statement,
was "The Above Bridge Navy" (p. 35, Volume I., 1841); but it is
practically certain that "Commercial Intelligence" in the first number
is his. "I recollect well," says the Hon. T. T. a Beckett, in his
Reminiscences, "my brother--who wrote for it from the first number to
the last that appeared in his life-time--bringing me away from my office
on an assurance that if I accompanied him as far as the Strand, he would
show me something that would fill me at once with gratification and
amazement. He kept me in suspense until I reached Catherine Street, when
he stopped short and said, 'Now you shall see me draw a pound from
_Punch_, and if that don't amaze you and gratify you, you must have but
a poor sense of the marvellous and very little brotherly sympathy.'"

Just about the period when the negotiations were being carried on with
Bradbury and Evans, a Beckett began to fall off in the amount of his
contributions, and for a time practically ceased altogether. At this
time he edited the "Squib" (28th May, 1842), a folio sheet published at
three-halfpence, very respectably conducted and printed, and owned by
Last _Punch's_ old printer, illustrated by Henning, Hamerton, and
Newman, _Punch_ artists, treating many of _Punch's_ pet subjects in the
_Punch_ spirit, including "Physiologies," which the older paper had made
its own. It was also stated that several of the _Punch_ Staff were among
its contributors. However this may be, the "Squib" went off in December
of the same year, and a Beckett thenceforward worked loyally for _Punch_
for the rest of his life, and bequeathed moreover his two sons to
_Punch's_ service.

His popular "Songs for the Seedy," a series of eight poems, were
published in this year in _Punch_, as well as "Songs of the Flowers;"
and soon his "Ballads of the Briefless" made a considerable stir in
_Punch's_ circle. A Beckett had been called to the Bar some time before,
so that his ballads as well as the articles from his hand which
appeared--and, from time to time, continued--over the signature of "Mr.
Briefless," had a touch of verisimilitude which went straight to the
soft places in the hearts and imagination of the Great Unbriefed. "Mr.
Briefless" became an institution in the paper, as, in other journals,
Mr. O. P. Q. Philander Smiff, and again, in a lower social scale, Mr.
Alfred Sloper, became recognised by a later generation. This unfortunate
gentleman of the Bar--a gentleman always, in spite of