William Blake

“ He understands anatomy better than any of the Ancients. He’ll plunge his knife up to the hilt in a single drive, and thrust his fist in, and all in the space of a quarter of an hour. He does not mind their crying, tho’ they cry ever so. He’ll swear at them & keep them down with his fist, & tell them that he’ll scrape their bones if they don’t lay still & be quiet. What the devil should the people in the hospital that have it done for nothing, make such a piece of work for? ”

“ What is it to any body what I do? I am always unhappy too. When I think of Surgery––I don’t know. I do it because I like it. My father does what he likes & so do I. I think, somehow, I’ll leave it off. ”

“ Obtuse Angle answerd, “The heathens in the old ages us’d to have Gods that they worship’d, & they us’d to sacrifice to them you have read about that in the bible.”
“Ah,” said Aradobo, “I thought I had read of Phebus in the Bible.”
“Aradobo, you should always think [of what you st] before you speak said Obtuse Angle.
“Ha! Ha! Ha! he means Pharaoh said Tilly Lally.
“I am ashamd of you,–– making [PAGE 4] use of the names [of] in the Bible,” said Mrs. Sigtagatist. ”

“ The Cynic answer'd, "They are only quarreling about Voltaire."
"Yes," said the Epicurean, "& having a bit of fun with him."
"And," said the Pythagorean, "endeavoring to incorporate their souls with their bodies,"
Obtuse Angle giving a grin, said, "Voltaire understood nothing of the Mathematics, and a man must be a fool i'faith not to understand the Mathematics."
Inflammable Gass turning round hastily in his chair said, "Mathematics he found out a number of Queries in Philosophy." ”

“ With stockings roll’d above their knees & shoes as black as jet,
With eating beef & drinking beer, O they were stout & hale!
Good English hospitality, O then it did not fail!
Thus sitting at the table wide, the Mayor & Aldermen
Were fit to give law to the city; each eat as much as ten.
The hungry poor ente’rd the hall to eat good beef & ale. ”

“ Obtuse Angle shutting his eyes & saying that he always understood better when he shut his eyes [It is not of use to make] "In the first place it is of no use for a man to make Queries but to solve them, for a man may be a fool & make Queries but a man must have good sound sense to solve them. a query & an answer are as different as a strait line & a crooked one. ”

“ Chap 4
“Hang names!” said the Pythagorean. “What’s Pharoh better than Phebus, or Phebus than Pharoh?”
“Hang them both,” said the Cynic.
“Don’t be prophane,” said Mrs Sistagatist.
“Why?” said Mrs Nannicantipot, “I don’t think it’s prophane to say ‘Hang Pharoh.’” “Oh,” said Mrs Sinagain. “I'm sure you ought to hold your tongue, for you never say any thing about the scriptures, & you hinder your husband from going to church.”
“Ha, Ha!” said Inflammable Gass. “What! don’t you like to go to church?”
“No,” said Mrs Nannicantipot. “I think a person may be as good at home.” ”

“ This quite provok’d Miss Gittipin, to interrupt her in her favourite topic, & she proceeded to use every Provoking speech that ever she could, & he bore it [more] like a Saint than a Lawgiver, and with great Solemnity he address’d the company in these words:–
”They call women the weakest vessel, but I think they are the strongest. A girl has always more tongue than a boy. ”

“ I am sure I take but little pleasure. You have as much pleasure as I have. There I stand & bear every fool’s insult. if I had only myself to care for, I'd wring off their noses.”
To this Scopprell answer’d, “I think the Ladies discourses, Mr Steelyard, are some of them more improving than any book. That is the way I have got some of my knowledge.”
”Then,” said Miss Gittipin, “Mr Scopprell, do you know the song of Phebe and Jellicoe? ”

“ You are always talking of your books. I like to be where we talk. You had better take a walk, that we may have some pleasure. I am sure I never see any pleasure. There’s Double Elephant’s Girls, they have their own way ”

“ While Tilly Laily & Scopprell were pumping at the air pump, Smack went the glass.
“Hang!” said Tilly Lally.
Inflammable Gass turn’d short round & threw down the table & Glasses, & Pictures, & broke the bottles of wind, & let out the Pestilence. He saw the Pestilence fly out of the bottle, & cried out, [PAGE 14] while he ran out of the room:
“ [Go] Come out! Come out! [you ar] We are putrified! We are corrupted! Our lungs are destroy’d with the Flogiston. This will spread a plague all thro' the Island! ”

“ Steelyard the Lawgiver, sitting at his table, taking extracts from Hervey’s Meditations among the tombs & Young’s Night thoughts. [This is unfair and ?I ?think]
“He is not able to hurt me,” (said he) “more than making me Constable or taking away the parish business. Hah!
[O what a scene is here what a disguise] My crop of corn is but a field of tares”, Says Jerome happiness is not for us poor crawling reptiles of the earth. Talk of happiness & happiness! It’s no such thing.Every person has as something. ”

“ Then said Quid, “I think that Homer is bombast, & Shakespeare is too wild, & Milton has no feelings; they might be easily outdone. Chatterton never writ those poems! A parcel of fools, going to Bristol! ”

“ In comes--Etruscan Column the Antiquarian & after an abundance of Enquiries to no purpose sat himself down & described something that nobody listend to so they were employd when Mrs Gimblet came in [tipsy] the corners of her mouth seemd I dont know how, but very odd as if she hoped you had not an ill opinion of her. to be sure we are all poor creatures. ”