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glad to fee his coat in the condition of Martin's, but infinitely gladder to find that of Martin in the fame predicament with his. However, fince neither of thefe was likely to come to pass, he thought fit to lend the whole bufinefs another turn, and to dress up neceffity into a virtue. Therefore, after as many of the fox's arguments, as he could mufter up, for bringing Martin to reafon, as he called it; or, as he meant it, into his own ragged, bobtailed condition; and obferving he faid all to little purpose: what, alas! was left for the forlorn Jack to do, but after a million of fcurrilities against his brother to run mad with fpleen, and fpite, and contradiction. To be fhort, here began a mortal breach between these two. Jack went immed ately to new lodgings, and in a few days it was for certain reported, that he had run out of his wits. In a short time after he appeared abroad, and confirmed the report by falling into the oddeft whimfies, that ever a fick brain conceived.

And now the little boys in the streets began to falute him with feveral names. Sometimes they would call him + Jack the bald; fometimes, Jack with a lantern; fometimes, Dutch Jack; fometimes, French Hugh; fometimes, Tom the Beggar; and fometimes, ** Knocking Jack of the North. And it was under one, or fome, or all of thefe appellations, which I leave the learned reader to determine, that he hath given rife to the moft illuftrious and epidemic fect of Eolifts, who, with honourable commemoration, do ftill acknowledge the renowned JACK for their author and founder. Of whose original, as well as principles, I am now inward light.

The fox in the fable, who, having been caught in a trap and lot his tail, ufed many arguments to perfuade the reft to cut off theirs; that the fingularity of his detormity might not expote him to derifion.

That is, Calvin, from calus, bald. All those who pretend to

Jack of Leyden, who gave rife to the Anabaptifts.

The Hugonots.

¶ The Gueuses, by which name fome proteftants in Flanders were called.

** John Knox, the reformer of Scotland.

advancing

advancing to gratify the world with a very particular

account,

Melleo contingens cuncta lepore.

SECT. VII.

A digreffion in praise of digressions.

I fometimes of an in a nut

it hath been my fortune to have much oftener Jeen a nut-fhell in an iliad. There is no doubt that human life has received most wonderful advantages from both; but to which of the two the world is chiefly indebted, I fhall leave among the curious, as a problem worthy of their utmost enquiry. For the invention of the latter, I think the commonwealth of learning is chiefly obliged to the great modern improvement of digreffions: the late refinements in knowledge running parallel to thofe of dyet in our nation, which, among men of a judicious tafte, are dreffed up in various compounds confifting in foups and olio's, fricaffées, and ragoufis.

It is true, there is a fort of morofe, detracting, illbred people, who pretend utterly to difrelish thefe polite innovations; and as to the fimilitude from dyet, they allow the parallel, but are fo bold to pronounce the example itself a corruption and degeneracy of taste. They tell us, that the fashion of jumbling fifty things together in a dish was at first introduced in compliance to a depraved and debauched appetite, as well as to a crazy conftitution: and to fee a man hunting through an alio after the bead and brains of a goofe, a zwidgeon, or a woodcock, is a fign he wants a ftomach and digeftion for more fubftantial victuals. Farther, they affirm, that digreffions in a book.are like foreign troops in a ftate, which argue the nation to want a heart and hands of its own, and often either fubdue the natives, or drive them into the most unfruitful corners.

But, after all that can be objected by the fe fupercilious cenfors, it is manifeft, the fociety of writers would quickly be reduced to a very inconfiderable number, if men were put upon making books with the fatal con

finement

finement of delivering nothing beyond what is to the purpose. It is acknowledged, that were the cafe the fame among us, as with the Greeks and Romans, when learning was in its cradle to be reared and fed, and cloathed by invention; it would be an easy task to fill up volumes upon particular occafions, without farther expatiating from the fubjects than by moderate excurfions, helping to advance or clear the main defign. But with knowledge it has fared as with a numerous army, encamped in a fruitful country; which for a few days maintains itself by the product of the foil it is on; till, provifions being pent, they are fent to forage many a mile, among friends or enemies, it matters not. Mean while the neighbouring fields, trampled and beaten down, become barren and dry, affording no fußtenance but clouds of duft.

The whole courfe of things being thus intirely changed between us and the antients, and the moderns wifely fenfible of it; we of this age have difcovered a fhorter, and more prudent method, to become scholars and wits without the fatigue of reading or of thinking. The moft accomplished way of ufing books at present is twofold: either first, to ferve them as fome men do lords, learn their titles exactly, and then brag of their acquaintance. Or fecondly, which is indeed the choicer, the profounder, and politer method, to get a thorough infight into the index, by which the whole book is governed and turned, like fishes by the tail. For, to enter the palace of learning at the great gate requires an expence of time and forms; therefore men of much hafte and little ceremony are content to get in by the back-door. For the arts are all in a flying march, and therefore more easily fubdued by attacking them in the rear. Thus phyficians difcover the ftate of the whole body by confulting only what comes from behind. Thus men catch knowledge by throwing their wit on the pofteriors of a book, as boys do fparrows with flinging Jalt upon their tails. Thus human life is beft underftood by the wife man's rule of regarding the end. Thus are the fciences found, like Hercules's oxen, by tracing

them

them backwards. Thus are old fciences unravelled like ald ftockings, by beginning at the foot.

Befides all this, the army of the fciences hath been of late, with a world of martial difcipline, drawn into its clofe order, fo that a view, or a mufter may be taken of it with abundance of expedition. For this great bleffing we are wholly indebted to fyftems and abftracts, in which the modern fathers of learning, like prudent ufurers, spent their sweat for the ease of us their children. For labour is the feed of idleness, and it is the peculiar happiness of our noble age to gather the fruit.

Now the method of growing wife, learned, and fublime, having become fo regular an affair, and fo eftablifhed in all its forms; the number of writers must needs have increased accordingly, and to a pitch that has made it of abfolute neceflity for them to interfere continually with each other. Besides, it is reckoned, that there is not at this prefent a fufficient quantity of new matter left in nature to furnish and adorn any one particular fubject to the extent of a volume. This I am told by a very skilful computer, who hath given a full demonstration of it from rules of arithmetick.

This perhaps may be objected against by thofe, who maintain the infinity of matter, and therefore will not allow, that any fpecies of it can be exhaufted. For anfwer to which, let us examine the nobleft branch of modern wit or invention, planted and cultivated by the prefent age, and which of all others hath borne the most, and the fairest fruit. For though fome remains of it were left us by the ancients, yet have not any of those as I remember, been tranflated or compiled into fyftems for modern use. Therefore we may affirm to our own honour, that it hath, in fome fort, been both invented, and brought to a perfection by the fame hands.

I mean, is that highly celebrated talent among the modern wits, of deducing fimilitudes, allufions, and applications, very furprifing, agreeable, and appofite, from the pudenda of either fex, together with their proper ufes. And truly, having obferved how little inVOL. I.

N

vention

vention bears any vogue, befides what is derived into thefe channels, I have fometimes had a thought, that the happy genius of our age and country was prophetically held forth by that antient typical description of the Indian pygmies; whofe ftature did not exceed above two foot: fed quorum pudenda craffa, et ad talos ufque pertingentia. Now, I have been very curious to inspect the late productions, wherein the beauties of this kind have moft prominently appeared; and al though this vein hath bled fo freely, and all endeavours have been used in the power of human breath to dilate, extend, and keep it open; like the Scythians, who had a custom and an inftrument, to blow up the privities of their mares, that they might yield the more milk: yet I am under an apprehenfion, it is near growing dry, and past all recovery; and that either fome new fonde of wit fhould, if poffible, be provided, or elfe, that we must e'en be content with repetition here, as well as upon all other occafions.

This will ftand as an incontestable argument, that our modern wits are not to reckon upon the infinity of matter for a conftant fupply. What remains therefore but that our laft recourse must be had to large indexes, and little compendiums? quotations must be plentifully gathered, and booked in alphabet; to this end, though authors need be little confulted, yet criticks, and com mentators, and lexicons, carefully muft. But above all, thofe judicious collectors of bright parts, and flowers, and obfervanda's, are to be nicely dwelt on, by fome called the fieves and boulters of learning; though it is left undetermined, whether they dealt in pearls or meal; and confequently, whether we are more to value that which passed through, or what flaid behind.

By these methods, in a few weeks, there ftarts up many a writer, capable of managing the profoundeft, and most univerfal fubjects. For, what though his head be empty, provided his common-place book be full; and if you will bate him but the circumftances of meCrefia fragm, apud Photium. ↑ Herodot, L. 4.

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