History of English Humour, Vol. 2L'Estrange, A. G. K. (Alfred Guy Kingan)
History
History of English Humour, Vol. 2
L'Estrange, A. G. K. (Alfred Guy Kingan)
English wit and humor -- History and criticism; Wit and humor -- History and criticism
Speaking of the prospectus of a certain Burial Society, who promised a
handsome plate with an angel above and a flower below, Lamb
ventures--"Many a poor fellow, I dare swear, has that Angel and Flower
kept from the Angel and Punchbowl, while to provide himself a bier he
has curtailed himself of beer." But to record all Lamb's bad puns would
be a dull and thankless task. We will finish the review of his verbal
humour by quoting a passage out of an indifferent farce he wrote
entitled, "Mr. H----."
(_The hero cannot on account of his patronymic get any girl to
marry him._)
"My plaguy ancestors, if they had left me but a Van, or a Mac, or
an Irish O', it had been something to qualify it--Mynheer Van
Hogsflesh, or Sawney Mac Hogsflesh, or Sir Phelim O'Hogsflesh, but
downright blunt---- If it had been any other name in the world I
could have borne it. If it had been the name of a beast, as Bull,
Fox, Kid, Lamb, Wolf, Lion; or of a bird, as Sparrow, Hawk,
Buzzard, Daw, Finch, Nightingale; or of a fish, as Sprat, Herring,
Salmon; or the name of a thing, as Ginger, Hay, Wood; or of a
colour, as Black, Gray, White, Green; or of a sound, as Bray; or
the name of a month, as March, May; or of a place, as Barnet,
Baldock, Hitchen; or the name of a coin, as Farthing, Penny,
Twopenny; or of a profession, as Butcher, Baker, Carpenter, Piper,
Fisher, Fletcher, Fowler, Glover; or a Jew's name, as Solomons,
Isaacs, Jacobs; or a personal name, as Foot, Leg, Crookshanks,
Heaviside, Sidebottom, Ramsbottom, Winterbottom; or a long name, as
Blanchenhagen or Blanchhausen; or a short name as Crib, Crisp,
Crips, Tag, Trot, Tub, Phips, Padge, Papps, or Prig, or Wig, or
Pip, or Trip; Trip had been something, but Ho--!"
(_Walks about in great agitation; recovering his coolness a little,
sits down._)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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