Some Cranks and their Crotchets 415 



A few days after this elegant epistle there came 

 to De Morgan another from the same hand. 

 Hodge had sent his papers to some easy-going 

 American professor, whose reply must clearly have 

 been too polite. It is never safe to give your 

 crank an inch of comfort ; it will straightway be- 

 come an ell of assurance. This American savant, 

 crows Rusticus, " highly approves of my work. 

 And Says he will Insure me Reward in the States 

 I write this that you may understand that I have 

 knowledge of the unfair way that I am treated in 

 my own nati County I am told and have reasons 

 to believe that it is the Clergy that treat me so 

 unjust. I am not Desirious of heaping Disonors 

 upon my own nation. But if I have to Leave this 

 kingdom without my Just dues. The world Shall 

 know how I am and have been treated 



" I am Sir Desirous of my Just dues 



"X. Y." 



A cynical philosopher once said that you can- 

 not find so big a fool but there will be some bigger 

 fool to swear by him ; and so our agricultural 

 friend had his admiring disciple who felt bound to 

 break a lance for him with the unappreciative De 

 Morgan : 



" He has done what you nor any other mathema- 

 tician as those who call themselves such have done. 



