The Comic Almanack, Volume 2: An Ephemeris in Jest and Earnest, Containing Merry Tales, Humerous Poetry, Quips, and Oddities
David Hume · en
_The Waitress at a Restaurateur's, or elsewhere._ "Mary, my love, my
only angel, come here;" "Sarah, my darling, what's good for my
complaint?" "Jane's very sweet upon me, ain't you, Jane?"
_A Box-keeper._ "Here, Pew-opener."
_A Pew-opener._ "Here, Box-keeper."
_All sorts and conditions of Men._ In any manner in which a gentleman
would not address them.
THE TRUE HISTORY OF THE KOH-I-NOOR.
_Now for the first time made public, in spite of the most lavish offers
to the Author from Her Majesty's Government._
The Koh-i-noor is made of the very best crown glass, and the workmanship
is very superior. It was originally a chandelier ornament in a dancing
school kept by a Mr. Fogrum at Ponder's End, about the middle of last
century. Mr. Fogrum, however, growing serious, turned his dancing-school
into a Newlight chapel, and preached a charity sermon in behalf of
himself. That night two rascals determined to rob the chapel of the
collection, and accordingly opened the door with a one-pronged fork, and
got in. Finding, however, that the collection consisted only of a penny
token, a card counter, a penny farthing, and a bad half-crown, one of
them, under the impulse of vexation, jerked the half-crown into the air,
when it struck down the Koh-i-Noor from the chandelier—the would-be
thief putting the bit of glass into his pocket as a memento of the
transaction.
The next day William Priggins, for so was he named, enlisted in the
H.E.I.C.'s service, and presently joined his regiment, the 007th, at
Juggerbadab. Not liking the service, however, he deserted, blacked
himself all over, gave up wearing clothes, and set up as a Thug. After
doing a good stroke of business in this new line, he was ultimately
apprehended by the officers of the Rajah Jibbety-Jibbety, and, to save
his life, offered to give up the Koh-i-Noor, which he told the Rajah he
had stolen out of a pawnbroker's shop in Whitechapel. The Rajah was at
the time in pecuniary difficulties—so much so, as to have serious
notions of coming to London and taking a crossing, or singing
Hindostanee lyrics, with a tum-tum and his heir-apparent, in the
streets. Being a statesman of great acuteness and foresight, however, he
saw that something handsome might be made of the Koh-i-Noor, and, in the
first place, christened it by that name, it having been formerly called
"Bit-o'-Glass". In the Rajah's capital, the city of Huggerymug, resided
a jeweller of enormous wealth, called Tiffin Gong. This man the Rajah
caused to be summoned before him.
"What is the value of this inestimable diamond?" he demanded, showing
him the Koh-i-Noor.
Tiffin Gong made his salaam, and after looking at it, replied, "May the
Rajah live for ever, and until the middle of the week after. The value
is eighteen pice," which amounts to three farthings English money.