Conclusion. 
59 
sword Balaam took to kill his ass with, was told by a Bible 
reader, “Balaam had no sword; his words, were, ‘I would there 
were a sword in my hand, then would I kill thee.’ ” The rebutter 
was, “Stranger, this is the sword that Balaam wished he had, 
—-the very one he wished for. ” 
In cases of this sort wit strives with things impossible, yea, 
gets the better of them. 
You have heard my last witticism save one. That one I have 
reserved for my ultimatum because in my judgment it is the 
best of all. 
My wife said to me; “My dear, you and I know every thing. ” 
“How can that be?“ said I. Her answer was, “I know that you 
are a fool, and you know every thing else.” 
Surveying the world’s witticisms I feel as. though I had now 
stolen for you a few scraps from that feast of the gods, or some 
shreds and patches of their royal apparel. I have brought you 
bouquets and only claim to be the string which ties their flow¬ 
ers together. The flowers too are all broken off from their 
native stalks, and have perforce withered. The witticisms now 
placed before you needed Irish brogue, G-erman labiation, Yankee 
twang or negro melodies that they might be seen at their best. 
Besides, wit when time cohered with place and place with wish¬ 
ing is as unlike itself as I exhibit it, as the teeth of a belle 
where nature set them differ from the same teeeh when extracted 
and lying on a dentist’s plate. 
What ecstasies and delectations in that banquet of immortals 
which Beaumont describes in merry meetings w T here he heard 
“Words that had been 
So nimble and so full of subtle flame, 
As if that every one from whom they came 
Had meant to put his whole wit in one jest, 
And had resolved to live a fool the rest 
Of his dull life.” 
Such an encounter of ethereal souls would put a kohinoor on 
all our fingers, set us in a shower of gold and hail rich pearls 
upon us, pearls more lustrous than Cleopatra dissolved for mad 
Anthony to quaff. 
Such a kaleidoscopic configuration, “created of every creat¬ 
ure’s best” is beyond hoping for. 
