Part 6 (2/2)

”'What then? Why, ot the gout? I thought you had only put on that shoe to get off being shown over the improvements'”

His bachelorshi+p is thus attested in his niece's album:

”Should I seek Hymen's tie, As a poet I die, Ye Benedicts mourn my distresses: For what little fame Is annexed to my name, Is derived frost the best of his good things A gentles in the same house The consequence was, eternal confusion of calls and letters Indeed, the postman had no alternative but to share the letters equally between the two ”This is intolerable, sir,” said our friend, ”and you must quit”

”Why am I to quit more than you?” ”Because you are James the Second--and must _abdicate_”

Mr Bentley proposed to establish a periodical publication, to be called _The Wit's Miscellany_ Smith objected that the title promised too much

Shortly afterwards, the publisher came to tell hi it _Bentley's Miscellany_ ”Isn't that going a little too far the other way?” was the reenerally attributed to hi at one of the principal theatres Soreat many men in the pit

”Probably, clerks who have taken Priest's orders” The pun is perfect, but the real proprietor is Mr Poole, one of the best punsters as well as one of the cleverest comic writers and finest satirists of the day

It has also been attributed to Charles Laencies, for the judges to swear affidavits at their dwelling-houses Se's chaed to dine in Russell-square, at the next house to Mr Justice Holroyd's, he thought he reeable necessity of leaving the party at eight by dispatching his business at once: so, a few e's, and requested to speak to hie was at dinner, but caravely asked as the pressing necessity that induced our friend to disturb him at that hour

As Smith told the story, he raked his invention for a lie, but finding none fit for the purpose, he blurted out the truth:--

”'The fact is, ed to dine at the next house--and--and----'

”'And, sir, you thought youmine?'

”'Exactly so, '”

Smith was rather fond of a joke on his own branch of the profession; he always gave a peculiar e on the contradiction of names:

”Mr Makepeace was bred an attorney;”

and would frequently quote Goldsmith's lines on Hickey, the associate of Burke and other distinguished cotemporaries:

”He cherished his friend, and he relished a bumper; Yet one fault he had, and that was a thu? come, tell it, and burn ye: He was, could he help it? a special attorney”

The following playful colloquy in verse took place at a dinner-table between Sir George Rose and himself, in allusion to Craven-street, Strand, where he resided:--

”_J S_--'At the top of my street the attorneys abound

And down at the bottoes are found: Fly, Honesty, fly to some safer retreat, For there's craft in the river, and craft in the street'”

”_Sir G R_--'Why should Honesty fly to soes, od rot 'em?

For the lawyers are _just_ at the top of the street, And the barges are _just_ at the bottom'”