MCCCXCVI.—THE SUPERIORITY OF MACHINERY.
A mechanic his labor will often discard,
If the rate of his pay he dislikes:
But a clock—and its case is uncommonly hard—
Will continue to work though it strikes!
MCCCXCVII.—THE MONEY-BORROWER DECEIVED.
A youth had borrowed a hundred pounds of a very rich friend, who had concluded that he should never see them again. He was mistaken, for the youth returned him the money. Some time after, the youth came again to borrow, but was refused. "No, sir," said his friend, "you shall not deceive me twice."
MCCCXCVIII.—A SPEAKING CANVAS.
Some of the friends of a famous painter, observed to him, that they never heard him bestow any praises but on his worst paintings. "True," answered he; "for the best will always praise themselves."
MCCCXCIX.—INDUSTRY OF THE ENGLISH PEOPLE.
Sydney Smith, writing in the Edinburgh Review, says, "If the English were in a paradise of spontaneous productions, they would continue to dig and plough, though they were never a peach or a pine-apple the better for it."
MCD.—OCULAR.
Taylor says, "My best pun was that which I made to Sheridan, who married a Miss Ogle." We were supping together at the Shakespeare, when, the conversation turning on Garrick, I asked him which of his performances he thought the best. "O," said he, "the Lear, the Lear."—"No wonder," said I, "you were fond of a Leer when you married an Ogle."