Samuel Butler

“ Our Satirist, after enumerating the various Infelicities of Man arising from the outward Circumstances of Human Nature, descends to that which takes its Rise within his own distempered Mind, the insatiable Thirst of knowing those Things, which he has neither Ability to investigate, nor Necessity to enquire into. He was a profest Enemy to all chimerical, precarious, uncertain Speculations, either in Philosophy or Divinity, as every attentive Reader of his Hudibras must have observed, and with a View to this he drew the Characters of Hudibras, and the virtuoso Philosopher Sidrephel. ”

“ And purchas'd him more everlasting Glory
Than all his Grecian, and his Trojan Story;
Though he appears unequal matcht, I grant,
In Bulk and Stature by the Elephant,
Yet frequently has been observ'd in Battle
To have reduc'd the proud and haughty Cattle,
When having boldly entered the Redoubt,
And storm'd the dreadful Outwork of his Snout,
The little Vermin, like an Errant-Knight,
Has slain the huge gigantick Beast in Fight.
Butler formed a Design of writing another Satire upon the Royal Society, part of which I find among his Papers fairly and correctly transcribed. ”

“ The Copernican System of the Earth's Motion was not at this Time generally received; and our Poet seems in most Places wherein be mentions it, to sneer it as a philosophic Whim. Wilkins, who was pretty sanguine in his Opinions, writ a Book upon this Subject, and yet modestly entitles it—"A Discourse, concerning a new Planet tending to prove, that ('tis probable) our Earth is one of the Planets." ”

“ But when his painful Gifts h'employs
In holding-forth, the Virtue lies
Not in the Letter of the Sense,
But in the spiritual Vehemence,
The Pow'r, and Dispensation of the Voice,
The zealous Pangs and Agonies,
And heav'nly turnings of the Eyes;
The Groans, with which he piously destroys,
And drowns the Nonsense in the Noise:
And grows so loud, as if he meant to force
And take in Heav'n by Violence ”

“ And they had prosper'd in so many Years;
Vow'd to their Gods to sacrifice their Lives;
And dye their Daughters Martyrs, and their Wives,
125 Before they would commit so great a Sin
Against the Faith they had been bred up in. ”

“ For Blocks are better cleft with Wedges,
Than Tools of sharp and subtle Edges;
And dullest Nonsense has been found
By some to be the solid'st, and the most profound. ”

“ Of th' ancient Privolvans Original.
That Elephants are really in the Moon,
Although our Fortune had discover'd none,
155 Is easily made plain, and manifest,
Since from the greatest Orbs, down to the least,
All other Globes of Stars and Constellations
Have Cattle in 'em of all Sorts and Nations;
And Heav'n like a northern Tartar's Horde,
160 With numerous and mighty Droves is stor'd.
And, if the Moon can but produce by Nature
A People of so large, and vast a Stature,
'Tis more than probable, she should bring forth
A greater Breed of Beasts too, than the Earth ”

“ And, when they die, are cast away and drown'd;
That dwell in Ships, like Swarms of Rats, and prey
Upon the Goods, all Nations fleets convey,
And, when their Merchants are blown up and crackt;
Whole Towns are cast away in Storms, and wreckt ”

“ It is almost too obvious to observe, that it was very usual, especially in the Times of Popery, for the greatest Debauchees to flatter themselves, that they attoned for the Dissoluteness of their past Lives by pious Donations at their Death; as if they were to be excus'd for not serving God themselves, by furnishing others with an Opportunity of doing it. ”

“ Or sowing Saw-dust furnish Nurseries:
No more our heading Darts (a swinging one!) [12]
220 With Butter only harden'd in the Sun;
Or Men that use to whistle loud enough
To be beard by others plainly five Miles off,
Cause all the rest, we own, and have avow'd
To be believ'd as desperately loud. ”

“ And no Man understands on what account
60 Less civil Nations after hit upon't;
For to be known a Cuckold can be no
Dishonour, but to him that thinks it so;
For, if he feel no Shagrin, or Remorse,
His Forehead's shot-free, and he's ne'er the worse.
65 For Horns (like horny Callus's) are found
To grow on Sculls, that have receiv'd a Wound,
Are crackt, and broken; not at all on those
That are invulnerate, and free from Blows. ”

“ This and the following Term Subvolvans are also taken from Keplar.—Wilkins, speaking of the Moon and its supposed Inhabitants, says—"Keplar calls this World by the Name of Levania, from the Hebrew Word לבכה which signifies the Moon, and our Earth by the Name of Volva, a volvendo; because it does by Reason of its diurnal Revolution appear unto them constantly to turn round; and therefore he stiles those, who live in that Hemisphere, which is towards us, by the Title of Subvolvani, because they enjoy the Sight of this Earth ”

“ The World, that's never found to set Esteem
On what Things are, but what th' appear, and seem;
And, if they are not wonderful and new,
425 Th' are ne're the better for their being true.
For what is Truth, or Knowledge, but a Kind
Of Wantonness and Luxury o' th Mind,
A Greediness and Gluttony o'the Brain,
That longs to eat forbidden Fruit again,
And grows more desp'rate, like the worst Diseases,
430 Upon the nobler Part (the Mind) it seizes? ”

“ Their Doctrine, and with Sword and Fire convert; [13]
To preach the Gospel with a Drum,
And for convincing overcome;
And, though in worshipping of God all Blood
Was by his own Laws disallow'd,
Both hold no holy Rites to be so good:
And both to propagate the Breed
Of their own Saints one way proceed;
For Lust and Rapes in War repair as fast,
As Fury and Destruction waste;
Both equally allow all Crimes
As lawful Means to propagate a Sect;
For Laws in War can be of no Effect,
And Licence does more good in Gospel-times. ”

“ It is usual with most religious Enthusiasts, to exclaim against Morality and Learning; and indeed in this they do wisely, since the one condemns their Practices, and the other their Writings and Preaching. ”

“ Is braver than to argue and confute.
As he, that can draw Blood, they say,
From Witches, takes their magic Pow'r away:
So he, that draws Blood int' a Brother's Face,
Takes all his Gifts away, and Light, and Grace.
For while he holds, that nothing is so damn'd
And shameful, as to be asham'd,
He never can b' attack'd,
But will come off; for Confidence well back'd,
Among the weak and prepossest,
Has often Truth with all her Kingly Pow'r opprest. ”

“ For now they may behold that their Interest is united with that of the Royal Society; and that if they shall decry the promoting of Experiments, they will deprive themselves of the most fertile Subject of Fancy ”

“ With both does hold Intelligence;
(For red-hot Ir'n, held tow'rds the Pole,
Turns of it self to't, when 'tis cool)
Or whether Male and Female screws
In th' Ir'n and Stone th' Effect produce?
What makes the Body of the Sun,
That such a rapid Course does run,
To draw no Tail behind through th' Air,
As Comets do, when they appear,
Which other Planets cannot do,
Because they do not burn, but glow? ”

“ The Note upon this Passage in Hudibras, may with great Propriety be inserted here, and is as follows:
"The Device of the Vibration of a Pendulum, was intended to settle a certain Measure of Ells and Yards, &c. (that should have its Foundation in Nature) all the World over: For by swinging a Weight at the End of a String, and calculating (by the Motion of the Sun, or any Star) how long the Vibration would last, in Proportion to the Length of the String, and Weight of the Pendulum ”

“ 105 Hence bloody Wars at first began,
The artificial Plague of Man,
That from his own Invention rise,
To scourge his own Iniquities; ”

“ And that is only this—As th'Earth and Moon
Do constantly move contrary upon
Their several Axes, the Rapidity
Of both their Motions cannot fail to be
So violent, and naturally fast,
310 That larger Distances may well be past,
In less Time than the Elephant has gone,
Altho' he had no Motion of his own,
Which we on Earth can take no Measure of ”

“ Supposing (saith he) that those Inhabitants are bigger than any of us, in the same Proportion as their days are longer than ours, viz. by fifteen Times, it may be, for want of Stones to erect such vast Houses as were requisite for their Bodies, they are fain to dig great and round Hollows in the Earth, where they may both procure Water for their Thirst, and turning about with the Shade, may avoid those great Heats, which otherwife they would be liable unto. ”

“ All Things from Heaven down to Hell. ”

“ The weekly Shillings Pension is, if I am rightly informed, the customary Contribution of each Member of the Royal Society toward the Expences attending it. The Poet had added the two following Lines in this Character, but afterwards cross'd them out. ”

“ But yet thus far I agree with him, that whenever that Art is invented, or any other, whereby a Man may be conveyed some twenty Miles high, or thereabout, then 'tis not altogether improbable that some or other may be successful in this attempt. ”

“ Strange and bold as this Assertion seems, we see it too often verified by learned Men, who are dogmatical and confident in the most refined hypothetical Theories, and sceptical in the plainest Truths. ”

“ In vain strive Nature to suborn,
510 And, for their Pains, are paid with Scorn.
↑ This Poem was intended by the Author for a Satyr upon the Royal Society, which, according to his Opinion, at least, ran too much at that Time into the Virtuoso Taste, and a whimsical Fondness for surprizing and wonderful Stories in natural History. ”

“ His Meaning is, that the Non- confirmist perverts to as bad a Purpose, his Gifts and Dispensations, as he calls them, as the Governors of public Gifts and charitable Foundations do their Trusts, and like them applies that to private Interest, which was designed for public Good. ”

“ A Sneer, no doubt, upon Bishop Wilkins, who, in his Discourse to prove, that the Moon may be an habitable World has this Passage.— "'Tis the Opinion of Keplar that as soon as the Art of flying is found out, some of their Nation will make one of the first Colonies that shall transplant into that other World. ”

“ The truest Characters of Ignorance ”

“ F.R.S. who wrote a philosophical Discourse of Earth, and presented it to the Royal Society, April 29, 1625, which is dedicated to Lord Viscount Brounker. He also wrote a Treatise called Pomona, or an Appendix concerning Fruit-trees in relation to Cyder, in which (speaking of the best sort of Cyder-Apples) he says, p. 65.—Some commend the Fox-whelp; and the Gennet-Moyle was once prefer'd to the very Red-strake, and before the Bromsbury-Crab; but upon mature Consideration the very Critics themselves now recant, as being to effeminate and soft for a judicious Palate. ”

“ Though this Satyr seems fairly transcribed for the Press; yet on a Vacancy in the Sheet opposite to this Line, I find the following Verses, which probably were intended to be added, but as they are not regularly inserted, I chuse rather to give them by way of Note.
For Men n'er digg'd so deep into
The Bowels of the Earth below,
For Mettals that are found to dwell
Near Neighbour to the Pit of Hell,
And have a magic Pow'r to sway
The greedy Souls of Men that Way ”

“ Whether he intended ever to publish any of them, as separate distinct Thoughts, or to interweave them into some future Compositions, a Thing very usual with him, cannot be ascertained; nor is it, indeed, very material to those who are fond of his Manner of thinking and writing. I have ventured to give them the Title of Miscellaneous Thoughts; but I have not been over curious in placing them in any methodical order. Out of this Magazine he communicated to Mr. Aubrey that genuine Fragment printed in his Life, beginning
No Jesuit e'er took in Hand
To plant a Church in barren Land ”

“ There is no avoiding the appropriating this Character and Speech to the then President of the Royal Society the Lord Viscount Brounker. Sprat in his History mentions him in the following Terms:—"William, Lord Viscount Brounker President; which Office has been annually renew'd to him by Election, out of the true Judgment, which the Society has made of his great Abilities in all natural and especially mathematical Knowledge:" And 'tis very probable, that the Poet sneeringly alludes to this Compliment in these two Lines. ”

“ Than those of strong and lively Force.
↑ In this Composition the Reader will have the Pleasure of viewing Butler in a Light, in which he has not hitherto appeared. Every Thing almost, that he has wrote, is indeed satirical, but in an arch and drole Manner; and he may be said rather to have laught at the Vices and Follies of Mankind, than to have rail'd at them. ”

“ This is a Thought of Seneca's, and quoted as such by Butler in a Note of his own upon the two following Verses in his Hudibras.
He could reduce all Things to acts,
And knew their Nature by Abstracts.
See Grey's Hud. P. 1. C. 1. ver. 143. ”

“ To what particular Story Butler alludes in these two additional Verses, I cannot discover, nor whether it be to one founded upon the Pythagorean Transmigration, taught by the Druids to the old Irish, or to the French Superstition about the Loups-garoux or Men-Wolves, adopted by the Moderns. ↑ And saw 'twas but a Mouse, that by mishap—Had catch'd himself, and them, in th' optic Trap. ”