_Quin's incoherent Story._--The comic story of Sir Gammer Vans (Vol. ii.,
p. 280.) reminds me of an anecdote related of Quin, who is said to have
betted Foote a wager that he would speak some nonsense which Foote could
not repeat off-hand after him. Quin then produced the following string of
incoherences:--
"So she went into the garden to pick a cabbage leaf, to make an
apple-pie of; and a she-bear, coming up the street, put her head into
the shop, and said 'Do you sell any soap?' So she died, and he very
imprudently married the barber; and the powder fell out of the
counsellor's wig, and poor Mrs. Mackay's puddings were quite entirely
spoilt; and there were present the Garnelies, and the Goblilies, and
the Picninnies, and the Great Pangendrum himself, with the little round
button at top, and they played at the ancient game of 'Catch who catch
can,' till the gunpowder ran out of the heels of their boots."