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THE TRAGICAL COMEDY OF
the back of his head with his hand) Don't be a fool now,[1] What you at?
Judy. What! you'll drop my poor baby out at window again, will you? (hitting him continually on the head)
Punch. No, I never will again, (she still hits him) Softly, I say, softly. A joke's a joke.
Judy. Oh, you nasty cruel brute! (hitting him again) I'll teach yon.
Punch. But me no like such teaching. What! you're in earnest are you?
Judy. Yes, (hit) I (hit) am. (hit)
Punch. I'm glad of it: me no like such jokes.[2] (she hits him again) Leave off, I say. What! you won't, won't you?- ↑ This was the great Grimaldi's celebrated exclamation in "Mother Goose" and elsewhere, and from him it seems borrowed: we call him "the great Grimaldi" to distinguish him from his great grandfather, grandfather, father, and son, for they have been a succession of clowns for five generations. The most remarkable of "Joey's" predecessors was called "Jambes de fer," from the strength and spring of his limbs: he was the grandfather and a great favorite with the ladies—"ferrum est quod amant:" he once broke a chandelier by lofty vaulting, and with a piece of the glass almost knocked out the eye of the Turkish Ambassador, who made it a formal complaint to the French Court. "Joey's" son promised much, and cannot be said to have performed little; for all the winter he was at Covent-Garden, and all the summer at Sadler's Wells; however, he never reached a point of comparison with his father;
"Compared with whom all other clowns were fools."
- ↑ This is a jest in almost every language, but it is particularly common in Italy. It is inserted in Domenichi's Collection of "Motti Burle e Facetie:" Venice, 1565. It is of a piece with the story relating to General , whom T. H. kicked in a ball-room. "What do you mean by that, sir?" (cried the General,) "Am I to take that as a personal affront?"—"To be sure you are," replied T. H.—"I am glad of it, (returned the General,) I like people to speak intelligibly—it saves the trouble of farther explanation." Accordingly, T. H. heard no more from the officer; who afterwards got so often affronted, and received patiently so many insults, that he acquired the nick-name of "the receiver General."
