s, and, with a Companionship of the Bath, the
superintendence of the Constantinople Post Office.

Mr. Ashby-Sterry's name belongs to the following year, but he appeared
solely as a draughtsman; his literary connection, which began
twenty-four years later, will be spoken of in its proper place. Michael
John Barry was another who at this time (1857) shed no little brilliancy
on _Punch_; and to him is now credited the admirable "Peccavi"
despatch--perhaps the most finished and pointed that ever appeared in
_Punch's_ pages, and certainly one of the most highly appreciated and
most loudly applauded:--

"'_Peccavi!_ I've _Scinde_,' said Lord Ellen[44] so proud--
Dalhousie, more modest, said '_Vovi_, I've _Oude_!'"

This brilliant couplet, according to the "Times," is said to have been
contended for by "both _Punch_ and Thomas Hood;" and it never was
finally decided which of the two great humorists followed the other.
Their claims, indeed, are not irreconcilable. Latterly, the credit has
been claimed, with some show of authority, for Barry, who was generally
regarded in his day as one of Jerrold's peers in wit. It is curious to
observe that in the House of Commons debate on the Candahar question,
Mr. P. J. Smyth was reported to have referred to "the unexampled brevity
of the General's despatch after he had won his great victory on the
Indus," in the quaint belief that the first half-line of the epigram was
Lord Ellenborough's actual report.

The Very Rev. Reynolds Hole, Dean of Rochester, always a spoilt child of
_Punch's_, and the intimate friend of Leech, was more of a _Punch_ man
than most contributors, as he was one of the very few outsiders who were
ever entertained at the Wednesday Dinner.[45] "Some six-and-thirty years
ago," he informed me, "Mark Lemon wrote to me, '_Punch_ is proud of such
a contributor,' and I have his letter. I wrote a few short paragraphs
about Oxford, and some longer articles in verse, entitled 'The
Sportsman's Dream' and 'My Butler.' Leech told me, 'You are an honorary
member of our weekly meetings, and will be always welcome.'" His
charming book, "A Little Tour in Ireland," written "by an Oxonian," had
the advantage of Leech's pencil, and by his friendship with that artist,
as well as with Thackeray and others of the Staff, he was for a time
identified in some measure with _Punch_ itself, besides obtaining
recognition as the beau-ideal of "the genial, jolly parson." That he did
not become