BOSWELL, dining one day with Dr. Johnson, asked him if he did not think that a good cook was more essential to the community than a good poet. "I don't suppose," said the doctor, "that there's a _dog_ in the town but what thinks so." XLVI.--VISIBLE DARKNESS. A GENTLEMAN at an inn, seeing that the lights were so dim as only to render the darkness visible, called out, "Here, waiter, let me have a couple of _decent_ candles to _see_ how these others _burn_." XLVII.--HIC-CUPPING. A GENTLEMAN, at whose house Swift was dining in Ireland, after dinner introduced remarkably small hock-glasses, and at length turning to Swift addressed him: "Mr. Dean, I shall be happy to take a glass of hic, haec, hoc, with you."--"Sir," rejoined the doctor, "I shall be happy to comply, but it must be out of a _hujus_ glass." XLVIII.--WORDS THAT BURN. DR. ROBERTSON observed, that Johnson's jokes were the rebukes of the righteous, described in Scripture as being like excellent oil. "Yes," exclaimed Burke, "_oil of vitriol_!" XLIX.--PASSING THE BOTTLE. FOOTE being in company, and the wine producing more riot than concord, he observed one gentleman so far gone in debate as to throw the bottle at his antagonist's head; upon which, catching the missile in his hand, he restored the harmony of the company by observing, that "if _the bottle was passed so quickly_, not one of them would be able to stand out the evening." L.--"JUNIUS" DISCOVERED. MR. ROGERS was requested by Lady Holland to ask Sir Philip Francis whether he was the author of Junius. The poet approached the knight, "Will you, Sir Philip,--will your kindness excuse my addressing to you a single question?"--"At your peril, sir!" was the harsh and the laconic answer. The intimidated bard retreated to his friends, who eagerly asked him the result of his application. "I don't know," he answered, "whether he is _Junius_; but, if he be, he is certainly _Junius Brutus_." LI.--A WEAK WOMAN. A LOVING husband once waited on a physician to request him to prescribe for his wife's eyes, which were very sore. "Let her wash them," said the doctor, "every morning with a small glass of brandy." A few weeks after, the doctor chanced to meet the husband. "Well, my friend, has your wife followed my advice?"--"She has done everything in her power to do it, doctor"; said the spouse, "but she never could get the glass _higher than her mouth_." LII.--TOO MANY COOKS. ELWES, the noted miser, used to say, "If you keep one servant, your work is done; if you keep two, it is half done; and if you keep three, you may _do it yourself_." LIII.--LOOK IN HIS FACE.