as Mr. Widdicomb of Astley's
Amphitheatre) and saying "Well, Mr. Wellington, is there anything I can
do for you--for to run, for to fetch, for to carry, for to borrow, for
to steal?" As Lord Brougham was suspected of undue complaisance towards
the Duke at the time, the neatness of the political allusion was
received with extraordinary favour by the public.

Another admirable portrait, consistently good, was that of Sir Robert
Peel: so good, indeed, that when it was proposed to erect a statue to
the statesman, and the best of all likenesses was sought as a guide to
the sculptor--a resemblance truthful in feature and natural
expression--the choice fell on a cartoon by Leech, and according to that
drawing the head was modelled. Palmerston, too, was not a little
impressed when in Wales a postman spoke to him as though he knew him,
and replied, when questioned as to the recognition, "Seen your picture
in _Punch_, my lord."

[Illustration: "THE MRS. CAUDLE OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS."

"What do you say? _Thank heaven! You are going to enjoy the recess--and
you'll be rid of me for some months?_ Never mind. Depend upon it, when
you come back, you shall have it again. No: I don't raise the House, and
set everybody in it by the ears; but I'm not going to give up every
little privilege; though it's seldom I open my lips, goodness
knows!"--_"Caudle Lectures" (Improved)._

MRS. CAUDLE, LORD BROUGHAM; MR. CAUDLE, LORD CHANCELLOR LYNDHURST.
(_From the original Sketch for the Cartoon drawn by John Leech at
Thackeray's suggestion._)]

But _Punch_, it must be admitted, has often departed from the solemn
truth, both unintentionally and of malice aforethought. It was his
common practice to put a straw into Lord Palmerston's mouth. Palmerston,
of course, never did chew straws; but one was adopted as a symbol to
show his cool and sportive nature. Many a time has that straw formed
the topic of serious discussion by serious writers. Some have pretended
that it was designed to typify an expression used by one of his admiring
followers in the House--a tribute to his "stable character;" others have
said that it became his attribute from the time that he described
himself as "playing the part of judicious Bottle-Holder to the
pugnacious Powers of Europe;" and Mark Lemon declared that it was simply
used as a sort of trade-mark whereby he might be known again, just as
Mr. Harry Furniss invented Mr. Gladstone's collars, Lord Randolph
Churchill's dim