I knew him, Horatio; a fellow of infinite jest . . . where be your gibes now?

I knew him, Horatio; a fellow of infinite jest . . . where be your gibes now?


Iknewhim
Title: I knew him, Horatio; a fellow of infinite jest . . . where be your gibes now?

Year: 1864

Description: McClellan, in the character of Hamlet stands near an open grave holding the head of Abraham Lincoln. He soliloquizes, “I knew him, Horatio: A fellow of infinite jest . . . Where be your gibes now?” The cartoon evidently appeared following publication in the “New York World” of a scandalous but fabricated account of callous levity displayed by Lincoln while touring the battlefield at Antietam. (See also “The Commander-in-Chief conciliating the Soldier’s Votes,” no. 1864-31.)

URL:
http://www.mrlincolnandnewyork.org/new-york-politics/i-knew-him-horatio-a-fellow-of-infinite-jest/