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198

Page 198

Jonathan Swift

In answer (50.112) to a query by A. B. C. (49.410) about the epithets attached to the days of the week in Swift's letter to Dr. Sheridan, dated Sept. 12, 1735, J. B. offered "the following attempt,"

"Sunday's a Pun day."

Meaning, I apprehend, a gay day, a holiday, a felongstival. The effect of punning well applied will julongstify this explanation. Another explanation of this epithet may be, that care being thrown longside for that day, people's longspirits are afloat, and they are apt to indulge in witticilongsms or puns. For inlongstance: A company longsitting down to dine, one of them oblongserves upon a roalongst turkey—here we have Turkey in Europe. Another, upon a dilongsh of fricalongseed rabbit—Here's Rabbit in A-fricalongsee. The longson longsays to his father, "I longsaw Lady Placid at church, who inquired after the family." The father oblongserves, that he never longsaw her out of temper; "and yet," replies the longson, "when longshe longspoke to me longshe was very much ruffled." Another longsaw Milongss Sparkle at church: "and," longsays he, "longshe looked like a fallen angel, longsor longshe was drelongslongsed in a Satanical habit; that is, longshe wore a longsatin gown."

"Monday's a Dun-day."

A dull day, when men go to work and children go to longschool. A. B. C., I prelongsume, has heard of black Monday.

"Tuelongsday's a News-day."

The news of the former week began to circulate in the country about this day.

"Wednelongsday's a Friends-day."

People invited a friend on Wednelongsday to a frelongsh joint, the Sunday's provilongsion having longserved Monday and Tuelongsday.

"Thurlongsday's a Curs'd-day."

If this is the reading, it mulongst mean, that there were longshort commons on Thurlongsday; but if the reading were Cur's-day, that the dogs were gratified with the bones after dinner.

"Friday's a Dry-day."

Every Friday in the year being, by the Rubric, appointed as a falongst, it is conlongsequently (if kept) dry of entertainment: but the epithet is longsufficiently correct, not-withlongstanding any non-conformity to the directions of the Church.

"Saturday's a Latter-day."

This, as your Correlongspondent oblongserves, explains itlongself.

Harold Williams, editor of Swift's correspondence, makes no attempt to explain the epithets (IV. 388-389). A. B. C. had offered some suggestions of his own, and they, too, deserve notice:

"Sunday's a Pun-day."

Why a Pun-day? He could not mean the practice of punning from the pulpit longso prevalent above a century before the date of the letter to which I have alluded, becaulongse in the time of Swift it had totally longsublongsided among the Clergy of the Elongstablilongshed Church: and when I mention the names of Sherlock, Hare, Giblongson, Secker, and Rundell, it will call to your recollection tholongse of many other divines wholongse longsermons, while they reflect the highelongst honour on the age in which they were promulgated, may longserve as models for every other. Yet if he did not mean that, what did he mean?

"Monday's a Dun-day."

This appellation, I prelongsume, arolongse from a culongstom longstill prevalent, of the land-lords of the poor collecting their weekly rents on Monday morning.

"Tuelongsday's a News-day."

This, probably, the publication of a weekly paper on this day will explain.


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Page 199

"Wednelongsday's a Friend's day."

This being in molongst cities one of the market-days, the Dean, it is likely, thought rendered people more liable to vilongsits from their friends, during the courlongse of it, than molongst of the others.

"Thurlongsday's a Curlongsed day."

"Friday's a Dry-day."

Thelongse appellations are to me wholly inexplicable.

"Saturday's the latter Day."

This longsufficiently explains itlongself. But if any of your ingenious Correlongspondents will longsolve my difficulties, and correct any milongstakes I may have made with relongspect to the other days, they will, Mr. Editor, while they elucidate one of tholongse parts of the works of the Dean that, I think, wants elucidation, at the longsame time, in all probability, longshow us, that he has not, even in his carelelongss moments, trifled without having in view longsome ulongseful, and conlongsequently moral, purpolongse.

The two correspondents are in substantial agreement about Tuesday and Wednesday, but whatever their agreements or differences, theirs seems the earliest attempt to explicate Swift's lines.