ne could see the germ of a first-rate property in it. It was
objected that the temperament of the English people so differed from
that of the French that they certainly would neither appreciate nor
encourage the requisite style of writing, even supposing--which they did
not believe--that the necessary talent were forthcoming. Moreover, they
would not credit that a comic paper could succeed without the
scurrility, and often enough the indecencies, that had distinguished
earlier satirical prints; and although the popularity of Hood's "Comic
Annual" and Cruikshank's "Comic Almanac" was pointed to, they would have
nothing to do with a weekly, however much it professed to supersede
previous ribaldry with clean wit and healthy humour.

As it happened, early in 1841 Landells was concerned, with his friend
Joseph Last, printer, of 3, Crane Court, Fleet Street, in projecting a
periodical known as "The Cosmorama," an illustrated journal of life and
manners of the day, and to him Landells imparted his conviction that
such a journal as he imagined would certainly succeed. The enterprising
printer lent a readier ear than others had done (perhaps, in view of his
limited capital and still more limited ideas of speculation, altogether
too ready an ear), and agreed with Landells to take up so excellent a
notion. Now, in the little world of comic writing a brilliant humorist
was at work--Henry Mayhew, one of several brothers of ability, a man
whose resource was equal to his wit. He was already known to Last as the
son of the leading member of the firm of Mayhew, Johnston, and Mayhew,
of Carey Street, his legal advisers. He was residing at the time at
Hemming's Row, over a haberdasher's shop, and, with F. W. N. Bayley and
others, he had been secured as writer on "The Cosmorama." Landells,
introduced to him by Last, approached him on the subject of the
"Charivari." Mayhew grasped the conception at once, and, as the sequel
proved, saw it more completely, and perhaps appreciated its literary and
artistic possibilities more clearly, than either its material originator
or his ambassador had done. He immediately advised dropping "The
Cosmorama," and directing on to the new comic all the energy and
resources that were to have been put into the more commonplace
publication. In due course he imparted the new idea to his friend
Postans, who shared his room, and to other visitors; but he forgot to
mention how the idea had been brought to him, so that