The Wise and Ingenious Companion, French and English;: or, A Collection of the Wit of the Illustrious Persons, Both Ancient and ModernBoyer, Abel
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The Wise and Ingenious Companion, French and English;: or, A Collection of the Wit of the Illustrious Persons, Both Ancient and Modern
Boyer, Abel
Anecdotes; Wit and humor
_Dionysius_ the elder, Tyrant of _Syracuse_, reproving his Son,
for that he had forcibly violated the Chastity of one of the
Citizens Wives, asked him amongst other Things, if he had ever
heard that any such thing had been done by him; _No_, said the Son,
_but that was because you was not Son to a King_: _Neither_, said
_Dionysius_, _will you ever be a Father to one, unless you give
over such Pranks as these._ The event proved the truth of what
he said; for when this young Man succeeded his Father, he was
expelled the Kingdom of _Syracuse_ for his ill Behaviour and manner
of Life.
4
_Denys_ le vieux, Tyran de _Syracuse_, grondant son Fils de ce
qu’il avoit violé la Chasteté de la Femme d’un des Bourgeois,
lui demanda entr’autres choses, s’il avoit jamais entendu dire,
qu’il eut fait de pareilles Actions; _Non_, lui dit le Fils, _mais
c’est parce que vous n’ètiez pas Fils de Roy_: _Tu n’en seras
jamais Pere_, lui dit _Denys_, _si tu fais plus de ces Folies._
L’evenement justifia la verité de ce qu’il disoit; car ce jeune
Homme ayant succedé à son Pere, il fut chassé du Royaume de
_Syracuse_ à cause de sa méchante Conduite & de sa mauvaise Vie.
5
King _Antigonus_ came to visit _Antagoras_ a learned Man, whom
he found in his Tent busied in the Cooking of Congers, _Do you
think_, said _Antigonus_, _that_ Homer _at such time as he wrote
the glorious Actions of_ Agamemnon _was boiling of Congers?_ _And
do you think_, said the other, _that_ Agamemnon _when he did those
great Actions, was wont to concern himself whether any Man in his
Camp boiled Congers or not_,
5
Le Roy _Antigonus_ alla voir _Antagoras_, Homme savant, lequel il
trouva dans sa Tente occupé à apprêter des Congres; _Croyez vous_,
lui dit _Antigonus_, _qu’_Homere _fit bouillir des Congres lors
qu’il écrivoit les glorieuses Actions d’_Agamemnon_?_ _Et pensez
vous_, lui dit l’autre, _que lors qu’_Agamemnon _faisoit ces belles
Actions, il se mît en peine si quelqu’un dans son Camp faisoit
bouillir des Congres ou non?_
6
_Socrates_ was asked, why he endured his Wifes Brawling; says he,
Why do you suffer your Geese to gaggle? _because_, answered one,
_they lay us Eggs_; _and my Wife brings me Children_, said he.
6
On demanda à _Socrate_ pourquoy il enduroit les Criailleries de sa
Femme, & vous, dit il, Pourquoy souffrez vous le bruit de vos Oyes?
_Parce_, repondit quelqu’un, _qu’elles nous pondent des Oeufs_; _&
bien_, dit il, _& ma Femme me fait des Enfans_.
7
_Apelles_ the famous Painter, drew the Picture of _Alexander_ the
Great on Horse-back, and presented it to him; but _Alexander_ not
praising it as so excellent a Piece deserved, _Apelles_ desired
a living Horse might be brought, who seeing the Picture, fell
to pawing and neighing, taking it to be a real one; whereupon
_Apelles_ told him, _his Horse understood Painting better than
himself_.
7
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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