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Linc. Inn. Monday night Jan: 13. 1777.
For an hour or two of this blessed day I have been Lord
G—d Almighty at Q.S.P. Have you heard yet in your
part of the world of a new species of wit, or if you please
false wit — a particular kind of a Riddle, that has started
up within these few weeks, and has been quite the ton; but
probably will 'ere long share the fate of every fashion, &
become a Boar? It is called a Charade. The Etymology
I know not but the pronuntiation of it is French.
The subject must be a word of two syllables, each of them
constituting a word which is significant by itself. I won't
go on with my definition — an example will answer the
purpose and save trouble. Q.S.P. had been at his
favourite amusement; pulling to pieces poor Sr J. Hawkins
without mercy: drawing his own picture, and putting Sr
John's name to it. "He was the greatest "egotist" that ever
lived"— (meaning by egotist all the while not what other
people mean by it, vain but "selfish" - But egotist you know has
Latin in it) "He drew every thing to himself"— "He never did
"a man a favour in his life, but self was at the bottom
"of it"— &c &c being just what I had heard in terminis
a hundred times over from the same mouth. Conversation at
length flagging, I told him I would give him a Charade.
We had been talking of them yesterday, but I had given no
intimation of my ever having been engaged or meaning to be engaged
in that species of manufacture. I had My part had been
that of admiring Auditor to some of Nares's the young prig,
classical, lick-spittle, Christ-church parson, who was "vastly
"clever at these things." You shall first have his. I give
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Identifier: | JB/538/083/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 538.
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1777-01-13 |
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538 |
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083 |
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001 |
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Correspondence |
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Jeremy Bentham |
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