ned before the Board of Excise, respecting certain
duties; the commissioners thinking themselves disrespectfully treated by
his _theeing_ and _thouing_, one of them with a stern countenance asked
him, "Pray, sir, do you know what _we sit here for_?"--"Yea," replied
Nathan, "I do; some of thee for a thousand, and others for seventeen
hundred and fifty pounds a year."

CCLXXIII.--A TRUE JOKE.

A MAN having been capitally convicted at the Old Bailey, was, as usual,
asked what he had to say why judgment of death should not pass against
him? "Say!" replied he, "why, I think the joke has been carried far
enough already, and the less that is said about it the better: if you
please, my lord, _we'll drop the subject_."

CCLXXIV.--THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE.

A JUDGE asked a man what age he was. "I am eight and fourscore, my
lord," says he. "And why not fourscore and eight?" says the judge.
"Because," replied he, "I was _eight_ before I was fourscore."

CCLXXV.--A CITY VARNISH.

IT being remarked of a picture of "The Lord Mayor and Court of
Aldermen," in the Shakespeare Gallery, that the varnish was chilled and
the figures rather sunk, the proprietors directed one of their
assistants to give it a fresh coat of varnish. "Must I use copal or
mastic?" said the young man. "Neither one nor the other," said a
gentleman present; "if you wish to _bring the figures out_, varnish it
with _turtle soup_."

CCLXXVI.--A RUB AT A RASCAL.

GEORGE COLMAN being once told that a man whose character was not very
immaculate had grossly abused him, pointedly remarked, that "the scandal
and ill report of some persons that might be mentioned was like fuller's
earth, it _daubs your coat_ a little for a time, but when it is _rubbed
off_ your coat is so much the cleaner."

CCLXXVII.--A SAGE SIMILE.

MR. THACKERAY once designated a certain noisy tragedian "Macready and
_onions_."

CCLXXVIII.--AN ARCHITECTURAL PUN.

_On the Statue of George I. being placed on the top of Bloomsbury
Church._

The King of Great Britain was reckoned before
The _head of the Church_ by all Protestant people;
His Bloomsbury subjects have made him still more,
For with them he is now made the _head of the steeple_.

CCLXXIX.--THE MAJESTY OF MUD.

DURING the rage of republican principles in England, and whilst the
Corresponding Society was in full vigor, Mr. Selwyn one May-day