American literature -- History and criticism; Authors; English literature -- History and criticism
"To the memory of
William Caxton,
Who first introduced into Great Britain
The Art of Printing;
And, who, A.D. 1477 or earlier, exercised that art in the
Abbey of Westminster,
This Tablet,
In remembrance of one to whom the literature of this
country is so largely indebted, was raised
Anno Domini MDCCCXX
By the Roxburghe Club.
Earl Spencer, K.G., President."
Professional sentiments are rather plentiful. The surgeon's toast is:--
"The man that bleeds for his country."
The schoolmaster's toasts are rather numerous, but not without point:--
"Addition to patriots,
Subtraction to placemen,
Multiplication to the friends of peace,
Division to its enemies,
Reduction to abuses,
Rule of three to king, lords, and commons,
Practice to reformation,
Fellowship to Britons,
Discount to the National Debt,
Decimal fractions to the clergy."
Toasts of musicians are included:--
"May a crotchet in the head never bar the utterance of good notes."
A second sentiment is:--
"May the lovers of harmony never be in want of a note, and its enemies
die in a common chord."
Tradesmen's toasts are very plentiful, and several include puns. Here is
the hatter's sentiment:--
"When the rogue naps it, may the lesson be felt."
Respecting the baker is the following:--
"May we never be done so much as to make us crusty."
The glazier's toast is:--
"The praiseworthy glazier who takes pains to see his way through
life."
A rather longer toast is that of the greengrocer:--
"May we spring up like vegetables, have turnip noses, reddish cheeks,
and carroty hair--and may our hearts never be hard like those of
cabbages, nor may we be rotten at the core."
The sentiment of the pawnbroker is:--
"When we lend our cash to a friend, may it be to his interest to pay
the principal, and his principle to pay the interest."
The shoemaker's toast is:--
"May the cobbler's lapstones never fail him."
In another toast we have an allusion to shoes:--
"May the enemies of Great Britain always have long corns and short
shoes."
Here we close this curious collection of toasts, feeling thankful that
such a book is no longer required for the every-day use of the people. A
great change for the better has come over the manners and customs of our
countrymen. Turning over the pages of this publication has given us
pleasure, and we trust the quotations culled from it may not fail to
interest our readers.
Curious American Old-Time Gleanings.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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