679. When Lord Sandwich was to present Admiral Campbell, he told him,
that, probably, the king would knight him. The admiral did not much
relish the honour. Well, but, said Lord S., perhaps Mrs. Campbell will
like it. Then let the king knight her, answered the rough seaman.
680. A father, exhorting his son to early rising, related a story of a
person who, early one morning, found a large purse of money. Well,
replied the youth, but the person who lost it rose earlier.
681. Reynolds, the dramatist, observing to Martin the thinness of the
house at one of his own plays, added, He supposed it was owing to the
war. No, replied the latter, it is owing to the piece.
682. A physician being sent for, by a maker of universal specifics,
expressed his surprise at being called in on an occasion apparently so
trifling. Not so trifling neither, replied the quack, for, to tell you
the truth, I have taken some of my own pills.
683. About the time when Murphy so successfully attacked the
stage-struck heroes in the pleasant farce of ‘The Apprentice,’ an
eminent poulterer went to a spouting-club in search of his servant, who,
he understood, was that evening to make his _debut_ in Lear, and entered
the room at the moment he was exclaiming, “I am the king; you cannot
touch me for coining.” No, you dog, cried the enraged master, catching
the mad monarch by his collar, but I can for not picking the ducks.
684. A West Indian, who had a remarkably fiery nose, sleeping in his
chair, a negro-boy, who was in waiting, observed a musquito hovering
about his face. Quashi eyed the insect very attentively, and at last saw
him alight upon his master’s nose, and immediately fly off again. Ah!
exclaimed the negro, me glad to see you burn your foot.
685. Sheridan was dining with Lord Thurlow, when he produced some
admirable Constantia, which had been sent him from the Cape of Good
Hope. The wine tickled the palate of Sheridan, who saw the bottle
emptied with uncommon regret, and set his wits to work to get another.
The old Chancellor was not to be so easily induced to produce his
curious Cape in such profusion, and foiled all Sheridan’s attempts to
get another glass. Sheridan being piqued, and seeing the inutility of
persecuting the immovable pillar of the law, turned towards a gentleman
sitting farther down, and said, Sir, pass me up that decanter, for I
must return to Madeira since I cannot double the Cape.
686. Two city merchants conversing upon business at the door of the New
York Coffee-house, one of them made some remarks on the badness of the
times; and perceiving at the moment, a flight of pigeons passing over
their heads, he exclaimed, How happy are those pigeons! they have no
acceptances to provide for. To which the other replied, You are rather
in error, my friend, for they have their bills to provide for as well as
we!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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