Pun-making was a fashion among the conversationists of that day, and took the place of better wit.

Nobody ever left me so much as a fi-pun note.

Old Mr. Sheridan observed, upon my mentioning it to him, 'He liked your compliment so well, he was willing to take it with pun sauce.'

Generally there is a subtile coincidence between his meaning and what the sound of the pun signifies, and thus the pun becomes an amusing or illustrative image, or a most emphatic and striking condensation of his thought.