ts greatest heit bei Jeames, with the assistans ov Yellowplush and
Pitman.' But _Punch_, who, leik the 'Thunderer,' never goez agenst
publik opinion, sneerz no longer at the Speling Reform moovment,
and sensibel men, who ar not fonetik men at all, admit at last that
our prezent sistem ov orthografi is bei no meanz perfekt."

There is little wonder that Thackeray seized on the comic side of this
movement, for whimsical spelling always delighted him. On one occasion,
indeed, he was so proud of an uncompromising cold that had "sat down" in
his head that he wrote to a friend in these terms:--"Br. Lettsob
(attache to the Egglish Legatiob at Washigtol) has beel kild elough to
probise to dile with be ol _Bulday lext_ at 6 o'clock--if you would joil
hib aid take a portiol of _a plail joilt ald a puddl_, it wd. give great
pleasure."

"The Snobs of England" began in the tenth volume, and continued through
fifty-one numbers well into the twelfth. The effect of these papers was
remarkable; the sensation they caused was profound. It may be compared
to that of Jerrold's "Caudle Lectures," save that they appealed to a
more cultivated and less demonstrative class, and were appreciated in
proportion to their superior merits. The circulation of _Punch_ rose
surprisingly under their benign influence, and Thackeray did not leave
the subject until he had handled it from every point of view and even
carried it abroad. He was, naturally, not a little proud of his first
great success, and in his unaffected manner was tempted to speak about
it in Society--where more than in any other quarter the papers were
appreciated. Unfortunately, according to Dr. Gordon Hake's memoirs,
Thackeray broached the subject to George Borrow. He had been trying to
make conversation with that strangely crotchety man, but had completely
failed. So, being somewhat embarrassed, he asked him abruptly, "Have you
read my 'Snob Papers' in _Punch_?" Borrow seemed to thaw. "In _Punch_,"
he repeated sweetly. "It is a periodical I never look at." This was as
bad as the Oxford University magnate when Thackeray called upon him in
1857 in reference to his lecturing-tour and mentioned his connection
with _Punch_, the fame of which was great in the land, as a sort of
certificate of character--"_Punch_--_Punch_?" repeated the ignorant
scholar, "is that not a ribald publication?" Thackeray, I may add, in
order to impart local colour to his chapters on the Club Sno