The Jest Book: The Choicest Anecdotes and SayingsLemon, Mark
General
The Jest Book: The Choicest Anecdotes and Sayings
Lemon, Mark
Anecdotes -- Great Britain; English wit and humor
A RUNAWAY couple were married at Gretna Green. The smith demanded five
guineas for his services. "How is this?" said the bridegroom, "the
gentleman you last married assured me that he only gave you a
guinea."--"True," said the smith, "but _he_ was an Irishman. I have
married him six times. _He is a good customer_, and _you_ I may never
see again."
CDLXVI.--LEAVING HIS VERDICT.
"I REMEMBER," says Lord Biden, "Mr. Justice Gould trying a case at York,
and when he had proceeded for about two hours, he observed, 'Here are
only eleven jurymen in the box, where is the twelfth?'--'Please you, my
lord,' said one of the eleven, 'he has gone away about some other
business--but _he has left his verdict with me_!'"
CDLXVII.--OVER-WISE.
IN a lecture-room of St. John's College, Cambridge, a student one
morning, construing the Medea of Euripides came to the following
passage:--
[Greek: All ouk arisophos eimi.]
To which he gave the proper sense,--
"I am not _over-wise_;"
but pausing as if he doubted its correctness,--"_You_ are quite right,
sir," observed the lecturer; "go on."
CDLXVIII.--IMPROMPTU.
'TIS said that walls have ears; if this be true,
St Stephen's walls the gift must often rue.
CDLXIX.--INDEPENDENCE.
JEMMY GORDON, the Cambridge eccentric, when he happened to be without
shoes or stockings, one day came in contact with a person of very
indifferent character. The gentleman, pitying his condition, told him,
if he called at his house, he would give him a pair of shoes. "Excuse
me, sir," replied Jemmy, assuming a contemptuous air, "I would not stand
in _your shoes_ for all the world!"
CDLXX.--ON PRIDE.
FITSMALL, who drinks with knights and lords,
To steal a share of notoriety,
Will tell you in important words,
He _mixes_ in the best society.
CDLXXI.--BLACK LETTER.
AN old friend of Charles Lamb having been in vain trying to make out a
black-letter text of Chaucer in the Temple Library, laid down the
precious volume, and with an erudite look told Lamb that "in those old
books, Charley, there is sometimes a deal of very _indifferent
spelling_."
CDLXXII.--A HIATUS.
"DID you not on going down find a _party_ in your kitchen?" asked an
underbred barrister of a witness. "A _tea-party_, Mr. ----?" mildly
interposed Judge Maule.
CDLXXIII.--A REASONABLE REQUEST.
AN officer advising his general to capture a post, said: "It will only
cost a few men."--"Will _you_ make one of the few?" remarked the
general.
CDLXXIV.--A STRIKING POINT.
WHEN Mr. Gulley, the ex-pugilist, was elected Member for Pontefract,
Gilbert A'Beckett said: "Should any opposition be manifested in the
House of Commons towards Mr. Gulley, it is very probable the _noes_
(_nose_) will have it."
CDLXXV.--VERY PRETTY.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account