History of English Humour, Vol. 1: With an Introduction upon Ancient HumourL'Estrange, A. G. K. (Alfred Guy Kingan)
Philosophy
History of English Humour, Vol. 1: With an Introduction upon Ancient Humour
L'Estrange, A. G. K. (Alfred Guy Kingan)
English wit and humor -- History and criticism; Wit and humor -- History and criticism
_Gripe._ Your servant, your servant, sweet Mrs. Joyner! You have
stopped my mouth.
_Joy._ Your servant, your servant, sweet Alderman! I have nothing
to say.
Indelicacy in words has by this time become very much reduced, although
here and there we find some cant expressions of the day which shock our
sensibilities. Much refinement in this respect could not be expected at
a period where a young lady of fortune could be represented as calling
her maid, and afterwards herself, a "damned jade," and a lady from the
country as saying she had not yet had "her bellyful of sights" in
London.
"The Plain Dealer" is a naval captain in the time of the Dutch war.
Olivia says,
"If he be returned, then shall I be pestered again with his
boisterous sea-love; have my alcove smell like a cabin, my chamber
perfumed with his tarpaulin Brandenburgh, and hear volleys of
brandy-sighs, enough to make a fog in one's room. Foh! I hate a
lover that smells like Thames Street."
The Plain Dealer, _i.e._, the sea-captain Manly, meets with a lawyer,
and they converse in this way,
_Manly._ Here's a lawyer I know threatening us with another
greeting.
_Lawyer._ Sir! Sir! your very servant; I was afraid you had
forgotten me.
_Man._ I was not afraid you had forgotten me.
_Law._ No, Sir; we lawyers have pretty good memories.
_Man._ You ought to have by your wits.
_Law._ O, you are a merry gentleman, Sir; I remember you were merry
when I was last in your company.
_Man._ I was never merry in your company, Mr. Lawyer, sure.
_Law._ Why I am sure you joked upon me, and shammed me all night
long.
_Man._ Shammed! prithee what barbarous law-term is that?
_Law._ Shamming! why, don't you know that? 'tis all our way of wit,
Sir.
_Man._ I am glad I don't know it, then. Shamming! what does he mean
by it, Freeman?
_Free._ Shamming is telling an insipid dull lie with a dull face,
which the sly wag, the author, only laughs at himself; and making
himself believe 'tis a good jest, puts the sham only upon himself.
Manly meets an Alderman.
_Man._ Here's a city-rogue will stick as hard upon us as if I owed
him money.
_Ald._ Captain, noble Sir, I am yours heartily, d'ye see; why
should you avoid your old friends?
_Man._ And why should you follow me? I owe you nothing.
_Ald._ Out of my hearty respects to you; for there is not a man in
England----
_Man._ Thou wouldst save from hanging at the expense of a shilling
only.
_Ald._ Nay, nay, but Captain, you are like enough to tell me----
_Man._ Truth, which you wont care to hear; therefore you had better
go talk with somebody else.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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