The Comic Almanack, Volume 2: An Ephemeris in Jest and Earnest, Containing Merry Tales, Humerous Poetry, Quips, and Oddities — David Hume — John Shaqi
The Comic Almanack, Volume 2: An Ephemeris in Jest and Earnest, Containing Merry Tales, Humerous Poetry, Quips, and Oddities
David Hume · en
Every subscriber, on paying six-and-eightpence, will have a declaration
delivered to him if he be a debtor; or if a creditor, he will receive a
plea; and the prizes will consist of a certain number of verdicts, to be
selected from the public exhibitions of justice, including the Courts of
Request, the Lord Mayor's, and Sheriffs' Courts. If a plaintiff draws a
prize, he will get the whole of the money; and if a debtor draws a
blank, he will have to pay it; but if the debtor and the creditor both
draw blanks, they neither of them get anything, but their loss is
limited to six-and-eightpence. If a debtor obtains a fortunate number he
is exonerated from his debt without the disgrace or inconvenience of
running away; while a creditor, even if he does not get his money, is
prevented from throwing any of the good after the bad, and thus all
parties reap advantages which they could not obtain in the regular
course of law. It is thought that the causing the verdicts to depend on
chance, and thus introducing the lottery principle into the
administration of justice, is quite in conformity with what, in nine
cases out of ten, practically happens.
Prospectuses may be had at the chambers of Messrs. Drain, Swindle, and
Company, Solicitors to the Court of Portugal, and Attorneys
Extraordinary (most extraordinary!) to anyone employing them.
POST OFFICE REGULATIONS.
The letter-carriers are all to wear uniforms, in order to carry out the
principle of the uniform postage. All the old Twopennies are placed on
the same footing as Generals.
The mails, since the reduction of the rate, are allowed to travel slower
than formerly. The Hounslow mail being carried in a cab, and, there
being no accommodation for a guard, the Government will not be
responsible for the safe conduct of the bags beyond the Sloane Street
frontier. Letters for Kingston, not intended to go by Falmouth, should
be marked Kingston-upon-Thames, or they will be despatched to Kingston
in Jamaica.
Money intended to benefit the letter-carriers should be enclosed in an
envelope addressed to any friend of the writer. By registering the
letter, the liberal object will be defeated.
CATECHISM OF POLITICS FOR THE FRENCH.
_Q._ How do you define politics?
_A._ It is the science of constructing new governments; the first step
to which is the destruction of the existing one.
_Q._ In what do we make it chiefly to consist?
_A._ In abusing our neighbours, and quarrelling amongst ourselves.
_Q._ To what do we generally apply ourselves in peace?
_A._ In insulting the English.
_Q._ How are we occupied in war?
_A._ In being beaten by the English.
_Q._ How do we profit by war?
_A._ It gives us material for clap-traps on the stage.
_Q._ How do we profit by defeat?
_A._ In calling it a victory.
_Q._ How do we maintain our boast that we are the most ingenious nation
on the earth?
_A._ By employing the ingenuity of Englishmen in all our great public
works.