The Humourous Poetry of the English Language

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evening each week was especially devoted to a festive meeting of these
writers, where, Lernon presiding, they deliberated as to the conduct
and course of the periodical. "Punch," however, was at first not
successful, and indeed on the point of being abandoned as a bad
speculation, when Messrs. Bradbury and Evans, two aspiring printers,
now extensive publishers, purchased it at the very moderate price of
one hundred pounds, since which time it has continued their property,
and a valuable one. In those days it presented a somewhat different
appearance from the present, being more closely printed, finer type
used, and the illustrations (with the exception of small, black,
silhouette cuts, after the style of those in similar French
publications), were comparatively scanty. Soon, however, "Punch" throve
apace, amply meriting its success. To Henning's drawings (mostly those
of a political nature), were added those of Leech, Kenny Meadows, Phiz
(H. K. Browne), Gilbert, Alfred Crowquill (Forrester), and
others--Doyle's pencil not appearing till some years later. Chief of
these gentlemen in possession of the peculiar artistic ability which
has identified itself with "Punch" is unquestionably Mr. John Leech,
of whom we shall subsequently speak, at greater length. He has remained
constant to the journal from its first volume.
Jerrold's writings date from the commencement. Many essays and satiric
sketches over fancy signatures, are from his pen. His later and longer
productions, extending through many volumes, are "Punch's Letters to
his Son," "Punch's Complete Letter Writer," "Twelve Labors of
Hercules," "Autobiography of Tom Thumb," "Mrs. Caudle's Curtain
Lectures," "Capsicum House for Young Ladies," "Our Little Bird," "Mrs.
Benimble's Tea and Toast," "Miss Robinson Crusoe," and "Mrs. Bib's
Baby," the last two of which were never completed. During the
publication of the "Caudle Lectures," "Punch" reached the highest
circulation it has attained. We have the authority of a personal friend
of the author for the assertion that their heroine was no fictitious
one. The lectures were immensely popular, Englishmen not being slow to
recognize in Jerold's caustic portraiture the features of a very
formidable household reality. But with the ladies Mrs. Caudle proved no
favorite, nor, in their judgment, did the "Breakfast-Table-Talk," of
the Henpecked Husband (subsequently published in the Almanac of the
current year), make amends for the writer's former productions.
Albert Smith's contributions to the pages of "Punch," were the
"Physiologies of the London Medical Student," "London Idler," and
"Evening Parties," with other miscellaneous matter. Much of the
author's own personal experience is probably comprised in the former,