Brief description: Satirical cartoon of Charles Dickens from 'Mephystopheles', 1846
Label: On 14 February 1846 the satirical magazine Mephystopheles (previously Joe Miller the Younger), rival to Punch, published this print of Dickens and his recently-launched newspaper The Daily News as Titania and Bottom from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. The joke appears to be that Dickens continues to support his newspaper (launched the month previous) despite nobody buying it. In reality Dickens would hand off the editorship to his friend John Forster after only a few issues although the paper would survive until 1930. Ironically Mephystopheles, itself launched only in 1845, would fail and cease publication in 1846.
Collection: Object
Object number: DH362
Object type: article
Production date: 14/02/1846
Inscription content: "Come rest in this bosom, my own stricken donkey,
Nor heed Times nor Chronicle, Grandm'a nor Flunkey:
Though the leaders are scorned by my own Daily News,
I who wrote them, to read them will never refuse.

What's an editor made for, if he isn't the brick,
Circulation or none, to his paper to stick?
I know not, I ask not, if they buy you or not,
I but know that I edit thee — therefore they ought.

Thou hast called me thy "Dickens" in moments of bliss,
Still the Dickens I'll play with thee even in this;
While there's shot in the locker thy fortune is mine,
While a copper is left I am thy Valentine."

Satirical cartoon of Charles Dickens from 'Mephystopheles', 1846