A Complete Collection of Genteel and Ingenious Conversation; According to the Most Polite Mode and Method Now Used at Court, and in the Best Compani

by Jonathan Swift

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1738 edition. Excerpt: ... Lady Smart. Mr. Neverout, do you love Pudden ?- T . . Nevsrout. Madam, I'm like all Fools, I love every thing that is good; but the Proof of the Pudden is in the Eating. Col. Sir John, I hear you are a great Walker when you are at Home. > .-. Sir John. No, faith, Colonel; I always love to walk with a Horse in my Hand: But I have had devilish bad Luck in Horse-flem of late. L . / . . L . Ld. Smart. Why then, ' Sir Johny you must kiss a Parson's Wise. ll: .o/ ., . Lady Smart. They fay, Sir Johnt that your Lady has a great deal of Wit., Sir John. Madam, she can make a Pudden; and has just Wit enough to know her Husband's Breeches from another Man's. Lady Smart. My Lord Sparkisj, I have some excellent Cyder, will you please to taste it? Ld. Sparkijh. My Lord, I should like it well enough, if it were not so treacherous. Ld. Smart. Pray, my Lord, how is it treacherous? -' Ld. Sparkijh. Because it smiles, in my Face, and cuts my Throat. [Here a loud Laughs] '. Miss. Odd-so! Madam; your Knives are very sharp, for I have cut my Finger. i Lady Smart. I am sorry for it; pray, which Finger? (God bless the Mark.) K 3 Miss. Miss. Why, this Finger: No, 'tis this: I vow I can't find which it is. Neverout. Ay; the Fox had a Wound, and he could not tell where, &c. Bring some Water to throw in her Face. Miss. Pray, Mr. Neverout, did you ever draw a Sword in Anger? I warrant you would faint at the Sight of your own Blood. Lady Smart. Mr. Neverout, shall I fend you some Veal? Neverout. No, Madam; I don't love it. Miss, Then pray for them that do. I desire your Ladyship will fend me a Bit Ld. Smart. Tom, my Service to you. . Neverout, Neverout. My Lord, this Moment I did myself the Honour to drink to your Lordship. Ld. Smart. Why then that's...

30 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1738

About the author

Jonathan Swift was an Anglo-Irish satirist, author, essayist, political pamphleteer (first for the Whigs, then for the Tories), poet, and Anglican cleric who became Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, hence his common sobriquet, "Dean Swift".
Swift is remembered for works such as A Tale of a Tub (1704), An Argument Against Abolishing Christianity (1712), Gulliver's Travels (1726), and A Modest Proposal (1729). He is regarded by the Encyclopædia Britannica as the foremost prose satirist in the English language. He originally published all of his works under pseudonyms—such as Lemuel Gulliver, Isaac Bickerstaff, M.B. Drapier—or anonymously. He was a master of two styles of satire, the Horatian and Juvenalian styles.
His deadpan, ironic writing style, particularly in A Modest Proposal, has led to such satire being subsequently termed "Swiftian".

Reviews

[Cheryl]

"This book by Jonathan Swift is a satire on the use of clichés: its purported author, Simon Wagstaff, “can faithfully assure the Reader, that there is not one single witty Phrase in this whole Collection, which hath not received the Stamp and Approbation of at least one hundred Years.” The phrase to teach one’s grandmother to suck eggs was therefore already proverbial in the early 18th century."

word histories (dot) net

https://wordhistories.net/2016/10/12/...

[LemontreeLime · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mind blowing 18th century memes. I love this thing so much, i try to imagine people actually saying all these things and meaning it.