English humorists of the eighteenth century - Sir Richard Steele, Joseph Addison, Laurence Sterne, Oliver Goldsmith (1906) (14802525003)

Identifier: englishhumorists00stee (find matches)
Title: English humorists of the eighteenth century : Sir Richard Steele, Joseph Addison, Laurence Sterne, Oliver Goldsmith
Year: 1906 (1900s)
Authors: Steele, Richard, Sir, 1672-1729 Addison, Joseph, 1672-1719 Sterne, Laurence, 1713-1768 Goldsmith, Oliver, 1730?-1774 Thackeray, William Makepeace, 1811-1863 Hogarth, William, 1697-1764, illus
Subjects: English literature English wit and humor
Publisher: New York : The Century co.
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation



Text Appearing Before Image:
n Shang, our maiden aunt, playedwith a sharper. First her money went; then her trinkets wereproduced; her clothes followed, piece by piece, soon after; whenshe had thus played herself quite naked, being a woman of spirit,and willing to ptirsue her own, she staked her teeth: fortune wasagainst her even here, and her teeth followed her clothes. At lastshe played for her left eye; and, oh! hard fate, this too she lost:however, she had the consolation of biting the sharper, for he neverperceived that it was made of glass till it became his own. How happy, my friend, are the English ladies, who never rise tosuch an inordinance of passion! Though the sex here are natiu-allyfond of games of chance, and are taught to manage games of skillfrom their infancy, yet they never pursue ill fortune with suchamazing intrepidity. Indeed, I may entirely acquit them of everplaying — I mean of playing for their eyes or their teeth. It is true, they often stake their fortune, their beauty, health, and500
Text Appearing After Image:
CITIZEN OF THE WORLD reputations, at a gaming table. It even sometimes happens, thatthey play their husbands into a jail; yet still they preserve a decorumunknown to our wives and daughters in China. I have been presentat a rout in this country, where a woman of fashion, after losingher money, has sat writhing in all the agonies of bad luck; and yet,after all, never once attempted to strip a single petticoat, or coverthe board, as her last stake, with her head-clothes. However, though I praise their moderation at play, I must notconceal their assiduity. In China, our women, except upon somegreat days, are never permitted to finger a dice-box; but here everyday seems to be a festival, and night itself, which gives others rest,only serves to increase the female gamesters industry. I have beentold of an old lady in the country who, being given Over by thephysicians, played with the curate of her parish to pass the timeaway: having won all his money, she next proposed playing for herfuner