John Cheap, the Chapman's Library. Vol. 1: Comic and Humorous: The Scottish Chap Literature of Last Century, ClassifiedGraham, Dougal
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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
Hume the historian, passing one day by the back of Edinburgh
Castle, where the ground is very swampy, and the foot path narrow,
inadvertently tumbled into the bog, where he stuck, not being able
to extricate himself. A washer-woman happening to pass at the time,
looked at him, and was travelling on, when he shouted after her
to lend him her assistance. Na, na, (replied the woman) you are
Hume the Deist. Well, well, no matter, replied he--you know, good
woman, your Christian charity commands you to do good even to your
enemies. Na, I winna, said she, unless you will first repeat the
Creed and the Lord’s Prayer. Having no alternative, he was forced
to accede to the pious woman’s terms.
Two English gentlemen, some time ago, visited the field of
Bannockburn, so celebrated for the total defeat of the English
army, by Robert the Bruce, with an army of Scottish heroes, not
one fourth their number. A sensible country man pointed out the
positions of both armies, the stone where the Bruce’s standard
was fixed during the battle, &c.--Highly satisfied with his
attention, the gentlemen, on leaving him, pressed his acceptance of
a crown-piece,--Na, na, said the honest man, returning the money,
keep your crown-piece--the English have paid dear enough already
for seeing the field of Bannockburn.
Judge Toler, afterwards Lord Norbury, whose severity was at one
time proverbial, was at a public dinner with Curran the celebrated
Irish lawyer. Toler observing Curran carving a piece of corned
beef, told him, if it was hung beef he would try it. If you try it,
my Lord, replied Curran, I am sure it will be hung.
A gentleman coming into a coffee-room one stormy night, said. He
never saw such a wind in his life. Saw a wind, says a friend, I
never heard of such a thing as seeing a wind; pray, what was it
like? Like answered the Gentleman, like to have blown my hat off.
A young lady going into a barrack-room at Fort George, saw an
officer toasting a slice of bread on the point of his sword. On
which she exclaimed, I think, Sir, you have got the staff of life
on the point of death.
One day, Socrates, having for a long time endured his wife’s
brawling, went out of his house, and sat down before the door, to
rid himself of her impertinence. The woman, enraged to find all her
scolding unable to disturb his tranquility, flung the contents of
a chamber-pot on his head. Those that happened to see it, laughed
heartily at poor Socrates; but this philosopher observed, smiling,
“I thought, indeed, after so much thunder we should have rain.”
A clergyman chose for his text the following words: “Which of you
will go up with me to Ramoth-Gilead?” Then pausing, he again and
again repeated the words, when a gallant tar started from his
seat, and looking round him with an eye full of indignation, he
exclaimed, Will none of you go up with the worthy gentleman; Then,
d--n me, I will go myself.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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