The Choice Humorous Works, Ludicrous Adventures, Bons Mots, Puns, and Hoaxes of Theodore HookHook, Theodore Edward
General
The Choice Humorous Works, Ludicrous Adventures, Bons Mots, Puns, and Hoaxes of Theodore Hook
Hook, Theodore Edward
English wit and humor
A total abstinence from wine is earnestly desired to be observed by
the young gentlemen of London, whose interests the Hum-Fums have very
near their hearts; and they mention weak black tea as a substitute,
or a proportion of that excellent succadaneum for Hyson, chopped hay,
which was seriously recommended to the attention of the world, a
short time since, through the columns of the _Morning Post_.
Several well-dressed and respectable elderly gentlemen, with
umbrellas, will attend in Hyde Park every day, until the abomination
of frequenting such places be utterly abolished, to escort young men
to pious ordinaries, where it is recommended they should dine, in
order to prevent those unnatural sins, flirting, dangling, and making
the amiable.
A vast many devout minor agents of the society will be employed to
divest the pockets of persons of snuff-boxes, it never having been
required by nature to feed one's nose.
It is strongly recommended that every one should abstain from
frequenting play-houses, and in order to effect this great object, or
at all events to render the performances sufficiently disagreeable
to be quite correct, it is suggested that the company of performers,
who acted at the Haymarket Theatre last season, be the only persons
licensed to exhibit in the metropolis.
The Hum-Fums will visit the houses of their neighbours, after the
fashion of that most excellent brother corporation, the Bible
Society, and will make it their business to enquire into the state of
every man's domestic affairs; in order, if possible, to rescue from
degradation the servants of London, whose subordination (although, by
the active endeavours of similar unions, they are getting gradually
independent of their masters and mistresses,) is derogatory to the
dignity of the human character.
The Hum-Fums will distribute amongst the domestics such works as
may tend to elevate their minds, open their intellects, make them
dissatisfied with debasement, and enable them, by the blessing of
Providence, to rise superior to that oppression by which the sinful
luxuries of society have humiliated them. Several Hum-Fums of the
highest character for dulness and gravity will attend in the kitchens
and servants'-halls of each parish, to edify their tenants every
evening from eight till twelve.
It will be the study of the Hum-Fums to impress upon the soldiers
of this kingdom the sin and shame of carrying muskets and bayonets
for pay, and of slaughtering their fellow-creatures for no cause
whatever; and by the way in which they expect to be enabled to make
their light shine, they hope to convince their brethren in arms that
officers are but men, and that obedience from one man to another is
by no means necessary to salvation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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