158 THE NEW SCIENCE AND ENGLISH LITERATURE 



terest as a humor. There is, however, no bitterness in his at- 

 tack. His aim is to raise a laugh, and he does it at the expense 

 of the worthy and the unworthy. One looks in vain for any seri- 

 ous treatment of the subject in his work; yet there is a single 

 passage in the Dialogues of the Dead, which seems to contain as 

 definite a statement of King's real attitude as can be found. "Con- 

 sider further, That men of true Learning will always be Honour 'd 

 whilst their Mimicks are despised".*^ 



Of the same character as King's are the satires, or Amuse- 

 ments, of Thomas Brown. Apothecaries, surgeons and physi- 

 cians are all ridiculed in Amusement X. A boy has swallowed a 

 knife and these wise men have met in consultation as to the best 

 method of removing it from his stomach. The apothecaries advise 

 certain quack emetics; the surgeons say cut him open; the physi- 

 cians suggest an effective method by the use of a loadstone, but 

 too indecent to explain. Brown does not hesitate in his satire to 

 become personal; it was "my particular Friend Dr. W-dw-rd 

 (Wood\vard) who first mentioned the loadstone, and he is no quack 

 I assure you".*'^ There is also a satiric comment on Lilly and 

 astrology; Lilly is the chief "proficient in the Celestial Gim- 

 cracks". The quackery in astrology Brown understood full well, 

 and has here given it the kind of treatment it deserved. 



The amplest satire on the virtuosi occurs where Brown arrives 

 at "The Philosophical or Virtuosi Country". "This Country of 

 Experimental Philosophy is very amusing, and their Collections 

 of Rarities exceeds that of John Trudusken (Tradescant), for here 

 are Galls of Doves, the eye-teeth of flying Toads, the eggs of Ants, 

 and the eyes of Oysters. Here they weigh the Air, measure heat, 

 cold, dryness, and humidity — great discoveries for the public ad- 

 vantage of Mankind. Without giving our selves the trouble of 

 making use of our senses, we need only cast our eyes upon a weather 

 glass to know if 'tis hot or cold, if it rains, or is fair weather".** 

 In this country the "Contemplative Gentlemen" occupy themselves 

 "with dissecting atoms, or mites in cheese, with transfusing blood 

 from an Ass to an astrological quack, from a sheep into a bully, or 



** 'hLiBceUaniea, p. 314. 



« Works, vol. Ill, p. 100. 



** Wks. vol. Ill, A.mu8ement X, p. 94. 



