Monosyllables.

The Power of Little Words-How Pope Ridiculed them-The "Universal

Prayer"-Example of Dr. Watts-Wesley's Hymns-Writings of Shake-

speare and Milton—“ Address to the Daffodils"-Geo. Herbert's Poems—

Testimony of Keble, Young, Landor, and Fletcher-Examples from Bailey's

"Festus"-The Short Words of Scripture-Big and Little Words Com-

pared....

98

The Bible.

Who wrote the Scriptures-Why-And When-Accuracy of the Bible-The

Testimony of Modern Discoveries-Scope and Depth of Scripture Teaching—

What Learned Men have written of the Bible-Testimony of Rousseau, Wil

berforce, Bolingbroke, Sir Wm. Jones, Webster, John Quincy Adams, Addi-

son, Byron, &c.-Who Translated the Bible-Wicklif's Version-Tyndale's

Translation-Matthew's Bible-Cranmer's Edition-The Geneva Bible-

The Breeches Bible-The Bishop's Bible-Parker's Bible-The Douay Bible-

King James's Bible-The Number of Books, Chapters, Verses, Words, and

Letters in the Old and New Testaments-The Bible Dissected-An Extra-

ordinary Calculation-Distinctions between the Gospels-The Lost Books-

What the word "Selah means-The Poetry of the Bible-Shakespeare's

Knowledge of Scripture-The "True Gentleman" of the Bible-Misquota-

tions from Scripture—A Scriptural “ Bull”—Wit and Humor in the Bible—

Sortes Sacra-Casting Lots with the Bible..
103

The Name of God.

How God is known-His Name in all the tongues of Earth-Ancient Saxon

Ideas of Deity-" Elohim” and “Jehovah ”—The "Lord" of the Ancient

Jews-" God in Shakespeare"-The Fatherhood of God-The Parsee, Jew,

and Christian...

127

J. H. S.

The Name of Jesus-What does I. H. S. Mean?-De Nomine Jesu-What St.

Bernardine did-" The Flower of Jesse"-Story of the Infant Jesus-Ancient

Legends of Christ-Persian Story; The Dead Dog-Description of Christ's

Person-The Death Warrant of Christ-The Sign of the Cross in Ancient

America

130

The Lord's Prayer.

Thy and Us-The "Spirit" of the Lord's Prayer-Gothic Version of the

Fourth Century-Metrical Versions-Set to Music-The Prayer Illustrated-

Acrostical Paraphrase-What the Bible Commentators Said-The Prayer

Echoed-A Singular Acrostic.....

Ecclesiasticæ.

136

Anecdotes of Clergy-Excessive Civility-A Very Polite Preacher-Dean Swift's

short Sermon-"Down with the Dust"-An Abbreviated Sermon-Dr.

Dodd's Sermon on Malt-Bombastic Style of Bascom-The Preachers of

Cromwell's time-When a man ought to Cough!-Origin of Texts-How

the Ancient Prophets Preached-Clerical Blunders-Proving an Alibi-

Whitefield and the Sailors-Protestant Excommunication-The Tender

Mercies of John Knox....
143

Puritan Peculiarities.

The Puritan Maiden " Tribby"-A Jury-List of 1658-An Extraordinary List

of Names-Singular Similes-Early Punishments in Massachusetts-Vir-

ginia Penalties in the Olden Time-Primitive Fines for Curious Crimes-

Staying away from Church--The "Blue Laws" of Connecticut-Hard

Punishments for Little Faults..

Paronomasia.

150

The Art of Pun-making-What is Wit?-Puns Among the Hebrews-A Pun-

gent Chapter-Punning Examples-The Short Road to Wealth—A “Man

of Greece"-Witty Impromptus of Sydney Smith-Startling toast of Harry

Erskine-" Top and Bottom"-The Imp of Darkness and the Imp o' Light-

A Printer's Epitaph-The "whacks" and the "stick"-"Wo-man " and

"Whim-men"-Faithless Sally Brown-Whiskers versus Razors-Pleasure

and Payne-Plaint of the old Pauper-To my Nose-Bad "accountants"

but excellent "book-keepers"-The Vegetable Girl-On an Old Horse-

Grand Scheme of Education-"The Perilous Practice of Punning"-"Tu

Portu Salus"-On a Youth who was killed by Fruit-The Appeal of

Widow-Hood-Swift's Latin Puns-Puns in Macbeth-Classical Puns and

Mottoes-Mottoes of the English Peerage-Jeux-de-Mots-How Schott Will-

ing-A Catalectic Monody-Bees of the Bible-Franklin's "Re's"-Funny

"Miss-Nomers"-Crooked Coincidences-A Court Fool's Pun......... 155

English Words and Forms of Expression.

Dictionary English-Number of words in the English Language-Language of

of the Bible-Sources of the Language-Helping a Foreigner-Difficulties of

the Language-Disraelian English-Why use "Ye"?-Its, His, and Her—

How often" That" may be used-How many sounds are given to “ough”—

A Literary Squabble— Concerning certain Words-Excise, Pontiff, Rough—

Dr. Johnson in Trouble-Americanisms-"No Love Lost"-The Forlorn

Hope-Quiz-Tennyson's English-Eccentric Etymologies-Words which

have changed their Meaning-Strange Derivations-Influence of Names-

Big Words and Long Names...
182

Tall Writing.

The Domicile erected by John-New Version of an Old Story-Curiosities of

Advertising-Mr. Connors and his big Words-Curiosities of the Post

Office-Singular Play Bill-Andrew Borde, his Book-The Mad Poet-

Foote's Funny Farrago-Burlesque of Dr. Johnson-Newspaper Eulogy—

"Clear as Mud"-An Indignant Letter-A Chemical Valentine-The

Surgeon to his Lady-love-The Lawyers Ode to Spring-Proverbs for Pre-

cocious Pupils
212

Metric Prose.

Unconscious Poetizing-Cowper's Rhyming Letter to Newton-Poetic Prose in

Irving's Knickerbocker-Example from Disraeli's “ Alray”—Unintentional

Rhythm in Charles Dickens' works-Old Curiosity Shop and Nicholas

Nickleby-American Notes- Versification in Scripture-Rhymes from Cele-

brated Prosers-Curious Instance of Abraham Lincoln-Opinion of Dr.

Johnson-Examples from Kemble and Siddons....
223

The Humors of Versification.

The Story of the Lovers-Mingled Moods and Tenses-The Stammering Wife—

A Song with Variations-" While She Rocks the Cradle"-A Serio-Comic

Elegy-Reminiscence of Troy-Concerning Vegetarianism-W. C. Bryant

as a Humorist-Address "To a Mosquito"-The "Poet" of the “ Atlantic"

-Bryant's Travesty-A Rare Pipe- The Human Ear-A Lesson in Acous-

tics-Amusing Burlesque of Tennyson-Sir Tray; an Arthurian Idyl—

All About the "Ologies”—The Variation Humbug-Buggins and the Busy

Bee-Comical Singing in Church-The Curse of O'Kelly........
230

Hiberniana.

Irish Bulls and Blunders-Miss Edgeworth on the “Bull”—Comical Letter of

an Irish "M. P."-Bulls in Mississippi-American Bulls-The New Jail-

A Frenchman's Blunder-The "Puir Silly Body" who wrote a Book-The

"bulls" of Classical Writers-Bulls from every Quarter and of all kinds.

Blunders.

252

Slips of the Press-The Bishop Accused of Swearing-The Damp Old Church—

From a French Newspaper-The Pig-killing Machine and the Doctor-

Slips of the Telegraph-Simmons and the Cranberries-Finishing his

Education-The Poets in a Quandary-Blunders of Translators-Rather

Gigantic Grasshoppers-" Love's last Shift"-Amusing Blunder of Voltaire

-"A Fortune Cutting Meat"-A New "Translation of Hamlet-The

Frenchman and the Welsh Rabbit....

259

Misquotations.

Curious Misquotations of Well-known Authors-Example of Collins-Sir Walter

Scott in Error-Blunder of Sir Archibald Alison-Cruikshank as the Real

"Simon Pure"-Judge Best's" Great Mind"-Byron's Little Mistake.

Fabrications.

266

The Description of Christ's Person a Fabrication—"Detector's" Charge against
Scott-The "Ministering Angel" not a Fabrication-The Moon Hoax-A
Literary "Sell"—Carlyle's Worshippers Outwitted-Mrs. Hemans' Forg-
eries-Sheridan's "Greek"-Spurious Ballads-The Simple Ballad Trick
-A Hoax upon Scott-Psalmanazar's Celebrated Fabrications--Benjamin
Franklin's Parable-The Forgeries of Ireland-Imitations of Shakespeare.

Interrupted Sentences.

269

The Judge and the Criminal-" Free from Guile"-Poor Mary" Confined"-

Erskine's "Subscription”—A Satisfactory Note-“ Little Hel"— Going to

War-The Poet Assisted; the Sun and the Fishes—Giring him the “lie”—

De Quincey and the Fiend-Wit in the House of Commons

277

........

Echo Verse.

Ancient Echo Verses-Address to Queen Elizabeth-London before the Restora-

tion-Echo Song by Addison-A Dutch Pasquinade-The Gospel Echo-

Echo and the Lover-Dean Swift's verses on Women-Buonaparte and the

Echo-Fatal Verses-Why Palm, the Publisher, was shot-Remarkable

Echoes-A Fatal Confession-Extraordinary facts in Acoustics-Hearing

Afar Off...

Puzzles.

281

Puzzles defended: their use and value-Exercise for the Mind-Ancient Per-

plexities-" The Liar"-" Puzzled to Death"-A French rebus-Napoleon

Buonaparte's Cypher-A Queer-looking Proclamation-A curious Puzzle for

the Lawyers-Sir Isaac Newton's Riddle-Couper's Riddle-Canning's

Riddle-A Prize Enigma-Quincy's Comparison-Perplexing Intermarriages

-Prophetic Distich-The "Number of the Beast"-Galileo's Logograph—

Persian Riddles-The Chinese Tea Song-Death and Life-The Rebus-

What is it?-The Book of Riddles-Bishop Wilberforce's Riddle-Curiosi-

ties of Cipher-Secret Writing-Remarkable Cryptographs...

The Reason Why.

290

Why Germans Eat Sauer-Kraut-Why Pennsylvania was Settled-Whence the

Huguenots derived their name-How Monarchs Die-Origin of the name of

Boston-Concerning Weathercocks-Cutting off with a Shilling-Why Car-

dinals hats are red-The Roast Beef of England-A Sensible Quack-Who

was the first Gentleman—Solution of a Juggler's Mystery........

Weather-Wisdom.

310

Sheridan's Rhyming Calendar-Sir Humphrey Davy's Weather Omens-

Jenner's "Signs of the Weather"-"The Shepherd's Calendar ”—Predic-

tions from Birds, Beasts, and Insects-Circles round the Sun and Moon-

Quaint Old-time Prophecies-The Evil Days of every Month.....

O. S. and N. S.

317

The Julian and the Gregorian Calendars-How Cæsar arranged the Calendar-

The Julian Year-Going faster than the Sun-Pope Gregory's Efforts-

Origin of the New Style-"Poor Job's Almanac"-The Loss of Eleven

Days-How the matter was Explained..........

325