The Wise and Ingenious Companion, French and English;: or, A Collection of the Wit of the Illustrious Persons, Both Ancient and ModernBoyer, Abel
General
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
A Captain that had a wooden Leg booted over, had it shattered to
pieces by a Cannon Bullet; his Soldiers crying out, _A Surgeon,
a Surgeon for the Captain_. _No, no_, said he, _a Carpenter will
serve my turn_.
89
Un Capitaine qui avoit une jambe de bois bottée, y receut un coup
de Canon qui la lui fracassa; & comme ses Soldats demandoient un
_Chirurgien, Un Chirurgien pour le Capitaine_. _Non, non_, dit il,
_un Charpentier fera mon affaire._
90
A Secretary of State in _France_, passing the _Pont-neuf_, or New
Bridge at _Paris_, between Nine and Ten a Clock in a Winter-night,
with his Lacquey carrying a Flambeau before him, o’re-heard a noise
of clashing of Swords and Fighting, and looking under the Flambeau,
and perceiving they were but two, he bid his Footman go on. They
had not gone many paces, but two armed Men, with their Pistols
cock’d, and Swords drawn, made pushing towards them: One of them
had a Paper in his Hand, which he said, he had casually took up in
the Streets, and had occasion’d their difference; therefore they
desired the Secretary to read it, with a great deal of Complement.
The Secretary took out his Spectacles, and fell a reading the said
Paper, whereof the Substance was, _That it should be known to all
Men, that whosoever did pass over that Bridge after Nine a Clock in
Winter, and Ten in Summer, was to leave his Cloak behind him, and
in case of no Cloak, his Hat_. The Secretary started at this, one
of the Rogues told him, That he thought that Paper concerned him;
so they unmantled him, and my Secretary was content to go home in
_Cuerpo_.
90
Un Secretaire d’Etat en _France_, passant en hyver sur le
_Pont-neuf_ à _Paris_, sur les neuf à dix heures du soir avec son
Laquay & un Flambeau pout l’éclairer, il entendit un Chamaillis
d’Epées & de gens qui se battoient, & voyant à la faveur du
Flambeau, qu’ils n’ètoitent que deux, il dit à son Laquay de passer
Chemin. A peine eurent ils fait quelques pas que deux hommes armez,
avec leurs Pistolets bandez, & l’épée nue, s’en vinrent fierement
à eux: l’un d’eux avoit un Papier en sa main, qu’il dit avoir
ramassé par hasard dans la ruë, & qui avoit causé leur demêlé;
c’est pourquoy ils prierent fort civilement le Secretaire de le
lire. Le Secretaire tira ses lunettes, & se mit à lire ce Papier,
dont le contenu étoit. _Il est fait à scavoir à toutes Personnes
que quiconque passera sur ce Pont après neuf heures en hyver, & dix
en Eté, il aye à laisser son Manteau, & en cas qu’il n’ait point de
Manteau, son Chapeau._ Comme un des Filous vit que le Secretaire
tressailloit de peur, il lui dit, qu’il croyoit que cét écrit le
regardoit; ainsi ils lui prirent son Manteau, & notre Secretaire
fut content de ce qu’on le laissa aller paisiblement chez lui en
pourpoint.
91
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