This incident marked the high-water level of _Punch's_ anti-Albertianism--at any rate, in the domain of sport; we find an address of condolence to the Prince on the conclusion of the shooting season a year and a half later, but, in the main, the criticisms of the Royal Consort henceforth are founded on other grounds of dissatisfaction. What infuriated _Punch_ even more than the ineptitudes of the Court was the fulsome adulation of the _Lickspittle-offs_ of the Press, who were prepared, not only to defend, but to eulogize them. "The amount of good that Royalty can effect in this country is astonishing," _Punch_ frankly admits, while caustically adding: "only less astonishing than that which it has yet to do." But between a generous acknowledgment of what could be done by royal example (as, for instance, its discouragement of gambling) and the "insanity of loyalty," there was an immense gulf, and _Punch_ was never weary of gibbeting those writers in and out of the Press who thought they "could best oppose the questioning spirit of the time--questioning, as it does, the 'divinity' that hedges the throne--by adopting the worse than foolish adulation of a bygone age." Assuredly, the absolute _reductio ad absurdum_ of this courtiership was reached when the Queen was extolled for behaving as any reasonable woman would:-- The excessively loyal man has the ugliest manner of paying a compliment. He evidently takes his king or queen as a carved log dropped from the skies, or he would not marvel as he does when the aforesaid image shows any touch of life or human sympathy. If his idol perform the commonest act of social courtesy, he roars--"what condescension!" If it display the influence of affections, he screams--"a miracle!" Her Majesty, on her arrival at Windsor from Scotland, has her babies immediately brought to her: whereupon, says _The Atlas_--"The woman and the mother _for a moment_ proclaimed the supremacy of nature over the etiquette of a court, and the _splendour of a diadem_!" What very ill-breeding on the part of "nature"--but then, we presume, she is such a stranger at courts! Was there no Gold Stick in Waiting to show the baggage to the door? The same offender is brought to book in the following issue for deprecating royal excursions by railway:-- _The Atlas_ thus sermonizes upon Royalty "by the rail":-- "We are aware that every precaution is taken by the directors and managers of the Great Western Railway, when Her Majesty makes use of a special train, and we are not less acquainted with the courage and absence of all fear from the mind of the Queen. But a long regency in this country would be so fearful and tremendous an evil, that we cannot but desire, in common with many others, that these royal railway excursions should be, if possible, either wholly abandoned or only occasionally resorted to."