Identifier: oldnewlondonnarr03thor (find matches)
Title: Old and new London : a narrative of its history, its people, and its places
Year: 1873 (1870s)
Authors: Thornbury, Walter, 1828-1876
Subjects:
Publisher: London : Cassell, Petter, & Galpin
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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of the Jest Bookwhich bears his name, who died in 1738. Amonument was erected to his memory, with aninscription, said to be by Stephen Duck, who beganlife as a thresher, but afterwards entered the Church,and wrote some poems, which incurred the satireof Dean Swift. This monument, having becomedecayed and almost illegible, was renewed in 1816,and is to be seen leaning up against the wall of 30 OLD AND NEW LONDON. (St. Clement Danes. one of its offices. The inscription on it ran as follows :— Here lie the remains of honest Joe Miller,Who was a tender husband, a sincere friend,A facetious companion, and an excellent comedian. lie departed this life the 15th day of August, 173S, aged 54 vears. in his day as an actor for his excellent personationsof some of the characters in the comedies of Con-greve, and as a gleaner and compiler of other menswitticisms he has enjoyed a reputation for wit andhumour which in all probability he never deserved.Allibones Dictionary of Authors tells us that
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OLD HOUSES IN WYCH STREET. If humour, wit, and honesty could saveThe humorous, witty, honest from tlie grave.His grave had not so soon its tenant found.With honesty, and wit, and humour crowned !Or could esteem and love preserve our health,And guard us longer from the stroke of death,The stroke of death on him had later fell.Whom all mankind esteemed and loved so well. Of Joe Miller little is known except what maybe gathered from his tombstone. He was famous his Jest Book was originally published in 1739as the compilation of his friend, Elijah Jenkins,but the real editor (and author, as it is asseited)was John Motdey, the author of a Life of Peterthe Great. The book itself appears to havegained a sudden celebrity, second only to that ofIngoldsby Legendsand Pickwick, three separateeditions of it having appeared in 1739, and seveneditions being disposed of in as many years. St. Clement Danes. 1 A MODERN GOLGOTHA. 31 Mr. Peter Cunningham, in his Handbook ofLondon, published in 1850, spea

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