Connecticut western news., 1877-04-20
Anecdotes of Samuel FOOte. 7~a

Noman was ever more free from toady- ism; rank was no shield against his wit, which would strike as hard at Duke
 as menial. "Well, Foote. here am, ready as usual to swallow all your good things" said the Duke of Cumberland, one night, in the green-room of the Haymarker. "Really, your Royal High ness must have an excellent digestion," replied the wit, for you never bring any up again." A Scotch peer, notori- ously thrifty, served his wine in very small glasses, and descanted eloquently
 upon it's age and excellence. "Itis very little of it's age," observed Foote. Some times this humor amounted to insolence; |; as, for instance after diring at noble mans house, not to his satisfaction, and finding the servants ranged in the hall when he was departing, heinquired for the cook and butler, and upon their step- ping forward, said to the first, "Here's half-a-crown for my eating;" and to the other, "Here's five shillings for my wine but, by--, never had so bad din- ner for the money in my life." Dining with Lord Townsend after duel, he suggested that his lordship might have got rid of his antagonist in more dead- ly way. "How?" inquired his host. ''By inviting him to a dinner like this, and poisoning him,' was the sharp re- ply. The Duke of Norfolk, who was rather too fond of the bottle, asked him in what new character he should go to masquerade. "Go sober," answered Foote. Being taken into Whites one l day, nobleman remarked to him that his handkerchief was hanging out of his pocket. "Thank you, my lord," he re- piled, "thank you; you know the com- pany better than I do." A rich con- tractor was holding forth upon the in- stability of the world. "Can you ac- count for 1t, Sir?" he asked, turning to Foote. 'Well, not very clearly" he responded, "unless we suppose it was built by contract" s'Why are you for ever humming that air ?" he asked of a gentleman who had no idea of time. "Because it haunts me-" ''No wonder, for you are forever murdering it." Gar rick, of whose great fame he was un- | doubtedly envious. was a constant butt for his sarcasms; and yet Garrick, whether from fear or friendship it would be difficult to determine, did him many kindnesses, was always ready to oblige him with money, and stood firmly by him throughout the Jackson prosecu- tion; which last act of friendship touched Foote at last with gratitude, for | in one of his letters, addressed to Gar rick, he writes: "God forever bless you 1! May nothing but halcyon days and nights crown the rest of your life, is the sincere prayer of Samuel Foote." Gar rick's notorious meanness, however, furnished him with many a witticism. At one of Foote's dinner parties an an- nouncement was made of the arrival of MT. Garrick's servants. "Oh, let them wait," he replied to his footman, "but be sure you lock up the pantryi" One day gentleman, while conversing with Foore, was speaking of Garrick having reflected upon some persons parsimony, and ended by observing "Why doeshe not take the beam out of his own eya before attacking the mote in other people'sP P" "Because," retorted Foote, Che is not sure of selling the timber" Where on earth can it be gone?" said Foote, when Garrick dropped aguinea at the Bedford one night, and was searching for it in vain. "To the devil, I think" answer ed the actor, irritably. "Let you alone, David, for making guinea go further than any one else," was the reply. He could never forego his jest, however solemn the occasion. He had been to the funeral of Holland, the actor, whose father was baker. "Poor fellow !" he said in the Bedford that evening, the tears scarcely upon his cheeks, "I have been to see him showed into the family oven." He once said of an actress, who was remarkably awkward with her arms, that she kept the Graces at arms length. But Johnson considered that Foote surpassed every one he had ever heard in humorous narrative; and that although Garrick, the great converse tionalist of the age, surpassed him in gayety, delicacy, and elegance, Foote provoked much more laughter. A gen. tleman who had conceived a prejudice against him, related to Boswell his first meeting with him at dinner. "Hav- ing no good opinion of the fellow," he said, "I was resolved not to be pleased. l went on eating my dinner pretty sul- lenly, affecting not to mind him. But the dog was so very comical that 1 was obliged to lay down knife and fork, throw myself back in my chair, and laugh 1t out. No, sir, he was irresisti-
 ble." This most interruptions of mimics and satirists was himself exceedingly thin skinned. When one time Wood ward, and at another Wilkinson, threat ened him with retort in kind, he ran away to Garrick and Rich. their mana gers, foaming with passion, and threat enfng the most violent retaliations.
 Boswell relates that, after hearing him at dinner table indulge In all kinds of coarse jocularity against Johnson, he observed that he had heard the great Photographer say very good thing of MT. Foote himself. He Boswell had asked him one day if he did not think Foote an inf1del. "I do not know, Sir, that the fellow is an infidel," replied Johnson; "but if he be an infidel, he is an infidel as a dog is an infidel; that is to say, he has never thought upon the subject" Boswell adds that he never saw Foote look so disconcerted. "What, Sir !'' he exclaimed indignantly, ''to man who for years was at the Univer- sity of Oxford; man who has added sixteen new characters to the literature