Birmingham cheated and snared,
Taking orders for coke that the widow and infant prepared!
Oh for the Court of Appeal, and oh for Lords Justices three!
Oh for the Act that infants from contracts may shake themselves free!
Oh for the common law with its store of things old and new!
Birmingham coke is good and good Coke upon Littleton too.

FINLAY _v._ CHIRNEY

(20 Queen's Bench Division, 494)

When love-sick man descends to folly
And gets engaged, he must not stray,
The jury takes the part of Polly,
And if he jilts her, he must pay.

The only way his fault to cover,
From damages and costs to fly,
To leave his jilted lady-lover
Without an action is--to die![L]

[L] The decision was to the effect that in most cases an action for
breach of promise of marriage does not survive against the
representatives of the promiser.

POLLARD _v._ PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPANY

(40 Chancery Division, 345)

"Shall I take your photograph, my pretty maid?"
"You may if you like, kind sir," she said.

"Do you like your photograph, my pretty maid?"
"It is more than flattering, sir," she said.

"I'll publish your photograph, my pretty maid."
"Indeed but you won't, kind sir," she said.

"As a Christmas card, my pretty maid."
"The very idea, kind sir!" she said.

"But what if I've done it, my pretty maid?"
"I'll get an injunction, sir," she said.

"The law is with you, my pretty maid,"
The learned judge of the Chancery said.

"You have proved the negative, my pretty maid,
A difficult thing in law," he said.

THE MINNEAPOLIS CASE

(_Tried in Minnesota in 1892_)

Kind reader, tarry here, nor miss
The law of Minneapolis.
There was a carpenter called Brown,
A citizen of that great town,
Who stood his "inexpressive she"
A dollar's worth of comedy.
Was it a Gaiety burlesque,
Or labour of Norwegian desk?
Or did they spout in stagey tones
Morality by H. A. Jones?
Or tear romance to rags and set it
In heavy platitudes by Pettit?
I know not, and it matters not,
The subject I have clean forgot.
Sufficient that the pair did sit
In expectation in the pit,
An expectation not fulfilled,
'Twas otherwise by fortune willed.
Before this loving couple sat
In solitary state a hat--
A hat, I say, for in their wonder
They never notice