Joe Miller's Jests, with Copious Additions — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Joe Miller's Jests, with Copious Additions
John Stuart Mill · en
48. Colonel ――, who made the fine fireworks in St. James’s Square,
upon the peace of Ryswick, being in company with some ladies, was highly
commending the epitaph just then set up in the Abbey on Mr. Purcell’s
monument―“He is gone to that place where only his own harmony can be
exceeded.” Well, Colonel, said one of the ladies, the same epitaph might
serve for you, by altering one word only: “He is gone to that place
where only his own fireworks can be exceeded?”
49. Sir B―ch―r W―y, in the beginning of Queen Anne’s reign, and three
or four more drunken tories, reeling home from the Fountain Tavern in
the Strand, on a Sunday morning, cried out, We are the pillars of the
church. No, said a whig, that happened to be in their company, you can
be but the buttresses, for you never come on the inside of it.
50. After the fire of London, there was an act of parliament to regulate
the buildings of the city; every house was to be three stories high. A
Gloucestershire gentleman, a man of great wit and humour, just after
this act passed, going along the street, and seeing a little crooked
gentlewoman on the other side of the way, ran over to her in great
haste; Lord, madam, said he, how dare you to walk the streets thus
publicly? Walk the streets! and why not? answered the little woman.
Because, said he, you are built directly contrary to act of parliament:
you are but two stories high.
51. One Mr. Topham was so very tall and large, that if he was living
now, he might be shewn at Yeate’s theatre for a sight. This gentleman
going one day to inquire for a countryman a little way out of town, when
he came to the house, he looked in at a little window over the door, and
asked the woman, who sat by the fire, if her husband was at home? No,
Sir, said she, but if you please to alight, and come in, I’ll go and
call him.
52. The same gentleman walking across Covent Garden, was asked by a
beggar-woman for a halfpenny, or farthing; but finding he would not part
with his money, she begged he would give her one of his old shoes. He
was very desirous to know what she could do with one shoe. To make my
child a cradle, sir, said she.
53. King Charles II. having ordered a new suit of clothes to be made,
just at a time when addresses were coming up to him from all parts of
the kingdom, Tom Killigrew went to the tailor, and ordered him to make a
very large pocket on one side of the coat, and one so small on the
other, that the king could hardly get his hand into it; which seeming
very odd, when they were brought home, he asked the meaning of it; the
tailor said, Mr. Killigrew ordered it so. Killigrew being sent for, and
interrogated, said, One pocket was for the addresses of his majesty’s
subjects, the other for the money they would give him.