560

J. Bernard Partridge. By Himself 564

Phil May at Work. By Himself 568

Phil May as _Punch_. By Himself 570

The _Punch_ Staff at Table, 1895 571

"Finale." By Linley Sambourne 572

Index. Original Sketch. By Charles Keene. 581

The engravings here borrowed from _Punch_ are reproduced (in all cases
in smaller sizes) by special permission of the Proprietors, Messrs.
Bradbury, Agnew & Co. The Portrait of Charles Keene by J. D. Watson, and
of Himself with the Bagpipes, were first published in _Black and White_,
through whose courtesy they appear here. To all who have accorded the
various permissions for reproductions, or who have lent drawings for the
better illustration of this volume, the acknowledgments of the writer
are gratefully recorded. The Copyright of the illustrations is in every
case strictly reserved.

THE

HISTORY OF "PUNCH."

INTRODUCTORY.

"If humour only meant laughter," said Thackeray, in his essay on the
English humorists, "you would scarcely feel more interest about humorous
writers than the life of poor Harlequin, who possesses with these the
power of making you laugh. But the men regarding whose lives and stories
you have curiosity and sympathy appeal to a great number of our other
faculties, besides our mere sense of ridicule. The humorous writer
professes to awaken and direct your love, your pity, your kindness; your
scorn of untruth, pretension, imposture; your tenderness for the weak,
the poor, the oppressed, the unhappy. To the best of his means and
ability he comments on all the ordinary actions and passions of life
almost."

It may surely be claimed that these words, consecrated to his mighty
predecessors by the Great Humorist of _Punch_, may be applied without
undue exaggeration to his colleagues on the paper. Though posing at
first only as the puppet who waded knee-deep in comic vice, _Punch_ has
worked as a teacher as well as a jester--a leader, and a preacher of
kindness. Nor was it simple humour that was _Punch's_ profession at the
beginning; he always had a more serious and, so to say, a worthier
object in view. This may be gathered from the very first article in the
very first number, the manifesto of the band of m