The Humourous Poetry of the English Language

695
merited) the significant honor of being denied admission to the
dominions of continental monarchs. Louis Philippe interdicted its
presence in France, even (if we recollect aright) before the Spanish
marriage had provoked its fiercest attacks--subsequently, however,
withdrawing his royal veto. In Spain, Naples, the Papal Dominions,
those of Austria, Russia, and Prussia, the hunch-backed jester has been
often under ban as an unholy thing, or only tolerated in a mutilated
form. Up to the commencement of the late war, strict measures of this
kind were in operation upon the Russian frontier, but "Punch" now is
freely accorded ingress in the Czar's dominions--probably as a means of
keeping up the feeling of antagonism toward England.
Its success has provoked innumerable rivals and imitators, from the
days of "Judy," "Toby," "The Squib," "Joe Miller," "Great Gun," and
"Puppet-Show," to those of "Diogenes" and" "Falstaff." None
haveachieved permanent popularity, and future attempts would most
likely be
attended with similar failure, as "Punch" has a firm hold on the
likings of the English people, and especially Londoners. It fairly
amounts to one of their institutions. Like all journals of merit and
independence, it has had its law troubles, more than one action for
libel having been commenced against it. James Silk Buckingham, the
traveler and author, took this course, in consequence of the
publication of articles disparaging a club of his originating, known as
the "British and Foreign Institute." A Jew clothes-man, named Hart,
obtained a small sum as damages from "Punch." But Alfred Bunn, lessee
of Drury Lane Theater, libretto-scribbler, and author of certain trashy
theatrical books, though most vehemently "pitched into," resorted to
other modes than legal redress. He produced a pamphlet of a shape and
appearance closely resembling his tormentor, filled not only with
quizzical, satirical, and rhyming articles directed against Lemon,
a'Beckett, and Jerrold (characterizing them as Thick-head, Sleek-head,
and Wrong-head), but with caricature cuts of each. Whether in direct
consequence or not, it is certain that "the poet Bunn" was unmolested
in future.
Our notice would scarcely be complete without a few lines devoted to
the "Punch" artists, and more especially John Leech. Doyle (the son of
H. B., the well-known political caricaturist), whose exquisite
burlesque medieval drawings illustrative of the "Manners and Customs of
ye Englishe," will be remembered by all familiar with "Punch's" pages,