Mr. Punch's History of Modern England, Vol. 4 (of 4).—1892-1914Graves, Charles L. (Charles Larcom)
History
Mr. Punch's History of Modern England, Vol. 4 (of 4).—1892-1914
Graves, Charles L. (Charles Larcom)
Great Britain -- History -- Victoria, 1837-1901 -- Humor
By way of contrast with hustling methods _Punch_ had noted with regret
the passing in 1905 of _Longman's Magazine_, in whose pages Mr. Andrew
Lang had for many years presided so gracefully "At the Sign of the
Ship":--
Formerly, when, sated by sensation,
Gentle readers sought an air serene,
Refuge from the snapshot's domination
Might be found in _Longman's Magazine_.
There at least the roaring cult of dollars
Never took its devastating way;
There the pens of gentlemen and scholars
Held their uncontaminating sway.
There no parasitic bookman prated,
No malarious poetasters sang,
There all themes were touched and decorated
By your nimble fancy, Andrew Lang.
True, some hobbies you were always riding,
--Spooks and spies and totemistic lore;
But so deft, so dext'rous was your guiding,
No one ever labelled you a bore.
But alas! the landmarks that we cherish,
Standing for the earlier, better way,
Vanquished by vulgarity must perish,
Overthrown by "enterprise" decay.
Still with fairy books will you regale us,
Still pay homage to the sacred Nine,
But no more hereafter will you hail us
Monthly at the Ship's familiar Sign.
There no longer faithfully and gaily
Will you deal alike with foes and friends,
Wherefore, crying "Ave, atque vale!"
_Punch_ his parting salutation sends.
_Punch_ had his own losses to deplore, for in August, 1897, the death
of Mr. E. J. Milliken removed a most valuable and fertile member of his
staff. Mr. Milliken was not only the creator of "'Arry," and a fluent
and dexterous versifier, but he combined with a retentive and accurate
memory "the rare talent of most happily applying past literature,
whether in history or fiction, to the illustration of contemporary
instances," and for a long time had been the chief cartoon-suggester.
A longer and more distinguished connexion with _Punch_ was severed in
1906 by the retirement of Sir Frank Burnand after forty-three years'
service. He joined in 1863, as the youngest of the staff, and held the
editorship for over twenty-five years. In "Just a Few Words at Parting"
he defines the aim of the editor in words worthy of remembrance. If
_Punch_ was to hold securely the position he had achieved, it should
and must be "to provide relaxation for all, fun for all, without a
spice of malice or a suspicion of vulgarity, humour without a flavour
of bitterness, satire without reckless severity, and nonsense so
laughter-compelling as to be absolutely irresistible from its very
absurdity." The precept hardly covers the higher function assumed by
_Punch_ in "The Song of the Shirt," but, as it stands, had assuredly
been faithfully carried into practice by the master of exhilarating
burlesque, the intrepid parodist, the author of the immortal _Happy
Thoughts_. As for the personal affection that he inspired in his staff,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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