a 17th-century joke

[calimac]

I thought this was pretty funny. B. didn't get it. How say you?

A melting* Sermon being preached in a Country Church, all fell a weeping, except a Country man, who being ask'd why he did not weep with the rest?
'Because' (says he) 'I am not of this Parish.'

*I presume 'melting' means 'causing the hearts of the hearers to melt.'

Source: The Oxford Book of Humorous Prose, compiled by Frank Muir (OUP, 1990)

Comments

[cmcmck]

I find it funny as it says something very deep about parochialism in (at a guess 17th century) England!

[sturgeonslawyer]

I found it funny, but more in a "H'mmmm..." way than a "Bwahahaha!" way.

[wild_patience]

To me, it looks like two jokes smashed together, making no sense.