Variation of SciUence-Constants in Literature 



DRYDEN 



( Tke Mock Astrologer) 



First hundred periods 15.0 



Second " " 16.5 



Third " " 19.6 



Fourth " " 17.1 



Fifth " " 16.3 



Average for 500 periods 15.9 



DRYDEN 



{Essay on Satire) 



First hundred periods 45.0 



Second " " 48.1 



Third " " 40.1 



Fourth " " 44.8 



Fifth " " ;i3.:} 



Average for 500 periods 42.3 



In these authors the divergence of constants was even greater 

 than in the case of Goethe and Schiller. Shakespeare's 12.39 

 and Bacon's 32.59 seemed no longer remarkable, the ratio of 

 these two constants being 2.6, while the corresponding ratios for 

 Goethe and Swift are 3.7 and 4.4 respectively. 



These results urged me to continue the investigation. I soon 

 found that the sentence-constants varied not only when a com- 

 parison was made between drama and history, or essays, but in 

 other forms of composition as well. I append a few of my 

 results:* 



GOLDSMITH 



{She Stoops to Conquer) 



First hundred periods 13.9 



Second " " 13.1 



Third " " 13.2 



Fourth " " 14.9 



Fifth " " 12.4 



Average for 500 periods 13.5 



GOIvDSMlTH 



{Present State of Polite Learning 

 in Europe) 



First hundred periods 30.4 



Second " " 24.6 



Third " " 25.7 



Fourth " " 23.5 



Fifth " " 20.4 



Average for 500 periods 24.9 



GOLDSMITH 



{The Vicar of Wakefield) 



First hundred periods 31.2 



Second " " 30.8 



Third " " 27.5 



Fourth " " 25.8 



Fifth " " 26.5 



Average for 500 periods 28.4 



SCOTT 

 {Ivan hoe) 



First hundred periods 46.2 



Sc-cond " " 35.3 



Third " " 33.7 



Fourth " " 29.8 



Fifth " " ,32.2 



Average for 500 periods 35 4 



' In each case the count was made from the beginning of the work cited. 

 Introductions, headings, footnotes, sentences containing long quotations, 

 verses, and, in the case of dramas, stage directions were consistently omitted. 



237 



