with _Punch_" (in imitation
of Tom Taylor's "Flight with Russell" and his far less happy "Flight
with Louis Philippe," in _Punch_, August and October, 1847, Volume
XIII.), in which the "Man in the Moon" was supposed to fly, genie-like,
with _Punch_ over the land which at one time he ruled with his wit; and
the "Dreary Hunchback," as he was apostrophised, was caustically
besought to awake and stem the tide of his supposed degeneration. It is
hardly surprising that this poem, clever as it is, was not reprinted in
the posthumous collection of the writer's poems.

But not immediately did he conquer his position. There were still years
to wait, which were occasionally occupied with a pleasing attack on
_Punch_, one of which, it is said, drew from Leech his picture of two
little "snobs" in a low coffee-house. "_Punch_ is very dummy and slow
this week, I think," says the first disreputable-looking "fast man." "So
do I," replies the other. "It's their own fault, too, for I sent 'em
some dem'd funny articles, which the humbugs sent me back." "That's just
the way they served me," resumes his friend--"the great fools!" But at
last, at the end of 1851, his first contribution to _Punch_ was
received, and he was soon invited to join the Staff. He was not long in
making a mark with "Miss Violet," but it was not among his strongest
contributions. Nevertheless, "Epicurus Rotundus" was now a made man on
the highway to success.

It was his charm and grace as much as his vigour that compelled the
admiration of his fellows and their admission that he was the most
valuable accession that the Staff had ever received. At the dinner given
to Thackeray in 1856, Jerrold, in proposing Brooks's health, pronounced
him "the most rising journalist of the day," and Mark Lemon declared
openly that "Shirley's pen is the gracefullest in London." It was, in
fact, the general opinion at the time that his verses combined much of
the technical merit of Pope's with the keen sarcasm of Swift; and of
such verse he contributed not fewer than six hundred pieces in the
course of his _Punch_ career. One of their merits was the unexpected
spontaneity of their humour--the faculty that is distinctive of some of
the best of his _mots_, such as that when looking at Edmund Yates's
book-shelves which caused him to pause before one of the volumes and
read off "Homer's Iliad," and murmur, "Homer's--Yes--_that is the
best_." On one occasion he, with Mr. George Chester (my i