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Salmagundi, or the Whim-Whams and Opinions of Launcelot Langstaff and Others
Salmagundi or the WhimWhams and Opinions of Launcelot Langstaff and Others Author:Washington Irving General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1824 Original Publisher: printed by T. Davison for T. Tegg Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books... more ».com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: NO. II. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1807. FROM THE ELBOW CHAIR OF LAUNCELOT LANGSTAFF, ESQ. In the conduct of an epic poem, it has been the custom, from time immemorial, for the poet occasionally to introduce his reader to an intimate acquaintance with the heroes of his story, by conducting him into their tents, and giving him an opportunity of observing them in their night-gown and slippers. However, I despise the servile genius that would descend to follow a precedent, though furnished by Homer himself, and consider him as on a par with the cart that follows at the heels of the horse, without ever taking the lead; yet at the present moment my whim is opposed to my opinion, and whenever this is the case, my opinion generally surrenders at discretion. I am determined, therefore, to give the town a peep into our divan ; and I shall repeat it as often as I please, to show that I intend to be sociable. The other night Will Wizard and Evergreen called upon me, to pass away a few hours in social chat, and hold a kind of council of war. To give a zest to our evening, I uncorked a bottle of London particular, which has grown old with myself, and which never fails to excite a smile in the countenances of my old cronies, to whom alone it is devoted. After some little time the conversation turned on the effect produced by our first number; every one had his budget of information, and I assure my readers that we laughed mostunceremoniously at their expense : they will excuse for our merriment -- 'tis a way we've got. Evergrei who is equally a favourite and comp...« less