The prodigal’s letter to his father, “Dear Dad, keep 1000050,” in reply to a suggestion for safeguarding some of his prospects, was written in playful impudence; and its interpretation is, “Dear Dad, keep cool!” for the figures in Roman numerals are COOL.
53. BURIED POETS
The poets’ names buried in the lines—
The sun is darting rays of gold
Upon the moor, enchanting spot;
Whose purpled heights, by Ronald loved,
Up open to his Shepherd cot.
And sundry denizens of air
Are flying, aye, each to his nest;
And eager make at such an hour
All haste to reach the mansions blest.
are Gray, Moore, Byron, Pope, Dryden, Gay, Keats, and Hemans.
54.
When A. B. gave up the reins of government, and C.B. took office in his place, the two verbs, similar in all respects, except that the one is longer by one letter than the other, which expressed the change, were resigns—reigns.