Porson one day visiting his brother-in-law Mr. P⸺, who at that time lived in Lancaster-court, in the Strand, found him indisposed, and under the influence of medicine. On returning to the house of a common friend, he of course expected to be asked after the health of his relation. After waiting with philosophic patience, without the expected questions being proposed, he reproached the company for not giving him an opportunity of giving the following answer, which he had composed on his walk.
My Lord of Lancaster, when late I came from it,
Was taking a medicine of names not a few,
In Greek an emetic, in Latin a vomit,
In English a puke, and in vulgar a ⸺.
The following humourous verses were undoubtedly composed by Porson, but they are not copied from his own hand-writing, which most of the things here inserted are. He, however, repeated them to the person from whose manuscript they are now printed.
ON THE POPULAR PLAY OF PIZARRO.
As I walked through the Strand so careless and gay,
I met a young girl who was wheeling a barrow,
Choice fruit, Sir, said she, and a bill of the play,