For there is not through all nature, another fo callous and infenfible a member as the world's pofteriors, whether you apply to it the toe or the birch.

Preface to a Tale of a tub.

The war hath introduced abundance of polyfyllables, which will never be able to live many more campaigns. Speculations, operations, preliminaries, ambassadors, palifadoes, communication, circumvallation, battalions, as numerous as they are, if they attack us too frequently in our coffeehouses, we fhall certainly put them to flight, and cut off

the rear.

Tatler, No 230.

Speaking of Difcord, "She never went abroad, " but fhe brought home fuch a bundle of mon"ftrous lies, as would have amazed any mor"tal, but fuch as knew her; of a whale that had "fwallowed a fleet of fhips; of the lions being let out of the tower to deftroy the Proteftant reliof the Pope's being feen in a brandy-fhop

gion; "at Wapping," &c.

Hiftory of John Bull, part 1. ch. 16.

The other branch of wit in the thought, viz. ludicrous combinations and oppofitions, may be traced through various ramifica

tions. And, firft, fanciful caufes affigned. that have no natural relation to the effects produced.

Lancaster. Fare you well, Falstaff; I, in my condition,

Shall better speak of you than you deferve. Exit.

Falstaff. I would you had but the wit; 'twere better than your dukedom. Good faith, this fame young fober-blooded boy doth not love me; nor a man cannot make him laugh; but that's no marvel, he drinks no wine. There's never any of these demure boys come to any proof; for thin drink doth fo over-cool their blood, and making many fish-meals, that they fall into a kind of male greenfickness; and then, when they marry, they get wenches. They are generally fools and cowards; which fome of us fhould be too, but for inflammation. A good fherris-fack hath a twofold operation in it; it afcends me into the brain; dries me there all the foolish, dull, and crudy vapours which environ it; makes it apprehenfive, quick, forgetive, full of nimble, fiery, and delectable shapes; which deliver'd o'er to the voice, the tongue, which is the birth, becomes excellent wit. The fecond property of your excellent fherris, is, the warming of the blood; which before cold and fettled, left the liver white and pale; which is the badge of pufillanimity

fillanimity and cowardice: but the fherris warms it, and makes it courfe from the inwards, to the parts extreme; it illuminateth the face, which, as a beacon, gives warning to all the reft of this little kingdom, man, to arm; and then the vital commoners and inland petty spirits muster me all to their captain, the heart; who, great, and puff'd up with this retinue, doth any deed of courage: and this valour comes of fherris. So that skill in the weapon is nothing without fack, for that fets it a-work; and learning a mere hoard of gold kept by a devil, till fack commences it, and fets it in act and ufe. Hereof comes it, that Prince Harry is valiant; for the cold blood he did naturally inherit of his father, he hath, like lean, steril, and bare land, manured, hufbanded, and till'd, with excellent endeavour of drinking good and good store of fertil fherris, that he is become very hot and valiant. If I had a thousand fons, the first human principle I would teach them, fhould be to forfwear thin potations, and to addict themselves to fack.

Second part of Henry IV. a&t. 4. fc. J.

The trenchant blade, toledo trufty, For want of fighting was grown rufty, And ate into itself, for lack

Of fome body to hew and hack.

The

The peaceful fcabbard where it dwelt,
The rancor of its edge had felt:
For of the lower end two handful,
It had devoured, 'twas fo manful ;
And so much scorn'd to lurk in case,
As if it durft not fhew its face.

Hudibras, canto 1.

Speaking of phyficians,

Le bon de cette profeffion eft, qu'il y a parmi les morts une honnêteté, une difcrétion la plus grande du monde; jamais on n'en voit fe plaindre du médicin qui l'a tué,

Le medicin malgré lui.

Admirez les bontez, admirez les tendreffes,
De ces vieux efclaves du fort.

#

Ils ne font jamais las d'aquérir des richesses,
Pour ceux qui fouhaitent leur mort.

Belinda. Lard, he has fo pefter'd me with flames and ftuff I think I shan't endure the fight of a fire this twelvemonth.

Old Bachelor, alt 2. fc. 8.

To account for effects by fuch fantastical causes, being highly ludicrous, is quite im

VOL. II.

I

proper

proper

in any

ferious compofition. There

fore the following paffage from Cowley, in poem on the death of Sir Henry Wooton, is in a bad taste.

his

He did the utmost bounds of Knowledge find,
He found them not fo large as was his mind.
But, like the brave Pellaan youth, did moan,
Because that Art had no more worlds than one.
And when he saw that he through all had past,
He dy'd, left he should idle grow at last.

Fanciful reasoning,

Falstaff. Imbowell'd!—if thou imbowel me to day, I'll give you leave to powder me, and eat me to-morrow! 'Sblood, 'twas time to counterfeit, or that hot termagant Scot had paid me fcot and lot too. Counterfeit? I lie, I am no counterfeit; to die is to be a counterfeit; for he is but the counterfeit of a man, who hath not the life of a man: but to counterfeit dying, when a man thereby liveth, is to be no counterfeit, but the true and perfect image of life, indeed.

First Part Henry IV, act 1, sc. 10.

Clown. And the more pity that great folk should