THE NEW SCIENCE AND PROSE 169 



worlds rising still above this which we discovered, and these still 

 enlightened by a superior firmament of luminaries, wliich are 

 planted at so great a distance, that they may appear to the in- 

 habitants of the former as the stars do to us : In short, whilst I 

 pursued this thought, I could not but reflect on the little insignifi- 

 cant figure which I myself bore amidst the immensity of God's 

 works. Hugenius carries this thought so far, that he does not 

 think it impossible there may be stars whose light is not yet 

 travelled down to us, since their first creation ".*'^ 



The Guardian is for the most part an echo of the ridicule in 

 The Tatler and The Spectator. Jack Lizard returns from the uni- 

 versity a philosophical pedant.^*' The wild schemes of Whiston and 

 Ditton for finding the longitude,^^ Wilkins's art of flying,^- and 

 the observations of the habits of insects"^ are satirized in a good- 

 natured fashion. Berkeley has written an amusing travesty on 

 the Cartesian theory that ''the soul of man stands tiptoe on the 

 pineal gland".®* Steele has given with considerable detail the 

 character of a virtuoso who is piqued because his merits are not 

 honored. 



"Sir, — I am a very great scholar, wear a fair wig, and 

 have an immense number of books curiously bound and gilt. 

 I excel in a singularity of diction and manners, and visit 

 persons of the first quality. In fine, I have by me a great 

 quantity of cockle-shells, which, however, does not defend 

 me from the insults of another learned man, who neglects 

 me in a most insupportable manner ; for I have it from per- 

 sons of undoubted veracity, that he presumed once to pass 

 by my door without waiting upon me. Whether this be 

 consistent with the respect which we learned men ought to 

 have for each other, I leave to your judgement, and am. Sir, 

 Your affectionate friend, 



Philautus.''®^ 



wibid. 565. 



"•' The Guardian, Number 24. 



«Ibid. 107. 



"Ibid. 112. 



"Ibid. 156. 



Mlbid. 35. 



»»Ibid. 95. 



