English Jests and Anecdotes, Collected from Various SourcesVarious
General
English Jests and Anecdotes, Collected from Various Sources
Various
Anecdotes -- England; English wit and humor
Fischer, a first rate oboe player, at Dublin, was a man of great
professional pride, and had also much of the ex-professional gentleman
in his composition. A nobleman once asked him to sup after the
conclusion of the opera; and, although very averse to going, he at
last consented, on being assured by his patron that it was only for
his society and conversation, and not for his musical proficiency,
that he was invited. He had not, however, been many minutes in his
host’s company, when the latter approached him, and said: “I hope, Mr.
Fischer, you have brought your oboe in your pocket.” “No, my lord,”
said Fischer, “my oboe never sups.” So saying, he turned on his heel,
and instantly left the house; nor could any persuasion ever induce him
to return to it.
NEGRO WIT.
A gentleman driving on the road between Little River and Brighton, was
overtaken by a negro boy on a mule, who attempted for a long while,
without success, to make the animal pass the carriage. At length the
boy exclaimed to his beast, “I’ll bet you one fippeny I make you to
pass this time;” and, after a short pause, again said, “you bet? very
well.” The boy repeated the blows with renewed vigour, and at last
succeeded in making him pass; when the gentleman, who overheard the
conversation between Quashee and his steed, said to him, “Well, my boy,
now you have won, how are you going to make the mule pay you?” “Oh,
sir,” says the negro, “me make him pay me very well; massa give me one
tenpenny for buy him grass, and me only buy him a fippeny worth!”
A TRUE KING.
When Dr. Franklin applied to the King of Prussia to lend his assistance
to America, “Pray, doctor,” says the veteran, “what is the object
you mean to attain?”--“Liberty, sire,” replied the philosopher of
Philadelphia; “liberty! that freedom which is the birthright of man.”
The king, after a short pause, made this memorable and kingly answer:
“I was born a prince; I am become a king; and I will not use the power
which I possess to the ruin of my own trade.”
SHERIDAN AND MONK LEWIS.
Sheridan never gave Lewis any of the profits of the Castle Spectre. One
day, Lewis, being in company with him, said, “Sheridan, I will make you
a large bet.” Sheridan, who was always ready to make a wager (however
he might find it inconvenient to pay it if lost), asked eagerly, “What
bet?” “All the profits of my Castle Spectre,” replied Lewis. “I will
tell you what,” said Sheridan (who never found his match at repartee),
“I will make you a very small one--what it is worth.”
DR. KITCHINER.
Some people have an objection to thirteen at dinner. Dr. Kitchiner,
the culinary, happened to be one of a company of that number at Dr.
Henderson’s, and, on its being remarked, and pronounced unlucky, he
said, “I admit that it is unlucky in one case.” “What case is that?”
“When there is only dinner for twelve.”
NAME RECOLLECTED.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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