THE NEW SCIENCE AND PROSE 157 



In the dialogue, called Affectation of the Learned Lady, there is 

 portrayed a comic character, who is the equal of Valeria in the 

 Basset-Table and Lady Science in The Humours of Oxford. Cal- 

 phurnia keeps on her table, instead of toilet articles, "the works 

 of Jansenius, Descartes, Casaubon, Kircher, with such like Authors, 

 and Manuscripts innumerable ' '. 35 "I was so visited in the Morn 

 ing", she explains, "by the Virtuosi, Criticks, Poets, Booksellers; 

 so taken up with my Correspondence with the learned both at 

 home and Abroad, that I had little time to talk with my Milliner, 

 Dresser, Mantua-Maker, and such illiterate People". 36 So greatly 

 absorbed is she in these scientific interests that she "keeps a calling 

 day once a fortnight for the ladies, but everyday for the Virtuosi". 37 

 The Dialogues of the Dead 38 is a satire on the famous astrologer, 

 Lilly, and Modern Learning on the study of insects. The former 

 does not touch upon the new science ; the tone of the latter has long 

 since grown familiar. Moderno appears bespattered with filth, 

 and, on the enquiry of Indifferentio, accounts for his condition by 

 saying he has been in a ditch in search of knowledge; for "there 

 has been more true Experience in Natural Philosophy gather 'd 

 out of Ditches in this latter Century than Pliny and Aristotle were 

 Masters of both together". 39 Although the spring has not fully 

 come, he has gone out into the fields because he has grown weary 

 of the "winter-sports within Doors, as Rat-Catching, Mouse-fley- 

 ing, Crevice-searching for Spiders, Cricket-dissecting, and the 

 like". 40 



"Indifferentio, Pray, Sir, have you not some Diversions pe 

 culiar to the summer ? 



Moderno, Oh! Yes! infinite! Maggots, Flies, Gnats, Bugges, 

 Chaffers, Humble-Bees, Wasps, Grasshoppers, and in a good year 



Caterpillars in abundance Gredartius and Swam- 



merdam became Eminent for this Business". 41 



King's attitude is that of comedy; he exploits the scientific in- 



86 Ibid. p. 304. 



88 Ibid. 309. 



* Miscellanies, p. 309. 



88 Ibid. p. 314. 



89 Ibid. p. 334. 



40 Ibid. p. 326. 



41 Ibid. p. 326-7. 



