f his
son, Mr. Cuthbert Bradley, "Mark Lemon readily accepted my proposal to
introduce it into _Punch_," and accordingly, the first four caricature
illustrations of photography that appeared were in _Punch_, between May
and August, 1853. One of these represented "The Portrait of an Eminent
Photographer who has just succeeded in focussing a view to his Complete
Satisfaction." He was depicted with his head under the hood, while a
bull was charging him in the rear--a sketch that was pleasantly referred
to by Charles Kingsley in his novel, "Two Years Ago."

[Illustration: REV. EDWARD BRADLEY ("CUTHBERT BEDE").

(_From a Photograph by A. J. Hancock._)]

To the encouragement of Mark Lemon, Cuthbert Bede owed a good deal, in
respect to both pen and pencil, and in the warmth of his geniality the
sketches for "Verdant Green" were made, and, says the author, more than
forty of them were engraved for _Punch's_ pages, to appear a page each
week.[58] But circumstances caused Mark Lemon, with Cuthbert Bede's
consent, to transfer them to a special Supplement at that time being
prepared by _Punch's_ Editor for the "Illustrated London News"--a
journal which then enjoyed the co-operation of all the best pens and
pencils more closely identified with the Sage of Fleet Street.

Then in 1850 the MS. of "Verdant Green" went the round of the publishers
for issue in book-form, and not till after a year's tour was it
accepted, and reluctantly enough issued, the publisher vowing that it
would not pay its expenses. But within four-and-twenty hours he found
out his mistake, and the announcement was made thirty years afterwards,
that the sale of the book had amounted to upwards of 170,000
copies--while the author, from first to last, received the splendid sum
of L350 for a work which must be reckoned among the great popular
successes of the century.

When Douglas Jerrold was at Oxford, in November, 1854, Cuthbert Bede was
presented to the sharp-tongued wit, the introducer adding, by way of
explanation, "Mr. Verdant Green." "At that time," says Bede, "I was
closely shaven, and had a very pale face. Douglas Jerrold looked sharply
up at me, with a glitter in his blue eyes, and at once said, 'Mr.
Verdant Green? I should have thought it was Mr. Blanco White!'"--though,
of course, there was no more real resemblance between Blanco White's
face and that of the Rev. Bradley's, than there was between "Mr. Verdant
Green" and "Doblado's Letters from Spain.