In an interview between President Lincoln and Petroleum Nasby, a political commentator, the name came up of a recently deceased politician of Illinois, whose merit was blemished by great vanity. His funeral was very largely attended.
"If General--had known how big a funeral he would have had," said Lincoln, "he would have died years ago."
✽ ✽ ✽
Henry IV, King of England from 1399 to 1413, enacted some sumptuary laws, prohibiting the use of gold and jewels in dress, but they were for some time ineffectual.
He then passed a supplement to them, which completely answered his purpose. In this last he exempted from the prohibitions of the former after one month, all prostitutes and pickpockets. Next day there was not a jewel nor golden ornament to be seen.
林肯總統和政評者彼得羅利姆．納斯比在一次訪問之中，談到伊利諾州一位去世不久的政壇人物。那人頗足稱道，只是虛榮心大重。出席其葬禮者甚眾。
林肯說：「──將軍要是早知道葬禮這麼盛大，當會早幾年去世。」
✽ ✽ ✽
英王亨利四世一三九九至一四一三年在位。他曾制定法令，旨在節約，禁止衣飾用黃金或寶石。這法令初時不見成效。
他於是頒布一條附例，目的就完全達到。該附例規定，妓女和扒手，一個月之後，即可免受最初頒布的法令約束。第二天，就再也不見寶石或黃金飾物。