Talk:Tom Brown (satirist)

Laconics edit

I attempted to confirm the appearance of the quote references to Laconics (alleged to appear in Bartlett, Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. 1919.) through the copy of Laconics published online at HathaTrust (https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015013771368). I could not locate the Doctor's ditty

    I do not love thee, Doctor Fell,
    The reason why I cannot tell;
    But this alone I know full well,
    I do not love thee, Doctor Fell.

though the the others were present:

LXXVI. What a fine thing it is to be well-manner'd upon occasion! In the Reign of King Charles the Second, a certain Worthy Divine at Whitehall, thus Address'd himself to the Auditory at the conclusion of his Sermon. In short if you don't live up to the precepts of the Gospel, but abandon yourselves to your irregular Appetites, you must expect to receive your reward in a certain place, which 'tis not good manners to mention here. https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015013771368?urlappend=%3Bseq=117

LXVI. If your Friend is in want, don't carry him to the Tavern, where you treat your Self as well as him, and entail a Thirst and Headach upon him next Morning. To treat a poor Wretch with a Bottle of Burgundy, or fill his SnufF-box, is like giving a pair of Lace-Ruffles to a Man, that has ne'r a Shirt on his Back. Put something into his Pocket. https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015013771368?urlappend=%3Bseq=114

Moreover, the ditty would appear to be out of characters with the balance of the book.

Other Matters edit

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