and carried out a series of friendly parties. The following form of
invitation, and the rules of the "Family Circle," will be found
interesting, probably useful:
Will you do me the favour of meeting here, as a guest, on------
next, at seven precisely, a few friends who have kindly joined in an
attempt to commence occasional pleasant and social parties, of which
the spirit and intent will be better understood by the perusal of
the few annexed remarks and rules from
Yours sincerely,------
"They manage it better in France," is a remark to be often applied
with reference to social life in England, and the writer fancies
that the prevalence here of a few bad customs, easily changed,
causes the disadvantageous difference between ourselves and our more
courteous and agreeable neighbours.
i. Worldly appearance; the phantom leading many to suppose that
wealth is the standard of worth--in the minds of friends, a notion
equally degrading to both parties.
ii. Overdress; causing unnecessary expense and waste of time.
iii. Expensive entertainments, as regards refreshments.
iv. Late hours.
The following brief rules are suggested, in a hope to show the way
to a more constant, easy, and friendly intercourse amongst friends,
the writer feeling convinced that society is equally beneficial and
requisite--in fact, that mankind in seclusion, like the sword in the
scabbard, often loses polish, and gradually rusts.
RULE I. That meetings be held in rotation at each member's house,
for the enjoyment of conversation; music, grave and gay; dancing,
gay only; and card-playing at limited stakes.
RULE II. That such meetings commence at seven and end about or after
twelve, and that members and guests be requested to remember that
punctuality has been called the politeness of kings.
RULE III. That as gentlemen are allowed for the whole season to
appear, like the raven, in one suit, ladies are to have the like
privilege; and that no lady be allowed to quiz or notice the habits
of another lady; and that demi-toilette in dress be considered the
better taste in the family circle; not that the writer wishes to
raise or lower the proper standard of ladies' dress, which ought to
be neither too high nor too low, but at a happy medium.
RULE IV. That any lady infringing the last rule be liable to reproof
by the oldest lady present at the meeting, if the oldest lady, like
the oldest inhabitant, can be discovered.
RULE V. That every member or guest, be requested to bring with them
their own vocal, instrumental, or dance music, and take it away with
them, if possible, to avoid loss and confusion.
RULE VI. That no member or guest, able to sing, play, or dance,
refuse, unless excused by medical certificate; and that no cold or
sore throat be allowed to last more than a week.
RULE VII. That as every member or guest known to be able to sing,
play, or dance, is bound to do so if requested, the performer
(especially if timid) is to be kindly criticized and encouraged; it
being a fact well known, that the greatest masters of an art are
always the most lenient critics, from their deep knowledge of the
feeling, intelligence, and perseverance required to at all approach
perfection.
RULE VIII. That gentlemen present do pay every attention to ladies,
especially visitors; but such attention is to be general, and not
particular--for instance, no gentleman is to dance more than three
times with one lady during the evening, except in the case of
lovers, privileged to do odd things during their temporary lunacy,
and also married couples, who are expected to dance together at
least once during the evening, and oftener if they please.
RULE IX. That to avoid unnecessary expense, the refreshments be
limited to cold meat, sandwiches, bread, cheese, butter, vegetables,
fruits, tea, coffee, negus, punch, malt liquors, &c., &c.
RULE X. That all personal or face-to-face laudatory speeches
(commonly called toasts, or, as may be, roasts) be for the future
forbidden, without permission or inquiry, for reasons
following:--That as the family circle includes bachelors and
spinsters, and he, she, or they may be secretly engaged, it will be
therefore cruel to excite hopes that may be disappointed; and that
as some well-informed Benedick of long experience may after supper
advise the bachelor to find the way to woman's heart--_vice
versa_, some deep-feeling wife or widow, by "pity moven," may,
perhaps, after supper advise the spinster the other way, which, in
public, is an impropriety manifestly to be avoided.
RULE XI. (_suggested by a lady_). That any lady, after supper, may
(if she please) ask any gentleman apparently diffident, or requiring
encouragement, to dance with her, and that no gentleman can of
course refuse so kind a request.
RULE XII. That no gentleman be expected to escort any lady home on
foot beyond a distance of three miles, unless the gentleman be
positive and the lady agreeable.
RULE THE LAST. That as the foregoing remarks and rules are intended,
in perfect good faith and spirit, to be considered general and not
personal, no umbrage is to be taken, and the reader is to bear in
mind the common and homely saying,--
"Always at trifles scorn to take offence,
It shows great pride and very little sense."
P.S.--To save trouble to both parties, this invitation be deemed
accepted, without the necessity to reply, unless refused within
twenty-four hours.
46. Evening Pastimes.
Among the innocent recreations of the fireside, there are few more
commendable and practicable than those afforded by what are severally
termed Anagrams, Arithmorems, Single and Double Acrostics, Buried
Cities, &c., Charades, Conundrums, Cryptographs, Enigmas, Logogriphs,
Puzzles, Rebuses, Riddles, Transpositions, &c. Of these there are such
a variety, that they are suited to every capacity; and they present
this additional attraction, that ingenuity may be exercised in the
_invention_ of them, as well as in their solution. Many persons
who have become noted for their literary compositions may date the
origin of their success to the time when they attempted the
composition of a trifling enigma or charade.
47. Acrostics.
The acrostic is a short poem in which the first letters of each line,
read collectively, form a name, word, or sentence. The word comes from
the Greek _akros_, extreme, and _stichos_, order or line. The acrostic
was formerly in vogue for valentine and love verses. When employed as
a riddle it is called a _Rebus_, which see.
[AS A MAN LIVES, SO SHALL HE DIE.]
48. Acrostics (Double).
This very fashionable riddle is a double Rebus, the initial and final
letters of a word or words selected making two names or two words. The
usual plan is to first suggest the foundation words, and then to
describe the separate words, whose initials and finals furnish the
answer to the question. Thus:
A Party to charm the young and erratic--
But likely to frighten the old and rheumatic.
1 The carriage in which the fair visitants came:
2 A very old tribe with a very old name;
3 A brave Prince of Wales free from scandal or shame.
The answer is Picnic.
1 P Phaeton N
2 I Iceni I
3 C Caradoc C
Sometimes the Double Acrostic is in prose, as in this brief example:
A Briton supports his wig, his grand-mother, his comfort, and his
country-women.
The answer is, Beef--Beer:
_Bob, Eve, Ease, Fair_.
49. Acrostics (Triple)
are formed on the same plan, three names being indicated by the
initial, central, and final letters of the selected words.
50. Anagrams
are formed by the transposition of the letters of words or sentences,
or names of persons, so as to produce a word, sentence, or verse, of
pertinent or of widely different meaning. They are very difficult to
discover, but are exceedingly striking when good. The following are
some of the most remarkable:
Words Transpositions
Astronomers............ No more stars.
Catalogues..............Got as a clue.
Elegant ................Neat leg.
Impatient...............Tim in a pet.
Immediately.............I met my Delia.
Masquerade .............Queer as mad.
Matrimony...............Into my arm.
Melodrama...............Made moral.
Midshipman..............Mind his map.
Old England.............Golden land.
Parishioners............I hire parsons.
Parliament..............Partial men.
Penitentiary............Nay I repeat it.
Presbyterian............Best in prayer.
Radical Reform..........Rare mad frolic.
Revolution..............To love ruin.
Sir Robert Peel.........Terrible poser.
Sweetheart..............There we sat.
Telegraphs..............Great helps.
51. Arithmorems.
This class of riddle is of recent introduction. The Arithmorem is made
by substituting figures in a part of the word indicated, for Roman
numerals. The nature of the riddle--from the Greek _arithmos_, number,
and the Latin _remanere_, back again--will be easily seen from the
following example, which is a double Arithmorem:
H 51 and _a tub_--a fine large fish.
A 100 and _gore_--a sprightly movement in music.
R 5 and _be_--a part of speech.
U 551 and _as and_--a Spanish province.
To 201 and _ran_--a stupefying drug.
R 102 and _nt_--an acid.
OU 250 and _pap_--a Mexican town.
The answer is Havanna--Tobacco.
_H_alibu_t_, _A_llegr_o_, _V_er_b_, _A_ndalusi_a_,
_N_arcoti_c_, _N_itri_c_, _A_capulc_o_.
52. Charades
are compositions, poetical or otherwise, founded upon words, each
syllable of which constitutes a _noun_, the whole of each word
constituting another noun of a somewhat different meaning from those
supplied by its separate syllables. Words which fully answer these
conditions are the best for the purposes of charades; though many
other words are employed. In writing, the first syllable is termed
"_My first_," the second syllable "_My second_," and the complete word
"_My whole_." The following is an example of a Poetical Charade:
The breath of the morning is sweet;
The earth is bespangled with flowers,
And buds in a countless array
Have ope'd at the touch of the showers.
The birds, whose glad voices are ever
A music delightful to hear,
Seem to welcome the joy of the morning,
As the hour of the bridal draws near.
What is that which now steals on _my first_,
Like a sound from the dreamland of love,
And seems wand'ring the valleys among,
That they may the nuptials approve?
'Tis a sound which _my second_ explains,
And it comes from a sacred abode,
And it merrily trills as the villagers throng
To greet the fair bride on her road.
How meek is her dress, how befitting a bride
So beautiful, spotless, and pure!
When she weareth _my second_, oh, long may it be
Ere her heart shall a sorrow endure.
See the glittering gem that shines forth from her hair--
'Tis _my whole_, which a good father gave;
Twas worn by her mother with honour before--
But _she_ sleeps in peace in her grave.
Twas her earnest request, as she bade them adieu,
That when her dear daughter the altar drew near,
She should wear the same gem that her mother had worn
When she as a bride full of promise stood there.
The answer is _Ear-ring_. The bells _ring_, the sound steals upon the
_ear_, and the bride wears an _ear ring_. Charades may be sentimental
or humorous, in poetry or prose; they may also be _acted_, in which
manner they afford considerable amusement.
53. Charades (Acted).
A drawing room with folded doors is the best for the purpose. Various
household appliances are employed to fit up something like a stage,
and to supply the fitting scenes. Characters dressed in costumes made
up of handkerchiefs, coats, shawls, table-covers, &c., come on and
perform an extempore play, founded upon the parts of a word, and its
_whole_, as indicated already. For instance, the events explained in
the poem given might be _acted_--glasses might be rung for
bells--something might be said in the course of the dialogues about
the sound of the bells being delightful to the _ear_; there might be a
dance of the villagers, in which a _ring_ might be formed; a wedding
might be performed, and so on: but for _acting charades_ there are
many better words, because _Ear-ring_ could with difficulty be
_represented_ without at once betraying the meaning. There is a little
work entitled "Philosophy and Mirth united by Pen and Pencil," and
another work, "Our Charades; and How we Played Them," [1] by Jean
Francis, which supply a large number of these Charades. But the
following is the most extensive list of words ever published upon
which Charades may be founded:
[Note: hyphen added to Art less, Bar rack]
[Footnote 1: "Philosophy and Mirth, united by Pen and Pencil," One
Shilling.
"Our Charades; and How we played Them," by Jean Francis, One Shilling.
Both published by Houlston and Sons, Paternoster Square, London, EC.]
[A FOOL'S BOLT IS SOON SHOT.]
54. Words which may be converted into Acting or Written Charades:
Aid-less
Air-pump
Ale-house
Ann-ounce
Arch-angel
Arm-let
Art-less
Ass-ail
Ba-boon
Back-bite
Back-slide
Bag-gage
Bag-pipe
Bag-dad
Bail-able
Bale-ful
Band-age
Band-box
Bane-ful
Bar-bed
Bar-gain
Bar-rack
Bar-row
Bat-ten
Beard-less
Bid-den
Bird-lime
Birth-right
Black-guard
Blame-less
Block-head
Boat-man
Boot-jack
Book-worm
Bound-less
Bow-ling
Brace-let
Brain-less
Break-fast
Breath-less
Brick-bat
Brick-dust
Bride-cake
Bride-groom
Broad-cloth
Broad-side
Broad-sword
Brow-beat
Brown-stone
Bug-bear
Bull-dog
Bump-kin
Buoy-ant
But-ton
Cab-in
Can-did
Can-ton
Care-ful
Car-pet
Car-rot
Cart-ridge
Chair-man
Chamber-maid
Cheer-ful
Cheer-less
Christ-mas
Church-yard
Clans-men
Clerk-ship
Cob-web
Cock-pit
Cod-ling
Coin-age
Con-fined
Con-firm
Con-form
Con-tent
Con-test
Con-tract
Con-verse
Cork-screw
Count-less
Court-ship
Crab-bed
Cross-bow
Cur-tail
Cut-throat
Dark-some
Day-break
Death-watch
Dog-ma
Don-key
Drink-able
Drug-get
Duck-ling
Ear-ring
Earth-quake
Ear-wig
False-hood
Fan-atic
Fare-well
Far-thing
Fear-less
Fee-ling
Field-farm
Fire-lock
Fire-man
Fire-pan
Fire-ship
Fire-work
Fir-kin
Fish-hook
Flag-rant
Flip-pant
Flood-gate
Fond-ling
Foot-ball
Foot-man
Foot-pad
Foot-step
Foot-stool
For-age
For-bear
For-bid
Found-ling
Fox-glove
Free-hold
Free-stone
Fret-work
Fri-day
Friend-ship
Frost-bite
Fur-long
Gain-say
Gang-way
Glow-worm
Glut-ton
God-child
God-daughter
God-father
God-like
God-mother
God-son
Gold-finch
Gold-smith
Goose-berry
Grand-father
Grate-ful
Grave-stone
Green-finch
Grey-hound
Grim-ace
Grind-stone
Ground-plot
Ground-sell
Guard-ship
Gun-powder
Had-dock
Hail-stone
Hail-storm
Half-penny
Ham-let
Ham-mock
Hand-cuff
Hang-man
Hap-pen
Hard-ship
Hard-ware
Harts-horn
Head-land
Head-less
Head-long
Head-stone
Head-strong
Hear-say
Heart-less
Heart-sick
Heart-string
Hedge-hog
Heir-less
Heir-loom
Hell-hound
Hell-kite
Hence-forth
Hen-roost
Herb-age
Herds-man
Her-self
Hid-den
High-land
High-way
Hind-most
Hoar-frost
Hob-goblin
Hogs-head
Home-bred
Honey-bag
Honey-comb
Honey-moon
Honey-suckle
Hood-wink
Horse-back
Horse-shoe
Host-age
Hot-bed
Hot-house
Hot-spur
Hounds-ditch
Hour-glass
House-hold
House-maid
House-wife
Hum-drum
Hump-back
Hurri-cane
Ill-nature
Ill-usage
In-action
In-born
In-crease
In-justice
Ink-ling
In-land
In-mate
In-no-cent
In-sane
In-spirit
In-tent
Inter-meddle
Inter-sect
Inter-view
In-valid
In-vent
In-vest
In-ward
Ire-ful
Iron-mould
I-sing-lass
Jac(k)o-bite
Joy-ful
Joy-less
Justice-ship
Key-stone
Kid-nap
King-craft
King-fisher
Kins-man
Kit-ten
Knight-hood
Know-ledge
Lace-man
Lady-bird
Lady-ship
Lamp-black
Land-lady
Land-lord
Land-mark
Land-scape
Land-tax
Lap-dog
Lap-pet
Laud-able
Law-giver
Law-suit
Lay-man
Leap-frog
Leap-year
Lee-ward
Life-guard
Like-wise
Live-long
Load-stone
Log-book
Log-wood
Loop-hole
Lord-ship
Love-sick
Low-land
Luck-less
Luke-warm
Ma-caw
Mad-cap
Mad-house
Mad-man
Mag-pie
Main-mast
Main-sail
Main-spring
Mam-moth
Man-age
Man-date
Marks-man
Mar-row
Mass-acre
Match-less
May-game
Meat-man
Mis-chance
Mis-chief
Mis-count
Mis-deed
Mis-judge
Mis-quote
Monks-hood
Moon-beam
Moon-light
Muf-fin
Name-sake
Nan-keen
Nap-kin
Neck-cloth
Neck-lace
Nest-ling
News-paper
Nick-name
Night-cap
Night-gown
Night-mare
Night-watch
Nine-fold
Noon-tide
North-star
North-ward
Not-able
Not-ice
No-where
Nut-gall
Nut-meg
Oak-apple
Oat-cake
Oat-meal
Off-end
Oil-man
O-men
On-set
O-pen
O-pinion
Our-selves
Out-act
Out-bid
Out-brave
Out-brazen
Out-cast
Out-cry
Out-do
Out-grow
Out-law
Out-line
Out-live
Out-march
Out-rage
Out-ride
Out-run
Out-sail
Out-sell
Out-shine
Out-side
Out-sit
Out-sleep
Out-spread
Out-stare
Out-stretch
Out-talk
Out-vie
Out-ward
Out-weigh
Out-wit
Out-work
Out-worn
Over-act
Over-awe
Over-bear
Over-board
Over-boil
Over-burden
Over-cast
Over-charge
Over-cloud
Over-come
Over-court
Over-do
Over-due
Over-eye
Over-feed
Over-flow
Over-grown
Over-head
Over-hear
Over-heard
Over-joy
Over-lade
Over-lay
Over-leap
Over-load
Over-look
Over-mast
Over-match
Over-pass
Over-pay
Over-peer
Over-plus
Over-poise
Over-power
Over-press
Over-rack
Over-rate
Over-reach
Over-right
Over-ripen
Over-roast
Over-rule
Over-run
Over-see
Over-seer
Over-set
Over-shade
Over-shadow
Over-shoe
Over-shoot
Over-sight
Over-size
Over-sleep
Over-spread
Over-stock
Over-strain
Over-sway
Over-swell
Over-take
Over-throw
Over-took
Over-value
Over-work
Ox-gall
Ox-lip
Pack-age
Pack-cloth
Pad-dock
Pad-lock
Pain-ful
Pain-less
Pal-ace
Pal-ate
Pal-let
Pan-cake
Pan-tiler
Pa-pa
Pa-pal
Par-able
Pa-rent
Pa-ring
Par-snip
Par-son
Par-took
Part-ridge
Pass-able
Pass-over
Pas-time
Patch-work
Pa-tent
Path-way
Pat-ten
Peace-able
Pea-cock
Pear-led
Peer-age
Peer-less
Pen-knife
Pen-man
Pen-man-ship
Penny-worth
Per-jury
Pert-in-a-city
Pick-lock
Pick-pocket
Pie-bald
Pike-staff
Pill-age
Pin-cushion
Pine-apple
Pip-kin
Pitch-fork
Pit-men
Plain-tiff
Play-fellow
Play-house
Play-mate
Play-wright
Plough-man
Plough-share
Pole-cat
Pol-lute
Pop-gun
Pop-in-jay
Port-age
Port-hole
Post-age
Post-chaise
Post-date
Post-house
Post-man
Post-office
Pot-ash
Pot-hook
Pound-age
Prim-rose
Prior-ship
Prop-a-gate
Punch-bowl
Quad-rant
Quench-less
Quick-lime
Quick-sand
Quick-set
Quick-silver
Rain-bow
Ram-part
Ran-sack
Rap-a-city
Rasp-berry
Rattle-snake
Red-breast
Red-den
Rid-dance
Ring-leader
Ring-let
Ring-tail
Ring-worm
Rolling-pin
Rose-water
Rot-ten
Round-about
Round-house
Run-a-gate
Rush-light
Safe-guard
Sal-low
Sand-stone
Sat-in
Sat-ire
Sauce-box
Sauce-pan
Saw-dust
Saw-pit
Scare-crow
Scarf-skin
Scar-let
School-fellow
School-master
School-mistress
Scot-free
Screech-owl
Scul-lion
Sea-born
Sea-calf
Sea-coal
Sea-faring
Sea-girt
Sea-gull
Sea-maid
Sea-man
Seam-less
Seam-stress
Sea-nymph
Sea-piece
Sea-port
Sea-sick
Sea-son
Sea-ward
Second-hand
Seed-cake
Seed-ling
Seed-pearl
Seed-time
Seers-man
Sex-tile
Sex-ton
Shame-less
Sham-rock
Shape-less
Sharp-set
Sheep-cot
Sheep-shearing
Sheep-walk
Sheet-anchor
Shell-fish
Shift-less
Ship-board
Ship-wreck
Shirt-less
Shoe-string
Shoe-waker
Shop-board
Shop-keeper
Shop-man
Shore-less
Short-hand
Short-lived
Short-sighted
Shot-free
Shoulder-belt
Shrove-tide
Side-board
Side-long
Side-saddle
Side-ways
Sight-less
Silk-weaver
Silk-worm
Silver-smith
Sin-less
Six-fold
Skim-milk
Skip-jack
Sky-lark
Sky-light
Slap-dash
Sleeve-less
Slip-board
Slip-shod
Slip-slop
Slope-wise
Slow-worm
Snip-pet
Snip-snap
Snow-ball
Snow-drop
Snuff-box
Sod-den
Sol-ace
So-lo
Sol-vent
Some-body
Some-how
Some-time
Some-what
Some-where
Song-stress
Son-net
Southern-wood
Span-king
Spare-rib
Spar-row
Speak-able
Speech-less
Spite-ful
Sports-man
Spot-less
Spring-halt
Spruce-beer
Stair-case
Star-board
Star-gazer
Star-less
Star-light
Star-like
Star-ling
States-man
Stead-fast
Steel-yard
Steer-age
Step-dame
Step-daughter
Step-father
Step-mother
Steward-ship
Stiff-neck
Still-born
Stock-jobber
Stone-fruit
Store-fruit
Store-house
Stow-age
Strata-gem
Straw-berry
Stream-let
Strip-ling
Sum-mary
Summer-house
Summer-set
Sun-beam
Sun-burnt
Sun-day
Sun-dry
Sun-flower
Sun-less
Sup-plant
Sup-pliant
Sup-port
Sup-port-able
Sup-position
Sup-press
Swans-down
Sweep-stake
Sweet-bread
Sweet-briar
Sweet-heart
Sweet-william
Sweet-willow
Swine-herd
Swords-man
Tar-get
Tar-tar
Taw-dry
Tax-able
Tea-cup
Teem-ful
Teem-less
Tell-tale
Ten-able
Ten-a-city
Ten-ant
Ten-dance
Ten-don
Ten-dril
Ten-or
Thank-ful
Thank-less
Them-selves
Thence-forth
There-after
There-at
There-by
There-fore
There-from
There-in
There-on
There-to
There-with
Thick-set
Thought-ful
Thought-less
Thread-bare
Three-fold
Three-score
Thresh-old
Through-out
Thunder-bolt
Thunder-struck
Till-age
Tip-pet
Tip-staff
Tire-some
Title-page
Toad-stool
Toil-some
Tom-boy
Tooth-ache
Top-knot
Top-most
Top-sail
Touch-stone
Touch-wood
Towns-man
Toy-shop
Track-less
Trap-door
Tre-foil
Trip-let
Trip-thong
Trod-den
Turn-pike
Turn-spit
Turn-stile
Tutor-age
Twelfth-night
Twelfth-tide
Two-fold
Two-pence
Up-braid
Up-hill
Up-hold
Up-land
Up-ride
Up-right
Up-roar
Up-shot
Up-start
Up-ward
Use-less
Vain-glory
Van-guard
Vault-age
Wag-on
Wag-tail
Wain-scot
Waist-coat
Wake-ful
Wal-nut
Wan-ton
Ward-mate
Ward-robe
Ward-ship
Ware-house
War-fare
War-like
War-rant
Wash-ball
Waste-ful
Watch-ful
Watch-man
Watch-word
Water-course
Water-fall
Water-fowl
Water-man
Water-mark
Water-mill
Water-work
Way-lay
Way-ward
Weather-cock
Weather-glass
Weather-wise
Web-bed
Web-foot
Wed-lock
Week-day
Wel-come
Wel-fare
Well-born
Well-bred
Wheel-wright
Where-at
Where-by
Whet-stone
Whip-cord
Whip-hand
Whirl-pool
Whirl-wind
White-wash
Whit-low
Whit-sun-tide
Who-ever
Whole-sale
Whole-some
Wild-fire
Wil-low
Wind-lass
Wind-mill
Wind-pipe
Win-now
Win-some
Wise-acre
Wit-less
Wolf-dog
Wood-cock
Wood-land
Wood-lark
Wood-man
Wood-note
Wood-nymph
Work-house
Work-man
Work-shop
Worm-wood
Wrath-ful
Wrath-less
Wrist-band
Writ-ten
Year-ling
Youth-ful
[A LIAR SHOULD HAVE A GOOD MEMORY.]
55. Chronograms or Chrono-graphs
are riddles in which the letters of the Roman notation in a sentence
or series of words are so arranged as to make up a date. The following
is a good example:
My Day Closed Is In Immortality.
The initials MDCIII. give 1603, the year of Queen Elizabeth's death.
Sometimes the Chronogram is employed to express a date on coins or
medals; but oftener it is simply used as a riddle:
A poet who in blindness wrote; another lived in Charles's reign; a
third called the father of English verse; a Spanish dramatist; the
scolding wife of Socrates; and the Prince of Latin poets,--their
initials give the year of the Great Plague--MDCLXV.--1665: Milton,
Dryden, Chaucer, Lope-de-Vega, Xantippe, Virgil.
The word comes from _Chronos_, time, and _gramma_, a letter.
[BEGIN WELL AND END BETTER.]
56. Conundrums.
These are simple catches, in which the sense is playfully cheated, and
are generally founded upon words capable of double meaning. The
following are examples:
Where did Charles the First's executioner dine, and what did he
take?
_He took a chop at the King's Head._
When is a plant to be dreaded more than a mad dog?
_When it's madder._
What is majesty stripped of its externals?
It is _a jest_.
[The _m_ and the _y_, externals, are taken away.]
Why is hot bread like a caterpillar?
_Because it's the grub that makes the butter fly._
Why did the accession of Victoria throw a greater damp over England
than the death of King William?
_Because the King was missed_ (mist) _while the Queen was reigning_
(raining).
Why should a gouty man make his will?
_To have his legatees_ (leg at ease).
Why are bankrupts more to be pitied than idiots?
_Because bankrupts are broken, while idiots are only cracked._
Why is the treadmill like a true convert?
_Because it's turning is the result of conviction._