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Notes

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Two men were returning from Bristol with a cask of smuggled brandy. Near Devizes their donkey ran away, throwing the cask into the water. Two excise men came upon them whilst they were trying to recover the cask with rakes. Upon enquiry as to what they were doing, they pointed to the reflection of the moon in the water and said: ‘They were only trying to rake out yonder cheese’. The excise men, convulsed with laughter at such foolishness, passed on their way.