English Jests and Anecdotes, Collected from Various SourcesVarious
General
English Jests and Anecdotes, Collected from Various Sources
Various
Anecdotes -- England; English wit and humor
Ralph Wewitzer, ordering a box of candles, said he hoped they would
be better than the last. The chandler said he was very sorry to hear
them complained of, as they were as good as he could make. “Why,” says
Ralph, “they were very well till about half burnt down, but after that
they would not burn any _longer_.”
BEST BODY OF DIVINITY.
Parker, Bishop of Oxford, being asked by an acquaintance what was the
best body of divinity, answered, “That which can help a man to keep a
coach and six horses.”
RECEIVER AS BAD AS THE THIEF.
The motto which was inserted under the arms of William Prince of
Orange, on his accession to the English crown, was, “Non rapui sed
recepi.”
“I did not steal, but I received.”
This being shewn to Dean Swift, he said, with a sarcastic smile, “The
receiver’s as bad as the thief.”
JUSTICE.
A French nobleman, who had been satirized by Voltaire, meeting the poet
soon after, gave him a hearty drubbing. The poet immediately flew to
the Duke of Orleans, told him how he had been used, and begged he would
do him justice. “Sir,” replied the duke, with a significant smile, “it
has been done you already!”
A NEW CHARACTER.
A late Duke of Norfolk was much addicted to the bottle. On a masquerade
night he asked Foote what new character he should go in. “Go _sober_!”
said Foote.
THE TRAGIC BARBER.
A hair-dresser, in a considerable town, made an unsuccessful attempt
in tragedy. To silence an abundant hissing he stepped forward and
delivered the following speech: “Ladies and gentlemen: yesterday I
_dressed_ you; to-night I AD_dress_ you; and to-morrow, if you please,
I will RE_dress_ you. While there is virtue in powder, pomatum, and
horse-tails, I find it easier to make an actor than to be one. _Vive la
bagatelle!_ I hope I shall yet shine in the part of a beau, though I
have not the felicity of pleasing you in the character of an emperor.”
JOHN TAYLOR.
This author had the merit of interrupting the servile etiquette of
kneeling to the king. “I myself,” says the water poet, “gave a book to
King James once, in the great chamber at Whitehall, as his majesty came
from the chapel. The Duke of Richmond said merrily to me:--‘Taylor,
where did you learn the manners to give the king a book and not kneel?’
‘My lord,’ said I, ‘if it please your grace, I do give now; but when I
beg anything, then I will kneel.’”
SAILOR’S OPINION OF PRAYING.
Two boys, belonging to the chaplains of two different men-of-war,
entertaining each other with an account of their respective manners of
living, “How often, Jack,” says one of them, “do you go to prayers?”
“We only pray,” replied Jack, “when we are afraid of a storm, or are
going to fight.” “Ay,” says the former, “there’s some sense in that;
but my master makes us go to prayers when there’s no more occasion for
it than for me to jump into the sea.”
A TRIFLER.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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