725. A cause was once tried in one of the western counties which
originated in a dispute about a pair of small-clothes. Upon this
occasion the judge observed, That it was the first time he had ever
known a suit made out of a pair of breeches.
726. Some soldiers once fell upon a watchman in a small town, in a
lonely street, and took away his money and coat. He immediately repaired
to the captain of the regiment, to complain of his misfortune. The
captain asked him whether he had on the waistcoat he then wore when he
was robbed by the soldiers. Yes, sir, replied the poor fellow. Then, my
friend, rejoined the captain, I am can assure you they do not belong to
my company; otherwise they would have left you neither waistcoat nor
shirt.
727. A fashionable countess, asking a young nobleman which he thought
the prettiest flowers, roses or tulips? He replied with great gallantry,
Your ladyship’s two lips before all the roses in the world.
728. A gentleman, who did not live very happy with his wife, on the maid
telling him that she was going to give her mistress warning, as she kept
scolding her from morning till night―Happy girl! said the master, I
wish I could give warning too.
729. In a cause respecting a will, evidence was given to prove the
testatrix, an apothecary’s widow, a lunatic; amongst other things, it
was deposed, that she had swept a quantity of pots, lotions, potions,
&c. into the street as rubbish. I doubt, said the learned judge, whether
sweeping of physic into the street, be any proof of insanity. True, my
lord, replied the counsel, but sweeping the pots away, certainly was.
730. Dr. South, once preaching before Charles II. (who was not very
often in a church), observing that the monarch and all his attendants
began to nod, and, as nobles are common men when they are asleep, some
of them soon after snored, on which he broke off his sermon, and called
out, Lord Lauderdale, let me entreat you to rouse yourself; you snore so
loud that you will wake the king.
731. An Irishman, meeting an acquaintance, thus accosted him: Ah, my
dear, who do you think I have just been speaking to? your old friend
Patrick; faith, and he has grown so thin, I hardly knew him; to be sure,
you are thin, and I am thin, but he is thinner than both of us put
together.
732. An Irishman seeing a large quantity of potatoes standing in a
market-place, observed to a by-stander, what a fine show of potatoes!
Yes, they are, replied he, very fine potatoes: I see you have the name
quite pat; how do you call them in your country? Ah, faith! returned the
Irishman, we never call ’em; when we want any, we go and dig them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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