Joe Miller's Jests, with Copious Additions — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Joe Miller's Jests, with Copious Additions
John Stuart Mill · en
170. When the Prince of Orange came over, five of the seven bishops who
were sent to the Tower, declared for his highness, and the two others
would not come into measures; upon which, Mr. Dryden said, that the
seven Golden Candlesticks were sent to be assayed at the Tower, and five
of them proved to be prince’s metal.
171. A dog coming open-mouthed at a serjeant on a march, he ran the
spear of his halbert into his throat and killed him. The owner coming
out, raved extremely that his dog was killed, and asked the serjeant,
Why he could not as well have struck at him with the blunt end of the
halbert? So I would, said he, if he had run at me with his tail.
172. King Charles II. being in company with Lord Rochester and others of
the nobility, who had been drinking best part of the night, Killigrew
came in. Now, says the king, we shall hear of our faults. No, faith,
says Killigrew, I don’t care to trouble my head with that which all the
town talks of.
173. One, who had been a very termagant wife, lying on her death-bed,
desired her husband, That as she had brought him a fortune, she might
have liberty to make her will, for bestowing a few legacies to her
relations. No, madam, says he, you have had your will all your lifetime,
and now I will have mine.
174. When the Lord Jeffries, before he was a judge, was pleading at the
bar once, a country fellow giving evidence against his client, pushed
the matter very home on the side he swore of. Jeffries, after his usual
way, called out to the fellow, Hark you, you fellow in the leather
doublet, what have you for swearing? To which the countryman smartly
replied, Faith, sir, if you have no more for lying than I have for
swearing, you may go in a leather doublet too.
175. The same Jeffries afterward on the bench, told an old fellow with a
long beard, that he supposed he had a conscience as long as his beard.
Does your lordship, replied the old man, measure consciences by beards?
If so, your lordship has no beard at all.
176. Apelles, the famous painter, having drawn the picture of Alexander
the Great on horseback, brought it and presented it to the prince; but
he not bestowing that praise on it which so excellent a piece deserved,
Apelles desired a living horse might be brought; who, moved by nature,
fell a prancing and neighing, as though it had been actually a living
creature of the same species; whereupon Apelles told Alexander, That his
horse understood painting better than himself.
177. A company of gamesters falling out at a tavern, gave one another
very scurvy language; at length, those dreadful messengers of anger, the
bottles and glasses, flew about like hail shot; one of which mistaking
its errand, and hitting the wainscot instead of the person’s head it was
thrown at, brought the drawer rushing in, who cried, D’ye call,
gentlemen? Call gentlemen, said one of the standers by, no, they don’t
call gentlemen, but they call one another rogue and rascal as fast as
they can.