Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1858-03-27
PUNS AND PUNNING.

Do you mean to say that the pun question
is not clearly settled in your minds? Let me
lay down the law upon the subject Life and
language are alike sacred. Homicide and ce,-
bicide-that is, violent treatment of word, with
fatal result to its legitimate meaning which is its
life-arc alike forbidden. Manslaughtcr, which
is the meaning of the one, is the same as mans
laughter, which is the end of the other. A pun
is prima (acie an insult to the person YOU are
talking with it implies utter Indifference to, or
sublime contempt for his remarks. | speak of
total depraviy and one says that all that is writ
ten on the subject is deep-,dring. have COM
mitted myselfrespect by talking with such per-
son. Or | speak Of geological conyulsions, and
he asks me what was the cosinc of Noah's ark
also, whether the Deluge was not great deal
huger than any modern inundation.
A pun does not commonly Justify blow in
return. But if a blow were given for such a
cause, and death ensued, the jury would be
judges both Of the facts and of the pun and
might, if the latter were of an aggravated char
acter, return verdict Of justifible homicide
Thus in case lately decided before Miller j..
Doe presented Roe u subscription paper, and
urged the claims Of suffering humanity. Roe
replied by asking When charity was like a top
1t was in evidence that Dcs preserved digni-
he'd silence. Doe thon ooid 'When i, begins to
hum. Doe then-andno till then-struck Roe,
and his head happening to strike bound vol
umc of the Monthly Rag Bag and Stolen Mis-
cellany, intense modification ensued, with ia
tai result. The Chief laid down his notions of
law to his brother Justices, who unanimously
replied, "Jest So" The Chief Joined that no
man should jest so without being punished for
it, and charged for the prisoner, who was ac-
quilted, and the pun ordered to be burned by
the sheriff. The bound volume was forfeited as
deodand, but not claimed.
People who make puns are like wanton boys
that put coppers on the railroad tracks. They
amuse themselves and other children but their
little trick may upset freight train of CONVEX
sation for the sake of battered witticism
And, once more, listen to the historian. THE
puritans hated puns. The Bishops were noto-
riously addicted to them. The lords temporal
carried them to the verge of license Majesty
itself must have its quibbc. 'Ye be burly nv
Lord Of Burleigh,' said Queen Elizabeth, but We
shall make less stir in our realm than my Lord
Leicester The gravest wisdom and the high
est breeding lent their sanction to the practice.
Lord Bacon playfully declared himself descend
ent of the King Of Bashan. Sir Philip Sidney,
with his last breath, reproached the soldier who
brought him water for wasting whole casque
full upon diving man.
"a courtier who saw Othello performed at the
OioDc lHtulIc, ItlldIkeu tIldt tIe DlaCkdnOOr
was a brute and not man. Thou hast reason
replied a great Lord according to Plato, his
SAYING, for this be two-legged animal with
feathers The fatal habit became UNIVERSAL
The language was corrupted. The infection
spread to the national conscience. Political
double-dealing naturally grew out of double
meanings. The teeth OF the new dragon were
sown by the Cadmus who introduced the al pha-
bet of equivocation. What was levity in the
time of the Tudors, grew to regicide and revo-
luton in the time of the Stuarts"
Who was that boarder that just whispered
something about the Macauley flowers of litera-
ture? There was a dead silence-I said, calm
ly. | shall henceforth consider any interruption
by pun as hint to change my boarding house
DO not plead my example. If have used any
such, 1t has been only Spartan father would
show up drunken Helot. We have done with
them. q. ". Holmes.