carried off the key.

A Beckett had been one of the shyest and most nervous men that ever
lived, but his appointment to the police-court--first at Greenwich, then
at Southwark--removed much of his undue modesty, and he was recognised
as being energetic, sagacious, and humane. He was a tremendous worker,
incomparably quick, and above all was absolutely punctual in his
delivery of "copy"--a virtue quite sufficient to account for his
popularity with publishers, who also were attracted by his retiring and
distinguished manners. Though his conversation was bright, he preferred
to keep his witticisms for his public or private writings, as when, in
sending in a parcel of "copy" to Mark Lemon, he wrote on the outside:--

"Dear Mark--I do herewith enclose
Some 'copy' both in verse and prose.
'Tis neither very bright nor terse--
The verse is bad--the prose is worse.
But you, of course, will read and check it.
Yours ever, G. etcet'ra Beckett."

This paper passed, as a wrapper, from Lemon to Mr. Birket Foster, and
from the hands of that gentleman to an autograph-hunter undiscoverable.

A Beckett's wit was exceedingly nimble, and as a consequence he was a
facile punster. One of his happiest jokes of the kind has been set on
record. When the election of Louis Napoleon appeared likely, the policy
of _Punch_ in respect to it was anxiously discussed at the Table. One of
the Staff--Thackeray most likely--declared that it would be wisest to be
indefinite. "Nonsense," said a Beckett, "if you're not definite, you'd
better be dumb in it!"

While occupied in writing a series of papers called "Mr. Punch's Guide
Books to the Crystal Palace," illustrated by Tenniel, Gilbert a Beckett
died at Boulogne from typhus fever, his youngest son Walter predeceasing
him by two days from the same complaint--the grief of any knowledge of
it, however, being happily spared the father. He was buried in Highgate
Cemetery, and the inscription engraved upon the tombstone was reproduced
in an abbreviated and modified form from the touching obituary notice in
which his brother-workers, through Jerrold's pen, testified to his
merits and to their affection: "Endowed with a genial, manly spirit;
gifted with subtlest powers of wit and humour, they were ever exercised
to the healthiest and most innocent purpose. As a Magistrate, his wise,
calm, humane administration of the law proved that the fulfilment of the
gravest duties is not incompatible wit