Holding that a Free Press was an advantage to a nation, _Punch_ had supported the Memorial to Leigh Hunt, who had been sent to prison "for publishing opinions which _Mr. Punch_ in perfect safety may now put forth when he pleases, and the fact that _Punch_ can just say what he likes without a fear of Newgate is owing in great measure to the battles Leigh Hunt fought," for which _Punch_ was content to overlook Leigh Hunt's self-indulgent improvidence--so cruelly satirized by Dickens in Harold Skimpole. But when Charles Knight died in 1873 there was no need for reservation in the homage paid to that life-long and stalwart fighter for the repeal of the taxes on learning:-- Oft times the fuel well nigh failed his flame, And Ruin stood between him and his aim, But manfully he grappled the grim foe, Nor ever yielded sword though oft struck low. And his reward was that he lived to see Cheap Letters broad-cast sown, and knowledge free! DRAMA, OPERA, MUSIC AND THE FINE ARTS Before the middle 'fifties critics of the Stage in England--apart from the extreme Puritans--had three main grounds for complaint: the monopoly of the patent theatres, the patronage of foreigners by the Court and fashionable Society, and the popularity of degrading sensational plays; and up to 1857 the pages of _Punch_ were eloquent on all three counts. In the period covered by this volume not only was royal patronage more judiciously and impartially bestowed, but the abolition of the exclusive privileges of the patent theatres had cut at the root of the evil and rendered possible such enlightened ventures as those of Phelps and Mrs. Warner at Sadler's Wells. The immediate result of the Free Trade policy in plays was to stimulate the legitimate drama, and in particular the cult of Shakespeare. Phelps's work in this connexion comes in for repeated approval, especially for his good all-round casts. Shakespearean actors are prominent throughout. The announcement of the death of Scribe in 1861 inspires the comment that the Members of the Dramatic Authors' Association are as well as can be expected. _Punch_ had no love for endless _réchauffés_ of French plays, but he was no bigot where foreign actors of merit were concerned, and cordially welcomed Fechter as Hamlet in 1861, while deprecating the preliminary puffing of his manager. It was not needed, for while admitting that Fechter's accent was disconcerting, _Punch_ had nothing but praise for his admirable play of feature, his graceful ease of attitude and gesture and his intelligent conception of the character. As for the interpretation as a whole, foreigners were entitled to read Shakespeare for themselves: _Punch_ held no brief for the Protection of British Stage Traditions, but believed in free trade in intellect as well as in cotton. [Sidenote: _Fechter and Ristori_]