“The frontispiece to Volume XIX., for the second half of the year 1850, was by a ‘new hand,’ none other than JOHN TENNIEL the ‘Cartoonist’ par excellence, whose work henceforth was to be—­as happily it still is—­the pride of Mr. Punch and the delight of the British Public.  TENNIEL’s first Cartoon, ‘Lord JACK the Giant-Killer,’ graced Mr. Punch’s 499th Number, he having taken, at short notice, the place of RICHARD DOYLE, who after many years of excellent work had voluntarily withdrawn from the Table, owing to certain religious scruples, not wholly unconnected with the subject of his successor’s first ‘Big Cut.’

“Another member of my little army about this time was GEORGE SILVER, and my next recruits were the polished and witty SHIRLEY BROOKS, and, one who was to develop into the greatest master of Black-and-White Art this country has produced, CHARLES KEENE to wit, our dear, picturesque, unsophisticated ‘CARLO,’ lost to the Table—­an irreparable loss!—­but a few months ago.

“At the opening of Volume XXVII. for the second half of the year 1854, you will observe, Mr. ANNO DOMINI, a Picture by JOHN TENNIEL (reproduced above), in which the then existing Staff of Punch are humorously sketched.  They are engaged in somewhat varied sports and pastimes. Mr. Punch is keeping wicket in a game in which THACKERAY wields the bat, and PERCIVAL LEIGH is bowling; MARK LEMON, and GILBERT A BECKETT are playing at battledore and shuttlecock, and DOUGLAS JERROLD is having a solitary game of skittles, the ‘pins’ being the CZAR of RUSSIA, &c.  SHIRLEY BROOKS, MAYHEW, and TOM TAYLOR are playing at Leapfrog, TOM TAYLOR ‘overing’ MAYHEW, whilst SHIRLEY BROOKS is following up.  In the background JOHN TENNIEL is sketching the Good Knight Punchius upon a wall, whilst in the immediate foreground JOHN LEECH, upon a hobby-horse, is leaping over an easel.  These were the chief of my ‘Young Men’ at this time.  In front of the tent are two gentlemen, one in a black, the other in a white, hat.  The first is WILLIAM BRADBURY, the second is ‘Pater’ EVANS, our ’proprietors and friends’ of that day.

“In 1856 an obituary notice showed that the Table had experienced one of its earliest losses, that of GILBERT ABBOTT A BECKETT.  And on June 8th, in the following year, the boding black border appeared ’In Memoriam’ of DOUGLAS JERROLD.  Ah, me, Mr. ANNO DOMINI, the jingling of the cap-and-bells, howsoever merrily it may sound, is perforce interrupted now and again by the chiming of a bell of deeper note and sadder tone.

“Volume XXXIX. for 1860 saw the artistic advent of the Society Satirist of the Victorian Era, GEORGE DU MAURIER; and in Volume XLIV. for the year 1863, the presence of another ‘New Boy’ at my Table, was evidenced by the appearance of the burlesque London-Journalish Novel, ‘Mokeanna,’ in which FRANCIS COWLEY BURNAND parodied the ’Penny Dreadful.’

“The very first page of my Volume for 1864, Mr. ANNO DOMINI, recorded a great, a grievous, an irreparable loss to me and to the world.  WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY, the greatest of my contributors, had gone for ever from my Table.  And a little later—­only a little later—­in my Number for November 12th, 1864, appeared an obituary notice—­alas the day!—­of the great, the genial, the loved, the lamented JOHN LEECH.