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[Illustration]

Punch’s essence of guffaw.

SCRUPULOUSLY PREPARED FROM THE RECIPE OF THE LATE

Mr. Joseph Miller,

AND PATRONISED BY

The Royal family,

The twelve judges, the Lord Chancellor, the Swell mob, Mr. Hobler, and the
Court of aldermen;

ALSO BY THE

Commissioners of police, the Sexton of st. MARYLEBONE, the Phoenix life
assurance company, the King of the Sandwich islands,

AND THE

London Missionary society.

This inestimable composition, which cures all disorders, and keeps in all climates, may be had of every respectable bookseller on the face of the globe.  Price 3d.

TESTIMONIALS.

To Mr. Punch.

Sir,—­Having incautiously witnessed two consecutive performances of Mr. Macready in the “Lady of Lyons,” the comic portions of them threw me into a state of deep and chronic melancholy, which the various physicians employed were unable to cure.  Hearing, however, of your excellent medicine, I took it regularly every Saturday for five weeks, and am now able to go about my daily employment, which being that of a low comedian, was materially interfered with by my late complaint.

I remain, with gratitude, yours truly,

John Saunders.

New Strand Theatre.

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Sir,—­I was, till lately, private secretary to Lord John Russell.  I had to copy his somniferous dispatches, to endure a rehearsal of his prosy speeches, to get up, at an immense labour to myself, incessant laughs at his jokes.  At length, by the enormous exertions the last duty imposed upon me, I sunk into a hopeless state of cachinnatory impotence:  my risible muscles refused to perform their office, and I lost mine.  I was discharged.  Fortunately, however, for me, I happened to meet with your infallible “Pills to Purge Melancholy,” and tried Nos. 1 to 10 inclusive of them.

With feelings overflowing with gratitude, I now inform you, that I have procured another situation with Sir James Graham; and to show you how completely my roaring powers have returned, I have only to state, that it was I who got up the screeching applause with which Sir James’s recent jokes about the Wilde and Tame serjeants were greeted.