Except the mayor

 After dining with the Duke of Leinster, at Dublin, Foote gave the following account of his entertainment: "As to the splendour, so far as it went, I admit it, there was a very fine sideboard of plate; and if a man could have swallowed a silversmith's shop, there was enough to satisfy him. But as to all the rest, his mutton was white, his veal was red, the fish was kept too long, the venison not kept long enough. To sum up: everything was cold, except his ice; everything sour, except his vinegar.”

Foote, when travelling in the far west of England, dined one day at an inn. When the cloth was removed, the landlord asked him how he liked his fare., "I have dined as well as any man in England," said, Foote. 

"Except Mr. Mayor!" cried the landlord. 

"I do not except anybody whatever," said he. 

"But you must!" bawled" the host.

 "I won't."

 "You must!" 

At length the strife ended by the landlord (who was a petty magistrate) taking Foote before the mayor, who observed it had been customary in that town, for a great number of years, always to except the mayor, and accord­ingly fined him a shilling for not conforming to this ancient custom. 

Upon this decision, Foote paid the shilling, at the same time observing that he thought the landlord "the greatest, fool in Christendom- except Mr. Mayor."