The Comic Almanack, Volume 1: An Ephemeris in Jest and Earnest, Containing Merry Tales, Humerous Poetry, Quips, and Oddities
David Hume · en
Here, then, give me the change, will you?—Oh, certainly: but your
honour's honcommon ard:——Let's see: you want two-and-threepence:
wait a moment, there's another gentleman calling out for a card.
Hollo, coachman, stop, stop! Coachman, do you hear? stop your horses
this moment, and let me get down:——The fellow's run away behind an
omnibus without giving me change out of my half-crown.
That's alvays the vay they does on these here hoccasions: they calls
it catching a flat:——Sorry I can't stop. Where's the new police?
Pretty police truly, to suffer such work as that!
Well, if ever I come to Epsom again! but let's look at the list:
it's cost me precious dear!——Ascot, Mundig, Pelops! why, good
heavens, coachman! they've sold me a list for last year!
Oh, ma! look there! what a beautiful carriage! scarlet and gold
liveries, and horses with long tails.——And stodge-full of
gentlemen with mustaches, and cigars, and Macintoshes, and green
veils:
Whose is it, ma? Don't know, my dear; but no doubt belongs to some
duke, or marquis, or other great nob.——Beg your pardon, ma'am: but
that carriage as you're looking at is a party of the swell mob.
And, oh my! ma: look at that other, full of beautiful ladies,
dressed like queens and princesses.——Silks and satins and velvets,
and gauze sleeves and ermine tippets: I never saw such elegant
dresses:
And how merry they look, laughing and smiling! they seem determined
to enjoy the sport:——Who are they, ma? Don't know, dear; but no
doubt they're Court ladies. Yes, ma'am, Cranbourne Court.
How do, Smith? nice sort of tit you've got there. Very nice indeed:
_very_ nice sort of mare.——Beautiful legs she's got, and
nicely-turned ancles, and 'pon my word, a most elegant head of
hair.
How old is she? and how high does she stand? I should like to buy
her if she's for sale.——Oh, she's quite young: not above
five-and-twenty or thirty; and her height exactly a yard and a
half and a nail:
Price eighty guineas. She'd be just the thing for you; capital
hunter as ever appeared at a fixture.——Only part with her on
account of her colour; not that _I_ mind: only Mrs. S. don't like
an _Oxford mixture_.
Hehlo! you faylow! you person smoking the pipe, I wish you'd take
your quadruped out of the way.——Quadruped, eh? you be blowed! it's
no quadruped, but as good a donkey as ever was fed upon hay.
Oh, my! ma; there's the course. What lots of people, and horses, and
booths, and grand stands.——And what oceans of gipsies and
jugglers, and barrel organs, and military bands!
And was ever such sights of Savoyards and French women singing and
E-O-tables;——And horses rode up and down by little boys, or tied
together in bundles, and put up in calimanco stables;