m 



PEEKING TIME. 



" Here 's a go ! Give neither wine nor grog with a dinner that 

 you charge two shillings for. What do you give then ? '' 



" Nothing but beer, sir/' 



" Well, bring me some beer." 



" None to be had now, sir, it *s all drunk.** 



The disappointed guest was, however, furnished with a jug of 

 beer from another table, by a good natured neighbour, but as his 

 tumbler had been removed with the cloth, he used his wine glass 

 as deputy; and by its means contrived to empty the jug during 

 the evening. 



The usual toasts being disposed of, the Chairman's health is 

 proposed. 



"Hip! hip! hip! Hoo-riia-a — Hoo-raa— Hoo-raa — Hoo-raa!" 

 Ditto. Ditto. Ditto. Ditto. 



Ditto. ' Ditto. Ditto. ml libitum. 



[the chairman returns thanks.] 



Gentlemen, (cheers) gentlemen, (tremendous cheers) gentlemen, 

 (thunders of applause) gentlemen, I can hardly — I know — (hem) 

 that is, gentlemen, I cannot find ideas for my words, in thanking 

 you for the great — (hem) that is, the very high and handsome 

 manner in which my health has been drunk by every honorable 

 man in this very honorable company. Gentlemen, if any person 

 ever felt their hearts so enlarged with emotion as to resemble a 

 sea, which completely blocked up, that is to say, restrained and 

 bridled his words — those persons, I say, gentlemen, can know 

 what I now feel on this important occasion ; (cheers) gentlemen, 

 I can safely say that I have always based my actions on integrity, 

 that great pinnacle of the arch of life, which, like the sun at 

 noon day, shines with Aurora's brightness, (tremendous cheering 

 and cries of "we know you have.") Gentlemen, I feel that I 

 would be wanting in all — (hem) in every — (hem) in all true — 

 (hem) that is, I mean, gentlemen, in all that is — (hem, hem) but 

 I am afraid gentlemen that — that, I, I am intruding upon your 

 invaluable time, and unnecessarily taxing your patience, (loud 

 applause, with cries of " No, no." " Bravo." " Hear him." " Go 

 on." "Go on sir.") Gentlemen, you know that Rome was not built 

 in a day, and you know that the pass of Thermopylee was not 

 yieklod to the Persians till all but two of the three hundred had 

 perished. Gentlemen, let us, like the brave Lacedemonians, 

 stand by our guns while a shot remains in our locker, and nail 

 our flag to the mast, (cheers and exclamations " We will," " we 

 will.") Gentlemen; 1 was going to say that 1 thought I could 



