R,CHARD MONCKTON MILNES was born in the year - OUDL Home

The Theatre in the 'Seventies 145W. S. Gilbert, in later life Sir William Gilbert, renownedfor his share, with Arthur Sullivan, in what areknown as the Savoy operas, was born in 1836 and wastherefore younger than Robertson by seven years. Hetook the degree of Bachelor of Arts at London University,was a clerk in the Privy-council office from 1857 to 1862,and in 1864 was called to the bar. He turned his legalexperience to good account subsequently by writing alittle masterpiece, for which Sullivan composed the music,called Trial by Jury. Waiting for the growth of a practice—a quest he soon abandoned—he contributed to themagazines, and was on the staff of Fun, a comic journalin whose columns his Bab Ballads were first published.These ballads had been offered to Punch and had beenrefused—a slight which Gilbert never forgave. Gilbert,though a generous man, if tackled in the right way, wasnot perhaps of the most forgiving disposition. An oldstory tells us that long after the rejection of the earlierBab Ballads by Punch he was one of a dinner-party whichincluded Francis Cowley Burnand, then Mr Punch's editor.' All the good things are sent to Punch,' remarked Burnand,in the course of conversation at table. ' Then why dothey appear?' snapped Gilbert. A peculiarity of Glibeexquisite humorist as he was, was that he was aptexceedingly tetchy, even over trifles, in matters affechis personal dignity. He once complained to mquerulous tones of the rudeness of a barber who canhis house to cut his hair. 'What do you think thepertinent fellow dared to ask me', said Gilbert, whvoice rose to a treble in anger, '"when are we to expeanything further, Mr Gilbert, from your fluent pen?"'What do you mean, sir,' said Gilbert to the well-intentionedbut unfortunate barber—'what do you meanby "fluent pen"? There is no such thing as a fluent pen.A pen is an insensible object. And, at any rate, I don'tB 10