English Jests and Anecdotes, Collected from Various Sources — John Shaqi
English Jests and Anecdotes, Collected from Various SourcesVarious
General
English Jests and Anecdotes, Collected from Various Sources
Various
Anecdotes -- England; English wit and humor
Queen Elizabeth was naturally dilatory enough in suits, and the Lord
Treasurer Burleigh, being a wise man, and willing therein to feed her
humour, would say to her, “Madam, you do well to let visitors stay;
for, you know, _bis dat qui cito dat_: if you grant them speedily, they
will come again the sooner.”
WISE PRECAUTION.
Captain Robert Bacon, revelling at Sir William Paston’s, had his sack
served him in a curious Venice glass, very much under the size he
used to trade in. So, after a long contemplation of his measure, “Sir
William,” said he, “If you value this glass, as I believe you do, tie
a good long string to it, to draw it up again; for I am sure I shall
swallow it some time or other.”
YOUNG PRIVY-COUNSELLORS.
In the time of James the First, when privy-counsellors multiplied
very fast, and were sometimes admitted at a very green age, some one
remarked one day that the table would be soon too little to hold them.
“Why,” said another, “some must just do like other children, then, and
sit on the joint stools without.”
WINKING AT NEGLECT.
As a regiment of soldiers were marching through a country town, the
captain (a strict disciplinarian) observed that one of the drums did
not beat, and ordered a lieutenant to inquire the reason. The fellow,
on being interrogated, whispered to the lieutenant, “I have two ducks
and a turkey in my drum, and the turkey is for his honour:” which,
being whispered to the captain, “D--n the fellow,” cried the captain,
“why did he not say he was lame? I don’t want men to do their duty when
they’re not able.”
TRAVELLING POST.
A traveller speaking of the many countries and cities he had seen, one
of the company asked him if he had ever been in Cosmography? He, taking
it for the name of a city, said, “We saw it at a distance; but, as we
went post, we could not visit it.”
CROSS ANSWERS.
A prisoner being brought up to Bow Street, the following dialogue
passed between him and the sitting magistrate: “How do you live?”
“Pretty well, sir; generally a joint and pudding at dinner.” “I
mean, sir, how do you get your bread?” “I beg your worship’s pardon;
sometimes at the baker’s, and sometimes at the chandler’s shop.” “You
may be as witty as you please, sir; but I mean simply to ask you, how
do you do?” “Tolerably well, I thank your worship: I hope your worship
is well.”
CHARLES THE SECOND’S POCKETS.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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