The Book of Three Hundred Anecdotes | Page 9

money that you left with me, I am sure that I have made such a
generous and noble use of it as you yourself intended. I have
distributed it among the poor objects of charity in our two hospitals. As

you are opulent enough to make such large donations, I cannot possibly
think that you can incur any loss in your business; and I shall, therefore,
continue the price of bread as it was."
Kosciusko.--The hero of Poland once wished to send some bottles of
good wine to a clergyman at Solothurn; and as he hesitated to trust
them by his servant, lest he should smuggle a part, he gave the
commission to a young man of the name of Zeltner, and desired him to
take the horse which he himself usually rode. On his return, young
Zeltner said that he never would ride his horse again unless he gave
him his purse at the same time. Kosciusko enquiring what he meant, he
answered, "As soon as a poor man on the road takes off his hat and asks
charity, the horse immediately stands still, and will not stir till
something is given to the petitioner; and as I had no money about me, I
was obliged to feign giving something, in order to satisfy the horse."
Mysterious Benefactor.--In the year 1720, celebrated for the bursting of
the South Sea Bubble, a gentleman called late in the evening at the
banking house of Messrs. Hankey and Co. He was in a coach, but
refused to get out, and desired that one of the partners of the house
would come to him, into whose hands, when he appeared, he put a
parcel, very carefully sealed up, and desired that it might be taken care
of till he should call again. A few days passed away--a few weeks--a
few months--but the stranger never returned. At the end of the second
or third year the partners agreed to open this mysterious parcel, when
they found it to contain £30,000, with a letter, stating that it had been
obtained by the South Sea speculation, and directing that it should be
vested in the hands of three trustees, whose names were mentioned, and
the interest appropriated to the relief of the poor.

DINNERS.
Bannister.--Charles Bannister dining one day at the Turk's Head Tavern,
was much annoyed by a gentleman in the adjoining box, who had just
ordered fish for dinner, and was calling on the waiter for every species
of fish sauce known to the most refined epicure. "Waiter," said he,
"bring me anchovy sauce, and soy; and have you got Harvey's? and be
sure you bring me Burgess's;--and waiter--do you hear?--don't omit the
sauce epicurienne." How many more he would have enumerated it is
difficult to say, had not Bannister stepped up to him, and bowing very

politely, said, "Sir, I beg your pardon for thus interrupting you, but I
see you are advertised for in the newspaper of this morning." "Me, sir,
advertised for!" exclaimed the gentleman, half petrified with surprise;
"pray, sir, what do you mean?" Bannister, taking the paper, pointed to
an advertisement addressed to "The Curious in Fish Sauces." The
gentleman felt the rebuke, sat down, and ate his dinner without further
ceremony.
A Christmas Pudding Extraordinary.--When the late Lord Paget was
ambassador at Constantinople, he, with the rest of the gentlemen who
were in a public capacity at the same court, determined one day when
there was to be a grand banquet, to have each of them a dish dressed
after the manner of their respective countries; and Lord Paget, for the
honour of England, ordered a piece of roast beef and a plum pudding.
The beef was easily cooked, but the court cooks not knowing how to
make a plum pudding, he gave them a receipt:--"So many eggs, so
much milk, so much flour, and a given quantity of raisins; to be beaten
up together, and boiled so many hours in so many gallons of water."
When dinner was served up, first came the French ambassador's
dish--then that of the Spanish ambassador--and next, two fellows
bearing an immense pan, and bawling, "_Room for the English
ambassador's dish!_" "Confound my stupidity!" cried his lordship; "I
forgot to tell them of the bag, and these stupid scoundrels have boiled it
without one; and in five gallons of water too. It will be good plum
broth, however!"
Dr. Kirwan, the celebrated Irish chemist, having one day at dinner with
him a party of friends, was descanting upon the antiseptic qualities of
charcoal, and added, that if a quantity of pulverised charcoal were
boiled together with tainted meat, it would remove all symptoms of
putrescence, and render it perfectly sweet. Shortly afterwards, the
doctor helped a gentleman to a slice of boiled leg