John Cheap, the Chapman's Library. Vol. 1: Comic and Humorous: The Scottish Chap Literature of Last Century, ClassifiedGraham, Dougal
General
John Cheap, the Chapman's Library. Vol. 1: Comic and Humorous: The Scottish Chap Literature of Last Century, Classified
Graham, Dougal
Chapbooks, Scottish; English literature -- 18th century; Graham, Dougal, 1724-1779; Popular literature -- Scotland
THE GREY ASS.--Shortly after the Battle of Waterloo, and while
the Duke of Wellington was at the height of his popularity, the
Boniface of a village inn somewhere in England, whose establishment
flourished under the name of ‘The Grey Ass,’ resolved to add to the
popularity of his house by substituting a painting of the Great
Captain, for the one which had so long dangled above his door. So
resolved, so done. A travelling artist was employed; the ‘Grey
Ass’ was obliterated; and the Duke ‘reigned in his stead.’ Alas,
however, for the uncertainty of human calculations; this event, to
which he had looked forward with the certainty of its increasing
his business, and consequently his coffers, proved to our landlord
a source of bitter vexation and disappointment;--a rival in the
village had adopted his discarded sign, and as the country bumpkins
were better acquainted with their old friend the Ass, than with
his new successor, the consequence was that they followed their
old acquaintance and left the Duke ‘alone with his glory.’ This
was not to be borne; our landlord, having nothing else to do, put
his brains to steep to devise some plan to counteract his fatal
error; and the result of his cogitations appeared shortly after
in an addition to his signboard, immediately under the figure of
the Duke, on which was painted, in large letters, the significant
intimation--‘This is the Old Grey Ass.’ Whether the exhibition
of the Duke of Wellington, with such an addition to his titles,
produced the desired effect, we have not learned.
A person desiring to be witty at the expense of a Jew whom he met,
accosted him thus--‘’Tis a wonder, Isaac, that we never hear of
the death of a Jew, or a Jack-ass; how does it happen, eh?’ ‘Well,
mishter,’ replied Isaac, ‘I does’nt rightly know; but perhaps you
and I will be the first in this neighbourhood.’
The following exquisite lines, the result of a true appreciation of
the sublime and beautiful in nature, are copied from the Album kept
at a small inn on the Banks of the Windermere, in Cumberland--
I never eats no meat,
Nor drinks no beer,
But sighs and ruminates
On Windermere.
Mr. Ogilvie, minister of the parish of Lunan, in the county of
Forfar, had a great deal of eccentricity in his composition.
One Sunday an old woman, who kept a public-house in the parish,
with whom Mr. Ogilvie was well acquainted, fell asleep in the
church during sermon--not an uncommon occurrence. Her neighbour
kept jogging in order to awake her. Mr. Ogilvie observing this,
cried out, ‘Let her alane, I’ll waken her mysel’, I’ll warrant
ye.’--‘Phew! phew! (_whistling_) a bottle o’ ale an’ a dram,
Janet.’--‘Comin’ Sir.’ was instantly replied.--‘There now,’ says
the minister, ‘I tald ye it wadna be lang afore that I waken’d her!’
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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