MOORE’S EPIGRAM ON ABBOTT.
Mr. Speaker Abbott having spoken in slighting terms of some of Moore’s poems, the poet wrote, in return, the following biting epigram:
“They say he has no heart; but I deny it;
He has a heart—and gets his speeches by it.”
NEGROES AT HOME.
When Lord Byron was in Parliament, a petition setting forth, and calling for redress for, the wretched state of the Irish peasantry, was one evening presented to the House of Lords, and very coldly received. “Ah!” said Lord Byron, “what a misfortune it was for the Irish that they were not born black! they would then have had plenty of friends in both Houses”—referring to the great interest at the time being taken by some philanthropic members in the condition and future of the negroes in our West Indian colonies.
A STRING OF JERROLD’S JOKES.
At a club of which Jerrold was a member, a fierce Jacobite, and a friend, as fierce, of the Orange cause, were arguing noisily, and disturbing less excitable conversationalists. At length the Jacobite, a brawny Scot, brought his fist down heavily upon the table, and roared at his adversary, “I tell you what it is, sir, I spit upon your King William!” The friend of the Prince of Orange rose, and roared back to the Jacobite, “And I, sir, spit upon your James the Second!” Jerrold, who had been listening to the uproar in silence, hereupon rang the bell, and shouted “Waiter, spittoons for two!”
At an evening party, Jerrold was looking at the dancers, when, seeing a very tall gentleman waltzing with a remarkably short lady, he said to a friend at hand, “Humph! there’s the mile dancing with the milestone!”