90 THE NEW SCIENCE AND ENGLISH LITERATURE 



to hear his suit, he believes he can win her. For him this is not 

 "a mere Speculative Faculty", but for "the Practice". His 

 perseverance is at last rewarded; — "Nay, there's no Philosophy 

 against Love; Solon for that", as even Lady Reveller knew. 



' ' Lovely, — Will not Valeria look upon me ? She used to be more 

 kind when we have fish'd for eels in Vinegar ".^^ 



This is the only instance of a woman working in a laboratory 

 among insects and scientific apparatus. Valeria, however, goes 

 to the full extent; she dissects her pet pigeon to test the "vulgar 

 error" regarding its gall; she "opens a Dog" to study its internal 

 structure ; she examines a fish through the microscope ; she is not 

 restrained by an unscientific tenderness or affection. "Can Ani- 

 mals, Insects, or Reptiles be put to a nobler Use than to improve 

 our Knowledge? Cousin, I'll give you this Jewel for your Italian 

 Grey-Hound".*^ She is familiar with the nomenclature of the 

 Cartesian philosophy; such as, "Accident", "Substance," "Ma- 

 terial Being", and "Being of Reason".** She is eager to make in- 

 quiry of travellers concerning the marvels in foreign lands. In a 

 word she is thoroughly one of the new scientists, as comic writers 

 knew them. 



Mrs. Lovely, in A Bold Stroke for a Wife, (1718) has had four 

 guardians appointed for her, each representing a different humor. 

 Sir Philip Modelove is the fop of fashion; Tradelove is the mer- 

 chant; Obidiah Prim is the religious fanatic; Periwinkle is the 

 scientist. These four guardians quarrel about the character of 

 the husband that is to be selected for their ward. Each demands 

 that he shall be permitted to select a man dominated with his 

 own humor. The young man, who rashly undertakes to please 

 them all, deceives each in turn into promising to recommend him 

 by impersonating the humors of each. To Periwinkle he is a 

 Colonel, much-travelled, and greatly interested in the curiosities 

 of nature. He has collected many "Rarities", "which are not yet 

 come ashore"; as, an Egyptian Idol, two Tusks of a Hippopota- 

 mus, two pairs of Chinese Nut-crackers, one Egyptian Mummy ".*^ 



» Ibid. Act V. 



= Ibid. Act II, sc. 1. 



M Ibid. 



w A Bold Stroke for a Wife, Act II, sc. 1. 



