Punch: Punch (36.1859)

iv

PREFACE.

lJune -25, 1859.

Year Mr. Punch, the Avenger, kicked Mr. Cox out of Finsbury;

Year that the new Temple chambers were marked with the name of Sam Johnson ;

Year that the fashion broke out of abusing our wives for bad dinners ;

Year Queen Victoria announced that India, subdued, was Her kingdom ;

Year Mr. Owen, Professor, expounded the dreadful Gorilla;

Year that the Tories, in office, brought in another Reform Bill;

Year that such Bill was rejected, and Derby appealed to the Country;

Year when the General Election ejected his Lordship from office ;

Year that Lord Palmerston found himself Premier again on Whit Sunday;

Y^ear that Sam Warren the Poet was raised to be Master in Lunacy ;

Year that the Westminster Clock began to have thoughts about going ;

Year that the gay Floral Hall rose alongside of the Opera House ;

Year the Welsh child in the Gallery howled while Lord Stanley was speaking;

Y^ear that the Emperor Napoleon the Third entered Milan in triumph ;

Year that the Thames smelt as bad as it did in the year antecedent.

Such the events which occurred in one-half of the year Fifty-Nine;

Such, and ten million beside, in the Volume before you are noted.

Noted, but not in the fashion of Apes from the Sea called the Dead Sea ;

But made texts for uncountable wealth of wit, ever blended with wisdom.

Down on the knees of your hearts, thanking great Punch for this Volume ;

Rejoice that you live in a world that He condescends to enlighten ;

Shout for your Queen and your Punch, and then all go and mind your own business :

Leaving Him Watcher, Protector, Censor, Curator, Chastiser.