Genre:

Illustration, Drollery; Poetry, Drollery

Relevant illustrations:

wdct.

Subjects:

Mesmerism, Animal Magnetism

    One of the twelve characters is 'The Mesmerist'. The illustration depicts a man mesmerising a maid-servant and the caption notes that 'Jenkins the power of causing sleep can boast / For to a horrid pass he's brought the Post'. The reference is to Punch's spoof Morning Post journalist, Peter Jenkins, who personified the paper's sycophancy (Altick 1997, 77–78).