[backhoe]

In nineteenth-century England, there were two Members of Parliment ( whose names escape me ) who were bitter, contentious rivals. Years ago, I read of the following exchange on the floor between them:

'You, Sir! Will die either of Insanity or an Unspeakable Disease!'

"That, Sir, depends upon whether I embrace your policies- or your mistress..."

[Rb ver. 2.0]

Lady Nancy Astor: "Winston, if you were my husband, I'd put poison in your coffee." Winston Churchill: "Nancy, if I were your husband, I'd drink it."

[Little Bill]

Lord Chesterfeild to John Wilkes, John Wilkes to Lord Chesterfeild.

[linda_22003]

You actually have to go back to the eighteenth century for that one. It was the Earl of Sandwich who expressed the opinion that his rival would die "on the gallows or of the pox".

John Wilkes replied, "It depends on whether I embrace your lordship's principles, or your lordship's mistress."

[vimto]

Yes - the version I heard was

"If you won't embrace my principles a pox be upon you sir!"

"the only way I'll get he pox is if I embrace your mistress"

Same thing.

[Jackknife]

Now, that's the funniest thing I've read all week!! Having watched modern floor coverage from Parliament, I can just see and hear this exchange happening!

Thanks for the laugh, but I now have to go clean up my keyboard from the spittake I just performed. ;-)

[Bonaparte]

That was Hill and Disraeli in Commons. It's an extreme abbreviation of their two speeches.