nging its
darts at the peculiarly vulnerable Duke of Brunswick, goading him into
the writing of his pamphlets, and into that crushing retaliation whereby
the paper was condemned in five thousand pounds damages, _Punch_ was
perhaps the most moderate public censor and _arbiter elegantiarum_
amongst all those who used ridicule and irony as instruments of
castigation; and indulgence has been the reward that he has reaped.

That Mr. George Jones and Mr. S. C. Hall dared not face the ultimate
ordeal of a court of law must be held to justify _Punch's_ persistently
caustic denunciations; while the case of Mr. Gent-Davis, then M.P. for
Kennington, served chiefly to confirm the fact that "abstractions" and
"imaginary personages" find their counterparts, in the opinions of some,
in real life. In this case one of the Staff, who lived in the member's
constituency, and had taken some interest in local politics, contributed
a humorous paper to a series on which he was engaged, and it was
published in _Punch(_November 13, 1886). In this essay a type of
suburban lady-politician--a "study from Mr. Punch's Studio"--was
satirised under the name of "Mrs. Gore-Jenkins." Forthwith a summons
against the Editor at the Mansion House police court was the result, for
the Member accepted the description as directed against his wife; but
the explanation that the article was intended as a mere political satire
on an "imaginary person" was held to be satisfactory, and the incident
was finally closed.

On another occasion an unflattering poem on a "popular singer" was
illustrated, quite innocently by the artist, who probably never saw the
verses, with what appeared to be a portrait of Mr. Isidore de Lara; but
no sooner was the matter pointed out than any intention to offend the
musician was immediately disclaimed by the paper. At another time one of
_Punch's_ artists showed the little band of Socialists (Messrs.
Champion, Hyndman, and others), who were then before the law on a
political charge, as subjects of _Punch's_ traditional "summary
justice." But although _Punch_ was quickly brought to book, his victims
did not take the matter very seriously. Mr. John Burns, indeed,
confesses as much in a communication upon the subject. "On one
occasion," he tells me, "_Punch_ suspended me, pictorially of course,
from a gallows tree. This I, of course, regarded as Mr. Punch's humorous
desire to see me in an elevated position. On other occasions he has been
equ