But much of either would afford To many, that had not one word. For Hebrew roots, although they're found To flourish most in barren ground, He had such plenty, as suffic'd To make some think him circumcis'd: ova in And truly so he was, perhaps, He was in logic a great critic, Profoundly skill'd in analytic; He could distinguish and divide L 60 65 A hair, 'twixt south and south-west side; Confute, change hands, and still confute. 70 He'd undertake to prove, by force Of argument, a man's no horse; A calf an alderman, a goose a justice, 75 For rhetoric, he could not ope His mouth, but out there flew a trope; I' th' middle of his speech, or cough, H' had hard words, ready to shew why, You'd think he talk'd like other folk 85 For all a rhetorician's rules Teach nothing but to name his tools. 90 But, when he pleas'd to shew't, his speech A Babylonish dialect, Which learned pedants much affect: It was a party-colour'd dress Of patch'd and pye-ball'd languages: 'Twas English cut on Greek and Latin, Like fustian heretofore on satin. It had an odd promiscuous tone, 95 As if he had talk'd three parts in one; 100 Which made some think, when he did gabble, Th' had heard three labourers of Babel; Or Cerberus himself pronounce A leash of languages at once, the This he as volubly would vent As if his stock would ne'er be spent ; Was hard enough to touch them on : That had the orator, who once Did fill his mouth with pebble-stones When he harangu'd, but known his phrase, In mathematics he was greater for he, by geometric scale, Could take the size of pots of ale; If bread or butter wanted weight; Beside, he was a shrewd philosopher, 105 110 115 120 125 Whate'er the crabbed'st author hath, 130 135 They might be either said or sung. His notions fitted things so well, That which was which he could not tell; 140 But oftentimes mistook the one For th' other, as great clerks have done. He could reduce all things to acts, And knew their natures by abstracts; Where entity and quiddity, 145 The ghosts of defunct bodies, fly; Where Truth in person does appear, Like words congeal'd in northern air. As metaphysic wit can fly. In school-divinity as able, As he that height, Irrefragable; Halis 150 A second Thomas, or at once To name them all, another Dunce: And real ways beyond them all ; That's to be let unfurnished. 155 160 He could raise scruples dark and nice, And after solve 'em in a trice: As if divinity had catch'd 165 The itch, on purpose to be scratch'd; Or, like a mountebank, did wound He knew the seat of paradise, 170 Could tell in what degree it lies; And, as he was dispos'd, could prove it 175 十 |