature, no notice of it having hitherto appeared in any of the
newspapers. The inspection of Mr. Punch’s Court having been honoured by many musical laughs, the
Queen returned to her Chair, and declared