The New London Jest Book Author:William Carew Hazlitt Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: I CHOICE JESTS. I/''ING JAMES I., when he was hunting once in the North, was driven from the field by a storm, and a church happening to be the nearest pla... more »ce of shelter, he took refuge there, and sat down in a corner. He was shabbily dressed, and did not expect to be recognised. But there was a service going on ; and the minister, as he was getting up into the pulpit, spied out the king, but said not a word. He went on very steadily with his text for some time; then presently he of a sudden diverged, and commenced an attack on profane recreations. When the sermon was over, the king went out, but sent word to the parson to dine with him at such and such a place ; and while they were at their wine, " Parson," says the king, " why didst thou flee so from the text ? " " May it please your Majesty," returned the other, " when you took the trouble to come so far out of your way to hear me, it was only good manners for me to step a little out of mine, to meet with your Majesty." " By . y ' , my saul, mon," said the king, " and thou hast met with me as never mon did before." V/"ALKING one day, to dine with a friend, some miles from Cambridge, Dr Parr was overtaken by a heavy fall of rain, and not being able to procure shelter, was completely drenched before he reached his destination. With linen and - clothes his friend was able to furnish him, but his handkerchief was obliged to supply the absence of his wig, which was sent to the kitchen to be dried. After a time, the doctor exclaimed, with much animation, and with his accustomed lisp, " How very kind of you, my dear friend, to remember my love for rothe goothe" But his host, on going into the kitchen to ascertain the cause of so savoury a smell, found it was the doctor's wig smoking by the fire ! T N a village of Pic...« less