The World's Wit and Humor

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Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2009 - 190页
This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1905. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... Henry Fielding The Immersion of an Ambassador The doctor now began a second formal speech, in which he declaimed against all levity of conversation, and what is usually called mirth. He said, "There were amusements fitted for persons of all ages and degrees, from the rattle to the discussing a point of philosophy, and that men discovered themselves in nothing more than in the choice of their amusements; for," says he, "as it must greatly raise our expectation of the future conduct in life of boys whom in their tender years we perceive, instead of taw or balls, or other childish playthings, to choose at their leisure hours to exercise their genius in contentions of wit, learning, and such like; so must it inspire one with equal contempt of a man, if we should discover him playing at taw or other childish pay." Adams highly commended the doctor's opinion, and said, "He had often wondered at some passages in ancient authors, where Scipio, Laelius, and other great men, were represented to have passed many hours in amusements of the most trifling kind." The doctor replied, " He had by him an old Greek manuscript where a favourite diversion of Socrates was recorded." "Aye," says the parson eagerly, " I should be most infinitely obliged to you for the favour of perusing it." The doctor promised to send it him, and further said that he believed he could describe it. "I think," says he, "as near as I can remember, it was this: there was a throne erected, one one side of which sat a king and on the other a queen, with their guards and attendants ranged on both sides; to them was introduced an ambassador, which part Socrates always used to perform himself; and when he was led up to the footsteps of the throne, he addressed himself to the monarchs in some grave speech full ...

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