A Tale of a Tub: Written for the Universal Improvement of Mankind. To which is Added, An Account of a Battel, Between the Antient and Modern Books in St. James's Library.. |
What people are saying - Write a review
We haven't found any reviews in the usual places.
Other editions - View all
A Tale of a Tub: Written for the Universal Improvement of Mankind. to Which ... Jonathan Swift,William Wotton No preview available - 2016 |
Tale of a Tub: Written for the Universal Improvement of Mankind. to Which ... Jonathan Swift No preview available - 2016 |
Common terms and phrases
Account affirm againſt allowed already alſo Anſwerer Antients appeared Author becauſe Beſides beſt better Body Book Brain Brothers called Cauſe certain Church cloſe Coats common Courſe Criticks Deſign Diſcourſe Ears Eyes fall fame farther firſt fome Force Form Friends give Hands happened hath Head himſelf Human immediately Invention Italy kind laſt Learning leaſt leave Light look Lord Mankind Matter means Method Mind Modern moſt muſt Name Nature never Number obſerved Occaſion Original Perſon Peter Piece Place pleaſe Point preſent pretend proceed produce Publick Reader Reaſon reſt ſaid ſame ſay SECT ſeems ſelf ſerve ſeveral ſhall ſhould ſome Spirit Subject ſuch tell themſelves ther theſe Things thoſe thought thro tion Tour Treatiſe true turned underſtand univerſal uſe wherein whole wholly whoſe wonderful World Writers
Popular passages
Page 151 - The most accomplished way of using books at present is twofold : either first to serve them as some men do lords, learn their titles exactly, and then brag of their acquaintance ; or, secondly, which is indeed the choicer, the profounder, and politer method, to get a thorough insight into the index by which the whole book is governed and turned, like fishes by the tail.
Page 162 - Words are but wind; and learning is nothing but words; ergo, learning is nothing but wind.
Page 63 - Others of these professors, though agreeing in the main system, were yet more refined upon certain branches of it; and held that man was an animal compounded of two dresses, the natural and the celestial suit, which were the body and the soul: that the soul was the outward, and the body the inward clothing; that the latter was ex traduce; but the former of daily creation and circumfusion.
Page 61 - Proceed to the particular works of the creation, you will find how curious journeyman Nature has been, to trim up the vegetable beaux; observe how sparkish a periwig adorns the head of a beech, and what a fine doublet of white satin is worn by the birch.
Page 151 - Men do Lords, learn their Titles exactly, and then brag of their Acquaintance. Or Secondly, which is indeed the choicer, the profounder, and politer Method, to get a thorough Insight 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 Haste and little Ceremony, are content to get in by the Back-Door.
Page 271 - As for us the ancients, we are content, with the bee, to pretend to nothing of our own, beyond our wings and our voice : that is to say, our flights and our language.
Page 151 - ... only what comes from behind. Thus men catch knowledge by throwing their wit on the posteriors of a book, as boys do sparrows with flinging salt upon their tails. Thus human life is best understood by the wise man's rule of regarding the end. Thus are the sciences found like Hercules's oxen, by tracing them backwards. Thus are old sciences unravelled like old stockings, by beginning at the foot.
Page 26 - ... all the virtues that have been ever in mankind, are to be counted upon a few fingers ; but their follies and vices are innumerable, and time adds hourly to the heap.
Page 270 - ... of either. Erect your schemes with as much method and skill as you please, yet if the materials be nothing but dirt spun out of your own entrails (the guts of modern brains), the edifice will conclude at last in a cobweb, the duration of which, like that of other spiders' webs, may be imputed to their being forgotten, or neglected, or hid in a corner.
Page 61 - To conclude from all, what is man himself but a micro-coat, or rather a complete suit of clothes with all its trimmings? As to his body there can be no dispute; but examine even the acquirements of his mind, you will find them all contribute in their order towards furnishing out an exact dress: to instance no more; is not religion a cloak, honesty a pair of shoes worn out in the dirt...
Bibliographic information
| Title | A Tale of a Tub: Written for the Universal Improvement of Mankind. To which is Added, An Account of a Battel, Between the Antient and Modern Books in St. James's Library.. |
| Author | Jonathan Swift |
| Edition | 5 |
| Publisher | John Nutt, near Stationers-Hall., 1710 |
| Original from | Oxford University |
| Digitized | 3 Aug 2007 |
| Length | 344 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |