A supplement [to 'An essay on electricity'] : containing remarks on a rhapsody of adventures of a modern knight-errant in philosophy [i.e. John Freke] / By Benj. Martin.

Benjamin Martin

Date:: 1746

Credit: A supplement [to 'An essay on electricity'] : containing remarks on a rhapsody of adventures of a modern knight-errant in philosophy [i.e. John Freke] / By Benj. Martin. Source: Wellcome Collection.

23/48 page 17

$( *7 ) of a Houfe are nothing but the Excrements of the Mafon who builds it. * \ ——*- Rifum teneatis Amici ? • / - \ 1 I f * x \ , ^ , After this, our Knight fets Spurs to his IRozinantine Mufe, and bounds over many a Hill and Dale, 'till at laft he arrives to a Mine, in which there is a Damp that puts out a Can¬ dle ; and he undertakes to account for it. Firft, fays he, here is Room enough for a Candle to burn; (furely there is)—Secondly, this Air has been robb’d of its Fire; (A cunning D—lof * Our Author fays, (Append, p. ^7.) What I fay is, That whatever had once Fire in it, is capable of being tledlrifed : And here he fays, IVax is not capable of being electrified, becaufe an Excrement, or Corput Mortimm ; Ergo, Wax never had Fire in it. But (hould our Monopolizer of XJnderft anding be told by his ’Prentice, that Wax is nothing but the Farina in the Apices of Flowers, (See Nat. Hi ft. of Bees, p, 42.) and collected and carried thence by the Bees, on their Legs, to make their Combs withal, how much like a Philofopher mu ft he look ? And what a wonderful Logician is this, that after he Fas proved by a Syllogifm there never was any Fire in Wax, i. e. in the Farina, he lhould afifert, (Page 43) That the Fa¬ rina abounds vsith more of this Fire than any other Part of the Plant P This is truly Philofophy travefty, and the greateft Burlcfque upon Common Senfe. Had the Author none, among his boafted Friends, that had fo much Concern for his Cha- raCtei, as to gire him a gentle Flint on this Head, to prevent his expoiing himfelf a fecondTime to die Mercy of mifereant Critics. But, the Cale was, I fuppofe, that his Pride'' would not permit any of them to think for him ; and they knew too well the Truth of his Motto, Naturam cxpellas Furca. idc That is, in JFngliJh : If Dullnefs you drive out with juft Difdain, She 11, with Electric Tveapgt return again, & x$