“Nor Grandeur hear with a disdainful smile
The short and simple annals of the Poor,—”
by reading “animals” instead of “annals”; while another, of an equally zoological turn of mind, announced that—
“On some fond beast the parting soul relies,—”
instead of “breast.”
But the climax of this “animal mania” was reached when the wretched Bramble, finally pitched upon to go on, in spite of all his efforts to hide, rendered the passage:—
“Haply some hoary-headed swain may say,
Oft have we seen him at the peep of dawn,” etcetera, as—
“Happy some hairy-headed swine may say.”
This was a little too much.
“That will do, sir,” said the Doctor, sternly. “That will do. What is your name, sir?”
“Bramble, please, sir.”