A fish-boat seems a grand flotilla, Could tell, and never be mistaken, Discover'd worlds within the pale 17 A soldier in my glass's focus. Somewhat similar to the microscope described by Mr. Adams. 'Leuwenhoek discovered in the eyes of the Libellula 12544 triangular lenses, each forming a distinct image of the object placed before it. On turning your eye towards a soldier, by the aid of the mirror of the microscope, you will have an army of pigmies, performing every motion ' in the same instant of time.' કે Adams on the Microscope, p. 339. My improvement of the glasses renders each of these pigmies' as big as a Polyphemus. And took possession of the same In my good friend, Sir JOSEPH's name ; 18 And soon shall publish, by subscription, Of worlds aforesaid, which shall go forth In fool's cap folio, gilt, and so forth. Could tell how far a careless fly 18 In my good friend, Sir JOSEPH's name. This was immensely proper, as I propose coJonising these hitherto Terra Incognita, and know of no person in existence, except myself, (who am now decrepid with age, and, alas, sadly povertystriken) whose scientific qualifications, knowledge of the coast, and well-known ardent zeal in the science of Tadpolism, so well entitle him to command such an important expedition. 19 With leg or wing, he kick or jerk it. Could I command the years of a Nestor, 'the indelible ink' of a Lettsom, and the diligence of a Dutch commentator, I should still readily ackno Could amputate with ease, I trow, ledge that my powers were totally inadequate to the task of eulogising, in proportion to their merits, the philosophical and literary performances of that profound sage Dr. James Anderson, LLD. FRS. Scotland, (b) &c. &c. &c. &c. whose mysterious hints afforded a clue by which I have been enabled to add lustre to the present age, by many of my own sublime discoveries and inventions. In his deep work called 'Recreations in Agriculture and Natural History,' the Doctor says, among other things not less marvellous, 'The mathematician can ' demonstrate, with the most decisive certainty, that no fly can alight on this globe which we inhabit, without communicating motion to it; and he can ascertain, with the most accurate precision, < if so he choose to do,' (by the bye this sine qua non part of the sentence is very beautiful, and not at all redundant) what must be the exact amount of the motion thus produced.' Vol. ii. p. 350. 20 A puppy's leg-in utero. More wonderful matter, perfected from hints of Dr. A.! After telling the public how to propagate rabbits with one ear, which would be no less useful than the renowned Gulliver's breed of naked sheep,' the Doctor says, 'I know another instance ' of a dog, which was brought forth with three legs only the fourth being wanting:' (which last curious. circumstance might possibly happen, if it had three legs only.) 'It chanced to be a female; she F And matters conical have moulded, has had several litters of puppies, and among these several individuals were produced that had the 'same defect with herself; but no pains were taken to perpetuate this breed by pairing them with others of the same kind.' To be sure a most lamentable circumstance! Vol. i. p. 68. 21 For docking colts that were not foaled Another Andersonianism. 'It has been several times,' says the Doctor, 'taken notice of by natura'lists that in England, where the practice of dock, ing horses very short, for a long time prevailed, the horses naturally produced have fewer joints in their tails than those of other countries; and. though I have never heard it noticed, that any were produced, without having a tail, that re'quired to be docked, yet it may have often happened without being remarked; for as it would not ' be known, when old, from one that had been dock'ed it might pass unobserved.' The Doctor afterwards appears surprised, (as well he might be, at such an extraordinary phenomenon) that many men, who have lost a leg, or an arm, have had children after the accident, and these, for the most part, free from any blemish!! But the above quotations are but puny crackers, compared with some great guns this writer can occasionally let off. Pray how then can the public withstand the artillery of the indignant Doctor when plied against the Metallic Tractors, those And could prepare a puny fry petty instruments of pretended mighty power which, as will hereafter more fully appear, have been the fruitful source of woes unnumbered to Doctor Caustic? At a time when I was all dismay for some new argument against Perkinism, my ingenious friend, to shew its falling reputation, among other conceptions equally happy and equally well founded, published in one of his Recreations,' that the price "of the Tractors was now reduced to four guineas 'the set,' when, in fact, no such thing was ever in contemplation. On the contrary, an advance has since taken place in their price to six guineas. Indeed I may challenge any son of Galen to exceed my worthy friend in intrepidity of this sort. As to any ill-natured report Mr. Knight * may raise against the integrity of this philosopher, or any notion the public may entertain respecting his collusive operations with honest Forsyth, I shall merely assert that I would not believe a syllable to that effect, were it ever so true. I confess, however, if Forsyth were my particular friend, I might whisper in the good man's ear, that so useful is it to preserve the good graces of that old See a Letter, published by White, from Thomas Andrews Knight, Esq to Dr. Anderson, in which he most uncourteously imputes unworthy motives to the said Doctor; and without any remorse, or the fear of shame before his eyes, talks about a pri vate interest to answer, of a greater deficit of veracity, &c. |