Thames! Well, if I be ferved fuch another trick, I'll have my brains ta'en out and butter'd, and give them to a dog for a new year's gift. The rogues flighted me into the river with as little remorfe as they would have drown'd a bitch's blind puppies, fifteen i'th'litter; and you may know by my fize, that I have a kind of alacrity in finking: if the bottom were as deep as hell, I should down. I had been drown'd, but that the fhore was shelvy and fhallow; a death that I abhor; for the water swells a man and what a thing should I have been when I had been fwell'd? I should have been a mountain of mummy,

Merry Wives of Windsor, at 3. fc. 15,

Falftaff. Nay, you fhall hear, Mafter Brook, what I have fuffer'd to bring this woman to evil for your good. Being thus cramm'd in the basket, a couple of Ford's knaves, his hinds, were call'd forth by their mistress, to carry me in the name of foul cloaths to Datchet-lane. They took me on their shoulders, met the jealous knave their mafter in the door, who afk'd them once or twice what they had in their basket. I quak'd for fear, left the lunatic knavs would have fearch'd it; but Fate, ordaining he fhould be a cuckold, held his hand. Well, on went he for a search, and away went I for foul cloaths. But mark the fe quel, Mafter Brook. I fuffer'd the pangs of three egregious deaths; first, an intolerable fright, to be detected by a jealous rotten bell-weather; next, to bẹ compafs'd like a good bilbo, in the circumference of a peck, hilt to point, heel to head; and then to be ftopt in, like a strong diftillation, with ftinking cloaths that fretted in their own greafe. Think of that, a man of my kidney; think of that, that am as fubject

to

to heat as butter; a man of continual diffolution and thaw; it was a miracle to 'fcape fuffocation. And in the height of this bath, when I was more than half ftew'd in grease, like a Dutch difh, to be thrown into the Thames, and cool'd glowing hot, in that furge, like a horse shoe; think of that; hiffing hot; think of that, Mafter Brook.

Merry Wives of Windfor, at 3. fc. 17.

278

CHA P. VIII.

RESEMBLANCE AND DISSIMILITUDE.

HAV

AVING difcuffed thofe qualities and circumstances of fingle objects that seem peculiarly connected with criticism, we proceed, according to the method proposed in the chapter of beauty, to the relations of objects, beginning with the relations of resemblance and diffimilitude.

The connection that man hath with the beings around him, requires fome acquaintance with their nature, their powers, and their qualities, for regulating his conduct. For acquiring a branch of knowledge fo effential to our wellbeing, motives alone of reason and interest are not fufficient: nature hath providently fuperadded curiosity, a vigorous propensity, which never is at rest. This propensity attaches us to every new object *; and incites us to compare objects, in order to discover their differences and resemblances.

Refemblance among objects of the fame kind, and diffimilitude among objects of different kinds, are too obvious and familiar to gratify our curiofity in any degree: its gratification lies

See chap. 6.

in discovering differences among things where resemblance prevails, and resemblances where difference prevails. Thus a difference in individuals of the fame kind of plants or animals is deemed a discovery; while the many particulars in which they agree are neglected and in different kinds, any refemblance is greedily remarked, without attending to the many particu. lars in which they differ.

A comparison, however, may be too far ftretched.

When differences or refemblances are car. ried beyond certain bounds, they appear flight and trivial; and for that reason will not be relished by a man of tafte: yet fuch propensity is there to gratify paffion, curiofity in particular, that even among good writers we find many comparisons too flight to afford fatisfaction. Hence the frequent inftances among logicians of distinctions without any folid difference: and hence the frequent inftances among poets and orators, of fimilies without any just resemblance. With regard to the latter, I fhall confine myself to one inftance, which will probably amuse the reader, being a quotation, not from a poet nor orator, but from a grave author, writing an inftitute of law. "Our student shall observe, that "the knowledge of the law is like a deep well, "out of which each man draweth according to "the ftrength of his understanding. He that "reachest deepest, seeth the amiable and admi"rable fecrets of the law, wherein I affure you

"the fages of the law in former times have had "the deepest reach. And, as the bucket in the "depth is easily drawn to the uppermost part of "the water, (for nullum elementum in fuo proprie "loco eft grave) but take it from the water, it "cannot be drawn up but with a great difficul

ty; fo, albeit beginnings of this study seem "difficult, yet, when the profeffor of the law ❝can dive into the depth, it is delightful, eafy, "and without any heavy burden, fo long as he "keep himself in his own proper element *." Shakespear, with uncommon humour, ridicules fuch difpofition to fimile-making, by putting in the mouth of a weak man a resemblance much of a piece with that now mentioned. :

Fluellen. I think it is in Macedon where Alexander is porn: I tell you, Captain, if you look in the mapsof the orld, I warrant that you fall find, in the comparisons between Macedon and Monmouth, that the fituations, look you, is both alike. There is a river in Macedon, there is also moreover a river in Monmouth: it is called Wye at Monmouth, but it is out of my prains what is the name of the other river; but it is all one; 'tis as like as my fingers to my fingers, and there is falmons in both. If you mark Alexander's life well, Harry of Monmouth's life is come after it indifferent well; for there is figures in all things. Alexander, God knows, and you know, in his rages, and his furies,

* Coke upon Lyttleton, p. 71.

and