The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-19
LONDON,

LONDON;
Printed and Sold by T. Read, in Dogwel-
Court, White-F'ryars, Fleet-Street.
MDCCXXXIX
price One Shilling)
1t is a thin book, of seventy pages. and
contains 247 jests, or what the compiler
was pleasedNto regard as iests. Tt has no
introduction or explanation, except what
is printed on the title page. On the next
page the jests themselves begin. The
punctuation is most remarkable, and is
often more a confusion than a help, to the
modern reader. All nouns begin with cap
itals, and all proper names are printed in
italics. No quotation marks are used. A
large proportion of the jests would not
bear reprinting in a modern newspaper.
Before giving any of those Which will
bear reprinting, it will be fair to say that
the placing of the name of Joe Miller on
the title page of this book was as great
an injustice to that honest gentleman as
the attributing of all current jokes to the
book is to the modern joker. Miller died
in 1913, the year before the first edition of
the book was printed, and it is not proba-
Ole mat he had even so much to do with
it as is implied in the statement of the
title page that he was present when the
stories were told by somebody. In a few
of the stories-less than half a dozen-he
is mentioned, either as the hero or as the
narrator.
liz NoIlSCliOH was really made by JOnn
Motley, dramatist of the time. He
probably thought it would be a good BUSH
ness stroke to issue the book under the
name OF Miller, for Miller had Just died
ana had long been a popular comedian.
lie played many parts and played them
Well it is said. One of the most notable
was the Irish part of league in Sir Rob
ert Towards THE Committee" He made
this part so famous that league" be-
came general name for an Irishman as
PADDY is now, and in this very book an
Irlshman is always called league" Mil
1ers epitaph spoke of him as "a tender
husband, a sincere friend, a facetious com
panion and an excellent comedian" 1t is
agreeable to think that he turned out a
tender husband for the reason which he
gave Tor marrying was that he wanted a
wife who could read his parts to him, as
he could not read himself
1t IS evident that when this book was
compiled Englishmen We're quite as easily
amused as they are to-day. 1t is full of
stories, the utter pointlessness of which
would insure their insertion In any mod.
ern English comic paper. Here are a few
examples:
j. Two Free-thinking Authors. proposed
10 Bookseller that was a little decayed
I'D me World that if he would print then
Works they would set him up, and indeed,
t1ey We're as good as their Word for in
SIX Weeks Times he was in the Pillorv.
IL. A gentleman was saying one Dav
at che Tilt-Yard Coffee House when if
ialned exceedingly hard, that 1t put him in
mind of the General Deluge; ICONS Sir
said an ola Campaigner, who stood bv
Who's that? l have heard of all the Cen
erals in Europe bur him
10. It was said of one who remembered
every Thing that he lent but quite forgot
what ne borrowed, That he had lost half
1 his Memory.
al A COuntrvroar aa,oi.iv,.r ~. 49,,
fabrick of ST. Paul's, asked. whether (
was made in England, or brought from be-
yond the Sea?
-7l. A Person inquiring what became of
Suth One? Oh! dear, fays one of thes
company, poor Fellow, he dy'd insolvent.
ana was buried by the Parish Died in
SoNent, erys another; that's a Lie. for
ne died m England, I'm sure l was at
his Bufying.
A little of this sort of thing goes a long
way. Wkh some indulgence these might
pe regarded as pieasantries, but they hard
wit: Here are few that are of a better
grace ana not over familiar:
TO- MY Lord Craven, in King James tba
FIRST Reign, was very DESTROYS to see
Ben Johnson, which being told 70 Ren he
weht 10 my Lords House, but being in a
~ ta.ter CONDITION, as Poets some
times are, the Porter refus'd him Adrnit-
lance, with some saucy LANGUAGE Will
the other did not fail to return. Nv T-ord
happening 30 come out while they 49,
wrangling asked the occasion of il. Rem
VINO stood In need of nobody to sneal[ fnr
him, said, be understood his I,ordsbin a. a.
sired to see him; you Friend said NV
t toro, VINO are you? Ben Johnson reply'd
4 'he other; No, no. quoth NV LORD -,
cannot be Ben johnson who wrote H. st
ieht Woman, you look as If you couid not
say be TO a. Goose 30 cry'd Ben very
Wen, said my Lord, who was hettar
peas az the Joke than Offended At re
1alllo | am now convinced by your wit
you are Ben johnson. w.
g. Two Gentlemen disputinq abo,,. 10.
!Ision' M Buttons Coffee+House saId 49,,
3 p',1 l wonder, Sir, you should talk If
,.ei when I'll hold you five Gulneas
a ou can t.say The Lords Praver dnnl -