A capital pun has been very generally attributed to him. An actor, named Priest, was playing at one of the principal theatres. Some one remarked at the Garrick Club, that there were a great many men in the pit. "Probably, clerks who have taken Priest's orders." The pun is perfect, but the real proprietor is Mr. Poole, one of the best punsters as well as one of the cleverest comic writers and finest satirists of the day. It has also been attributed to Charles Lamb. Formerly, it was customary, on emergencies, for the judges to swear affidavits at their dwelling-houses. Smith was desired by his father to attend a judge's chambers for that purpose, but being engaged to dine in Russell-square, at the next house to Mr. Justice Holroyd's, he thought he might as well save himself the disagreeable necessity of leaving the party at eight by dispatching his business at once: so, a few minutes before six, he boldly knocked at the judge's, and requested to speak to him on particular business. The judge was at dinner, but came down without delay, swore the affidavit, and then gravely asked what was the pressing necessity that induced our friend to disturb him at that hour. As Smith told the story, he raked his invention for a lie, but finding none fit for the purpose, he blurted out the truth:-- "'The fact is, my lord, I am engaged to dine at the next house--and--and----' "'And, sir, you thought you might as well save your own dinner by spoiling mine?' "'Exactly so, my lord, but----' "'Sir, I wish you a good evening.'" Smith was rather fond of a joke on his own branch of the profession; he always gave a peculiar emphasis to the line in his song on the contradiction of names: "Mr. Makepeace was bred an attorney;" and would frequently quote Goldsmith's lines on Hickey, the associate of Burke and other distinguished cotemporaries: "He cherished his friend, and he relished a bumper; Yet one fault he had, and that was a thumper, Then, what was his failing? come, tell it, and burn ye: He was, could he help it? a special attorney." The following playful colloquy in verse took place at a dinner-table between Sir George Rose and himself, in allusion to Craven-street, Strand, where he resided:-- "_J. S._--'At the top of my street the attorneys abound. And down at the bottom the barges are found: Fly, Honesty, fly to some safer retreat, For there's craft in the river, and craft in the street.'" "_Sir G. R._--'Why should Honesty fly to some safer retreat, From attorneys and barges, od rot 'em? For the lawyers are _just_ at the top of the street, And the barges are _just_ at the bottom.'" * * * * * CONTEMPORARY COPYRIGHTS. The late Mr. Tegg, the publisher in Cheapside, gave the following list of remunerative payments to distinguished authors in his time; and he is believed to have taken considerable pains to verify the items: