e under his
command to mix it with water. The innovation gave great offence to the
sailors, and for a time rendered the commander very unpopular among
them. The admiral at that time wore a grogram coat, for which reason
they nicknamed him "Old Grog," &c. Hence, by degrees, the mixed liquor
he constrained them to drink universally obtained among them the name of
_grog_.

MCCXXXIV.--WELL SAID.

A GENTLEMAN, speaking of the happiness of the married state before his
daughter, disparagingly said, "She who marries, does well; but she who
does not marry, does better."--"Well then," said the young lady, "I will
_do well_; let those who choose _do better_."

MCCXXXV.--SLEEPING AT CHURCH.

DR. SOUTH, when once preaching before Charles II., observed that the
monarch and his attendants began to nod, and some of them soon after
snored, on which he broke off in his sermon, and said: "Lord Lauderdale,
let me entreat you to rouse yourself; you snore so loud that you will
_awake the king_!"

MCCXXXVI.--SHERIDAN CONVIVIAL.

LORD BYRON notes: "What a wreck is Sheridan! and all from bad pilotage;
for no one had ever better gales, though now and then a little squally.
Poor dear Sherry! I shall never forget the day he, and Rogers, and
Moore, and I passed together, when _he_ talked and we listened, without
one yawn, from six to one in the morning."

One night, Sheridan was found in the street by a watchman, bereft of
that "divine particle of air" called reason, and fuddled, and
bewildered, and almost insensible. The watchman asked, "Who are you,
sir?" No answer. "What's your name?" A hiccup. "What's your name?"
Answer, in a slow, deliberate, and impassive tone, "Wilberforce!" Byron
notes: "Is not that Sherry all over?--and, to my mind, excellent. Poor
fellow! _his_ very dregs are better than the first sprightly runnings of
others."

MCCXXXVII.--THE WORST OF TWO EVILS.

VILLIERS, Duke of Buckingham, in King Charles II.'s time, was saying one
day to Sir Robert Viner, in a melancholy humor: "I am afraid, Sir
Robert, I shall die a beggar at last, which is the most terrible thing
in the world."--"Upon my word, my lord," said Sir Robert, "there is
another thing more terrible which you have to apprehend, and that is
that you will _live_ a beggar, at the rate you go on."

MCCXXXVIII.--QUID PRO QUO.

A WORTHY Roman Catholic clergyman, well known as "Priest Matheson," and
universally resp